Dance For Me: (A Dark College/Enemies to Lovers) (Alder Academy Book 1)

by Erin Trejo

  12

  Steele

  The day went by in a blur. Whisper took off as soon as we got to school. I don’t blame her. I would have run too. Now that classes are over, me, Knox and Callan are warming up for our game tonight. I can’t keep the thoughts of her away from my brain though. The way she felt under me. The way she took all my weight and never complained. The scratches that still linger on my back.

  I throw the ball back to Callan when Coach walks up.

  “I don’t need to tell you this is an important game,” he says. I nod my head knowing that already.

  “Like every other one,” I add.

  “Keep up that attitude, Steele.” I roll my eyes and catch the ball when Callan throws it back. Rolling my head, I crack my neck from side to side when I see Shane.

  “Your girl is here,” I call out to Callan. He looks to his left and sees her before dragging his gaze back to me. He flips me off as I laugh. Coach calls us into the locker room just as Shane walks toward us. Those two have a history. A fucked up one at that. Shit from our pasts, our families, caused Callan to step away from her. It broke a part of him, I could see it in his eyes.

  We all file into the locker room as the coach begins to talk. I roll my shoulders, stretch my legs as I listen to the same speech I always hear. Shane strolls in, her recorder in hand. I huff out a laugh until I see who it is that’s behind her. Anger flares in my chest. What the hell is she doing in here? Her eyes move over the guys, coming to rest on mine while I grind my teeth together. I jerk my head to the side letting her know I want her to go in the back, but she just smirks and flips me off. Knots form in my stomach before I move. Coach watches me but doesn’t say shit when I grab Whisper by the arm and drag her into the back of the locker room. As soon as we are out of everyone’s view, I slam her roughly against the wall.

  “What the hell are you doing in here?” One hand stays wrapped around her throat, the other I shove down the front of her pants. She’s wet already which doesn’t surprise me.

  “Helping with the paper,” she says softly.

  “Are you? Or you checking the guys out?” Yeah, there may be a bit of jealousy there. I claimed her ass, I was inside of her and now she’s mine whether she likes it or not. No one will be touching her but me. Whisper reaches for my hand, jerking it from her jeans and pushing it away.

  “I believe I’m free to do what I want, Steele.”

  “Is that what you think?” I lean in closer, closing the space between us as I squeeze her throat a little harder.

  “I don’t need to think. I know. You don’t own me,” she says gritting her teeth. I love watching her like this. That fire, that burn.

  “You don’t think so? Who was inside of you today? Whose cock was filling you, Whisper?” She grins a dark grin at me.

  “Do you think you’re the only cock that’s been inside of me? Don’t flatter yourself, Alder.” Slapping my hand away from her throat, she storms from the back room and out into the front. I follow her out, licking my fingers as her gaze finds mine. She’s pissed. Just the way I like her.

  “What the hell was that?” Knox asks when I take my spot next to him.

  “Just having a little fun.” He chuckles before we go back to listening to Ray talk. Same speech as always. Get the ball, throw it to me. I love football, I love the freedom it gives me but it’s not my passion. Of course, I will play it through college because I enjoy it but when I graduate, so does football. I zone out, ignoring Ray and all his antics. He tries to get us all amped up for the games but we don’t need it. At least me and my brothers don’t. We know what we’re doing and we’re the best on the team. I watch Callan as his eyes drift back to Shane. I don’t know why he doesn’t talk to her. That shit was years ago and handled as far as the founding families go. She isn’t one of us. Never will be, but she moved in and stayed in Rolling Springs and she doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I nudge Knox and nod toward our little brother when he laughs. Everyone turns to look at him before quickly turning back.

  “The hell was that?” I chuckle lightly.

  “He needs his cock sucked,” Knox says.

  “Agreed. Now to get him to talk to her again.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “We should bring her to Intensity tonight.” His head jerks in my direction.

  “You bringing Whisper?”

