Agony (Entangled Hearts Duet Book 1)

by Kaylee Ryan

  “Do you really need alcohol to have a good time?” Nixon asks them. He’s listening to our conversation, but his eyes, like mine, are glued to Tessa and Reese, who are currently shaking what their mommas gave them in the middle of our living room floor.

  “No, but it helps,” Dustin chimes in.

  “Think about the end game,” Levi tells him. “We’re bringing home another championship for CU, and that looks hella good on your stats.”

  “Hey, Hank. Wanna dance?” A short redhead saunters up to him, batting her eyelashes.

  “Thought you’d never ask,” he tells her. She latches onto his arm, and off they go.

  “See, his mood brightened. Just go find you a co-ed to hang all over you,” I say to the others.

  “You’re right,” Trey agrees. “I think I’ll go ask Reese.” He takes a step forward, but my hand on his shoulder stops him.

  “Fuck off,” I grumble, and they all laugh.

  “Well, someone needs to because I’m about to grab my girl.” Nixon drains his bottle of water, tosses it in a nearby trash can, and heads straight for Tessa.

  “Hi, Coop, you look lonely. Want to join me out there?” Lisa—or is it Laura—asks as she approaches me. She has long red fingernails that are pointed at the tip. They look like claws, and they’re not attractive. Not to me. She’s got a red Solo cup in her hand, and from the smell of her, she’s long past tipsy.

  “No, thanks. The guys and I are strategizing for the big game.”

  “Oh, come on. I’ll make it worth your while,” she slurs.

  “Tommy,” I call out to the freshman who’s walking by. “Lisa needs a dance partner.”

  “Lori,” she corrects me.

  Tommy’s eyes are wide and unsure. “Tommy here will take good care of you. Show her what you’ve got,” I tell him.

  He nods, offers her a grin and his arm. She mumbles something incoherent under her breath, but takes his arm, leaning her weight on him. She’s toasted, and sex with drunk girls isn’t on my radar.

  “You know,” Levi says, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were either already taken or had your eye on someone.”

  “She’s way past drunk. I don’t want to spend my night taking care of her. Tommy can have that privilege.”

  “What if it were Reese?” he asks, nodding toward where she stands. Her red Solo cup is poised at her lips, and her head is tilted back.

  “Reese is different,” I say, turning to look at him.

  He nods. “Good, but it looks like you’re off the hook.”

  My head whips around so fast I could have whiplash. Sure enough, Scott Southerland is standing behind her with his hands on her hips. Scott is the brother of one of the seniors, Sam, who is the back-up kicker. He’s been to a few of our parties. Tonight, however, he’s gone too far. I toss my water bottle in the trash and put one foot in front of the other until I reach her.

  “Coop!” she says loudly.

  Her eyes are glassy from the cheap beer, and her smile is wide. “I missed you.” She throws her arms around my neck, stepping out of his hold. I pull her close, my hand resting possessively on the small of her back.

  “I’ve been with you all night.” I say the words to her, but my eyes are on Scott. The look I give him does the trick. He lifts his hands in the air and backs away. Smart man.

  “Dance with me.” She shuffles in closer and begins to sway her hips.

  With her arms still around my neck, she tilts her head back and smiles up at me. Her green eyes, even glassy from her buzz, are beautiful. She’s beautiful. It’s getting harder and harder for me to keep all the assholes away from her.

  “Come on, Coop. You can do better than that.” She then moves to straddle my leg and begins to rock her hips. My cock hardens, as does my grip on her hips.

  Everything around us fades to black. It’s just me and her alone in this room. She drops her hands to her sides, brushing my cock as they fall, and I tense up. Closing my eyes, I try to think about anything but how fucking sexy my best friend is and how much I want her. I’ve been hit on countless times tonight, and not one of those women affected me the way Reese is at this very moment.

  My Reese.

  My best friend.

  I’ve got to tramp this down. And I can start by stopping her from rubbing her pussy all over my leg. That’s all I can think about. My grip tightens further, and my leg, on its own, bends to give her better access.

