Shatter Me (6 page)

             
Blake laughs and shakes his head as he stands and I am practically lifted off my feet with just one arm. “Let’s dance!” He hollers just as Bianca did and the three of us head for the stairs.

             
I can’t help but giggle. “I can walk.” I beat on Blake’s arm, but he doesn’t seem to notice and only hikes me higher. Squealing I
wiggle trying to get free and he shifts and tosses me over his shoulder
just as we are passing my step
brothers.

             
My dress, as short as it is
,
uncovers my butt and lets everyone see that I am indeed wearing underwear. I raise my head and meet Keith’s hard gaze. Those green eyes are as hard as emeralds as he glares after me and my friends. I decide that I don’t care if he is angry and that I will still have a great time with him here. So I smile sweetly at him.
“Hey, Keith.
Thanks for coming!” I call as Blake starts to descend the stairs without any trouble.

             
Bianca, who is walking behind me, has the most amazing expression on her face. It is both amused and proud. She is glad that I have not rushed to Keith’s side and forgotten all about my many promises to her and myself about forgetting about him tonight.

             
Blake doesn’t set me on my feet again until we are in the middle of the dance floor. I
fix my dress and despite my self-assurance that I would not worry about Keith I peek up at the second floor balcony. My heart misses a beat when I find him standing there watching me with Hunter.

             
“Kari!” Bianca tugs on my hand to distract me. “Kari, don’t!” She has to raise her voice to be heard over the music. “Dance with Blake.”
             
I sigh. I need another drink. “Bee…”

             
“Dance, girl!”
She pushes me into Blake’s arms and he has such a cute expectant look on his boyish face that I find myself relaxing and soon let the music take over for me as I dance with him.

             
Half an hour later, my hair is a tangled mess and I am sweating and thirsty. Bianca has already left me for something to drink and Christian
,
but Blake is still going strong. I tell him that I need a drink and that I will be right back. With a nod and a grin he keeps on going.

             
A grin of my own touches my lips as I cross to the bar and request a glass of ice water and a shot of Patron. I sip the water until it is half empty then toss back the tequila with a whoop! It burns oh so nicely and I feel ready to conquer the world once more.

             
The bartender gives me a sexy smile and I grin as he sits another shot in front of me.
“For the beautiful birthday girl!”

             
“Make that two!”

             
My heart stops at the sound of his deep, gravelly voice and I stand there for a long moment trying to get myself under some semblance
of control. But he squeezes in
beside of me
at the crowded bar
and our shoulders brush, making my heart start
once more
; this time
at the speed of a runaway train.

             
Keith’s shot is put in front of him and I force myself to turn and face him.
“To the lovely birthday girl.”
He says and we down our shots.

             
I practically slam the shot glass down on the bar top. When the bartender raises a brow to ask if I want another I shake my head. Too much alcohol around this man and I will be in big, big trouble. I pick up my water and attempt to rehydrate.

             
“Nice, dress.”
Keith comments, moving closer so that he doesn’t have to shout to be heard over the music.
“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of seeing it before.”

             
I shrug. “It was a gift.” Is all the explanation I
give.

             
“Someone has good taste.
Where the panties a gift too?”

             
I blink, thinking that I have just heard pure venomous jealousy in his deep voice. But then I realize that it his him being a dick and turn a glare on him. “Yes! And so was the bra.”

             
His gaze zooms in on my chest, notices the lack of said bra and darkens.
“Of course it was.” He grits his teeth.

             
My blond brow
s
raise
. “Why are you even here?” I demand. “After what happened at Christmas I thought I would never have to see you again.” I had feared never seeing him again even as I had wished him to the darkest parts of hell!

             
“Let’s get out of here and I’ll tell you all of my reasons for being here.” He promises me, his voice sounding seductive now; his eyes dark with something other than anger.

             
“Tell you what. You get out of here, I go back to my party and then we will both be happy.” I smile sweetly up at him for
a
second before letting it turn back into my glare and start to walk away.

             
A big, long fingered hand catches my elbow and I am turned back around to face him.
“If you won’t leave with me, then at least dance with me.”
             
No, no, no. NO!

             
Dance with him?
With alcohol coursing through my blood?
I would have to be insane to even think about it. I wouldn’t be able to hide anything from him then. Not my feeling
s
and definitely not my needs. “I already have a dance partner.” I tugged on my arm, trying to get free of him.

             
Keith smiles and nods his head in the direction of the dance floor.
“Looks like lover boy has flown the coop.”

             
I look over at the dance floor and find that Blake is no longer there. A quick glance up at the balcony shows me that he has taken a break and is laughing with Hunter.
I nearly stamp my foot in frustration. “I don’t want to dance with you!”

             
“Too bad!”
He pulls me further out onto the dance floor until we are swallowed up by the other dancers. The music changes from a pounding techno to a slow, seductive song.

