Loch (The Powers That Be Book 3)

by Harper Bentley

  “Ready?” Adam asked, and Marcy and I nodded as we fetched our purses.

  “Oh, what’s the address?” I asked Adam as I headed to my Jeep.

  “It’s over on Andover. Just follow me,” he said as he closed Marcy’s door then rounded the hood of his Explorer.

  I got in my car and quickly texted the street name to Loch telling him I’d let him know the full address when I got there then I followed my friends to the party.

  ~*~*~*~

  It probably wasn’t the brightest idea to take two vehicles to the party since there were cars everywhere.

  When we got to the neighborhood, we drove by a cute house that Marcy, who was on the phone with me just then, told me was where the party was. I thought, duh, since there were cars parked everywhere nearby and people were mingling in the front yard.

  We had to park two blocks down and I texted Loch the address even though he hadn’t answered back my first text, then we walked back to the house which wasn’t a big deal but I was concerned about how many people could fit inside.

  “They have a huge backyard. These houses were built back in the eighties when people actually wanted to do shit with their families and wanted yards. Now you’re lucky if you get a five by five patch of grass in the back unless you’re willing to dish out some serious cash,” Adam informed us.

  We walked into the front yard and Adam stopped to talk to a couple guys while Marcy and I hung back checking out everyone.

  “Ooohh, that guy’s hot,” she said, pointing to a tall, blond guy who was pretty built.

  “He’s okay. I don’t usually go for blondes, though,” I replied. “But what about that guy?” I nodded my head toward a group of guys talking. “The one in the black shirt?”

  “Oh, yeah! He is cute! He’s gotta Theo James thing going on, doesn’t he?”

  “Once you’re finished ogling all the guys, we can go in,” Adam said drily having walked back to us.

  “Honey, you know you’re the hottest guy here! I’m just helping Simone out!” Marcy said with a giggle before tiptoeing up and smacking her lips to his making him grin like a fool.

  He took her hand and led her inside the house with me following. Inside, I saw that the living room was packed, the music was blaring and I stayed close behind as Adam led us through the crowd to the kitchen and out the back patio doors to the porch where several kegs were set up. He got Marcy and me a beer then we went farther out into the yard where a bunch of guys were playing beer pong on, you guessed it, a ping pong table.

  “Hang on. I’ll be back,” he said to Marcy and left us to go talk to a group of guys near the fence.

  As Marcy and I stood there sipping our beer I remembered why I hated parties where I didn’t know anyone because all you did was wait for something to happen. And I’m talking good stuff, not things like drunk guys busting all kinds of furniture up or drunk girls crying because they’d fought with their boyfriend. No, I’m talking stuff like normally shy people singing karaoke, or that one person who goes around telling everyone they love them then when you see them the next day thinking you’re pals now they won’t even look at you, or the best is watching people dance because we all know that the consumption of alcohol automatically turns you into a backup dancer for Justin Timberlake. Now that’s the good stuff. And I’d been the star of each one of those scenarios at least once in my lifetime. Yay.

  “I’ve got a doctor’s appointment next Tuesday to renew my birth control. What are you on again?” Marcy asked and away we went, discussing all the different methods there were, dying laughing when we brought up the female condom.

  “Just… how?” I inquired amidst giggles.

  “Hi,” I heard from behind me and I saw Marcy’s eyes get big.

  I looked over my shoulder and there stood Theo James Guy smiling at me.

  “Hi,” I responded shyly, not really in the mood to meet someone because I was waiting for Loch, but I also didn’t want to be rude.

  “I’m Troy,” he said, holding his hand out.

  “Simone,” I replied, shaking his hand.

  “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

  Oh, jeez. That was cute but cheesy, but again not wanting to be rude, I felt I needed to answer him.

  “Thank you,” I mumbled.

  “So, you having fun so far?” he asked.

  “I’m gonna go see what Adam’s doing,” Marcy said then walked away before I could beg her with my eyes not to leave me alone.

  I looked back at Troy. “Um, what?”

  “I asked if you’re having fun.”

  “Oh. Well, we just got here so I’m not really sure yet,” I responded with a laugh.

  “Wanna go have a seat?” he asked, nodding toward a yard swing that had a canopy.

  “Uh, sure,” I answered because my shoes and the grass weren’t coexisting too well.

  Troy and I chatted for a bit and when he saw that my beer was gone, he offered to get us another. When he came back, we talked more and although he really was a nice guy I, of course, was only interested in Loch, keeping an eye out for him. Where was he?

  Troy told me next he was from Southern California which was something we had in common so we talked about that for a while. I also found out that he wrestled for Hallervan and was going pre-med which was awesome.

  “So what’re some cool things to do in Seattle?” he asked, casually putting his arm behind me to rest on the swing back.

  Yeesh.

  I relaxed, though, because that’s all he did so I told him about some of the hot spots in the city that were entertaining. And when he found out I worked at a game store, he was all over that. We talked about some of the games and I told him about beating Vegas but how we were keeping things even so no one would have bragging rights at which we both chuckled.

  And that’s when I saw Loch standing with a group of guys, cup in hand, laughing and looking at me.

