Stepping up to the bar I order myself another Long Island iced tea. Whoever organized this party made it a free bar, but I push a tip into the jar and then move off to the side, standing on the edge of the dance floor with the shadowy trees behind me.

A prickle of awareness washes over me and I tense, suddenly feeling like I’m being watched, but there’s no way Sebastian is here. If he cared enough to come, he’d already be laying claim to me, making sure everyone around knew who I belonged to.

“Where’s your friend?”

Gasping, I turn toward the sound and find Sebastian standing placidly at my side, his hands in his pockets.

“She’s dancing,” I tell him.

“I meant your male friend.” His face the picture of unassuming placidity.

“Oh.” Sudden panic floods me, but why am I worried he might have seen me dancing with another guy, I’m not his and he is most definitely not mine. “I needed another drink.” I lift my glass and he smiles.

“I see, he didn’t really strike me as your type.”

“My type? What would that be exactly?”

“Someone who provokes a reaction a little stronger than confusion and discomfort from you,” he replies, leaning in so I can hear him over the volume of the music and the roar of the party going on around us.

“Maybe I’m just not used to dancing with strangers at parties, I’m not exactly a social butterfly.”

“Hmm, maybe. Or maybe he just didn’t do anything for you.”

I nod noncommittally. “You’re right, redheads aren’t what I’m craving, I’ll try a brunette next time.”

His laugh sounds menacing even through the volume of the music and the sounds of the party going on around us.

“By all means, don’t let me stop you.” Lifting his arm, he gestures to the mass of dancers.

I don’t want to go back out there, dancing with Sammy was fun, but allowing guys to touch me feels… wrong. I’ve avoided all human contact for so long and now that there’s no little voice warning me he’ll find out, I can’t stand the thought of anyone’s hands on me but his. But I don’t want him to think I’m stopping myself because of him, so I lift my glass into the air and offer him a silent toast, forging forward into the crowd until I find Sammy. She and her friend have come up for air, now he’s curled around her back, grinding to the dirty bass line while he nibbles on her neck.

“Starling, where did you go?” she asks, her voice a little slurred.

“To get a drink, you were busy or else I’d have gotten you one.”

Smiling drunkenly, she waves me off. “It’s fine, Rob.” She stops, and glances over her shoulder to the guy who’s dry humping her butt. “Rob?”

“Ross,” he smiles.

Laughing, she turns back to me. “Ross is going to get us drinks.”

When Ross detaches himself from her, she throws her arms around my neck and hugs me tightly. When she leans back, she leaves one arm curled around me and starts to grind with me in the way that girls do when they want guys to look at them.