by Amy Starling
“Sure, go ahead.”
Matt cut through the crowd and disappeared. Someone bumped into me from behind, and instantly the back of my dress was soaked with something alcoholic.
“Oh, Elle. Sorry!”
Heather stood behind me wearing a sheepish smile and holding a half-empty glass of beer. In her other hand, she had some kind of pink beverage with pineapple and a paper umbrella in it.
“Gee, thanks.” I tried to squeeze the booze out of my dress. “Perfect place for a spill. Not only will everyone think I wet myself, I smell like I've made some very questionable life choices.”
She apologized again. “Blame Zach. He made me hold his beer while he went to go pee.” She finally noticed the verbal sparring match going on right in front of us. “Crap, is that Jayce? What's he doing with all those girls?”
“I think they're plotting how to kill him.”
“He's a total player,” Meg went on. “You don't just sleep with a woman and never call her again.”
“Yeah. You hurt her feelings!”
Poor Jayce looked dumbfounded. But, as always, he had a plan for escape. He was very good at fleeing from unwanted attention, I'd give him that.
“Excuse me, ladies. I'll be right back.”
He coolly weaved through the crowd and came toward us. Just what did he think he was doing? If he tried to use me as a shield from their fury, I would never forgive him.
“Hello there, girls. Looks like you're having a great time. Would either of you care to dance?”
He threw his arms around Heather and me. Heather grumbled and pushed him away. I didn't.
Even in the midst of the mayhem, I liked his touch too much.
“Get off me, jerk. This is what happens when you can't keep your pants on. Deal with the consequences.”
“Hey, I'll have you know I did nothing wrong.” He said it so they could hear. “I never promised her, nor any other girl, a thing. Never said I would still be in their bed the next morning.”
And that was exactly why I couldn't let him have me. Because if I did, I knew his ways. I'd never be able to respect myself for giving in to my hormones so easily.
But Jayce was good. He knew it. I knew it. At least I was guaranteed my first time would be amazing...
The women seemed to have shifted their attention from him to one another. Now Meg and Reese were shouting back and forth while their third friend stood by, begging them to stop.
“How could you sleep with him and not tell me, bitch?”
“Gee, I didn't know I had to inform you every time I took off my clothes!”
Jayce snorted. “Now you see why I don't stick around. Once is enough, and I don't like drama.”
Zach returned from the restroom and took his beer from Heather. He surveyed the squabbling women with wide eyes.
“Already causing cat fights, I see.”
“Don't be jealous. You wish you had chicks fighting over you, too.”
Heather squeezed Zach tight. “No he doesn't. Why would he want that insanity when he has a woman who loves him?”
Zach chuckled. “You know me too well, babe.”
They went back to dancing, leaving me alone with Jayce. Standing here in the darkness, so close to him, made me nervous.
“What happened to your cowboy?”
“Matt? Turns out he's... a little young for me.”
He stood across the room in a corner, talking with some guy dressed all in black. Whatever the conversation, it looked pretty serious.
Jayce's arm left my shoulders and dropped around my waist. I was half-drunk, very horny, and seriously disappointed that my date hadn't worked out so well. Naturally, my body instantly responded to the warmth of his hand on my hip.
“Looks like we're both alone now.”
His eyes were full of a primal intent, of desire for something we both very much needed and had, to this point, denied ourselves.
“I guess we are.”
Some guy with glasses appeared to be hitting on Reese. She walked off with him hand in hand, having already forgotten about the man she came here with.
If you asked me, she was a fool to walk away from him.
“I won't lie, it kind of stings.” He gestured to the new couple. “Oh, well. She wasn't really my type anyway. I can pick up another girl in twenty minutes, tops.”
I edged away from him. “You never learn.”
“Easy, Pink. I promise I'll behave.” He pulled me back. “In fact, you can be my date tonight.”
“M-me?”
“Why not? At least I know you're good company. Doesn't hurt that you are one sweet piece of eye candy.”
I tilted my face so he wouldn't see me blushing.
“But you came here to find someone...” I tried to protest.
“Well, that's not happening right now. Now, it's you I'm worried about.” His hand fell a bit lower. “I promised I'd help you get laid. And I'm a guy who keeps his promises.”
“That was an idiotic promise to make from the start.”
He flinched and pulled his hand away, then stared at his wet fingers.
“Did you pee yourself?”
I had to laugh. “Yeah, totally. Didn't you know I've got an incontinence problem?”
He gave me a funny look and sniffed his palm. “It's beer.”
“Okay, you got me. Heather had a little bit of an accident. Now then, how exactly do you plan to get me laid when my butt's soaked with booze? Not exactly attractive, is it?”
He whirled me around. “I dunno. You still look pretty damn good to me.”
“Jayce, I'm serious.”
“So am I. Nothing worse than a flat, skinny ass. You...” He inhaled deeply. “You got the kind of curves that would make any red-blooded male drool over you.”
“I'm glad you think so, but I need a change of clothes. My underwear's getting wet now, too.”
He grinned. “Is that so? Yeah, I tend to have that effect on women. All I gotta do is stand next to 'em and they're throwing their panties at me.”
