Page 9

Chapter Eight

Alex

“Get off the fucking table, Alex!” Mack growls, swatting at my legs. After two clubs and countless drinks, I’m feeling too good to give a shit what Mack or anyone else thinks.

Hailey, Stacey, and Lacy all giggle, the motion making their breasts bounce.

“No,” I say, sticking my tongue out at him. His cheeks are six shades of red, and I’m not all that certain if it’s from the alcohol or because Hailey has been sucking the literal oxygen out of him.

Seriously, I’m pretty sure she’s had her tongue down his throat for the last hour. Most people would think he’s into it, but I swear he’s cringing .

Lacy, the cute blonde who’s been sucking down my drink offerings all night clasps her hands together in excitement.

“The girls want a show; they’re gonna get a show,” I say, kicking at Mack’s hand.

Hailey tightens her arms around his neck, throwing her head back and laughing.

Mack’s gaze is full of fury as the girls scream with enthusiasm as Robin Schulz’s remix of “Sugar” fills the club.

A waitress comes by to drop off another round of champagne, mixers, and bottles of vodka along with drinks the others ordered.

“Hey, Brewer, show us your tits,” Hudson hollers, laughing like a hyena. He almost falls off his chair.

I roll my eyes, twisting my choker chain and taking the o-ring into my mouth as I flip Hudson off with one hand while sliding my black shirt up to my neck and shaking my pecs at him. I spit the choker out as the girls go wild.

“That’ll be twenty bucks, Huds, pay up.” I wink.

Hudson laughs hysterically as one of the girls—though I can’t be certain which—actually does throw me a twenty.

I catch Mack’s angry gaze as I swipe it off the table and shove it into the waistband of my pants, holding his glare as Lacy steps onto the table, kicking glasses and trays of half-eaten cocktail garnishes aside while giggling uncontrollably .

“That was hot,” she squeals. Her hands settle on the waistband of my jeans and I can’t help but smirk. “Do it again,” she says. Her gaze darkens as she runs her fingers over my thighs.

I should feel good about this.

I should feel validated that this woman wants to see me take my clothes off, but even under her gaze, I feel his burning a hole in my back.

“I’ll do you one better,” I say with a grin as I step back, knocking over more empty glasses. I stretch my shirt, tucking the collar into my mouth so I can run both my hands down my chest and roll my hips dramatically into another body roll.

Lacy squeals again, sliding her hands over my abs, and over my pecs.

“You are so fucking hot,” she gushes.

The sound of Mack’s grunt makes my smirk widen. I catch his gaze once more as his date pulls him up from the couch. That’s when I notice Austen and Cam have disappeared, but I guess that’s to be expected.

Introverts, am I right?

I grab Lacy’s hips, pulling her closer to me.

“Uh huh,” I say with a grin, letting my shirt back down.

I sway us back and forth, building a rhythm and finding my footing. To pull off the move I’m thinking of, I need to be sure I’ve got enough space. Which I do, if she stays the fuck still.

“Don’t move, okay?” I say, just as she says, “What?”

I slide down her front, until I’m on my knees, and arch my back.

“You want hot, baby, I’m a five alarm fire,” I tell her as I grab my semi-hard cock and take my o-ring into my mouth.

“Get it, Alex!” Trey whoops while Hudson throws another twenty at me, hitting me in the face. Maybe I should consider a career in stripping. I laugh, feeling better than I have in awhile.

The alcohol helps. When I’m not constantly overanalyzing shit, when I’m in this space, the space where I can forget, I’m a fucking riot. Everyone loves me. My parents would drop dead at just the thought.

I catch Mack’s gaze before he tears it away and grabs Hailey, shoving his tongue down her throat—almost like he’s doing it for me and not for himself.

I get back to my feet, somehow managing not to knock over any more glasses and body roll against Lacy. She stumbles but I catch her.

“Maybe you should sit down, sweetheart,” I tell her.

Our VIP has thinned out. It’s just Mack, me, and the girls left. No idea where the other guys went off to.

Lacy pouts, but before she can protest, Mack’s hands are on her waist and he’s setting her on the ground .

“You okay?” he asks, his voice thick and gravelly.

She nods as her friend comes to help her. “Yeah.”

Lacy flashes me a grin as she looks from me to Mack, then lets her friends drag her onto the dancefloor. Well, looks like I just lost my shot.

Fuck.

“Get down, Alex,” Mack orders.

I grunt in annoyance as I watch my date disappear into the crowd.

