Chapter 6: Tequila Sunrise

 

How he hadn’t noticed the girl before was a mystery, but now he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away. She was leaning against the far wall of the club, a drink in her hand and pure boredom plastered across her face, the only other person besides him who seemed to hate being there. She practically towered over the other guests in her almost-too-high heels, and her dress looked like it might as well have been painted on her. Something about her was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite figure out why.

It wasn’t until she met his gaze that Sebastian realized how long he’d been staring, still attempting to place her. Part of him was tempted to look away and pretend he’d never seen her, but she glanced away before he could try. He watched as she rolled her eyes and passed her empty drink off to a nearby partygoer, and he wondered if it was him she’d even been looking at. But those doubts faded when she began moving in his direction.

He took a step forward, determined to meet her halfway, but even that small shift caused him to lose her in the crowd. It didn’t help that a new group of girls had surrounded him, each wishing him a happy birthday and pressing themselves against him in half-assed hugs. He barely avoided being snagged by one of the girls’ black talons as he turned in the opposite direction, praying he’d be able to escape them unscathed. Unfortunately, the move caused him to bump straight into a pissed-off Zak Huntington.

“Watch where you’re going, asshole,” Zak snarled, that hideous lip-piercing glinting under the lights.

Sebastian’s slowly improving mood plummeted again, all because this sorry excuse for a human had opened his mouth. Though he knew Senator Patterson would be upset if he kicked her nephew out of the club, her wrath seemed much more appealing than having to deal with this dumbass all night.

So instead of letting him pass, Sebastian squared his shoulders and stood his ground. “I think you should leave,” he said, nodding toward the club’s exit.

Zak’s lips twitched into a sneer. “I’m not leaving,” he replied, hitching his chin up in defiance. “Not until—”

“Just get the fuck out, Huntington,” Sebastian snapped, all patience fleeing. “Either you walk out that door right now and keep your dignity, or I call security and have them throw you out. Your choice.”

Zak’s eyes flitted to something over Sebastian’s shoulder, but he didn’t take the bait to turn and see. Instead, he waited until the other boy scowled and turned sharply on his heel, stalking toward the exit.

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe he’d put so much effort into planning this damn party only to end up not wanting to even be there himself. Groaning, he turned away in preparation to go back upstairs and wait it out, but a flash of something glinting under the lights caught his eye before he could get far.

A glance to his left revealed the girl he’d been staring at earlier, dancing with her arms high above her head as she swayed to the beat. A few steps brought him up behind her, and he settled a hand on her waist, letting the other drift down to her hip. The icy-blue-eyed girl glanced over her shoulder, offering Sebastian a slow, unsurprised smile that made his stomach twist into knots.

“Thanks for getting rid of him,” she said, obviously referring to Zak, her head falling back onto his shoulder. “That guy’s an asshole.”

He could smell the alcohol on her breath, and her softly drawled words brought a smile to his lips. “Happy to help,” he murmured, pulling her closer.

Her response caused him to flirt with the notion that Zak had been possibly trying to harass this girl—just another reason to hate him—but the fact that her hips were now pressed dangerously against his own made any other thoughts disappear.

Sebastian lost track of time while they were dancing, stopping only to get more drinks for them both. Finally, he was enjoying himself, the liquor and the good company going straight to his head. But when she turned to him and brushed her lips across his jaw, he knew just being there wasn’t going to cut it for much longer.

His arm wrapped possessively around her waist as her hips pressed hard against his. “You want to get out of here?” he whispered against her ear.

The girl leaned back just enough to meet his eye. “I thought you’d never ask.” She grabbed his hand and smiled, taking a shaky step backward as she tugged on his arm. “Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, they stumbled out of the club and onto the sidewalk, her giggles echoing down the busy street. When she realized she had no idea where she was going, Sebastian took the lead and guided her another block down the street to the hotel where he’d booked suites for himself and his friends. The concierge shot them a sharp look as they breezed inside and into an awaiting elevator, keeping them in his sights until the doors had closed, but Sebastian didn’t care what the old man thought.

Her hand slipped out of his once they were alone, but before he even thought to question it, her mouth was on his and there was no more time for words. A shiver rolled down his spine as she pressed herself against him, hands roaming and fingers grasping at whatever was in reach.

With her hands tangled in his hair, his tongue tracing her bottom lip, and her legs wrapped around his waist, he was having a hard time figuring out where he stopped and she began. Not that he honestly cared—but he wanted more.

