Page 77 of I Blame the Alcohol

Lou rolls her eyes again, but I couldn’t tell you what her reply is because suddenly my attention is trapped by the gorgeous girl standing in front of me.

My girl.

“Cat got your tongue, Captain?” Stella cocks out a hip, simultaneously capturing my attention and my libido all in one move.

“Wow.” It’s the best I can come up with as my eyes rake over her outfit, my balls tightening as they flick over the small but firm curves on display. My gaze comes to a stop at the pink paint trailing along her exposed torso.

She’s wearing a crop top.

The darkness of the room keeps her scar hidden, but the significance of this moment hits me immediately. It's the first time I have ever seen Stella wear anything cropped, and tonight she chose to wear this lacy black number for all to see.

Pride bursts in my chest as I tug her closer and lean down to whisper in her ear, “Stel, I am so proud of you.”

Stella gives me a small smile, silently asking for the reassurance she would never ask for out loud. Wrapping my fingers around her own, I quickly give them a squeeze, “I am all yours, tonight. Whenever and wherever you need me.”

“Thank you.”

Our moment comes to a screeching halt when Nico’s favourite song comes on.

“OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS SONG!” His scream draws our attention and next thing I know, Stella is grabbed by the hand and dragged towards the dance floor. My date mouthssorryas she heads off with my homosexual teammate, leaving me confused as to whether or not I should be offended.

“Cap, you gotta get her back. If you let Nico grind all over Stella, she’ll fall in love by the end of the song.” Wes gives me wide eyes, his arms still locked around Lou.

“Very funny.”

“Nah man, I am serious. Nico is universally loved but choses to love very few.” His lines sound like something straight out of a trashy tv show, but it does the trick. Ass in gear, I head for the gyrating mass on the dance floor.

Body odour hits me the second I merge with the crowd, the pulsing energy of the music feeding the energy on the dance floor. Two-stepping aside, I have never been the biggest fan of dancing, especially not at a club when half the people are too drunk to even dance and just stumble into one another.

I find Nico and Stella off to the side, safely tucked in the corner closest to the tables surrounding the bar. Breathing a sigh of relief, I note the absence of any grinding.

Stella laughs as Nico twirls her around, both of their bodies moving perfectly in synch to the beat. I watch, mesmerized by the fluidity of Stella’s hips as she swings them around and around, her equally impressive abs flexing with each motion.

“Your girl sure can move.” Wes materializes beside me with Lou tucked under one arm. She nods in agreement, “It’s like watching a Shakira music video.”

Wes grins, breaking his hold on Lou to sweep into a low bow, “Milady, would you be so kind as to accept this dance?”

She curtsies on cue, making me think this scene has played out more than once for this couple.

“Very gladly, kind sir.” Lou takes his hand and I follow them to where Nico and Stella are tearing up the dance floor.

Stella

Everything is better when you’re dancing.

That is the one and only lesson my mother ever taught me.

“GET IT GURL!” Nico claps as I drop it to the floor, my hips slowly grinding their way up and down an invisible pole. This probably isn’t the type of dancing my mom pictured when she taught my brother and me the magic of rhythm, but I know she would applaud the effort.

Wes and Lou appear beside me, the two of them looking achingly cute in the blacklight glow of the nightclub. Lou is not what you would call a good dancer, but Wes takes the lead and wraps her arms around his neck, gently swaying her to the beat.

Looking around for my actual date, I'm about to go hunt him down when I feel someone come up behind me.

“I like watching you dance.” Cody murmurs the words in my ear, his gravelly voice sending a jolt of heat to my core. Reaching behind me, I grab his hands and pull them to the front of my waist, enjoying the way his hard body fits perfectly against mine.

“I’ll dance for you anytime you want.” I change the tempo to a slower rhythm, pushing back against him just enough to make things interesting.

Cody’s grip on my waist tightens as his movements shift to match mine. He skims his lips down my neck, planting a kiss on my collarbone before coming back up.

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