  Reese leans her head back, her hair falling over her back, and the long column of her neck is exposed. I can’t help but wonder how she would react if I were to lean in and trace her exposed skin with my tongue. Would she like that?

  “Get it, girl!” Hank calls out, pulling me out of my X-rated fantasy about my best friend.

  Drunk Reese is on fire tonight. She suddenly drops to the floor and shakes her ass before slowly climbing back to her feet. Her hands roam all over my body. She’s lost in the music, riding the buzz the cheap beer has given her.

  Me, I’m stone-cold sober. I feel every touch, every sway of her hips, and it’s driving me insane. My plan is to stop her as soon as the song ends, but one fast song bleeds into another, and I find myself sticking with her out on the dance floor. I’m protecting her. Keeping all the drunk assholes from taking advantage of her in her inebriated state.

  Finally, a slow song comes on. I open my mouth to ask her if she wants to get some air, but I freeze when she wraps her arms around my waist and rests her head against my chest. I wrap my arms around her, holding her close. There have been many times in my life where I wished things were different. Where I wished that she was mine. Not just my best friend but my girl. Tonight, that feeling is strong. That wish is loud and all-consuming.

  When the song ends, she steps back and sways on her feet. “Coop.”

  “Yeah?” I ask, brushing her hair back behind her ear. “I don’t feel so good.”

  I jump into action, sliding my hand around her waist and pushing through the crowd. We reach the steps, and I lift her into my arms and carry her upstairs to the bathroom. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she wobbles to the toilet, dropping to her knees and expels the cheap beer.

  Sitting on the edge of the tub, I gather her hair in my hands and hold it out of her face. She groans, and then buries her head in the toilet again. Reese doesn’t let loose like this very often. I’m glad that I stayed sober tonight. Sure, it was because of the upcoming game, but I’m glad I’m here to take care of her. To watch out for her.

  “Kill me now,” she groans, resting her head on her arms that are lying across the toilet bowl.

  “No one’s dying on my watch. You good?”

  “I think so.”

  I help her sit back and then grab a washcloth. I run it under cool water and hand it to her. She places it against her forehead and sighs. We sit in silence for a few minutes, nothing but the sound of the water running in the toilet mixed with the sounds of the party downstairs to fill the air.

  “You think you can brush your teeth?”

  “Maybe. Don’t let go of me.” She hands me the washcloth, and I toss it in the laundry basket, then offer her my hand. Carefully, I help her stand from her spot on the floor, and together, we move to the sink. I grab her toothbrush that she keeps here and add some toothpaste, running it under the water. I hand it to her.

  “Good?” I ask after she rinses out her mouth.

  “Yeah.”

  “Let’s get you to bed.” With my hand around her waist, I open the bathroom door, and we move down the hall to my room. She flops down on the bed and moans.

  “Why did you let me drink so much?”

  “Me?” I laugh, grabbing a T-shirt and some sweats for her to sleep in. “I didn’t let you do anything.”

  “You should have stopped me.”

  “Here.” I hand her my clothes.

  “I have clothes here.”

  “I know, but this was easier than me digging through your bag. Put these on. I’m going to g
o grab you something for that headache and a bottle of water.”

  “I don’t have a headache.”

  “You will. I’m locking this door,” I say, grabbing the lanyard with my room key off my desk. No way am I leaving her in this state in a room unattended. “Be right back.” Closing the door, I make sure it’s locked before making my way back downstairs. I have to field my way through partygoers to get to the kitchen. I grab three bottles of water. Reese needs to drink one now, and I have one for both of us for later. Then I rummage through the cabinets to find a bottle of headache medicine. Taking off the lid, I tap the bottle letting four tablets fall into my hand. Two for now and two for in the morning. I already know she’s going to need them. I also know she’s going to be pissed at herself for drinking so much. It’s good to see her let loose and have a good time. Even if it makes me think naughty thoughts about her.

  “Yo, Reeves. Where did you run off to?” Dustin calls out as I leave the kitchen.

  “Calling it a night!” I yell back.

  “Where’s your girl?” He smirks.

  “In my bed.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. His eyes widen, but I don’t have time to explain. I take the stairs two at a time and quickly unlock my bedroom door, slipping inside. What I see takes the breath from my lungs.

