Chapter 102

The bar was buzzing when they approached, lights pulsing overhead like the rhythm of their own chaotic heartbeat. Emma leaned over the counter, catching the bartender’s eye with a playful smile. “Four shots of tequila,” she said, then added, “And a mocktail for me. Something sweet, a little spicy.”

“You’re already sweet and spicy,” Abigail muttered beside her, eyes glued to Emma’s legs as she leaned forward.

Emma glanced back with a smirk. “Then I guess I’ll just be hydrated.”

Ashley and Megan sidled up just as the drinks arrived. Megan wasted no time grabbing a lime wedge and tossing back her shot. Ashley followed, then nudged Emma playfully. “How are you the sober one, and somehow the most dangerous?”

Emma took her mocktail, gave a mock curtsy, and said, “Talent.”

Abigail picked up her shot and clinked it against the others. “To bad decisions we’ll definitely make again.”

They downed the shots and made their way to the dance floor, where the music pulsed like a heartbeat, deep and slow at first before switching to something with a sharp, addictive rhythm.

Emma was the first to start moving—hips swaying, arms in the air, her eyes never leaving Abigail’s. The crowd seemed to melt around them, a sea of bodies and lights fading into the background as she moved closer, closer, until Abigail was right in front of her.

Abigail’s hands found Emma’s waist, gripping just enough to guide her into a slow grind. Emma pressed into it with a wicked grin, her arms slinking around Abigail’s neck. “Still thinking about that lap, aren’t you?”

“Thinking about flipping you over my shoulder and taking you back to the booth,” Abigail replied.

Emma laughed, full of mischief. “Dance first.”

A beat dropped—heavy, seductive—and they moved in sync, chest to chest, hips locked, lips brushing but never quite meeting. Megan and Ashley weren’t far off, spinning each other in a mess of sparkles and swagger, Ashley laughing as Megan dipped her low then spun her right back up into a kiss.

The four of them became their own little orbit on the floor—hands tracing curves, lips brushing cheeks, the heat between them thicker than the air.

A stranger tried to wedge in next to Emma, but Abigail stepped in, sliding behind her and pulling Emma flush against her front, possessive but playful.

Emma didn’t even turn to look. “You’re not going to let anyone touch me tonight, are you?”

Abigail’s lips brushed her ear. “Not unless you tell me to.”

Emma’s body shivered, the music vibrating through her bones as she leaned back against Abigail’s chest. “Good answer.”

Megan and Ashley passed them, hands clasped as Megan whispered something that made Ashley blush and nod quickly.

“Round at the bar?” Ashley called over the music.

Emma held up her mocktail. “I’m good.”

Abigail leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. “I’ll get us something cold.”

“Bring back a fan while you’re at it,” Emma teased, fanning herself dramatically.

Abigail just winked and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Emma glowing and breathless on the floor.

The music wrapped around Emma like silk, smooth and heavy with bass. She was still on the dance floor when the woman stepped up beside her — tall, confident, and bold, her lips curled into a flirtatious smirk.

“You’re too fine to be out here dancing alone,” the woman said, leaning in just enough to be heard over the music. “Let me change that.”

Emma didn’t respond immediately. Her eyes had already found Abigail at the bar, just as she turned from the bartender, two drinks in hand. The second their gazes met across the crowd, the noise of the club faded into the background.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Emma’s lips. She didn’t look at the stranger again — not once. Instead, she stepped back into the music, letting the rhythm guide her body in slow, sensual waves. Every movement was deliberate — hips rolling, arms lifting, fingers tracing down her sides — her eyes never leaving Abigail’s.

Abigail slowed as she made her way toward her, drink in each hand, mesmerized by the way Emma moved. The crowd parted slightly around her like it knew she was the only destination Emma was dancing for.

Emma turned slowly, giving Abigail a view of the curve of her back, then rolled her hips in a figure-eight, hair falling over one shoulder as she arched into the music. It wasn’t just a dance — it was a performance, and Abigail was the only audience that mattered.

The woman beside Emma finally noticed, chuckling as she followed Emma’s gaze and realized she was no competition. “Damn,” she said under her breath, “I see how it is.”

Emma still didn’t acknowledge her. She just reached out slowly for Abigail as she approached, one hand beckoning her with a lazy curl of her fingers.

Abigail didn’t speak, didn’t blink. She just handed Emma her drink, then set her own aside on the nearest ledge without breaking eye contact. The second Emma placed the drink down, she stepped right into Abigail’s space, arms curling around her neck as she pulled her in.

“You like what you saw?” Emma whispered into her ear.

