The Rivals - Vi Keeland Page 0,58
get shitfaced by three and be ready for the action. It’s funny, the first time I was in a bar at that time sober, I realized the people I’d thought were so much fun were really just a bunch of obnoxious assholes.”
“You had beer goggles on.”
“More like rum goggles, but yeah.”
I was so warm from dancing. I gathered the back of my hair into a ponytail and fanned myself to cool my skin.
“Hot still?”
“Roasting.” I looked down at the time on my phone. “I think Scarlett and I were on the dance floor for close to two hours.”
Weston nodded. “You were.”
My brows drew together. “How do you know?”
“I watched you from up here for at least an hour. Do you have one of those hair ties in your purse?”
I shook my head. “I wish.”
The waitress returned with my champagne and set down Weston’s water. “Can I get you anything else?”
Weston nodded. “Do you think you could find us one of those hair ties like you have in, to make a ponytail?”
She smiled. “Sure. No problem.”
“And can we maybe get another one of those cold towels, please?”
“Coming right up.”
After she walked away, Weston draped one arm casually along the top of the booth behind me.
“Thank you. I wouldn’t have thought to ask her for that.”
“I’m here to serve.” He winked. “Any other needs I can fill?”
I laughed. “Not at the moment, but I’ll let you know.”
When the waitress came back with a hair tie and fresh cool towels, Weston ordered me a glass of water. We sat looking down at the dance floor, but my mind wasn’t on the club or the people swaying to the music below. I was thinking about what Scarlett had said about Weston last night—how she’d noticed that he put me first, and Liam never had. Tonight alone, Weston had made arrangements for us to get into the club, made sure we got set up with VIP treatment, scored me a ponytail holder to put my hair up because I was hot, and asked the waitress for more cool towels and water. Even watching us dance from a distance and cutting in when two guys got a bit more friendly than most—Weston had a protective nature to him. Some of that was good old alpha-male, territorial behavior, but it wasn’t overly obnoxious. I found his jealousy kind of sexy.
Weston leaned forward. “You cooled off now?”
I nodded. “The ponytail holder really helped.”
He inched closer to me, and the hand that had been stretched along the top of the bench seat slid over to my shoulder. He gently nudged me to lean back against him, and I did. We’d seen each other naked plenty of times, but this simple cuddle was more intimate than we’d been in a lot of ways. Weston traced his fingers back and forth over my bare shoulder, and I felt my body relax into his touch. It felt good, really good even, and my head lolled back to rest against his chest.
I’d been staring down at the dance floor, not paying attention to anything in particular, when I saw Scarlett extend a hand to the guy she’d been dancing with. He took it and leaned down to say something. A few seconds later, his smile had wilted, and he walked away with his shoulders slumped. Scarlett raised her arms in the air, shut her eyes, and went back to dancing happily by herself.
“Did you catch that?” Weston asked.
“I did. Guess she was done with him.” I laughed.
“I like her a lot. She says what’s on her mind.”
“That’s Scarlett. People either appreciate that about her and love her, or don’t.”
“I’m guessing the ones who don’t she doesn’t consider a loss.”
“Definitely not. She jokes that I’m her only friend, and she’s been auditioning replacements ever since I left. But people would line up to be closer to her. She doesn’t let many into her circle, though.”
“You two seem to have a lot in common.”
I nodded. “I thought I would miss a lot about London, but she’s the only thing I truly miss.”
“Not Liam?”
I didn’t have to think about that. Shifting my eyes from the dance floor to meet Weston’s, I said, “Liam who?”
Weston smiled, and his eyes dropped to my lips for a moment. The music pumped loudly around us, and there had to be a few hundred people in the club, yet it felt like just the two of us. Weston had a way of making me feel special and desirable that didn’t require