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She was over him. One thousand percent done. He wasn’t worth another shred of her time.
So why was she sitting here thinking about his reaction to her outfit?
Ellie internally scolded herself as she got ready to meet the team for drinks and dancing. She’d declined the offers to get out frequently enough over the past months, citing she needed time to get back into painting. What a load of crap that was. No- in actuality, she needed time to recover from her mental breakdown in the gym a few months back. After her collapse, she went home, took a long hot shower, called out sick, and decided to rally. Letting it all out had felt- freeing, almost. It wasn’t enough, it wasn’t quite closure, but it would have to do. She cried over him and now she would move on.
At least, that’s what she kept telling herself, yet...
Kasie had decided she was forcing Ellie out and invited the team along with them. This new Latin club was opening in downtown DC and they “ needed to salsa the case away ” according to Kasie earlier.
Which is how Ellie found herself standing in front of her floor length mirror staring at a get-up so far from what she’d typically wear it was outrageous. She knew Kasie and Jack would say something, McGee and Jimmy would raise their eyebrows at her, Nick though...well, let’s just say she really wasn’t thinking about Nick’s reaction...no- not at all.
I don't care if you're here
Or if you're not alone
I don't care, it's been too long
It's kinda like we didn't happen
The way that your lips move
The way you whisper slow
I don't care, it's good as gone (uh)
So when she stepped out of her uber and already heard a pulsing beat escaping the open club door, Ellie’s confidence soared. Immediately heads whipped in her direction and guys visibly drank her in. All thoughts of Nick vanished, or that’s what she was going with if anyone asked. She refused to care if he would actually show, hell he could bring a date and she wouldn’t mind. No- not tonight. Tonight was the start of new Ellie, bold-take-no-prisoners Ellie.
Kasie, closely followed by Tim and Jimmy, chose that moment to emerge from their ride. An exuberant “ damn Bishop! ” came from Kasie as she looked her up and down. Much like Ellie expected, the boys said nothing, just wore mildly shocked expressions and averted their eyes to the club entrance. Kasie walked up and tried to pinch at Ellie’s top, but it didn’t give. The black leather strapless with red buttons corset was skintight, just like her matching leather leggings with mesh down the sides, they both moved like a second skin. Black heeled ankle boots, smoky eyes, and a bright red leather choker to match her red lipstick finished out the look. Ellie was dressed to kill and she knew it.
She heard a familiar laugh up ahead and her eyes snapped to Nick’s muscular back. A leather jacket stretched across it as he gestured to a tall, busty brunette in line. Nick leaned forward and Ellie saw his lips move as he whispered in her ear. The woman’s immediate blush and smile was a knife to the chest. Despite Ellie’s black outfit, she saw green. With a shake of her head, she pushed it out—she would not let thoughts of what could have been ruin her night. Their- mistake...was so long ago, it was basically like it didn’t happen. Ellie would do well to remember that.
I said I won't lose control, I don't want it (ooh)
I said I won't get too close, but I can't stop it
Jimmy noticed Nick next and called over to him, waving in his normal slightly frantic manner to join them. Nick said one last thing to the brunette before sauntering over to their group. His eyes slid past Jimmy’s form and traveled over Tim’s face with a normal, welcoming smile, until they finally landed on Ellie. His smile faltered and his pupils dilated, a small stutter in his step barely noticeable to anyone else but her. Fire raged through Ellie, he wasn’t as unaffected by her as he put out. A anything but innocent smile tugged at the corners of her lips as Nick came to a stop and had to visibly swallow and tear his eyes off of her before greeting the rest of the team. She felt the pull to stand closer, to accidentally brush his side, make that spark in his eyes come alive.
She knew it was a mistake, she didn’t want Nick, really- she didn’t. Liar, she hissed at herself.
Oh no, there you go, making me a liar
Got me begging you for more
Oh no, there I go, startin' up a fire
Oh no, no (oh no)
Finally, the group converged and made their way through the doors of the club. A trumpeted beat came through low and deep in the speakers. The salsa undertones hard to ignore. Ellie felt the music pulsing through her veins, or was that how close she was to Nick? His fingers brushed the side of her leather leggings as he moved between the crowds, finding the team a table. They left a burning sensation in their path. Ellie clamped her lips down tight as a whimper for more almost escaped. She’d missed his touch, his fingers, his kiss...
No. She didn’t want Nick, she repeated in her head. Before that tiny voice whispered again, Liar.
You're watching, I feel it (hey)
I know I shouldn't stare (yeah, yeah)
I picture your hands on me (I think I wanna let it happen)
But what if, you kiss me? (Yeah)
And what if, I like it?
And no one sees it
Determined to move on, or at least show Nick that she’d moved on, Ellie quickly motioned for a drink when they found their table. Within seconds the bartender was back with a cocktail Ellie didn’t know the name of. Knocking it back with a gulp, she stood up. “Straightening” her corset, even though she damn well knew it hadn’t moved, she caught Nick’s heated gaze as her hands when to very slightly push up and adjust the girls in their tight confines. For a brief fleeting moment she felt Nick’s hands touching herself instead—a shiver went through her.
Ellie made a sweeping invitation to join her on the dance floor and got very resounding no’s from the team. Mumbling about not having enough in them or enough rhythm to dance to this song, they shook their heads and went back to their conversation. Nick was the only one who stayed silent, never taking his eyes off of Ellie’s cleavage spilling over her top. She shrugged her shoulders and with a slight tilt to her head, spun on her heel to make her way to the dance floor. Find a built guy who could take her mind off a certain someone. Did she maybe put a little sway in her step for Nick? She’d never tell.
