Page 214 of Now and Forever

I had known she had a lovely figure. She was trim and had a well-toned body that garnered everyone’s attention. It also exposed how much time and effort she most likely invested in the gym or some sort of outdoor activities.

God help me, but this ought to be one hell of a long night.

My body went hot as my blood boiled with each second that passed watching her seductively swaying as she danced to the beat. She was hypnotizing to watch, but sense left me as I furiously streamed towards her, ready to bring hell on earth.

“Get your bloody arse down from that godforsaken table, or I’ll fucking do it myself,” I threatened, almost screeching at the top of my lungs, past caring what others thought.

“Cruz!” Serena paused, momentarily shocked to see me. The second it registered how angry I was, her smile gradually turned to a frown. “Okay, gosh. There’s no need to cause a scene.”

I wasn’t the least bit amused. All I knew was how royally ticked off I was. I didn’t care if it made sense to me, to her, or for the people amongst us. All I knew was that I didn’t want men looking at her as if she was a dessert ready to be devoured. I wanted to shield her, protect her, and at the same time, strangle her for being so reckless. My emotions were getting the best of me, and I was having a perilous time harnessing them back in their cage.

The second she got down from the table, Serena wearily eyed me then leaned closer with a cute pout on her succulent lips. “I was just dancing. There’s no harm in that, is there?”

Yes, there was. She was harming my sanity, my entire existence, and I wasn’t sure how to address it.

“You were flaunting your body while men ogled and fantasized about fucking you senseless.” That had not come out the way I had wanted it to, but bloody hell, the woman was driving me mental. Literally. Unequivocally.

“Exactly. What’s the harm in that? You act as if I committed a crime.” She was standing her ground, a trait I respected most especially since not a lot of people tried to argue with me. As much as I admired her vigor, however, I couldn’t shake off the potent jealousy that possessed me upon seeing her dancing for such a rabid, hungry audience.

“You were inviting trouble, Serena,” I replied. “What if one of those men had decided they had to have you to themselves, even though you protested? You could’ve been raped or something even more dreadful.”

All amusement vanished from her face. “Your imagination is colorful. No wonder you’re the way you are.”

I’d had high hopes she would see my point, but I was taken aback by her derogatory remark.

“And what is that exactly, Serena?”

It seemed she had already made up her mind about me, and I admitted it stung a little.

“You’re boring,” she said, obviously feeling justified. “You don’t know how to have fun. You’re always so serious about everything. You’re so wound up that you don’t ever let yourself loose.”

I gritted my teeth as I squashed down the urge to wrench her against my body and kiss her senselessly just to shut her up.

“Displaying utmost concern for your well-being deems me a boring person?” She and I would never see eye-to-eye; therefore, there was no point in indulging ourselves with more argument. Sending her a steady gaze, I took a moment to study her face. “Well, that bloody well sums it up, doesn’t it? I’ll wait outside. If you’re not there in five minutes, don’t bother coming out.”

She opened her mouth just as I spun around and left her there, flummoxed at my treatment of her. I had the utmost respect for women, but whenever Serena was concerned, she drove me to a place where my mental capacity was nil and the emotional drive too high to see much else.

Emerging from the insufferable house, I ignored the jovially drunk crowd as I purposely sought the confines of my car. I pulled my keys out of my pocket, and I had just disengaged my alarm when I felt someone push from behind, instantly making me face my pseudo attacker.

“God, you’re so infuriating, Cruz!” Serena screeched at the top of her lungs, her cheeks red and her vivid green jewels wildly glittering at me. “You drive me fucking crazy!”

I drove her crazy? Seriously? Huh.

“This is bloody mental,” I muttered, not meaning to engage in a full-blown fight with her. She seemed as though she was ready to have a bloody showdown, and I wasn’t going to bait her.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? I just don’t fucking get you! One minute, you were all over me, and then the next, you treat me like shit. And the most shocking thing of all is you’re fucking engaged! Is this what you do, toy around with women’s minds just for the hell of it? ’Cause let me tell you, it’s just plain cruel.”

Bloody. Fucking. Hell. And back.

“I might have this random case of selective amnesia because I don’t seem to recall ever toying with you.” No matter how much I tried to squelch the need to disengage from the escalating fight, she was making it too hard. She knew what buttons to push.

Gritting my teeth, I groaned loudly as I tried not to capture how enticingly beautiful she looked. God,what the fuck am I going to do with her?

“You know what? Forget you.”

She looked wild, intense, and utterly breathtaking when impassioned, but I simply couldn’t. I had given my promise to Ivy, and it was best I remember that solemn promise that signified the ring she had on.

Peeling my eyes away from her, I muttered, “Suit yourself,” before opening the car door, willing to leave this damning place.

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