by Allie Scott
“Try not to be so scary tonight, T.”
I nod to acknowledge Davis’ recommendation. Problem is – I never try to be scary. At least, not when I’m off the field. On the field is a different story. There, I’m ruthless. I’m pain personified. It’s a hard thing to turn off.
Attempting to correct my wrong, I take the drink from Parker and give him a small smile. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
His smile at my thanks is genuine, the tension from his body leaving. Well, that was pretty easy.
Jason shakes his head at the entire interaction. He steps up to where I was just standing as he pretends to look around at the drinks.
“Give me something strong and hard. I’ll need it tonight.”
Parker nods as he gets to work mixing some type of cocktail for Jason. I turn from the two of them, my eyes scanning the crowd of people.
Some of them I recognize. Others I don’t.
Doesn’t much matter since I’ll stick to the guys tonight. I’ll move on to a dark corner later to recharge, then I’ll sober up enough to drive us all home.
That was the plan anyway.
Chapter 4
Alice
We get to the party right as things start to get busy, the bodies filling Brian’s house quickly. Becky leads me through the house, her sights set on her next victim.
My bestie is a sweet girl, but she’s a bit of a maneater.
She’ll pick a guy, be head over heels for a couple of weeks, then dump him for the next one in line. The crazy part is that the guys don’t mind. They all just get captivated by her blonde hair and supermodel shape.
At five-foot-eight, she’s the perfect height for most guys in our school. The two of us look more like kid and babysitter than best friends given our size difference.
When we make it to the kitchen, we notice Parker is on drink duty. As the freshmen kicker for the football team, he has a good reputation for being a good guy on and off the field.
“Well hello there, you gorgeous ladies. What can I get you both tonight? Screwdrivers? Buttery nipples?”
“Very cute, Parker. I’ll take two shots of tequila, a beer for me and sprite for Alice. She’s a bit of a lightweight so we don’t want her passing out on us.”
She winks at him, and just like that he’s under her spell. He moves his hands in a quick manner, the motions second nature to him.
Before I can get a good feel of who is here and who isn’t, he’s pushing two shots over to us. “Drink up. Let me know if you need refills.”
We nod to him, each of us picking up a shot. Raising them in the air I raise my brow at Becky waiting for her customary toast. She’s been known to say the wildest things, so heaven only knows what she’ll pick tonight.
“Here’s to handsome men, big dicks, and good head. May they be plenty tonight.”
Parker chokes on the water he was drinking at her toast, the liquid flying out his nose and mouth. We laugh at the sight, then push back the shots.
The liquor goes down smoothly setting off a fire in my body. Becky’s right. I’m a bit of a lightweight.
“Let’s move this over to the balcony. We’ll get a good view from there to see everyone as they come in, ok?”
I nod to Becky, her words making sense and giving me comfort. I don’t really like the big crowds, but being best friends with a social butterfly means attending them more times than not. I’d dropkick a quarterback or two before I leave my friend unattended around these boys.
We make our way up the stairs, the path mostly clear so far. Brian has a rule about locked doors. It’s one of the only two that he makes during these things. Most people just assume that means the upstairs is off limits.
That’s really far from the truth. He just likes to keep his parents room locked. The rest of the house is mostly fair game, though everyone tends to stick to the first floor and the backyard.
Getting kicked out of one these parties is like committing social suicide. Most tend to be cautious rather than risk it.
We get upstairs to see only one other couple up here. Turning to lean on the rail, we begin to do our favorite activity: People watching.
The party picks up over the next thirty minutes, groups upon groups of people entering at a time. Becky and I get into a heated debate about whether the color of Tyler Jackson’s eyes are green or blue when I suddenly hear it.
“Thunder! Rocket! Ace! The three athletically-gifted musketeers are here.”
Oh shit. Kyle is here.
Whipping around to the sound of Brian’s voice, I find the trio instantly thanks to their size. All three stand there like Greek gods that fell from the sky. Every girl in the room is staring at them now, their mouths dropped open at the sight.
My eyes hone in on Kyle, his body calling out to mine. He’s out of his sweaty football gear now, his clothes much more casual. A tight dark blue t-shirt stretches across his muscled chest. It looks as if it’s straining to not tear apart on its own. My eyes travel down next to follow the path of his large form. Every inch greets me with such a great view I’m practically weeping.
“Damn, that boy cleans up good after a game.”
I cut my eyes to my best friend. I may love her to pieces, but I will not stop to think before cutting the bitch if she tries to take my man.
Well, my imaginary man at least.
Becky winces at me, the apology in her expression. She knows I’m sensitive about how people think of Kyle. I’ve always been that way.
They all assume he’s just muscle for hire. They want him to win games and ‘bring the thunder.’ But Kyle is so much more than that.
He’s kind, gentle, and attentive. I may have barely spoken to him, but I’ve been watching him for years. His size intimidates people, but there’s nothing to fear from him. He’s naturally a protector. My only worry is that there’s no one to protect him.
Brian directs the guys towards the kitchen, likely telling them the way to the kitchen. I watch in distress as they leave my view. The whole point of being on the second floor was to be able to see everyone from the balcony. With Kyle in the kitchen, I’m left with my mind wandering.
