Dark Woods

Chapter 8

"And there goes your partner," Nick says, watching Sarah walk away toward Jacob with this knowing grin. "Hey Gab, you wanna play? Jasmine needs a partner, or I'll completely destroy her."

"You wish! I can take both of you without even trying," Jasmine says with this challenging grin that makes my d**k twitch. The confidence in her voice, the way she stands there like she owns the f*****g place—it's doing things to me that I don't understand.

"Yeah, Alpha Gabriel, you should join us," Kylie says with a sly smirk in Jasmine's direction, like she knows exactly what she's doing.

I watch as Jasmine blushes and turns her head to check out the people dancing on the other side of the pool, suddenly super aware that I'm here. Good. She should be thinking about me.

The way her cheeks flush pink makes me want to see what other parts of her body turn that same color when she's aroused. I bet her n*****s get rosy when she's turned on, and f**k, I'd love to find out.

"Yeah, let's do this," I say, dropping my voice low as I move closer to her. I can hear her heartbeat speed up as I get near, and the sound makes my own pulse race. I position myself right behind her, my chest almost touching her back, and lean down so my breath's warm against her ear. "Hope you can keep up with me."

The double meaning isn't lost on either of us, and I can smell how her scent shifts—desire mixed with nervous excitement. f**k, she smells amazing when she's turned on.

I let my hand rest on her hip, my thumb stroking over the fabric of her dress. The material's so thin I can feel the heat of her skin underneath, and it takes everything I have not to slide my hand lower. She doesn't pull away, and that simple acceptance makes me wanna drag her somewhere private and show her exactly what I'm thinking about.

"Y'all ready to get completely destroyed?" Nick calls from across the table, completely oblivious to the tension crackling between me and Jasmine.

"You wish, Deluca!" Jasmine manages to say, her voice a little breathless as she turns to face me. She has to tilt her head way back to meet my eyes, and I get this surge of satisfaction at how I'm affecting her.

My eyes get darker as I look down at her, and I move my hand from her hip to the small of her back, pulling her just a little closer. "You're feisty, and I f*****g love it," I say, my voice rough with want. The way she looks up at me, lips slightly parted, makes it clear she knows I'm not just talking about beer pong.

During the game, I can't keep my hands off her. Every time she makes a shot, I let my hand slide across her lower back like I'm congratulating her. When she leans over the table to throw, I step up behind her, my body caging her in, my hand settling possessively on her waist. Each touch makes her breath catch, and I can smell how much she likes it.

"Nice shot," I murmur against her ear after she nails another cup, my lips almost brushing her skin. My hand slides from her waist to rest on her hip, squeezing gently. "You're full of surprises."

The scent of her arousal gets stronger every time I touch her, and it's driving me f*****g crazy. I want to spin her around, pin her against this table, and show her what happens to girls who tease me like this.

When some drunk asshole walks by and his eyes linger on her ass, I immediately step closer, my arm wrapping around her waist from behind, pulling her back against my chest. The guy gets the message and keeps walking, but I don't let go. Mine, my brain keeps saying, even though I don't get where the hell that's coming from.

"You okay?" Jasmine asks, looking up at me over her shoulder, and f**k, the way she fits against me is perfect.

"Perfect," I say, but my jaw's still tight from wanting to punch that guy. My arm stays around her waist, my thumb tracing small circles on her hip through the dress.

I can feel every curve of her body pressed against mine, and it's taking everything I have not to get hard right here in front of everyone. The way she melts into my touch, how she doesn't pull away—it's like she belongs here, in my arms.

After three games, Kylie drags Jasmine toward the dance floor, and I immediately miss the feel of her against me. Nick just stands there staring at Kylie like a lovesick puppy. We grab spots at the bar closest to the dancing, where Nick's jaw gets tight every time some guy walks up to Kylie, only relaxing when she turns them down.

I find myself completely obsessed with watching Jasmine. The way her body moves to the music, how her hips sway and her ass moves in that tight dress—it's driving me f*****g crazy. I can't stop picturing what it would feel like to have those hips grinding against me, her body pressed up against mine while I show her how a real man moves. She's magnetic, pulling my attention like nothing else in the room matters. I want to get my hands all over that body, feel every curve while she moans my name. The thought hits me harder than I expected, and I take a long drink, trying to shake the images of her naked and writhing underneath me.

My enhanced hearing picks up her laugh over the music, and despite myself, I find my lips curving into a smile. I've never been the type to get distracted by anyone, but Jasmine has me completely hooked.

