Buried Alive

by Brown, Stacey Marie

  “Poor guy doesn’t know what’s coming.” I shook my head with a laugh.

  “Athlete or journalist?” She tapped a newly manicured finger to her lips. “Either could be fun.” She shrugged. “You never know.”

  The one thing about Siena was she had no qualms about going after what she wanted. And what she really wanted was to be discovered and get out of this town, be on a yacht drinking champagne, while on a modeling shoot. Modeling was her true love. Not these guys. It was either having fun while she waited, or finding someone who would get her there, no matter the costs. If it wasn’t for her dad, the only family she had, she would have been out of here years ago.

  I shifted on my feet. I harbored a slight fear she would sell me out. Not on purpose, but what if she got drunk and spilled to a reporter who her roommate really was?

  No, Hannah. Don’t go down that road. Siena would never do that to you.

  I tried to drown my knee-jerk reaction to protect myself in my vodka and soda.

  “Athlete…definitely!” She pointed at a guy with blond hair, short on the sides, but longer on top. Around five eleven, with crystal blue eyes and dimples. His ripped muscles pressed against his lightweight T-shirt and tight jeans. A large group of girls and guys were with him, all on their way to getting smashed, slamming back shots, jumping up and down to the music, and screaming out lyrics almost louder than the singer.

  He looked familiar enough to place him as a snowboarder, but I had been out of the scene so long I hardly knew the names of any of the new star rippers.

  “Let’s go dance.” Siena grabbed our second shots, shoving mine into my hand. We gulped them down together before she grabbed my arm and tugged me closer to the group. Siena squirmed us near enough then swung her hips to the music. Setting herself right in his eyeline, she kept glancing at him through her lashes. Coy. Seductive.

  This was so far out of my league. I had no game. Not like that. I couldn’t even recall the last time I flirted. When I went home with someone in the past, either they had merely asked, or it was a nonverbal look. We would walk out together, go to the car, alley, or maybe his place, screw, and then I would leave.

  Siena was a pro athlete in her own right.

  She caught his eye, gave a shy smile, then looked away. She took a sip of her drink, winking at me.

  “Hey, girls.” An accented voice came from beside me. I turned my head to the blue-eyed boy. Siena was good.

  “Hi, yourself.” Siena smiled.

  “You girls looked as if you were having fun, so I wanted to come say hi. See if you wanted to join us.” He tipped his glass at us, dimples popping in his cheeks. His mouth twitched with false bashfulness. He clearly knew all he had to do was flash those dimples and he’d have almost every girl at his feet.

  “I appreciate it, but I’m dancing with my girl right now.” Siena touched his arm. “But maybe we can meet up for a drink at the bar in a bit.”

  His mouth splintered into a grin. “Sounds like a date.” His gaze moved over both of us before stepping back into his own group, his eyes still on us.

  “Wait, I thought you wanted to go home with him?”

  “I do and I will.” She smirked. “But you’ve got to let them chase you a bit. It makes them want you more. Watch, he won’t be able to stop looking over here, no matter what girl comes to him. I can’t wait too long, but just enough; he’ll want me bad.”

  “Wow.” I shook my head, exhausted by it all. I never had to play games. My first love was also my best friend, and we slid easily into a comfortable relationship. After him, it was purely for sex, until Matt. This all felt foreign and empty to me.

  “You, girl, should find someone. Talk about needing sex. When was the last time you got laid?”

  “Uh.” At least eight months ago. Matt and I had stopped having sex way before he moved out.

  “You need to let go. At least for one night.” She grabbed my arm, trying to swing my hips. The alcohol was moving into my system, relaxing my muscles, letting the music dictate their movement. “That’s my girl!”

  I took another sip and closed my eyes, feeling the music course through me. The song wasn’t slow or fast, but contained a sexy, lingering melody, which felt sultry on my skin. As if the music put my body in a trance, I moved slow and sensually.

  When the song came to an end, my body still hummed, as though eyes pierced the back of my neck. I twisted around. The crowd moved and danced thickly around me, and I saw no one standing out in the steamy air.