Who is he talking to? Is someone flirting with him? Is he giving her one of his rare smiles?
“Chill, Alice! I’ll go down and do some recon. Maybe I can convince Jason to move to the main area. He’s the most social of the three, the flirt.” She grins her seductive smile, the one that makes men follow her anywhere.
She’s even been called a siren a time or two thanks to her charming ways.
“Thanks, B! I just don’t think I could talk to him.”
“I’ve got you, girl. Go chill out in one of the rooms for a bit. Come back out when you’re recharged.”
I nod to her, then watch as she descends the stairs. Each step of her heels echoes off the marble floors. People turn to see who it is, their expressions loosening when they see her. She’s always the life of the party. She’d honestly be more popular if she ditched me, but she refuses to.
We’ve been together since first grade. There’s no going back. At least that’s what she always says when I threaten to disown her for her outlandish ways.
When I see her make it down all the way, I turn to head to one of the many guest rooms in the house. Choosing one at random, I walk in to get my nerves calmed down. Just being in the same house as Kyle has me a wreck.
Laying on the bed, I look up to the ceiling to let my thoughts wander. I think of the way Kyle smiles when he gets to sack a player on the field. I think of how deep his voice is, the sound like a blanket I’d love to wrap up in. I picture his hands. The giant form of them would span across me without much effort since he’s so big.
Before I realize it, I’m lost in dreams of Kyle. It’s the only place where he’s truly mine.
Chapter 5
Kyle
It only takes me twenty minutes to realize why I never go to these parties. Some guy from my Spanish class is doing a terrible job at trying to hit on
the head cheerleader. The biggest issue he’s having is that he’s so wasted he can’t make actual words. It sounds more like an undiscovered foreign language than English.
Then there’s the girls trying to seduce anything with a cock. They all want the status and popularity. I’ve watched them go through the other guys on the team like it’s a sport. I want no part of that.
What I’d really love is the gorgeous little brunette who seems to hate me. That would be ideal right about now.
But even if she were here, I wouldn’t be able to talk to her. Between my grumpy personality and her utter disdain for me, we would probably be explosive, just not in the good way.
We’d been in the kitchen earlier talking when Becky, Alice’s best friend, came in to talk to us. Well, she really came to talk to Jason. She treated Davis and me like we were invisible. We’re used to it since Jason is the more outgoing one of us three.
She convinced him to head into the main area to talk for a bit, and of course, he couldn’t resist a pretty girl. We’ve all been standing around this whole time.
Davis and I just keep watching people move around the room. Occasionally, we point out something interesting, but we are mostly quiet as we listen to Becky and Jason rattle on and on about the upcoming basketball season.
I noticed that Becky keeps looking upstairs to the second floor every few minutes though. Eventually, my curiosity wins out and I ask her, “What’s upstairs that’s got you so worried?”
She startles at my question, her eyes widening a bit. I know what she’s thinking. It’s written all over her face. How did I notice what she was doing? Why do I care? She’s going to answer me though, because I have a feeling it has something to do with the girl I’m more than a little obsessed with.
“Oh! Umm, well, it’s just that someone was with me, and I left them upstairs for a bit. They never came back out though.”
“Was Alice not feeling well?” Shit. I’m showing all my cards at once.
“How did you know it was Alice? And how do you know her name? You’ve never even spoken to her.” Becky’s voice rises with each question, her anger brewing. She’s a mama bear protecting a cub now. Her trust is nonexistent.
I roll my eyes, the ridiculous nature of her question deserving of the act. “Of course I know who Alice is. We’ve gone to the same school and had the same classes for years.” And she’s the most beautiful girl in the world. But I don’t add that last part.
“This is so wild. She thought you didn’t know she existed.”
“Oh, he knows she exists. He’s been obsessed with her for years. Too bad she hates him.” Jason’s loose lips earns him a smack on the back of the head from Davis.
“Dude! Not cool!” Davis snaps.
I blush from the truth being exposed right now, but instead of poke fun, Becky simply assesses me. Her eyes scan my face looking for something. What, I’m not sure.
“He’s telling the truth, isn’t he? Wow! That’s amazing. She doesn’t hate you. Not even close.” A smile forms on her face, the look making her seem less the seductress she’s known to be and more a girl next door like Alice. “You should go check on her. Trust me, she’ll prefer seeing you to me.”
“You sure of that?”
“Absolutely. Now go, before some other guy walks into the room she’s in.” She attempts to push me toward the stairs, but I don’t budge. Her tiny figure could never move me anyway. Her muscles are tiny.
I look over to the guys to see what they think. Both of them give me curious glances before shrugging.
“You’ll never know unless you go, dude.”
“Yeah, what he said.”
With the votes of confidence from all three of them, I set the beer in my hand down on the coffee table beside us. I take the stairs quickly, my legs eating up the distance between me and Alice with ease.
When I reach the top of the stairs, I stop to look around. There are a ton of rooms up here. She could be in any of them. Shit. Think Kyle. Where would she go?
