His eyes light up. “I'll have one of you.”
“Yeah, I'll bet.” The girl flips her pink hair out of her eyes. “Seriously, what'll you have?”
“Two Coronas.” When the waitress doesn’t card him, Gabe pays for our drinks and hands them around. Lucky shit never had to show ID. It was the damn muscles.
The music beats with a steady thump, and the black light in the room makes everyone glow. It is a typical rave club, except the vibe. There’s something else going on in the shadows.
Alice leads us to a booth and pops the top on her water. “So, what do you think?”
I glance down at the drop of water clinging to her bottom lip. I’d give anything to taste that drop. “Why did you bring us here if you were just going to order water?”
“You'll see. I want to show you something, but the fun doesn’t start until later.”
The club pulses and bounces, but we all sit in a quiet hub. I watch Alice. She watches the crowd. And Gabe is tapping out a tune on the table. He stands up, takes Alice's water out of her hand, and tugs on her hair. “Let's dance.”
She grins and slides from the booth. He slips an arm around her shoulders while I stew over my drink. I guess I should've known he was going to do something to goad me, but when he steps in against Alice's body, I see red. She is mine.
I make my way to the dance floor and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her back against my stomach. She giggles and glances over her shoulder. “I thought you were going to sit there all night.”
Gabe quirks an eyebrow at me but doesn’t back off. Alice is dancing and laughing at his funny antics. Normally, I’d laugh too, but normally, we don’t have a woman between us. Gabe grins at me and reaches for Alice, wrapping his hands around waist, and tugging her away from me.
She floats into his arms, giggling and bouncing. I’m gifted with a fantastic view of her ass as she tip-toes up to say something to Gabe. It’s so fucking loud in here. I can’t make out her words. So, I do the only thing any other self-respecting male would do. I make an Alice sandwich.
The ass I’d been admiring before fits snug against the top of my thighs. I’m amazed at just how small she really is. The back of her head brushes against my chest. I wrap one arm over her collarbone and push Gabe’s hand away from her hip with the other. The dancing fairy backs up a step and bobs his head to his own drum beat. Certainly wasn’t in time with the bass line in this techno-shit.
Alice’s hands come up and lock behind my neck, and I lean down over her. My cheek grazes hers, and she turns into me. Our lips are achingly close. She smiles, and a sharp thud hits my heart. I lean back, just enough to sink lower, wrapping the hand on her hip around her waist and enclosing her even tighter against me. I’m hard and horny from the almost black intensity I’d seen in her gaze.
Gabe inches closer. One hand cups her thigh, and he tugs it up to his hip. If it wasn’t for the floor full of horny dancers around us, I would have been sure we were going to jail. Gabe and I are eye level, pissing on our territory, but I’m not sure why. I thought he planned on backing off.
It takes us both a shove and a jab to notice that Alice has noticed the hard vibes passing between us. “Hey you two, let’s take it down a notch.”
Gabe backs up again and grins. “I can’t help it if you’re too fucking hot to walk away from.”
“Ha-ha, you’re just horny. I’m sure there are plenty of girls around here that would love to have that pole rubbing up against them.”
Gabe laughs. “But not you?”
“Sorry. Not tonight.”
The thought of her between us pisses me off. I want to lash out at both of them and their easy banter. I want to hurt them both, and it’s a feeling that doesn’t sit well with my normally laid-back behavior. The urge is still in my head, and I hear myself ask, “You ever had brothers before?”
She twirls against me and loses the fun light I'd seen in her eyes earlier. I killed that. “I'm sorry. That was a douche thing to say.”
“I'm not into that.” The deadpan expression upon her face doesn’t give me even a slight hint if she’s disgusted with me. I would be. I am.
I grab her arms and draw her back to me. Gabe is grinning like a damn fool, and it takes every ounce of calm in me not to punch him.
“What are you into?” I'm not sure why I say it, but she seems to pause from the cocky grin she’d been about to unleash on me. “Alice?”