“I'm going to throw something at you if you don't cut it out. Like my shoe – and the heel makes a good, sharp weapon. Could take out an eye if I'm not careful.”
He sighed and took my hand. His thumb traced circles in my palm. It was getting harder and harder to fake annoyance with him.
Getting harder, too, to stop myself from melting into his arms...
“You talk too much when you're nervous. That's the kind of thing that scares guys off.”
“You're still here.”
“I'm different. We're friends.”
I was starting to think we might be more than that these days. “So does that mean you're obligated to put up with me?”
“Not at all. I just happen to like putting up with you. C'mon, I've got a sweatshirt in my car you can borrow.”
We left the chill of the air-conditioned building and went back out into the muggy spring night. Jayce's truck was parked crooked near the front, taking up two spots as if he owned the place. He dug around in the backseat and proudly pulled out a hoodie for me.
“What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Tie it around your waist, I guess. Or just put it on.” He stuffed the shirt into my hands. “You know, I kinda like the thought of you wearing my clothes.”
“Bet you say that to all the girls.”
“No.” His answer was firm. “I never have.”
I didn't want to put the shirt on and mess up my hair, though – as petty and dumb as that sounded. I'd actually spent twenty minutes fixing it and thought it looked pretty darn great. Looping the shirt around my waist made me look equally ridiculous.
I winced at the chill of beer-soaked underwear against my skin. If only I could find a restroom... But then what would I do? Put my underwear in my purse?
“What's wrong now?”
“Don't suppose you have a pair of clean undies in your truck.”
“Nah. I don't tend to keep girl's clothes around after..
.” He shook his head. “Anyway, just take 'em off and go without.”
I'd really prefer it if he took them off for me. Ugh, why couldn't I stop thinking such awful thoughts?
Desperate to get the sticky, cold garment away from me, I climbed into his truck, shut the door, and slid the underwear down around my ankles. I'd worn my best pair tonight, a little black lacy thing that might have impressed had it not been soaked in cheap light beer.
Jayce was a gentleman, not peeking through the windows while I undressed. But when I opened the door, his gaze fell to the underwear in my hand. He grinned as if he'd won the lottery.
“You have good choice in undergarments.”
I blushed and stuffed the wet panties into an empty purse pocket. “Gee, thanks. It's quite a compliment coming from you. Now are we going back in there or what?”
He came closer. “You're not wearing anything under that dress.”
“Yeah, so? You're the one who told me to take 'em off.”
“I don't just mean that. You're not wearing a bra, either.”
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. He was right; I didn't have one on. None of them quite worked with the cut of this dress. Figured it was okay. There wasn't much to show off up top, anyway.
“How did you know?”
“Trust me, I know what nipples look like. And now I know what yours look like.”
“Not exactly. You've never seen me naked.” It was a bold gambit, and possibly a very stupid one. Once I started talking nudity with him, all bets were off.
“Actually...” He grinned and sidled up alongside me. “I distinctly remember the summer of '09 when you and Heather went skinny-dipping.”
I shrieked. “You saw that?”
“It was late at night. Dark. You girls thought nobody was watching. I'd just come back from a friend's house and heard giggling and splashing in the pool.”
That was years ago, yet it still embarrassed me like it happened yesterday.
“I can't believe you watched your sister swim naked.”
“I didn't.” He flashed me that “I'm-a-pervert” grin, fully knowing how much I really kind of liked it. “I was watching you, Pink.”
“You were?”
“Sure. I was a horny teenager, and you...” He grazed my arms with his fingertips. I shivered. “You looked amazing, with the water glistening on your skin in the moonlight. If only it wasn't so dark. I wanted to see all of you.”
Okay, that did it. I couldn't take anymore of that horrible tension, of that desire to have him inside me and take from him what no man had ever given. My resistance was fading, my common sense slipping.
“It's not fair.” I teased him, knowing full well where this was going to go. “I've never gotten to see you naked.”
“All you ever had to do was ask.”
“You know me. I'm not that kind of girl.”
Just as his hands fell to my hips, sirens blared and two cop cars sped into the parking lot. They screeched to a stop; four officers piled out and ran into the club with guns drawn.
“This evening just gets more and more exciting,” Jayce murmured.
“What happened?” I buried my face in his chest. Oh, man. Why did he have to smell so divine? “God, I hope Heather and Zach are okay.”
Minutes later, the police returned with three men in handcuffs. They cursed and shouted about a violation of their rights. One of them had a very distinct black cowboy hat on his head...
“Crap, that's Matt!”
The cop slammed him up against the cruiser, hands behind his back. Matt called him a bunch of nasty names. Didn't take long for his true nature to come out.
“You're under arrest for possession and sale of cocaine, assault with a deadly weapon, underage consumption of alcohol...”
The officer read off the list of charges. If I'd been with him, that might be me getting stuffed into one of those cars.
“Well, Pink, I gotta say it.” He snuggled his arm around my waist. “You sure do know how to pick 'em.”
Maybe he had been right. Online dating wasn't such a good idea.
“Suddenly, I don't really feel like going back inside,” I told him.
“That's all right. How about we go back to my place? I'm sure it'll be a lot more... memorable. In a good way, I mean.”
