likes you Leigh, a lot.’
‘Why do you even care so much?’ Leigh demanded, wishing that Bruce would stop talking her into getting her hopes up, and wishing she’d had less to drink so she could figure out where the exit to the bar was.
Bruce appeared to think this over, before shrugging and smiling down at her. ‘I’m a believer,’ he said simply. ‘Like the song you know? Not about anyone girl in particular yet, but I’d like to believe that perfect love is a real thing. That romances can be as dramatic between the pages, and as surreal and everlasting.’ His eyes drifted towards the stage again. ‘Your story is just too fucking cute. If it works for you then maybe one day, something equally cool will work for me and Emma Watson.’
Leigh smiled. ‘But he has another story Bruce, and it’s a good one.’
‘Bah!’ Bruce grinned at her and turned her under his arm, catching her off guard and making her giggle. ‘It’s been done.’
Leigh snickered at that, grateful when Bruce kept her slow twirl steady and her toes on the ground.
‘I’m going to go get us a drink,’ Bruce said, stepping back gently as Ryan hit the chorus of the U2 song. ‘Want to come along?’
Leigh glanced over her shoulder towards the stage. Ryan was looking at her, but his face was unreadable. ‘Well…’
‘It’s okay,’ Bruce laughed the admission. ‘You can stay here and drool. Do me a favor and look really provocative, okay? Maybe I can get him to trade my time with you for a turn up there.’
Leigh rolled her eyes and waved him off, and as Bruce inched his way toward the bar, the small area they’d cleared while dancing began to fill in. There were a bunch of couples around her, and a lot of single women towards the front. Leigh knew she’d stand out less if she went to the front with them, but she didn’t want to be mistaken for a groupie so she stubbornly held her ground, and herself tightly.
I’m different to them. I matter. I’m different. I matter…
Ryan must have seen Bruce leave in his peripheral vision because his cold blue gaze lifted almost immediately and landed on Leigh. There was this loaded moment during which he stared at her and she stared back, feeling like she was facing off with a rabid animal that could be provoked into an attack, but he broke the stalemate first. His lashes lowered and a smirk curved his lips, and Leigh would have given anything to know what he was thinking.
But then he looked up right away again, and Leigh knew what he was thinking. There was no questioning it. He nailed her to the rear wall with that look and Leigh practically felt him enter her. Her lips parted and he sank his teeth into his own, quirking his eyebrows up playfully as if to ask: ‘Was it good for you?’
Oh my god. He wants me anyway now that he knows. Why? To prove a point? To put me in my place? Does he even care about my rules anymore? Probably not! Aw crap, wonder if I can get a hotel room somewhere else at this hour of night?
Ryan’s gaze drifted down to her hips then back up to her face and Leigh shivered, feeling as bound to him in that moment as she had when he’d tethered her to his bed, for his voice was sliding around her and pulling her nearer. She took a hesitant step forward just as Ryan began to play the instrumental break, and his eyes flared neon. He was a peacock with his feathers up, and a scorpion lifting its stinger. A shark baring jagged, razor-sharp teeth and a hunter getting her in his sights and Leigh stepped forward again.
I should have run from this place ten minutes ago! Oh my god, what am I going to do? I’m too drunk for this! I need fresh air and… and… He went home with two other women, you stupid bitch! Get it together!
‘Okay, they don’t have dark rum so I got you a beer,’ a cold bottle was pressed into Leigh’s palms and a second, chilled hand rubbed her shoulder. ‘I hope that’s-’
‘I need to leave…’ Leigh turned to Bruce, but didn’t
‘Why do you even care so much?’ Leigh demanded, wishing that Bruce would stop talking her into getting her hopes up, and wishing she’d had less to drink so she could figure out where the exit to the bar was.
Bruce appeared to think this over, before shrugging and smiling down at her. ‘I’m a believer,’ he said simply. ‘Like the song you know? Not about anyone girl in particular yet, but I’d like to believe that perfect love is a real thing. That romances can be as dramatic between the pages, and as surreal and everlasting.’ His eyes drifted towards the stage again. ‘Your story is just too fucking cute. If it works for you then maybe one day, something equally cool will work for me and Emma Watson.’
Leigh smiled. ‘But he has another story Bruce, and it’s a good one.’
‘Bah!’ Bruce grinned at her and turned her under his arm, catching her off guard and making her giggle. ‘It’s been done.’
Leigh snickered at that, grateful when Bruce kept her slow twirl steady and her toes on the ground.
‘I’m going to go get us a drink,’ Bruce said, stepping back gently as Ryan hit the chorus of the U2 song. ‘Want to come along?’
Leigh glanced over her shoulder towards the stage. Ryan was looking at her, but his face was unreadable. ‘Well…’
‘It’s okay,’ Bruce laughed the admission. ‘You can stay here and drool. Do me a favor and look really provocative, okay? Maybe I can get him to trade my time with you for a turn up there.’
Leigh rolled her eyes and waved him off, and as Bruce inched his way toward the bar, the small area they’d cleared while dancing began to fill in. There were a bunch of couples around her, and a lot of single women towards the front. Leigh knew she’d stand out less if she went to the front with them, but she didn’t want to be mistaken for a groupie so she stubbornly held her ground, and herself tightly.
I’m different to them. I matter. I’m different. I matter…
Ryan must have seen Bruce leave in his peripheral vision because his cold blue gaze lifted almost immediately and landed on Leigh. There was this loaded moment during which he stared at her and she stared back, feeling like she was facing off with a rabid animal that could be provoked into an attack, but he broke the stalemate first. His lashes lowered and a smirk curved his lips, and Leigh would have given anything to know what he was thinking.
But then he looked up right away again, and Leigh knew what he was thinking. There was no questioning it. He nailed her to the rear wall with that look and Leigh practically felt him enter her. Her lips parted and he sank his teeth into his own, quirking his eyebrows up playfully as if to ask: ‘Was it good for you?’
Oh my god. He wants me anyway now that he knows. Why? To prove a point? To put me in my place? Does he even care about my rules anymore? Probably not! Aw crap, wonder if I can get a hotel room somewhere else at this hour of night?
Ryan’s gaze drifted down to her hips then back up to her face and Leigh shivered, feeling as bound to him in that moment as she had when he’d tethered her to his bed, for his voice was sliding around her and pulling her nearer. She took a hesitant step forward just as Ryan began to play the instrumental break, and his eyes flared neon. He was a peacock with his feathers up, and a scorpion lifting its stinger. A shark baring jagged, razor-sharp teeth and a hunter getting her in his sights and Leigh stepped forward again.
I should have run from this place ten minutes ago! Oh my god, what am I going to do? I’m too drunk for this! I need fresh air and… and… He went home with two other women, you stupid bitch! Get it together!
‘Okay, they don’t have dark rum so I got you a beer,’ a cold bottle was pressed into Leigh’s palms and a second, chilled hand rubbed her shoulder. ‘I hope that’s-’
‘I need to leave…’ Leigh turned to Bruce, but didn’t
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