She plants a hand against my chest and leans close. “I'm into respect.”
“I respect you.”
“No you don’t. If you did, you wouldn't have even thought of saying something like that.” She doesn't give me another opportunity to apologize before she rushes from the floor and pushes through the crowd.
“Man, when you fuck up, you do it good.”
“I know.”
Gabe thumps my ear. “Well, go get her.”
I don't need any other encouragement. I fight my way through the dancers grinding against each other. The top of Alice’s head bounces chin level with everyone else. I lose sight of her when she slips into a room. The door is heavy, and I half expect it to be locked, but it’s not. It’s dark in here, except for the single low amp bulb hanging in the middle of the room, illuminating a small circle at the center. The corners are pitch black.
A whisper breathes against my neck. “You can go back to the party.”
I listen for movement, something to give away where she is. “I upset you, and I'm sorry.”
“I'm not upset. I really didn't expect much more from a spoiled rich boy that probably has never had to show an ounce of respect in his life.” She’s in one of the corners behind me.
“Come into the light? I can't see shit in here.”
“You’ll see me when I want you to.” She passes me, and I can smell her perfume. It's sweet and spicy and haunting. “I'm thinking it's time for you and me to come to an understanding.”
I see a flash of skin, and her hand traces over my ribs. I flinch, the tickle of her fingers hardening my dick into a steel length against my thigh. “Alice.” I swing an arm out, reaching into air, desperately trying to snag a shirt or piece of hair, anything to stop this game. Sure, I can find her in the shadows, but I’m also curious to find out what her game is about. Punishment for embarrassing her? Well, then I deserve it. Teasing for torture? I’m there.
“Seth.” A hand wraps around from behind me and slips just above my belt.
I sigh. My cock is throbbing to the beat of the music. “What are you doing?”
“I'm just doing what I know how to do. Right? I must be good at it, since I hang out with homeless people and live with my sister.”
I feel the soft press of her breasts against my back and hiss. “You’re mad. I get that, but I said I’m sorry.”
“I don’t get mad.”
Small fingers trace the shape of my right ass cheek. If she’s not mad, then that can only mean one thing. “Are you coming on to me?”
“No.” She grips my belt, and then slides her hand along each loop.
“It sure feels like a come on to me.” I pivot, intent on turning around and catching her, but she grabs my shoulders with more strength than I expect her to have and stills me.
She's teasing me. This is worse than being in junior high when the girls still said no. I've never wanted a yes so bad in my life. She slides around my body and glances up at me. My cock twitches, reminding me that he wants out. I dip my head. I want just one taste of those bee-sting lips. Want to see if the water she had earlier still tastes as fresh as it looked on her bottom lip.
She drops to her knees in front of me, and I have to close my eyes to the mirage of images floating through my lust-filled brain.
Fingers wrap around my knees, and I feel moist breaths puffing against the bottom of my shirt.
“Did you really want to share me with Gabe?”
I glance down at the top of her head. She’s not looking at me. I struggle to get out the answer.
“N-no.”
“I don’t share, Seth. I won’t be shared.”
I reach down and trace my fingers through her wild curls. “I get that.”
She catches my wrists and holds them away from her. Her head tips back and her eyes glisten. “Do you want me to make you feel good?”
“What the fuck, Alice?” She’s mad at me, and then she’s not. Touching me, but I can’t touch her. This woman is fucking my mind over in a matter of seconds, and it’s killing me.
“I want you to whimper for me.” My cock is aching. “I want to hear you beg me.” My balls knot up. “And when you get down low enough to grovel, then I'll laugh at how weak I've made you.”
“What—”
She laughs, but it’s a horrible sound—twisted with the pride I’d bent. “You think you know me. You think you know the dark I carry. Well, you don't know shit.” Her hands slip from my knees, and she stands, stutter stepping back from my outstretched hands. “I've seen worse than you'll ever even think of doing.”
“Where are you going?”
She sniffs, but there are no tears in her eyes. “Stay away from me, Seth. I'm shit. I destroy. Everything. I’ll ruin you.”
