Page 6 of Sweet Punk
Eventually, Hawk and Maddox find us, and we dance as a big group for a while until Hawk tucks Lux under his arm and takes off toward the back of the house with her. I have no idea where they’re headed. I shrug and as I do, Maddox grabs Raven, and the two of them start to grind together in a way that is close to indecent. I suck in a breath, looking around, and that’s when I spot Kellan coming directly toward me. He stays in character, which must be pretty easy for a guy who doesn’t speak more than necessary. He doesn’t say a word now either but crooks a finger at me. My heart thuds into the depths of my gut. I inhale sharply. I think he wants to dance with me.
I try to steady my breathing, but my lungs don’t seem to understand that they’re supposed to keep delivering oxygen to my brain so I can think. I glance from side to side, then give in, slowly walking toward him, and take his offered hand. He immediately whirls me around and begins to dance behind me. His hands rest possessively on my hips as he guides my body to move with his. I eventually get into it and relax against him, addicted to the sway of his body and the way his fingers dig into my bare skin. My pulse rockets, my heart beating so fast it feels like it might hop out of my chest and dance around among everyone on its own. And the alcohol—it probably helps that it’s finally hitting me too. My head’s a tiny bit foggy, but I feel good.Star, just let go for once.
Kellan’s hands move from my hips up toward my rib cage, his fingers wandering, almost like he’s counting each individual rib. He grazes the bottom of my bralette, fingers skimming underneath. My breath stutters, remembering that these are the hands of an artist. And how hot is it that he’s touching me like this? Out here in the open where anyone can see him doing it, too. Granted, it’s currently wall-to-wall bodies, so maybe what he’s doing isn’t so visible after all.
A second later, I gasp as he grinds closer to me. His hand lands on my lower stomach, holding me tightly to his body, and his hard cock practically nestles itself between my ass cheeks. My chest rises and falls so fast, I wonder if I’m going to hyperventilate.Oh God.A surge of lust rushes through me, making my pussy throb and dampening my panties.
He pulls me closer as he continues to rub his dick against my ass. My brain jolts. He cups the underside of my bare breast, teasing my skin with his fingers. The long, low groan that emanates from his chest heightens my awareness of him, and my own breath comes out in harsh pants. I can’t believe this is happening. Desire streaks through me.
The revelation rocks me to my core. I want Kellan.
Across the room, I spot Ryleigh talking to someone. Not Matty. Matty was in that scary clown mask. This is another one of thoseScreammasks. I rest my head against Kellan’s shoulder, hazarding a look up at him. “Everyone is wearing that mask tonight.”
The guy Ryleigh’s been chatting with lifts his mask to the top of his head to take a sip of his drink, and my heart slams around in my chest.
Kellan stands across the room from me. Kellan isn’t behind me. I freeze in place. The arms that have been holding me so securely, let me go; the erection that’s been pressed up against my backside for the better part of ten minutes disappears. I pivot on my heel… but the guy who was just dancing with me is nowhere to be seen. Shock crashes through my brain, through my tingling, aroused body.
I blink, turning back around to focus on the pair across the room. Ryleigh points at me and holds up a hand to wave. When I don’t respond, she tilts her head to the side, then says something to Kellan that I obviously can’t hear over the din of the party. He looks this way. His soft green gaze connects with mine.
Oh, God.My face crumples, and my hand shakes as I touch my fingers to my lips. I squeeze my eyes shut, attempting to rein myself in, trying not to fall apart.
But I can’t stop the fear from snaking through me. I spin around, shoving my way through the crowd. If I don’t get some fresh air soon, I’m going to pass out or hyperventilate or something.
Outside, I grip the railing and hurry down the stairs on unsteady feet, and when I hit the grassy lawn in front of Greek Row, I run as fast as I can in my goddamn boots toward Duke Hall.
Who the fuck had I been dancing with, and why did they think they could touch me like that?
