by SM Olivier
It was one thing to dance, nearly naked at times, and never doubt the amazing things my body could do. Now that I found out what sexual attraction was and cared what someone else thought, it was a whole new concept for me.
“Wow, darlin’, you look great,” Golden stepped forward and caressed my arms.
Golden was my southern and aptly named golden boy. He could speak to me for hours, and I could be content. When he was angered or impassioned, his accent got noticeably thicker. He had beautiful golden skin, golden blond hair−cut short on the sides while he left his waves longer up top—and golden eyes. He was only three or four inches taller me, but built with a slim, muscular frame.
“Thanks.” I smiled at him. “Now, who’s going to tell me why we are whispering so much? Secrets don’t make friends.” I mock glared at them.
Golden gave Paxton a pointed look, and Paxton sighed deeply.
“Heather always has these large parties, all year-round,” Pax explained. “Most of the time, these parties have three, sometimes even four other high schools there. Not to mention, some of the local colleges, too. I never believed I should crap where I eat, so that’s where most of my…hook ups came from. I never messed with any of the girls at our school. In the past, I would go to these parties to hook up with a girl or two, but this past summer, I flew off the hinges.” His jaw worked feverishly, and I knew he was nervous, because he was playing with his tongue ring.
“I went buck wild after we lost Polly, Mandy, Duncan, Mam, and Da,” he continued. “I went to a lot of Heather’s parties. I coped through this summer with sex, getting high and in a constant state of being drunk. I’ve been clean and sober since shortly before you came here, but I’m ashamed of my behavior.”
I kept my face carefully blank. I hated running into all the guys’ exes, but I was also realistic. I was now involved with six highly attractive, highly catch-worthy men. It was inevitable that I was going to see exes and old hookups.
I also knew it took a lot for him to expose his vulnerable and least proud moments to me. He had been delivered a debilitating blow all at once. He’d lost over half his family in a matter of minutes. Everyone had different ways of coping with loss, and who was I to judge him for the man he was when he was no longer that person? I felt nothing but pride for his self-awareness and ability to change the path he had been going down.
“Are we never going to run into these girls?” I asked with a raised brow before I sifted through my closet for something to cover up with.
My clothes currently resided here and at Kyler’s and Crew’s. I was trying to divide my time with the guys equally, and since Kyler owned his own construction company and was currently working hard on the cottage my grandfather had recently gifted me, there had been few nights I had stayed there. Kyler and Crew were the only two I had kissed. I didn’t count the brief kiss I had with Golden, since it was all for show, and it hadn’t lasted long enough for me to really enjoy it.
Okay, I did a little more than kissing with Crew, but the others didn’t know that.
I’m sure some of them suspected it had gone beyond kissing, but I also knew our behavior towards each other was…strange at times. Crew had found me at my worst, and I mean at my absolute worst, and he was also the only one who knew, despite all my innuendos, dirty jokes, and blatant sexual teasing, that I was a still a virgin.
Madison, my other best friend and someone else I hadn’t been able to talk to for over a week because of her betrayal and lies, used to always say I was too picky, that my high standards were unrealistic. I didn’t think that was the case at all, now. I just hadn’t found the right man—or men—for me to embrace their flaws and want to become… vulnerable for. If we were still talking, and I confided in her, I would tell her I was waiting to follow fate, waiting for fate to reveal these “right men” to me.
I had dated a few guys. I had even made out with a few of them, but I never entertained the thought of seeking a higher level of intimacy with them. Since meeting the guys, I could see myself becoming extremely close to them to the point that I would shed all my doubts and inhibitions.
“I just didn’t want to make it awkward for you because of them,” Paxton explained hesitantly.
“In other words,” Golden said with a smirk, “some of the girls never got over him, and they’ve been trying to get him to commit ever since.”
“You’re the one, though, Peyton,” Paxton stated earnestly as he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my bare waist. “You’re the one I want.”
