chapter eightThe place reeked of beer, smoke and adreneline. The blinking lights were enough to give someone seizures and the music made the walls lurch. The room was packed and hot. Lauren loved it.
She immediately jumped into the mix and danced. The rhythm had been calling her name ever since she passed the bulky bouncer at the front and entered the club. Lauren ground against people she didn't know and just fell into it. Some time later, she felt AJ's familiar hands on her hips as they guided her to him.
He leaned in closer to her and said, "You havin' fun?"
She looked up and grinned like a Cheshire cat. She put one hand on his chest and pushed him away playfully, her body still a slave to the powerful beat. She winked and her grin grew larger yet when Alex returned to her and roughly put his hands on her. He followed her rhythm and kept his eyes locked on hers.
"Be nice now, Alex," she teased.
AJ laughed raspily and kept dancing. A girl, probably Lauren's age, came up on AJ and drew his attention away from Lauren. She put her hands everywhere on him and audaciously pulled on the seam of his sleeveless shirt. This made Lauren's blood boil.
In a selfish attempt to regain her friend's interest, she ran one cold finger on the back of his neck and was satisfied when she felt goosebumps rise. Alex's head snapped in her direction and she did her best to look innocent. AJ pulled away from the redhead and smiled sexily at Lauren. Those brown eyes peeked out from behind his tinted glasses, resembling those of a hungry tiger. He licked his lips and pulled her against him, still in sync with the beat of the newest song that pumped out from the speakers.
The redhead still didn't give up. She had some nerve, obviously. She spun around AJ and slid her fingertips just a little bit up his shirt. She said something to him, but Lauren couldn't decipher it from her spot. She closed her eyes for a long moment, running a hand through her firy hair.
Lauren finally gave up, stubbornly realizing the chick wasn't ready to let AJ go. She made her way to the bar and ordered a bottled water. She drank it thirstily and surveyed the crowds. In the corner was a gaggle of cute guys. She plotted to invade that area next. Lauren searched for AJ but didn't see him. Or the readhead...Wait! She spotted the chick; she was with some new guy. So where the hell was Alex?
"I was wondering where you went," a voice said from behind. A wave of hot breath hit the back of her neck and she could feel how close his presence was. Alex was extremely near her. His hands slid on her hips and she smiled a little.
She turned around and faced AJ. "I decided to let her have you. She was obviously poised and determined."
"Yeah, especially for a minor."
"She's underaged? I could've sworn she was my age."
"Yeah, she said she was 22, so I asked to see her license. But she ran off. It was probably past her bedtime."
Lauren kept a close eye on that batch of boys in the back she spotted. The leader was nicely built. Tall, dark brown hair with different tints, brown eyes. Nice sense of style. Boyish grin. Very cocky.
"Excuse me, Age, I'll be back," Lauren finally said. She slid out of his grasp and onto the dance floor. Lauren tried to act casual as she danced by herself near him. She bumped into him, like it was some kind of accident.
"Sorry," she said, throwing him a sexy grin. She moved a little but he caught her hand.
"Not so fast," he called to her. He pulled her quickly into his groove and pressed her close to her. "Ladies like yourself shouldn't be by themselves on the floor." He placed an audacious hand on her hip and continued dancing.
"Name?" she asked.
"Drake. You?"
"Lauren. Age?"
"20."
"Ouch, young stud. Nice," she cooed.
They kept up small talk for a little while. Drake was a college boy looking for a business degree. He was awfully touchy-feely, which she didn't mind because she certainly enjoyed that attention. She hadn't seen it in a long time.
When the song ended, Lauren said, "Well, I should go find my friend now." She was becoming shy now that the music stopped.
"Friend as in boyfriend?" Drake asked.
"Just friend. See ya."
Drake nodded and faded back into the mix. Lauren looked up to the bar and didn't see AJ anywhere. He probably found the redhead again. She searched for him and finally rejoined him.
"Any luck?" AJ asked.
"I met a lovely frat boy named Drake. You?"
"Nope. I'm off tonight, I guess. No one wants a dance with the Bone-Meister tonight," he shrugged.
"I'll dance if you ask," she hinted.
"Would you, Oh Merciful One?"
Lauren grabbed his hand and pulled him out on the floor, feeling that same old familiar rush of energy come back to her. Her grin was pasted to her face all that night.
AJ loved dancing with Lauren. She was an impeccable dancer with an unwavering sense of rhythm. She made it look so easy. AJ's heart fluttered as those hands of hers roamed from his arms to his chest. Her browns eyes were flickering with a kind of wild sexual drive he found irresistable.
AJ knew the night could only get better. Having Lauren so close to him was definitely the best part. Over the din, she was telling him jokes and laughing with him. She made him feel like they were the only ones there. She always had the tendancy to do that to him.
But there was trouble. The perfect way to ruin their evening. It could get ugly. Just because he came. He was famous for being off-cue and this was certainly the big one. Why did Nick have to be on the scene tonight?