Page 13 of Fire of the Fox

I glared at him and placed my hands on my hips. “The same as everyone else here. I’m dancing.”

The girl he was with tugged on his arm and complained, “Dax, come on. I wanna dance. Who cares what this girl does?”

Dax ignored her and narrowed his eyes at Cinnamon Roll. Balling his hands into fists, he yelled, “She was mine first, pal!”

Cinnamon Roll’s arm draped over my shoulders as he stood proudly next to me. Smiling smugly, he said, “Well, she’s not yours anymore.”

Dax took a threatening step forward, and my dance partner met him with the same animosity. I could see a spark growing in their eyes, one that promised an ensuing fight.

Before anyone could make a move, a deep voice boomed, “Rune!”

We all turned. The guy with the long, black hair from Cinnamon Roll’s group was looking at the scene before him with disgust. The guy with short hair stood behind him, biting his nails nervously. My dance partner, Rune, nodded to them.

Then, he looked at me and gave me a mouthwatering smile. “Thank you for the dance.” He turned and disappeared into the swarm of people with his two friends.

That bitter taste of loneliness overtook me as I watched him recede through the crowd. My heart begged me to follow him. I didn’t want a single night of dancing with him, only to part ways afterward. He was going to think I’d been using him, but that wasn’t the case. The spark we’d had while dancing had been thrilling, and I wanted to stoke that flame to see what it would create. Now the chance to explore that potential chemistry was gone.

“Bria!” Dax yelled.

I looked back at him, and he grabbed my hand.

He turned and started to drag me toward the door. “We’re leaving!”

I fought against his painfully strong grip and glared at the back of his head. “Let me go! I’m not going anywhere with you!”

“Dax, leave her alone!” Dallas shouted.

She grabbed where he held me and pried us apart. She quickly hugged me, and we both backed away from him. Dax fumed with slit eyes, and she matched his look.

“Dax!” I yelled. He finally met my eyes. “Just leave me the hell alone. I don’t know how many times I have to say it to get it through your thick skull. I don’t want to be with you! It’s over. I’m done!”

He scoffed then turned in a furious retreat, shoving through the sea of people. Some had stopped dancing to watch our display, but most were still grinding, oblivious to what was happening.

I closed my eyes and sighed. The urge to scream out of frustration was hard to ignore.

Dax was an asshole, but the person I was the angriest with right now was myself. My ignorance. My blindness to his true colors. It infuriated me to the point my body shook from the mixture of embarrassment and resentment pounding in my chest. I hated that I let myself be sucked in and fooled by his charm for so long.

Dallas could sense my annoyance, so she and Rance walked with me to a table that was away from everyone. I collapsed into one of the chairs while Dallas got me a glass of water from the bar. When she came back, I took huge gulps. Water always had a way of easing me and making everything better.

“Are you okay?” Dallas asked, her forehead creased with worry.

Not wanting to dampen the mood any further, I gave her a reassuring smile and nodded.

She matched my expression and changed the subject. “You sure did some sexy moves out there, and when Mr. Rune joined in, boy was that something!”

I laughed, and heat spread across my cheeks and ears. It was like my entire being had come to life when we were dancing, and when he’d kissed my neck ….

I shook my head at the memory and released an embarrassed laugh. Those sorts of thoughts wouldn’t do me any good now since he was gone.

Pushing past my salacious fantasies, I looked up at my friends. Dallas and Rance stood side by side, and I couldn’t help but take them in. They really did look good together, and this was their time to strengthen their newfound relationship with memories.

Finding Dallas’ eyes, I gave her an encouraging nod. “I’ll be fine now. You two go dance and have fun.”

Dallas looked hesitant, but I laughed and motioned for them to go on. Her reluctance slowly slipped away until she practically bounced with enthusiasm. “If you say so. But if you need me, I’ll be right where I was before. We can ditch this place as soon as you want.”

After making me promise I’d get her if I needed her, she took Rance’s hand, and they ran back into the crowd. My heart was happy for them as I watched after the pair. When I could no longer see them, my eyes involuntarily drifted to the spot where Rune and his friends had stood before. No one was there now. They were really gone. A guilty sigh escaped me as I frowned and downed more of my water.

People of all shapes, sizes, colors, and walks of life filled the room. It was fun observing all the groups and seeing how they interacted. I wondered briefly what Rune and his friends were like. What space would they fit into among the crowds here?

---