by Audrey Drake
With a knowing expression, Luke quipped, “I know at least one or two women whose eyes I’ve caught in my Speedo.”
Now that she knew Keegan was going to keep up with her tit for tat, Callie smirked and took it to the next level. She gazed up at Luke, letting her fingers crawl over his chest lightly. “So, which one is the breaststroke? I get confused. I’m not a particularly good swimmer myself. I’d rather lie out and tan or maybe skinny dip on a really hot night.”
“It’s hard to explain the different strokes,” Luke told her, suddenly getting a bit cocky, as if he was an expert on the subject. For all Callie knew, he was still a competitive swimmer and could very well be. “It’s easier to show you.”
She waggled her eyebrows at him. “Ooh, I would love to see it. I mean, aside from learning something, I’d be watching a master at work, right? Those muscles pumping like pistons. And I can just imagine the water rolling over those abs when you get out.”
He stood straighter, and though he was definitely full of sex appeal, Callie wanted to laugh at his pompousness. She wanted to laugh even harder as Keegan’s movements flipping the steaks grew a bit violent. “I’d love to show you.”
Before Callie followed him to the pool, she winked back at Keegan. In return, he called, “Hey, Misty, where are you? I’m thirsty.” To Callie’s horror, the girl took a swig of beer, went to Keegan, and pushed it into his mouth, kissing him with long, deep strokes of her tongue after he’d swallowed.
Callie moved quickly toward Luke and stood at the edge of the pool as he dove in and started swimming across the length. Another one of the girls there cheered him on with Callie, though the girl had obviously already had quite a bit to drink. “Damn, girl, you have him wrapped around your finger. You took, what, thirty seconds? Teach me your tricks!”
Callie shook her head with a gracious smile. “I’m sorry; I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m Barbara. And you’re Callie, right?”
“Yes. It’s nice to meet you.” She watched Luke turn around and start back, still not quite seeing the difference in his strokes than any other swimmer. “I could teach you a few tricks, but at the end of the day, it’s a natural gift. You have it or you don’t.” She crouched down to greet Luke as he returned, knowing that the thong left her completely exposed from behind. At this angle, Keegan had no choice but to look; she was directly in his line of sight.
Callie knew Keegan thought he’d made a smart move planning this little surprise soiree but he was wrong. In scenarios like this, she was completely in her element, and there was no way he could best her tonight.
Chapter Four
Callie quickly realized that Luke was not a three beer sort of guy. To tolerate him and his overbearing cocky attitude, she was going to need far more than three beers. Usually, she set her limit at three. If the guy she targeted required more than that, she moved on to someone else.
But she refused to back down tonight. Callie was really starting to get to Keegan, and if she gave up and started over with someone else now, she’d lose her edge. She couldn’t let that happen, especially since he’d all but shoved Misty the Airhead onto another friend to be rid of her. Callie was surprised; she figured he would put up with the lack of brain cells for the night, just to piss her off.
Instead, he worked the grill, pretended to be lighthearted and excited to have his friends around while he was actually growing more miserable by the moment. He really had it for Callie, and she reveled in it. She felt less disgusting for her own attraction to him knowing it was mutual.
Since she had this round under her belt, she stuck with Luke, opting to up the intake of liquid tolerance instead of dropping the intolerable man who was eating out of her hand. But as she laid across his lap, letting him feed her as she tossed back another rum and Diet Coke, Callie’s eyes were on Keegan.
He looked at home behind the grill, but she could also see him in a suit in court, charming the jury as much as hitting them with facts and an intellect they couldn’t even fathom. She could also see him on the slopes of the Alps or surfing in California. She had the impression that it wouldn’t matter where he was or what he was doing. He would fit in, and he would look good doing it.
That made Callie jealous. No matter what, she would never be the sort of person who was versatile. She’d built her reputation as a party girl for a reason. It was the only place she fit in, the only place she looked at home. Sure, she could be just about anything she wanted to be. She was intelligent. In fact, her grades didn’t even reflect her capabilities, and they were excellent. But there wasn’t a single profession that fit her personality.
