by Dawn Doyle
“I need to get up.” I moved, shifting her off of me.
“What, why?” she complained. “You just got here.” She stood, and gripped my arm. “Do you want me to come with?” She let her eyes slide toward the upper part of the house and her eyebrows twitched up and down once.
“I need to take a piss.” I yanked my arm from her red painted nails, and headed to the doors.
“Don’t go far, baby,” she called after me, “I’ll be waiting for you.”
I ground my teeth, then headed inside, stepping over the lip of the doorway. I couldn’t see Luca when I scanned the room, but I spotted Grace laughing with a couple of guys older than me. The three of them were dressed for the pool, like most of the guests.
She stiffened as I approached. “Lucian. I thought you weren’t coming tonight?” she yelled over the music. She looked over my shoulder then back at me with a sly smile. “No entourage?”
“Not today,” I replied, smirking. My eyes caught a figure heading through the door, out of the living room and into the hallway. “Nice party, Grace.”
I could feel her eyes on me when I walked away, leaving her to resume her conversation with Ken Doll one and two. They looked like they were one drop of baby oil away from being a fucking human slip-and-slide.
I worked my way through the high school kids as they danced and threw their arms about, their drinks held high. Summer break was a time to get wild, especially before senior year. I knew it too well, but my kind of wild wasn’t partying until I puked myself into unconsciousness, it was getting in that pit and not leaving until the other guy was done.
And I fucking loved it.
Luca
I’d gotten away from the guys that Grace had introduced me to. Paige had disappeared with someone a few minutes ago, and from the look she gave me as he took her hand and led her away—her flushed cheeks and her lower lip between her teeth—I wasn’t going to see her for a while.
I’d been to Aunt Cora’s many times, but with the house overrun like this, I was disoriented. Finally, I found my way into the huge hall and walked toward the wooden staircase in the center. I gripped the solid banister, smoothing my palm over the wide swirl, and slid it upward where it narrowed. I stepped carefully, trying not to slip on the shiny steps that looked to be highly polished.
I could hear noises and laughter coming from upstairs, and I didn’t have to wonder what was going on in the many rooms up there.
I glanced down through the twisted wrought iron spindles, and then back up. I needed to take a breath away from the party. I had no idea what Grace had shown me over our FaceTime call, but it was nothing compared to what was happening downstairs, or to me.
I’d been enjoying myself up to that point, meeting people, talking, getting to know some of the kids who lived in this town. I wasn’t going to play the games, but it was fun watching, especially when they’d played pin the toy on the porn star. Initially, I was horrified, but found it to be hilarious to watch them pinning various sex toys on a huge photo of an oversized rear end while blindfolded. The one who got closest to the center got to take a shot of tequila out of the naval of their choice while they lay on the long table set up next to the wall. Luckily, it only included those who were willing participants, which was not me.
It was when big arms wrapped around me from behind while I watched Grace and her friend, Shaun, play beer pong, and I was lifted into the air that things took a nasty turn. I yelled for him to put me down, but he just laughed and carried me to the brightly lit pool. The next thing I knew, we were airborne, and then hit the cool water with a huge splash.
“You asshole!” I’d screamed when I’d come up, then swam to the side. “What the fuck did you so that for?”
“You need to lighten up on your birthday,” he’d said, staring up and down my body. “Have some fun, baby.”
“I’m not your baby,” I’d snapped, beyond pissed that my cousin was laughing her ass off as I pulled myself out of the pool. “Don’t fucking touch me again, you dick.”
I pushed past the group of wailing hyena’s and grabbed a towel. I’d not only gotten humiliated, I’d managed to grab the attention of the group of guys Grace had warned me away from. All four heads had turned to me, staring like I was a shiny toy to play with.
“I hope one of these is unlocked,” I said out loud, walking around the landing and stooping to decide which door to choose first. “Yeah, whatever’s quiet behind it.” I shook my head and decided to try Grace’s bedroom first. She was still downstairs, so it was the safest choice.
