Page 8 of Out of Control

“No. I don’t. What I want is for you to . . . Look. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”

“Clearly.” I glance back to where we came from—where there’s a trail of blood from a busted nose—and I lift my eyebrows while fighting my grin. “Maybe you should lay off the drinking.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t tell me what to do. And maybe us girls have to drink to deal with guys. Ever think of that?”

I fight my smile. “Nope. Never.”

“Now that that’s settled. Vincent Jennings is about to take the stage so that I can swoon over him.” Lucky man. “So this is the part where we go back to pretending like we never saw each other here.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” She nods resolutely.

“And what if another guy tries to take advantage of you? Is that what you want?”

She looks at me, a seductive grin crawling over those lips of hers. “God, yes.” She throws her head back and groans . . . and the sound makes my balls ache. “What’s so wrong with that? Not that jerk back there per se, but a man I want? A man I can taste by just looking at him? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get lost in someone for a while. So leave me be so I can do just that.” She lifts her eyebrows as if to ask if I’m going to question her.

Well . . . shit.

And this time when she starts to walk away, I let her.

Her words could be for shock value.

They could be the truth.

Either one is hotter than hell and just made me sit up and take more notice of Sofia Navarro. She’s . . .

A good girl.

Comes from a well-known family.

Has a streak of rebellion I can relate to, appreciate, and admire.

Is completely off limits.

All of which motivate me through the crowd until I see her.

And that’s where I stay all night long. With BENT on stage at my back and Sofia Navarro a few rows away in front of me.

CHAPTER TWO

Sofia

My brother has warned me about you.

The comment’s a constant refrain in my mind. Too bad my visceral reaction to his presence doesn’t heed that warning.

Then again, when has it ever? No matter where Oliver Rossi is in the paddock, I always seem to spot him. Always. He’s like that dark shadow you know you shouldn’t look for but can’t help finding . . . and then can’t look away from.

Dark hair. Broad shoulders. An air of indifference. An edge to him that’s equal parts arrogance and irresistible.

And that damn shadow has been following me nonstop.

“Hey, your stalker’s back,” Lilith says as she lifts her chin over my shoulder.

“Great,” I mutter. Why do I like the fact that he’s here? Why did my stomach just flutter?

Just like he was watching me last night. Yeah, I saw him standing there during BENT’s performance with his back to the stage and his eyes on me. There was something so damn sexy about him watching me, clenching his jaw every time a guy approached me. I’ve never been one for the overprotective boyfriend type, but Rossi gave it an all-new face last night and I liked it.