Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 154379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
River pointed a finger at him. “Don’t even fuckin’ start.”
Otto laughed hard, and the three of them moved on to safer topics, giving each other shit while I sat silently nursing my drink, the same as Cash did.
Dance music pounded from the speakers. A furor taking to the atmosphere as people let go of their worries.
Gluttony filling the air.
Raven suddenly came running over, Emery and Charleigh right on her tail, Piper hesitating at their rear.
“It’s time to get those booties on the dance floor. This girl is ready to get her groove on.” Raven did some kind of sultry move that had Otto basically flying out of his seat, shoving at Kane and River to let him out.
“Scoot. As you can all see, my Moonflower needs me.”
Not that it took a whole lot of prodding since River and Kane were all too keen to join their girls. Each of them wrapped an arm around their waists to lead them out onto the floor.
Emery seemed to notice that Piper looked like she was getting ready to split and hooked her elbow in hers and pulled her out with them.
They all slipped into the darkened fray, instantly picking up the seductive beat.
Shadows and silhouettes within the strobing lights that flashed across their faces.
Kane was fucking right.
Piper was the only thing I could see.
Emery, Raven, and Charleigh passed her back and forth, getting goofy as they twirled her around in an obvious effort at loosening her up, before the woman finally found her stride, moving on her own as she got lost in the intoxicating rhythm of the music.
That’s exactly what she was.
Intoxicating.
Hips jutting side to side, nothing but temptation as she began to writhe within the toiling mess of bodies.
The girl twisting and turning and moving in a way that sent greed barreling straight for my dick.
Hands going to that lush fall of white hair as she danced, eyes drifting closed as she let every insecurity vanish in the beat.
I sat there pinned to the booth.
Mesmerized.
Just fuckin’ gobsmacked that she held the power to affect me this way.
Then those eyes opened and landed directly on me.
Piercing blue flaying me wide open where I sat stupefied.
Mouth likely gaping open.
God knew it was watering.
Then something else entirely was hitting me when some asshole sidled up to her and ground himself against her ass.
Piper winced, and she tried to shrink away from him, but the crush only pushed them together.
“You gonna sit there like a moron, or are you gonna move?” Cash’s voice was low where he rested back against the plush booth.
Yeah, I should move.
Get the fuck up and leave.
Hightail it out of there before I did something I couldn’t take back.
But I was draining my drink and sliding out, greed a violent throb in my veins as I stole through the dim, muted light.
Heading in the only direction I could go.
EIGHTEEN
PIPER
Heat flamed across my body as I moved to the reckless rhythm of the song.
It’d been so long since I’d been this free, yet still, I felt tied.
Bound to this place as if there was a reason I’d been called here all along.
I knew exactly what held me trapped.
Those inky eyes that were kissed by the moonlight.
And they were honed on me.
I let go beneath them. Beneath the sense of being seen.
Reckless and stupid and foolish, but right then, I couldn’t find it in myself to care.
I wanted to experience it.
Experience life in a way that I hadn’t done in years.
The rest of the couples had gotten swallowed by the crowd, and I gave myself over to the wave, dancing by myself like I was only dancing for Theo.
Which meant I was totally unprepared when some guy came up behind me. A complete stranger who rubbed himself against my backside.
Anxiety blazed, and I flinched and tried to dodge him, but he just pushed himself closer.
“What the hell is the most gorgeous girl in the club doing dancing by herself?” the guy mumbled at my ear, his words slurred and clearly inebriated.
Bile lifted. That fight or flight that I was always subjected to surging.
I attempted to control it. Not to freak out and run as I tried to sidestep the man’s advances.
Violence suddenly cracked through the air. A wild possession that lifted the hairs at the nape of my neck.
A shivery concoction of fear and anticipation and unquestionable want ripped through me as I felt the atmosphere shift.
My belly fluttered when in my periphery I saw Theo rise from the booth.
A dark demon who began to cut through the throng.
Menace was carved in his features.
All brutal, serrated edges.
The man written in peril, that shredded strength vibrating through the space with each foreboding step he took in my direction.
I already knew he was coming, and still, a gasp raked up my throat when he was suddenly standing in front of me.