Page 95 of Defiant
Even though we were nowhere near the speakers or the undulating bodies of Midpark students, I could feel the upbeat music in my bones.
I spotted a few teachers standing around the outskirts of the room, mostly talking to each other. A few tables were stationed off to the side, where a huge crystal bowl sat, full of red punch, I assumed. Stereotypical all the way.
What was not stereotypical was the fact that there were also finger foods and other drinks ready to be made by the bartender on the side of the room. A teacher was stationed at the punch bowl, filling up the cups thirsty students brought.
Bobbi brought us to her table, which I assumed she was sharing with her friend. I thought her name was Grace, but I wasn’t sure. Grace was the one who printed off the official results card the principal would be reading off of. She’d probably get in trouble for helping me, but oh well. Bobbi said she was close to the staff, so it wouldn’t be too bad.
I shrugged off my jacket, and Dante immediately went for some punch. Vaughn stood near me, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Dante saunter back, cup in hand. “Any sign of Brittany or her posse yet?”
“No, I haven’t seen her. She’ll probably show up late, roll in and make sure everyone’s eyes are on her,” Bobbi spoke, sitting down. “That’s what she always does.”
I sat beside her, Vaughn taking the chair on my opposite side and Dante beside him. Dante, from the look of it, did not like the punch. That, or it wasn’t spiked like he wanted it to be. He grimaced before setting the cup on the table and shaking his head to himself.
“I feel like she’s going to try something,” I said, folding my arms over my chest.
Bobbi puckered her lips. “Maybe, but I’ll keep an eye out. She’s probably super annoyed that Archer can’t come.” Before she could say anything else, a girl with short blonde hair took the chair beside her, holding onto a plate with a bunch of small finger foods. Tiny sandwiches, a small cupcake, and maybe a chocolate-covered strawberry. “Grace, I don’t know if you’ve ever met Jaz.”
Grace, who was a rather small girl, shook her head, speaking softly, “No.” It was almost impossible to hear her voice over the music. She seemed rather shy and reserved, which was probably why she got along so well with the office staff; she never got into trouble, and I bet she always did what she was told.
I gave her a smile. “It’s good to meet you.” I flicked my thumb to Dante. “You probably know Vaughn, but that’s Dante.”
Dante gave her a wicked grin in response, which caused her cheeks to flush. Bobbi leaned in to her friend, whispering, “They’re both her dates. Scandalous, isn’t it?”
I laughed, because it kind of was. Totally scandalous. Me, bringing two dates to a high school dance. Me, bringing two tatted-up boys to a rich, snobby dance. No matter how you looked at it, it was one hundred percent scandalous. The only thing that would make the old teachers around here clutch their pearls in horror more would be when I danced with them.
Because I planned on it. Hell yeah. I was going to make the most out of this dance and these dates as I could.
“How long do we have before the announcement?” I asked.
Bobbi glanced at her phone. “Probably around an hour.”
A slow smile spread on my face. An hour was plenty of time to drag my two sexy dates onto that dance floor and rub my body against theirs like I was a cat in heat. I would make Dante regret ever putting sex in my brain during that limo ride, give him the biggest hard-on in the history of erections, and then I’d let him suffer. Vaughn? I wasn’t sure what I’d do with him. He hadn’t lifted a finger to help Dante off me, so he deserved a similar fate, did he not?
Guess I was just evil like that.
Chapter Twenty-Six – Dante
None of the other girls in this stupid ass place could hold a candle to Jaz or her looks. Jaz commanded the room, even if everyone else was too busy grinding on each other to realize it. The boys who saw her had to do constant double-takes, and the girls that noticed her gossiped among themselves. If they were trying to tear her down, it wouldn’t matter. If they were judging her for having two dates to this dance, that wouldn’t matter, either.
She reminded me of her father, in a way. Jaz might not realize it, but she was strong. She was so strong, all of these kids were nothing but ants compared to her. She was not born to play the games of the rich; she was born to play the games of the crew.
Someday, when Skull told me I was welcome back, I’d bring her with me, show her the kingdom that would be hers, should she accept it.
I had no idea what would happen to her other boytoys, to Vaughn, to Jacob—but it didn’t really matter. Not to me. I was getting ahead of myself, anyway.
I watched Jaz as she talked to Bobbi and her friend, Grace. Grace seemed like a skittish girl, so not my type. I liked the ones that took charge, the ones that knew what they wanted and weren’t afraid of going for it. I’d been waiting on Jaz for so long, but I knew my way around a woman. I wasn’t a white knight; I hadn’t pledged myself to celibacy simply because Jaz was supposed to be mine.
After meeting her face-to-face though…the last thing on my mind had been other women, other girls. None could compare, so why would I even waste time with them anymore? Jaz was in my sights; all I had to do was reel her in and take her home, where she belonged.
Not this fucking place.
The only problem would be Vaughn and Jacob. Those two…they cared for her a bit too much. Was I jealous? Was I feeling the need to mark my territory? Yes, but I wasn’t stupid enough to force Jaz to choose. I was nowhere near confident as I should be when it came to her. If she was forced to choose between us, I honestly didn’t know who she would choose, anyway. I couldn’t take that chance.
Hmm. Then again, she was rather strong-willed. Perhaps she would refuse to choose any of us and leave us all bereft of her dark, warm eyes and those full, luscious lips. Maybe she’d be extra ballsy and try to keep all of us.
That…I wasn’t quite sure how that would work, but I wasn’t willing to let her go, regardless of what happened.
I tugged at the neckline of my collared shirt. The tie felt too constricting around my throat, the suit too uncomfortable on my body. Vaughn’s family tailor had fitted this suit especially for me, but it still felt wrong. The fabric was too soft and plush, too sleek and expensive.
