Vital Found (The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy Book 2) Page 16

  At least twenty people were already there, a few of whom I recognized from the Institute. Dot made her way around, saying hi to everyone. The guys led me to a corner near the bar, all taking their coats off and handing them to the pretty blonde bartender. I started to unbutton my coat, but just as I reached the top, Josh stepped behind me.

  “Let me help you with that.” The music wasn’t quite so loud in the VIP area, but he still had to lean in close to be heard, and it sent a little shiver down my spine. He grabbed my coat by the collar and dragged it down my arms. With the heat in the club, I was glad to be rid of it, my hesitation at the outfit momentarily forgotten.

  I turned slightly, thanking Josh with a smile. He swallowed hard, returned my smile, then promptly handed my coat off to the bar girls. When I turned back to the front, Tyler and Alec were both staring at me, their gazes taking in the tight pants, the cleavage, the sliver of skin between the hem of my shimmery top and the waistband of the pants. They exchanged a charged look and, as one, turned to the bar. Alec barked something at the poor bar girl, and she immediately poured two shots of some clear liquid. As soon as they were full, the two men threw them back, smacking the little glasses back down.

  Tyler lifted his hand, calling the bartender back, but my view of them was suddenly blocked by a very wide chest in a white button-down, open at the top. I looked up into Ethan’s face and returned his naughty smile.

  “You look smokin’.” He planted his warm hands on my waist and pulled me in.

  “Thanks, puddin’, you look pretty hot yourself.” I lifted my hands to his shoulders and gave him my best flirty look.

  Making sure my Light flow was in check, I lifted onto my toes and softly pressed my lips to Ethan’s. He smiled gently against my mouth and pulled me closer. The kiss didn’t last long, but it was enough to give me butterflies. Endorphins released; mission accomplished. I was a little wary about the night, but feeling Ethan’s strong body pressed to mine, I allowed myself to let go and embrace the party.

  “Let’s get you a drink.” Ethan kissed me once more on the mouth before leading me to the bar.

  Tyler and Alec were still in the same spot, now facing us, their elbows leaning on the bar behind them and their gazes trained on where Ethan’s hand met my exposed lower back.

  Dot appeared out of nowhere. “What’re we having?” she asked, a hint of the lightness that had disappeared along with Charlie back in her voice.

  “Whatever the birthday girl desires!” I answered, injecting some pep into my own voice. Anything to keep that easy look in her eyes.

  “Cocktails it is then!”

  I watched, horrified at the amount of alcohol being poured into the small martini glass, but Dot clapped her hands excitedly. If me drinking copious amounts of alcohol would make her feel better, then I was prepared to be carried home.

  Surprisingly, it didn’t taste like turpentine, as I’d expected. You could definitely taste the alcohol, but it was fruity and not too sweet. I raised my eyebrows in surprise and gave her a thumbs-up as I took another sip.

  “Careful.” I hadn’t noticed Alec move to stand next to me. “It might taste like peach tea, but there is a lot of alcohol in that.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes. Thank you. I did watch her make it.”

  He frowned, disapproving, and I felt that familiar Alec-fueled irritation sneaking in to ruin my good vibes. “Look, can we just agree to stay on opposite sides of the room? Then maybe we can both have a good night. Yes? Great!”

  I didn’t wait for a response before turning back to Dot and Ethan, who had a drink of his own now.

  More people began to arrive, slowly filling the VIP area, and Dot was pulled away to accept birthday wishes and gifts. I sipped my cocktail and chatted to a few people I knew from my classes, but either Ethan or Josh was always nearby, if not right next to me. We were all doing our best to have a good night for Dot, but their less-than-subtle hovering was sending a clear message: they were still on alert for any potential threats. It didn’t escape my notice that Josh was only drinking soda, and the others were nursing their drinks slowly.

  By the time Dot managed to find her way back to us, I was on my third delicious cocktail. As much as I hated to admit it though, Alec was right. They were potent, and I was beginning to feel a little happy.

