Strung

by Victoria Ashley

  “Oh, come on, Tegan. Something got you distracted?” Kalon throws his arms up and laughs, before reaching for the ball and throwing it up, catching it. “You’ve been a pro the whole night and now you can’t even hold the ball. Here.” He tosses the ball my way, but I don’t even make an attempt to catch it, because I still haven’t been able to pull my eyes away from the beautiful temptation in front of me.

  After not seeing him for almost three days the sight of him has my heartbeat speeding up and my palms sweating.

  Is it possible he’s gotten even sexier than before?

  Look away, Tegan . . . look away.

  Just as I finally get the strength to look away from Micah, he looks up, his intense gaze locking with mine.

  “ . . . are you okay? Want me to go for you?”

  I hear Parker talking to me, but I can’t seem to make sense of much at the moment.

  I shake my head, and even though I don’t want to look away, I finally force myself to so I can grab the ball out of Parker’s hand.

  “I’m fine. I’m ready.”

  “Micah fucking Beck,” Kalon hollers. “Well, shit . . . now I know why Tegan lost the ability to throw a ball.”

  The moment Kalon mentions Micah, Parker stands up straight and pushes his shoulders out a bit as if to make himself look bigger.

  It does nothing to bring him to Micah’s level, though, and that knowledge has me reaching for the two cups in front of me left from our game and drinking what little bit of beer is in them.

  “I didn’t lose my ability to throw a ball,” I say pathetically. “It slipped from my hand.”

  My entire body heats when Micah steps up in my personal space and leans in close to my ear. “Don’t let my presence mess up your little date. I know I can be quite a fucking distraction, but I’m only over here to bring you a much-needed beer.”

  He steps back and holds out a bottle, refusing to pull his eyes away from mine until I take it from him.

  “I needed to get away from the bar scene tonight,” he says stiffly, before turning to face Kalon. “I was hoping to get some air, but I have a feeling that won’t be happening now that I have someone to look out for.”

  His eyes meet mine as he says the last part, and I can’t help but to be pissed off that he’s acting as if I’m going to ruin his night by being here.

  “Yeah, well you and my brother can piss off, because I don’t need either one of you to look out for me like I’m a child.” I tilt back the bottle in my hand, taking a quick swig. “So, why don’t you run off and have fun so I can enjoy my date.”

  Micah’s jaw flexes and his nostrils flare out as if he’s the one who’s pissed now.

  Well, good for him.

  How do you like it?

  He hasn’t been around in days and now he thinks he has the right to try and make me feel like shit for being at the same party as him.

  I’m not having it.

  “Let’s go, Parker.” I grab Parker’s arm and walk away, before Micah can attempt to intimidate him and make him feel uncomfortable.

  But from the stiffness of his arm I guess that he’s already both. It’s as if he’s worried about me touching him, but I don’t give Micah the satisfaction of releasing Parker’s arm until we’re on the other side of the pool and away from him.

  “Please ignore Micah. Apparently he’s had a bad night and wants to ruin ours too.”

  “Yeah . . .” Parker nods and takes a step back from me so we’re not standing too close. “I’m not sure if that is the case, but I can’t risk pissing your brother off and losing the management position I haven’t even started yet. Are you sure he’s okay with this? He said he was, but . . . I don’t know. Did he send Micah here to watch us?”

  I shake my head and clench my jaw. Everything was fun until Micah had to come over and ruin things. It’s not as if I see Parker as anything more than just a friend, but he’s a nice guy and shouldn’t have to feel uncomfortable when he’s with me.

  “I’ll take care of my brother, so let’s not worry about him. It’s not like we’re kissing or anything. We’re just hanging out and enjoying a nice night.”

  “That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to kiss you, Tegan.”

  His confession has me feeling nervous and uncomfortable now. Especially since Micah is clearly watching us, even though he’s now talking to some guy.

  As pissed off as I am at Micah, the thought of kissing another guy in front of him sends me into panic mode.

  Parker steps in close and grips my hip, giving it a light squeeze. “What do you think Micah would do if I did?”

  I swallow and let out a nervous laugh. “I’m not sure I want to find out.”

  “I can show you if you really fucking want me to.”

  Micah approaching us has Parker and I both taking a step back from each other, and before I can say anything he’s pulling me away from Parker and into the house.

  Everyone seems to be outside, so it’s just the two of us, and everything about this moment is intense as he backs me up against the wall and places his hands above my head.

  I suck in a deep breath and stiffen, unsure of what to expect, but the moment he lowers his head so his lips can brush over my ear, I find my entire body relaxing and leaning into him.

  “If you want to be kissed then I’ll be the one to do it. Do you got that, Tegan?”

  I swallow and close my eyes as his lips move across my skin, making their way closer and closer to my mouth as he continues talking.

  “My lips . . . my tongue . . . I can place them all over your body if you want.” I let out a small moan as he swipes his tongue across my lips, before sucking my bottom one into his mouth with a sexy growl. “But I’ll start with your lips because I miss the fucking taste.”

  Next thing I know his hands are pinning my wrists against the wall and his body presses against mine, showing me just how hard he is.