  “I’ve never met a girl who likes video games,” Troy said, knocking his knee against mine.

  I kept my eyes on Loch who’d looked away, busy chatting up his friends. He had on jeans that hung low on his hips, the muscles of his thighs outlined in them, and a maroon t-shirt that had “Hallervan Bulldogs” in white across the front that was tight enough to highlight his strong pecs underneath. Lord!

  But what the heck was going on? Why hadn’t he come over? Was he wanting me to come to him? This was just too weird and although I wasn’t sure what to do, I was just stubborn enough to wait for him to come to me.

  “Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say I like them,” I remarked to Troy with a chuckle, still keeping my eye on Loch.

  “But you know about them, which is cool,” he pointed out.

  I shrugged. “Kinda goes with the job.” I watched as Loch looked over at me with a smirk then left the group of guys and went to get another beer. I contemplated going to talk to him when Troy interrupted my thoughts.

  “That’s a pretty awesome job, you have to admit.”

  Right. Someone was sitting next to me. Talking. And I was expected to reply.

  “It’s not bad,” I agreed distractedly as I watched Loch as he started walking back to his group when a beautiful blond woman came skipping up to him throwing herself against him and lacing her arms around his waist while he held his beer up so as not to spill it. Then he wrapped his other arm around her hugging her to him.

  Uh, what.

  Troy was saying something but I was too busy focusing on the scene across the yard.

  Loch smiled down at the girl who kept her arms around him as she looked up at him saying something which made him throw his head back and laugh. Then my eyes got big when Ryker came out of the house. I was surprised to see him here also and I watched as he gave Loch a head jerk and headed to get himself a beer. But my eyes didn’t follow him. No, they stayed on Loch as the woman said something else to him and they both crac
ked up.

  What in the world?

  “Simone?” I heard Troy say.

  I turned my head to him. “Oh, what?”

  “I was wondering if you’d like to go out sometime?”

  I glanced back to see Loch keeping his arm around the girl as he turned then they walked inside the house.

  “Sorry, Troy. I think I need to go,” I announced, preoccupied with what’d been going on, as I stood and started walking toward the house.

  “But—” he stood also and followed me a few feet.

  But I’d already made up my mind and turned to give him a smile again apologizing as I made my way across the grass to the patio.

  Okay, how to handle things. I decided I’d be mature and ask Loch who the woman was. Maybe she was another of his friends trying to make me jealous which was childish and overkill, so I didn’t think he’d play that card again. But from watching the way they’d behaved together, so familiar, flirty and relaxed, I think I already knew. God.

  I hated to think the worst right off the bat, but I’d been burned by him too many times—even though a couple times had been in my head but whatever—to think otherwise. So if I found out that she was one of his “friends” as he called Ryker’s girl, I was going to give him a great big fat piece of my mind then leave, this time making damn good and sure to stick to the plan of never speaking to him again.

  My heart was pounding like a bass drum in my chest when I walked inside the house and I was wheezing a bit, finding it hard to breathe. So instead of forging ahead and risking passing out, I turned and went back out on the patio, grabbing a cup of beer off the outside table that a guy at the keg had gotten for himself then I chugged it. At his, “Hey,” I apologized, setting the empty cup down and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand then re-entered the house feeling just a smidge better. Glancing around I saw no trace of Loch, so making my way through the throng of party-goers and stepping into the living room, I looked to my left and saw him with Blondie down the hallway that intersected the kitchen and living room. And that’s where I headed.

  When I got to the entrance of the hallway, breathing suddenly became a thing of the past for me since my heart was now in my throat blocking all my air, because there they were, Loch and the blonde, him holding her chin in his hand as he looked deep into her eyes then he was leaning down getting ready to kiss her and that’s when I lost it.

  “Loch!” I shrieked loudly making sure I was heard over the music as I stomped toward them.

  He turned and the smirk that he slowly gave me was just begging to be slapped right the hell off his face.

  “Hey, Simone,” he replied, all lazy and casual as if I just hadn’t caught him getting ready to kiss another woman, knowing his next step would be taking her into one of the rooms and screwing her.

  “Oh! This is Simone!” the blonde said which made me narrow my eyes at her in the most evil way I could manage.

  “Yep. This is her,” Loch supplied grinning at me, the amusement on his face plainly evident.

  And that’s when I went full-psycho, completely and utterly going off on him.

  “I don’t know what kind of bullshit you’re trying to pull here, but you’re an asshole!” I screeched, hands on my hips as I leaned toward him on the last word.

  “I’ll, uh, just leave you two alone,” Blondie said and slipped out from under Loch’s arm going inside the bedroom and closing the door.

  Loch kept his amused eyes on me, waiting for me to go on, and I definitely wasn’t done. Not by a longshot.

  “You know, what I did was fucked up! I know it was. But this?” I put my hand out sweeping it from him to the bedroom door and back several times. “This is worse! If this is your way of getting me back, it’s a good one! You sure got me!” I let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, you had me going for a while there but I knew the prick in you would come out at some point if I waited. And you definitely didn’t disappoint!”

  He smiled bigger and I felt tears stinging the backs of my eyes.

