Out of Bounds (The Summer Games #2)(75)

“You’re a soccer player, right?”

He nodded. “Correct. And you…” His gaze was on my legs again. “Look like a ballerina.”

“I’m a gymnast.”

I could see the appreciation in his eyes, like I was going to straddle him right there in the booth. It should have bothered me, but it didn’t.

“How old are you?” I asked, studying his blond hair, buzzed short.

“Twenty-two.”

Young compared to Erik.

He didn’t bother asking my age, just leaned forward to refill his drink from the bottle service on the table and then turned to his buddy, all but ignoring me. I turned to talk to Lexi, but she was somehow already involved in a deep conversation with another one of the soccer players, a goofy looking guy with spiked hair and wide eyes who seemed five drinks past sober.

“You mean you FLIP OVER THE BARS?” he asked as if she were trying to convince him of something otherworldly.

I didn’t want any part of the conversation, so I sat back against the booth and stared out at the crowd. I took my time sipping my drink, hoping it would last longer than it did. Owen was there right as I swallowed the last drop. He didn’t ask, just grabbed my cup and refilled it with a mixture of vodka and cranberry juice—well, a mixture was putting it lightly. There were 10 parts vodka to every splash of cranberry.

I smiled and took it as he handed it back to me, reminding myself to keep it away from my mouth unless I wanted to be carted out of the club unconscious.

“To winning,” he said, clinking his glass with mine and then offering me a seductive smirk. “Drink up.”

He was cute, really cute. He had those sharp features that drive women crazy, and with that thought, I took a sip of the nasty drink, resisting the urge to spit it out.

“Jesus.”

“I’m not a religious guy, but sure, we can toast to ol’ JC too.” He laughed.

“No, it’s the drink.” I coughed. “Is it supposed to strip my throat on the way down?”

He threw his arm behind my head, scooted closer to me, and dropped his voice. “No, but I’m glad you brought up stripping.”

His finger hit my shoulder, slowly brushing back and forth along the strap of my dress. His gaze was on my lips and my tongue reached out to wet them just before I heard my name.

“Brie!”

I turned to the familiar voice and found Noah standing in front of the booth with an easy smile.

“Noah?”

It was strange seeing him in a setting like this; he didn’t belong there. I hadn’t seen him since the gymnastics mixer that first night in Rio. He stepped forward, took in Owen’s hand on my shoulder with a curious stare, and then smiled wider. “How long have you been here?”

I shrugged and the gesture pushed Owen’s hand an inch lower on my arm. “Only a few minutes.”

“Can I get you a drink?” he asked, ignoring the glass in my hand.

Owen chuckled. “She’s got more than she can handle already.”

He rolled back on his heels. “Right.”

I felt like the shiniest toy on the playground with both of their attention on me.

“Want to sit with us?” I asked, pointing to the tiny patch of booth left near the edge.

He glanced back across the bar. “I should probably get back to my friends.”

I nodded.

“Come find me later?” he asked, tilting his head and offering a smile. He looked so sweet standing there; I couldn’t say no.

“Yeah, I will.”

He nodded and spun around to weave his way back through the club, and the moment he disappeared, Owen turned his full attention to me, as if all of a sudden, I was worth the trouble of real effort.

“You’re the most gorgeous girl in this place,” he said, bending low to whisper the words in my ear.

A shiver ran down my spine when his warm breath hit the side of my neck.

“Don’t go find him later. Stay with me.”

His words were seductive and possessive, but he wasn’t the reason my body was growing warm. No, I barely remembered to mutter a response to him as the crowd parted and gave me a view of the woman dancing on stage. Lust. She was young and sexy, wearing a black corset and matching panties that showed off her remarkable body. She dipped and swayed, casting a spell on everyone within a twenty-foot radius. Their attention was on her, their mouths wide and their eyes wider.

She was a sexual creature from head to toe. She owned her body and used it to tempt everyone around her, including me. Watching her wasn’t like being around Kira though; no, I didn’t want to touch Lust, I wanted to be her.

“Where are you from?” Owen asked, breaking me out of my daze.

I answered quickly before taking a long drag of my drink, ignoring the sharp sting of vodka.

It continued on like that: him asking me questions, me barely answering as I watched the woman dance. It didn’t take long for the idea to take root in my mind.

I want to dance like that.

I want to be the girl on stage.

I shook my head, trying to push the idea aside. I couldn’t do that. I shouldn’t do that.

“Is this your first time in Rio?” Owen asked, tipping more vodka into my glass. Did he think he was being sly?

“Brie?” he asked again, trying to get my attention.