Abigail’s hands slid to her waist, gripping her tighter. “You trying to kill me in public?”

Emma grinned wickedly, then started to grind slow and steady against her, keeping the same hypnotic rhythm she’d used before. “Just reminding you who this body dances for.”

Abigail leaned in and pressed a slow, open-mouthed kiss to Emma’s neck, just under her jaw. “Mission accomplished.”

In the distance, the woman gave a little shake of her head and wandered off into the crowd. And Emma? She never even saw her leave.

Just as Abigail was about to press another kiss to Emma’s neck, two familiar voices cut through the music like a record scratch — in the best way.

“Okay damn,” Megan said, weaving through the crowd with Ashley in tow, both holding fresh drinks and wearing matching wide-eyed grins. “From our point of view? That was some real main-character, enemies-to-lovers tension. Like—cinematic.”

Ashley cackled, leaning into Megan’s side. “I thought y’all were about to start a whole scene right here on the floor. That poor girl next to Emma? Looked like she got hit with the ‘you were never in the running’ card.”

“She disappeared so fast,” Megan added, sipping her drink and wiggling her eyebrows. “Straight up blinked out of existence. Boom. Gone. Teleported back to her group chat to tell them she got out-danced by love.“

Abigail smirked and held Emma tighter, pressing a kiss to her temple. “What can I say? My girl’s got that pull.”

Emma laughed into Abigail’s neck, cheeks flushed and glowing. “Y’all are wild.”

Ashley grinned. “No, y’all are wild. We’re just here for the show.”

Megan lifted her drink. “To Emma singlehandedly ending that woman’s night with nothing but eye contact and hip rolls.”

Ashley clinked her glass against Megan’s. “And to Abigail looking like she was about to risk it all… in public.”

Abigail looked down at Emma, eyes full of heat and affection. “She’s worth every risk.”

Emma blushed and covered her face for a second. “Okay, okay, can we not make me melt in the middle of the club?”

Megan leaned in, fake whispering, “Too late, baby girl. You puddled.”

________

The night air was cool against their flushed skin as they poured out of the club, laughter trailing behind them. Their buzz wasn’t just from the drinks—it was from the heat, the dancing, and the way each of their connections had deepened without a single word needing to be said.

Everyone piled in. Megan and Ashley took the back seat, already tangled together before Emma even started the engine. Ashley was straddling Megan with zero shame, her lips locked on Megan’s, hands roaming freely under her oversized tee. Megan’s hands slid up the back of Ashley’s thighs, her laughter muffled between kisses.

Abigail buckled into the passenger seat and immediately placed her hand on Emma’s thigh, her touch warm and teasing. At first, Emma tried to focus on driving. Keyword: tried.

But with every red light and every slow turn, Abigail’s hand slid a little higher.

Emma’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as Abigail’s hand slid just a little higher on her thigh, the slow drag of her fingers sending heat straight through her. Emma flicked her gaze sideways, catching the mischief burning in Abigail’s eyes.

“You keep playing like that,” Emma said in a low, warning voice, “you better have me tapping out later.”

Abigail smirked, her voice thick with tequila and desire. “That’s the plan.”

In the backseat, Ashley broke her kiss with Megan just long enough to lean forward and grin. “Y’all are so dramatic up there. We get it—you’re obsessed.”

Emma shot a look in the rearview mirror. “You’ve been straddling Megan since we left the club.”

Ashley shrugged with a playful laugh. “And I’m not even sorry.”

Abigail glanced back with a teasing glint. “You two gonna make it to the front door or…?”

Megan just gave a lazy smirk, arms snug around Ashley’s waist. “Only if the door opens in under five seconds.”

Emma pulled into the parking garage and shifted into park, then turned fully toward Abigail. The air between them sparked again. Her voice dipped, smoky and soft. “Still drunk?”

Abigail leaned in, lips brushing Emma’s ear. “Drunk enough to say things I mean.”

“Oh?” Emma whispered, tilting her head. “Like what?”

Abigail’s hand slid up, fingers grazing the hem of Emma’s dress. “Like I’ve been thinking about your legs wrapped around me all night. Like I want to taste you before I even get my shoes off.”

Emma inhaled sharply, her eyes fluttering closed for a beat. “Better carry me fast then.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Behind them, Megan cleared her throat. “Do we need to flip a coin for the elevator first, or…?”

Everyone burst into laughter, the tension crackling between the four of them but softening into something fun and electric. As they piled out of the car, shoes clicking on concrete and kisses already starting again, the night wasn’t anywhere near over—it was just about to get interesting.