Page 25 of Wild Stars

My heart feels like it may explode from the touch, the warmth.

I feel as if I am on the edge of a dangerous cliff, with Darren Wylde and his stupid golden retriever energy.

And perhaps it’s the alcohol I’ve consumed, or the light that shines from the stage over the crowd, or perhaps it’s Geo smacking me on the back.

But I find myself powerless to resist Dare’s touch, or his pleading, puppy dog eyes.

Fuck, I’m going to need another drink.

When we reach the floor, I find Hailee and Richie dancing together, alongside Celina and Hans, who have somehow ended up with glitter all over them.

Hailee’s gaze catches mine and she smiles.

“Well, well, look who decided to leave the castle,” she says with a laugh.

Richie stiffens, moving back enough to give her space, and I don’t miss the flash of fear in his eyes.

I scare him, and that should excite me, but instead it only makes me feel like an asshole.

A waitress offers us test tube shots, and I don’t think twice about taking one, if only to quell the sudden emotion that has me feeling so...human.

“Oooh, I want one,” Dare says as his fingers brush against mine.

I shoot him a glare.“Careful, Dare.”I say as I grip my test tube.“You wouldn’t want toforgetthis epic night, would you?”

Dare scoffs as he downs his shot, thengrabsmine out of my cold hands.He downs it, too.

“Last I checked, you’re not the boss of me, Matty.”He slams down the shot glasses, raising his arms as he sticks his tongue out, and the crowd around us goes wild.

Dare shakes his head back and forth, his silky locks falling in his face as he yells, “Heart KillerandMage Of Mercyare in the fucking house!”

Richie whoops and Celina and Hans scream.

I watch, frozen, as everyone in our proximity falls into his energy, his space.

Including a man who looks to have been glitterbombed, dressed in a white linen shirt, speckled with glitter dust.

He’s young, blond, and attractive, and Dare doesn’t even see the way he’s looking at him.

The wayeveryonelooks at him.

Hollywood is full of tanned, toned, and plastic idols, but Dare would stand out of a crowd anywhere.

Some people just have that magnetism, that fabled “it” factor that draws people in like a moth to a flame.

Darren Wylde has that fire, and the throngs of people around us can’t help but be drawn to him.

The attractive blond comes up behind him, placing his hand on Dare’s waist, whispering in his ear.Dare stiffens, but turns his head, his jet black hair shimmering in the light as he looks at the man with a grin and I feel a stupid sense of pride melding with a foreign emotion I haven’t felt in years.

I have no right or reason to bejealous.

Dare is notmine.Not even anywhere close.

I grab myself another shot and shoot it, needing to numb the pain, the emotion that threatens to take me under.Emotions I thought I had meditated the fuck away.

I scan the crowd, looking for someone to distract me from this moment.This was a bad fucking idea.

As a rule of thumb, I often try to keep my personal life and my dominant life separated for a reason.

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