  “I’m so over talking to these posers and pretending I like them while they pretend they care about how I’m doing. You know, with ‘the whole Charlie thing.’” Dot made air quotes around ‘the whole Charlie thing,’ putting on a fake voice as she rolled her eyes. She was being sardonic, but I could see the angry downturn to her lips.

  “Let’s get you walking side to side!” I burst out at the top of my lungs, gaining a few weird looks and a laugh from Dot and Ethan. “Let’s dance and see if we can find someone to . . . !”

  A wide, knowing smile reappeared on Dot’s face, and I slammed the rest of my cocktail back, smacked the empty glass on the nearest table, grabbed Dot by the wrist, and marched out toward the mass of writhing bodies.

  Ethan stuck to our side like glue, his intimidating size keeping sleazy guys far away. At first he crossed his arms over his chest and just stood there, glaring at things as we danced, channeling his cousin a little too well. But after Dot and I poked him repeatedly until he cracked a smile, he gave in and started to dance. Surprisingly, he was pretty good at it. A few of Dot’s other friends joined us too.

  Every few minutes my eyes were drawn to the VIP area. Every single time, Josh, Tyler, or Alec was looking in our direction. Sometimes more than one of them would be casually leaning on the railing, sipping a drink. They were taking turns, swapping out every so often so it wouldn’t be so obvious. At one point all three of them stood there, looking impossibly gorgeous in their collared shirts and their unique eyes and their perfect faces. I waved at them, and they all waved back at the same time in the exact same way, reminding me once again how close they were despite not being related by blood.

  Tyler and Alec seemed to be hanging back more. I wasn’t sure if it was a conscious effort on their part or simply because people gave Alec a wide berth wherever he went and Tyler refused to leave him alone. Probably a combination of both. They were deep in conversation every time I spotted them—not the light, laughing kind you usually have in a club, but the heads bent and eyebrows furrowed serious kind.

  Someone delivered another round of drinks to the dance floor, and I managed to down most of mine without spilling too much as the music changed to a more sultry rhythm, the beat deeper and slower.

  A flash of white to my right caught my attention: Dot was dancing with Kyo. I smiled and nudged Ethan, pointing them out.

  Several Melior Group operatives were present—some on security detail for specific Vitals, others for added security—but Alec’s team were all off duty. Marcus and Jamie were nearby talking to a curvy blonde, but they were both watching Dot and Kyo as intently as I was.

  The two of them were completely engrossed in each other, moving to the beat, their bodies inching closer and closer until they wrapped their arms around each other and started kissing! Ethan and I whooped, and Marcus and Jamie hollered from the other side. Kyo grinned against Dot’s lips, and Dot just flipped me off, not taking her focus off Kyo for a second.

  I got back to dancing but couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

  Ethan stepped up behind me, placing one hand flat against my stomach and pressing his body against my back. We started to move together, our bodies swaying. I was tipsy but still had the presence of mind to make sure my Light was locked down tight. I covered his hand with mine and reached my other hand up behind his neck, bringing his head closer.

  His free hand brushed my jaw gently, nudging it to the side, away from his face, and then he placed a feather-soft kiss on my neck. I dropped my hand and let it hang loose at my side as I bent my knees lower, arched my back a little more.

  With my head turned, I realized we had an audience. All three of my other g
uys were at the barrier staring at us, their expressions indecipherable.

  Ethan dragged his lips up the side of my neck, and I gasped, my lips parting as I kept my eyes trained on the others. Alec’s hands on the barrier tightened, the muscles in his forearms popping, and a stormy expression crossed his features. He turned abruptly and stalked off. Tyler whispered something to Josh, took one more look at us, and went after him. Josh leaned his elbows on the barrier, settling in, and flashed me a secret smile.

  A guy with bright blue hair and a full tattoo sleeve came up to him, and they started to talk. I looked away so we wouldn’t get caught making eyes at each other while I dirty-danced with my “boyfriend.”

  We let the music hypnotize us, ignoring everything else. Ethan’s hands trailed up my sides, his fingers tracing the curve under my breasts. Blessedly the music was loud enough to cover my groan. The several cocktails swimming through my bloodstream, the sultry beats of the music reverberating through my body, and Ethan’s confident, smooth moves were just about unravelling any sense of propriety I had.