We stare at each other for a long moment, both gasping for air and a control that we’ve lost. She turns her back to me and disappears through the same door we used earlier. I really am alone. Holy shit. I rake a hand through my hair and drop forward, propping my hands on my thighs, fighting to control my passion. What makes a woman do something like that? I have no idea what I've gotten myself into, but I know that I can't walk away. She needs me. She needs something or someone. I'm not strong enough on my own, but somehow, I have to get her help.
I walk back to Gabe, and he's nursing a beer. “Dude, did you bag her?”
“Don’t say that about her.” If it had been anyone other than Gabe, I'd have fucked his shit up right here in the middle of a rave.
Gabe grunts. “You just asked her for a three way.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Alice saunters up to the table with an innocent expression on her face. No tells. “So, what you think about my home away from home?”
Gabe doesn’t know about our conversation, and I watch the two of them. She won’t look at me. She’s acting like nothing happened. I’m still not sure of her game, but I’m most definitely sure that all of her actions are doing nothing but inciting the thing inside of me that won’t let go. “It's good. It's cool. How often do you come here?”
“Often.”
A tall blonde chick with big tits bumps into Alice on purpose, and they both laugh. “Alice?”
“Yeah, hey Nicki! This is Seth and Gabe James. Boys, this is Nicki. She owns the place.”
Nicki is beautiful, but in a bottled way. I stick out my hand to shake hers and tell her, “Hi. Nice club.”
“Dude, this is not a club. This is ecstasy.” I smile and nod my head, conceding that so far it has been more torture than pleasure, but this was her baby. She whispers something in Alice's ear. She shakes her head, and the blonde whines. “Please? I thought that’s why you brought them here.”
“No. Not tonight.”
For a minute, I wonder if they are working out a drug deal, but Alice is drinking water. She doesn't seem the type to do those things, even with her piercings. Which, I have to admit are growing on me.
Nicki slides a hand up my arm. “Well, you are both welcome anytime. I know this bitch won’t do you right, but if you are ever in need of a friend, I'm here. I'll even take on the beast here for kicks.”
Gabe raises a brow and whistles. “I think I just fell in love.” He follows Nicki away, and leaves Alice with me.
I tap a finger on the table top, finding a beat to build my confidence. “Are we going to act like that didn't happen?”
She grins after her friend. “I know. Nicki is extraordinary.”
“That's not what I’m talking about.” She ignores me and watches the crowd. “You're doing it again.”
Like in a slow motion melt down, she turns to me. “What?”
“Making things awkward.” I sit back on my bar stool and silently dare her to deny it.
“Nah, just let it go. I got mad. I shouldn't have done that. It's the place.” She scans the crowd. “Do we need to find Gabe? I think I'm ready to leave.”
I check my phone. “It's only midnight.”
“I'll have to be up early to take care of Mol... Oh, that's right. I don’t have Molly in the morning.” She scoots onto a stool and plays with the label on her water bottle. Now that we’re talking again, the tension in her neck has eased, and she’s making eye contact with me.
I have to keep her talking. “Is it really hard taking care of her?”
“No. Just time consuming. She's so great though, and I owe her.”
I wait for her to elaborate, but she doesn't. “Well, I think it’s sweet that you are staying with her.”
She frowns and looks that the floor. “Yeah, sweet.”
Whatever I said, it’s got her looking really down and I’m at a loss. “Listen, if you're really ready to go, we can leave. I'll text Gabe, and he'll get a cab. It's not that far.”
The brown lights in her eyes return. “Are you sure?”
She’d brought us here for a reason and I’d ruined it with my insensitive jealous comments. I had the drive home to make her forgive me and to start over. Gabe was so much better at dealing with women than me. I’d give anything for a bit of his charm tonight.
“Yeah, let's go.” I'm not going to bother her about the incident again, but I will find out what drives someone to act the way she does. Eventually.
