Page 139 of Until I Own You

“Me,” I say without thinking. I take one of the tequila shots and knock it back, then another. I pay no mind to the burn, ignore Laney when she offers me limes and salt. “Come on!” I grab Sonia’s hand and pull her toward the dance floor. “Let’s dance!”

They’re all looking at me like I’ve just flipped personalities, and maybe I have.

I need a release. I need a release so bad. And I can’t have the release Seth gives me. I don’t know if I’ll ever get it again.

I tried to avoid this, tried to plan ahead, tried to make sure I didn’t give myself to a Dom who would chew me up and spit me out.

Seth didn’t do that. I did that to him. And now I’m paying the price…

I lost him.

Maybe that’s what I deserve. Maybe I’ve never been a very good sub at all.

Sonia doesn’t resist my pull, though I see her looking at Abigail and Laney out of the corner of my eye.

Whatever. Who cares.

I need to dance.

We fold into the crush of nightclub goers all swinging their hips and waving their arms to the sound of the music.

I pull Sonia close. She’s my bodyguard with her wedding ring. Plus, if we keep close enough, maybe people will think we’re together. That’s the way I want it. Don’t want any man thinking he can put his hands on me right now.

In my heart and my mind, I still belong to Seth. The collar around my neck proves it. If he can’t understand my position, that’s alright. But until he says no more, I am still his through and through.

Laney and Abigail follow us, their heels clicking quickly across the floor.

Laney glowers at a fratty-looking guy who pulls on her hand as she winds through the crowd. She flashes him her hand and shouts out at him. He waves a hand toward her.

“You want me to get security on him?” Abigail shouts over the music as Laney joins our circle of safety.

“Forget about it.” Laney brushes her blonde ponytail over her shoulder. “Nate and Mason are dropping by the club later. If he wants a fight, he’ll get it.”

I get lost in the music. The DJ is playing some top forty remixes, and I have my hands in the air like I don’t care. I let the rest of the world drop away, just me, my girls, and the music.

Tequila shots course through me, my muscles loosen. I can actually breathe.

If I want this feeling to last, I’m going to have to drink way more than this. Lucky for me, the night is young yet.

“Go, Bridget! Woo!” Abigail gases me up as I bounce down to the floor into a squat.

“I can’t do that, my knees.” Sonia takes my hand and yanks me back to standing.

We laugh and dance.

Abigail gets us more shots. I take two again, the second glass I hold into the air, tip my chin back, and let the disco ball scatter little lights across my face, smiling ear to ear.

My eyes catch on a familiar face in the second level of the club, the balcony shaped like a horseshoe around us.

Seth.

Our eyes meet. Doesn’t matter that the lighting is low, or the music is pounding. Everything freezes.

What’s he doing here?

I should have known when Laney said Mason and Nate were coming by that it was some sort of guys’ night. I should have known.

I drop my arms.

---