by SM Olivier
Before I can turn my filter on, I blurted out, “Or not working with.” I took a nonchalant bite of my pizza.
Surprised laughter erupted around us, and I smiled. Zach’s gaze turned my way. He placed his sunglasses on top of his head before sauntering over to me. He shared the same dark complexion, prominent nose, and good looks as his sister. However, where Heather was graceful, Zach’s swagger was cocky.
I could smell the beer seeping from his pores. He did a very slow, very deliberate once-over of my entire body before his gaze landed on my face. It took everything in me to stand still and continue projecting an air of nonchalance. He really did rub me the wrong way.
“Did the Delaneys gain another member to their clan?” he asked as he reached out to touch my face. I didn’t know why I flinched. It wasn’t a conscious decision. Maybe it was his cockiness or the smell of him that triggered me. If he had lighter coloring, he could have been Sean eighteen years ago. Asshole-ish, arrogant, and a little rich boy.
Golden intercepted his hand. “Don’t touch her, man.” He was grinning but there was an icy warning in his gaze.
Zach gave me a confused look before he laughed and held his hands up. “I got you, man. She’s got the mouth of a Delaney and the looks of a Delaney. Are you working through them all, Gold?”
Golden chuckled, but I saw the irritation in his eyes. “Nah, I only had one. Turns out she was the imitation. I found the authentic one, though. How many Delaney imitations have you gone through…five, six?”
Zach threw his head back laughing, clearly unaffected by the insult. “Seven, including…Bailey.” I could tell he was deliberately baiting Golden.
I felt Golden stiffen beside me, and I had a feeling these two had some kind of history together that involved Bailey. How was I not surprised? Should I be irritated that Golden seemed so affected by Zach’s words? Was he truly over Bailey?
“Woah, guys.” Heather laughed. “Lighten up. This is a party. Let’s get back to the game. You reffing or what, Zack?”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get this game started.” Zach swaggered back away.
Well, he was a happy drunk. I guess that worked out in my favor.
“Sorry.” I grimaced at Heather and Golden. “My filter was turned off for a moment.”
Heather giggled. “Oh, no. My big brother needed to be knocked down a peg or two. Your comment was epic!” Then she grimaced at Golden. “I’m sorry about the little…bomb.”
Golden shrugged and smiled. “No biggie. Finding out what a….”
“Whore.” Paxton coughed out not so subtly.
Golden chuckled. “Yeah, that. I really don’t care about Bailey anymore. I wish people would stop telling me she’d been doing behind my back when we were together. They should have had the balls to tell me then. Either way—” he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the back of my neck, eliciting goosebumps immediately “—Her cheating on me and leaving me was the best thing that happened, because fate brought me something better.”
Feelings of anger at Bailey engulfed me, along with confusion. How did Bailey live with herself? She’d hurt him and cheated on him. I knew he had his flaws, but there were some things I never questioned about him. His compassion, for one. His ability to remember the insignificant and little things; the way I liked my coffee, my favorite food, my favorite scents, my favorite hot sauce, just to name a few. Admittedly, I was even drawn to the dark side that came out to protect the ones he loved. Those traits were inherently him. I was confident it wasn’t a trait he had just acquired since breaking up with her; it was intrinsic to him.
The confusion came from the seemingly double standards. Bailey had entertained more than one guy at a time. Yes, it was wrong. It was. I knew that. So why were the guys so willing to share me? In essence, wasn’t that what I was doing, taking multiple partners? Even if they knew about each other, was it that different than our current arrangement?
“Stop overthinking it,” Paxton murmured in my ear.
I hadn’t even realized I began to rotate my ring. It was a nervous tick I had, something I did most of the time without thought. The ring Madison gifted me years ago had now been replaced with the one Pax had given me after my depressive episode. The ring was one of his favorites. I’d been so grateful for his thoughtfulness because, for those twelve hours I hadn’t been wearing my old one, I had felt lost.
I smiled, attempting to shake off my confusing thoughts, and nodded before I stripped off my cover-up. “Let’s do this.”
