Liam would watch.
And me? I’d stand in the middle of them both.
My fingertips graze my collarbone, lingering at the curve of my breast where sweat gathers like morning dew, then slide upward to tangle in my hair. I pull the damp strands away from my neck, exposing skin. My spine arches just enough for him to imagine every inch of my skin I’d never let him touch. I want to tempt him with what he despises and have him choke on his own breath. Though I can’t be certain of my hold over him, one suspicion crystallizes:
If he truly wanted to hurt me, he would have done so already.
I pretend I don’t see him move, that I don’t feel the crowd part for him. My heartbeat quickens, and by the time I glance back, he is too close.
“Enjoying yourself?” His voice is low enough to make my stomach clench.
I smile slowly, feeling my rapid breathing taking over and dragging my fingertip up my lip.
“I was until you showed up.”
His jaw tightens. I am a bullet he can’t decide whether to load.
And what’s more dangerous than a bullet? A woman who’s done crying.I am done crying.
My phone buzzes.
Tyler: Here.
Perfect.
When I glance over my shoulder again, he’s gone. A millisecond of disappointment rushes through me; a sliver of a delusion that I ever believed I had him in any kind of net vanishes.
And then I gasp. In front of me, in my space… No, into me, is his wide chest pressed forcefully against mine, a furnace of heat scorching through my dress. His breath cuts across my neck, filling the air with a heady mix of aftershave and masculine musk that makes my heart hammer.
His hand, heavy and sure, rests low on my hip, right at the point where velvet meets my skin. I look up at him, slowly, knowing I’ll find something raw, a cold beauty and that’s exactly what I find when his eyes meet mine. Trepidation courses through me, but I also can’t help but wonder if there is any part of Joe in him. The part I long to get back, that every pulse in my body begs for.
“Dangerous play of cards, Sara. You know why?” he asks, his fingers digging into my skin.
“Why?” I murmur, a little too breathlessly.
“Because you’re lying. The way you’re breathing hard against me, you enjoy fearing me, and you should.” He almost coaxes me with his words.
The rough stubble from his jaw grazes my skin, sending shivers skittering down my ribcage.
I make the mistake of leaning more into him, to feel the full length of his body against mine, and my breath hitches when I say, “Thought you liked dangerous.”
His grip tightens, fingers brushing the inside of my thigh through the slit. So close between my legs; I almost forget Tyler is here, and as he inches closer; I almost forget my name.
“You shouldn’t spark curiosity.” He growls, his voice low under the music, and I tremble at the realization of what I might have done, luring a monster into my yard. A monster that I seem to affect.
“What kind of curiosity?” I say sensually, moving my body against his.
“The kind where I take what I want without giving a fuck.” His hand slips lower, daring to trace over the swell of my ass beneath the thin fabric, a bold move that sends adrenaline pumping wild through my veins.
“You think I’d let you?” I tease in his ear, playing with fire.
“Sara, you’re not dancing with the kind of devil that will let you believe you’ve lucked out. I don’t need your approval.”
I smile wickedly because he’s not scaring me.
“One day… you’re going to push too far,” he says in my ear.
How far are we talking about exactly?I think I have a bit of a death wish.
