Scoring Wilder(38)

I couldn't form words because I was busy tipping back more of my punch, so I just gave him a thumbs up.

When he walked away, Becca turned toward me with a quizzical brow. "We're not actually staying in here, right?"

I smiled. "Hell no. Let's go dance."

It was perfect timing. I'd had just enough punch to make me feel silly and loose, but not enough to where I thought break dancing was a good idea. That usually came after about one more cup. Becca pulled me through the kitchen and back toward the living room. More people were dancing now and somehow we got sucked into a random group of girls that were dancing in a circle.

I had no clue who any of them were, but at a party it seems like names are less important than showing off a badass dance move. I'd just finished what I assumed to be a flawless rendition of twerking á la Miley when I looked up and saw Liam across the room.

My gut clenched.

He wasn’t there when we’d done our initial search of the party. Oh, but now the bastard was definitely there and he was definitely standing against the wall chatting with a girl. I couldn't pull my focus away even as the dancing continued around me. I was frozen as I watched him with her. They weren't standing close. He was leaning his shoulder against the wall, and she had her arms crossed over her chest. She was dressed as a slutty pirate or maybe a slutty penguin. I couldn't tell the difference from where I was standing. Anyway, she looked gorgeous and I couldn't help but feel a tight twist in my gut. It was the same feeling that I had when I'd walked in on Josh cheating on me, but this was worse. More visceral and out of my control.

It seemed insane. After all, I'd made a joke when I walked in on Josh. Hell, I hadn't even shed a tear. But now, as I stood there watching Liam just talking to another girl, I had the urge to do something crazy like fight her or yell at him. I hadn't even yelled at Josh. I'd spoken to him harshly. But if Liam had walked up to me then, I would have thrown blows.

Did they put steroids in the punch? Was that why I felt like fighting someone?

"Hey, Kinsley! Why'd you stop?" Becca caught my attention over the music. I tilted my head to where Liam was standing and her eyes followed the trail.

"Ahhh," she nodded. "Looks like it's time to swap these girls out for a pair of super hot guys." Becca grabbed my hand before I could protest and then pulled me over to where a small wooden coffee table sat in the center of the room. It was a cheap, IKEA knock-off, so I didn't really protest when Becca pulled me on top of it.

We were raised a foot above the rest of the party then and my first instinct was to find Liam again. I wanted to know if he was still talking to the girl or if he’d spotted me, but then Becca pulled my hand, throwing me off balance for a moment.

"Here!" she said, handing me her cup of punch since I'd set mine down a while ago so that I could dance with free hands. I downed the contents of her punch like I was taking a shot and then set the empty cup down on the table.

A seductive pop song started playing through the speakers and I lost myself in the movements of my hips, my arms, and my swaying body. It didn’t take long at all for guys to start shifting toward the table. Like moths to a flame, they could sense how tipsy Becca and I were. I moved as if Liam was dancing with me, as if he could feel my hips gyrating from side to side.

"Wanna dance?" a guy asked as he sidled up next to me. He was tall enough that we were almost level while I stood on the table. I glanced toward Becca and she gave me a thumbs up. A guy was already approaching her as well.

"Sure," I shrugged, hopping down from the table with his help.

And so it began— a string of guys that were bold enough to ask a random girl to dance. I didn't let any of them stay past one song. I'd smile and twist out of their grasp, reaching for Becca and pretending to be too drunk to care when they asked for another dance. They weren't actually into me; they just wanted a pretty thing to grind their dicks against. Seriously. I'd rather just dance with a group of girls than have random guys dance with me.

Becca ditched her last partner as well so we were back to dancing by ourselves.

"Can you do the Stanky Leg?" Becca asked, trying to show off the move. I tried to copy her, but I ended up just looking like my leg was cramping up.

"No! That's so terrible, Kinsley. You should stop before someone calls an ambulance," Becca laughed, putting her hands on my shoulder and forcing me to stand still. We were standing like that when I spotted Liam moving through the crowd. His dark eyes were locked on me as he slid through the dancers. His presence threw my balance out of whack, like I needed to hold onto someone or I might fall into him. Good thing I had Becca.

"Kinsley," Liam murmured when he stepped up to us. He was forcing me to acknowledge the situation and his pull over me. I wet my lips and shifted my gaze toward him. He wasn't alone. His teammate, Penn, stood alongside him. I hadn't seen him at any of the previous parties, but he was Liam's best friend. They'd played together on the LA Stars for five years and they were often interviewed together on various talk shows.

If there was anyone on the LA Stars team that could give Liam a run for his money in the looks department, it was Penn. He was just as tall as Liam, with dark brown hair and a Crest commercial smile. That smile was currently aimed directly at Becca.

I peered from him to her and almost jumped for joy. She was staring at him too, visibly caught in his trap with her mouth slightly open.