Page 18 of North

Quinn fucking Harley.

I didn’t want to think about her. Didn’t want to remember the way she felt pressed against me earlier, her soft body trembling under my hands, her breath hitching in my ear. Didn’t want to remember how close I’d gotten to making her come undone, to hearing her cry out my name like it was the only thing she knew.

But I did remember. Every fucking second of it.

And that was the problem.

So, I took another swig, my grip tightening on the cup as I forced myself to glance over the crowd. I needed a distraction—anything to drown out her memory.

But I might as well have been blind for all the use it was, because my eyes latched onto Quinn anyway.

She was by the fire, her cheeks red from the alcohol I knew she was two years too fucking young to drink, her pale blue dress catching the flickering light as she swayed awkwardly to the music. The hem brushed against her thighs with every movement, teasing and soft, drawing me in even though I knew it was wrong.

I looked my fill and more, drinking in her curves in that dress until my cock hardened. Should’ve left it at that, but I couldn’t. She wasn’t alone.

Some guy I didn’t recognize was next to her, his body too close, his hand brushing hers as he leaned in to say something. She laughed, soft and nervous, her cheeks flushing darker under the firelight.

Something hot and primal surged in my chest, sharp and unbearable.

My fingers tightened around my drink, the plastic creaking under the pressure as I watched the guy touch her arm, his hand lingering like he had any fucking right.

She didn’t even realize what she was doing—how her hesitant movements drew every eye in the room, how the soft flush on her cheeks made her look eager and primed for…

Fuck.

I drained the rest of my drink in one go, the alcohol hitting me harder this time, loosening the tight grip I had on my self-control.

I couldn’t fucking stand it.

Setting the empty cup down, I pushed off the post and strode across the party, my steps steady despite the haze clouding my mind. People moved out of my way without a word, the sharp set of my jaw enough to warn them not to bother me.

When I reached her, she was mid-laugh, her head tilted back slightly, the sound cutting through the noise until it reached my ears. She could’ve been an angel in another life.

My hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist and yanking her away from the guy before I could think better of it. He turned toward me with a snarl, his features barely recognizable, but it was clear he recognized me when he backed the fuck away like he was supposed to.

“North?” she gasped, her eyes snapping to mine, wide and startled.

I didn’t say a word.

Her wrist felt too small in my hand, too fragile, but I didn’t loosen my grip. She stumbled after me as I pulled her away from the fire, her protests rising with every step.

“Let go!” she snapped, tugging against my hold. “What the hell are you doing?”

I ignored her, cutting through the crowd with a single-minded purpose.

“North!” Her voice rose, sharp and furious, but there was a tremble beneath the anger that only made me tighten my grip.

When we were far enough from the firelight, I stopped abruptly, turning to face her. She yanked her wrist free, her chest heaving as she glared up at me.

“God, do you have to be such an asshole all the time?” she hissed, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and confusion. “What the hell is your problem?”

“What’s my problem?” I shot back, my tone low and dangerous. “What the fuck are you doing at my party, Quinn?”

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Summer invited me.”

“Well, you should’ve said no,” I snapped, pulling her by the waist when she stomped her foot and attempted to leave. “You. Are. Not. Going back to him.”

“Why not?” she cried out, throwing her hands in the air, clearly exasperated with me. “I’m allowed to dance, North. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

---