my veins faster than any adrenaline ever had. I hated the way they were staring at her. I hated that she had put herself into this situation. I hated that she had put me into this situation.
Her hips moved against mine and I tried to stop her by placing my hands on her waist. All it did was let me feel the curves of her body. One of her hands trailed down my chest as she rocked against me in all the right places. I could dance with her for one song, right? One song wouldn't hurt anything.
Yes.
Yes it would.
One more second of being with her this way was going to shove any resolve I had right out the door. I could feel the closeness of her lips on my neck and knew that wouldn't be long before she started getting ideas about what this one dance meant.
“Let's go,” I said, dropping my hands from her waist and taking one of her hands in mine. She resisted, but only momentarily. I had a feeling the look in my eyes told her I was dead serious. Whether she was drunk or high, surely she could still see it.
“What's up, man,” Link Hoffman stepped into my exit path. “Are you leaving? Chayse?” He turned his attention to her when he saw that I had her hand. “I can take you home, babe.”
Babe?
“I don't think so,” I said, pushing past him and pulling her along with me. His voice called to us clear out into the parking lot and when we could finally hear above the noise, Chayse pulled me to a stop.
“I rode with Link,” she mumbled, jerking her hand from mine.
“Well, you're riding home with me,” I said through gritted teeth. Of course he'd brought her here. I knew he was bad news the second I saw him.
“I can take her home,” Link said when he finally caught up to us.
“I'm sure you can,” I said, stepping toward him and placing myself between him and her. “But it's not going to happen. And you can bet your ass that tomorrow I'm reporting to Pilsner that you were here.”
“You’re gonna tattle on me? What are we, twelve? I'm twenty-one, dude,” he said with smirk that made me want to punch him that much more. “I have permission to be out. I'm allowed to go to a bar.”
“We'll she's not, dude, ” I reminded him. “She's a minor. You might not give a shit about your career, but she has a lot on the line.”
“It was her idea to come here. And, I've been keeping an eye on her. I've only had like three beers.”
“That was keeping an eye on her?” I scoffed as I pointed towards the bar. “Good fucking job, buddy.” I turned back to Chayse who was swaying behind me. “Let's go.”
“I'm fine,” she said. “I'm not ready t—” She stumbled forward, falling into my arms before she hit parking lot. Her eyes fell shut the second she was in my arms.
“You're ready.”
I tucked her into the passenger seat of my truck, while Link continued to try to plead his case.
“I promise I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. I would have gotten her home safe and sound.”
“Get out of my face,” I said, closing the truck door. “Before I drop you on your ass. I'm done fucking around with you.”
I saw him bring his hands to his head in frustration and the worried look in his eyes as I climbed into the driver's seat. He had every right to be concerned. Come Monday morning, Nick would be getting a heated phone call from me about Hoffman... among other things.
* * *
W hen I'd finally managed to get her into her trailer and tucked into her bed, I tried to remind myself that I had no claim over her. I had no reason, other than as her coach, to be concerned for her well-being. As pissed off as I was at her for being in that place tonight, I blamed myself.
I was the one who told her to go out and blow off some steam. Staring down at her sleeping so peacefully, looking like a hot mess in smeared mascara and tangled hair, I wanted to sit there all night and make sure she was safe. I wanted to be there when she woke up and hand her a bottle of water and an aspirin. I wanted to take care
Her hips moved against mine and I tried to stop her by placing my hands on her waist. All it did was let me feel the curves of her body. One of her hands trailed down my chest as she rocked against me in all the right places. I could dance with her for one song, right? One song wouldn't hurt anything.
Yes.
Yes it would.
One more second of being with her this way was going to shove any resolve I had right out the door. I could feel the closeness of her lips on my neck and knew that wouldn't be long before she started getting ideas about what this one dance meant.
“Let's go,” I said, dropping my hands from her waist and taking one of her hands in mine. She resisted, but only momentarily. I had a feeling the look in my eyes told her I was dead serious. Whether she was drunk or high, surely she could still see it.
“What's up, man,” Link Hoffman stepped into my exit path. “Are you leaving? Chayse?” He turned his attention to her when he saw that I had her hand. “I can take you home, babe.”
Babe?
“I don't think so,” I said, pushing past him and pulling her along with me. His voice called to us clear out into the parking lot and when we could finally hear above the noise, Chayse pulled me to a stop.
“I rode with Link,” she mumbled, jerking her hand from mine.
“Well, you're riding home with me,” I said through gritted teeth. Of course he'd brought her here. I knew he was bad news the second I saw him.
“I can take her home,” Link said when he finally caught up to us.
“I'm sure you can,” I said, stepping toward him and placing myself between him and her. “But it's not going to happen. And you can bet your ass that tomorrow I'm reporting to Pilsner that you were here.”
“You’re gonna tattle on me? What are we, twelve? I'm twenty-one, dude,” he said with smirk that made me want to punch him that much more. “I have permission to be out. I'm allowed to go to a bar.”
“We'll she's not, dude, ” I reminded him. “She's a minor. You might not give a shit about your career, but she has a lot on the line.”
“It was her idea to come here. And, I've been keeping an eye on her. I've only had like three beers.”
“That was keeping an eye on her?” I scoffed as I pointed towards the bar. “Good fucking job, buddy.” I turned back to Chayse who was swaying behind me. “Let's go.”
“I'm fine,” she said. “I'm not ready t—” She stumbled forward, falling into my arms before she hit parking lot. Her eyes fell shut the second she was in my arms.
“You're ready.”
I tucked her into the passenger seat of my truck, while Link continued to try to plead his case.
“I promise I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. I would have gotten her home safe and sound.”
“Get out of my face,” I said, closing the truck door. “Before I drop you on your ass. I'm done fucking around with you.”
I saw him bring his hands to his head in frustration and the worried look in his eyes as I climbed into the driver's seat. He had every right to be concerned. Come Monday morning, Nick would be getting a heated phone call from me about Hoffman... among other things.
* * *
W hen I'd finally managed to get her into her trailer and tucked into her bed, I tried to remind myself that I had no claim over her. I had no reason, other than as her coach, to be concerned for her well-being. As pissed off as I was at her for being in that place tonight, I blamed myself.
I was the one who told her to go out and blow off some steam. Staring down at her sleeping so peacefully, looking like a hot mess in smeared mascara and tangled hair, I wanted to sit there all night and make sure she was safe. I wanted to be there when she woke up and hand her a bottle of water and an aspirin. I wanted to take care
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