  “Yeah. She can dance. I think she’d like it. Maybe even open up a little more when it involves something she actually likes.”

  “Which isn’t us.” Knox laughs again. I nod my head and agree this time. She doesn’t like us much; we’ve made sure of that. Once Ray is finished, we all stand in a huddle. We rally ourselves up and head out of the locker room to get this game going.

  Out on the field is a different world. There’re different feelings you get in the pit of your stomach. I can’t explain it and I’m not sure I want to. This is a life outside of our normal but it’s also a place that we’re free. Free from our family legacy, free from our fates. Out here, we’re just us.

  The game starts and I see Tricia in her little cheerleading outfit. I wonder what the hell I ever saw in her. Aside from being pretty, she has nothing else going for her. She’s annoying and clingy.

  I take a long look at her before the ball is snapped. I run, dodging assholes left and right. My eyes are on the ball as it spirals toward me. Catching it, I turn and run. I can feel the man coming up behind me. Then I’m slammed into the ground. Back on my feet, my brother slaps a hand on my shoulder before we do it all over again. The crowd roars to life. They love when my brothers and I are in, which is a majority of the game.

  When it’s over, we won thirty-two to nothing. Tonight, we celebrate. As I head into the locker room, sweaty and high, I see her once more. She’s talking to Falkner, one of our other players. That acid in my stomach coils and seeps into my pores. I’m twenty seconds from heading over there when she looks over at me. A sick smirk crosses her face before she flips me off once more.

  “Damn, Steele. You pissed her off,” Callan says slapping a hand on my back.

  “Seems so. That’ll all change later.”

  “She going?” he asks, looking all hopeful and shit.

  “Yeah, she’s going. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

  13

  Whisper

  Dinner was a bust. Like a busted lip bust. Nathan is a complete bastard when Debra isn’t here. He stands there staring me down as I wipe my face on a napkin.

  “You don’t follow rules well, do you?” he snarls.

  “Not usually,” I reply with a snarky tone.

  “You should. You’ll learn.” He steps toward me as I straighten my spine. He’s told me his plans which I don’t really understand.

  “What do you want from me, Nathan? Caring parent was all a load of shit,” I tell him.

  “You’re right. There are many things you don’t know about this town, about the founding families. Secrets, lies, cover-ups. That’s all there is around here.”

  “What does that have to do with me?” He smirks, raising his hand to my cheek. I flinch thinking he’s going to hit me again, but he doesn’t. Instead, he caresses my cheek, letting his fingers run over my flesh.

  “I wish I could tell you the whole story. I wish it was all that easy but it isn’t. Just know that you aren’t who you think you are. You belong here,” he hisses, his fingers digging into my cheek. I wince when someone knocks on the door. Nathan pulls away and spins to go answer it. I blow out a breath and wonder what the hell he’s talking about when I hear him.

  “You aren’t allowed here!” Nathan roars.

  “I’m allowed anywhere in this goddamn town.” Steele’s voice booms through the room. Intrigued by what the hell he’s doing here; I walk toward the door to find him towering over Nathan. His eyes are dark, darker than I’ve ever seen them.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “We came to get you,” Knox says as if his brother isn’t standing there re
ady to punch a hole through Nathan’s face.

  “To go where?”

  “Out. Go change,” Callan says nodding toward my clothes. I look down at what I’m wearing before bringing my eyes back to his.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “That’s right she isn’t!” Nathan adds. I lick the blood from my lip when Steele looks over.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  “She fell,” Nathan says quickly trying to cover his own ass. Prick.

  “What happened to you?” Steele asks.

  “I fell.” Turning on my heel, I hear the growl leave him. That stops me in my tracks. It’s feral and unhinged. I turn back just in time to see him ball his fists. I move quickly, grabbing his arm and pulling as hard as I can until he follows me. I lead him up the stairs and down the hall as Knox and Callan laugh. As soon as we’re in my room, I spin around to face him.