It was a blatant come-on. For once, I didn't laugh it off or push him away.
“What about Heather?”
“I'll send her a text. Say we're heading home.”
“And the lovely date you brought here? You were her ride.”
“I think she found someone else to ride.” He scoffed. “So what do you say? Up for a night of fun with me?”
“Not really sure what that entails.” I played dumb. “Besides, you promised you'd get me laid tonight.”
“I did. And guess what?”
“What?”
“Tonight isn't over yet.”
Chapter 7 - Jayce
Elle went back to her apartment to change before coming to mine. No clue why she bothered.
Those clothes were coming off soon as she stepped through that door.
Fucking her was a bad idea. We both knew that. Both of us wanted it anyway.
This was the first time I'd left Jezebel without a girl or two on my arm. It was a routine for me: head to club, pick up some easy, desperate chick, screw her, and either send her home or run away before she woke up.
Tonight was different. I'd been wanting this, lusting after Elle, for a very long time now. Seeing her in that slinky dress just destroyed me.
I couldn't go another minute without having her. She would be mine. I'd made up my mind on that.
I lit a vanilla candle and set it by the bed. The sultry aroma filled the room fast. Smelled good, but I felt a bit silly for it. Never did this kind of thing for my other conquests.
But then again, Elle wasn't just a conquest. She was special.
She'd bought me this candle herself a few months back. Said my apartment smelled like dirty laundry and stale pizza. That it needed a woman's touch. I hoped she'd be impressed.
Whatever it took to get her naked, I'd do.
She knocked at the door though I'd told her to let herself in. My cock hardened instantly.
I was more excited, more eager, to get her into bed than any other girl before.
The door opened. There she stood, looking like the angel she was.
She had her hair up in a ponytail again, and she'd rinsed off a lot of the makeup from her face. Okay by me. Still looked sexy as hell.
She held up a wine bottle for me. I was too busy gawking at her to notice. Christ, look at her. That tank top – no bra again, thankfully – with her tits practically hanging out and begging me to play with them... And her cotton pajama shorts, the ones that just barely covered her entire ass, were the perfect touch.
Now I was glad she'd gotten changed. Oh, I was gonna enjoy undressing her.
“Jayce, are you even listening? I brought us something to drink.”
She stepped inside, shut the door. Then she took one look at the monster lifting my boxers, and her eyes grew big.
“Don't you think you should put on some pants?”
“What for, when I'm just gonna take them off again?”
She didn't have a response for that. She knew damn well what she'd come here for: to get fucked better than she'd ever had it in her life.
I trailed behind her to the kitchen, where she pulled open all my cabinets until she found a couple of wine glasses.
“Surprised you have any. I always see you guzzling beer out of plastic cups.”
“Hey, I do have some class.”
She popped the cork, poured two glasses full of some rich, red wine, and we drank. I studied her as I sipped mine. What was up with her? Her body language seemed so tense.
She was nervous. Why? Whatever the reason, she'd forget all about it once I got my hands on her.
“Why don't we go out to the balcony?” I suggested. “Nice w
arm night.”
She agreed. Outside, we sank into the cushions of my porch swing. She sat close, but not close enough.
I had half a mind to pull her sweet ass over to me. On top of me. Wanted to so bad, but I didn't.
Had to play my cards right here. If I scared her, pissed her off, she'd be gone.
I refused to let that happen.
“Tonight was... interesting.”
“Sure was. I've just been wondering, why'd you pick that cowboy, anyway? Out of all the guys sending you messages, why him?”
She smiled a little. “He was cute, obviously. Unlike most of the others, his emails weren't filled with spelling mistakes and butchered sentences.”
I inched closer to her. Had to take this slow.
“So you're saying you're turned on by good grammar.”
Her laugh made my cock twitch. “Guess I am. What about you? What was so special about little miss redhead?”
I shrugged. “Seemed fun. Thought she'd put out easy enough.”
She lightly slapped my leg. “The whole point of this was to find you a girlfriend, Jayce. And then, if all goes well, a wife. Did you forget? You're not doing this just to score yourself a new booty call.”
Nothing turned me off faster than talking about commitment. Why were we having this stupid discussion now? Now, of all times, when she ought to be giving me a strip tease and showing off what she kept hidden for far too long...
“I'm a very physical guy, y'know. If I had to go more than a week without sex, it would kill me.”
She blinked. “What on Earth does that have to do with anything?”
“I know how it goes. You hook up with a girl; it's all good in the beginning. Then you move in together, thinking great, now you'll get laid way more often, right? Wrong. The longer you're with someone, the less sex happens.”
“How would you know that when you've never had a single long-term girlfriend?”
“Friends. Guys from work. Happens to all of them.”
That was why I loathed the idea of marriage. Why tie yourself to one single person, especially when she wasn't guaranteed to meet all your physical needs? If that happened, I'd be tempted to stray – and the thought of cheating made me ill. Better not to get myself into that mess in the first place.
Up here on the fifth-floor balcony, the breeze was cooler. The sudden gust of wind turned Elle's nipples into pebbles. I couldn't take being tortured anymore. Had to have her. Had to feel her, to taste her.