Finding Us (10 page)

When I get to the bottom of the stairs I step aside, slightly nervous as I wait on Knox’s approval but I don’t see him anywhere. The girls come down and are both yanked into their man’s hands. This is the biggest PDA I’ve seen from Summer and Rex since I guess they decided to see where things led.

I ask Jeremy and Cade who are still eyeing me up and down. Pretty soon they are going to be drooling. “So who’s going with who?” I say, motioning towards the front door.

Cade blanches when he looks over at the couples. “Those four can go together and me, you, Jeremy and Knox will go in the other cab.”

I look over Jeremy’s shoulder down the hallway, looking for Knox, but he’s nowhere to be found. “Where’s Knox?”

Both boys shrug but Jeremy says, “He’s in his room still I think.”

Rex speaks up behind me, “No he’s not but I know where he is.”

Rex takes the stairs two at a time and disappears upstairs while Tanner ushers us outside. Rhea and Summer go over to the one cab and the driver opens the door for them, they both slide in the back. Cade, Jeremy and I walk over to the other one and our driver opens the door for us too. Cade jumps into the front while Jeremy and I slide into the back. A few minutes later Rex and Knox walk out, Knox stops to shut and lock the door while Rex climbs into the other cab. When Knox gets closer he has this tightness in his face, nostrils flared and jaw set.

What the hell?

Knox slides in beside me and I scoot over so I’m sitting in the middle. Jeremy stretches his left arm on the back of the seat, giving me just a tiny bit more room so I scoot closer to him. My leg is resting up against Jeremy’s because I’m afraid to even look in Knox’s direction right now. There is a coldness dripping from him, I’m not sure what the hell happened while we were getting ready but whatever it is isn’t good.

A short time later we pull up beside Club Mango and the line wraps around the corner. “Damn Knox,” Cade whistles from up front, “Business is doing well, huh?”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Is this one of Knox’s clubs? How come no one said anything? Well I guess that’s stupid, why would they? They’ve all been here I’m sure.

Jeremy chuckles from beside me, “Guessing you didn’t know from that look on your face?”

Cade swears under his breath, realizing that he just told me that this is Knox’s club. It’s not a big deal; I’ve been to his other ones.

I take a chance and glance over at Knox who is glaring at Cade. The driver gets out and opens the door for Knox to climb out. Jeremy doesn’t wait for the driver to come around and open his door. He climbs out and holds his hand out for me. Thankful, I take it.

Summer runs over to us and throws her arms around me. “Twenty minutes and then I’m getting your ass on the dance floor, girl.” She says excitedly.

Knox walks over to the body guards who shake his hand and they open a side door for him to enter. Knox looks back over his shoulder and nods his head for us to follow. He holds the door for all of us to walk in. I’m last to go in but just as I’m stepping through the door my heel catches on a crack in the sidewalk and I stumble. Knox reaches out to grab my arm before I fall. Taking a shaking breath I look up at him. He sighs in frustration and he still has a scowl on his face.

I quickly pull away from him and take a step inside the dark club. It takes my eyes a second to adjust. The door behind me slams hard. I peek over my shoulder and Knox looks even more pissed than he did just a second ago.

My stomach is in knots from his anger. I’m so confused as to where all this anger is coming from. I’m unsure of where to go so I have no choice but to wait for Knox to lead the way.

Realizing that I have no idea where I’m going, he places a warm hand on my bare back and ushers me upstairs to the rest of our group. The second floor has about six, twelve by twelve rooms, three on each side of the club. There is a huge red U shaped couch with a black leather square table placed in the middle. The lighting is set low, giving the floor a light sparkled look. Each room is set up the same way but just a different color. The center of the second floor overlooks the dance floor below. There is a bar along the full wall that only has a few people sitting around it. I walk over and glance over the railing to all the people dancing to the music. The DJ is set up on a stage right along the back wall. All of his equipment is spread out in front him and he’s bobbing his head to the beat.

I feel someone standing behind me but I don’t turn around. I try to keep my body still but there is this magnetic pull making it difficult. I just want to turn around and throw my arms around Knox and fix whatever is wrong between us.

“Jas!” Summer yells over the music.

I turn in her direction. She holds up a shot for me. I walk over to where the group is holding up their glasses.

“A toast,” Jeremy says and holds his shot glass up. “To good friends, good music and good fucking sex tonight.”

I roll my eyes as Cade throws his head back and howls. Knox, Rex and Tanner shake their heads laughing. We all tip glasses and take our shots. The tequila sits in my stomach and warms me. Summer pulls me down to sit next to her.

She leans over and whispers in my ear, “What’s up with him?”

I shake my head. My eyes drift to find him staring at me with a blank expression. Its progress from earlier but it’s not the Knox that I’ve been falling hard for.

After a few more rounds of drinks and the effects of the alcohol kick in I’m ready to hit the dance floor.

