Page 11 of Loyalties & Longings

Blaze’s eyebrows crease together a little before he and Massimo get out of the car. I take a second to draw in one slow, deep breath before getting out.

Composure—I’m going to need a lot of it to get through tonight. As I reach for the car’s door handle, the door swingsopen of its own accord. Blaze holds it open for me and offers his hand to help me out of the SUV. A hint of chivalry? Don’t mind if I do. Massimo is, of course, already on the sidewalk lighting a cigarette after pocketing the car keys.

Glaring at Massimo, my shoulders pull up, my fists clench, and I jiggle my legs. The breeze has a bit of a bite to it, and goose bumps track up my arms. Massimo is an inconsiderate asshole. I hope those cigarettes kill him one day.

“Do you want me to get my coat from the car?” Blaze steps closer. I can feel warmth radiating from him, even though he is still about a foot away from me.

“No, it’s okay. But you feel really warm. Do you mind if I stand closer to you?”

“Of course not.” He motions to bring me closer but has a change of mind and puts both hands behind his back instead, allowing me to get as close as I am comfortable with. Turning around, I step to his front with my back to him and cross my arms. I stare daggers at Massimo, who obviously doesn’t like that I’m standing so close to Blaze. He throws his half-finished cigarette to the ground before stomping on it.

“Well, come on then,” he gruffs out, storming past us, leading us to the entrance of Danger Tamers.

We skip the lengthy line running down the sidewalk—the perks of being the owner’s daughter.

As soon as we enter the second set of doors, it is full-on sensory overload. The smell of booze, sweat, and a mixture of perfume and cologne assaults my nostrils. Disco and laser lights flash all around, even into my eyes, making me squint. The heady feel of the thick atmosphere pushes in on every inch of my skin, like an all-knowing embrace, welcoming me home.

“I Don’t Give A...” by Missio starts playing. The pounding bass and electronic sounds wash over me, and I am where I love most. Excitement crawls under my skin. I cannot wait to get out onthe dance floor and start dancing. I gain a little groove with each step as I sway my hips while we walk through the club.

We head straight to the bar for a shot. I need it to loosen up a little before I get my dance on. Pushing through the crowd, I’m sandwiched between Massimo and Blaze. As we get further into the club, Massimo gets more than one step ahead of me, but Blaze is more next to me than behind me. His hand hovers over my lower back, not quite touching me. An idiot drunk stumbles back and almost crashes into me, but he doesn’t get that far before Blaze catches him and shoves him aside.

“Watch what you’re doing, moron,” Blaze yells over the music. The guy, totally inebriated, doesn’t even really register what is going on, continuing to act the fool as we pass.

When we reach the bar, Massimo pushes his way to the front, making enough space for me but not enough for Blaze. Blaze doesn’t look like he cares much, although he stays close to my back. So close I can feel the heat emanating from his body once again.

Perfect for snuggling in bed on a winter’s night.

Under the blankets.

Naked.

When he is so close to me, I find my thoughts are always dirty. It’s as if his body has a built-in Wi-Fi that my body wants to connect to as soon as it is within range.

“Tequila shots,” Massimo barks at the bartender over the music, holding up four fingers to show how many he wants. The bartender knows exactly who we are and puts them on my open tab. Dad has one for me at each of his bars. The bartender promptly gives us four shots, with a saltshaker and a slice of lime balanced on each of the shot glasses. I wish I could have ordered my own drink for once. I fuckinghatetequila.

Massimo pushes one to me, one toward the space on the bar between us for Blaze, and keeps the remaining two for himself.I turn to look at Blaze and offer him to squeeze into the small space to reach over and have his shot, but he gives a slight shake of his head. Massimo looks at him, irked. Maybe it’s the lime he’s sucking on. Still, he doesn’t hesitate to pull the shot intended for Blaze back to himself.

Jerk.

It would have been nice if he’d offered it to me first, not that I want it, but that’s beside the point.

While rubbing the lime onto the back of my hand before holding it in the same hand as I shake salt onto the citrusy wet patch, I feel like I’m being watched.

Intently.

Grabbing the shot glass with my other hand, I look up and see Blaze’s gaze on me. His black eyes are made even darker thanks to the club’s dim lighting.

Fixing my eyes to his, I lift my salted hand to my mouth. That’s when his eyes dart to my mouth and don’t come back up to meet mine. I exaggerate my movements, making them painstakingly slow and seductive. I suggestively stick out my tongue, making it flat as I drag it across the salt on my skin. His mouth tightens, and his jaw muscle tics again as he clenches his teeth, still tight-lipped. I give him a quick smirk and swiftly down the tequila shot, and shove the lime in my mouth, wincing as I suck on the fruit. The tequila burns as it goes down.

Slamming the shot glass back down on the bartop, I give a little shudder.

I fight my body’s urge to bring the tequila back up. I hate that gasoline disguised as alcohol.

However, I did enjoy giving Blaze a little show. It has nothing on the show I’m about to give him, though, I think, grinning as I turn away from the bar.

The guys lead me to the dance floor before standing off to the side, giving me enough space to dance freely but staying closeenough to step in if anyone tries anything. The rule is a three-foot radius at all times.

Massimo is surveying all the girls in the room, no doubt looking for his next lay. His eyes seem to shift to me after every other girl, though. I hate having him eyeing me off the way he does. Every time I feel his gaze on me, my skin crawls. I turn so I’m not really facing either of them but still constantly feel a heated stare on me. I glance quickly at Blaze from beneath my eyelashes, through the hair curtaining my face. Yep, it’s him. I can practically feel his eyes burning my skin. It’s amazing.

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