I turned and smiled at him. Jezebel, my jealous alter ego, wanted to rear her ugly head, but I tamped her down. I saw the sincerity in his eyes, and I knew he meant those words.
“Well,” I said quietly. “It’s inevitable that I run into exes, and I’d much rather get it out of the way. If you don’t feel comfortable with it, I don’t blame you, but if it’s me you’re worried about, don’t. I’m a big girl. I would like you to come with us, Pax. It’s my first party at a new school, and I want you there as additional moral support.”
He nodded before he dropped a kiss on my shoulder. “You’re the best. I’ll go get my swim trunks and some towels for us. What are we driving?” he asked Golden.
“We can take the Bronco or the Denali.” Golden shrugged.
“Let’s take the Denali. I’m DD,” Paxton replied, his hand on the doorjamb.
I dug into my memories. Now that Paxton had confided more in me, I now recalled not ever seeing him drink in front of me. I’ve seen Golden, Crew, Mr. Isaacs, and Kyler drink but never Zane and Paxton. It made sense now why Paxton abstained from it. I wondered why Zane did though…
“I can be DD,” I stated with a shrug. “I’m not a big drinker.”
Paxton shook his head with a mischievous smile. “You’re not our designated driver tonight. It’s time to let you loose. I’ll be DD tonight.”
I smiled and shook my head. “We can’t get wasted tonight. We volunteered to help Ky at the cottage tomorrow, remember? Grandpa is supposed to meet us over there with breakfast, too.”
Golden groaned. “How could I forget?”
I laughed. “I’ve only been saying it for a week now.”
Paxton chuckled. “Be right back,” he said before leaving my room.
“Finally,” Golden muttered before he grabbed my hips and gently pushed me against the wall. “I’ve been thinking about these lips for over a week now, but it seems like I never have you to myself for more than a few minutes at a time.”
I looked up at him in surprise. Over a week ago, Selena had accused Mr. Isaacs of having an inappropriate relationship with me, since he had given me a ride into school. It had been pouring, and I couldn’t ride my bike− not that I wanted to talk about my bike… I was still mourning the loss of it. No one knew I lived with the guys because my house was in repair, and we fully expected Sean to make another unwelcome reappearance into my life. That day, I had to come up with an excuse within seconds when she saw us together. I ended up saying I had spent the night with Golden. To keep up the ruse, I had kissed Golden when I knew she was behind me. We had been close to deepening our kiss when Selena had finally joined us outside.
Truthfully, I had been thinking about his lips, too. It felt like Pandora’s box had been opened since we all admitted to our attraction to each other, and now kissing them, holding them, exploring with them had been on my mind continuously. I was like a teenage boy with too much testosterone.
“Oh yeah?” I asked coyly as I looked up at him through my eyelashes. “What about them?”
“Oh, you know…” He dropped his head down towards my mouth, hovering his lips above my own. “I’ve been imagining hearing your breathing hitch and tasting you.”
“Then what’s stopping you?” I challenged him.
No sooner were the words out of my mouth that his lips met mine. He gently nibbled before tracing my lips with his tongue. He pushed my mouth open, entangling my tongue with his. His hands reverently strok
ed my hips and waist. I could feel the goosebumps erupting across my skin. I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck, taking a step forward, so that barely any space separated us. His hand dropped to my rear, and he squeezed, pulling me closer so I had no doubt of the effect our kiss was having on him.
“I thought we were helping you choose your swimsuit,” Zane said in an amused tone from the doorway.
I began to pull away from Golden, but he pulled me in tighter and kissed me for a few seconds longer before he looked at Zane. “You’re a dick,” he muttered. His breathing heavy.
“But you still love me. Are we ready to go?” Zane asked with smugness.
“In a second,” I murmured before turning back to the closet for a coverup.
I didn’t know if I should be embarrassed about them catching me kissing Golden or just own it. It was inevitable that I would be kissing all of them at some point or another, and it wasn’t like they’d caught us having sex.