She couldn’t wow a courtroom, and though she could dance, she wasn’t coordinated enough to do something like ski or surf. She couldn’t cook and didn’t have the desire to learn. No, Callie belonged in the high society tabloid crowd, right there with Rena and the rest of her friends.
Tired of lounging here with a guy who wasn’t even close to her type, Callie excused herself with a teasing kiss and stood. The liquor went to her head, and it took her a minute to get her balance. When she did, she walked gingerly over to the grill, where a second round of food was coming out, and folded her arms over her chest. “Are you ever going to get out and enjoy your own party?”
He shrugged without looking up. “People are still hungry. I’m still cooking. Don’t worry about me. I’ve got plenty of doting admirers to keep me hydrated with beer, and all my friends come over and talk to me from time to time.” He glanced up briefly. “Besides, you seem to be enjoying my party enough for the both of us.”
She waved a hand in the air to dismiss his words. “You do realize I’m bored out of my mind, right? I mean, the food is great. You’re excellent with the grill. But I have to admit, I thought my friends could be boring without additional stimulation until I met these guys.”
Keegan smirked, but there was no humor in his eyes. “If you’re not having a good time, you don’t have to be here. You can go upstairs and go to bed or whatever it is you want to do.”
She saw an opening, and as she moved toward the bar to mix another drink, she said, “What is it you think about me doing up in my room?”
For the first time in at least an hour, he laughed sincerely. “I don’t think about you, really. But I’m sure you’re up there, fantasizing about me stepping out of the shower.” He spoke in an almost sing-song voice, and Callie found herself flushing, whether from the alcohol or his reminder it didn’t matter.
She tossed back the drink and poured another. “How much have you drunk already, Callie?”
She held up her glass to him in a toast and said, “Enough to stick around with Luke the Lively but not enough to let you come to my room and take advantage of me.” Hit him below the belt, she thought. It was the only way to get what she wanted out of this. She swallowed the drink and made a face, the burn in her chest rising back up into her mouth with acid and bile.
“Come on, Callie, you need to slow down a little. And get the hell off Luke, okay? He’s an idiot, and you can do way better than that.” There was real concern in Keegan’s voice, and it seemed to echo in her head. Maybe she was drinking too fast, but it was the only way to liven up this party to a tolerable level. Maybe if she went to talk to some of the people who had arrived after she’d started working her way into Luke’s pocket, she’d be having more fun. They were jumping into the pool, laughing and going on.
But she couldn’t step away from Luke when she had obviously really affected Keegan with her work so far. And all he wanted to do was sit in the lounge chair, feed her tiny bites, and talk about math and sports. Not even the good sports, either. He was talking about tennis, golf, and bowling, of all things. Who actually watched bowling unless it was three in the morning and they had insomnia? And even then, you could usually find a rerun of Cops or something.
Depressed now and wishing she could have just been patient enough to wait for more variety; Callie did the only thing she could think of
to cheer herself up. She poured another drink. She glared at Keegan defiantly as she swallowed it, and for a moment, she thought she was going to throw up. When that settled, she realized she needed to use the restroom and turned toward the house.
“Are you alright, Callie? You aren’t going to puke are you?” he asked as he pulled the steaks off the grill.
“No, dear brother. I’m glad you’re worried about me. I’m just going to use the bathroom, if you must invade my privacy. I’ll be right back.”
***
Keegan scowled. Callie was stumbling, and he was willing to bet she hadn’t eaten until he’d started grilling. She’d eaten well, but that was after she’d started drinking, and instead of that slowing down, she’d picked up the pace. He wanted to play the game with her, wanted to tease and taunt. And he didn’t want to lose. But he certainly hadn’t meant to frustrate her to the point of alcohol poisoning.