I took the door on the left, turned the white doorknob, and slowly pushed. My jaw dropped when I saw a girl lying near the end of the bed with her pink skirt pushed up to her waist, her legs wide with large hands gripping them and a head of shocking blond hair between them.
“Oh god, Blaine,” she moaned, her back arching.
His head lifted and his dark eyes turned to me, his wet mouth forming a lazy smile. “Wanna join us?” he asked.
“I’m so sorry!” I rushed, and slammed the door.
It had only been a second, but it was far more than I needed to see.
“It’s not one of Grace’s parties unless you walk in on someone,” a deep voice said behind me. I knew that voice. I spun to face him, and immediately locked onto the silver eyes I’d seen that day at the beach, the same tan skin and full lips with a dip at the top. He smiled, his dimples popping, and my stomach somersaulted. “Luca.”
My insides tightened at hearing him say my name again. “Lucian,” I breathed, heat instantly flooding my face.
His smile widened and he chuckled. “You remembered.”
Like I could forget you.
I shrugged a shoulder like I wasn’t at all affected by him standing so close to me. “Yeah, that kinda happens when somebody saves your life.”
The corners of his mouth turned down and his brows lifted with humor. “Hmm, I guess so.”
“So, um, what are you doing here?” I asked, cringing inside at my idiocy. He was here to party, of course, why else would he be here?
“I have a better question,” he said, taking a step closer to me. He tilted forward, his eyes narrowing as though he were studying me. “What are you doing here?”
“Grace is my cousin. She threw this party for me—it’s my birthday.” In his close proximity, I couldn’t stop the verbal vomit falling from my mouth. My skin remembered his hands, my mouth remembered his lips… My eyes fell to that area, then down toward his red shirt under his black hoodie, and shot back up before I could get caught up on what I knew was underneath.
“Well, happy birthday, Grace’s cousin,” he said, all playfulness gone from his features, “Where are you headed? I can make sure you don’t walk into another scene like that.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, an almighty scream came from the room, calling Blaine’s name as though they were in agony.
“Just an empty room to take a break from the madness.”
One side of his mouth curled up, and he swept his arm across the landing. “Pick a door, any door, and see what you could win.”
A stupid ass giggle escaped my mouth like I was an excited five-year-old, and I closed my eyes and pointed. “Please, I just need a room.”
“You got it, birthday girl.”
I could hear the smirk in his voice, just like the way he’d heard my ridiculous, almost garbled reply when he’d asked how I was after rescuing me from drowning.
“Sixth time’s a charm,” he grumbled, and slammed the fifth room he checked before saying under his breath, “Doesn’t anybody lock the damn doors before they fuck each other?” He walked ahead of me, carefully opened the last door, and quickly closed it. “Sorry, Luca, but it looks like your gonna have to take a break in the linen closet or the bathroom.”
I blew out a breath, but it wasn’t from irritation. Lucian had turned to me, his eyes boring into mine and then slowly taking in every inch of my body as if committing it to memor
y. My heart was pounding, and I swear he could see it hammering through the flimsy material of Grace’s t-shirt I’d loaned. He licked his lips and heat surged through me, starting deep inside in places I’d never felt it before.
Get a grip, Luca, you don’t know the guy.
I threw that thought out the window, telling it to fuck off and leave me the hell alone so I could enjoy myself. But, I couldn’t let Lucian see that I was a mess right in front of him.
“Are you done?” I asked when his eyes reached mine again, mentally patting myself on the back for keeping my cool while I was the complete opposite.
“There you are!” Grace said as she pounded the floor toward us. “What are you still doing up here?” She glared at Lucian and her lips pursed at the same time as her eyebrows furrowed. “And what are you doing up here? Isn’t Darcy waiting for you outside?” She folded her arms and cocked her hip to the side.
Who’s Darcy?