When some guy tries to dance up on her, my hands clench around my beer so hard I'm shocked the bottle doesn't shatter. But she steps away from him, shaking her head, and I relax a little. Good girl. She knows who she belongs to.

Wait, what the f**k? Where are these thoughts coming from?

The possessive feelings are getting stronger, and I don't understand it. I've never given a s**t about who any girl dances with before. But watching other guys even look at Jasmine makes me want to commit murder.

"Hey Nicky, what're you doing here?"

Nick's shoulders go stiff. "Samantha. Hey."

I turn to see Samantha Rivera sliding up to our group, all fake t**s and bleached hair. She's one of Nick's many exes, and from the look on his face, not one he's happy to see.

"Oh, come on, are you still mad at me?" Samantha purrs, sliding onto Nick's lap without being invited. "If you are, I know ten ways to make it up to you."

"Not interested, Samantha." Nick tries pushing her off, but she holds on tighter, pressing her t**s against his chest.

"Don't be like that. I'll make it worth your while." She leans in and inappropriately licks his face, and I can see Nick's disgust from here.

"Samantha, stop! Get off me now!" Nick's voice drops to that commanding tone that usually makes people back down.

"The man doesn't want you. f**k off," I snap, my irritation crystal clear. I'm already on edge from watching guys check out Jasmine, and I don't have patience for this drama.

Samantha huffs and storms off, her friends scrambling after her like lost puppies.

"What the hell was that about?" Jasmine snaps, marching over with her arms crossed. She's pissed, and somehow that makes her even sexier.

"Nothing. She came onto me," Nick says, looking grateful for the rescue.

"Well, because of you and that 'nothing,' Kylie wants to go home." Jasmine's voice is ice cold. "So, I guess I'll see you guys later."

No. No f*****g way is she leaving.

"Wait, what? Where is she?" Nick jumps up, practically running toward the house to find his mate.

"Are all guys this dramatic?" Jasmine grabs my beer and drops into the seat beside me, downing the whole thing in one go.

I watch her, fascinated by the fire in her eyes and how she just claimed my drink like it's the most natural thing in the world. Something about that simple act of taking what's mine sends heat straight to my d**k. "No, we're not. Nick just has... baggage. Sometimes it's hard to escape your past."

I shift my chair closer to hers, my knee bumping against her thigh. She doesn't move away, and I let my leg stay pressed against hers, enjoying the contact. Even through our clothes, I can feel the heat of her skin, and it's driving me crazy.

"So do you have baggage?" She raises an eyebrow, and I feel my pulse speed up at the direct challenge in her voice.

"Why d'you wanna know?" I reach out, gently grasping her chin and tilting her face toward mine. The contact sends electricity through me, and her blue eyes are even more stunning up close—intense and searching. My thumb strokes over her jawline, and I feel her shiver under my touch.

Fuck, she's so responsive. I wonder how she'd react if I touched her everywhere.

"I just wanna know you," she says softly, her voice barely audible over the music. "You're... intriguing."

The honesty in her voice catches me off guard. Most girls just want to f**k an alpha. But Jasmine... she actually wants to know me. The real me, not just the image.

I lean closer, drawn in by her honesty and how she doesn't pull away from my touch. Her scent fills my senses—something uniquely her that makes my head spin. I move my other hand to rest on her thigh, my fingers spreading possessively over the bare skin below her dress. The space between us disappears as I move closer, my eyes dropping to her lips.

Her skin's so soft under my hand, and I can feel her pulse racing under my touch. She's nervous but not scared, and that combination is intoxicating. I want to slide my hand higher, find out if she's as wet as I think she is.

Finally. I'm gonna kiss her, and then she'll know she's mine.

The noise of the party fades away until it's just us. Her breathing's shallow, her lips slightly parted, and I can see the want in her eyes that matches what I'm feeling. This isn't just attraction—this is something deeper, something that scares the hell out of me but I can't fight anymore.

My hand tightens on her thigh as I lean in, and I can hear her sharp intake of breath. Her eyes flutter closed, and I'm about to close the distance when urgent footsteps pound toward us.

"Gabriel! Gabriel, we need you!"

I feel my jaw clench hard, irritation flaring hot in my chest at the interruption. My hand tightens on her thigh, and I have to resist the urge to tell whoever it is to f**k off so I can finish what I started.

I was so f*****g close.

Jasmine's eyes snap open, the moment broken, and I want to murder whoever just ruined this. I was about to kiss her, about to claim her, and some asshole had to interrupt.

I turn to see Jamie running toward us, panic written all over his face.

This better be f*****g important.