I sway her to the side, sliding my thigh between hers, pressing just enough to make her breath hitch, tilting her slightly. I guide her movements, her body rolling with mine. Then I push her down and pull her back up, my grip firm, controlling every motion.
“Fuck, he can move,” Bryn says with a laugh, and the corner of her lips twitches.
Aspen’s wide eyes stay locked on mine, her lips slightly parted, her flushed face making her look almost innocent if not for the heat in her gaze.
“Is this dancing, pet?” I murmur, smirking as I lean closer, my lips brushing the shell of her ear. I breathe her in—her sweet scent, the warmth radiating off her skin—and let my fingers dig into her waist, knowing I will leave a mark.
She gasps, my name tumbling from her lips like a plea, her wide eyes locked on mine before they drop to my mouth. That’s it. She wants this—wants me. Fuck, I’ve waited long enough.
My fingers thread through her hair, gripping tight as I tilt her head back, forcing her to look at me. Her body shivers under my touch, and I can feel her pulse thrumming against my skin. “Fuck it,” I murmur, right before I crush my mouth to hers.
The room fades into nothing, silence hanging thick around us as if the whole world knows this moment belongs to me. To her. To hell with the audience, she kissed Max and almost fucked Dante. My jaw tightens at the thought, and my teeth graze her lower lip.
My tongue sweeps past her lips, claiming her, tasting her—vodka and lemon.
Gripping on her scalp tight, I pull her flush against me, and she gasps into my mouth. Her nails dig into my chest, sharp enough that I know they will leave small half-moons on my skin, and I welcome the sting.
Grabbing her ass, I haul her closer, swallowing the soft moan that slips from her lips. The sound goes straight to my blood, feeding the inferno inside me, and somewhere behind me, I hear a gasp from one of the guys; let them watch.
“Don’t!” A yell cuts through the haze, and suddenly my hand is yanked away.
Bryn shoves between us, her hands on Aspen, pulling her away from me. My lip curls, a snarl ripping from my throat as Aspen stumbles back, her wide eyes flicking between us.
“What the fuck?” I bark, barely holding myself back as I glare at Bryn.
“She’s drunk, you asshole,” Bryn snaps her tone like nails on glass as she wraps an arm around Aspen, but her gaze stays fixed on me.
“She’s not that drunk,” I growl dangerously. “She knows what she’s doing.”
Bryn’s death glare could cut steel, but I don’t miss the way Aspen looks back at me as she’s dragged toward the stairs, her soft gaze burning into mine.
I can feel my pulse hammering. Every muscle in my body is ready to snap as I take a step forward. “I’m going to fucking kill her,” I mutter, already moving, but Max’s hand clamps down on my arm, slamming me back against the wall.
“Easy, Reaper,” he says, steady but firm, and I see the flicker of caution in his eyes, but it’s not enough to pull me back.
“She doesn’t get to interfere,” I bite out, shrugging him off. “If she wants to play games with me and Aspen, fine, but she’d better be ready to pay for it.”
I watch as Bryn leads Aspen down the stairs, her figure disappearing.
Bryn just moved to the top of my shit list.
Aspen
Iwake up with my head pounding. The kind of ache that makes you feel that every movement is a mistake. I can’t even remember the last time I drank this much—maybe freshman year of college? I’m not the type to drink, not really, but last night…last night, I needed an escape. I needed the fog, the numbness, just a few hours where everything felt far away.
The past two weeks have been nothing but chaos. Falling into that trap, the aftermath, all of it—it’s like I’ve been dragged through hell. Vodka and music felt like the only way to drown it out, even if just for a night.
Only Dante and Ryker were here, and Bryn started going over the guy’s music list, and we just started drinking and dancing, like we both did before the plague, and for a moment it was like life was normal again.
At first, it worked. I was floating, losing myself in the beat; the burn of alcohol warming me from the inside, but thenheshowed up. Knox.
The second I saw him, everything shifted. That messy hair, the dirt-streaked shirt clinging to his chest, those cargo pants and combat boots—and that presence. He’s a damn wall of a man, towering over everyone with this raw, unshakable energy. Something inside me snapped, and I wanted to get under his skin, to see if I could make him crack.
God, what was I thinking? Like I had any chance of keeping control. Who knew a beast army guy could pull moves like that?
I groan and rub my face, staring up at the ceiling. My door is still locked, so I’m safe for now, not that it matters; there’s no escape from my thoughts, and to help, I need to pee!
My mind drifts to Bryn, and frustration prickles under my skin. I still don’t get why she did it, why she pulled me away like I couldn’t make my own decisions. She’s so open about sex, about intimacy, but when it came tomeand Knox… suddenly she’s playing guardian angel?