Page 87 of Golden Ruin

So, I don’t move, but I don’t hold her in place either as my lips move to her ear, watching her chest rise quickly when I speak.

“If you want space, if this feels wrong to you… walk away, Lex. I won’t stop you.”

The song ends, changing to something a few beats slower, bass-heavy and disorienting. It isn’t lost on me that I basically just told her to leave me standing here alone, to make this entire situation blow up in my face, but when her back slowly settles against my chest, I realize that isn’t going to happen.

I feel eyes on us, but don’t care. My only focus is her.

My heart thunders inside my chest when our bodies begin moving together. We’re stiff and awkward at first, but only until the familiarity of holding her like this comes rushing back to me. I wrap my arm around her, placing one hand against her stomach, and she doesn’t pull away. I stare down on her frame, watching as she gently bites her lip, pushing her ass against me in rhythm.

Possessive doesn’t even begin to explain how I feel right now, feeling how she clings to me, melts into me. If I’m honest with myself, I never stopped feeling that way about her. Even when I shouldn’t have. The connection between us lingers, like a force that never lets us move too far outside each other’s emotional orbit. But knowing this only makes what we’re doing now feel more dangerous, because we’ve tried this before.

Because we’ve crashed and burned before.

But the difference between her and I is… the risk of trying again feels completely worth it to me.

I’m pulled from my thoughts when Lexi reaches back, draping her arm behind my neck, gripping the back of it. That gravity is still there, pulling us into each other. Only, this time, there are a few hundred witnesses.

The tips of my fingers graze her jaw, fighting the urge to bring her mouth to mine. But just as boldness floods my veins, the song ends. A fast-paced beat has everyone jumping around us, getting amped up as the neon necklaces around their necks bounce in sync.

Lexi pulls away and the sudden disconnect is sobering. She faces me, searching my face for something as she straightens her dress. Maybe an explanation for why I approached her, why I got rid of that asshole trying to grind on her, but the last thing I want is to be grilled for answers I don’t have.

So, I walk away, distancing myself because the unshed tension is eating me alive.

I’m not sure what she’s thinking right now, but there’s one thought running through my head as I trudge toward the back door to get some much-needed air.

I’m fucked.

*

@QweenPandora

Ok, so who’s bright idea was it to have a MASSIVE party with no phones allowed? Don’t you care that the citizens of Cypress Pointe get their nightly dose of gossip?

How selfish!

Anyway, I suppose we’ll have to use our imaginations to guess what went on inside #SexyBeast’s club tonight but just know I’m HIGHLY annoyed right now.

And nothing good comes of getting under a gossip queen’s skin.

Later, peeps :)

–P

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Sterling

The party was technically a hit, but I’ve been ready to leave for hours.

My fingers drum the steering wheel as I stare at the entrance to Ricky’s, replaying the night while I wait for Lexi to come out. I can’t believe I went to her on the dancefloor, showed all my fucking cards.

To her.

To our friends.

To the entire fucking city.

“Fuck.”