He doesn't look convinced,
and it makes me wonder if my eye did its twitchy thingy. "Yeah. Sure," he says tightly.
I walk around him, and Maverick hops down from the elevated area and reaches up for me. I drop into his arms, laughing lightly when he refuses to put me down. He carries me all the way to the dance floor, and then he proceeds to make an absolute fool out of the both of us.
I just dance, not caring about rhythm, style, or even my dignity. I have to clear my head, and my boys are always good for that.
"I'm cutting in," Corbin says from behind me, twirling me around and jerking me to him.
I giggle as he swings me around, and we dance like kids on the playground for at least two songs. That's when Dale abandons his candy and swoops in to fill the third slot of my dance card.
He dances a little more normal, but still nothing serious. I can't help but burst out laughing when he does a jumping fist-pump thing, because it's so unlike him.
As we all act like idiots without a care, my eyes stray up toward the booth to see Vanessa sitting on the table, her legs close to Dane's lap, as she capitalizes on my absence. I pretend not to be watching, but my eyes never leave that booth.
Dane doesn't look happy or flirty. In fact, he looks a little pissed. Whatever he says to her makes her back up with a frown. She quickly removes herself from the table and practically runs away.
When Dane looks down to me, I quickly jerk my head away, pretending as though I haven't been watching. Shit. What just happened?
***
DANE
I'm going to fire Vanessa the first chance I get. Fucking shit.
Everything was fine—better than fine. It was the best time I've ever had at Silk until Vanessa ruined it. I was about to have Rain in my arms, and I was going to take advantage of the seduction my club dishes out.
Gallbladder surgery... I don't even know what the limitations are. I've been checking her incision regularly to see how she's healing, because I don't know what questions to ask.
I'm scared to attempt anything too physical, simply because it could hurt her.
Right this second I'm thinking of getting very physical. I want to throw her stubborn ass over my shoulder and haul her out of here. We shouldn't have come out.
As pathetic as it sounds, I like having her alone at her house or my house. There aren't any interruptions from the outside world. It's just us, and we're back in the bubble we were in so long ago. I'd love to be back in that bubble right now instead of watching Rain enjoy herself while I sit up here and observe.
"She looks to be having the time of her life," Dale says, startling the fuck out of me. He was just on the dance floor.
"Yeah," I mutter dryly. "She should be having fun."
"Yet watching her have fun is making you miserable. Any reason you're not joining in?"
His tone is knowing, which isn't surprising. He figured out Kode's affections for Rain. I'm twice as transparent.
"Just waiting for the right moment. Rain seemed pretty adamant about not dancing with me."
Dale laughs, and it's possibly the most condescending laugh I've ever heard.
"Don't be an idiot, Dane. You're too smart to play dumb. You have a girl like Vanessa pawing all over you right in front of Rain, and she's going to back away every time. If you want her, or any other woman for that matter, you always make it a point to make them the most important person every time you're around them. The good ones appreciate it. The bad ones can fuck off."
His bitter tone toward the end makes me realize he's talking about Fiona. I wish I could have seen Rain kicking her ass.
"Didn't realize I was making Rain feel like she wasn't important."
He smirks, his eyes still just as condescending as his earlier laugh.
"No woman ever says what she means. They're weird like that. The Vanessa girl talked about you taking her home. Here's what she was telling Rain, 'Dane knows where I live.' Given her very... seductive behavior and comfort level around you, Rain took it to mean the two of you have something physical going on."
Women really are from another fucking planet.