I took a spot next to the table.
“Beer or frou-frou girl stuff?” Freddy asked as he held up a pitcher of beer and a pitcher of something that resembled fruit punch.
“Water for me, man,” Paxton quickly spoke up. “I’m designated driver tonight.”
I was proud of the decision he had made. It took a lot for a person to realize their vices and avoid them. He could simply drink two or three drinks in a three-hour time frame and still feel fine to drive, but he chose to refrain. Whether it was because of his past addiction or his desire to stay sober for us, it was commendable.
“Beer for me,” Golden chimed in next.
“Girly stuff,” I said immediately after. I wasn’t a big drinker. I could be a big baby when I was sick, and insufferable when I was hungover, so I tried to keep my drinking to a minimum.
I watched him pour the “frou-frou” liquid in my cup and then into his own. “Really, Freddy,” I groaned playfully. “You do realize your outsides don’t match the little girl hiding within. The more I get to know you, the more I wonder if I should take your man card away.” I teased him
He gave me an annoyed look but smiled. “There’s no shame in my game. I’m confident in my masculinity enough to decide I don’t have to conform to society’s expectations on what a man should like and do.”
I giggled, shaking my head, and felt Paxton and Golden take each side of me. I blinked in surprise at Paxton. I had never seen him shirtless, so I had no idea he had a tattoo of the Serenity Prayer in between his shoulder blades. It was written in Old English script on a scroll with torn edges. I liked it. No, I loved it!
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered as I traced the tattoo on his back.
He looked over his shoulder, giving me a smile. “I got it when I hit rock bottom and knew I needed to get sober,” he admitted quietly.
“But Mam would have flayed you alive if she found out you marred your perfect skin,” I predicted, kissing the spot between his shoulder blades as I tried to lighten the mood.
He chuckled. “She would have locked me up, for sure. I wouldn’t have been able to leave my room until graduation. You should have seen her reaction when Crew and Golden got their tattoos. Da had to talk her down. She didn’t like us marking our bodies until we were mature enough to determine if it was a change we could live with forever. If my tongue ring wasn’t in my mouth and easily removable, she wouldn’t have signed off on that. As it was, Da took me on my seventeenth birthday, and we told her later. I’m thinking about getting my nipple pierced next, want to come with?”
The idea of going with him and seeing him get pierced was kind of a turn on for me. I ran my fingers against his smooth, firm chest. “I would.” I smiled at him, and his answering smile let me know he liked my response.
I recalled his other words just now. I didn’t recall seeing tattoos on either Crew or Golden, and I had seen Golden topless and Crew…well, I had seen the whole front side of him. I guess I had been too busy ogling Crew’s other parts that I hadn’t even noticed the rest of him.
My cheeks heated with the memory of that night. It had woken a sleeping beast in me, and it was all I could think about lately. I wanted more. I wanted to explore them. I wanted to discover more about myself.
“You have a tattoo?” I asked Golden as my eyes caressed his torso and back.
He chuckled before he peeled his trunks down and turned to the side. The dip in his hips caused my mouth to dry. “It was an act of rebellion and o
ne I thought Mam would never find out about,” he explained, showing me the small tattoo that simply said, They Shall Run and Not Get Weary.
“I used to be a runner−” he started to tell me.
“Still are,” Pax hastily cut in. “Track starts in the spring, and your PT’s over.”
I assumed that something had happened to Golden that caused him to need physical therapy. Unfortunately, his expression made me believe he was unwilling to discuss why he was injured, to begin with.
Golden shrugged nonchalantly, but I could see he was struggling with something. “We’ll see.”
“We’ll see nothing,” Pax insisted. “You’re running again this spring. He’s crazy fast,” he explained to me.
I gave Golden a smile before I grasped his hands. Being a runner explained his lean muscles. “I would love to see you run. I’ll even be your own personal cheerleader,” I teased him suggestively.
“My uniform choice?” he asked with a mock leer on his face raising his eyebrows.
I laughed throatily. “We’ll see.”