  “Whoa, you are hot, girl. I even wanted to have sex with you.” Siena smiled, finishing her drink, and fanned herself with her free hand. “I need another.”

  “I’ll get this round.” I had already turned for the bar, needing to get away from the dance floor. Having contained myself in a box for so long, it felt scary to step out. It was safe in there. Without it, I would have tumbled away.

  I wedged my way up to the crammed bar, my size easily getting overshadowed.

  “Let me,” a guy’s voice whispered into my ear. I looked over my shoulder. The blond guy’s face was an inch from mine. Before I could even reply he waved at one of the bartenders working with T.J. “What would you like?”

  “Two vodka and sodas and two shots of tequila.”

  “Add another shot of tequila and a beer.” He told the woman bartender. She nodded and got to work on our orders.

  “Thanks.” I turned to the side to face him.

  “No worries.” He grinned, his dimples working each side of his mouth. “I’m Jesper, by the way.”

  “Hannah.”

  “Hannah.” He leaned against the bar, taking me in. “And your friend’s name?”

  “Siena.”

  “Both pretty names and pretty girls.”

  Cheesy. I laughed, feeling uncomfortable, and shifted my weight. I had no comeback. No cute quip.

  “I couldn’t stop watching you dance,” he said bluntly, moving a tiny bit closer.

  Hell.

  The bartender returned with our drinks, breaking the tension and letting me turn away. Jesper threw some bills down before I could reach for mine.

  “I got it.” His blue eyes bored into mine, a strange pressure building in my chest. The look was one I’d seen plenty of times. Without saying a word, he was laying sex on the table.

  “Again. Thanks.” My attention shot to the drinks, which I clutched into a group to carry to Siena.

  “Let me help you.” He got the shots and followed me over to Siena. Her smile and eyes widened when we reached her.

  “Even better…drinks brought straight to me.” She grinned at Jesper. “Cheers.” Siena held up the tequila, all three of us shooting them back.

  Acid burned down my throat, overheating my stomach. But soon I felt my shoulders drop a little more, a happy smile playing on my mouth. And a full bladder.

  “Here.” I handed over her vodka drink. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

  She nodded, taking the drink. Now back in Siena’s presence, Jesper seemed transfixed by her, whispering in her ear. Oddly enough, I didn’t take his flirting with me personally. He was young, good looking, and a guy. Ready to go where sex led him. He probably hoped Siena and I would both go home with him.

  Never gonna happen.

  I sucked down my drink and set the glass back on the bar, my vision blurring a bit as I made my way to the bathroom. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a line. I came back out, my head down tugging my tank in place, when hands clutched my arms, whipping me around to the opposite wall, pressing me back into it, jolting the air from my lungs.

  Angry black eyes speared into mine. His form loomed over me, and strong hands pinned my body to the wood. Every nerve instantly reacted, pumping blood into my veins. The thrill of excitement twirled in my stomach and sent fire into my chest.

  “Jesper?” Rhys growled, his body stepping in closer. “I thought you would have better taste than that douchebag.”

  “Takes one to know one.” I lifted an eyebrow
, trying to contain the heaving of my chest, the heat of his body on mine. His gaze drifted down, crawling along my cleavage, his nose flaring. He jerked his head back to me, neither of us speaking, our eyes locked. His fingers pressed harder into my skin, the slight tinge of pain flaring between my thighs. I inhaled sharply.

  “Stay away from him.”

  “Or what?” I licked my bottom lip, drawing his focus to my mouth. “You have no say in what I do.”

  “Because...” He pushed me harder into the wall, my back digging into the grain of the wood, his body moving closer, grinding into mine. I could feel every inch of him.

  Oh my god. I wasn’t strong enough to fight this. Every part of me burned, wanting so badly to feel him. To let go. I wanted to let my hands drift under his black T-shirt, trail up his taut back, slide my hands over his ass, and move slowly to the front.

  “He’s a player and an asshole.”

  “You guys have a lot in common then.” Funny, I had no comebacks for Jesper, but with Rhys it never was my problem.

