Page 42 of Forbidden Puck
She laid her palm on my cheek and sarcastically cooed, “Aww. The playboy is just so used to getting his way, isn't he?”
With her palm still on my cheek, I put my hands around her waist again. She looked so pleased with herself, smiling from ear to ear. She basked in her victory, and I mean she absolutelyglowedin that moment, and for once in my life, I didn't mind losing. In fact, it made me feel closer to her, somehow.
With my hands on her waist and my eyes on hers, I felt like everything around us—the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, the stifling heat, the deafening music—muddled together into a distant background distraction. All those things were stillthere,but in that moment, Ella's bright eyes and sparkling smile drowned it all out.
I had a terrible urge. Same as I did last night. Something I knew was totally out of line, totally inexcusable, totally inappropriate … but it felt like the only answer, the only thing I knew how to do.
I need to kiss her. This time for real.
I think she knew what I was thinking, and although neither of us moved and neither of us said a word, her eyes seemed to scream at me,no, don't do it, don't do it you idiot! You'll regret this! We both will!
But that just encouraged me more.
My eyes darted to her mouth, her lips so pink and so pretty, and my breathing began to slow, and she looked atmylips and I knew then that we both wanted it, even if we understood perfectly it was a terrible idea.
And then, right then,rightas I started to lean in, there was a finger tapping on my shoulder.
We both turned, slowly.
Kara.
***
“Radar!” Kara squealed.
Without warning, the girl launched her body into the air and threw her arms around me. She hung from my neck, letting her legs dangle and kick in the air as she pressed her lips into the collar of my shirt again and again. She smelled heavily of fruity perfume and rum, a cloying cloud of nauseating sweetness that burrowed into my throat and overwhelmed my senses.
“I've been looking all over for you! You didn't answer my texts! I'm so glad I found you!” she said, piling her words one on top of the next.
A choking heat grew around my neck. I felt embarrassed, ashamed—like I'd been caught doing something wrong, although I didn't know what or why. My eyes stayed fixated on Ella. But Ella retreated from me and Kara, slowly, cautiously, as if she were perfectly content to be forgotten.
No,I thought.Don't go, not yet.
“Um, hey, hey Kara,” I stammered. “You mind? You're choking me.”
I pried her off my neck and returned Kara to her feet.
Kara demanded my eyes, but still, my eyes flicked over to Ella. I couldn't help it. I felt awful. We both knew that this was what my night was leading up to. Yet now that the moment had arrived, it felt so wrong to leave her like this.
Kara noticed I was distracted by someone else. She turned a cold, judgmental gaze to Ella.
“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” Kara asked in a low voice. I'd seen it enough times to know: puck bunnies could be cruel and heartless when they thought another woman had wandered onto their territory.
“No,” Ella said. “I'm leaving.”
“That's what I thought.” Kara pressed herself into my side and began to glide her hand down my chest, across my waist, and slowly inching towards my crotch. It was a show for Ella every bit as much as it was for me.
Ella turned away and carved a path through the dancing crowd. I watched as she wiggled her way through the mass of bodies, hurrying towards the club's exit.
Kara grabbed hold of my jaw and pointed my gaze at herself. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I said.
“You look really hot tonight, Radar. I can't believe howtallyou are! They said you look even bigger in person than you do on TV and they were right.”
“They? Who's they?” I asked, distracted and guilty.
“The other puck bunnies.”
