All from a kiss.
Imagine what sex with him would be like. I grind my hips against his as the thought lands in my mind, and he stills underneath me, his lips freezing in place.
He rips his mouth from mine, and I stare at him in confusion. “Why’d you stop?” I pant, still running my fingers through the hair at the base of his neck.
Reaching up, he takes my hands and carefully lifts me off him. “This is wrong, Belle.” He pins me with a pained expression, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
I’m mortified, and my cheeks flare red. Oh my God. I’ve totally misread the situation, and I basically forced him into kissing me when he didn’t want to. My heart hurts at his words, and I can’t even look him in the face. “I’m sorry,” I mumble, climbing to my feet, still avoiding looking at him. “It’s totally my fault. Just forget it happened.”
“Belle.” He calls out to me as I run out of the living room, but this time, I don’t stop, racing up the stairs and disappearing into the safety of my bedroom.
As I crawl under the covers, deeply humiliated, contemplating how the hell I’ll ever face Slater again, I wonder why I keep getting everything so wrong, questioning if I’m a terrible judge of character, because I don’t seem capable of making the right decisions lately, especially when it comes to the men in my life.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I become adept at avoiding Slater over the course of the next week, which I know is the chicken’s way out, but I can’t face another rejection so close after the last one. I’m hoping if enough time passes he’ll just forget about it and we can resume our easy friendship like it never happened. I’m too embarrassed to even tell Myndi about it, so I just throw myself into my classes and my studies, and when Emma calls with some emergency Friday lunchtime, I agree to cover her shift at the club later that night, knowing Slater won’t be there.
The club is busy, and I’m exhausted by the time I get home. Muted sounds of music and the hum of conversation accost my ears as I step foot inside the house. I poke my head through the living room door, my gaze roaming over the crowded space. “Hey, Gabby!” Austin waves his hands at me, summoning me inside.
I push past people until I reach him. “I didn’t know we were having a party.” I peer out the window into the backyard. A bunch of people are hanging out there, lounging on the deck, squatting on the grass, and huddled around the fire pit.
He slings his arm over my shoulder, pulling me into his side. “It was a spur of the moment thing.” He smacks a kiss off my cheek before turning me around and introducing me to the guys he’s with. “This is my new, gorgeous housemate, Gabby.”
I warm at his compliment, smiling up at him. He smiles back, and it lights up his whole face. With his shoulder-length sandy-blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and tatted arms, Austin is quite the looker. But something tells me he knows it too.
A couple of his friends give me the once-over, not even attempting to disguise their interest. I’m flattered but not really in the mood to flirt. “Want a beer?” Austin asks, pulling a cold one from the ice bucket on the table beside him.
“Sure.” I wrap my hand around the bottle, popping the lid. “It was a long shift.”
“How are you enjoying working at the club?” he inquires, slipping his hand from my shoulder down my back.
“I like it. Shelby’s a prize bitch, but apart from her, everyone is really nice to work with and I’m settling in.”
“Don’t let Evans hear you dissing his girl.”
“She’s not his girl,” I protest, and he quirks a brow as he brings his beer to his mouth.
“Whatever you say.”
His comment pisses me off. “I’m going to get changed into something more comfortable.” I shuck out of his embrace. “I’ll catch you later.”
He pulls me back, nudging my hair aside and whispering in my ear. “I’ll be right here waiting, gorgeous.” He presses a kiss to my neck, flicking his tongue over my sensitive skin so I’m left in no doubt of his intentions. “Hurry back to me.” He pats my ass before releasing me.
“Wow. Are you always this forward?”
“When I see something I want, you betcha.”
I shake my head, laughing. “I admire your honesty, but it’s not going to happen. We’re roomies and we need to keep it strictly platonic.”
“Ah, babe, you’re no fun.” He grins mischievously, pulling me into his chest and circling his arms around my back. “We can be sneaky,” he whispers, “so the others will never know.”
I laugh again, pushing out of his arms. “You’re incorrigible.”
“I like to call it determined.”
I wave at him as I walk off. “See you later, Powers!”
I maneuver around the couples kissing on the stairs, offering up a silent prayer that no one is fucking around in my bed. When I reach my bedroom, I rest my ear against the door, listening for any moans or whimpers. Detecting none, I cautiously open the door and stick my head inside, relieved to find it empty.
I take a quick shower, careful not to get my hair wet, and then I dress in my black skinny jeans, a sparkly black top, and my ballet flats. A slick of lip gloss and a thick coating of mascara completes my party look, and I head back downstairs. I figure now is a great time to catch Slater and clear the air without having to spend too much time with him or making it obvious that I’ve been avoiding him on purpose. I’m assuming he and Ryan are around somewhere, so I bypass the living room and head straight for the kitchen.
A couple of guys and girls are laughing over by the refrigerator, but it’s the sight of Shelby kissing Slater, her body practically superglued to his that has me running out of the kitchen like there’s a rocket up my ass. He calls out after me, but I’m way too fired up to stop.
He fucking lied to me! He told me there was nothing going on with her, that he wasn’t interested, and now she’s draped over him like a silk sheet.
