“How was Ava?”
“Good. You know how fun virgins can be.” Katherine arched an eyebrow. “But I wanted to let her enjoy herself with the other guests as well.”
“Very considerate.” Alex sighed. She didn’t care that everyone around her was having sex. For once, she didn’t crave it at all. All she wanted was to be spending the evening with Emily. Talking. God, maybe she had gotten old like Lara said.
“I like you Alex,” TJ said drowsily. “Always have.” She was stretched out on the table, arms hanging at her side and a smile still on her face from the afterglow of Nicola’s very thorough massage. “You’re a good audience. Even participate at all the right times. How many people can say they have sex with their best friend watching?”
“TJ, you and I are not normal friends. We’ve both seen each other naked way too many times.”
“Remember that first Aspen? A week solid of orgies. I saw your ass everywhere I looked.”
“Were you jealous of my ass?”
TJ chuckled. “Not even a little bit. Mine got plenty of action too. Don’t think I would have been able to handle more.”
Alex wondered if her experience, or at least Emily’s perception of it, had been the reason she’d pulled back. There was no denying she’d had a lot of sex. But she hadn’t ever wanted someone the way she wanted Emily.
All day she’d thought of her. The past hour was no exception. While Nicola was rubbing massage oil over TJ’s backside, Alex imagined Emily doing the same to her. And when Nicola had turned TJ over and buried her face between her legs, Alex thought of Emily’s mouth on her. How good it had felt…
“Maybe, for being so good, you should get some time on that massage table too,” Katherine said. She moved from Alex’s shoulders to her arms.
“I think I’m good right here.” As much as Alex wanted to fight it, she felt her body relaxing into Katherine’s supple touch.
“We all know how good you are.” Katherine leaned close and planted a kiss on Alex’s neck. “That’s the problem.”
Alex shifted forward on the love seat and Katherine’s hands fell off her shoulders. “Anyone want a drink?”
“I’d take a little of that rum Katherine was passing around last night,” Nicola said.
“Mmm, me too,” TJ said.
Alex turned to Katherine. “Want the same?”
“Sure. But the bottle’s upstairs in the den.”
“No problem. Oh. The den.” Otherwise known as the teachers’ lounge. Alex didn’t want to walk in on that scene, particularly if there was any chance Emily was part of it, although she couldn’t imagine her participating in anything as wild as what Lara and Madison would come up with. Maybe she’d hang out with Shay… Shay could be good for her. Build her confidence. Despite being sometimes clueless, Shay was never unkind. If Alex could choose, which of course she couldn’t, she almost wished Emily was with them. Anyone but Lara.
“In case you’re worried, I don’t think you’ll get recruited,” Katherine said. “Last I heard the party was moving to the hot tub.”
Alex considered asking if Emily was part of the hot tub group but then thought better of it. She could find out for herself. And if Emily wasn’t with the others, maybe she’d want to talk.
“I’ll be right back.”
Clothes were strewn all over the den, but as far as Alex could tell Emily’s silver dress wasn’t among them. She only let herself take the briefest of glances, however, before picking her way between the rearranged furniture over to the liquor cabinet.
Once she’d found the bottle of rum and gathered four tumblers, she considered whether or not she should look for Emily. Had the whole evening been too much and she’d gone up to her room? On one hand, Alex wanted Emily to enjoy herself. On the other, she wouldn’t be heartbroken if Emily had opted out. Maybe she’d even realized she could experiment with Alex instead of someone else.
She started back to the stairwell still debating whether to look for her or not when the lights on the patio caught her attention. She paused by the French doors leading to the courtyard and squinted to see the hot tub. The yellow-orange glow of the lights gave everything a muted look save for the crystal-white snow that covered all the surfaces. A narrow path of exposed flagstone led from the door to the steps of the hot tub.
Alex recognized Madison’s profile first, then Shay sitting next to her. They were both naked and steam from the hot tub rose up around them. Lara was directly opposite Madison, sitting on the edge with her feet in the water. Her knees were parted, and someone was between her legs. Alex’s stomach clenched when she noticed the tousled dark hair. Emily. She didn’t want to see what was happening, but she couldn’t make herself look away.
