Page 2 of Catching Feeling

“Why would I do that? Hating you is so much fun,” she murmurs coyly.

My hands travel lower, an inch at a time until I’m cupping the soft, bare skin beneath her ass, my thigh parting her legs as we move together to the music. Every time the beat hits, my thumb drags along her soft skin.

Her breath hitches when my thigh brushes against her pussy, and I pull back, staring down at her. “Because I know something that would be much more fun. You can even insult me while we do it.”

“And what makes you think that I’d ever want to have fun with you, Reese Landry?” The sassy tone of her voice reminds me just how much of a brat she can be.

The song slows, the beat lowering with the lights, and we’re pitched into near darkness in the middle of the dance floor. The music fades out, the crowd along with it, and all I can focus on is her pressed against me. How I’m surrounded by her smell. Lavender and something fresh.

She lets go of my shirt and slides her hand lower and lower, so fucking low that I feel her fingers dip beneath the fabric of my T-shirt and brush along the trail of hair on my stomach. The muscles contract under her touch, rippling with each brush of her fingers.

Fuck.

“Kiss me.” My raspy command has her pupils dilating, and I pull her tighter against me. In the dim light, I can see her rising onto her tiptoes and feel her warm breath fanning along my lips, and I think this might actually be it.

I’m finally going to kiss this girl, and if I have anything to do with it, I’m going to spend the rest of the night kissing her like I’ve wanted to since the moment I met her. Even though it’s only been a few weeks since then, I’ve been hooked from that very first insult. Her eyes drop closed, and I slide my hands up her sides slowly, memorizing her curves beneath my palms until I bring them to her face and cradle her jaw as I lean closer.

“Yo.” A too familiar voice yells from behind us. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

Vivienne’s eyes snap open, and I groan inwardly when she steps back like she’s been burned, the hazy, heavy-lidded look in her eyes vanishing.

Goddamnit.

I’m going to kill him. The minute I get out of this bar, I’m going to strangle him with my bare hands.

My gaze lands on Grant, who’s wearing a shit-eating smirk for interrupting what I already fucking know was going to be a kiss that altered my brain. I narrow my eyes as my jaw works. My teeth grind together when he laughs.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I’m heading out. Meeting up with somebody. You two going to be… good without me?”

“Bye, Grant,” I say through clenched teeth. He’s my best friend, but after tonight, he’s going to be my best friend from six feet under after he just ruined that moment.

He chuckles, pulling Viv in for a quick hug, then slaps me on the back and disappears through the crowd.

“Viv,” I say, reaching for her. She steps back just as my hand lands on her arm.

“Clearly, the heat in here is getting to me because I’ve lost my mind,” she mutters before spinning on her heel and sprinting off the dance floor.

Fuck that. I’m not letting her walk away so easily. She was into this just as much as I was.

I follow closely behind on her heels, calling out her name, even as she busts through the exit door of the bar out into the cool night air.

“Viv, wait. Jesus. Just fucking wait,” I say, jogging to keep up with her. “Just talk to me.”

Finally, she spins around to face me with flushed cheeks. Her long, dark hair whips in the October wind, and I do my best to keep my gaze on her eyes and not how her white tank top is molded to her curves. Only minutes ago, I had my hands on her, and now she’s running away from me.

“What? Please do not make this a bigger deal than it was, Reese. We accidentally almost kissed. It was a mistake. Now we’re going to forget it ever happened. Trust me, I already have.”

Chuckling, I step closer until we’re toe to toe, and my head’s bent as I stare down at her short frame. “Oh? That’s what that was back there, huh? A mistake?”

“Obviously.” She scoffs indifferently. “I was caught up in the moment. I would’ve kissed any guy in there tonight, Reese. Please don’t act like you’re god’s gift to women.”

My nostrils flare at the mention of her kissing someone else. Jealousy unfurls inside of me, and it’s not a feeling I’m used to experiencing. Especially over a girl I barely know and haven’t even kissed. Yet, it doesn’t change the fact that she has me feeling this way.

“Yeah, okay, Viv. And I would’ve broken his fucking nose, so by all means…” I sweep my hand out toward the bar. “Go back in there and find someone else to kiss. Try me.”

Her eyes widen for a moment, like she can’t believe that I’m jealous, but guess what… she makes me fucking crazy, so I’m not responsible for the shit coming out of my mouth tonight.

With an eye roll, she pulls her phone out of the back pocket of her shorts and starts tapping at the screen. “Whatever, tough guy. I’m getting an Uber and going home.”

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