I decided on a black cover-up that was tastefully sexy. It had a deep v-neckline but full sleeves that ended at my elbows. The length of my skirt fell to mid-thigh, highlighting my long, lean, toned legs. I pulled it on and slipped my feet into a pair of black wedges.
“Ready?” I inquired, avoiding the guys’ glances.
I continued my earlier train of thought. I was still adjusting to having six… boyfriends. It was one thing to hold hands or act affectionately towards the guys in front of the others but something entirely different than being caught kissing. Although admittedly, Golden found Crew and me in the bathtub together and he hadn’t seemed jealous or upset. It wasn’t like they entered this arrangement without the expectations that we were all going to progress at different speeds.
“You look beautiful,” Zane said softly. I couldn’t help admiring him as well, in his red sleeveless T-shirt and black and red swim shorts.
I looked up and feigned a smile. “Thanks,” I murmured. I think he knew that I was slightly embarrassed for getting caught kissing Golden.
“Did anyone warn Peyton how crazy a Monroe party could get?” Crew asked gruffly as he dug his hands in his pockets. He had changed into a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. I guess he didn’t plan on swimming.
“No, not really, but she knows that it used to be Pax’s hunting grounds,” Golden said with a smirk.
“At no point is she to be left alone. Period,” Zane said as he took my hand in his.
“First things first,” I said half joking, half peeved. “Peyton’s right here, and we should talk directly to her and not around her,” I teased. “Second, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”
“We know you can,” Zane stated with a casual shrug. “But you shouldn’t have to. Heather’s brother is a college boy, and he takes advantage of the fact that his parents are absent a lot, so it’s not just a lot of high school kids there but college students, too. So, stick by one of us most of the night…please?”
I refrained from telling him that my former town was considered a college town, on top of having four different schools and two separate private schools within a half-hour from each other. I was used to being surrounded by chaos. There were three “families” known for throwing crazy parties, and Madison knew them all personally. Since I had been DD a majority of the time, I had learned how to fend for myself, especially as the night wore on.
“Yes, sir,” I teased him as I followed him up the steps.
When we walked into the kitchen, I stopped short. Mr. Isaacs was getting a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, shirtless, with a pair of pajama bottoms hanging low on his hips. My eyes traveled over his firm muscles and chiseled abs. His delectable V was… mouthwatering. I could never imagine him being the scrawny teen that Kyler had told me he met before they became friends.
“Going out?” Mr. Isaacs asked us with a raised brow as he looked at the clock on the microwave. It was almost ten o’clock. “Aren’t we heading over to the cottage tomorrow morning?”
“Yes and yes,” Golden commented as he, too, grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. He opened it, reached out, and wiped his thumb along my bottom lip. “Got that little bit of drool for ya.”
“Shut up,” I muttered as I took his bottle of water away from him, taking a long gulp.
I couldn’t believe he called me out like that! I had seen Mr. Isaacs in his suits. Hot. I have seen Mr. Isaacs in his work out gear. Yum. I’d never seen him shirtless.
Yeah, I guess I could have been drooling.
Zane and Golden chuckled at me.
“We won’t party too hard,” Golden stated. “Heather keeps asking Peyton to her shindigs, and she can’t continue coming up with excuses not to go. Especially since Heather and some of the other girls on the team are finally defending her and accepting her presence.”
“Doesn’t Monroe still live with her brother Zack?” Mr. Isaacs asked with raised brows.
“We already warned Peyton, and one of us will always be by her side the whole time,” Zane reassured him.
“Wanna go?” Golden asked with a wicked glint. “Lindsey and Tori are already here, aren’t they?”
Lindsey and Tori were cousins of theirs. They had asked to come to visit this weekend and had offered to babysit the kids for us tomorrow. They thought the boys would appreciate a little reprieve, and the guys had gladly accepted their offer. I had yet to meet them. They weren’t aware that I helped out a lot with the children now.
