Page 76 of Fear the Fall
I have to admit it is liberating in ways not much else is. Letting go and drowning in the lyrics and bass created by the instruments is euphoric. The space is so tight that Luke takes liberties he shouldn’t, constantly touching some part of me. I know I should set boundaries, but I need this night. I’m the queen of doing things for the wrong reasons, and perhaps tonight has everything to do with my need for validation. Zeke’s betrayal marred a part of me that felt secure. Luke’s mending those scars with every brush and every glance my way. Wrong? Probably. But I’m not going to think too much about that.
The music slows and Luke grabs both my hands in his, pulling me in and pushing me out to the beat. My eyes catch on his lips as he mouths the words to me. My stomach flips over itself, the moment so intense. So intimate. My chest swells, feeling like it could burst any moment.
The air shifts, and everything around us seems to go on. People jump around, pumping their arms in the air and bellowing the words, but in our small bubble, time freezes as if we are in a time warp and nobody else notices. We stare each other down, two starved people looking for their salvation in the other. Our bodies inch closer of their own accord, my hands coming to his chest. I lean in, closing my eyes. As if by divine intervention, the music ends and the moment is broken.
Suspended a measly inch from Luke’s lips, I pull back as if he’s burned me. His face pinches in something akin to pain before he takes a large step back, putting needed distance between us.
“All right guys, we’re going to get karaoke started,” a busty blonde on the stage calls out, signaling a changeup. “Let’s give Rebel Dogs a huge round of applause for knocking us on our asses for the past hour.”
Hoots and hollers rise up to levels that are uncomfortable for my celestial ears to handle. Apparently, Rebel Dogs is a favorite of everyone in the place. I have to admit, they affected me.
No. Luke affected me. Too much.
“Okay,” I call out above the noise to Luke. “We’ve had enough of pretending to be young.”
“And human,” Luke smirks.
“Yeah, that too.”
We’re heading toward the door when the busty blonde from the stage steps into our path, bypassing me and placing a red painted nail to Luke’s chest.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Can this man go anywhere without drawing unnecessary attention?
Peeking a glance at them, I groan. He’s laying on the charm, thick and convincingly.
The blonde is eating out of his hands. I don’t even want to know what’s being said. She’s practically panting, and his head’s thrown back, laughing at something she said. He’s not even engineering her reaction to him. This is one hundred percent her reaction to his natural charm.
The blonde looks over her shoulder, leveling me with a fierce glare. I give it right back, mumbling under my breath about tramps and bar whores, when she turns toward me.
“You can’t leave until one of you sings, and he says you’re up.”
I scrunch my nose. “Not happening.”
“Come now, Victoria. Take one for the team. You owe me.” He grins a slow, joker-wide smile.
I step toward him, leaning into his ear. “I can’t, Lucifer. I suck at singing. Angelic voice, I have not,” I admit.
He laughs. “Well, you’ll have to make a trade.”
My hands come to my hips and I drill him with a look that says,you’re pushing your damn luck.
“Those are my terms,” he says with a shrug.
“I’ll share my bed with you.”
He lifts a brow. “That’s already been settled, love. You’ll have to do better.”
I huff, “Fine. Breakfast tomorrow. That’s my final offer.”
He nods. “Done.”
“It seems like I’ll be taking one for the team.” He smiles down at the blonde, and she squeals in delight.
“What are you singing?” She claps her hands excitedly.
He puckers his lips, seemingly contemplating his choices. “‘Riptide.’ Vance Joy.”
She nods and runs off toward the stage.
I widen my eyes to saywhat the hell. He just shrugs.
This night has been so utterly against everything I stand for. I don’t relax. I don’t dance. I sure as hell don’t pretend to be human. Yet I can’t deny that I’ve enjoyed every damn minute of it.