Old Money - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 12

"Wo-hoah." A buttery voice breathed out behind Audrey. "Audrey's looking stunning as ever."

She turned around carefully, a smile coating her lips, but it wasn't exactly who she'd pictured it being. Or at least, who she'd hoped it was.

Josh and his posse. If posse is even a word people use anymore.

The conversation with Rafe left her feeling uneasy. She wanted to throw up, but knew she should enjoy the party. This only comes once a year.

"Don't act so happy to see me." Josh continued, and Audrey realized how long she'd kept the silence in the air.

A smile plastered on her face, she replied, "Thank you, Josh." She eyed all of his friends. None of them were particularly anything special. Though, no one really was to Audrey. Well, no one but one person. And that person seemed to be keeping their distance.

"Care to dance? Since the last time we got interrupted." He laughed. She gave a nervous chuckle staring down at her feet.

"Yeah... um..." She glanced over to where she remembered Rafe being, and sure enough, he was watching their conversation. Why should he care? "I don't know if that would... go over well."

"What do you mean?"

She moved her eyes back over to Rafe, Josh and his friends all turning as well, seeing Rafe there, not letting his guard down as he sucked down his beer.

"What about him? What's he going to do?" He held out his hand, waiting for Audrey to take it, which she didn't. "Just one song. What's the worst that can happen?"

He sure did have a charm to him, because Audrey found her teeth nabbing at her bottom lip as she placed her hand on top of his, and it didn't end after one song. It ended abruptly in the middle of the third.

They started off slow, dancing with a lot of space between the two of them. But by the time the second song hit, his line of vision dragged lower onto her body, taking in every inch and every curve.

To be honest, she didn't mind it. But she didn't want anything to get much further. Her family was at this event. Hell, her brother was just thirty feet away from her.

Josh let Audrey spin out, then pulled her back and they laughed, but he pulled her a little more harshly than she'd expected, and she failed to turn entirely, when her backside hit his front. She stepped forward, hating that it seemed like he was making it much more sexual than it had to be.

"Sorry." He shrugged, giving her a look like a predator hunting its prey, and she could tell that her face didn't totally hide her disgust. She looked around the party, wondering if any of her family was watching, which they fortunately weren't, but her favorite dirty-blonde by the bar definitely was.

But Josh didn't pull away despite her obvious look of disinterest. "You're a little less...lively tonight. Can I see a smile?"

"I think I just need a drink." She lied, wanting an excuse to stop dancing. "And some air."

She began to walk when he pulled her back and offered, "I'll get your drink" and she watched him walk towards the bar, interacting with the bartender and stealing a couple glances at Rafe, who didn't bother to look at him.

Audrey backed out of the group of dancers. They were getting too close and too crowded for her liking. To be completely honest, looking out at the marsh in the dark lighting, she wished that she was out there with the pogues.

She started to walk towards the marsh, only leaving the vicinity of the party by about thirty feet when...

"Was I a bad dancer?" Josh said smugly, causing her to stop in her tracks, letting out a pained sigh and turn to face him. She raised her eyebrows at him, and when he decided he wouldn't be getting a response, and continued, "Look, I think you're hot, okay? Is that so bad?" He smiled again, feeling proud of himself.