Page 13 of Falling for the Forbidden
I make a non-committal noise because I’m fully aware that I’m not hooking up with some random guy in a club, but Erica doesn’t need to know that. It seems to be what she does every weekend, so I may as well look like I fit in. I also have no intention of mentioning that I’m still a virgin.
“Here, drink this. My sister’s going to drop us off in a minute.”
With the tequila flowing through my system, I manage to put everything with Ben to one side and just enjoy myself. We meet some of the guys, but thankfully both Will and Ben are noticeably absent. I try not to look too relieved about it.
After a round of drinks, we head out onto the dance floor. Erica and I dance with James and Stewart, two of the builders from work. The four of us let loose, not worrying about what we look like or who’s watching us making fools of ourselves. The dancing is mostly innocent, but there’s the occasional bump and grind when the song commands it.
Leaning into Erica, I shout in her ear that I’m heading to the toilet and she waves me off. Weaving my way through the packed dance floor, I eventually make it to the to the other side of the room to where I need to be.
After fighting with the women trying to touch up their make-up in the mirrors, it seems like forever when I eventually make it out again.
I’m about to walk down the corridor to re-join the main room when someone wraps their hand around my wrist. I fight to free myself, simultaneously turning to see who it is. My breath catches and the fight leaves me as I stare into the blue eyes of my stepbrother.
His stare holds mine for a beat before he pulls me towards the stairs. We go down one flight and then he continues moving towards the dance floor. The music’s different on this level—the bass is louder, the tempo sexy and seductive.
As he drags me in front of him, his hands land on my waist and he pulls me back against his body. A loud sigh leaves me when our bodies align and I feel him move against me.
His fingers tickle at my shoulder as he moves my hair, exposing my skin. Dropping his head, his nose runs up the length of my neck before I feel his lips at my ear.
“I couldn’t watch you dancing with someone else any longer,” he growls, pulling us even closer. I gasp when I feel his length against my arse.
He grinds his hips with mine, keeping perfect time with the song booming through the speakers, but I barely hear any of it. My focus is solely on the connection of our bodies.
His lips trail down my neck, his tongue sneaking out to taste my skin, and something inside me explodes. Heat blooms between my legs and the only thing I want is to be in a room alone with him, not in a club full of sweaty strangers.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Lauren. I shouldn’t need you this much.”
Turning in his arms, I look up at him. His pupils are dilated and his lips parted, his chest heaving. His tongue runs across the bottom lip and I’m just about to close the distance between us when he looks up.
His eyes widen before he lets me go and disappears into the crowd. My body aches for him the second he leaves.
“There you are,” Erica shouts, walking up to me and immediately breaking out some moves like the most erotic moment of my life didn’t just happen where we’re standing. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I bumped into someone I knew.”
“That’s okay. Just let me know next time you want to disappear, yeah?”
“Sure. I…uh…actually, I think I’m going to head home.”
“What? It’s still early.”
“I know, but I’m wiped. I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Sure. Text me when you get home.”
Waving, I get the hell out of that club as fast as I can. Every single part of me is desperate to hunt through the entire place to find Ben. Just how badly I need him is enough to make me go home. Nothing good can come of the strength of my feelings.
Thanks to my long day and night, I crash the second my head hits my pillow. That doesn’t mean my dreams aren’t full ofhimand how differently the night could have ended if we weren’t interrupted.
* * *
When I wakethe next morning, I’m feeling much fresher than I deserve to be after a night out. I can’t say the same for Erica when she shows up to work almost an hour late. She looks like she’s just fallen straight out the club…or maybe some guy’s bed. The day’s crazy and the phone doesn’t stop ringing, so I don’t get the opportunity to hear about the rest of her night. From the look of the love bite on her neck, I’m pretty sure I don’t want the details, anyway.
I’m becoming used to the silence, and it’s no different when I let myself into the house after work that evening. Jenny’s car is in the driveway, but there’s no sign of her once again.
After making myself a drink, I head up to my room to change into something more comfortable. I decide to have a shower and wash my hair because the one I had this morning was way too quick to properly wash last night off me. I strip out of my work clothes and step under the hot spray.
I stand there for the longest time with my head tipped forward, allowing the powerful jets of water to massage my tense shoulders. I knew moving here and living with Dad wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, but I never imagined it would be quite like this.