Glancing back at Mack, I note his dark gaze, his shoulders, his kiss-swollen lips…

I bite my o-ring, sliding my tongue through it before spitting it out of my mouth.

The alcohol hits me along with my disappointment. I was so close. So fucking close…

But those dark brown eyes burning up at me ground me in a way I’ve never known. Alcohol or not.

He’s so fucking hot when he’s pissed. When he gets all growly and mean. My cock twitches with confirmation.

“No,” I say with a smirk.

I stretch my hands above my head and sway to the music as the bass thumps, the singer crooning on about playing with fire and thinking twice about it.

“Alex—”

I do another body roll, smack my now hard cock with my fist in challenge, and flip him off .

“Make me.”The last thing I expect is Mack to climb up here, because he’s not the type to make a scene, but that’s what he does. He steps onto the table, and I take a small step back to make room. We both barely fit up here. The lack of space forces him against me, and I can feel everything.

Including his hard dick against mine.

I’m acutely aware we have an audience of one now, but I don’t care.

His thick cologne hits me, and he’s so close I could fucking kiss him. Bite him. Push his fucking buttons until he snaps.

“Maybe we should take care of that,” I say with a grin.

He grabs my chain and pulls on it hard enough that it chokes me, and he brings my face close to his.

“Get. The. Fuck. Down. Alex.” He lets out a heavy breath, the smell of vodka and cranberries on his breath. “Now,” he growls.

His gaze burns into mine as his fingers tighten around my chain and my brain short circuits.

Maybe it’s because I’ve had a lot to drink. Maybe it’s because he’s hacking my brain with that voice and his large hand wrapped around my chain.

Something shifts in his gaze as he lets go of it—lets go of me.

I jump down, feeling more on the spot than ever. Hailey meets me with a seductive grin .

“Dance with me?” she asks, biting her lip.

Mack grunts out a sound of annoyance.

His date is showing me attention, which I should be tickled over, but all I can think about is what just happened.

His hand wrapped around my chain.

The growl in his voice.

His hard cock against mine.

Make me.

His growly presence next to me and his clear jealousy only spurs me on. Like an addict, I want more of that.

God, I am so fucked up, but when it comes to Jordan Mackenzie, I can’t help myself.

I want his bitterness. I want all of it.

“Sure,” I say, flashing her a seductive smile of my own as I slide my hands around her waist. She grins devilishly as she grabs for Mack’s hand while leaning into me.

“You, too, cutie,” she says, and I expect him to freak out. Push me away, tell me to find my own date, tell me to fuck off.

But that’s not what he does at all, and for the second time in five minutes, my mind is blown as he settles his hands on her waist from behind, our fingers brushing one another’s. He grabs her, pulling her back against him like he’s got something to prove.

And maybe he does.

But I don’t.

It’s just a moment. One solid breath as his gaze meets mine, his warm palm against the back of my hand. His fiery gaze burns with an unspoken understanding as he settles his hands above the spot where my own rest.

And it’s gone just as fast.

Hailey moves between us with a giggle, bringing me back to the moment.

She grabs me by the throat, pulling my face down to hers.

“So hot,” she whispers as she kisses me.

I kiss her, wishing it were him—that I was reaching up on my toes to get to his mouth, rather than leaning down to get hers.

When she breaks away, I watch as he kisses her, messy and rough, and I tangle my fingers in his for just a moment. He’s too drunk and distracted to notice. I’ll take what I can get while I can. When they break apart, she grins.

“Wanna get out of here?” she asks, but I’m not sure which one of us she’s talking to.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Mack growls, pulling her closer.

She giggles, and I know the answer. I move my hands off her, ready to take my leave and find some other girl to bring back to the room, but her hand wraps around my wrist .

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asks curiously.

I look back at her, wrapped in Mack’s arms. His gaze is dark, solid. Unwavering.

“Uh…” I swallow hard as he breaks my gaze, bringing his mouth to her neck.

Hailey tugs my wrist, pulling me closer until her mouth finds mine.

“Nowhere, I guess,” I tell her.

“When in Vegas, right?” she says as she slides her hand into Mack’s.

I look at Mack, searching his eyes for confirmation because the last thing I want is to get decked by this man because he thinks I’m trying to steal his girl.

In reality, all I want to steal is a moment with him. Even if it is with someone else.

I wait for the onslaught. For his bitter refusal, or for him to get all cocky and tell me to fuck right off, but he doesn’t do that. No, not even close.

“When in Vegas,” he grunts, his voice tinged with drink and lust. “Right, Alex?”