He couldn’t in good conscience, just let her wander into the house like that. She could knock into one of the antique tables or something, slice her hip, and bleed to death. Or she could fall and hit her head and pass out. Taking the last steak off the grill, he closed the lid for the moment and hurried after her.
She hadn’t made it out of the kitchen yet, and that was a relief. She could still hit her head pretty hard on the tile or countertops, but it was too narrow for her to stumble far and knock herself down. He grabbed her arm, and she jerked away with enough force to spin her around. She was scowling at him, but Keegan watched the dizziness overtake her, and she fell toward the refrigerator.
He reached out to ease Callie over so she stood in front of the fridge, leaning back against it. Her head lolled to the side a little bit, but she righted herself and smiled. It was a drunken expression, but he could see lucidity in her eyes. “My hero,” she quipped. “You shouldn’t have followed me. You have guests to tend to and steaks to grill.”
Keegan sighed, leaning a hand against the fridge by her head. “The steaks are done, and those people can entertain themselves for a few minutes while I make sure you don’t crash land into something sharp or bash your head on the floor and bleed all over it.”
Her smile faded. “What difference does it make to you, Keegan? We’re not going to be here much longer, and it’s not our responsibility to clean up. And it’s not like you’ve ever really cared what happens to me. I made you hate me as a kid, and we haven’t had any interaction for twenty years. You come home, and you’re suddenly this hot guy, and maybe you find me a little attractive. So what? Why does it matter to you if I go out and screw your boring friend or if I drink myself into oblivion or if I stumble into the house and have an accident?”
Blinking in disbelief at her honesty, likely induced by the truth serum better known as alcohol, Keegan really considered her for the first time. Sure, he’d memorized her body from head to toe, and he’d really started to enjoy their banter. It wasn’t just because it was sexual in nature. Keegan knew very well how smart Callie really was, and though that intellect was misapplied, it came through in the insults and underlying entendre in her words.
But now, he looked deeper, and he realized that, despite all her gusto, Callie was really vulnerable. She doubted her own value and even as she pranced around and paraded herself in front of him, she couldn’t see a reason for Keegan to care about her. She could imagine herself as a piece of meat to be devoured. But she didn’t feel that her inner person was worthy of love or kindness or even familial concern.
If that wasn’t a sad discovery, he didn’t know what would be. It was the last thing he’d expected to come out of this whole endeavor tonight.
Keegan’s heart felt like it was choking, and he wanted to comfort Callie, let her know that no matter what he’d said or believed in the past, he had never actually hated her. He’d only been jealous or hurt. And now, the feelings inside him were eating away at his soul. He couldn’t understand them, only knew they shouldn’t exist. It would be unfair to express those emotions to Callie when there was nothing they could do to act on them.
Now, in his silence, she shook her head. “See? You don’t have an answer because you know deep down that it doesn’t matter to you. It’s just that bit of chivalry that’s buried inside all guys like you.”
He quirked a brow at her. “Guys like me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, guys like you. The rare man out there who has the looks, the smarts, and a heart that’s not three sizes too small. Even when you don’t want anything to do with someone, and even when you hate someone, you feel the need to show courtesy and rescue the dreaded damsel in distress. It’s almost insulting, you know. If you really hate me that much, why can’t you just leave me alone and go be with the people you do like?”
Now, Keegan was offended. “Listen to me, Callie, I’ve never hated you. Kids use strong words they don’t mean, and I didn’t know what else to call it at the time. But put all that aside. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have invited those people over tonight. I asked them to come over for you. I wanted to be around you, and I wanted to flaunt my prowess in front of you to make you jealous. You can’t tell me you didn’t want the same thing.”
Her mouth moved, but no words came out, and she looked like she was trying to process what he told her through the haze of her drunkenness. Keegan heaved a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “Come on, Callie. I don’t know exactly what this is I feel for you, and it’s completely inappropriate. But I know I can’t just let you walk away when you’re hammered and not worry about you. I can’t stand there and watch you throw yourself at another guy you don’t even like who isn’t even good enough for you. Hell, I don’t even like the idea of you going out with your friends and picking up some random stranger because it makes me so jealous I see in shades of yellow and green.”
