Page 70 of Priest

It’s great that the club are coming together to find Rueben and stop him from doing this to anyone else, and the more I’ve gotten used to the idea of them being vigilantes, the more I’m okay with it.

Priest turns to look at me. “We’re leavin’.”

“Wait, so soon?” Stella pouts. She links her arm through mine. “We haven’t even had a dance yet and my song just came on.”

‘Friends In Low Places’ blares from the juke box.

My eyes go wide. I don’t dance. I wouldn’t even know how… before I can protest, Stella is pulling me off the stool.

“I’m not really very good,” I tell her.

She shrugs. “Neither am I, but it’s a club tradition that anyone new has to have a dance before we let them leave.”

I can’t help but smile. “That isn’t true.”

She pretends to think, tapping her chin as we join some of the other girls swaying to the music in the middle of the room. “Maybe not, but you seem like you might need something to take the edge off.”

“Is it that obvious?”

She leans toward my ear. “They can be a little intense, babe. And Priest is being all protective over you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun in between. Plus, if you really wanna get Priest to notice you,” she waggles her eyebrows, “this is one sure fire way to do that.”

“I’m not trying to do that,” I protest.

“You’re right. In fact, I think you’ve already made an impression.”

She lets go of me and as we weave our way through the small gathering, I turn back and see Priest standing by the bar, his hands on his hips.

She’s right. He is protective, but it feels good.

I give him a smile and turn back to Stella. She’s already swaying her hips and her arms are raised above her head. It’s dark, so I don’t have too much fear of anyone really seeing me looking like an idiot, so I do what feels natural to me and begin to sway my hips too, moving to the beat. After a while, I start to get the hang of it.

“See!” Stella laughs. “You’ve got the moves.”

I laugh too. “I really don’t, but this is kinda fun.”

The other girls move around and I try to copy their moves, but in the end I just do what feels right to the beat. The energy all around me makes me lose my inhibitions.

I’m secure. I’m surrounded by people who won’t hurt me. I’m safe.

When I glance up, Priest is staring at me. His eyes roam my body and a warm tingle spreads through me as eventually he meets my eye.

“Don’t look now, but Priest is staring at you,” Summer say as she sidles up beside me. “I don’t think he likes you being out here.”

“Why not?” I yell over the music.

She just shrugs.

Yeah, this isn’t the Priest that I met at the Soup Kitchen. It’s more like the Priest from last night… when we fooled around and he made me feel things I haven’t before.

He had hunger in his eyes then, just like he does now.

If he wants to pretend this is just platonic, he’s kidding himself. I know it’s not.

And I know he knows it’s not.

We shared something, and not just feels.

I know that he wanted more, just like how he’s looking at me now.

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