My stomach swirls with nervous energy, but the smile on his face and the warmth in those chocolate depths of his assure me that it wasn’t an unwelcome advance. And if that wasn’t enough, as he slides me down his front to plant me on the ground, the hard-on poking a tent in his dress pants is a pretty good indication of how he’s feeling about it.
I’ve never been applauded for kissing someone before, but I didn’t dislike that, either. For a hot minute I forgot we weren’t the only people in the room, and the fierceness that he gripped me with, well… I’m glad that girl boners aren’t as noticeable as guys’.
Part of me wants to link my hand with his and drag him out of the bar, but the comradery, the energy surrounding us, makes me want to stay a while and let it wash over me.
I’ve never been a huge fan of crowds, especially crowds of strangers, but Ares grips my hand and snakes me through the crowd until we get to a quieter part of the bar in the back. Tori has decided to make an appearance for a drink, she’s sitting next to Athena on one side. On Athena’s other side, Savannah has planted herself firmly in Justin’s lap, and it’s as though the rest of us aren’t even there.
She’s stroking the side of his face as she sweeps her nose across his and grinning at him like he hung the moon. Maybe he did. I don’t know him.
I like this smaller group. It’s a welcoming crowd. I don’t know any of the players without their names and numbers pasted on their bodies, but even when they were stamped with their surnames, they all moved way too fast for me to keep up anyway.
Apollo catches me staring over the heads of some of his friends and lifts his glass to me. I give an awkward wave. Artemis either sees or senses his twin has spotted someone because a second later, he’s waving at me too.
Here I am, surrounded by a lot of incredibly attractive men in suits. My fingers drift to my face. I can’t touch my scars because I’ll smear the face paint, but the temptation to take my hair back down to hide my imperfections burns like a red-hot poker in my cheek.
Before it can consume me, a hand slides into mine, a chair pulls closer, and a nose is in my hair. “Are you okay,tesoro?”
My stomach is tight, a dull throb grows behind my eyes. I’m only drinking water, so I’m hoping that’ll wash away the brewing headache. I don’t want him to know that I might not be okay, that I’m uncomfortable, because he’ll make me leave, and we just got here, so I nod.
“You’re a terrible liar.Dime, tesoro, ¿qué pasa?”
The intensity of his stare on me is most certainly a distraction from the fact I feel like the ugly duckling sitting here among all of this beauty. When I look at his face, his eyes are only on me, no one else.
To him, it doesn’t matter that his sister is a supermodel, or that Tori has curves for days, or that Savannah’s skin is so flawless she probably doesn’t even need to moisturize. To him, it doesn’t matter that half a dozen girls are wearing skirts barely covering their butt cheeks waiting at the edge of the space for the team. Their shirts are low cut, and they keep waving over at whatever players’ attention they can catch.
To him, right now, I am the only person that matters, and he means it, so I owe him the truth.
“I feel self-conscious being here.” I twitch my eyes to my right to indicate the beautiful people. “There are a lot of really hot people here.”
His deep chuckle distracts me from my embarrassment about my gnarly face, and my tingling girl parts remind me that she’s ready to play.
“Youare a really hot person,tesoro.” He plants a kiss on my cheek, sliding a little closer to me. Our thighs are touching, like some form of silent support, reinforcement. “If you want me to swoop you into my arms like Justin did with Savannah, I can. But I can’t promise I won’t finger you until you come, screaming my name right here in front of all our friends.”
That makes my breath hitch. My cheeks are constantly flushed and on fire when I’m around him. I’m glad it’s loud in here, because the little squeak that escapes me is embarrassing. A part of me wants to test whether he’s serious or not, even though I know he is.
“Say the word, and I’ll get us both out of here, okay?”
I nod, tension unfurling from my neck and shoulders. It’s nice to know that he won’t make me feel guilty if I need to leave. He’s had a big night, and he probably wants to hang with his teammates, but he’s thinking of me.
How is this sweet and considerate guy the same guy who I read about online?
A player has moved to sit next to Tori. I don’t think she’s noticed his presence yet because she and Athena are watching Ares and me with a mixture of caution and intrigue. It’s as though Athena expects him to mess up somehow. She looks ready to either jump in and stand in front of me, or she’s ready to kill him. I’m not sure which.
I offer her a small smile, which she returns. I’m surprised her protectiveness is directed toward me and not her brother. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people threw themselves at the boys in her family in a bid to get rich, quickly. Maybe that’s why she’s staring at me. Maybe she’s waiting for me to make a move on his wallet.
I gulp and meet his eyes again. In the light, they look black. He never looks at me like I might not be enough for him. In fact, he looks at me the way Savannah looks at Justin. Does he think I hung the moon too? Because he should totally know better—I’m way too short to hang anything.
A nervous laugh bubbles up inside me as I lean forward to plant a kiss on the tip of his nose. “I thought you’d celebrate your win with a drink.” I gesture to his soda on the table.
“Recovering addict and alcoholic.” He picks up his soda and takes a drink. “Choosing my sobriety is a celebration in itself.”
I don’t really know what to say to that. Like all things Ares, he came right out and said it, leaving it hanging between us like some awkward third wheel on a date. I’m a rule follower, and it didn’t even occur to me that he couldn’t and shouldn’t drink. Never mind the trouble he could get into if he did and was caught. Now I feel like an idiot.
“Don’t worry,tesoro.” He strokes my face, and thatmighthave been a purr that escaped me at his touch but the music’s too loud, so there’s no evidence to prove it. “I have no secrets from you. I can talk to you about anything. Don’t feel bad for bringing things up. If you have questions, I don’t mind.”
I nod and kiss him again. It’s a teasing sweep of our lips together and at the contact, I’m starved for more, wanting to sink into his lap like Savannah did with Justin.
A glass smashes to my right, and I turn my head in time to see Victoria pushing to her feet. The guy who had moved closer to her is soaking, liquid dripping from his nose and chin and seeping into the pale blue dress shirt that has two buttons opened at his neck. I’m guessing that’s her glass smashed on the floor. Was it deliberate?