Lara combed her fingers through Emily’s hair. She braced her hand at the back of Emily’s head and pushed her hips forward. Water splashed up and Emily pulled back, clearly needing air, but Lara only moved with her. Alex closed her eyes and slowly counted to five. When she looked out at the hot tub again, Emily had moved her arms from under Lara’s legs to around her waist. Her face was pressed against Lara’s center. Alex could still only see the back of her head, but there was no doubt now that she was going for Lara of her own volition. Knowing no one was forcing her didn’t make watching the scene any more pleasant, but it stopped Alex from storming outside and yanking Lara’s hands off Emily.
When Lara arched her back, her mouth opening in a gasp, Alex couldn’t stand it anymore. She quickly turned and nearly walked right into Katherine.
“Sorry. I didn’t hear you come up the stairs.”
“You were distracted.” Katherine motioned with her chin to the patio. “I don’t blame you. She’s putting on quite a show. Looks like Lara’s enjoying it too.”
Alex unclenched her death grip on the bottle of rum. She could hear her pulse roaring in her ears and knew she had to talk herself down. And quick. Katherine was only trying to get under her skin. She loved to rile her.
“All this time I had it in my head that you were one of those people who doesn’t get jealous. Now I’m thinking maybe those people don’t really exist. They just haven’t found something they want bad enough to be jealous when someone else claims it.”
“Fuck you.”
“Would you?”
“Don’t.” Alex could hear the anger in her voice and wondered how Katherine could keep smiling at her like a damn Cheshire cat. She set the bottle of rum and the tumblers on the little hall table. The thought of having a drink with everyone now was too much. She needed to go home. “I’m happy you’re enjoying this, but I’m not.”
“Want me to help you?” Katherine reached forward and fingered the button at Alex’s neck. “I don’t often get a rise out of you. This is the most fun I’ve had in a while.” She undid the button her finger had been circling and then dropped to the next. “My jealous streak has never been in question. Yours, however, is something fun and new. You know, you can close your eyes and pretend I’m her. I wouldn’t mind being used. You’re unbelievably sexy tonight. It’s taking every bit of control I have to not beg you to fuck me right here.”
Alex pushed Katherine’s hand off her shirt. “I’m done. I told you that. I don’t want any more games. And I’m not jealous. I want Emily to be enjoying herself. With anyone who isn’t Lara. You know how she is.”
“So you’re being protective.”
“Yeah. Is that a horrible thing?”
“Course not.” Katherine’s silky voice didn’t hide anything. She wasn’t buying Alex’s line.
“You know Lara can go too far. I don’t want what happened with Annette to ever happen again. It won’t when I’m around.”
“So chivalrous.”
“Screw you. We both know it bordered on abuse. I can’t believe you’d take her side.”
“I’m not denying that she took things too far. She was drunk. We both saw that too. It’s not an excuse, but it is an explanation. You, on the other hand, were completely sober when you left
Madison tied up and walked away, so don’t stand there and act like you’re any different.”
“What happened with Madison was entirely different—”
“Entirely?” Katherine shook her head. “Leaving her was irresponsible and dangerous. And for what? A pretty girl who caught you with your pants down?”
“I apologized to Madison already. And she wasn’t in any danger. She wasn’t alone.”
“No, she wasn’t alone.”
Katherine held her gaze and Alex felt the walls pressing in. She’d walked out on Katherine too. Why hadn’t she seen that before? And her apology to Madison had been little more than a side remark over dinner. God, what a selfish ass she’d been. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”
“You often don’t think, Alex. I’ve gotten used to it. My point is, you and Lara are the same and you aren’t gaining anything staying mad at her. Lara apologized, Annette forgave her, and we all moved on. At least most of us.” She inclined her head. “And that was two years ago. She learned her lesson.”
“She hasn’t changed.”
