He turns me around until I’m looking into his beautiful eyes. His eyebrows knit seeing tears in my eyes, and his gaze falls to read what’s written on my crop top. “Ask Me to Dance” is written in hot pink on the white material. I had no idea I was going to join a dance class when I packed this, but now it seems like one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Remi’s lips spread into the sexiest smirk that’s ever been aimed at me. He steps back and bows a little. “Will you help me make this night better?” Remi asks in a husky whisper, raising an eyebrow.
His question confuses me. “Yeah.” I hesitate, leaning my body weight from one foot to another.
He takes my hands into his, and his touch is everything. It makes me twitch. It makes me warm. It makes my heart gallop. “Darling, dance with me.”
He wipes away my tears before touching my lips with his fingertip, his gaze following the movement of his fingers, and a shiver courses through me. His gaze meets mine, and he cages me into his arms, leading me, making us blend into the music.
I can dance, but with him, I dance better.
With each step, I grow bolder. My hips pop. My body curves. His arms on my body create an inferno inside me. I know what I’m doing. I’m tempting him. I keep my gaze on him, and he doesn’t disappoint. His lips part. His eyes get dipped in dark whiskey. His hold on me tightens.
In one swift move, he makes me twirl until my back is to him, and he stops, letting his hands drop. “Kaci,” he whispers into my ear, and my eyelashes flutter. How does he have such an effect on me? This is different. So different from what I used to feel with Ryan.
I clench my jaw, trying to resist him, but then he places his warm hand on my waist, and whatever effort I’m making to resist him flies out of the window. My body weakens, and my head voluntarily falls back on his chest.
Remi curls his hand around my waist, bringing me closer to him, and I feel his light scruff teasing my ears. “That was beautiful,” he compliments. He presses a soft kiss behind my ear, causing me to jump.
My voice is low. “Th-thanks,” I stutter, my body shuddering in his arms. The warmth is comforting. It feels like my body recognizes and accepts his touch.
I want more.
“You’re a mystery to me, Kaci. One minute I want to stay away from you, and the next minute I find myself drawn to you, wanting to kiss you senseless, fearing I might never breathe again. Why, Kaci?” he asks, his voice low and sexy, getting me even hotter.
His words—I don’t know the answer to his why, but I’m asking myself the same question.
He turns me around, letting his hands rest lightly on my waist. His beautiful ambers connect with mine, holding me captive. “Please tell me this isn’t only me, Kaci. Please tell me you’re feeling this”—he moves his finger back and forth between us—“whatever this is between us too.” Remi drops his forehead on mine, making me want to lose myself in his arms.
Mom’s words come back and hit me hard. You were meant to enjoy every bit of your life, Kaci. You deserve this, my beautiful girl.
I deserve this, I say to myself and speak my heart. “I feel this too, Remi, and much more.”
My words are all the push he needs. The next instant, his hands are under my crop top, gripping my waist and pulling me closer, making my chest collide with his, creating an electrical storm of our own—consuming us. Without giving me time to react, Remi leans down, his right hand plunging into my hair and his hot mouth claiming mine.
His lips feel like everything that I dreamed this kiss would be and more—much more. He kisses me like he knows exactly how each nip is making me wilder, how each bite is making my eyes roll harder, how each caress is tempting me to rub myself over him until we’re both panting for more.
We both desperately touch and pull at each other—the kiss no longer under our control. I grip Remi’s hair, pulling hard because I need more—more than I think I’ll be able to take, but needing it nonetheless.
The next thing I’m aware of is Remi breaking the kiss and fumbling with his phone in his pocket while I struggle to get a hold of my whooshing breath. I catch his frown as he looks at the name appearing on the phone.
“What happened?” he asks, breathless. My lips twitch, satisfaction widening my chest. But it doesn’t last. Remi freezes on the spot, his eyes refusing to blink in fear, as he listens to the other person on the phone.
His mouth opens up a little with disbelief. I start to ask what’s happening, but when he lands his gaze on me, my words die in my throat. Remi backs away from me, pain clouding his face. I reach up to touch him, but he keeps backing away from me.
“Remi?”
The tear rolling down his cheek breaks my heart, and I rush to him. “What’s the matter?” I ask. The phone drops to the floor, making me jump. “Remi?” I call again.
“It’s Wylla,” he whispers, pain oozing from his voice. “She’s missing.”
#FallingApart
THIRTEEN
#TheSilenceoftheNight
“This is all because of you,” he barks before picking up his phone from the floor. I, on the other hand, am rooted to the ground, shocked, seeing the hatred being aimed at me.
“What do you mean, this is because of me?” I ask, my chest heaving.
“I should have been with her, not you. You were just fucking using me to be your rebound.”
“How can you—”
“I heard what Candee said when I came to drop off your phone earlier, so don’t fucking pretend. You just wanted me to fuck you so that you could get over him. Well, guess what? Maybe there’s a very good reason he cheated on you with that best friend.” He shoves his index finger in my direction and storms out of the hall.
I can’t move.
How dare he? How dare he say those things? My throat burns. My eyes sting. I clamp my mouth shut, feeling a sob making its way up my throat, and fall on my knees. Screw his balls. Rotten dickhea—
Oh my God, Wylla. Wylla is missing. Shit … shit. SHIT! I need to help. With weak legs, I get up and wipe my tears away. I shake this anger off and gather my things in my backpack. Maybe I’m not needed, but I can’t go back to the dorm and cry about my pathetic choice in boys, knowing Wylla is missing. I need to help. If Remi doesn’t want me there, well, he’ll just have to deal with it.
With my car key between my fingers, I run but come to a halt, seeing Remi standing in front of my car—hair in a tight grip. My presence intensifies the frown he’s sporting.
“I need a lift.”
Huh? That’s—unexpected. I stare at him, thinking whether I heard him right.
He takes a step toward me and stops. “Fuck!” he curses at the road and lifts his hands, looking at the sky before crawling his gaze back to me. A muscle pulses in his jaw. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said inside, but Nicholas took the bike, and he’s gone looking for Wylla. No one is picking up their fucking phone, so I don’t have a ride.”
He runs a hand over his face, and regret flickers in his eyes as he waits for my reply. I groan. There are a hundred taunts paving their way to my tongue right now, but thank goodness, I like Wylla, and I want her found, so I press that shit back because the situation is not right.