Page 22 of Pieces of Us
We take a break a few songs later and find the guys still at the bar. Linc looks calmer than the last time I saw him. We order a fresh round of drinks, and the guys give us their barstools.
“Marcus, if they play an Usher song, you’re dancing.” Marcus shakes his head, but I swear I see the slightest glint of happiness in his eyes. “No, sir, no silent head shake. You said you would join in the fun tonight. That means we’re all dancing.”
“You get one song, Gigi,” Marcus concedes.
Jax and Linc’s faces turn to stone. Audrey stares at Gigi. I stare at Marcus.
“What? I can dance.” Marcus takes a sip of his whiskey, looking around the group.
A slow grin forms on Linc’s face. “It happened.”
Marcus looks at Linc. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” He’s still smiling as he tilts his head back to finish his beer. I watch his mouth around the opening, his neck stretching. I have to look away at the sight. Damn it, I can argue with him one minute and want to give him a hickey the next.
That thought tells me I’m done drinking for the evening.
We talk for a while, then, as if Gigi had willed it into existence, “Yeah!” starts to play. Gigi wastes no time grabbing Marcus’ hand and dragging him to the dance floor. Audrey and Jax follow, leaving Linc and me.
“Come on, pretty boy.” I extend my hand to him.
A slow smile forms on his lips, and he puts his hand in mine.
Chapter Twelve
Linc
Melonie leads me to the dance floor, following our friends. I’m still a little worked up from earlier, but I can push that aside if it means I have an excuse to have my hands on her.
Our group finds an open space and we all start dancing. Audrey and Jax don’t take long to get lost in their own world, and Gigi actually has Marcus moving. The fact that he’s on the dance floor is shocking to me. We could barely get him to dance at parties back in college, let alone now that he’s older and growing more introverted. I see one of his hands on Gigi’s hip, and it makes me wonder if he really does have a thing for her. I know for a fact he would never talk about it with us, though. At least not yet.
My thoughts are disrupted when I feel Melonie’s ass against me. She has no clue what she does to me. I feel like my brain is short-circuiting. Will she freak out if I touch her? I feel like I have to walk on eggshells around her. I hold out as long as possible, finally placing my hands at a respectable place above her hips with a light touch. She’s laughing with Gigi, seemingly oblivious to what she’s doing to me. Gigi turns to talk to Marcus, and Mel places a hand over mine on her hip. I start to remove my hands, in case she was trying to convey to me that she didn’t want me touching her.
My dick wakes up in my jeans when she grabs both of my hands and slides them a little lower, and looks over her shoulder at me with that damn grin of hers. As the DJ transitions to the next song, she turns around and places one arm on my shoulder, leaving space for Jesus between us like we’re at a middle school dance.
“I forgot how good of a dance partner you are.”
“Just following your lead, Mel.”
She comes closer to my ear to be sure I can hear her over the music. “I want us to be friends, Linc. I know I haven’t been nice, but I’m beginning to realize you’re a good guy, and if Audrey trusts you, I should let go of this grudge. Can you forgive me? Let’s put the past in the past and maybe start over?”
Fucking finally.
“I’d really like that.” She smiles and pauses for a moment before she brings her other arm to my shoulder and hugs me. I go rigid at first, but eventually bring my arms around her waist. She releases me and turns back to Gigi, and they scream as a Britney Spears song starts. That’s my queue to exit.
Marcus says something in Gigi’s ear, then turns to me. “I’m going to get a drink.”
“I’ll join you.”
I place my hand at the dip of Melonie’s waist and lean toward her. “I’m going back to the bar. Thanks for the dance, Mel.”
She gives me a relaxed smile. “You’re welcome, Linc.”
Marcus and I get through the crowd to fight for a bartender’s attention back at the bar. We finally have the chance to order drinks and find a high-top table by the dance floor.
“You and Gigi seem to be getting along.” I eye him over my beer.
He nods. “She’s laid back. I’ve helped her with a couple of things at her spa that needed done.”