“Well, you and I see her differently. She’s been sober for over a year now and she’s made a lot of other changes—I doubt you noticed since you’re too busy hating her.” Katherine paused. “I gave her a second chance and she hasn’t made me regret it yet. The way I see it, she’d be good for Emily. Push her limits a little. Don’t get me wrong, Emily’s a good kisser, but she has a lot to learn. Lara could help her there.”
“How do you know Emily’s a good kisser?” The question was answered with a little tilt of Katherine’s head, and Alex caught herself before a cuss slipped out. She felt a wave of dizziness. “When?”
“Tonight. I’ve been wanting to for a while now, and I can’t say I was disappointed. At least not with that.”
Alex clenched her jaw. Katherine’s tone made it clear that kissing wasn’t all they’d done. Dammit. She should have seen it coming.
“You look surprised.” Katherine’s tone had changed, almost as if she were gloating.
“You did this to get back at me.”
“Of course not. I love a sex party virgin as much as you do. Always so eager. And, God, do I love a woman who moans. Those sounds she made…mmm. But you already know all about those sounds.”
Alex swallowed. “Why? If it wasn’t because you were pissed at me, what was the reason?”
Katherine raised a shoulder. “I told you why. I’ve wanted her for a while now. And she’s wanted me. You should have seen the way she looked at me when she came for her interview. That whole first month she couldn’t keep her eyes off me.”
“I don’t believe you.” Alex charged ahead, too angry now to keep her voice in check. “It drives you crazy that she’s someone I actually like. You can’t handle the idea of me finding someone and falling in love.”
“You falling in love with Emily?” Katherine snorted. “For how long? Three weeks?”
Katherine’s sarcasm only pushed Alex further. “Every time I try to date someone, as soon as it gets serious, some shit comes up in your world and I drop everything to come to you. You know exactly what you’re doing. The question is why I keep falling for the same damn trick. Why do I keep coming to rescue you?”
“Chivalry, I’m sure.”
“I’m not joking.”
“Oh, I can tell.” Katherine drew a line down Alex’s chest. She stopped at Alex’s belt and traced the buckle. “I love how fired up you are over this.”
“Stop.”
“Pretty words, but you’re not pushing my hand away this time. Do you really mean it?”
Alex didn’t know if she meant it or not. Did it matter if she had sex again with Katherine? Now that she knew Emily had let Katherine have her, everything had shifted. Suddenly she wondered if maybe that was what Emily had wanted all along. Was the reason Emily had pushed her away that morning because she’d wanted Katherine instead? Was she only Emily’s warm-up?
“I’ll take that as a no.”
Katherine stepped forward and pressed into Alex’s lips. As much as Alex didn’t want Katherine to even be near her, she moved into the kiss. She wished she were kissing Emily, even knowing all that Emily was doing to Lara and had done with Katherine. It didn’t matter. She wanted Emily anyway, so much that instead of stepping back as her brain screamed for her to do, she moved into Katherine’s lips. Anger blended with desire and her lips set the pace as her appetite begged to have Katherine right there. In the hallway.
She pushed Katherine back a step when she parted her lips, then back another step until she was against the wall as she deepened the kiss. When Alex pulled back, they were both breathless. “I need to stop kissing you. I need to be done.”
“So you’ve said. But we both know that’s not happening tonight. Tomorrow you can break up with me. Except we’re not actually dating.”
Katherine tried to pull Alex against her and then growled when Alex didn’t budge. She slid her finger under Alex’s collar, then stepped away from the wall and kissed Alex’s neck. “Want to go outside and give them all a show? We could do better than Lara and Emily and you know it.”
Alex shook her head. “I’m leaving. I’m done, Katherine. No more.”
“So, see you tomorrow?”
“I’m not playing a game.” Alex was done with all of it. With Katherine, with her sex parties, and with women who only wanted one night. By the forced flirty tone in Katherine’s voice, she knew it too. “You know where to find me if you need something, but I can’t do this anymore. No more sex parties, no more anything. You and I aren’t good for each other.”
