Redesigning Fate (Revive #1) - A. M. Wilson Page 0,12

overconfident. The second I can, I’m running away to a place where I can hide from all the strange men in my life.

“No. I’m not talking with you. I’m not dancing with you either. I’m going to go dance over there by myself,” I reply with a gesture of my head. “I don’t need a boyfriend, and certainly don’t need a creepy stalker either.” I sashay away when he snags my elbow and pulls me up to him.

“Jesus, I’m not stalking you. How would I know you’d be here? But I saw you and,” he pauses, his brilliantly blue eyes drifting down my body from face to heels. As his gaze traces the upward path of my body, I feel as though he’s lighting me on fire with his eyes. My entire body is alive with heat. I’m going to burn.

“You look fucking amazing in that dress. I needed to be near you. Dance with me.” His blue eyes are piercing. As if he can see directly to my soul, to every deep dark need, every desire and want. The awareness is frightening.

He needed to be near me? I’m not ready for this. I’m about to protest again, but it dies in my throat when Carly rushes my way.

“Marlena, I just saw Travis. He’s here, and he’s looking for you.” She glances over the top of my head. “He’s coming this way now, actually. Do you want to go?”

I’m about to nod my head when another idea strikes me. “You know what? No. I saw him at the bar earlier. But I’m fine right here.” So much for not dancing with Elias. I grab his shirt and pull him flush against my body. His heat seeps inside of me, straight to the bone as our chests collide. He looks at me, eyes bright and twinkling, as he lowers his mouth to my ear.

“Have a change of heart, then?” He asks, his voice silky, smooth, seductive.

“I’ll give you tonight, Elias, because I desperately need a distraction but nothing more. Now, let’s dance.” I tug him in the opposite direction of Travis’s quick approach.

He stops me by grabbing my wrist firmly while wrapping his other hand around my hip. His fingertips dig in to the soft, plush curves, sending a delicious quiver through my thighs.

“One condition,” he starts. “Tell me who Travis is.”

I sigh, cringing. This encounter couldn’t be any more awkward. “He’s my ex. And that’s the most he will be besides a memory. Now let’s move. He’s coming this way.”

He must sense my anxiety. His eyes soften, and he lets me drag him away. With a quick glance behind us, I catch Carly’s wide, approving grin.

Our bodies are melded together, chest to chest. My breasts push up against him, popping the swell out of my dress. Rough, yet caressing, hands rest low on my backside, gripping my ass and hauling me up against him. His muscled thigh is between my legs.

My sweat is his sweat is our sweat, mingled together. He smells deliciously of pure male and cologne, intoxicating me. I’m as drunk off him as I am off the liquor.

I’ve never done the one night stand thing, but the way he’s rubbing, grinding, and rolling his hips against me has me reconsidering that idea. A sweat drop rolls smoothly along his neck, disappearing under the collar of his blue button down shirt. I want to run my tongue alongside the same path, following the ridge of his pectorals, straight to his naval. My fingers sift through the dirty blonde locks of his sweat damp hair while his trace the curve of my spine up and then back to the curve of my bottom, producing a soul-clenching shiver.

The music thunders in my ears, and I dance harder. My body rocking against his body. The hem of my dress slipping higher exposing the curve of my bottom. Damn, this dress is short!

Abruptly, I’m yanked backwards by a bruising grip on my arm, and I let out a startled yelp.

“What the fuck are you doing, Lena? Get off my girl, jackass!”

“I’m not your girl!”

“She’s not your girl.”

We respond simultaneously; mine an irritated shout, his a calm, smooth declaration. I try to wrench my arm out of Travis’s grasp, but he squeezes harder.

A low, feral sound comes from Elias’s chest. He steps forward, a menacing gleam in his eye.

“I suggest you let her go,” Elias growls, and damn if the sound isn’t sexy.

I’m playing with fire here; a miracle would occur if I