             
Around me couples are moving into each other’s arms and there is a new sexual tension in the air. Oh, hell! Sexual tension in the air, alcohol in my blood and Keith holding me close.

             
But there is a part of me, th
at
incredibly stupid part, which is already welcoming all of this. I want to be in his arms so desperately.

             
Keith pulls me closer and as our gazes lock I melt into the rhythm of the music. Our fingers link and we move as one. The beat increases, and my heart pounds in time with it, my breathing growing shallow.  I can smell that rich heady scent that is his alone. It is dark and spicy and…Keith!

             
My nipples harden as they rub against his chest. My breasts are swollen and aching and lower liquid desire has pooled.

             
One of his hands abandons mine and wraps around my waist. As the music grows more intense that big hand skims over the silky material of my tiny dress and down over my hips. I can’t stifle the small cry that escapes my mouth. With our eyes still locked there is no way he cannot see just how much I want him blazing in my own.

             
His hand on my hip gives a firm squeeze and my lower body is pressed firmly against his lower abdomen. Something hard pulses against my stomach and I know just how much he wants me. “Kari..!”

             
The way he says my name leaves me weak with wanting and I am going under in a fog thick with my desire for this man. My mouth grows dry and I can’t even blink as we continue to dance for fear of breaking eye contact. Of breaking this
spell
that he has me under.

             
“Let’s get out of here.” He says.

             
I am ready to follow him to the ends of the earth if only I can be his! And just as I begin to give in and tell him just that
,
Bianca starts calling my name.

             
“Kari! It’s time for the cake!”

             
I slowly raise my head and find my bestie waving frantically from the balcony of the VIP floor. “Kari!”

             
Seeing her is like having a bucket of iced water dumped over me. I
pull back from Keith. “I have to go.”

             
“No!” His left hand is still linked with my right. “Forget about them. Come with me.”

             
For a moment I nearly give in. But the episode at Christmas flashes across my mind and I shake my head. “I can’t. Go find Eliza. I’m not interested.”

             
“Would you just listen to me?” He follows after me as I head for the stairs. “Kari, please.”

             
The please nearly undoes me. I stop and glare up at him in the middle of the dance floor. “You have some nerve, you know that? You couldn’t get rid of me fast enough back in December. I disgust you, remember?”

             
“I didn’t mean it! I was just protecting you. And me…” He rakes a hand through his dark hair. “You are so tempting, Kari. And I was so weak then. If I hadn’t done something to get you away at the time…Do we have to have this conversation here?” He glance
s
at the surrounding dancers
who seemed more concerned with our
conversation than the music.

             
“No. In fact we don’t need to have this conversation at all.
I
’m
through.
” I brush past him and practically run up the stairs to the second floor.

             
Bianca is waiting
for
me at the top and pulls me into the group already standing around a table with a huge cake and
twenty-one
blazing candle
s lit
. A chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ nearly deafens me and I force a smile to my face.

             
Hunter drapes an arm around m
y
shoulders as my friends sing and I lean into him for a brief moment, needing my step-brother’s strength for a minute.
As the song ends and I bend to blow out my candles Keith appears across the table. “Make a wish.” He says.

             
I close my eyes and think about what I really want the most and blow.

             
I have forgotten to close the blinds in my bedroom.

             
Warm spring sunshine peeks through my curtains and across my eyes. I moan and pull my extra pillow over my head. After the party last night, which had lasted until well after midnight, all I want to do is sleep. But I have obligations and I need to get in the shower so I can deal with the thousand and one things that need to be dealt with.

             
I sit up, glare at the clock on the nightstand that tells me it is only seven thirty and head for the shower.

             
Fifteen minutes later, with a damp towel wrapped around my body and tooth brush still in my mouth I go to the kitchen and start the coffee pot. Christian is just coming out of Bianca’s room as I pass it.
“Morning.”
He grumbles without giving me a second look.

             
“Morning.”
I grumble back, still not happy to be up so early myself.

             
I have just rinsed my mouth out when the security com buzzes. I hear Christian’s low voice saying something and then it is quiet once more. After drying my hair I pull on black dress pants and a white sleeveless turtle neck and step into my favorite checker board heels. Forgoing a jacket I grab my briefcase and phone and head out without even bothering with makeup.

             
As I am filling my ToGo mug with strong black coffee the doorbell rings. Christian, who has probably rejoined Bianca in
bed
is nowhere to be seen.
Sighing  I
gather my things and open the door.

             
A florist delivery man is standing at my front door. “Kari Brandon?”

             
“Yes…” I am almost hesitant to answer. Who delivers flowers this early? And why would they be sending them to me?

             
“Sign here please.” The man who looks bored and a little grumpy has a receding hair line and a beer gut. He is popping gum and really beginning to get on my nerves even before I have finished signing my name.