Dan laughs at me and steps in closer so we no longer have to talk into each other’s ears. “Are you having a good night?”
“Yes, it’s been great,” I tell him, smiling. “We’re having a girls’ night out, and it’s been forever since I’ve been out drinking and dancing. How about you?”
He rolls his eyes at me. “I’ve given up on dancing. My buddy has been stalking his prey for nearly an hour now, and I think he’s about to pounce,” he says as he gestures towards the dance floor.
Following his glance, I see a blond guy, tall and broad-shouldered, currently running his hands up and down Harper’s body. I crack up laughing and Dan nods and rolls his eyes. “See,” he says frustrated.
“No, it’s not that. That’s my friend Harper,” I tell him, still laughing.
“Oh fuck,” he says realising he just told me his friend is trying to get into my friend’s panties.
“Don’t worry about it,” I say, placing my hand on his forearm. “Harper is a big girl and can take care of herself. She doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to.”
Dan nods and smiles at me. “Shall we join them then?”
Returning his grin, I grab his hand and lead him to the group. Rachel raises her eyebrows at me as I approach and I shake my head at her, signalling it’s not what she thinks. I don’t bother with introductions as no one is going to hear me anyway.
Dan and I continue holding hands as we dance together. It’s innocent and enjoyable as he twirls me around and around under his arm. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun.
As a new song intro starts I immediately hear it’s Joel Fetcher’s remix of “Swing.” “God, I love this song,” I shout as I let loose and begin shaking my hips.
The words alone make it impossible to keep my hips still. Dan laughs at me as he steps into me and grabs my waist. His hands stay in the friendly zone, and I’m so glad to be able to meet a nice guy out and not have him groping me like I’m a stripper.
Placing my hands over his, I continue shaking my hips. As I lose myself to the music I run my hands up his arms and over his shoulders to hold on around his neck. I close my eyes, enjoying the fast beat and letting the heavy bass of the song flow through me.
My eyes shoot open as I feel two strong hands grab me low on my hips. Dan’s eyes go wide as a strong, warm body steps up behind me, pushing against my own.
I know that body.
Gripping her hips so tightly she can no longer shake and shimmy them, I try to gain some kind of control over my anger. What the fuck is she doing?
As I step up behind her and hold her tight against me, the douche touching her releases his hands and steps back. Good idea, buddy. Brooke hasn’t turned to look at who it is, but I know from the way her body relaxed into mine that she knows it’s me.
“What are you doing, Brooke?” I say into her ear, trying to keep all traces of anger out of my voice. If she was mine¸ if I wasn’t so scared of pushing her away, I would have picked her up and thrown her over my shoulder and carried her the fuck out of here.
She turns her head slightly towards me. “I told you it was girls’ night tonight,” she says defensively.
“You know what I mean.” I grip her hips harder and pull her against me tighter as my control begins to snap.
She turns around in my arms and steps out of my embrace. “Saxon …” She’s frustrated and becoming flustered as she tries to find her words.
I don’t think about it as I grab her hand and begin to pull her off the dance floor. I don’t miss the curious looks from the two blondes, the confusion on Rachel’s face, or the smirk on Harper’s.
I couldn’t care what any of them think or if any of them find out. I actually wish they would. I want everyone to know Brooke is mine.
I don’t care how she feels about what we are doing, what she thinks it is—she is mine. I wanted to stake my claim on that dance floor. Tell that douche he better not put his hands on what’s mine and then take Brooke into my arms and show everyone exactly who she belongs to.
Of course I couldn’t do anything because I live in a constant state of panic, watching everything I say and do, living in the fear of scaring her off.
Dragging Brooke out of the club and into the dark hallway, I head straight to the end and try Henry’s office door, hoping it’s unlocked. I know he’s not here tonight, and no one will bother us in there.
I wonder what Brooke will think when she finds out how I manipulated her girls’ night out. I’m sure Harper will tell her how I convinced her to bring the girls to this club instead of the dirty underground club they were going to. No doubt the VIP treatment and free drinks sweetened the deal for her.