Page 18 of That Last Secret
I’ll probably regret it later, but I don’t have it in me to care right now.
“Want to dance?” I ask Brooke.
“Hell yeah,” she says, grabbing my hand before throwing it in the air as she shakes her ass.
I follow her without a single look back at Logan.
My molars grindtogether as I watch Emiline saunter off with her friend to the middle of the dance floor. I can’t tell if I’m irritated that she’s here while trying to enjoy one of my rare nights off or that she looks insanely attractive in her dress.
In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never seen Emiline in a dress or even look like she does tonight. Granted, the times I did see her were few and far between. But this dress she has on hugs every curve of her body, especially her perfectly round ass. I can’t help but watch how it sways back and forth as she walks away.
She’s the most beautiful woman in this place tonight.
She’s lethal in that color.
The moment I laid eyes on her talking with Silas, I instantly knew my night was fucked.
“Relax, Bennett,” Silas whispers into my ear. “The vein on your forehead looks like it’s about to explode any minute now.”
I give him a sharp side-eye and avert my gaze from Emiline.
“I can’t believe we’re all off on the same night for the first time in months,” Mason announces before I can say anything back to Silas. “It’s wild in here tonight.”
“Spring break will do that,” Silas deadpans behind the rim of his draft beer. He then looks over at me, and I don’t miss how the corners of his lips tip up in a smirk.
We both can’t stand the guy.
Mason is one of the newer guys in the department. He’s twenty-two years old and a total party animal when he’s not working. He’s one of those rookies who uses the badge in an attempt to get some ass. I know his type because that used to be me before I learned to respect the job and the badge I hold.
I keep hoping he will get to that point someday, but his actions make that hard to believe.
“I didn’t realize they were having a massive party here tonight,” I say to the guys, scanning the room and looking anywhere but the dance floor. Silas and I are regulars here, but I can’t remember being here on a Friday or Saturday night. I had no idea that they converted this place into a club.
“Well, it’s a club,” Mason says matter-of-factly. “And it’s spring break.”
“I said that already,” Silas grumbles. “And this isn’t a club. It’s a bar, or at least, it’s always been on any other night we come here.”
“They do this on the weekends.” Mason shrugs casually as if he knows more than anyone else in the room. He’s always like that. Young and thinks he knows everything there is to know about life. That type of attitude annoys the shit out of me.
I watch intently as Mason takes a sip of his drink and looks over my shoulder toward the dance floor, doing a total double take.
“Goddamn,” he draws out, keeping his tone low, but it’s just loud enough I hear it clear as day.
I turn my head to where he’s looking and see Emiline dancing with Brooke like they’re the only two women on the dance floor. It’s as if there isn’t a soul in the building, and it’s just a random night in their apartment with blasting music.
I can’t take my eyes off her as they belt the song’s lyrics to each other.
Emiline bounces around. Her loose curls don’t look like they have a single strand out of place despite how much they’re tossing around with every move she makes.
Something about her relaxed posture and broad smile sends me into a bubble where all the surrounding noise vanishes.
The only thing I hear is the pounding of my heartbeat in my chest.
All I see is her.
Fucking perfect.
Her presence here tonight reminds me of the turmoil within me, a struggle I battle with every time I see her. The moment I saw her standing at the table with the guys I work with, a nervous energy rang through my body and I fought the urge to walk away.