  “Coop, is that you?” Reese asks. “I need help. This stupid shirt.” She huffs. “Cooper?”

  “Sorry, yeah, it’s me. Let me help.” I jump into action, placing the headache medicine and bottles of water on the nightstand. Somehow, she’s managed to twist her arms with her shirt pulled halfway over her head. Her sheer black bra is giving me a full view of her breasts, and her nipples have decided it’s also time for a show as the pebbled buds peek through the thin material. I swallow hard and walk toward her. My cock is hard. Not just hard, but steel behind my zipper as I take her in. I’ve seen her in a swimsuit, but this… did I mention I can see her nipples? Perfect round pebbled buds just begging for my mouth.

  She’s your best friend.

  “Coop, are you going to help me or not?” She huffs again.

  “Hold still.” I tug on her shirt and, between the two of us, we get it over her head and off.

  “Thanks.” She throws herself back on the bed dramatically.

  Her jeans are unbuttoned, and her boots are lying haphazardly on the floor. Her toned flat belly taunts me as she leaves it out on display. My eyes rake over her, and even though I know it’s wrong, I can’t seem to stop myself. I’m a guy, she’s gorgeous. Of course I’m going to look.

  She slides the zipper of her jeans down and lifts her hips, trying to pull them off. “Help me.”

  I don’t speak, but I do lift both legs, grip her jeans, and tug until they slide off. I avert my gaze to the floor where her boots are. I busy myself picking them up, so we don’t trip over them tomorrow, and place them by the door. I take my time folding her jeans and putting them neatly on the desk. I count slowly to one hundred, then pretend to be fascinated with my phone and count another hundred just as slowly to be safe. When I turn around, I’m greeted with a sight that I will never be able to forget.

  Reese is lying on my bed in nothing but a sheer black bra and panties. If you can even call them that. It’s a thong. A very tiny thong. I know because she’s curled up, and her ass, her bare ass, is facing me. I swallow hard, but don’t look away. I can’t look away. It’s painful, not just because my cock is pressing against the zipper in my jeans, but because I can’t have her. I can’t ruin years of friendship over one night in bed. However, I’ll have this visual with me for years to come.

  I’m lusting after my best friend.

  I’m staring at her body.

  I’m going to hell.

  “Reese.” My voice is gravelly. “Let’s get you dressed.”

  “Too hot,” she mumbles.

  “Come on.” I grab the T-shirt I need to get her covered. I know her, and if she wakes up like this in the morning, she’s going to be mad at herself. “Let me help you.” She groans but holds out her hand, letting me pull her to a sitting position.

  “I need this off,” she says, reaching behind her back.

  “Let’s put this shirt on you first.”

  “No, Coop. I can’t. I have to take this off.” She grunts and then heaves a heavy sigh as her bra becomes loose.

  Closing my eyes, I count slowly to ten. “Where are my jeans? I need to put this with my jeans.” My eyes are barely open, and she’s climbing off the bed, stumbling across the room to place her bra on top of the jeans I just placed on my desk. When she turns to face me, I get a good look before averting my gaze.

  “Here’s your shirt.” I hold my hand out, eyes closed, head angled toward the wall. I’m trying really fucking hard to respect her privacy right now, but fuck me, she is a vision. Nice pert tits, a handful if I’m guessing, and her nipples are like beacons of light in the night.

  I want to taste them.

  “Thanks.” She takes a step forward and fumbles. I reach out to break her fall, and her tits end up pressed against my arms.

  “Fuck,” I mutter.

  “Sorry.” Her reply is meek.

  “No. It’s not you. It’s fine. Are you okay?” I keep my eyes trained on hers.

  “Yes. I think I need to sit.”

  I nod and help her to the bed. “Let’s get you dressed.” Carefully, I pull the shirt over her head and close my eyes as she slides her arms through each opening. Snatching the sweats, I kneel before her, helping her into them. She stands and supports her weight on my shoulders as I pull them up her creamy thighs. “All set,” I say, standing. My voice is gruff, and my throat is parched. I reach for one of the bottles of water and down it.