  I turned to face him and pressed my body flush with his, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pushed one knee between my legs and pressed his lips to mine. We kissed and we danced, not an inch of space between us, and I couldn’t help imagining what this would be like without any clothing in the way.

  Deciding it was probably not a good idea to have sex in the middle of the dance floor, I reluctantly leaned away to give myself some breathing room. We shared a heated look and then put a bit more distance between us.

  I looked around, hoping for a distraction. When I glanced toward the VIP area, the guy with the blue hair was still there.

  Josh was keeping an eye on us while also maintaining a conversation with the stranger, but there was something off about their body language. I cocked my head, distracted. Behind me, Ethan froze, and I turned to look at him, the question in my eyes. He cringed slightly.

  “Who is that?” I asked, raising my voice over the music.

  “Uh . . . Just an old . . . um . . .”

  An uneasy feeling settled into the pit of my stomach. I turned back to Josh, and he looked as awkward as Ethan sounded. To the casual observer he would have seemed fine—just having a chat. But I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his usually careful, attentive eyes darted around the room. The guy with the blue hair was leaning into Josh as he spoke, gently touching his arm from time to time. He seemed interested . . .

  My eyes widened, and I stepped out of Ethan’s arms. He shoved one hand into his pocket, the other rubbing the back of his head as he eyed me warily. I crossed my arms and gave him a stern look.

  He sighed, defeated, and leaned down to speak into my ear. “That’s Ben. Josh’s ex.”

  What? My mind wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Was Josh gay? Was our Bond forcing him into a relationship he otherwise wouldn’t have even considered? I didn’t want that. I didn’t want him to push down a vital part of who he was because of the stupid Light. Because of me.

  I looked back at my beautiful, kind, observant Joshy, and my heart sank. Was I about to lose another one of my Bonded Variants before I even had him? Was I reading them all completely wrong?

  Fourteen

  “Is he gay?” My voice was high and uneven.

  Ethan chuckled and gave me an odd look. “Ben? Yeah, he’s gay.”

  “I meant Josh and you know it.”

  “No. He’s bi. Eve, you know how hot we are for you. He’s mad about you.”

  Now that he mentioned it, I knew our attraction was mutual. I’d felt it on many occasions. Tyler and Alec fried my brain, I was so unsure of where they stood when it came to a romantic relationship, but Ethan and Josh had never given me a reason to wonder. They’d been into me, and all in, from day one. It was only alcohol-fueled insecurity making me question it. And yet . . .

  I nodded and gave Ethan a reassuring smile before looking back at Josh. Ben was leaning right into him, saying something into his ear, his tattooed hand on Josh’s shoulder. On my secret boyfriend’s shoulder!

  My eyes narrowed, and Josh saw me looking. He shook his head a little, warning me off. But it was too late; I needed to get to him.

  “Shit!” Ethan yelled, taking off after me, but his big frame couldn’t navigate the crowd as easily, so I managed to get to the VIP area before he had a chance to divert my attention.

  As much as I wanted to, walking up and removing Ben’s tattoo sleeve with a cheese grater would probably draw too much attention, so instead I headed to the bar, ordering another cocktail for myself and a soda for Josh. Ethan caught up to me just as the bargirl served me the drinks.

  “God, you’re fast,” he said, sounding a little impressed. I gave him a devious smile as I grabbed the drinks and ducked past him, narrowly skirting past Tyler and Alec, who were walking in the opposite direction. Both of them shot me confused glances.

  When I reached the railing where Josh was still speaking with Ben, I pasted a friendly smile on my face, then shoved the arm holding the soda between the two men. “Hey, Josh! I got you another drink. Who’s this?”

  They both stared at me as if I were a crazy person, and then Josh took the drink. “Uh, thanks, Eve. This is Ben. He’s . . .”

  Ethan came barreling through the crowd again. “Would you stop doing that?” he admonished me. Then he turned to Ben, his signature wide smile on his face and his hand out to shake. “Hey, man, how you been?”

  “Good, good. You?” He shook Ethan’s hand while giving all of us a confused look, finally settling on me. “And who’s this?”