The elevator dinged not a moment too soon, and they tumbled out, gasping for breath as they moved down the hallway, somehow still getting in a few impatient kisses as they continued on. Sebastian swore it took forever to reach the door, but it took longer to get it unlocked. With the way this girl was currently kissing his neck, he could hardly concentrate enough to get the damn keycard in the slot. After a few seconds of fumbling, the door finally gave way, and he pulled her inside with him.

It slammed shut with enough force to shake the room as they staggered toward the bed. His fingers finally snagged the zipper of her dress and yanked it down, though much to his chagrin, the fabric didn’t instantly pool at her feet.

He bristled when she laughed, but before he could even think to voice his displeasure, her lips were on his, and they were crashing onto the bed, soft pillows absorbing the shock of their weight.

But even though the actual impact hadn’t hurt, something sharp had scraped his cheek, and he turned his head to break the kiss.It wasn’t until she met his gaze that Sebastian realized how long he’d been staring, still attempting to place her. Part of him was tempted to look away and pretend he’d never seen her, but she glanced away before he could try. He watched as she rolled her eyes and passed her empty drink off to a nearby partygoer, and he wondered if it was him she’d even been looking at. But those doubts faded when she began moving in his direction.

He took a step forward, determined to meet her halfway, but even that small shift caused him to lose her in the crowd. It didn’t help that a new group of girls had surrounded him, each wishing him a happy birthday and pressing themselves against him in half-assed hugs. He barely avoided being snagged by one of the girls’ black talons as he turned in the opposite direction, praying he’d be able to escape them unscathed. Unfortunately, the move caused him to bump straight into a pissed-off Zak Huntington.

“Watch where you’re going, asshole,” Zak snarled, that hideous lip-piercing glinting under the lights.

Sebastian’s slowly improving mood plummeted again, all because this sorry excuse for a human had opened his mouth. Though he knew Senator Patterson would be upset if he kicked her nephew out of the club, her wrath seemed much more appealing than having to deal with this dumbass all night.

So instead of letting him pass, Sebastian squared his shoulders and stood his ground. “I think you should leave,” he said, nodding toward the club’s exit.

Zak’s lips twitched into a sneer. “I’m not leaving,” he replied, hitching his chin up in defiance. “Not until—”

“Just get the fuck out, Huntington,” Sebastian snapped, all patience fleeing. “Either you walk out that door right now and keep your dignity, or I call security and have them throw you out. Your choice.”

Zak’s eyes flitted to something over Sebastian’s shoulder, but he didn’t take the bait to turn and see. Instead, he waited until the other boy scowled and turned sharply on his heel, stalking toward the exit.

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe he’d put so much effort into planning this damn party only to end up not wanting to even be there himself. Groaning, he turned away in preparation to go back upstairs and wait it out, but a flash of something glinting under the lights caught his eye before he could get far.

A glance to his left revealed the girl he’d been staring at earlier, dancing with her arms high above her head as she swayed to the beat. A few steps brought him up behind her, and he settled a hand on her waist, letting the other drift down to her hip. The icy-blue-eyed girl glanced over her shoulder, offering Sebastian a slow, unsurprised smile that made his stomach twist into knots.

“Thanks for getting rid of him,” she said, obviously referring to Zak, her head falling back onto his shoulder. “That guy’s an asshole.”

He could smell the alcohol on her breath, and her softly drawled words brought a smile to his lips. “Happy to help,” he murmured, pulling her closer.

Her response caused him to flirt with the notion that Zak had been possibly trying to harass this girl—just another reason to hate him—but the fact that her hips were now pressed dangerously against his own made any other thoughts disappear.

Sebastian lost track of time while they were dancing, stopping only to get more drinks for them both. Finally, he was enjoying himself, the liquor and the good company going straight to his head. But when she turned to him and brushed her lips across his jaw, he knew just being there wasn’t going to cut it for much longer.

His arm wrapped possessively around her waist as her hips pressed hard against his. “You want to get out of here?” he whispered against her ear.

The girl leaned back just enough to meet his eye. “I thought you’d never ask.” She grabbed his hand and smiled, taking a shaky step backward as she tugged on his arm. “Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, they stumbled out of the club and onto the sidewalk, her giggles echoing down the busy street. When she realized she had no idea where she was going, Sebastian took the lead and guided her another block down the street to the hotel where he’d booked suites for himself and his friends. The concierge shot them a sharp look as they breezed inside and into an awaiting elevator, keeping them in his sights until the doors had closed, but Sebastian didn’t care what the old man thought.

Her hand slipped out of his once they were alone, but before he even thought to question it, her mouth was on his and there was no more time for words. A shiver rolled down his spine as she pressed herself against him, hands roaming and fingers grasping at whatever was in reach.