Page 101 of Out of Bounds

Sure. She could believe that.

A deeper blush crossed Kassie’s features at the side of the dance floor and I could feel her drawing back. "How’re we—um—supposed to…?" She took a long look at the rest of the other couples. "What’s the—what’s the plan here?"

"Your hand on my shoulder," I murmured. I placed my hand on the side of her waist. "My hand here."

"Like this?"

It’d be fine for cameras but I wasn’t what I wanted. "Closer."

I brought her towards me until there wasn’t much distance between us. Her breath caught in her throat. A nice touch. Kassie had me twisted around her finger and it felt good to have the upper hand for once.

The next song played, something much slower, and I led her into the crowd.

A camera flashed close, illuminating the two of us. I resisted the urge to pull her away from it. It was a hard instinct to shake off, to shelter Kassie away from the other eyes, but the whole point of being here was that one picture to upload.

I didn’t get a full minute of dancing with Kassie before someone asked a question behind me. "Mind if I cut in?"

The grin dropped off my face. Who thehellwanted to dance with my girlfriend?

"No problem—" Kassie started to say, all sweet and smiles, but the moment I turned back, I put a stop to it.

The guy was clearly a college student and his eyes dawned with recognition the moment he saw me. The second he connected who I was, the color drained out of his face.

Good. He knew about the off-limits tag.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, a warning in my words.

He stared. "Oh, Cross, I—I only saw from—from behind—"

"I’m sure you did." I nodded. "Do you want to ask her again?"

"W—what? No—"

"I thought not." Tightening my hold on Kassie’s waist, we slipped back into the crowd.

Kassie’s mouth fell open. "What wasthat?"

"We’re dancing," I replied.

"But he—?"

I shrugged. "He can go fuck himself."

And it was so easy to say too. I could handle everything else that came with being a Division I athlete but the idea that any man thought he could dance withmygirl wasn’t just a shit decision, it was a risky fucking choice that wouldn’t pay off.

"I thought we’re supposed to mind our manners?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Someone should have told him that," I retorted. "I had to put him in his place."

"What happens if I dance with somebody else?"

"No one else is dancing with you. No one else is touching you."

Kassie tilted her head back, watching me. "The song’s finished."

"You agreed to one dance. Not one song."

She flushed. "Damn you."

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