Page 45 of Without Judgment

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Mason

It took everything in me not to charge out onto the dance floor, throw Avery over my shoulder, and take her home. I didn’t like the way men were looking at her. Didn’t like the provocative way she was dancing and certainly didn’t like the fucking way she’d dressed tonight. Or her little statement about reaping the benefits of getting labeled a slut.

The label was unfair. And completely without merit. However, given the way she was behaving on the dance floor right now, I could see she was hell bent on attracting any bit of attention she could. It wasn’t lost on me however that her eyes kept making their way over to mine as if to gauge my reaction.

Now that we were approaching midnight, I’d had enough.

Time to go, princess.

I walked out to the dance floor, right in front of her, but was taken off guard when she put her arms around me and smiled.

“Let’s go Avery.”

“Not unless you dance with me first.”

“Not happening.” I wasn’t a dancer, and I was all out of patience.

She shrugged. “Then I’ll stay here ‘til closing.”

“Unless I heave you over my shoulder and haul you out.”

“And show the world I’m not wearing any panties? Tsk, tsk, what would my father say?”

Fuuuuck. I was screwed, now envisioning her bare under her short skirt. In retrospect, laughing when she’d declared she was about to have a wild night hadn’t been the best approach. Now she was not only out to piss off her father, but also to prove me wrong.

“Fine. One dance. Then we go.” Putting my hands on her hips, I pulled her in line with mine, grinding her against me in beat with the pulsating song. I was lost, with her big eyes locked on mine, until one of her annoying friends came up and yelled.

“Are you seriously going home with a stranger tonight, Avery?”

She smirked. “Guess it depends on him?”

Hell, if this was what she wanted her friends to believe, and it allowed me to get her the hell out of here, who was I to argue? “Let’s go.”

She gave a quick wave to both girls on our way out.

I took her hand to lead her through the crowd and out into the fresh, cool air. “Did you get what you were after with your friends tonight?”

She kept up with me through the alleyway towards the parking garage.

“What do you want to bet they don’t turn out to be my real friends? Guaranteed something from tonight ends up on the Internet by one of them posting.”

I frowned, thinking she was probably right. “What the hell was with you having them believe I’m your one-night stand?”

“Why not? Future mayor’s daughter goes home with bad boy from the club. Don’t worry, though. I’m quite aware of your real feelings about me.”

My jaw ticked. What she’d said was way too reminiscent of my college years. Always the guy to fuck, never the one to take home to Daddy. It was the way I’d always wanted it, but now it bothered me immensely that she’d put me in that category. Even in a fake way.

“Would you have let me go home with someone else?” she asked.

“No way in hell.”

“Spoilsport.”

“It’s not what you really want, and you and I both know it.”

“That’s true. I mean, one guy wouldn’t be enough for me these days, would it?”

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