But they feel like three thousand.
Every one of them settles and singes with impatience. I feel them tick by as I watch him set the bottle of beer he’s holding downexactlyon top of the ring of condensation that was already there.
I turn to walk away, letting him get a good look from behind. I’ve only made it a few steps when his palm lands on bare skin, sliding down until it rests on the small of my back.
“This dress is dangerous,” he murmurs.
He’s close enough to me that I can feel the heat emanating from his body. Smell his cologne.
“I wore it for you.”
We reach the edge of the VIP section. I spin to face him. Teddy takes a step forward, caging me between the wall and his body. I tilt my head back so I can still see his face.
“What are we doing now?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
He reaches out and tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “Well…earlier we were working on a song. If anyone asks about tonight, what are we doing?”
“Dancing.”
“Everyone thinks we’re sleeping together.”
“Wearesleeping together.”
His eyes sweep my face. “You don’t care if they know?”
“I’m not going to talk about it. Advertise it. Confirm it. But…no, I don’t care if they know.”
I push past him and head out onto the dance floor, wading into the sea of gyrating bodies. I feel Teddy’s presence behind me. A sultry, deep melody swirls around us, spilling out of the speakers.
His palm spreads across my stomach, holding me against him as we move into an open spot. It’s dark out here; I’m just another anonymous face in the crowd.
I grind back against him, smiling when I feel his chest vibrate with a groan. Teddy’s hand slides south, dancing with the bottom hem of my dress. I lean my head back against his shoulder, lips parting when his lips meet the juncture of my shoulder and neck, kissing the sensitive skin there.
He’s hard; I can feel it.
We had sex a few hours ago, and I want him so badly that I can hardly think straight. It hums through my body with a persistent awareness. We have a set expiration date—the end of the European leg of my tour.
I tell myself that’s the reason for this urgency, this need that seems to be growing stronger instead of sating. That’s the only acceptable explanation.
It’s dark enough in here that we could probably have sex right here without anyone seeing. By the sounds coming from my right, other couples are doing more than dancing. I’m eager—embarrassingly, ridiculously eager—but I’m still thinking straight. Somewhat.
I take Teddy’s hand and tug him toward the right. I used the restroom here earlier. I know they’re single rooms that accommodate exactly the activity I have in mind.
My strides are quick and confident as I push through the edge of the crowd and pull him into one of the open restrooms.
The walls are deep purple. Plum. There’s an armchair tucked in one corner. I shut and lock the door.
“You know we have a room back at the hotel?” Teddy asks, raising a brow as I shove him toward the sink.
I figure the counter surrounding it is the best bet for bathroom sex. We already did it against a wall earlier. Another first for me. Before today, I’d never had sex anywhere besides a bed. Never been so desperate for someone.
“Do you want to wait until we get back to the hotel?”
“I didn’t say that.”
He kisses me, sliding his fingers into my hair and loosening the strands from their knot. He tugs more and more free, tightening his grip and exposing my throat. He kisses a line down my shoulder, leaving a scorching trail in its wake.