4
●
Jailbait
I was definitely feeling it by our sixth undefeated streak of flip cup. The more I consumed, the more…impish I became. Notyep− my crazy, unfiltered, uninhibited alter ego− had unambiguous control. Generally, she came out whenever she wanted to. I rarely reined her in.
I was mostly an introverted extrovert. Tonight, I was a complete extrovert. My mission was to make people laugh. It was like feeding fuel to the fire. The more they laughed, the more I continued my antics.
I was taking a sip of my water as another team was forming to go against us. I watched as a group of girls circled Freddy. They clearly saw his worth. As Paxton had predicted, Heather seemed highly bothered by his newfound popularity. He was really on his game; his usual slight awkwardness was gone.
“What are you smiling at?” Paxton murmured as he came up beside me.
The temperature had dropped, and even with the alcohol raging through my blood, I shivered as the slight breeze caressed my skin.
I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck. “You were right.” I nodded towards Freddy.
He briefly looked over before he gave me an arrogant grin. “I know.”
“So cocky,” I muttered at him. “What made you the…girl whisperer?”
He looked uncomfortable to divulge it. He chuckled uneasily. “Practice.”
“Oh yeah?” I arched my brow at him before I playfully nipped his earlobe. “How long were you…practicing?”
He groaned before he pulled me closer. “I don’t want to talk about it with you, Pey. I wasn’t a dog, but I was a dog. I never gave any girls any false promises, and I always let them know I was only in for a fun night, maybe two, but I didn’t want any of those girls to get close. Not like I want you… no, I need you.”
I continued to nibble on his ear, hearing his breathing hitch. His grip on my hips was almost painful. “Did you leave them satisfied?”
I don’t know what possessed me to ask, but my curiosity was piqued. There had to be a reason why the girls kept coming up to him all night long.
“Always,” he hissed before he lowered his head to my ear. “There’s a reason I got a tongue ring, and it wasn’t just for my nervous…tick.”
It was my turn for my breath to hitch as I imagined what he could do with that tongue ring. He must have felt my reaction because his voice got huskier.
“I’m a man of complex…desires. I get just as much enjoyment giving pleasure as I like getting it. I love it when a girl tells me what she wants. Some guys only seek to get their own, but that leaves me feeling empty. Sometimes, I get more enjoyment watching as a girl falls apart over and over again. With my tongue, with my hands, with my cock.”
I should be somewhat…damn, appalled by his words, since it wasn’t me he had been with at the time, but I was turned on. I could feel the heat between my thighs. It didn’t surprise me that he would be a generous lover.
“Does that upset you?” Paxton asked hesitantly.
I looked up at him and grasped his face. “That kind of turns me on,” I blurted out. And then nearly cursed at myself for my honesty.
He chuckled. “I hear there are several open rooms we can find inside. I would love to give you a slight sample. I don’t even need the attention reciprocated.”
I looked up at him and bit my lip. I really wanted that. Right now!
My hands grazed his package, and I was impressed and satisfied by my discovery. “Yeah, let’s go.” I smiled up at him as he thrust his hips into my hand. His eyes were wide from my boldness and his desire.
“Pax,” Golden said in warning as he walked up to us.
My eyes rounded as I turned. I guess we weren’t as quiet as I thought we had been. Golden seemed slightly amused but annoyed.
Pax groaned. “I know. I know.”
“You know what?” I asked mystified.
“We aren’t going to take advantage of you in the state you’re in,” Pax groaned out painfully before capturing my wandering hands and pinning them together to his chest.
“What state? I’m fine,” I pouted, rotating my hips towards the evidence of his arousal.
Golden chuckled, grabbed my hips, and nipped my shoulder a bit roughly. “Behave, and no, you’re not. Let’s get you some food and water.”
I yelped and mockingly glared at him. “I’m hungry for something else.”
Paxton let out another pained moan. “Golden,” he was almost pouting.
Golden turned and raised one single brow. “Shall I fetch Crew, see what he thinks?”
“Dick,” Paxton muttered.
“That’s what I’m hungry for,” I cried out plaintively.