I didn’t know if that registered on my face, but it certainly did inside of me—deep in my churning gut. God, I hated jealousy, and there I was, feeling something I had no right to. I didn’t even know if Darcy was a boy or a girl.
Lucian’s gaze never left mine, and while his smile remained, some of the humor had left his expression. “I’ll see you downstairs, Luca.” He turned and casually walked away like he had all the time in the world, and once he rounded the corner to descend the stairs, he looked up and stared at me until he was out of sight.
“What the hell are you doing with him, Luca?” Grace snapped.
I blew a sharp breath through my nose. “Nothing, not that it’s any of your business.” I tried to walk away too, but she grabbed my arm.
“It is my business because you’re my cousin—”
“Like it was your business when that guy jumped into the pool with me and you laughed your ass off? Like when I got hit on by six different guys consecutively like I was some kind of challenge, and you gave me the thumbs up?” I rolled my eyes and yanked my arm away while she opened and closed her mouth. “Yeah, just as I thought. I can have fun on your say so, right? I can go and screw any guy as long as he gets your approval, right?”
“Luca, that’s not fair,” she snapped.
“Yeah, it is,” I fired back. “I was only talking to Lucian. He was helping me find a free room so I could sit by myself, because…” I trailed off when the first door opened and Blaine and the girl he was with emerged, flushed, hair a mess, and grinning. I lowered my voice and continued. “…because I opened your door and saw his face between her legs, and I didn’t want to walk in on anybody else, so he was kind enough to check them for me!” I threw my arms wide. “Newsflash, Grace, no empty rooms.” I stormed off down the stairs, leaving her behind.
“He’s a bad person!” she called, and I flipped her the bird over my shoulder.
He’d saved my life, he was so sweet to me just now, so how bad can he be?
As I walked into the living room, a new game of pin the toy was starting.
I instantly spotted Lucian. His red t-shirt stood out from the rest of the guests because he was one of the only people still wearing clothing. As though sensing me, he turned, his eyes immediately landing on me. His panty melting smile showed his dazzling teeth and those dimples… Hell, the room began to fade, leaving him at the center of everything, the only thing that mattered right at that moment. I was beginning to develop a serious crush on him. He’d saved my life, so it had something to do with that, or at least I thought it did. Would I have felt so strongly if I’d only met him tonight? Fuck, with that face, those eyes, and that body, there was no doubt I would be just as messed up. He was perfect in looks, and from what I’d experienced of him so far, he seemed like one of the good ones.
Butterflies swarmed inside of me when he turned, and held up his hand to wave. As I returned the gesture, I saw he was holding onto something. A girl wearing a yellow bikini stood a few feet away, her eyes focusing in Lucian’s direction, roaming over him and playing about with something in her hand.
Lucian worked his way through the crowd toward me, his magnificent light irises fixed on me as he did. The closer her got, the more frantic those butterflies became, smashing into each other in frustration as they attempted to free themselves from the confines of my stomach.
“It’s my turn.” His voice was low, and so full of sin. I thought I was imagining it, but when his eyes dipped to the V in my T-shirt, he smirked, knowingly.
The hairs on my arms stood on end while goosebumps ravaged my skin. “Wh-what do you mean?” I asked, my pathetic breathy voice barely carrying over the clashing of drums to whatever music was playing.
“I’m playing this game.” He held up and wiggled a laminated image of a huge purple dildo, and my cheeks flamed. “It looks like fun. You can watch, if you like.”
My eyes snapped up to his, and in his intense stare, I found my mouth moving out of my control and words falling out before I could stop them. “Yeah, sure. I’ll watch you.”
He reached down and took my hand. His large palm gripped mine as his fingers tightened. Shockwaves pulsed upward to my shoulder at the contact, but I would be damned if I let him see that just holding my hand was making me nervous as hell.
He looked over his shoulder at me, his brow raising while he glanced out of the corner of his eye. “I can feel your hand shaking,” he said and I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. “Don’t be nervous, I’ll make sure nobody touches you.”
