Page 12 of The Hallows Queen

She laughs again, stepping backwards until I can’t reach her. “Nope.”

I clear my throat, then stand up so we’re back on the same level. Grinning wolfishly, I take a step toward her. “You wanna dance with me, beautiful?”

She grins, bringing her mouth an inch from mine. I can’t help but let my gaze travel to her red mouth, her lips curved so devilishly that I almost lean forward to trace them with my tongue. When she starts to speak, my gaze moves back to those green eyes.

“Not even a little bit.”

I laugh, I can’t help it, and my laughter triggers her own, like we’re two friends making a joke instead of laughing at the fact she’s rejecting me. My heart picks up pace, sending my blood speeding through my veins and making my skin vibrate with pleasure. She’s a spitfire, I’ll give her that.

And daddy likes a challenge, after all.

I sit back down, looking bored. “Have a good night then, beautiful.”

She rolls her eyes. “You too,dick.”

Chapter4

Penelope

I returnto the dance floor where I left Katie, but the lingering feeling of his molten gaze stays over me, like he’s branding me with his eyes from across the room.

He’sdelicious.A walking, talking red flag if I’ve ever seen one.Just my type– someone who fucks in a storage closet, and then acts like a complete asshole about it.

He’s a fuckboy through and through.

And that toxic part of me wants him.

I feel an ache burning in my stomach as I dance, but I force myself not to look at him, no matter how badly I want to. Instead, I decide to put on a show for him. My skin vibrates with pleasure, and I run my hands over my arms, up my neck and into my hair while I grind my hips.

My head falls back, the electric music pumping directly into my bloodstream now. I twist my fingers in my hair, pulling it off my neck and chest while I roll my body to the music. Breathing through my mouth, my eyes drop closed as I continue to dance, knowing he’s watching me.

I canfeelhim.

His gaze, his energy, his entire being blasting across the room toward me like a force field trying to suck me in. I want to turn around, cross the room, and throw my legs over his lap. Straddle him and ride him until I’m dripping between my legs.

I don’t, though. I just keep dancing, playing theuninterestedcard I know so well.

He’s not used to it. I can tell by the aloofness of his atmosphere and smug smile. Men and women alike probably fawn over him, fall at his feet and kiss their way up to the thick cock hanging between his thighs.

Do you wanna dance with me, beautiful?

His words play in my mind on a loop, like a song I can’t stop listening to, even as I stay on my side of the club and pretend he isn’t a speck on my radar. The burn in my stomach grows and grows as his deep and all-consuming voice haunts me, making me circle my hips harder and faster to the beat.

I don’t want to be someone he sees asbeautiful. I want to be a dangerous, compelling vixen who rivals his power, showing him I’mno onehe can control.

He wouldn’t be able to handle me.

* * *

My alarm wakesme at 8 a.m. the next morning, and I whack it with my fist to make it shut up. My head is pounding, and I’m tangled in the thick down comforter I brought from Washington.

Even with the A/C cranked, the sunlight from the window is heating my room so much that a layer of sweat covers every inch of my body.

“Oh my god,” I groan, throwing the blanket off, kicking my feet to get it to fall off the edge of the bed. Sitting up, I put my hand on my head. I haven’t been hungover in a while. I guess I should have skipped the last round of shots before we left the club last night.

I take a deep breath, willing the nausea to fade, and slowly swing my legs over the side of my bed.

Making my way to the kitchen, my feet drag across the dark wooden floor. Katie is nowhere to be found, so I assume she must still be passed out in the guest room. I start setting up a pot of coffee, filling the machine with water, but when I pull open the cabinet, I remember I didn’t stop at the grocery store to get anything.

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