Both guys were laughing, but I could see the displeasure in Paxton’s eyes and the smugness in Golden’s. This really wasn’t fair. I should be able to make my own decision as to who and where I fooled around with someone.
“Let’s eat,” Paxton grumbled before threading his fingers through mine and leading me towards our stuff.
I pouted for several seconds and even stomped my feet like a petulant child, until I was distracted by some girls walking past with smores. I gripped my stomach and gave the guys a bemused smile. At least that’s what it felt like, but I knew it probably was a goofy grin. I started giggling at myself and couldn’t stop.
“I’m hungry,” I stated as if Golden didn’t just suggest it. “But I’m not in a state,” I insisted, attempting a scowl. “And I really resent being Clit Blocked!”
They both laughed at me. What were they laughing at? Why couldn’t I sneak away with Paxton? I still felt the warmth between my thighs.
“Let’s go Pey, Gold, and Pax,” Heather called, just realizing we walked away.
“We need a break,” Golden stated as he took my other hand in his. “We’re taking Peyton in to get something in her stomach and some more water.”
“I’m good.” I gave Golden a grin, and I knew my body was swaying slightly. Those drinks in the pitchers were pretty potent. They tasted like fruit punch. I almost forgot that it wasn’t. Now that we weren’t flipping cups and sliding, it was hitting me like a ton of bricks.
Heather pouted. “Come on, Freddy,” she called out. “Let’s find three more teammates.”
Freddy’s head snapped up, and before he could even say anything. Paxton yelled across the yard. “Aren’t you hungry too, bro? You should bring your friends and get them something to eat.”
It took Freddy a few seconds for understanding to dawn before a broad smile crossed his face. “I am hungry,” he murmured something to the girls, and they giggled and nodded. “Later Heather,” Freddy said before turning.
I saw Heather's face fall, and I began to giggle.
“Shh.” Paxton chuckled before clamping a hand over my mouth. “I give them ‘til Monday.”
Golden snorted. “They’ll be hooking up by tonight.”
●
We ent
ered the walk-out basement and I realized immediately it was a playground for adults. There was a recreation room, kitchen, and tables running along the walls, spanning the whole expanse of the basement. The rec room was the first thing we stepped into. In the middle of the room were two pool tables, two foosball tables, and arcade games lining the wall. The kitchen separated the rec room from the large dance area and bar. In the corner, a DJ was set up.
Food covered all the surfaces of the island, counters, and some of the tables against the walls. My stomach grumbled immediately. I didn’t think I finished my pizza from earlier and I was starving. My hunger for more carnal pleasures was temporarily put on the back burner.
My eyes scanned the room, and I heard bass coming through the strategically placed speakers. The rec room and kitchen area were well lit, but the bar and dance floor were dark, save the strobe lights controlled by the DJ. People were dancing, and I could feel the music trying to draw me toward the dance floor. This party really was wild. It reminded me of parties back at home but more organized.
I looked over at the pool tables and noticed that Crew and Zane were sitting on bar stools watching some of the other football players play pool. They were in the middle of a discussion, and from the looks of it, they were talking football. One of the guys near them started reenacting a play from tonight’s game.
“Hey, where are you going?” Golden asked as I dropped his hand and weaved my way through the football players.
“Gotta say hi to the guys,” I insisted, temporarily forgetting my hunger.
Zane was closer, so I ended up launching myself at him first. I grabbed his upper thighs, leaned in, so our faces were mere inches from his and smiled at him. “Hi.”
He seemed momentarily stunned for a minute before the beautiful dimples appeared. He opened his mouth, and I think he was about to ask me something before I heard the chorus of Shape of You by Ed Sheeran over the speakers, and I clapped my hands, squealing excitedly.
“What a great song! Wanna dance after I eat?” I asked as I climbed up onto his lap and began to gyrate my hips.
I mouthed the words to him as I rubbed my hands across his broad shoulders and down to his pectoral muscles. Zane’s devotion to football and dance was in every hard line, dip, and bulge. I felt his muscles twitch under my ministrations as I continued to sing to him and dance against him.