My core clenched with his gentle words. I understood what he meant—of course I did, but this raging fascination with him had risen to new levels that my mind was making way more of it than he probably did.
He was just being sweet. The new girl, the host’s cousin… He’s just being nice to me because of what happened on the beach.
And there I was, throwing logic into what was probably the best feeling I’d had all damn night.
He stopped, turned to me, our bodies close together. He closed the gap between us and my breath caught in my throat. What was it about this guy that made me act this way? “You know how this game works?”
I nodded quickly while glancing at his lips. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of them, remembering how they felt against mine, even though it was for a completely different reason that what was rolling round in my head. He chuckled when I blushed, squeezed my hand once, then let go. I watched him walk through the space the others made for him. The way he moved was filled with confidence, a surety that said, ‘I dare you.’
I looked around at the others watching him, their expressions filled with wonder as though seeing Lucian joining in with them was a rarity. The girl with the yellow bikini moved toward him, but he didn’t stop.
One of the guys who’d come on to me, Gary, stepped forward with a piece of black fabric in his hands, holding it up. His light brown hair was styled back, but ridges had flattened the strands at the back from when he’d played earlier. Over the noise, he called out, “You know the rules. You get the toy up her ass, you take a shot off of another player!” Hollers and claps erupted, and I blinked fast, my brows lifting. He laughed. “Literally!”
Lucian looked over his shoulder at me, just like at the beach, his smile causing his dimples to pop. But this time, his eyebrows jerked up and down. “I’ll go first,” he said, then stood to face the massive poster, his back to me. He stood tall, his wide shoulders square, the muscles that I’d dreamed about more rounded than before.
The blindfold was tied around him, and he shook his head when Gary asked if he could see anything. To test it, Gary waved his hand in front of Lucian’s face, and I gasped when he lifted his fist and let it fly toward his face.
Lucian didn’t move; didn’t even flinch, proving the blindfold was doing its job.
“Spin!” Gary called out, and Lucian turned in a circle over and over until Gary tapped his shoulder to stop. “Go!”
Lucian walked forward toward the poster, raised his hand, and as though he’d been able to
see all along, he stuck the dildo right on the star’s ass crack.
“Would you look at that,” he said, tearing off the blindfold and turning to me. “I did it.”
“Choose your victim!” Gary said.
I couldn’t believe the sheer amount of hopeful gazes in Lucian’s direction. He smiled knowingly at me.
“I’m ready when you are,” the dark-haired girl in yellow said, gently patting her stomach.
Without even looking at her, Lucian said, “I don’t think so, Darcy.”
That’s Darcy?
I stared between them until Lucian stood in front of me. “Is she—”
“No,” he cut in, his face slightly twisting before concentrating on me again. “I think I’ll take my winnings, if you’re willing.”
“Luca, Luca!”
My name being chanted brought out of my momentary brain fog. I was led to the table and I sat on the cool wooden surface, then lay down while Gary picked up the tequila and Lucian picked up a wedge of lime.
“Open,” he said, and I parted my lips, allowing him to place the small wedge, flesh side out, between my teeth. He let his fingers linger on my lips a little longer than he should, then took the bottle from Gary.
When he looked pointedly at my stomach, I gripped the hem of the T-shirt and exposed my belly button, aware of all the other eyes on me. My skin prickled when he took the offered salt and bent over, lowering his head toward my stomach.
“I have to lick the salt first,” he whispered, his breath fanning over my skin, causing painful spasms down my spine. “Keep still.”
I looked down at what he was doing, and his eyes flashed to mine before he poured a tiny amount of cold alcohol into my naval. He sprinkled salt below my belly button, and before I had the chance to think what he was about to do, he darted his tongue out and licked across my skin, and my entire body tensed. His mouth covered my bellybutton as he sucked the liquid into his mouth. I tasted the sourness of the lime juice as his touch caused me to bite down on it.