Losing It Part 36

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" He choked. "Isn't this the skirt you told me you'd never wear?"

"And I won't be wearing it tonight. I'm going back to my room to find something else."

I turned, and his other hand touched my thigh. "Wait."

His hands trailed up to the indecently short hem, and around to the back of my thighs, inches below the curve of my b.u.t.t.

"You. Are. Unbelievably. s.e.xy." His voice was so low it rumbled, and I could feel the vibrations soaking into my skin. He leaned down and punctuated each word with a chaste kiss up the side of my thigh. I could have been clay in his hands, the way he was controlling me. If he had tried, I might have given up my virginity to him there in the bathroom without much of a fight.

But Kelsey's fist pounded on the door, snapping me out of my l.u.s.t.

"d.a.m.n, Bliss. Would you hurry it up already?"

With her words, came back my fear. Sure, he thought I was s.e.xy now. But virgins were pretty much the least s.e.xy things ever. Would he change his mind when he found out?

"I have to go. I'm sorry. There's probably spaghetti still left over if you want some after we leave. I'll... I'll call you, okay?"

He nodded, his eyes still dark, unwavering.

I tumbled out into the hallway, a mess of hormones and emotions. I was so distracted that I didn't even remember I'd intended to change until I was already buckled into Kelsey's car and we were on our way to the club.

Chapter Twenty

Ecstasy, the club, was dark and hazy when we entered. The beat of the music pounded through the walls and the floor, seeping into my skin, setting me on edge. This wasn't my scene at all, but Kelsey loved it. I figured all I had to do was hang out at the bar, maybe chat with a guy or two so she'd get off my back. Then she'd probably go home with some guy and leave me her car. That's how these things usually went.

What I hadn't antic.i.p.ated was the way my change in attire would change the normal plan. We were barely in the doors for a minute before a guy had asked me to dance. I declined, which earned me a glare from Kelsey.

"What?" I shouted over the music. "You said I had to come, not that I had to dance!"

We stood at the bar, and I worked to flag down a bartender, while she berated me.

"You are the most infuriating person I have ever met! You look smoking hot tonight, and all you're going to do is sit over here and pout like always!"

"Then maybe you should have let me stay home and pout!"

A guy tapped on my shoulder, and I didn't even wait for him to ask before I said, "NO!"

Kelsey fixed her hands on her hips, and for a Barbie look-a-like, she was still pretty intimidating. "I realize you are upset, and you've got a lot going on. I'm trying to be understanding, but what is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem, Kelsey. I just don't like that you think you can drag me places without any concern for what I actually want!"

"Fine! Nevermind! I give up! Sit here and pout! I'm going to dance!"

She spun around and pushed through the crowd, spilling several drinks and knocking people out of her way.

Scary Barbie.

I inched onto a stool, conscious of the fact that my short skirt made it so that my bare legs were glued to the plastic. I wouldn't be surprised if my a.s.s was hanging out, but at the moment I was too p.i.s.sed off to care. I ordered a Jack and c.o.ke, and sat there seething while I waited. I knew she meant well, but the solution to all the world's problems was not partying. I'd always known we were very different people, but I'd never realized just how much she didn't understand me.

"Can I buy you a drink?" A voice asked over my shoulder.

I held up my full drink, and ignored him.

The guy took a seat beside me anyway. He leaned in to ask me something else, and I snapped, "I'm not interested!"

Then a familiar voice answered. "I'm glad to hear that."

I nearly fell off my stool when I picked up the accent.

"Garrick!"

Garrick was the guy sitting next to me, a cap pulled down low over his eyes, covering his gorgeous blond hair.

He hadn't sounded like Garrick when he'd first spoken. "You sounded-"

When he answered this time his accent was gone, and he sounded American. No particular dialect, just... normal. "I am an actor, Bliss. I know how to cover my accent."

Still in shock, I asked, "What are you doing here? What if someone sees you?"

"I'm incognito, sort of. And if anyone does, I'll just say we ran into each other by chance. I'm a professor. I didn't take a vow to have zero social life."

"But why?"

"Because I couldn't stomach the thought of you dancing with anyone else in that skirt." His hand grazed my thigh, and all the heat from earlier came rus.h.i.+ng back.

"Garrick, stop! Someone is going to see! What if Kelsey comes back?"

"Based on the show you guys put on earlier, I don't see that happening anytime soon."

I cringed. Maybe I had been a little b.i.t.c.hy.

"Come on." He stood up, and offered me a hand. I looked around, scared to take it. It was so dark. If there was someone here we knew, we would have no way of knowing unless we came face to face. This was too big of a chance.

"Stop thinking so much," he told me and wrapped an arm around my waist sliding me off the seat. The bare skin of my thighs squeaked embarra.s.singly against the seat, but he didn't seem to notice or care. He threaded our fingers together and pulled me into the crowd.

I kept my head down, concentrating on putting my feet where his had just been. He led me down a few steps onto a lower level, where it was somehow even darker, and the bodies were pressed tighter together. I couldn't see anyone but the people right next to me. He weaved and pulled until we were in the furthest corner, then pulled me between him and the wall. His back was to the rest of the room, and his tall form covered me completely.

His breath tickled against my ear as he whispered, "Better?"

I nodded. It was better. I mean, we were still in a club and I would rather have been at home alone, but already this was the best club experience I'd ever had.

Even knowing how he felt about me, I was too nervous to dance with him face to face. So I turned until my back was pressed against his front. His hands went immediately to my hips, pulling me against him. The sensation chased all the air out of my lungs.