Free Stay by Hilary Wynne

for me. Oh, who am I kidding? If he keeps pursuing me, I’m going to let him catch me. I’m so completely drawn to this man I need a whole nightclub and a few hundred people between us to keep me safe. I find my girlfriends downstairs at Stellar. I put my drink on a table and join them on the dance floor.
    I’m seriously wound up. Horny would be another appropriate adjective for how I’m feeling. I try to relax and start dancing. The DJ spins Taio Cruz’s “Higher,”and I put my arms up in the air and let myse lf go.
    I can’t get enough, I can’t get e nough.
    This is taking m e now.
    It’s taking me higher, h igher,
    Higher off the g round.
    The dance floor is crowded, and we’re surrounded by guys and girls enjoying the music. A good-looking blond makes his way over and begins to dance with me. He’s attractive in a beach bum kind of way and has a really nice smile. He keeps getting closer and closer, and pretty soon he has his hands on my waist as he sways his hips behind me. I let him for a minute, close my eyes, and pretend it’s Julian touchi ng me.
    “She’s with me.” Julian’s tone is very matter of fact, and his statement doesn’t get questioned. The guy who was dancing with me turns and makes his way anywhere that is away fr om me.
    Julian is standing behind me in the middle of the dance floor, and he just laid claim to me. The imaginary line definitely has been crossed. Julian’s energy is pulsating off of him, and I feel a jolt of sexual energy run the length of my body. He hasn’t even touched me yet, and I feel him all over. He leans down, nips the top of my ear, and whispers my name seductively. I turn around to respond, and I’m rendered speechless. Julian is looking at me in a way no man has ever looked at me before. There is no doubt in my mind this gorgeous man wants me. His next words confirm my tho ughts.
    “There is not a chance in hell that guy is getting the benefits of me turning you on ear lier.”
    He’s right. I am turned on. Very. And I have been since he told me he was hard because of me. Seeing the proof through his pants just intensified my longing. Never before has a man been able to turn me on so much by just talking to me and being near me. I know at this moment I’m not going to be able to stay away fro m him.
    Julian grabs my hand in a possessive yet gentle way and leads me off the dance floor without saying another word. I walk quickly behind him, allowing him to guide me through the throngs of people on the floor. Although Julian walks slowly, there’s nothing causal about his demeanor or gait. He’s a man on a mission. A mission I’m sure is designed to get me alone. The music is blasting, and there are lights and sounds all around me, yet the only thing I’m aware of is Julian’s hand gripping mine. It’s the first time he’s really touched me for an extended period of time, and the feeling is so erotic it’s almost painful. I’m not sure where he’s taking me, but I’m sure I need some more time to try and calm my overstimulated senses. I feel completely out of control around this man, and my body seems to be moving without my conscious participation. Julian’s energy just draws me toward him like a magnetic field.
    A body slams into me as a tipsy girl swings her hands up in the air and twirls around. Bam . It’s just what I need to snap my brain back into focus. I need to slow him down. Slow me down, slow this down. Whatever this is. We don’t even know each other.
    I attempt to yank my hand away, causing Julian to turn around and scowl at me. He doesn’t let go. He takes a step closer to me so we’re just a few inches apart. We’re standing in the middle of the dance floor as bodies gyrate all around us, but Julian looks at me as if we’re completely alone. He seems confused and a little annoyed by my attempt to deviate from his plan.
    “Dance with me.” I sway my hips playfully, hoping to distrac t him.
    “ Dance ? You want to dance wit