I grab Summer and Rhea’s hands and drag them down to the floor below.
Timber by Pitbull and Ke$ha
starts blasting from the speakers. Summer, Rhea and I hit the dance floor and our bodies start swaying to the beat and we sing at the top of lungs. Rhea grabs my hand, winks at and lips syncs to me “
Let’s make a night you won’t remember
,” then she spins and grabs Summer and sings to her, “
I’ll be the one you won’t forget.
”

We’ve been at it for a while before the boys come down. Rex, followed by Jeremy, Cade and Tanner, make their way over to us. Rex goes to Summer and Tanner goes to Rhea. Cade and Jeremy close in on me.
Gas Pedal by Sage The Gemini
comes on. Cade comes up behind me and places a hand on my hip. Jeremy steps in close. He plants a leg between my leg and I throw my arms around his neck. I’m sandwiched between Cade and Jeremy and we start rocking our hips. Summer catches my eyes and she mouths, ‘shake what you’re mama gave ya’. I shake my head and laugh. When I look at Jeremy, whose back is facing away from our spot upstairs, he gives a little nod. I glance up and see Knox taking a pull from his beer staring at me.

I wink at Jeremy, let’s do this.

Jasmine probably thinks I’m bipolar with my mood swings. One minute I’m chasing after her and the next I want to toss her away like yesterday’s trash. The only one who understands my mood changes is Rex. He’s the only one. He’ll only ever be the one that knows that I hold the only picture left of
her
in our house. He walked in on me looking at the beautiful picture of her on the beach with a black dress on. Her hair was blowing in the wind and she had a gorgeous smile on her face. She was glowing. I kept this picture as a reminder so I don’t ever forget what
she
looks like.

My sanity is slipping right now, watching Jasmine on the dance floor with Cade and Jeremy. I know I don’t have to worry about them going after my girl but it doesn’t help.

Whoa, my girl?
She can’t be my girl.
Knox, pull your shit together.

My boys are trying to get under my skin with the smart ass comments about her body and what they would like to do to it, prime example, watching them on the dance floor with her now. I’m sure both are having thoughts about having a three way with her. Well they can keep that shit up. It’s not bothering me, not at all. They can do what they want with her. I only want one thing.

I reach behind me for Cade’s tie and pull him around to me. His shocked expression only makes me smile wider. I put a hand on his shoulder and our hips start rocking. Cade places a hand on my lower back and with every sway of our hips it slides down further. Finally, a few moments later, just as his hand lands on my ass, I stop abruptly and Cade’s eyes go wide. I turn in his arms, my eyes searching for Jeremy. He’s standing off to the side with some girl who is clearly drunk since she keeps leaning into him. He gives me that ‘help me out’ look. I crook a finger to Jeremy and he gives me that sexy smile of his before he comes back over to me. I place a kiss on Cade’s cheek. He looks at me with confusion in his eyes before I tip my head in the direction of a girl that’s been eyeing him since he started dancing with me.

Jeremy places both hands low on my hips and leans in, “Thanks for that.”

I glance over to the girl that was trying to get his attention and raise my eyebrows, she turns and storms off.

Good girl.

Do What U Want by Lady Gaga and R. Kelly
comes on and Jeremy gets this ‘I’m about to school you’ look on his face. I’m not going to lie; I’m actually looking forward to it. I start singing the song to him, telling him he can do what he wants with my body. Jeremy circles me, looking my body up and down. I shiver under his stare. I’m not sure where these feelings for Jeremy are coming from and I have to admit they scare me a little. It’s not the same kind of feeling that I have for Knox, it’s more of a sexual feeling.

Am I attractive to him? Yes, you’d have to be blind to not be.

Would I pursue anything with him? No. Jeremy is Knox’s best friend and I’m not that type of girl who is willing to tear up a friendship because of some emotions that got involved.

Jeremy reaches for my hands and puts them high in the air. He spins me around him and then again and again all the way around his body. I let the beat of the music take control of my body. I throw all my issues out the window and just live in the moment. As I continue to go around Jeremy I notice that the crowd has backed away from us a little bit.

For the first time all weekend I feel a sense of calm wash over me. Finally stopping in front of Jeremy again, he wraps his arms around me from behind, my back to his chest, we move as one. A thin layer of sweat glistens my body. It’s getting hotter in here by the minute. I relax into Jeremy, letting him move us to the beat of the music. The music is fading away and leaving just him and me in a room together. A need is building low in my stomach and I feel like I’m going to combust. I just need to get a little closer. I try to turn and face him to see if he feels what I’m feeling too but he tightens his hold on me.
Dark Horse by Katy Perry
starts playing. The hold Jeremy had on me is gone but only for a second. I try to turn again but he stops me. He takes his fingers and runs them down my spine and stops right above my ass where my dress ends and then, so slowly, runs them all the way up to neck. My sweaty skin breaks out in goose bumps. His fingers come around my neck and they are a little tighter than I would have expected but it doesn’t hurt so I let him go. We sway like that for another minute before I bend slightly at my hips and start grinding into him. He surprises me and pushes into me. I feel how hard he is and my face flames knowing I’m causing this kind of reaction in him. Then all of a sudden I realize that Jeremy didn’t have a blue shirt on but someone else did.
Son of a bitch!
I should have known that my body wouldn’t have reacted if it really was Jeremy dancing with me like this. I try taking a step away but his hand reaches for my hips and brings me back to him forcefully.

Knox nuzzles into my neck. His warm breath hits me and
I shudder. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

What does he wants me to say? Its ok, you’re allowed to have crazy mood swings?

Things slow down on the dance floor, I look around for Summer but I don’t see her anywhere. I try to step out of Knox’s hold again but he doesn’t let me go. Instead he turns me so I’m facing him. His left hand goes back to my hip while his right hand reaches for my hand and laces our fingers together.