Choosing Henley(13)

“Do we have a problem?” Jami growls from behind me. My body involuntarily shivers at his tone.

Frat boy puts his hands up in a mock surrender and shakes his head. “Uhh, no. My bad, dude,” he stutters.

Frat guy might be built like a brick shithouse, but Jami is taller and far more intense. Even in my high heels, he’s still a good four inches taller than I am, and his body is toned, muscles everywhere. His chiselled jaw is always sporting a five-o’clock shadow, and there’s no doubt a fire blazing behind those chocolate eyes. He’s intimidating, and that’s even with all of his tattoos covered up.

“I think it would be wise if you got a drink at the other end of the bar,” Jami suggests, his tone laced with venom.

Frat boy stumbles backwards, making a hasty retreat, and I smile as I watch him leave. Serves you right, handsy assclown. The triumphant smirk on my face quickly slips when I feel breath on my ear.

“Are you okay, Beatle?”

I shiver again, and he groans.

“I’m fine,” I say, and I mean it. Those jackasses are a dime a dozen around here with the amount of tourists we get, but usually, they aren’t as persistent.

Jami’s large hand is still splayed across my stomach, and I’m distracted by the way my body is burning up at his touch.

“Thank you,” I whisper softly.

He squeezes me tighter against his body. “I’ve got you,” he whispers before letting me go.

My body aches for him the moment he pulls away. Traitorous body. Between the way he affects me and the shots of tequila, I feel almost dizzy. Not in an I’m-too-drunk-and-going-to-fall-on-my-face type of dizzy, but the good kind when you feel like your heart is pumping liquid heat throughout your entire body. I am drunk with lust tonight.

I’m still collecting myself when he moves in front of me and leans over the bar. The movement causes his muscles to tighten. I swallow hard as a memory of my nails clawing over his back flashes behind my eyes. Flashbacks of him always catch me off guard. Jami turns to face me and winks before ordering two more shots. I swear to God it’s like he knows what I’m thinking. He pays for our drinks before we knock them back at the bar.

“Dance with me,” he says, resting his hip against the bar.

The panic quickly starts to bubble up in my throat, and he must be able to see it because he speaks again.

“It’s just a dance, Lennon.”

I chew on my bottom lip before nodding.

Jami leads me through the bar with his hand resting across my lower back. I’m so aware of him. Every time his hand shifts and his thumb grazes my bare skin, it’s hard to focus on walking. Bloody high heels. Amanda Bynes had it right in She’s The Man. “Heels are a male invention designed to make a woman’s butt look smaller. And to make it harder for them to run away.” I am definitely going nowhere fast in these bad boys.

He pushes us through the crowded dance floor, stopping when he sees our friends dancing. He turns around to face me, grabbing each of my wrists and wrapping them around his neck. I lock my fingers together as he places his hands on my lower back, dragging my body closer.

The music is fast, but we’re dancing slowly. Our cheeks are touching and the moment feels incredibly intimate though we are surrounded by so many strangers. Alcohol makes me bolder. At least that’s the excuse I’m using for the statement that bursts from my mouth.

“Why did you break up with Kelsey?” I question, not pulling away to look at him. I’m somewhat embarrassed that I actually asked out loud.

He moves one of his hands up to brush the hair off my neck. “I think it’s safe to say we both know why.”

I don’t acknowledge his statement because that would be admitting our connection out loud to someone other than the girls and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.

We haven’t been dancing for very longing when I hear the countdown start. “Ten…nine…eight…”

“I don’t know why you’re scared of this, of us…” he whispers into my ear.

“Six…five…four.” The countdown continues on around us.

“But I’m done pretending there isn’t something here.” He pulls away to look in my eyes.

“Happy New Year!” the crowd rings out as he smashes his lips onto mine.

I moan as he pulls me tighter to him, running my fingers into his hair. Everything around us seems to completely stand still. All the people, balloons, and twinkle lights blurring together around us. He urges my lips apart, exploring my mouth with his tongue. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a kiss that literally leaves you breathless, but this one is exactly that. My eyes are still closed tight when he breaks our kiss and I whimper, opening my eyes to search for his lips again.