  My entire body shudders with need as he grinds against me and I find myself wanting to reach out for his long hair so I can tug on it like last time.

  “Fuck this, Tegan.”

  The words barely leave his mouth before his lips capture mine, him kissing me hard and needy.

  We both grab at each other, losing control as his tongue swirls around mine with perfection. Because he’s Micah Beck and every little thing he does with his mouth is flawless.

  His hips push me up the wall and I tug his hair harder, causing him to move one of his hands down to wrap around my throat.

  The light squeeze he gives it as he deepens the kiss has me moaning out, but louder this time.

  We’re so lost in each other that we don’t even realize someone has joined us in the kitchen until we hear a throat clear.

  “Fuck.” I push on Micah’s chest a few times before he finally backs away from me and runs his hands through his wild hair.

  I go to wipe my hand over my mouth at the same time I look over to see Kalon grinning at us. “Aren’t you on a date with another guy?”

  “Shit,” is all I can manage to say as I fix my clothes and fight to catch my breath.

  But when I look over at Micah he’s got his hands against the wall, his head bowed as he cusses aloud.

  We both know we messed up, and apparently he regrets kissing me again.

  “I need some air,” I breathe out, before turning around and heading for the door as quickly as I can.

  I don’t even bother trying to find Parker at the moment. I’m not sure I can look at him, because I know that what I did was wrong. I might not look at this as a date, but I know he does and I just kissed another guy.

  Talk about being completely confused.

  It’s been a few minutes since I stepped outside and I’m just beginning to calm down and catch my breath when I hear Parker calling out my name.

  “Hey, Tegan. I’ve been looking all over for you. Are you okay? You disappeared with Micah and I didn’t see where you guys went.”

  I nod and force a small smile. />
  I’m far from okay, but I can’t let either of the boys know that.

  “I’m good. We’re good. He just wanted to talk for a minute about something my brother told him.”

  Parker smiles and finishes off the drink he must’ve gotten when I was inside with Micah. “Okay, good. I was worried for a minute that he was trying to steal my date.”

  I shake my head and swallow. “No. I’m sure Micah can have any girl here that he wants . . .” I look up in just enough time to see some blonde chick cling to him. My heart sinks at the sight. “In fact, he’s with some trashy blonde right now.”

  Parker’s smile widens as he looks over in their direction just as the blonde bimbo wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him on the cheek. “That’s surprising. As far as I can remember he’s already slept with Gwen. Once is usually his limit. It seems to be Micah’s way when it comes to women. He’s sort of a dirtball if you ask me.”

  “He’s slept with her?” I whisper, mostly to myself. “You really think he’s going to sleep with her again?”

  “Who knows.”

  Seeing another girl all over him when he was just kissing me has my temper flaring, especially knowing that she’s experienced him in the same way I have. All I can think to do is find another drink before I explode with jealousy.

  “Shots. Let’s do some shots.”

  “That sounds really good right about now,” I say stiffly.

  I force myself to not look Micah’s way anymore because the jealousy that I’m feeling is making it hard to act normal. I know he’s not mine, but seeing him with another woman is harder than I thought It’d be.

  I don’t like the feeling one bit. In fact . . . I hate it.

  I’ve never wanted to punch a girl’s face in before now.

  Focusing my attention on Parker, I down a few shots and try my best not to wonder what Micah is doing with that other chick right now.

  But the more I try not to think about it, the more I end up thinking about it, and I find myself looking around to see if I can find them.

  “Are you okay?” Parker asks with a cute little smile. “Have you had too many shots? I can get you some water.”

  I shake my head and smile. “I’m good, thank you. I’m just a little hot.”

  “A little hot?” He steps in close and runs his hands over my ass, before squeezing my hips with a small moan. “You’ve got me hot too. You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now.”

  Before I can refuse his kiss, his hands move down to squeeze my ass and his lips cover mine.

  I barely even have time to react before he’s yanked away from me and Micah punches him across the jaw, knocking him on his ass.

  Parker looks up with surprise as he places his hand over the red area Micah’s fist just left. “What the fuck, Man?”

  “Touch her again and I’ll kill you, Parker.”

  “She’s here with me,” Parker yells from the ground. “She’s my fucking date. What the hell?”

  Everyone around us stares as Micah picks me up and begins escorting me away from the party as if he’s in control of me.

  “What the hell!” I slap at his back as he walks us around to the front of the house and I don’t stop until he sets me down next to his truck. “What did you do that for? Shit, Micah!”

  He backs me against the truck. “Because his hands and lips were all fucking over you, that’s why,” he growls out in anger. “I should’ve fucking killed him then and there instead of warning him.”

  Angry, I push him away from me. “What the hell, Micah? I can take care of myself. I was going to stop him, but you didn’t even give me enough time to.”

  “It’s kind of hard to ask him to stop when your lips are on his. It looked to me like you were enjoying it.”

  “He barely kissed me. It lasted for a whole three seconds before you came along and punched him. Fuck, Micah.” I grip my hair and begin pacing around the truck. “You punched him really hard. You might’ve broken his jaw. I can’t believe you did that.”