Before I can start to pick a door, I hear a faint sound. Looking around, I see that I’m the only one up here besides a few people at the other end of the hall. The noise sounds off again.
Is that a moan?
Following the noise, I listen closely to see if I can figure out what it is. It’s then that I hear the voice call out.
“Please, Kyle. More.”
My whole body freezes. I know that voice anywhere. It’s Alice. And she’s calling out my name. She’s moaning out my name. What dream am I walking around in and can I never wake up?
I turn the knob on the door where the noise is coming from. The room is mostly dark except from a light coming from the lamp on the nightstand. It’s the small amount that illuminates the figure laying across the top of the king size bed.
Alice’s body moves, her form restless in sleep. Stepping into the room, I close the door gently behind me not wanting to startle here.
I stand still to get a feel of what’s going on. What I really want is for her to call out my name again, but I don’t dare hope for such a blessing. I don’t have to wait long for my wish to be granted, though.
“Kyle, baby. Please. I need it. Don’t tease me.”
Her hands travel over her body with her words, the two of them rubbing and squeezing as they go. She gets to her pants, her hand stopping to slip under the band of the leggings she’s in. As her fingers move down, she lets out a whimper.
My cock is now hard as steel. If I breathe too deep, I’m going to come right now. She’s got me on a tightrope, and I don’t want to be free.
Stepping up to the bed, I stand over her sleeping form, my thoughts run wild. I’d always thought she hated me from the looks she gave me. Her stare always seemed hard, unrelenting.
But it clearly wasn’t hate. It was lust. It was desire. She was in pain wanting me but not having me. That’s going to stop tonight though. I’m not going to let her hurt another minute.
Reaching down, I pull her hand from her pants slowly. She startles a bit, her eyes opening at my touch.
“Kyle, you’re here.”
“Yeah, baby. I’m here. And I’m going to take care of you now.” I shove her fingers in my mouth, the flavor of her coating my tongue. I groan from how delicious she tastes. It’s better than I dreamed it would be.
“Baby, I’m going to drink straight from the source. I need it. Let me make you feel good. I’ll take that ache away, ok?”
She nods her little head at me, the movement innocent and sexy all at once. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I could possibly need.
My hands trail up her legs to her hips. I reach inside her leggings to gently pull them down her legs. She raises up for me as I slide them down, giving me her consent in the moment. Her eyes connect to mine. The vulnerability I see in them makes my knees weak.
She’s giving me a part of herself. Me. The big grumpy guy who has no idea what he’s doing or how he got here.
Almost as if she hears my thoughts, she grabs my hands and they land on her hips. The smooth touch of her skin on my palm is tempting, but I stop to listen for what she has to say.
“Is this real? Are you really here right now? I’m not dreaming again, am I?” Again? She dreams of me often?
Instead of asking questions back to her, I work to reassure her. My voice is soft, so far from my normal tone that I barely recognize it myself.
“I’m real, baby. I’m here, and if you want, I’m yours.”
She swallows, the movement drawing my eyes to her neck. The curve of her throat beckons my mouth to mark it, to show others who she belongs to. But I have to go slow. I can’t scare her.
“I thought you hated me.” The words are nothing more than a whisper, but they hit me like a train. While I’d love nothing more than to run my tongue through her soaking wet folds right now, I know we need to have this talk.
Chapter 6
Alice
He takes a deep breath at my words. His shoulders
go a bit stiff and I hate myself for making him uncomfortable. The words just slipped out.
When I laid down, I was thinking of all the deliciously naughty ways Kyle would explore my body. I awoke to find a very real, very horny Kyle in bed with me attempting to do just that.
I want this.
I want him.
But I’m confused.
“Alice, I’ve never hated you. I thought you hated me.”
I sit up quickly, sputtering noises that I’m sure I’ll be embarrassed by later. “How could you possibly think that? I could never hate you. Have you met you?”
He laughs at my words, the motion causing him to shake. His body forces the bed to shake as well. The movement makes me grin a bit at him. He’s so adorable. I could love him if he’d just let me.
“I’ve never hated you, baby. You’ve always had this look on your face when you look at me. It made me think you didn’t like me. Add to that fact that we’ve spoken less than a half dozen words to each other in nearly a decade and you can see how I would think that.”
I take in his words. His version is so different from mine. I suddenly realize that there’s really two sides to every story. I thought my parents always said that just as some old phrase that gets passed down through generations. But it’s in this moment that I realize it’s true.
This amazing boy thought I hated him when I was actually thinking of mauling him. It’s funny how perception changes things.
Kyle is still waiting for me to respond. His patience is one of the many things I love about him, and experiencing it firsthand is a gift.
Taking his hand, I put it over my heart. He searches my face, the move confusing him. “The look you are talking about is the face I make when I try not to think of you. When I try to avoid the thought of what you might taste like. When I picture you just like this in bed with me, but completely naked.” He chuckles. “The look you believe to be hate is really me attempting to not strip down naked and offer my body to you. It’s me trying to control the urge to strip naked and lay before you like an offering to the gods. It’s not hate all. Can you feel my heart beating for you? Can you feel how fast it gets when I talk about us together?”