  I inched closer to Josh, my arm pressing against his.

  “This is Eve.” Ethan pulled me away from Josh and wrapped his arms around me. “My girlfriend.” He put a bit of emphasis on the word, trying to remind me that the rest of the world thought we were exclusive. I couldn’t seem to find it in me to care, the Light-driven instinct pushing me to remove any perceived threat to my Bond. In this case, the perceived threat was a tall guy with blue hair, lots of tattoos, and sharp cheekbones.

  “Nice to meet you, Eve.” Ben smiled politely. “How long have you guys been together?”

  Alec and Tyler chose that moment to join us.

  “Oh, hey, the whole gang’s here!” Ben smiled wide and greeted them both in turn, although he didn’t shake Alec’s hand.

  They engaged him in conversation, diverting his attention from me and, thankfully, from Josh. After five minutes of this torture, Dot showed up. Ignoring Ben, she declared she needed me to come with her, extracted me from Ethan’s iron grip, and pulled me toward the dark corridor leading to the bathrooms. I threw Josh a pointed look over my shoulder.

  We rounded the corner and she released me. “So, I’m guessing you know that’s Josh’s ex?”

  “Yep.” I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, fighting the urge to run back there.

  “You OK?”

  “I don’t know. What are we doing here?”

  “I figured you guys needed to talk before the situation imploded.”

  “Yeah, probably. But that would require us to be in the same place.”

  “No shit. Don’t get bitchy with me. He’ll follow.”

  I flashed her an apologetic look. It was her birthday, and here she was dealing with my drama. She smiled back before looking over my shoulder and walking back out to the club.

  Josh took her place in front of me, but I couldn’t look at him, opting to focus on his very expensive shoes instead. They were deep red suede, and he’d combined them with black pants and a midnight-blue shirt, the dark hues accentuating his light features.

  “Eve?” Josh sounded as unsure as I felt. He sighed and moved a little closer. “Please say something. Is it . . . Do you have a problem with the fact that I’m . . .”

  “No!” My head whipped up, and my hands went to his shoulders. His green eyes were mesmerizing, dark in the dim lighting of the club. I’d never seen so much insecurity in them. “
That’s not it, Josh.”

  He nodded, still looking unsure, and covered my wrists with his hands, dragging them down to his chest.

  “I mean, when Ethan first told me Ben was your ex, I thought you might be gay, and I was horrified the Bond was making you have feelings for me, but that’s it. I don’t care what label society puts on you. As long as this”—I gestured between us awkwardly, his hand still closed around my wrist—“is genuine and you don’t have to be someone you’re not in order to be Bonded to me.”

  “That’s not what’s happening here. I was attracted to you from the start, before I even realized what you were. Remember? In my room that night, the first time we kissed. How could I have known? That was pure chemistry.”

  I smiled and gravitated farther toward him. “I know. Ethan covered that too.”

  Josh rolled his eyes. “Ethan’s been covering a lot of things I’d like to cover tonight.” His eyes trailed unashamedly down my body, and I smiled, feeling better already. “So, if Ethan explained these things, what’s going on? What was with the weirdness back there?”

  I cringed.

  “Eve.” His voice had that slight scolding tone to it; he wasn’t going to let this go. He released one of my wrists and ghosted his fingers down my jaw, tilting my chin up.

  “Fine.” I caved. “I was jealous.” I put on the most stoic look I could muster, trying to hide my embarrassment “I know that part of it was Light-driven, this force that gets all agitated whenever it feels threatened. But I would be lying if I said it was all Light. I don’t like seeing another person all over you.”

  He smiled, not mocking or indulgent, just open and loving. “I can understand that. I broke up with Ben last year. It wasn’t working. Tonight he was hitting on me. He hopes we might be able to get back together, but I’m not even remotely interested. OK?”

  I nodded and swallowed around the lump in my throat. The possessive jealousy, the worry, the happiness at hearing how he felt about me were all a little overwhelming. The four cocktails probably weren’t helping either. I took a shaky breath, struggling to pull myself back together so we could go back to the party.