  “Here, drink this and take these.”

  Thankfully, she does as I ask. When the water bottle is empty, she hands it back to me, and I toss it into the small trash can next to the bed. “You good?”

  “I’m good.” She moves back on the bed and wiggles her way under the covers. “Are you coming to bed?”

  Fuck. I can’t lie next to her like this. “I’m just going to grab a quick shower.” Grabbing a shirt and some sweats, I snatch my room key from the desk and rush down the hall to take a cold shower. I don’t bother letting the water warm up. I strip out of my clothes, before turning on the spray, and stepping underneath it. I don’t feel the cold, not while my body is on fire for her.

  For Reese.

  My best friend.

  Taking my cock in my hand, I pump hard and fast. The water is barely warm before I’m spilling my desire down the drain. Reaching for the knob, I turn the water to hot and let it beat down on me. I can’t believe I just did that. I jacked off to images of my best friend. What’s worse is I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to see anyone but her ever again.

  Finishing my shower, I dry off and get dressed. By the time I make it back to my room, Reese is thankfully sound asleep. I lock the door and climb into the opposite side of the bed from her. I stare up at the shadows dancing across the ceiling as I berate myself for what I just did. For this entire night, I ogled her, and that was wrong. Oh, so wrong, and I know that it is. But, if it’s so wrong, why did it feel so right?

  Chapter 10

  Reese

  I’m awake, but I don’t want to open my eyes. The room is spinning, and I know once I peel my eyes open, it’s going to be worse. On instinct, I slip a leg from underneath the covers and throw it over the bed. I’ve heard that if you can put one foot firmly on the floor, the room will begin to settle. I don’t know because I’ve never drunk like I did last night.

  “Ugh, I’m too short,” I groan.

  A deep chuckle fills the room. I don’t have to look to know it’s Cooper. “Good thing I cut you off when I did.”

  “Why?” I moan. “Why did you let me drink so much?”

  “Hey, I’m not your keeper.”

  I manage to lift my finger and point to his side of the bed, my eyes still closed. “Best
-friend job description.”

  Another deep chuckle greets me. “I gave you water and headache medicine.”

  “Thank you. I could use another round after I relieve my bladder.”

  “Already got you covered. The second round is waiting for you on the nightstand.”

  “Can you go to the bathroom for me too?”

  “Let me guess. The room is spinning?”

  I swallow hard, fighting off nausea. “Yep.”

  “It’s like pulling off a Band-Aid. Get it over with, and then you’ll feel better.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. I hate throwing up.”

  “Come on, drunk girl.” I feel the bed dip and hear his feet hit the floor. “I held your hair back last night. What’s once more?” I hear from my opposite side.

  “I’m sorry.” Slowly I peek one eye open. Nothing bad happens, so I peel the other open as well. The room is still spinning, so I try to focus on Cooper.

  His eyes are soft as he stares down at me. “Nothing to be sorry for. I’ve always got you, Reese.” With that, he holds out his hand and helps me sit up. “Can you walk? I can carry you.”

  “Number two, please.”

  “Up you go,” he says as he bends and scoops me in his arms. His long strides carry us to the bathroom, where he gently sets me on my feet. “You need my help?”

  I look down at the T-shirt and sweats I’m wearing. I recognize them as his. “Did you give me these?”

  He nods. “I helped you change.” There’s something in his voice that I can’t decipher. My head is too foggy, and the nausea is overpowering.

  Oh, God. Embarrassment washes over me. I think back to getting ready yesterday. Did my bra and panties match? Not that it matters. Cooper doesn’t see me that way, but it would make me feel better if they did. My stomach rolls, and I’m going to be sick. Dropping to my knees, I crawl to the toilet just in time to lose the contents of my stomach.

  I keep my eyes closed as I groan and wait for my body to revolt yet again. I feel Cooper gather my hair and hold it off to the side, as his hand soothingly traces up and down my spine. Neither of us says a word, but then again, we don’t need to. We know each other well enough that he knows I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed, but grateful it’s him here with me. Taking care of me like he’s always done.