  “What the hell is with you? Huh? You can’t go around beating on my foster family!”

  “He hit you, Whisper!”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Anger creeps into my veins. I don’t need his help. Why doesn’t he understand that? Why can’t he see that I’m fine on my own?

  “He has no right to touch you,” he growls.

  “And you do?” I ask cocking my head to the side to look up at him. His eyes dance between mine before he grabs my face roughly in his hands. His lips crash into mine causing me to wince. The heat in his kiss, the demand—it’s all so much. It all feels right when it’s all so wrong.

  “You. Are. Mine.”

  “No, I’m not. I’m nobody’s. I never will be. Now what are you doing here?” I ask once more, slapping his hands away from me.

  “We’re going out. Somewhere I think you’ll like,” he says causally as if this little showdown didn’t just happen. He’s so hot and cold. I never know what version of Steele I’m going to get and I kind of like that.

  “I’m not going.” Crossing my arms over my chest, he grins darkly.

  “You don’t come, and I will go down those stairs and beat that asshole until he can’t remember his own name.” I watch him, gauging him. I have no doubt he’ll do it. I saw him beat that man to death that night. I wasn’t supposed to be there but I saw it.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why would you beat him? I don’t mean anything to you, Steele.”

  “You don’t know shit,” he hisses stepping closer. I can’t do this with him tonight. I’ve already had enough shit with Nathan.

  “Fine. I’ll go.” He nods his head and steps back while I grab my clothes. I grab my loose-fitting jeans, a white tank top and my yellow jacket before stripping. Fuck, Steele. I don’t care what he sees anymore. As soon as my clothes hit the floor, he growls. I know there’re new bruises. I know that he now knows Nathan put them there but after his threats, I can’t say a word. I won’t go to jail and I sure as hell won’t give up dancing. I don’t know if Nathan would really do it or not considering he wants something more from me, but I don’t want to take the chance. I pull my boots on and grab a hair tie, piling my hair up on top of my head before turning to face Steele. Holding my arms out wide I say, “Happy now?”

  “Not even a little. Let’s go.” Moody Steele is back as I grab my phone and slide it into my pocket. Heading out into the hallway, Steele grabs my arm and pulls me back a step. His eyes search mine, a softness crossing his features.

  “I’m okay, Steele.” He doesn’t move for another long second. The muscle in his jaw works as I watch him, really looking into his eyes. Finally, he nods his head and I pull my arm free, heading down the stairs.

  “Let’s go,” I snap as if I’m not happy they’re here. I mean, to be fair I’m not really sure how I feel with them showing up here. I’m torn. I want to like them, but I also know what they do to people, what they did to me.

  “Don’t stay out late!” Nathan snaps behind me as I head out the door. I flip him off when I hear Callan.

  “She might not be home tonight, Dad, and you will accept that.” With that we all pile into the SUV as I smirk at Nathan’s face out the window. Thank God they are tinted, and he can’t see me.

  “Where are you taking me, kidnappers?” I ask sarcastically. Callan shifts so he’s looking at me while Steele drives and Knox fills the front seat.

  “You love dancing, don’t you?” I swallow hard, not knowing where this conversation is going to take me. I see Steele out of the corner of my eye watching me in the rearview mirror.

  “It’s the only thing that calms me. It keeps me sane,” I admit. Callan smiles and nods his head.

  “I could see that when you were in class.”

  “You watched me?”

  “Everyone’s watched you, Whisper,” Knox chimes in. A rumble sounds from Steele as I shake my head and look back to Callan.

  “Why were you watching me?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t know. There’s something alluring about you when you dance. I don’t know that you see it in yourself,” he says. The sincerity in his tone is what slams into my chest. He means it. He sees something more in me when I dance.

  “I don’t know what to say,” I admit. Callan chuckles and reaches over, pulling me into his side.

  “A small thank you is fine. Not everything has to be complicated between us, Whisper.” What the hell does that even mean?

