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His nostrils flared, and his lips pressed together. “I’ll be alright,” he muttered, reaching out to pull her against him again.
She sank into his embrace, and she felt him relax and bury his face in her curls, inhaling deep.
“So we’re all thinking of taking Lukas to Haven for his birthday.”
“His birthday?”
“Yeah. This Friday on the twelfth. It’s his twenty-first birthday.”
Her face screwed up. “I didn’t know he was older than you.”
“Only by seven months.” He took a drink of his soda as Noah approached the booth. “Anyway, Riley thought we should go celebrate there since he doesn’t like a big deal made of it. You coming?”
“Of course. I’d love to come.”
25
NEED
The bass thumped and red lights swept over a crowded dance floor filled with bodies grinding to the strains of a techno and metal mashup. Flashing lights and fog from machines in the corners made the dancers look like they moved in slow motion.
Charlotte had been in the gothic nightclub Haven once before, when she turned eighteen the fall before last. Blaire hadn’t been able to go, but the other servers at the diner took Charlotte one weekend. There was always a theme with colors to suit it. Tonight, red dominated the space, making it look like a seedy castle.
She stood at the top of the set of black stairs lined with red strip lights and black candles on wrought iron candelabras. Her gaze swept the room, scanning for familiar faces. The dance floor offered limited visibility, so she switched her attention to the lounge area where tiered candles flickered atop hardwood tables. Patrons in various states of inebriation sat in black leather booths, drinking, making out, and having a good time.
The song shifted to something with a heavy beat as she descended the stairs into the throng of people.
She hadn’t seen Aiden in two days since they left the diner. His mother had roped him, Lukas, and Seth into doing some house repairs for her, so they only had the nighttime to FaceTime with each other. It became a challenge before the end of each call not to stoop to the level of phone sex.
Her need for him had become a problem. She felt like a fiend. Never had she yearned for someone as intensely as she did Aiden.
Gentle hands came to rest on her shoulders as she reached the bar area lit underneath with red lights. Her eyes darted up to see Blaire’s reflection in the mirror wall behind the bartenders.
She turned to face her friend and smiled.
“About time you got here!” Blaire shouted over the music. “You look amazing!”
Charlotte looked down at herself with a smile. “That was the plan,” she said, more to herself than Blaire. She knew Blaire didn’t hear her.
She’d worn a pair of black, high-waisted, leather shorts that came down a couple inches below her backside. The shorts had an open-front, mesh maxi skirt that flowed behind her when she walked fast enough. A black, slinky cowl halter put her entire back on display. She paired the outfit with strappy heels. Wearing her hair up on top of her head, she secured her curls with pins and two black hair sticks. She finished the entire ensemble with a smokey eye but left her lips bare. She wanted them free from anything intrusive.
The goal was to appeal to Aiden, but she wasn’t too confident in her look until Blaire’s expression set her at ease.
“You look awesome too,” she said as Blaire led her away from the bar.
Blaire laughed. “This is all Riley’s doing.” She smoothed her hand over the long blonde waves cascading down her back.
Riley had dressed her in a long-sleeved crop top fitted to her like a second skin and a miniskirt with a slit up the front of the thigh.
Blaire led her over to a table next to the dance floor where Lukas sat with Seth, Riley, Layla, and a handsome guy with dyed platinum hair showing dark roots and sides. His eyebrow piercing caught her attention. She always thought those looked cool on guys. Blaire caught her looking and leaned in. “That’s Dom. He’s a new student.”
Charlotte nodded. She remembered Aiden mentioning him. “Where’s Aiden?”
An animalistic growl behind her made her spin around with wide eyes. What in the world? Her curiosity died when she saw Aiden standing a couple feet away, resembling all her wildest fantasies made flesh.
He wore a pair of fitted black slacks that hugged his muscular thighs. His black, button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up his tight forearms was tucked neatly into his slacks, accented by a black leather belt with a simple metal buckle. The top two buttons of his dress shirt were undone, giving a peek at the muscles he hid beneath.
Her lips pressed together before her tongue could run over her lips.
