Page 34 of Twisted Fate

“That’s a beautiful name.”

“Thank you.” My cheeks warmed at his complement. I’d spent so long shying away from male attention, but I was venturing outside of my comfort zone. I wanted to one day find a partner, someone I could build a life with. Someone I could love and trust with my heart. That wouldn’t happen if I was always hiding away or pining after a man I couldn’t have.

“Are you named after someone?” I visibly cringed, wishing the origin of my namesake was something more meaningful.

“I was named after a soap opera character from the eighties,” I confessed.

“Oof.”

“I know,” I concurred regretfully. “I wish there was a more interesting story behind it. What about you?” I asked, turning the tables on him. “Are you named after someone?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “My dad was a Blue Devil,” he admitted.

“Ah, I see,” I acknowledged.

“They were the fondest years of his life,” he proclaimed, doing what I could only guess was an impression of his father, and we shared a laugh. It felt good.

Just then, a tall guy with a thick beard bumped into Duke and leaned over him to snatch half the shots from the bar. “Bruh, what’s taking so long?” His gaze flicked to mine, and he smirked. “Ahhh,” he drew out. “Chasing tail, I see.” Duke stiffened and narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Get your ass back to the table. We’re thirsty.” He clutched a shot in each hand and turned on his heel, raising the glasses above the crowd as he expertly wove through the dance floor.

“Sorry about that. John can be a bit … uncouth.” He stood and placed the remaining shots in one hand and grabbed his drink with the other. “It was nice meeting you, Delilah. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, you too,” I said as he backed away, then disappeared into the sea of dancing bodies. He reemerged at the elevated table where his friends cheered his arrival. I watched as he passed out the shots. Turning back toward the bar, he searched the crowd for only a few seconds before his gaze landed on me, and a slow smile curved his lips.

“Who’s that?” Brynlee asked, looping her arm through mine. I turned to find her looking in Duke’s direction.

I shrugged. “Just some guy I met while waiting on drinks.”

“He’s not looking at you like he’sjust some guyyou met,” she said, mocking my words. I glanced at Duke who was watching me as he brought his cup to his lips and took a long sip. “You should go over there,” she urged, nudging my ribs.

“I-I don’t think so,” I replied, my voice wavering. “He’s out with his friends, having a good time. Just like I am.”

She glanced his way again, but I couldn’t make myself look. “He’s not paying much attention to his friends at the moment,” she noted, quirking a brow. My cheeks warmed, and Brynlee smirked as she took in my flushed skin.

“Let’s go,” I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the opposite side of the room where Shayla and Haley had secured us a table. We sipped our drinks while Shayla caught the others up on the latest drama with her dad and stepmom.

After another round, the girls wanted to dance, so they slid from the booth, and I stayed behind so we wouldn’t lose our seats. I pulled out my phone to text my mom and let her know I’d be getting in late. If I didn’t, she’d wait up for me to come home. I didn’t want her doing that since she had to work in the morning.

“Is this seat taken?” a deep voice drawled, and I glanced up to find Duke standing next to my table. Surprise stole my voice for a moment, and I stared at him dumbly for several long seconds.

“Um, yeah,” I began, then shook my head. “I mean, no. Go ahead.” I motioned to the empty seat across from me, granting him permission to sit. I hadn’t expected him to seek me out in a room full of hot young coeds bumping and grinding on the dance floor. I wanted to ask him why he was sitting here with me instead of out there, but I kept my mouth shut.

“Not much of a dancer?” he asked, and I shook my head. I had been, at one time, but I didn’t like the exposure that came from dancing in a club. Men tended to get handsy, and I went into fight or flight when that happened. And I might have kneed a guy or two in the balls before. So now, I rarely danced unless the guys were with us. Their presence thankfully deterred most men. “Me neither,” Duke affirmed. “I’m more a man of conversation and genuine connection.” His admission was as refreshing as it was surprising. And people rarely surprised me these days.

33

Vance

Someone was whistlingin my kitchen. I halted at the top of the steps, frozen in place at the sound. No one had whistled in this house since…

I shook those thoughts away and rushed downstairs, my pulse hammering in my ears. It had to be Delilah. She was the only person who would be in my home at this time on a Monday morning. It was the only logical explanation, but logic had flown out the window when I first heard the high-pitched sound.

Sarah used to whistle sometimes while she cooked or cleaned. She’d pop her ear buds in and carry on with whatever played in her ears.

I stopped just outside of the kitchen, pausing to listen. It was an upbeat tune, something I’d heard on the radio recently, but I couldn’t place it. Pushing through the door, I was met by the sight of Delilah shaking her ass in a pair of cut-off shorts, and I nearly groaned. Her back was to me, but I could tell she was holding something, one arm moving in swift circles. She turned slowly, a mixing bowl nestled in the crook of her arm as she whisked the contents inside.

I cleared my throat. “Delilah.” She jumped, and her grip on the bowl loosened. She fumbled it for a moment but managed to keep from dropping it. I didn’t mean to startle her, but I also didn’t want her to catch me watching. I was having a hard enough time resisting her as it was.

“Vance,” she said breathlessly, and the sound went straight to my cock. I hated how much I loved hearing my name on her lips. “I didn’t see you there.”

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