  “Yeah, this is all just one big joke to you, isn’t it?” My voice broke when I said, “I don’t ever wanna see you again! I hate you!” When he snorted at that, I cried again even louder, “I hate you!” and turned to get the hell out of there.

  I’d gotten one step away when his arm hooked me around the waist and he yanked me back against him.

  “Let me go!” I screamed as tears fell down my cheeks. Shit!

  I struggled against him as he led me down the hallway toward the living room. Oh, nice. He was going to kick me out in front of everyone. What an asshole. But as the people parted for us, most of them looking curiously our way, instead of turning toward the front door, Loch kept going straight then down the other hallway. At the end of it, he opened the door to the right and took me inside, closing the door behind us. Then he let me go, which was a mistake on his part, because I instantly turned and reached for the knob to jerk the door open and leave of my own accord since he wasn’t going to kick me out.

  And that’s when I found myself plastered against it, because he’d come in behind me, both his hands on the door over my head slamming it closed. His body was pressed into mine keeping me there and I couldn’t take it any longer.

  “Let me go!” I yelled through my tears, one hand on the knob the other bunching into a fist that wanted to make contact with his body, particularly his beautiful face.

  “Stop,” he ordered, one hand coming down encircling my wrist and prying my hand off the doorknob. When I kept grappling for it, he gave my wrist a sharp shake and ground out, “Stop it, Simone!”

  And I was done. Putting my forehead against the door, I stammered, “I h-hate you. Let me g-go.”

  “Baby,” he said gently, kissing me on top of my head. “Stop.”

  “I-I wanna go h-home,” I choked out.

  “Not happening.”

  My shoulders slumped in defeat as I wished he’d just get to berating me or humiliating me or whatever he had planned to do to me so I could leave.

  For the last time, I lamented, “I hate you, Loch,” hoping that by voicing the words, I’d actually convince myself it was true.

  Confession Number Fourteen

  Loch pulled me away from the door turning me to face him but I kept my eyes down. I couldn’t look at him, not after he’d planned on being with that other woman and certainly not wanting to look at all the goodness that was him only to know I’d never have it.

  “Hey,” he said softly, putting his fingers under my chin trying to raise my head so I’d look at him.

  “Just say it,” I said, my voice cracking.

  “Say what, baby?”

  I finally looked at him. Was he really this cruel? This big of a jerk to make me say it?

  Yes. Yes, he was.

  My whole body shuddered before I said, “Tell me how you led me on to get back at me for what I planned on doing to you then kicking me out in front of everyone.” I frowned as I thought about this. “But I guess you changed your mind and want to humiliate me privately first then tell me to leave,” I said resignedly, having finally figured him out. I glanced down again, not wanting to get lost in those ochre eyes of his and mistake his look for compassion.

  “Simone.”

  I closed my eyes. “Just get it over with, Loch. Do what you brought me here to do.”

  I felt his hands cup my face then his thumbs skimmed across my cheeks as they wiped my tears away. Then his lips were on mine and my eyes popped open in surprise.

  He pulled away and I saw the sides of his mouth twitch. “That’s what I invited you here to do.”

  I frowned, so confused. “What?”

  He smiled sweetly at me.

  “B-but what about that other girl? The one who’s now waiting for you in the bedroom? The one you were getting ready to kiss?” I started getting mad again remembering it and felt my body go stiff and I took a step back.r />
  “That’s Ryker’s room. And that was Nikki, Ryke’s, uh, friend. She and I, we’re buddies. Ryke’s kinda bein’ a dick tonight, but she’s dealt with his shit so much she just laughs it off. She asked me to go with her to his room so she could get a shirt she left a couple nights ago because she didn’t want him to catch her in there and think she was planning to leave a horse head in his bed or something. That’s what we were laughing about.” Now he shot me a look. “And I wasn’t getting ready to kiss her. She said her contact was doing something weird and I was looking in her eye to see if I could help.”

  I stared at him, mouth open as I digested this information totally letting it slide because what he just said hit me. “This is your house?”

  “Yep.”

  Then I forgot to be mad as I looked around at the cozy room with its warm beige walls, a cream and brown comforter on the king-sized bed with matching shams. A well-worn armchair sat in the corner with a small table that had several books on it and a floor lamp to the side. A few framed picture collages of him and his family and some with what I assumed were his friends were hung on the walls along with a colorful geometric print above his bed. “And this is your bedroom?”

  “Yep,” he repeated.

  I took in the dark cherry wood dresser with mirror and matching armoire thinking the room seemed to fit him perfectly, all masculine and dashing. Then I thought of something else.

  “But why didn’t you come over to me when you saw me outside?”

  “Saw you were busy.” His eyes suddenly glittered angrily.

  “That guy was, um, Trey. I mean Troy! His name is Troy.”

  “I know who he is.”

  “He just came up and introduced himself. Then Marcy ditched me and left me with him. I mean, he’s a nice guy and all but I wasn’t interested. I was waiting for you.”

  “Wait. Marcy? Belton?”

  I nodded. “She’s my roommate.”

  “Christ.”

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “It’s all starting to make even more sense.”