Emily gives in

Emily exhaled, a shaky breath lost beneath the pulse of bass. The boy in front grinned when he felt her hips loosen, like he knew the moment she gave in. She moved with him, awkward for a beat, then smoother, her body falling into rhythm almost against her will.

Behind her, the second boy’s grip firmed on her waist, pulling her tighter against him. His hips rolled to the beat, pressing into her ass. She gasped, then closed her eyes, letting the music swallow her.

The living room was a crush of heat and sweat. All around them, couples and groups danced just as close, some grinding shamelessly, some making out, others spilling drinks as they bounced with the bass. No one was staring at her in particular—she was just another girl caught in the blur of lights and sound.

Her tanktop clung damply to her, nipples tight and visible, but no one paid her any more mind than they did the girl on the coffee table stripping down to her bra. Here, she blended in, lost in the chaos.

The boy in front slid his hands down her sides, resting on her hips. He guided her sway, pulling her closer until their thighs brushed, his mouth hovering near her ear. She let him, her arms lifting to drape loosely over his shoulders.

The one behind groaned low, leaning down so his lips brushed her hair. His body was firm against hers, the outline of him unmistakable. Her breath caught, then escaped in a soft moan that disappeared beneath the pounding bass.

Emily’s head tipped back against his shoulder, her hair tumbling loose from its tie. Her lips parted, her body moving without thought between the two of them. She could feel heat rising under her skin, liquid, insistent, dangerous.

For a fleeting moment she forgot why she was even there. She wasn’t the messenger aunt anymore. She wasn’t Jason’s distracted wife, or Chloe’s tired mother. She was just another body on the dance floor, pressed between two strangers, moving to music that demanded nothing but surrender.