Page 28 of With This Mask
Josh looks annoyed and angry and a little hurt, but when he sees I’m not pushing Alec away, he turns and walks away with tense shoulders.
Alec turns and pulls me toward him, wrapping his hands around my waist. His body is tense, anger radiating from him in waves.
"Seriously?" I snap, my gaze locking with his as he sways me in time with the music. "You have no right to barge in here and act like an overprotective caveman."
"Neither do you have any business dancing with that prick," he retorts, his grip on me unyielding.
"Excuse me? Josh is my friend, and I don't need your permission to dance with anyone!"
"His hands were two inches from your ass,” he growls, his eyes darkening. “It wasn’t exactly hard to tell what was going through his head, Salem. Do you think I could just stand there and watch that shit?"
"Since when did it become your problem who puts their hands on me?"
Alec exhales sharply, his frustration evident. "Shit, Salem. I?—”
“Come on, Alec,” I goad, unable to stop myself. “Words have never failed you before. Out with it.”
“I can't stand seeing another guy touch you, Salem,” he finally bursts, his eyes widening as he looks at me. And I see it there, the truth of his confession. He looks around, checking that no one overheard him. “It pisses me off, alright?"
"Is that supposed to make me feel special?" I challenge, but inside, my heart races at his admission.
"Maybe it should," he mutters, his gaze never leaving mine. The intensity in his eyes sends a shiver down my spine, and I fight to maintain my composure.
"Listen, Alec, I know what we’ve been doing behind closed doors. But I'm not one of your little rich girl playthings. You can't just shove someone else away because you're feeling possessive."
"Fuck, Salem," he curses, shaking his head. And the entire mood around us shifts. It gets darker, more serious. Something changes in his eyes as he narrows in on me. "You really don't get it, do you?” He leans in closer, his eyes studying my lips, my eyes, my body. He shifts slightly closer, the distance between our bodies disappearing. “You're in my head all the fucking time. And shit, it's not just your body I dream about nonstop; it's your fucking mouth, your non-stop banter, the way you put me in my place. You drive me crazy."
"Are you being serious?" I ask, because I truly can’t tell. My tone is sharp, even as a shiver runs down my spine at the raw honesty in his confession.
"Deadly." He locks eyes with me, making sure I understand the gravity of his words. "I crave you, Salem. I want you. Mine."
His admission stirs something deep within me. Mine. Hell, why do I like that word coming off his lips so much?
But can I go there? Can I accept everything that’s going to come with it? The outbursts? The possessiveness? The looming threat of his father?
"Come on, Alec," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm not one of those rich girls you're used to. Why would you want me?"
"Exactly," he retorts, his eyes never leaving mine. "You're better than any of them. And you’re not afraid of me.”
I swallow once. He’s right. I’m not afraid of him.
But as I look around the room and see the eyes watching us, I know that there is one thing I am afraid of.
The rest of them.
Alec hooks a finger under my chin, drawing my eyes back to his. “None of them have to know.”
“You’re making it a little obvious,” I breathe out, my entire body shaking.
I see the gears turning behind those eyes.
“Say you’ll be mine, Salem,” he says quietly, his words an intimate caress. “Say you’ll be mine, and I swear I’ll take care of the rest.”
My heart is hammering so fast. I feel like my entire life is about to change. And I’m scared. And exhilarated at the same damn time.
Against my better judgement, I answer. “I’m yours.”
A wicked smile, the one that I’m quickly growing to love more than just about anything, starts to grow on his lips.