Finding a spot was easy, the crowd seemed to part for her. Ellie turned back towards the table and couldn’t help but stare at Nick. The rhythm came easily for her, circling her hips in time to the music Ellie began to get lost in the beat. She felt the man come up behind her before she saw it, and she leaned in. A hip pop there, a bend and slow pull up here, was all she needed to get the guy into it. His hands rested on her hips in a matter of seconds, slowly they skimmed down her thighs as she bent at the knee and did a short shimmy down and up. Her eyes never left Nick’s—she was taunting him and she couldn’t stop. She wasn’t picturing this random guy behind her, no- she was picturing Nick. His hands gripping her hips, his hands trailing around her upper thigh, his hands running up her sides brushing the underside of her breasts. His lips kissing her neck as his hands spun her around sharply to take her mouth.
Why did she like that picture? She didn’t want Nick. Don’t be a liar, she scolded herself softly as her resolve crumbled a tiny bit more.
I said I won't lose control, I don't want it (ooh)
I said I won't get too close, but I can't stop it (no)
When the guy brushed Ellie’s hair off her shoulder, freeing her long neck, apparently Nick snapped. Slamming his drink down on the table, much to the surprise of Tim and Jimmy—but don’t think Ellie missed the wicked gleam in Kasie’s eye—Nick forcefully made his way to the dance floor. The neanderthal vibe was washing off him in waves. Nostrils were flared, muscles tense, eyes black as ink. He was pissed.
Finally he reached where Ellie and random guy were still practically grinding. It took everything in her not to jump Nick’s bones right then and there. She said she wouldn’t lose her precious control. She would not get close to Nick again, that ends in disaster, remember?
So why couldn’t she stop herself? She didn’t want Nick. Liar.
Oh no, there you go, you're making me a liar
I kinda like it though
Oh no, there I go, startin' up a fire
Oh no, no
Nick’s murderous glare was enough for the man to take a hint. Ellie felt the absence of his body within seconds of Nick arriving. Hips keeping time to the beat, she didn’t stop dancing. Instead, a pretty little pout formed on her lips, “Nick you scared him off, I was just beginning to like him,” she said in a sickly sweet tone.
His scoff was palpable. “Lying isn’t becoming on you Ellie,” he said deadly serious.
This caveman Nick was hot. If Ellie was wearing any undies- they’d be drenched. A fire was building in her as he stewed and she couldn’t stop it.
Oh no, no, no
Yeah, don't struggle, no, no
Startin' up a fire
A glance down to his now even tighter jeans told her Nick was struggling to keep his composure. She wasn’t the only one not immune to this five alarm blaze roaring within her.
I don't believe myself when I
Say that I don't need you, oh
I don't believe myself when I say it
So, don't believe me
Nick still stood stock-still. He took a half step closer to her which meant their breaths mingled. Ellie suddenly stopped swinging her hips dramatically to the salsa beat. In a rare moment of vulnerability she whispered so softly she wasn’t sure he’d hear—and she wasn’t sure she wanted him too— ”I don’t need you.”
Time seemed to stop as his eyes widened infinitesimally. He heard. Immediately she did a one-eighty and resumed her dancing. She didn’t believe herself and she knew Nick would see that if he saw her face. How desperately she wanted him to call her on the lie. She knew she was- inside... liar.
Oh no, there you go, you're making me a liar
Got me begging you for more
Oh no, there I go, startin' up a fire
Oh no, no (oh no)
Oh no, there you go, you're making me a liar
I kinda like it though
Oh no, there I go, startin' up a fire
Oh no, no
Her feet tapped to the rhythm, running with that salsa origin. A dip behind the one foot, a flutter step, a dip behind the other. When the bass drum beat strong, her hips jerked in time. Without warning Nick’s chest was practically pressed to her back. His hands found her hips like a heat-seeking missile. He kept up with ease as his fingers gripped her side, sure to leave a mark. Ellie threw her head back onto his shoulder and enjoyed feeling the pulsing music wash over her. A strangled “Nick” made it through her lips on its own accord. Ellie didn’t beg, at least- she didn’t use to beg.
With a low growl only she could hear, he tugged at her and in seconds her ass was flush with the hard evidence of his desire. He was making a liar out of her and she didn’t even care. She began this evening knowing she’d start a fire, looks like she was right.
Yeah, uh, yeah, yeah
Uh, yeah
Oh no, no, no, oh no, no, no
Oh no, you're making me a liar
'Cause my clothes are on the floor
The trumpet solo pushed her forward. The moment the horns came blaring through the speakers, Ellie sunk fast to the dance floor. She channeled her inner-Camila and slowly rose back to standing, her knees straightening ever so incrementally to highlight her best..assets. Grinding the curve of her ass into Nick’s groin, she knew she hit home as his grip tightened to the point of painful pleasure. Nick’s right hand slipped from its spot on her hip and dipped towards her inner thigh. His hot breath tingled the sensitive skin of her neck as his hand made a slow journey up and up and ahhhhh. The music covered her moan and the bodies surrounding them shielded the world from their R-rated dancing. The tight leather giving extra friction to his fingers was her undoing. She’d come apart in his hands, fully clothed on a club dance floor with their entire team behind them. Ellie should say she was mortified...but then she’d be a liar.
Nick nibbled her earlobe before sending chills down her spine for an entirely different reason as he roughly whispered in her ear, “ You’re too fucking sexy for your own good, Eleanor. But I expect you at my place in ten minutes, clothes on the floor except for that fucking choker .”
A nervous gulp was her only reply and Nick was gone within seconds.
Huh, huh, huh, uh
Oh no, no, no
Startin' up a fire
Ellie didn’t say goodbye. The heat building again in her core demanded attention immediately- from Nick. A tiny part of her worried this wasn’t her brightest idea, they fizzled our last time. But in the moment, she knew- this was a fire she never wanted to put out.