My judgment is obviously completely skewed. How could I have thought he’d any interest in me when he’s clearly still interested in her? The fact he rejected me last week and now he’s in there with her only adds fuel to the fire.
Screw this.
Slater might not be interested in me, but I know someone who made his interest very clear. And, right now, I’m hurt and needy, and I want someone to take me in their arms and at least pretend like they’re into me. Psychologists would have a field day with me right now, but I don’t care.
I storm into the living room, making a beeline for Austin. He’s laughing at something one of his friends is saying so he doesn’t notice me stalking toward him like a hunter stalking her prey. Not until I’m right in front of him, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him into me. My lips crash down on his, and, as anticipated, he doesn’t let me down, wrapping his arms firmly around my back and plundering my mouth with the same urgency. Anger pumps through my veins, supercharging my determination, and I grab onto him tighter, pressing myself into him, welcoming the feel of his growing erection nudging against my lower stomach.
Boy can Austin kiss. His lips are on fire as they move against mine with skill, and I’m going with the flow, indulging the freedom that comes from kissing a hot guy I find attractive and knowing nothing more will come of it. He slides one hand up my back, gripping my neck firmly and forcing my head to the side so he can ravish my mouth even more. His tongue swirls around my mouth, and he grinds his hips into mine, growling at the back of his throat when I squeeze his ass.
I’m ripped off him so fast I have to blink a couple times to figure out what just happened.
“What the actual fuck, man?” Austin stares at a furious Slater as if he wants to tear him limb from limb.
“I told you to keep your hands off her!” Slater hisses, and I snap out of whatever daze I’m in.
“Fuck off, Slate.” I maneuver around him, cu
rling into Austin’s side. “You have no right to tell anyone anything in relation to me. Shoo!” I flap my hands in his face. “Your skank is waiting for you in the kitchen.”
“She’s not my anything.”
“Spoken like a true manwhore,” I sneer, as Austin slips his arm around my waist.
Slater’s fists ball up at his sides, and he closes his eyes momentarily. When he opens them again, he looks conflicted. “It’s not what it looks like.” He drags a hand through his hair. “Look, can we go somewhere to talk?”
“I’m busy right now,” I say, taking hold of Austin’s hand and pulling him out through the room.
“Belle, stop.” Slater tugs on my elbow. “You don’t want to do this.”
I shove him away. “Stop cockblocking me!” I hiss. “I’m capable of making my own decisions, and I’ll do what I want. Do whom I want!” Okay, I’m acting like a spoiled, immature bitch. I know I am, but I’m hurt and mad over what I witnessed in the kitchen and what I perceive to be double standards.
I drag Austin out into the hallway with me. He’s starting to look a little uncomfortable, but I’m not giving him an easy out. He was into this until Slater interrupted us, and I know he would be happy to take this to my bedroom, so I’m not giving him the opportunity to back out.
I start climbing the stairs, pulling Austin with me. “Um, Gabby.”
“Don’t say it!” I snap, glowering at him over my shoulder. Slater is standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at me with furious eyes. I have to work hard to resist flipping him the bird.
Man, I’m really releasing my inner child tonight.
I wonder if heartache negates the logical, rational part of the brain, because I know I’m acting irrationally, but I refuse to change course either.
I pull Austin into my room, slamming the door shut and pushing him down on the bed. Before he can argue, I pounce on him, straddling his hips and pulling my top off so I’m only in my jeans and bra.
“Gabby, wait, look, I …” He shoots me an apologetic expression as he gently takes my hands, holding me back.
I want to kill Slater. I think I could throttle him with my bare hands for ending this before it even started. “Great, you’re rejecting me too. Super.”
My humiliation is complete.
Scrambling off his lap, I perch on the edge of the bed with my head in my hands. Now, I’ll have two housemates to avoid. I’ll have to move out and find somewhere else to live.
“Look at me.” Austin forces me to look up. “You’re fucking gorgeous, and I want you, I do.” He lowers his head to his crotch and then looks up at me with a lopsided grin. “It’s not like I can deny what you do to me.”
“So, let’s do this.” I cup his face. “I know you don’t want anything beyond a hookup, and that’s just perfect for me. I’m not looking for anything more either. Slate’s just being an asshole.”
Austin sighs. “C’mon. We both know he’s not an asshole.” He presses a kiss to my forehead and stands. “If anyone’s an asshole, it’s me, because I see how he looks at you.” He runs his fingers through my hair as he stands in front of me. “I want to fuck you, Gabby, but not at the expense of our friendship or the friendship I share with Evans. I won’t get in the middle of whatever is going on between you two.”
“Nothing’s going on between us,” I say, grabbing his hips and looking up at him with what I hope is a seductive look.
The door to my room bursts open, and Slater storms inside like an out of control tsunami. He takes one look at the setup, adds two plus two, and comes up with ten. He lunges at Austin, but Austin is fast, and he steps to the side before Slater makes contact.
Which means Slater lands on top of me with a loud roar, and I’m bearing the full extent of his rage.
Austin takes that as his cue, winking and giving me a thumbs-up signal before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind him.
