Page 72 of Everything She Wanted

“Can’t believe I get to see you on a Saturday,” he says as he runs his fingers through my hair.

I grip my glass tighter.

“Don’t let me keep you from your evening,” I say tersely. He’s waiting for someone who isn’t me and I can’t hide my irritation at that.

He laughs and moves closer, placing his hand on my thigh. My pulse quickens and I know I should move it, but I don’t. I glance around. I can’t see Anj anywhere.

“You’re waiting for someone, right?”

“I just said that in front of your friend.” He gives me a flirtatious half smile. “But if you want, I can tell her you’re the one I’m waiting for.”

He starts to get up and I panic, grabbing his arm.

“Nick, stop. She’s Eshaan’s cousin.” He freezes for a moment, his mouth drawing into a thin line, before he flops back into his chair.

“Right, your boyfriend. You’re still seeing him?” He raises an eyebrow. I’m not sure if it’s a question or a challenge.

“Yeah.”

He leans in really close. “Okay, but...does he make you feel like I do?”

His hand returns to my thigh, and he inches it up slowly as his eyes drift from my legs to my chest and then to my lips.

I open and close my mouth before placing my hand on his and moving it away slowly.

“Someone might see us,” I say instead of answering his question.

He leans in as the music gets louder. “Come with me.” He gets up and offers me his hand. I look around again and then take it as he effortlessly helps me up.

I pull down my dress with one hand as he leads me through the throng of people.

The buzz from the shots quells my usual anxiety. I shouldn’t be letting Nick hold my hand, not with Anjali here, but the thought drifts away as Nick leads me up the stairs, down two hallways and past a velvet rope holding a sign that says VIP Only.

He opens an unlabelled door and leads me inside, closing and locking it immediately.

The lights are dim but I catch our reflection in the silver gilded mirror to the side. I vaguely register that we’re in some kind of luxury bathroom before Nick’s hands grip my waist and he brings his mouth an inch from mine.

“You didn’t answer me earlier.”

My heart rate escalates as he stares at me, his eyes dark and intense like the ocean on a stormy night, and I’m riding a strong wave directly toward him.

“You know the answer,” I say softly, not willing to admit the truth to him or myself.

That’s all the invitation he needs to put his lips on mine. He takes my tongue in his mouth and sucks it as he grinds up against me. Every thought leaves my mind. All I can feel is him, his warmth, his solid body pressed up against mine.

He moves my dress up until it’s at my waist, kissing down my neck and shoulders as my core shakes with need. Him, this, us—I want him so bad.

I grind back against him too until he’s hard against me. My tongue caresses his in desperate strokes. I bring my hands to his belt buckle and rest them there for a second, not sure I can go any further, even though I want to. I move my hands away and wrap my arms around him instead.

“I want you so fucking bad. You have no idea,” he says as he lifts my leg up under the knee, pushing me against the wall.

The buzz starts to wear off and my mind starts to clock in, even as my body ramps into overdrive.

I shove him back, leaving my hand on his chest.

“Is this all you want?” My eyes search his face for a hint that there’s more he’s feeling for me.

He takes a micro step back and runs a hand through his hair. “What else do you think this is?”