We made our way back through the ballroom and out of the town hall as quickly as we could, avoiding everyone, but neither of us touching, aware there’d be eyes on us.
“West!” I called to my brother, who, with perfect timing, was holding the door open to a cab, while Lena climbed inside.
He turned around at my shout, a pleased grin f
orming on his face as he took us both in. “Wanna share our cab?”
Back at the house, the sounds of the party spilled out of the open door. West and Lena disappeared inside, and I turned to Winter. “Feel like getting out of here? I doubt we’ll have any privacy, even in the bedrooms.”
“Ye—”
I didn’t give her a chance to finish before my mouth was on hers again, hard and demanding. I couldn’t stop myself. I’d denied myself for too long; I needed her.
Our kiss was interrupted by a low drawl coming from my right.
“Finally got your shit sorted out, then.”
Pulling away from Winter, I looked at my best mate, who was smirking at me. “Yeah.”
“Good.” Zayde threw the stub of his joint on the ground. “Coming in?”
“I might change out of this dress,” Winter murmured. “It’s not the most comfortable thing to wear. And these heels are killing me.”
She slipped past me and headed off up the stairs, smiling at Zayde as she passed.
“Are you two official now, then?” Zayde looked at me curiously.
“Yeah. She’s mine, and I want everyone to know it. They so much as think about flirting with her—”
“Chill.” He shook his head at me. “No one will try to fuck with her. They know the consequences.” Moving back through the doorway into the house, he added, “She’s good for you.”
“I know. Too good for me.”
“That’s not true.” He frowned at me.
“Whatever. I’m going to change out of this suit. Thanks for, y’know.”
He nodded, before turning to walk down the hallway, throwing one last comment over his shoulder as he sauntered away from me. “It’s not true. And you’re welcome.”
For the first time since Winter had been taken, I relaxed. The low rumble of my R8’s engine, and my girl, back where she belonged, next to me, as I gripped the steering wheel, navigating the empty roads with ease—this was all I needed.
My eyes slid to Winter. She was watching me, a small smile on her lips.
“What?”
“Just looking at you.” She shrugged, acting like it was no big deal.
“You were eye fucking me, Snowflake.”
She huffed out a laugh, before her voice turned serious. “Cade. I need to talk to you about the ball.”
Not tonight. Tonight, we were going to forget all the shit we were dealing with. Tonight was about one thing only—me and her. That, and how many times I could make her moan my name.
I took one of my hands off the steering wheel and put it on her thigh. Her bare thigh. Stroking my thumb across her smooth skin, I returned my attention to the road. “Let’s think about that tomorrow, yeah? I approve of the outfit choice, by the way.” I inched my hand up her thigh, under her skirt, and she gave a soft gasp, wriggling in her seat.
“Stay still, otherwise I’ll stop,” I warned her.
She immediately stopped moving. “Cade…”