FOUR
KELLAN
“Do you want me to go after her?” Ryleigh’s quiet voice finally reaches me. I don’t have the slightest idea what just transpired. One second, I’m discussing an art project with her that we’ll be working on in the coming weeks for our art studio class, and the next, she’s waving to someone. And by the time I’d looked in the same direction and found Star in the throng of dancers, she’d been standing so still, a look of tortured confusion on her face. Her eyes found mine across the crowded room. The bewildered expression, the disorientation… she’d looked so goddamn lost, it tore at something inside of me. Her face had fallen, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that something terrible had happened. Butwhat?
I wait two heartbeats before I shake my head. “No. I will. Could you find Lux and Raven? Or even Hawk or Maddox so they can help locate the girls?”
Ryleigh is still nodding when I begin to move, plowing through the crowd of people dancing to “A Nightmare on My Street” before shoving the door open and stepping out into the dark. I can just make out Star in that sexy bra top and skirt quite a ways in the distance, headed for the dorm. Her legs are a blur, capped off by cowgirl boots.
I take off, not sure how this is happening again that I’m chasing after this girl. Except… this time, I’d seen hurt in her eyes. Embarrassment, even. And I didn’t like it. Not one damn bit. “Star!” My breath heaving, I shout her name several more times, until she comes to a stop. “Wait,” I huff out.
“For what?” She turns to face me and shakes her head, her arms folding over her chest, like she’s protecting herself.
From me?My brows draw together as I study her. She sways a little on her feet, and her eyes crash shut. I have the most intense desire to tug her into my arms and hold on tightly. And that’s something I never do. Ever. I don’t let anyone in. I definitely don’t let them touch me. Yet… I’d let her dry me off last week after the pepper spray incident. I’ve kept that piece of information tucked in the back of my head all week, not wanting to examine it for shit. I can’t. “I wanted to make sure you’re okay. What the hell happened back there?”
She takes a couple of deep breaths before she finally opens her eyes to look at me. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” But her body is racked with violent tremors, and I can see plain as day that she’s struggling to take a breath.
Slowly, I close the distance between us, approaching as if she’s a wounded animal. I finally stop when I’m within arm’s reach of her. I could touch her right now. But I don’t. Quietly, I murmur, “I’d like to help if I can.”
Star begins to open her mouth to speak, but her lips wobble. “I—”
My jaw tenses, my chest tightens unbearably, and I wonder how I’m still breathing. Shit. My brain tumbles and spins, trying to work out why I’m so affected by the look in her eyes. “Did someone hurt you? Because if there’s some douchebag back at that party who did something or said something that you didn’t like, I’ll track him down right now. Just tell me who it was.”
Her gaze flicks around, first to the ground, then up toward the sky. Anywhere, really, but in my direction. I reach out and tug at the chunk of pink hair hanging near her cheek to get her attention. “That’s the problem. I thought—” She jerks to a stop, her eyes finally meeting mine. A single tear trickles from the corner of one of them. “I-I don’t know who it was. We were dancing. I was having a good time. It felt good. And then he began to touch me, and things got a little intense.” She looks away from me. “Overwhelming. But—”
Her face crumples again, like it had inside the frat house right before she’d taken off. It makes my already-wrecked heart hurt to see her like this. And what she’s telling me makes the blood bubble and boil in my veins. Some prick had his hands on her. Upset her.
I touch a few fingers under her chin, guiding her face back to mine. In the most soothing voice I can manage, I murmur, “Okay. But you don’t know who it was?”
She squeezes her eyes shut again, and her cheeks turn a bright shade of red, like maraschino cherries. Another tear leaks out and falls down her cheek. When she opens her vibrant green eyes again, the frustration she’s feeling is clear. Her voice low, she finally admits the truth, and in doing so, throws me for a massive loop. “He had aScreammask on. I thought it was you, okay?” Her breath hitches, and I see humiliation in her eyes. “I thought I was dancing withyou.”She laughs, but she practically chokes on it. “Funny, right?”