  He flattened into me, pressing our bodies together. I bit back the slight groan in my throat, my breasts tightening as his chest brushed against them.

  “That’s why you should walk away from both of us.” His eyes burned with desire, his mouth only a hair away from mine. Neither of us moved. The alcohol in my body blurred every logical thought. One hand eased off my arm, tracing over my collarbone, following the line of my top. The tip of his finger dragging over my skin was so hot it could have burned a hole through me. My chest moved up and down frantically, but I didn’t stop him. He tracked over the top of one breast, following the cut of my shirt. He stopped at the bottom of the V. My head spun, my body quaked, and my skin felt damp with perspiration.

  “What is it about you?” he whispered as his body loomed over mine, capturing it within his presence.

  “What do you mean?” I took a deep breath as his hands started to move up the other side, barely touching me, but it felt similar to an electric shock.

  “I mean.” He pushed harder into me, need bursting through me like a tsunami. “There is something about you.” His mouth dipped closer. “Familiar. As if I know you.”

  My head jerked, my eyes meeting his. “You…you don’t.” Get away, Hannah. Run. Not one muscle reacted to my order, as though he had enchanted me in place.

  Rhys’s hand slipped up to my neck, his thumb running up the middle, tipping my head back. He was so close I could feel his lips almost graze mine.

  “Well, well. Look what we have here.” We jerked our heads to the side.

  Jesper stood there with a smirk on his lips, his hands rubbing together.

  “Should have figured you’d be going after her as you always do. Right, Rhys?”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Rhys growled, stepping away from me, turning toward Jesper. “And get over it. It happened a long time ago. Plus, you are free to go after her now. She’s all yours.”

  “I don’t want Carrie anymore. Not after you’ve had her. I don’t take your seconds. I come in first…in everything.” Jesper twisted his mouth with condescension. “As I will next month.”

  “Sure. Hold your breath on that,” Rhys clipped, his shoulders rising around his ears. “Come on, Hannah.” He grabbed for my hand, leading me past Jesper and back into the bar area.

  “See you on the slopes, Axton.” Jesper followed close behind, nipping at our heels. “It’s pathetic how hard you are trying to live up to your brother’s level…he was a legend. You’re merely the wannabe.”

  Rhys stopped short. I felt it coming, that millisecond of pause, before hell would break loose.

  “No.” I reached for Rhys, but he was already gone. With a howl, he barreled into Jesper, both crashing into several tables, knocking everything and everyone out of the way. Glass, food, and liquid flew across the floor as chairs and tables hit the ground with a crash. Screams echoed through the room as people jumped away from the wrestling figures. Rhys’s fist slammed down on Jesper, and blood sprayed across the floor.

  Jesper yowled, punching Rhys in the gut, and rolled him off his body. They leaped toward each other, smashing into more tables. Blood pooled from both of their noses.

  Jesper looked mad. But Rhys was feral, like some beast he kept locked up came tearing to the surface. His eyes were wild as blood dripped over his mouth, his teeth barred, body vibrating with the need to rip Jesper apart. I sensed the next hit would go past the line of a little skirmish between two rivals.

  My mouth opened to yell at Rhys, to stop him from crossing the invisible line before it was too late and someone ended their night in jail or the hospital.

  “Stop!” T.J tore past me, jumping straight into the middle of it. He might be the only guy who could, and with his large bear physique, he was able to rip the guys away from each other. “Don’t be bringing this shit into my bar. You want to kick the crap out of each other? Fine. Do it outside!” He shoved them toward the door. “You two are done for the night. Out!”

  “I’m going to love demolishing you on the slopes. Better watch your back, Axton.” Jesper spit blood onto the ground before curving away, stomping for the opposite door, his hand pinching his bleeding nose. His group of friends trailed after him resembling a cluster of mindless fledglings.

  Still in shock, I blinked, looking over my shoulder for Siena. She stood by the bar, looking cozy with one of the reporters I recognized from the local sports channel. I sought out Rhys and found him shoving through the front doors, his shoulders humped like a camel’s back, his boots stalking into the night. I took one more glance at Siena, who looked extremely happy where she was, and tore after Rhys. My skin instantly squealed against the cold. Steam billowed off the heat from my body, cooling it down quickly.

