Page 105 of The Score

"Everything okay?" he asks my way.

When his smell reaches me, all I can do is nod and grab the cushion for balance.

"You're here alone, Dom?" Saint asks nearby.

The purple recessed lights in this section give us enough light as usual, while keeping the intimate feeling. Here in the corner of the mezzanine we get some extra privacy. On one side, we have the balcony overlooking the people dancing below. On the other, booths and general sitting areas. Deep bass reaches us from the dance floor below and, I don't know what kind of architectural tricks make this possible, but we're protected from the loud music up here. Beats and rhythm surround us, but it's mild enough we can still hear each other clearly.

Logan and Evie, and Saint and Ames sit with Dom next to us. Damián and Nat are not here tonight, as they had other commitments. Leon and I complete the group.

I'm at the edge, almost hidden by Leon's size. I lean forward to watch the conversation.

Dom crosses his arms. "Yep."

"That's new," Evie says.

"Can't a man want to have an easy night for once?" Dom's raised eyebrow tries to be challenging, but no one seems to mind it too much.

Logan smirks. "I'd say dating has never seemed to make your nights difficult."

"In fact," Leon says, "From the looks of it, you were having a grand old time. I wonder what might have changed? Any bets, everyone?"

That gets a few chuckles from the group, including from me.

Bear directs a small smile at me, and pats my thigh with his big hand.

And he leaves it there.

Dom groans. "Don't laugh at poor old me. I'm the only single one here. I could use some compassion."

Some in the group snort, others laugh.

All I do is stare at Bear's large hand on my thigh. His thumb makes passes on my skin, waking up nerve endings I didn't even know I had there. It's nothing more than simple arches, back and forth, but they leave fire in their wake. From one point on my leg, running through my body, until it feels like every other cell impatiently waits for their turn.

More touch. More Leon.More.

But Dom's words echo in my head.

I'm the only one single here.

The group keeps talking, but I hide behind Leon. I glance at him. His profile has a roughened line to it, with his slightly bumpy nose and thick beard. His tattoos peek through the neck of his clothes and, if I follow a path down his arm, ink teases me past his sleeves as well.

Now his thumb is making circles on my skin and I don't know if I missed something, but it feels like his hand is higher on my leg. Just a little move and his pinky could go under the edge of my skirt.

I glance at him again. He's laughing with our friends. They tease Dom about Mariana, giving me plenty of space to lose myself in the way Bear touches me. When his pinky gets under my skirt, I feel it. All the way up my back. It arches. Tingles— an awareness—somethingcrawls all over, and it begs me to press my legs together, so I might get some friction where I need it most. I would do a lot to get this sudden feeling to build and crest and set me free. And it's all because Bear is using his fingers to tease me, and might not even know it.

A few people come up to the mezzanine, from the stairs all the way at the other end. Their eyes go to the men around me and skip right over me. Perfect. I need privacy to stare at Leon's hand on my thigh.

The movements seem mindless, like some unconscious part of his brain is drawn to the texture of my clothes… or to my skin. His fingertips make little adjustments with each pass, somehow ending just a little higher again, and now his pinky is inches away from my panties.

We are in public and I don't care. There are people close enough nearby that they would only need to actually pay attention to me, wedged between a tufted booth corner and a big man, and see what he's doing to me. I'd let them. I don't want him to stop.

Actually, maybe I should care about being caught. I nudge a small golden, circular table with my free foot, to help cover the evidence. Whatever he's doing— whatever I'm letting him do— is going to have big consequences for us. I wouldn't want our indiscretions photographed and ending up online. I'm too busy dealing with my feelings to deal with the results of that.

I'm the only one single here, Dom said.

The man is wrong, but I see how he'd think that. Even if everyone in the group knows the marriage is fake, it for sure doesn't look like it these days.

I gulp and look away. Just this morning, Leon came from sucking my fingers clean. I shiver and close my eyes.