“Get off me, you big oaf!” I shove at Slater’s shoulders, urging him to move while trying to ignore the way my traitorous body is responding to the fact he’s lying on top of me, strategically positioned in all the right places. His face is pressed into my collarbone, offering him a nice view of the girls, barely covered in the flimsy black lace bra I’m wearing.
He seems to realize this at the same time, and he jumps up off me as if I’m contaminated. Another splinter of hurt rips through the weak organ in my chest.
“Now get out!” Tears prick my eyes as I rise, pointing at the door. “Just get out.”
“I’m not leaving until we discuss this.”
“I don’t want to talk to you, and this is my room, so get out.”
“I didn’t kiss Shelby, and I wasn’t lying when I said I’d no interest in her.”
I slant an incredulous look his way. “I saw it with my own two eyes!” I yell, jumping up. “Don’t try and make out like I’m crazy! I know what I saw.”
He takes a step closer to me. “I didn’t invite her here. She came with a bunch of other people and tried to latch onto me, but I told her bluntly to keep the fuck away from me. What you saw was her following me into the kitchen and jumping on me.”
I harrumph, shaking my head. “My God, you’re such a fucking liar! You were kissing her!”
“She. Was. Kissing. Me!” he roars. “For the love of God, why are you so fucking stubborn!”
“Oh, maybe because you keep lying to me?” I plant my hands on my hips and let anger flow through me like a steamroller. “Or maybe it’s because you rejected me last week, yet you have no issue letting that skank climb you like a fucking monkey!”
He grabs onto his hair, and a strangled sound slips out of his mouth. “You are the most infuriating woman I know.” Quick as a flash, he stalks to my side, grabbing my face in his large hands. He’s not exactly gentle, and his eyes are flaring with heated emotion. “Are you that clueless, Belle? Or you really think I’m such an asshole?”
“I don’t think it. I know it.”
“You are draining every last ounce of my patience,” he growls, wrapping his hand around my head.
“Sorry I continue to be such a disappointment to you!”
“Belle.” He sighs. “How can you be so blind?” He shakes his head, drawing our faces closer until there’s no more than a couple inches between us. “I’m not interested in Shelby, and she cornered me and took advantage for a split second. I swear that’s all that happened.”
I shrug. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. Kiss who you like. Fuck who you like. Just leave me out of it.”
“I want to bang your head against the wall and eradicate all stubbornness and stupidity from your brain.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize you hated me that much.”
His eyes darken, and he stares at me with a myriad of different emotions washing over his face. His chest heaves. A muscle pops in and out of his jaw. He gulps as his eyes flit to my mouth, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. The hand at the back of my head reels me in closer until we’re only a hairsbreadth away from one another.
I stop breathing. My heart thumps behind my ribcage, and heat spirals through me.
He closes his eyes for a split second. When he opens them again, I gasp at the lust-drenched look radiating from the back of his eyes. “Fuck it!” His breath is warm as it ghosts over my face, and I sway on my feet, intoxicated, excited, and confused at the same time.
Decision made, he slams his lips down on mine, kissing me like I’ve never been kissed before. It’s as if I’m the last woman on Earth and his survival depends on this kiss. He moves me over to the wall with obvious urgency, never once breaking our lip lock. He pushes me up against it, pressing his body flush against mine. I’m on fire, my body tingling all over. Stars explode in my mind, and I’m moaning into his mouth, clutching at his back, my hands greedy as they start exploring his hot body.
/> His hands are on the move too, trailing up the sides of my body, brushing against my breasts. My breath stutters, and an ache builds in my core. When he grabs my leg, yanking it up and around his waist, I rock against him, needing the friction to ease the throbbing down below.
He grinds his hips into mine, emitting a primal moan from the back of his throat. Liquid desire coils low in my belly, and I’m rocking against him like a woman possessed, needy and completely out of control.
He’s aggressive, channeling all his frustration into every sweep of his lips and every thrust of his body, and I’m matching him head-on. I’m still so frigging angry, and I’m attacking his mouth with every pent-up feeling inside me. My hands slip under his shirt, and I drag my nails up and down his back, eliciting more heady grunts from his mouth. My body is alive, thrumming with a craving so intense it will take countless hours to sate my appetite. I bite down on his lower lip, sure I’ve drawn blood, but that only increases the pressure of his lips on mine and the tightening of his grip on the back of my head.
Without warning, he tears his lips from mine, pinning me with a look that is a combination of anger, frustration, sheer lust, potent helplessness, and something much, much deeper.
“Hate you, Belle? Are you fucking insane?” He presses his forehead to mine, and both our chests heave up and down. His breathing is ragged. My pulse throbs wildly in my neck. I’m a strange mix of aroused aggressiveness, and I can’t decide if I want to throw him on the bed and have my wicked way or slap the shit out of him.
I feel like doing neither with the words that come out of his mouth next.
He steps back, and the pained expression on his face hurts me almost as much as his previous rejection. “I don’t hate you, Belle.” His voice is quieter, more composed. “I could never hate you. Not when I love you so fucking much.”
When Forever Changes Page 18