She met his gaze, and she was breathing in short bursts of air. Her pupils were dilated, and yet, she looked completely shocked. “What are you saying, Keegan?”
He didn’t know. He was screwing it up, twisting his words every way but the way he wanted them to come out. Driven to satisfy his own urge and show her what he couldn’t tell her, Keegan leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
Chapter Five
In all her experience, Callie couldn’t remember a kiss ever feeling like this, and she opened like petals to the rain as Keegan pressed his tongue into her mouth. All the stress and all the haze of drinking disappeared, and she was stone cold sober.
And burning hot with desire.
She wrapped herself around Keegan, her arms around his neck, and she pulled him tighter to her body. She reveled in the feel of his flesh against hers, warm from the outside air and damp from the sheen of sweat. He smelled so good, like that cologne and the natural scent, with the addition of that scent of warm outdoorsman.
It enticed her, and she never wanted to stop as he made love to her mouth. Something inside her tingled with anticipation, and it was similar to picking up a random guy yet deeper and more disturbing.
And so much stronger.
She threaded her fingers through his hair, clenching her fists in it, and he pulled her to her feet from where she leaned against the fridge. He cradled her body to his, and he broke their kiss to look down at her with an expression of wide-eyed wonder. Callie groaned at the separation. Something about Keegan made it feel like she could die happy in his arms, like he surged contentment and relaxation and shared it with any woman in his arms.
Right now, she was that woman, and she didn’t want it to be any other way. “Take me upstairs, Keegan.” She leaned into him as he climbed the stairs, supporting most of her body weight. He took her to her room, but Callie resisted when he tried to lay her down. Instead, she fought past him and shut the door, locking it. “You’re right; they can entertain themselves for a while.”
Keegan looked nervous, and Callie’s pulse was thread at best as she realized what she was about to do. But it wasn’t like they shared the same blood. And soon, their parents
would be divorced. Callie would file to change her name, basically voiding the adoption, and this moment would be nothing to worry about.
She wrapped her hands around the back of Keegan’s neck and pulled him back into a kiss, one that was slower and more passionate while also more demanding and urgent. Callie didn’t think she could wait any longer, now that she had him here, in her room. And feeling the reaction in his trunks against her stomach made Callie moan. There was no way she could suffer such attention for long, and to her delight, he made fast work of both their bathing suits.
She thought back to the way she’d remained scantily clad since Keegan’s arrival, but now, with nothing left to the imagination, Callie felt super vulnerable. Never had she feared rejection until she stood in front of him like this.
But as he covered her body with his, she knew there was nothing to worry about. He was hard and strong against her softness, and everywhere their skin touched tingled. Callie drank from him as he kissed her, his tongue plying at her mouth with desperation, begging her to open up to him. She responded with fervor, letting her tongue keep pace with his as they danced together.
This was like nothing she’d felt before. She’d had plenty of hot sex, but now, her emotions were raw and out in the open. Coupled with the physical stimulation, it overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t seem to move her hands fast enough to touch Keegan, no matter how hard she tried. She ran her palms over his smooth back, her nails down his muscled arms, and she splayed fingers over his perfectly toned chest and abs.
All the while, Keegan kissed her neck, nibbled at her ear, and suckled at her breasts, his hands sliding over her body deliciously. When he slipped two fingers between her thighs, toying with her folds, Callie cried out with a vicious orgasm that arched her back and made her see stars. And it doubled over as those fingers pushed inside her and hit the ripe spot that worked like an ignition switch.
She poured, and Keegan groaned, obviously taking his own pleasure in her reaction to him. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted all of him, and she was going to get it. He didn’t seem content, either, as he stopped the torment and settled himself between her legs. Callie instantly wrapped her legs around him, crossing her ankles and lifting her hips to beg him to enter.