Page 59 of The Arrangement

It took me an embarrassingly long time for the question to actually register as my mind raced, my senses overloaded from the heat of his body, the music pulsing around me, and the warmth of the alcohol in my blood. I wasn't sure how to respond. I immediately pretended to push my hair back behind my ear and brought my thumb to my mouth to chew the nail while he looked down at me in obvious expectation.

One last Hail Mary had me looking for Sarah as I scanned the crowd, and everything seemed to stand still. It was as if the crowds were jumping and dancing in slow motion while the music dulled to a low pounding; even the very intentional touches on my exposed back seemed far away.

Because across the club, he was walking in, with his dark curls and his dark eyes while the flashing club lights seemed to spotlight his beauty from across the room. I felt the breath leave my lungs as he made a beeline towards me, his jaw set and his lips pressed into a thin line. His plain white shirt showed the dark tattoos that swirled underneath the material, and I couldn't help but notice the way his hands were curled into fists.

"Hey, I've been looking for you, sweetheart." Quinn's voice was deep and monotone, looking over me to the man currently gripping my hips. "Sorry I was late."

I didn't know how to answer, but Justin's hands lifted from my hips, and I found my hand in Quinn's. "Thanks for the dance, Justin," I said, my eyes on Quinn. I didn't hear what Justin said or if he said anything at all.

"Thanks for the save," I said, trying not to yell even as the music swelled around us. Quinn's golden eyes finally found mine, and his face softened. "Yeah, of course, Clark. What are friends for?"

That twisted something deep inside but I nodded with a smile and looked around to see Sarah waving and pointing to Sebastian like she’d just figured out who he was. Quinn raised his hand in a quick wave, his eyes boring into Fletcher's, who looked like he’d lost a shade of color as he looked at his friend.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, realizing I had been so grateful for the save that I hadn't even wondered why he was over an hour away from his house.

He jerked his chin towards Fletcher and Sarah. "Fletch asked me to come; he's pretty taken with Sarah and wanted a buffer with her friends."

"You're the friend he was bringing?" I suddenly realized, my heart thudding. "So you're, like, here to hang out. All night?"

Quinn pulled a face at the remark, and I rolled my eyes. "I don't mean it like that, Jesus—I just didn't expect to see you."

"Well, I am here. Against my will, I might add." He shook his head at his friend's back, who was currently tongue-fucking my best friend. "Want to dance?"

It was my turn to make a face. "I really don't know how." Quinn looked me up and down. "Seemed to be doing okay with blondie over there."

I hit his chest. "Oh, shut up, he was just grinding on me, and I was just…there." Quinn's eyes darkened, but not in the way I was used to when we filmed.

"Do I need to have a talk with him about manners?" Sebastian asked, his jaw clenching again as his eyes searched the sea of partygoers.

"Oh my god, no, Jesus, what is wrong with men?" I snapped,shaking my head and wiggling my dress down again as it pulled at the sides. "I just wasn't sure if I wanted his attention or not. No big deal. He was fine." And honestly, he was. And even more honestly, I wasn't sure why I wasn't into dancing with him. Justin was handsome and polite and seemed like he knew what to do with his hands. But there was just something missing.

Quinn was jostled as another dancing person bumped into him, and he shook his head, looking down at me annoyed, before stretching out a hand to me. "Dance with me so we don't get trampled, please?"

I took his hand before I realized I had, his warm palm so familiar in my own as he pulled me to him. "I really don't know how to do this; I wasn't being facetious!"

I felt his laugh more than I heard it as he pulled my arms to drape over his shoulders; the heels I wore were the only reason I was even able to do so as he put his hands on my hips.

"Just follow my lead," whispered Quinn against my ear, his warm breath drawing a shiver from me. Something deep in me stirred at those words, just like the first time we had…worked together. But I trusted him then, so I supposed a stupid dance at a stupid club was nothing. I’d had this man's dick in my mouth; I could dance badly with him in a dimly lit club.

The music swayed and swelled as the DJ blended the music, and I found myself looking up at Sebastian Quinn's face. He also had a very nice face; obviously, I had masturbated to his mostly covered face for months, barely having a hint of lips to go off of. His fingers went to trace the edge of my dress and I couldn't stop the gasp that left my mouth.

It seemed to break Quinn out of thought because he immediately brought it back up to my waist, clearing his throat and pulling me closer as a couple nearly bumped into me. His leg slotted between my knees, well, at least as much as it could, with how tight my dress was.

"Your dress looks good!" he cried over the music, and I didn't miss how his jaw muscles seemed to work as if he was chewing the inside of his cheek.

"Thanks! It's Sarah's." Quinn just nodded and whatever spell thatthe music and press of other bodies had cast over us seemed to have burst. "Want a drink?"

Quinn's hands dropped from my sides as he exclaimed, "Fuck, please, yes." I couldn't help the laughter that escaped me as I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the bar.

The music no longer seemed to bother me, nor did the press of bodies as I wove through the crowd. Quinn bought us a round, flashing his metal Amex card. The bartender immediately flashed his largest smile and poured the drinks a bit heavier than the recipe called for.

"So, how long have you been here?" Quinn asked, shooting back a shot of something amber-colored and smelling sweet.

I shrugged, taking a sip of my third drink of the night. "About two hours now. My feet are killing me." I whined, rotating my ankles in the strappy black heels.

"I'll bet." Quinn took a quick look at the watch on his wrist and said, "It'll be closing soon; I got here late. Work was crazy."

My eyebrows raised slightly. "Work orwork?" I winked over a sip of my cocktail.

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