A LL THE WAY HOME, I’Mnervous about what I'd done. It’s like an animal came over me, and I wanted to get him going and then leave him. It's my MO. I'd been taught by a master of teasing, and I knew my art well.
“You're awfully quiet.”
He’s been nervous too. I know he regrets saying those things about me. Implying that I was easy and willing for a little brother action. Don’t get me wrong. Gabe was definitely doable, but I’m just not like that. Not really.
I smile at him and turn up the radio. He shakes his head and leaves me alone until we arrive at the apartment.
We park in his spot, and I’m unsure if I should thank him for a nice night, or just get out and try to forget the whole evening.
He sighs. “I'd like to say that I had a good time tonight, but really, Alice, it was just weird. I'm not sure what's going on with you, but I can't look away for some reason. I normally am not a douche, but you bring that out in me. It’s like we’re a train wreck waiting to happen. You’re the messed up tracks, and I’m the fucking runaway engine.”
The air has cooled during the night, and our breaths are filling the truck with fogged windows. “I know. I'm the same away. I shouldn't be seeking you out. I'm so bad for you.”
He lays a hand across the bench seat and picks up one of my curls. “Why do you keep saying that?”
I turn to face him. “Because it's true.”
“What if I like bad for me?” He’s looking at me like I’m high-priced caviar.
I laugh. “I’d call you crazy.”
“Call me a lunatic, because I’m about to not kiss you. I want to be friends. I need to be friends with you.” He shuts his eyes and grips the curl in his hand until I feel a slight tugging. “Damn, I’m really not going to kiss you.”
“Okay.” I pry his fingers out of my hair and lay his hand against my face. “I understand.”
“Okay? You understand?” A shudder physically shakes him. “Please tell me how you understand, because I sure as hell don’t.”
The thought of having a friend, especially one as hot as Seth, gets me going. “I have a feeling this isn’t going to be easy.”
He grins, and his eyes deepen in color. “Why?”
“Because you are hot, hard, and honestly, the nicest guy I’ve ever been around.”
We both watch each other for at lea
st half a minute. Neither wanting to break the moment. It was too perfect. There was a truth in our friendship that could lead to so much more. I think we both know it, and we’re both scared of it.
With a grin, he jumps from the truck and waits for me to open my door. “I'm not after you for sex anymore, so I won't be opening any doors.”
“That's just a dick thing to say.” And probably the best way to handle things.
“It’s true.”
I laugh because he is such a guy. Molly will hate him. “Let's get upstairs before I change my mind.”
“I know. Me too.” He winks at me, and we hold hands all the way to the elevator. “What do you want to do now?”
The dials above the door are moving slower than usual, or maybe someone’s hearing that I’m not ready for the day to end. “I don't want to be alone.”
“Okay. So?”
“Can I come to your place? Maybe you could play for me?”
“I play the drums. It's not exactly great to listen to by itself.” He frowns and shrugs.
We stop at his door only long enough for him to unlock it.
“You don't play anything else?”
He’s still holding my hand and pulls me deeper into the living room. “I do.”
“Well, let's go.” I head to his studio and wait outside the door. He leans over me and flips on the lights. His couch is so comfortable, and I notice that there's a pillow and blanket on one end.
“Gabe sleeps over sometimes.”
“In here?”
He turns his back to me. “Yeah.”
The grand piano is beautiful, and it’s calling to me. I sit on the wooden bench and lift the cover. Seth is watching me with a smirk on his face. I grin at him and let loose with my fingers. The lullaby my mother used to play is the first song that pops into my head. I’ve added chords and structure to it over the years, but the melody is still the same. His jaw is hanging open, and he stumbles to my side.
I finish the piece as he sits backward on the bench. “I’ve never heard anyone play like that. Not even Gabe, and he’s good.”
I nod. “My mother was a concert pianist.” I dive into a jazz piece that makes me think of sweaty nights between the sheets. It’s a total reflection of my wayward hormones right now and probably not the best way to stay friends with Seth.
Drowning (Tears of Sin Series) Page 9