Those kids weren’t being raised in a traditional family setting, but they were beyond loved. Between myself, Mr. Isaacs, Paxton, Golden, Zane, Crew, Kyler, Mr. Jenkins, and Grandpa, they got more than enough attention and affection. I might have been the only one with ovaries in their life right now, but I still thought they were two lucky kids, given the circumstances.
Mr. Isaacs, Paxton, and Golden still had a few more home visits before they went in front of the judge, but so far, the last two visits had gone by smoothly. The caseworker was more than happy to see the way they were living and had nothing but good things to say about the household.
Mr. Isaacs gave him a crooked smile. “I really don’t think it would be appropriate if I showed up with you guys.”
“Suit yourself,” Golden said with a smile. “I don’t think anyone would say anything. It’s been a while since you blew off some steam.”
“It’s been a while since I did a lot of things,” Mr. Isaacs murmured as he passed me by. His meaning was clear, as his eyes slowly wandered over me. “But you guys have fun and be safe.”
I bit my lip, my overactive imagination conjuring all types of images I needed to tamp down.
●
“Heather lives there?” I asked in surprise as we pulled onto a street almost in the middle of nowhere. The house was comparable to Grandpa’s and was a huge monstrosity.
It was clear that we were late to the party. There were already cars lined up the long, winding driveway and down the street. The mansion was brightly lit, and I could hear the music and voices drifting on the breeze.
“Yeah.” Zane nodded. “Heather’s Dad is one of the most reputable neurosurgeons in the country, and her mother is a lawyer in the city. She commutes the hour and a half to work every day. On the weekends, Dr. Monroe typically drives up to the city, and they spend the weekend at their loft there.”
“Wow,” I breathed. Unlike Grandpa’s, her house had a lot of character and looked less… museum-like.
I hadn’t realized Heather came from money. I knew she drove a nice car, and she always wore upper-end clothes, but she was down to earth and a genuinely lovely person. She didn’t have that sense of entitlement that a lot of the other richies had in the school. Maybe because both of her parents were driven and successful.
I got out of the car and noticed the nip in the air. I wished I had thought to bring a jacket. It still really hadn’t cooled here during the day, but there had been a few nights where the temperatures had dipped, like tonight.
“We should have brought you a jacket,” Zane murmured as he came up beside me and draped an arm around my shoulder.
“She’ll warm up soon enough,” Paxton said with a wicked smile. “It’s going to be my mission tonight to see our girl toasted.”
“Because you want to take advantage of her,” Golden teased.
We started heading up the street.
“Uh, yeah.” Paxton smiled.
“No,” Crew stated firmly. No explanations, just one simple, one syllable word. I had no doubt Paxton would follow Crew’s command.
He had been quiet all night long, and I really hoped he wasn’t still letting Diane’s words get to him. He had played a freakin’ fantastic game, so I knew it wasn’t that. They’d had another victory, making them undefeated this season, too, so…
I reached out and grabbed his hand. I knew he wouldn’t talk until he was ready, but I wanted to tell him that I was there for him. He looked down at our joined hands, then at me. I wished there were more lighting, so I could see his face better. As it was, it was cast in the shadows.
“The party bus should be here shortly,” Paxton said as we stopped by two light posts at the end of the driveway.
“The what?” I saw headlights heading our way.
“Zach and Heather hire a transportation company to drive us up to the door and back to our vehicles,” Golden explained. “They like to accommodate their guests, and it’s less walking for everyone since their house is set so far off the road.”
I had been to a lot of parties, but I had to admit this was the first one I had ever been to where they hired a bus to haul people up and down a driveway.
Other people joined us by the light post, and I heard a faintly familiar giggle from the newcomers.
My excitement dimmed as I realized it was Leah, Nan, and Flossie. From their high-pitched laughter, I had a feeling they had already been hitting the bottle. I had to roll my eyes at their choice of outfits. They were wearing nothing but small triangle bikinis and five-inch stilettos. One sudden movement or slip and they would be flashing everyone. Or tripping.