“Anything else? Or is that the end of your prepared remarks?” Katherine’s words carried a real bite now. “Why don’t we cut to the chase and say what’s actually going on? You’re used to getting what you want, and you don’t like it when you don’t. Go ahead and make it about something else. But sex parties aren’t the problem. Neither am I.” Katherine paused for a fraction of a second. “And fuck you.”
Alex considered all the arguments against what Katherine said, but part of her wondered if some of it was true. She exhaled. “Fuck.”
“Finally, we’re on the same page.” Katherine slipped her hand behind Alex’s neck and pulled her into a kiss.
The French doors next to where they stood opened suddenly. As Alex pulled back from Katherine’s lips, she registered Emily, dripping wet and naked, staring open-mouthed back at her. Seconds passed. Alex couldn’t think of what to say. She half expected Emily or Katherine to break the silence, but no one spoke.
Then Emily turned and walked toward the staircase. It wasn’t until Alex was aware that she was staring at Emily’s butt that she realized any chance she thought she had was truly gone.
Chapter Thirty
No matter which way Emily turned her head, the piercing sensation in her left ear wouldn’t go away. The rest of her wasn’t much better off. Tequila always gave her a headache, but she was nauseous, too, and every time she tried to sit up the room swirled around her.
She knew at least some of the others were awake. She’d heard doors opening and closing and voices in the hallway. But she wasn’t sure what time it was, and she didn’t want to brave looking at her phone for fear she’d lose the half glass of water she’d managed to drink. Fortunately, she’d left the glass on the bedside table the night before—she’d anticipated some of this, at least. Just not the stabbing ear pain. That couldn’t be from the tequila.
“This weekend’s full of fun new things,” she mumbled, eyes still closed. Maybe if she could fall back asleep, she’d wake up and her ear would be back to normal.
A knock sounded at her door. She forced her eyes open but didn’t raise her head from the pillow. “Yeah?”
The door opened a moment later and Lara peeked in. “You okay in there?”
“I can’t move.”
“Shit. You sound terrible.” Lara crossed over to the window opposite the bed and pulled the drapes closed.
&n
bsp; As soon as the room darkened, the throbbing in Emily’s head let up. Unfortunately, her ear still screamed in pain. “That’s better. Thanks.”
“Too much tequila.” Lara’s assessment was quick and decisive. “Did you drink some water before you went to sleep?”
Emily shook her head and then immediately regretted it. She tried to brace herself as the room went into a spin. “Something else is wrong with me, though.”
Even through her hazy eyes, Emily could see that Lara’s look bordered on panic. “I’m getting TJ.”
Before Emily could stop her, Lara had gone. Emily closed her eyes, trying to stop the swirling.
The door opened again a moment later and TJ’s voice seemed to come from far away. “Hey, Emily, is it okay if I come in?”
Emily sighed. “Yeah.”
“Shay and Lara are with me too.”
Great. Emily hoped no one else was on their way. Especially not Katherine. Or Alex.
“I hear you had too much tequila?”
Emily murmured, “Maybe.”
TJ sat down on the bed and touched Emily’s forehead. “You don’t feel feverish. That’s good.”
“Do you think tequila could make my ear hurt?” Emily hoped TJ would say that was a rare symptom of overindulging in blue agave, but it sounded ridiculous to her too. When Emily opened her eyes, TJ and Lara seemed to be in some kind of silent communication.
“You slipped getting out of the hot tub,” Shay said. “Remember? You grabbed the railing and missed. You went under and Lara grabbed you. But I didn’t see you hit your head.”
Emily felt even more sick that she had no memory of that. She looked over at Lara. “Thanks for catching me.”
“It was nothing. I wish I’d stopped you from drinking that tequila.”
“I think you tried. I didn’t want to listen to any advice last night.” She touched her head, wishing the throbbing would stop. “How bad do I look?”
“Well…”
Emily groaned as a fresh stab pierced her ear. “It feels like someone skewered my head. Through my left ear. Now I feel bad for tomatoes when they get made into kebabs. And bell peppers.”
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