  “I took it easy on him,” he grinds out. “He got lucky. I saw the way his hands were groping all over your ass. You don’t do that to a girl who’s been drinking.”

  “Dammit, you should’ve let me handle him. I may be a little buzzed, but I know what I’m doing.”

  I stop and look at him as he opens the door to his truck.

  “Get inside. I’m taking you home.”

  “You’re unreal,” I mutter, while stepping up into his truck. “And an asshole.”

  The last thing I want to do is face anyone at this party after the scene that Micah just made, which is the only reason I’m agreeing to leave with him right now.

  Yes, Parker touched my ass and kissed me, which did make me feel uncomfortable, but Micah could’ve at least let me handle it before laying his ass out.

  Parker is a nice guy and I know he would’ve stopped if I had asked him to. He just got a little excited and misread the situation between us.

  “So I’ve been told.” He slams the truck door shut and walks over to jump inside himself. “But that’s part of the reason I turn you on so much. Admit it so we can all move past it.”

  I ignore him and turn away, but he’s right. There’s something about the way he takes what he wants and tells it how it is that completely turns me on.

  It makes me want to punch him just like he just punched Parker.

  And what makes it even worse is that watching him punch someone was somehow hot.

  He’s got me completely screwed up and the feeling is somewhat addictive . . .

  THE TRUCK BARELY COMES TO a stop before I jump out and slam the door shut behind me, feeling as if I’m suffocating.

  The moment the fresh air hits me I feel as if I can finally breathe once again. Being inside Micah’s truck felt like all the air was being sucked straight from my lungs. It was stifling.

  The tension was too much for such a small space.

  There were things left unsaid, but neither of us was sure if we should say them or not. At least I know I had things to say.

  The sound of Micah’s door slamming shut has me flinching and I take a deep breath, expecting him to close in behind me so we can argue our way to the house, but instead he takes off around back.

  He doesn’t even bother looking at me. He just dives into the pool, fully dressed, as if he can’t get away from me fast enough.

  This makes me angrier than I was before.

  Why the hell should he get an escape? This is all his fault to begin with.

  First he had the balls to kiss me and then act like it was a mistake, but God forbid someone else kisses me and he has the nerve to nearly knock him out.

  He’s so infuriating that I have half a mind to jump into the pool after him and rip him a new one for being such a pain in my ass.

  But the moment his intense gaze meets mine from over the ledge of the pool, I decide it’s not worth it and walk away.

  Once in my room, I strip down to a t-shirt and panties and pull my laptop out, deciding to respond to my unanswered emails as a distraction. A few people have been asking me when Still Breathing is releasing and one person wants to know if I plan on writing a book for the supporting characters from my first release.

  There’s not nearly enough emails to keep my mind distracted from Micah and how much of an asshole he’s being, so I log into Facebook and check my notifications.

  An hour later, Micah is beginning to fade from my mind when a sponsored ad for Express pops us, stating that the grand opening will be in six weeks.

  The ad has a photo of Micah sitting on the stage with his guitar, looking drop dead gorgeous.

  “Well, apparently the internet is an asshole too.”

  Grunting, I slam my computer shut and crawl into bed, wishing I was tired enough to fall asleep.

  I try everything from listening to an audiobook to binge watching Shameless, but it does nothing to stop me from wondering what Micah is doing downstairs.

/>   We’ve been home for three hours now and I haven’t heard a peep from him. It makes me wonder if he took off again and I just didn’t hear his truck over the noise from the TV, but when I sit up and look out the window to check, his truck is still parked outside and my brother is pulling up on his motorcycle.

  It has my nerves shooting off like crazy, because I have no idea if Parker told him about what went down earlier at the party.

  Once he finds out that Micah went mad and punched Parker for kissing me, he’s going to either be thankful that Micah was looking out for me or get suspicious that he did it for a whole different reason.

  Hell, I’m not even one hundred percent sure of the reason he did it.

  He was with another girl just minutes before, allowing her to kiss and hang all over him. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t go bat-shit crazy on the bitch either.

  The memory has me angrily turning off the TV and slamming my head into the pillow beneath me.

  I really need to get some sleep before my thoughts drive me crazy. Well, crazier.

  It seems I’ve been crazy since the moment I set my gaze on Micah banging some chick nearly two weeks ago.

  My brother takes his time coming upstairs and seems to be too busy taking a phone call to bother stopping by my room like he normally does, trying to make conversation on his way his.

  I sigh in relief, realizing that he hasn’t heard the news yet.

  Maybe that will give me time to talk to Parker tomorrow and apologize for what went down.

  I close my eyes and sit here in silence for a while, trying to clear my head and think about how I’m going to explain this all tomorrow.

  I’m unsure of how much time has passed, but when I hear footsteps stop in front of my doorway I sit up and open my eyes. Micah is standing there, breathing heavily.

  My heart stops mid-beat when he yanks his shirt off and comes at me, not stopping until he’s reached the bottom of the bed.

  A small moan escapes my throat the moment he crushes his lips against mine and crawls between my legs, pushing me higher up the bed with his hard body.

  He kisses me hard and deep, his mouth needy and hungry against mine, taking me as if he has something to prove.