full height and clearly not happy, Lux tried a different tactic. “He’s not ready to go yet. He’s too busy taking the frat boys’ money.”
“So, go convince him to want to leave. I’m busy.” When he said “busy” he trained his eyes on Grace. She turned her face, trying to hide her satisfaction.
Lux stayed next to Darius as if she could somehow will him to leave with her. She glared down at Grace, pivoted on her stilettos, and stalked back the way she came.
“Sorry,” Darius offered. “Lux is …” He didn’t have to finish the sentence. Grace thought she already knew. And against all better judgment, was ecstatic that Red wasn’t his girlfriend.
“Yeah,” she quietly replied.
As they continued talking, electrically charged molecules cavorted between them, pulling their bodies closer together. Grace was hyperaware of the slight movement he made, and where his body touched hers with every word. Peeking at him from under her lashes, she licked her bottom lip and watched his hands as they moved absentmindedly on his knees, wondering what they’d feel like against her face, tangled in her hair. How would it feel to be wrapped in his arms, or to snuggle into the crook of his neck? How would his lips feel pressed against hers, or… Her head snapped down to peer in her cup. She wondered if something had been slipped into her drink. It looked empty, so she shook it for good measure. Yep, it was almost gone. Three down.
The phone in her pocket buzzed against both their legs. Her hands grabbed for it while she sent Darius an apologetic look. She felt like tossing the phone in the fire, but peeked at the backlit screen anyway.
Quentin: DON’T YOU THINK YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH?
With her iPhone cupped in both hands, she stared across the flames at the others sitting around, noticing Brian and Leah. No, she decided, shaking her head. She certainly didn’t think so.
Grace: Not at all!
Irritated he was playing Guardian/father again, she continued.
Grace: I have a DD if I can’t drive. A GA if im in dnger & a ST sittin b-side me.
She giggled a little at the last part. Darius sat silently next to her, minding his own business. Her phone buzzed again seconds later.
Quentin: What’s an ST?
Grace: A sure thing.
Quentin: NOT FUNNY.
Grace: Who said im kidding?
Quentin: I’ll be there in a minute.
Grace: Y?
He better not come, she thought.
Quentin: Because you’re in DANGER of losing something you can’t get back & I’m your GA.
There was nothing she could say. He was on his way. Somehow, she could feel it.
On the other side of the bonfire, embers sparked like fireflies around Quentin. The flames glinted an angry orange against the silver rage of his eyes. He was pissed. He had to know she was joking.
It didn’t appear so.
His gaze slowly swung from Grace to Darius, whom she’d just said was her ST. The muscle in his jaw twitched as his eyelids lowered into an even angrier glower. Darius tensed next to her, chest puffing like he was expecting to cock-a-doodle-do his way out of a possible confrontation.
“Do you know him?” he asked, not taking his eyes from Quentin.
“Uh-huh,” she said from the corner of her mouth. “He’s my ride.”
The tension between the two of them was tangible, crackling hotter than the raging bonfire separating them. Grace didn’t want problems and she definitely didn’t want or need another fight.
Reluctantly, she stood up, shoulders heaving as she took a breath. “I guess it’s time to go.”
Darius stood next to her. “I thought you rode with Tommy and Emily.”
“I did, he’s—” Grace pointed a thumb in Quentin’s direction, “—my DD.” Quentin was by her side, pulling her by her elbow before she even knew he was there.
“Let’s go.”
“Stop it, Quentin,” she hissed, digging her heels into the ground. “What are you doing?”
He dropped her arm, and faced her. “I’m not—”
“Is everything okay?” Darius asked, having stepped up close enough to Grace’s back that she could feel the warmth from his body.
Anger rolled from Quentin in a menacing wave, causing Grace to back away from him and into Darius. “It’s not going to be okay if you don’t back off right now,” Quentin said through gritted teeth.
The testosterone the two of them were throwing off irritated Grace to no end. “Everything’s okay, Darius,” she said over her shoulder, not tearing her gaze from Quentin. “I’m sure I’ll see you again.”
“Are you sure?”
Grace knew he wasn’t talking about seeing her. “Yeah, I’m sure.” When she felt his