  “Thank you, Callan.”

  “You two girls done sharing feelings back there?” Callan laughs as Steele gets even more aggravated. He reaches for the radio, turning the music up louder.

  “You also sing like an angel,” Callan whispers in my ear. I find myself resting my head on his shoulder as I belt out the words to the Pink song that’s playing. The rest of the ride is pretty uneventful.

  14

  Steele

  I rest my hand on the small of her back as I lead her to the front of the line. Whisper’s eyes move over the building and all the people that are lined up to get in, not saying a word. When we reach the door, the bouncer, Mitch smiles and waves us in.

  “What is this place?” Whisper asks looking up at me. I just smirk and keep her walking. People slap their hands on our backs and shoulders as we make our way into the room. Intensity isn’t your normal dance club. This is for the dancers. The ones that know how to move and want to show off. Of course, we still have some regular nights here but tonight isn’t one of them. Tonight, I want to get into Whisper’s head. Tonight is all about her and learning her. She gasps and comes to a complete stop when we reach the middle of the room. The music is loud, bass bumping.

  “Oh, my God,” she breathes as she looks up at me. Her eyes water with unshed tears when I shake my head. I reach up and wipe the lone tear away before leaning down.

  “Don’t do that. This is your night,” I whisper in her ear. Whisper swallows hard and grabs my face in her hands. At first, I think she’s going to kiss me but she doesn’t. She just stares at me as if I’m a fucking mirage. When she releases me and turns back to the center of the room, I spot Leddy. She’s one of the best female dancers we know. If anyone will give Whisper a run, it’ll be her. I watch her move, the way her body flexes and shifts. Leddy is something else. She’s gorgeous as hell but she also knows how to use her body to get what she wants. Whisper notices where my gaze is, and I don’t miss the way her body tenses. I should reassure her that I want between her thighs not Leddy’s, but I don’t. Instead, I track Leddy’s movements letting Whisper think whatever it is she wants to.

  When Leddy is passed the mic, her eyes find mine. I smile and pop my head at her as I watch the smile pull across her face. Whisper tenses even more before turning and trying to walk away. I don’t let her get that far. My hand comes to rest on her stomach as Leddy talks.

  “Ya’ll are in for a treat tonight! Not only is it Hot Mix night, we also have the Alder boys in the house!” The crowd goes insane hearing our name.

  “Also, we have a new girl in the house!
From what I hear she is quite the dancer. Tonight, we will get a chance to see her in action. Let’s give Whisper a hot as fuck Intensity welcome!” Whisper’s eyes jerk to mine and hold there. I can’t tell if she’s happy or pissed. Either way, it’s going to be a fun night.

  “Shut up! Now you know the rules, but Whisper doesn’t. So let’s break them down for her. You get three minutes all to yourself, but you have to pick a partner. Ladies’ choice of course! We want to see what you got for those three minutes and show us just how sweaty you can make your partner get!” Leddy is hyped up for this. I knew she would be when I first called and told her Whisper was coming with us tonight. The crowd is even wilder, larger than a normal night too.

  “What did you do?” Whisper screams over the roar of the crowd at me.

  “Let it go, Whisper. Show them what you’re made of.” It’s a taunt. It’s a challenge and I want to see if she has the balls to own up to it. This shift in power between us is unsettling. I don’t like it and I don’t like the way I feel around her. I’ve never given a shit about anyone and now Whisper is stepping all over that. I find myself torn between hating her and wanting her all to myself.

  “Let’s do it, Whisper! Pick your partner!” The beat starts to drop. UgeneUs featuring Antonia Marquee remix “Here We Go Again” starts thumping through the speakers. Whisper smiles up at me and I give her a sexy smile back. She reaches her hand out and I almost move to take it when she grabs Knox instead. The crowd roars as she drags him into the middle of the room. My jaw flexes as I keep my eyes on her. I should have known she would pull something like this.