Page 40 of Cruel Embers
Okay, no more alcohol for me tonight. All that bubbly has clearly gone to my head. I’ve always loved dancing, hence my desire to be on stage, and I have to say he’s got rhythm.
I lose myself in the music, loving how he keeps a hand on my hip, guiding me with his movements.
“Vi, do you know that girl?” Nathan asks, his voice thick and husky.
I open my eyes and tilt my head to the side to look at him. “Who?”
He grabs my hand, twirls me, and holds me still. I feel his breath before he speaks again. “The woman just behind the barrier, with the purple top.”
My eyes slowly roam the area, and I tense when I see who he is talking about—Tanya. And she looks livid.
I turn in Nathan's arms and wrap my arms around his neck, my hand going to the back of his neck to pull his head lower as I go up on tiptoes, my mouth close to his ear. “It’s my ex.”
His hands slide to the small of my back but go no further.
“She looks a little jealous, even from here,” he replies. “Shit, she’s coming over.”
Dropping my arms from his neck, I turn to face Tanya. They won’t let her past the rope, and I know if I don’t intervene she’ll make a scene, and this is still my place of work, and she knows it.
She points me out to Aidan, who looks at me, and I nod my head for him to let her through. I feel Nathan's hands squeeze my hips as she approaches with a scowl. Great, she looks drunk and is totally killing my buzz.
“Who the hell is the action man?” she demands, and I hear Nathan chuckle behind me.
“None of your business, Tanya. What do you want?”
Her eyes flick to Nathan and then back to me.
“Please don’t tell me this is who you’re rebounding me for.”
My hands move to Nathan’s and ease them away from my hips. It’s hard to think straight while he’s touching me, and I’m pretty sure my nipples are giving me away, too, through the lacy bra and the thin material of my dress. And as if on cue, her eyes lower to said nipples.
“Don’t be so crass, Tanya. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
She points to herself. “Me, I’m not the one who goes from being with a woman to being with a man. Make a damn choice, Violet. And you wonder why you’re so hard to love.”
Those last three words cut deeper than anything else she could have said.
Nathan moves beside me so fast that I have to wrap my arm around his waist to steady myself.
“I think you need to leave,” he grits out.
Wow, he sure is protective.
“Mind your business. She’ll get bored of you soon enough and come running back to me.”
I shake my head. Okay, yeah, I’ve had enough. Letting go of Nathan, I step in front of him.
“Tanya, do yourself a favour and fuck off. And for someone who claims that love is love, you sure have many prejudices on the matter. We’re done and have been for months, goodbye.”
I grab hold of Nathan's hand and tug him along with me.
We stop at the cloakroom, neither of us speaks as we receive our coats and step outside.
The cold air hits me, stinging my cheeks as I bend over, putting my hands on my knees to suck in a lungful of air.
“Are you okay?” Nathan asks, concern lacing his voice, but it sounds far away after being in the club with the music pumping and then having to shout over it to be heard.
I stand to my full height. “I’m great, actually. I’ve never told her to fuck off before.” It was strangely exhilarating.