  “Rhys!” I jogged after him, rubbing my arms. “Wait.”

  He continued to stalk up the path toward the hotel, wiping the blood dripping out of his nose and shaking it off onto the white snow as if he were leaving me some twisted version of a trail you read about in child’s books.

  “Rhys…”

  “Go back, Hannah. I’m not in the mood for company.” He grunted, his body tense as he hustled forward.

  “Too bad.” I reached his side. He peered down at me but didn’t slow his pace. Blood trickled from his nose and lip, one eye and cheek already badly swollen. “It’s part of my job to see if you are okay, Mr. Axton.” I folded my arms against the cold. His eyes shifted to me with annoyance. “Okay, really I’m simply making sure I’m not going to have to serve you any longer than I have to. And your leg is okay.”

  “My leg is fine,” he grumbled.

  “What about your brain?” I huffed out a chain of icy plumes. “Sure there isn’t major damage up there?”

  A nerve twitched along his scruffy jawline. “I’d rather be by myself right now.”

  His swollen bottom lip looked enticing enough to nibble. I looked down at my feet, rubbing my arms, unsure of what I was doing. I knew I didn’t want him to be alone. There was something in his eyes, something I couldn’t name but understood. And something I would never admit sober: I had missed him the last couple of days.

  He didn’t say anything as I continued to walk beside him in silence, perhaps too spent to get me to leave. Wordlessly we went through the hotel and up to his room. His injury didn’t slow him much, and I struggled to keep pace with his long strides. It took me many years to learn to walk without a limp, and cold weather made it stiffer than normal.

  “Sit.” I pointed at the sofa arm the moment we stepped into the warm room. “Where do you keep your first aid kit?” Athletes always had those around.

  “Bottom of the green duffel.” He perched himself where I pointed and nodded toward the closet.

  I redirected my steps, squatting over the bag until I found what I was looking for, and returned to him on the sofa. “Hold this.” I placed the open first aid kit in his palms then reached up and cupped his face, tilting and examining the abrasions. Focus on
his wounds, not how good it feels to touch him or how excruciatingly close he is. “Not too bad. Doesn’t look as though you need stitches.”

  His eyes drifted over my head, a scary blankness in his eyes. I recognized that expression. It was one I saw in the mirror every day.

  Vacant. Numb.

  I dampened a swab with disinfectant. “This might sting.” He ground his teeth as I swiped the pad over the cuts. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No.” I stayed silent, working on cleaning his cuts. After a few moments, he let out a heavy sigh. “He just gets under my skin.” His tongue ran over his busted lip. “Hard to believe we once were friends.”

  “Really?” My eyebrows shot up. “You two?”

  “Yeah, but it was before we started being in serious competition against each other... and before Carrie.”

  My throat tightened at her name, Carrie Crawford, the beautiful, talented snowboarding champion. Every man’s dream. Even her name made me want to punch a wall.

  “We were young. The three of us hung out a lot. He told me he liked her. Actually, he thought himself in love, but she wanted me. People loved the idea of us together. Seeing me and Carrie together just pushed him over the edge. And I can’t say I didn’t rub it in his face. I was an angry kid trying to act bigger than I felt inside.”

  I gnawed at the inside of my cheek, reaching for a butterfly bandage.

  “We’ve hated each other ever since.” He rolled his shoulders back with a sigh. The feel of his breath tickling down my neck made me acutely aware of his nearness. “But now he tries to compete with me in everything: snowboarding, women, sponsors, friends. Anything I have, he wants and more. Can you believe those tossers used to be my friends?”

  “Why aren’t they now?” I swallowed, trying to ignore the pounding of my heart.

  “I realized how fair-weather they were. I don’t have time for people who just want to be friends when I’m at the top, when the celebrities and models are wall to wall, the drinks and drugs are flowing, and parties are every night.” His free hand tapped absently at his leg. “But when I was going through the bad stuff, they all disappeared.”