The Outlaw

13

THIRTEEN

                  

The Sigma Pi frat house was vibrating along with the thumping bass of the music that encouraged a number of students to move onto the make-shift dancefloor and grind shamelessly to the beat. I was in the middle of the crush, swaying my hips innocuously with Scarlett, admiring the deep hue of her strawberry blonde tresses under the black lights. I laughed along with the silly faces she made while she twirled and whipped her hair around, being her usual melodramatic self but still managed to make it seem cool.

"You're the star of the show, Red." I smiled, observing sorority sisters glare at her with something that resembled envy. I would have too because she looked killer in her silver halter top and tight black jeans.

My best friend rolled her hazel-coloured eyes, still dancing. "Everyone's looking at you, Maddie, not me. Chances are you'll be the talk of the school for weeks after the stunt Travis pulled tonight."

That brought me down a bit. I slowed my rhythm, my movements becoming staccato, absorbing what she said for a minute. Noting my reaction, Scarlett pulled me toward the kitchen and poured two shot glasses. I immediately guzzled the alcohol down, grimacing as it burned my throat. My teeth and lips were already numb from the shots I'd polished off in the past couple of hours, warmth steadily coiling in my gut.

"Never mind Travis won the fight tonight within the first round? That should be the news, not what happened after." I waved my hands dismissively.

Turned out Hank and Benny were right. The opponent Travis was up against—the amateur that stood in the way between Travis and the Perses tournament? He went down in mere seconds with a swift rush of crushing blows from the Outlaw himself.

But that wasn't the kicker. Before Travis could be announced as the winner, he'd bolted out of the cage impatiently and came straight toward me; where I'd been on the side-lines, cheering him on. He'd picked me up and kissed me long and deep in front of everyone before I'd even knew his intent.

My lips tingled with remembered pleasure. I couldn't even be mad that he did that because truth be told... I'd liked it. I'd never felt so cherished and wanted as I did in that moment. It made it harder to separate the no-strings attached Travis from the Travis I was so well-acquainted with.

Tipping my head back, I sucked down the second shot, the glass clinking against my teeth before I slammed it onto the counter upside down. "Let's go dance, again."

We were three songs out when Scarlett and I were plastered between two very yummy males, smiling as we engaged in a bump-and-grind sandwich. My steps were clumsy, more stumbling than practiced grace. I giggled at Scarlett and the guy she was dancing with, who was having a very hard time keeping up with her.

Awareness prickled across my skin. I pivoted on my heels and saw Travis saunter into the room with that measured stride. As always, he commandeered the space around him, easily drawing the attention of almost everyone in the room.

But right then he was only staring at me.

Captured by the smouldering look in those intensely green eyes, I could feel that inexplicable magnetic pull between us, the electric charge reverberating across my skin. I was instantly hot for him, heat arrowing sinuously to my core.

He frowned as his gaze slid to the blond-haired male curved against my back, noticing his hands on my waist. Travis prowled closer, the weight of anticipation growing with every step.

Just as he reached me, I took a step forward only to be tugged back into the blonde's chest, his lips sliding over my bare shoulder, completely unaware of the dark figure scowling with his jaw clenched just a few feet away.