Fade Out (The Morganville Vampires #7)(50)

The whistles and shouts grow louder as I cart Ari off to a secluded section far in the corner, enclosed by curtains running ceiling-to-floor. Then I set her on her high-heels. “Dance all you want,” I say. She sends me a slitted glare that could flay me, but I only shrug. “When you’re sober tomorrow, you’ll thank me.”

Before, I smelled alcohol on her breath. I’m sure a lot of this is coming from a need to rebel, lash out at her conservative, controlling parents—and to prove something to me. I’m not exactly sure what, but I must have hit a nerve with her the other night. And I’m sure her mock bravery stems from a good bit of alcohol. I can’t see Ari getting this loose, otherwise.

“You want a bottle of water?” I ask.

She laughs. Then she’s lunging up against me, backing me toward the bench seat. The back of my legs hit the cushion and I fall backward. “Is this what you wanted, Ryder?” she asks, trapping one of my knees between her thighs. “Did you bring me here for a private dance? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the point, though? I mean, no one will be able to see. But then, I guess they can assume what will happen, right? That works just as well.”

I grit my teeth. “I thought… Didn’t I prove that I wasn’t out for anything like that?”

She lifts her hair off her shoulders as she rolls her hips. I avert my eyes. “Still,” she says, “you like that it will get around. That you won’t technically be the bad guy. And I know you like this…” She slides a knee along the seat, bringing her body above me, and my gaze is drawn right to her spread thighs.

As she strokes one hand across my chest, she moves fully above me, caging me in with both knees on either side of my thighs. My heart leaps to my throat, the ache beating in time with the music pumping out of the speakers. Some Korn song, the lyrics drumming their way into my skull—talking about never having to justify…run and hide.

It’s so f*cking fitting for this moment.

My voice isn’t as sure when I speak next. “I need you to stop.”

She smiles down at me. “As long as I’m giving you a dance, I’m not giving any of them one.” She cocks her head to the side. “Isn’t that what you want? Why you brought me here?”

Shit. No, it’s not… But I can’t argue with her logic. I’m already thinking of a million ways I’m going to hurt Beck tomorrow just for looking at her. And if I witness Ari straddling anyone else…I would lose my shit and start dropping fists.

But I can’t sit here and let her degrade herself like this. Not when I know that she really doesn’t want to be here. She’s angry with me, and from the way she’s behaving, I assume also angry with herself.

I clasp my hands around her wrists and look up into her face. “Let me take you home. You can slash me with as many insults as you want, but let’s get out of here first.”

I am not prepared for what happens. Ari dips forward, pushing her chest right up against mine, her lips just brushing my ear. A hard shiver racks my body, and I close my eyes. Trying, and failing, not to be f*cking turned on. I’m a shit.

“I can feel how badly you want me,” she whispers. She frees her wrists from my hold. With a sultry ease the exact opposite of Vee, Ari lowers herself fully atop me, riding my crotch with expert moves of seduction.

I can’t help myself; my body reacts. I catch fire, the throbbing pulse in my throat dropping right to my dick. As her tits brush against my chin, I inhale deeply, sucking in the sweet scent of her. Her soft skin surrounds me, her tight ass grinds against my cock, and I’m gripping the cushions on either side to keep from touching her.

And when her mouth dips to my neck, I fear I’m about to lose all rational thought. Her tongue delves out to caress my throat, and I swallow hard, every muscle in my body aching, vibrating, with tension.

Only when she reaches behind her to untie her top does the blood rush back to my brain.

I reach around her back. Closing my hands around her wrists, I inadvertently pull her to me. Our chests are pressed so tightly together, I can feel her heart pounding against me. “If your plan was to torture me,” I say, forcing the words out around my tight jaw, “it’s working. I’m effectively tortured. But please spare me my last shred of dignity.”

And I truly mean this. All control over myself will be lost if she loses that top. I do not want to be that bastard. Not with her.

My words must register, cutting through the haze of lust and alcohol, because she grimaces and pushes her hands between us. Then, as her eyes flick over my face, she licks her lips. I brace myself to taste those lips…just for a second. Just long enough to sate the ramped desire burning through me.

Before I meet her there, she turns her head to the side and loses her stomach.

“Oh, shit…” I’m suddenly bent over with her, trying to pull her hair aside as she wretches.

Damn, I think, combing her soft curls back from her face, that’s even better than a cold shower.





21





Arian





Oh, holy hell, somebody kill me.

My stomach obviously didn’t appreciate the two shots of vodka Jessica fed me in the back room. I’d already downed a beer before we left the dorm, needing some liquid courage to settle my climbing nerves. That probably didn’t mix too well.