"Sure. I've got nothing better to do."
"Great," she squeals, clapping her hands once after jumping up.
"Kane won't be there, will he?" I worry.
"He's never come to one of their parties before. It's usually just a small gathering of the same old people, but tonight they've got some of the vacationers coming. There're supposed to be some serious hotties."
I smile and then head back behind the counter just as my phone buzzes again.
Kane.
Eventually he'll take a hint. For now, I've just got to dodge and ignore him.
Cindy's arm loops through mine as we head into the house too close to where Kane lives. I hadn't realized how very close we'd be, or I would have said no.
"You're sure he won't be here?" I rattle out nervously.
"Like I said, he's never come before. One of his roommates doesn't get along with Heath, my friend's husband."
"Okay," I murmur with some relief.
"So, what's the deal?" she muses. "With Kane I mean."
He's the bad boy I almost threw my virginity at, only to have him run out in the middle of the night to go be with another girl after she got upset.
"Long, weird, terrible story. Where's the booze?"
She laughs and then grabs me a cup full of a liquid stout enough to raise the dead.
"Whoa," I cough out.
She laughs and then clanks her plastic cup against mine before sucking it back. I cringe as the tart, bitter taste lingers in my mouth after I've forced it down, but at least I should be able to get drunk.
"Hey," a tall, blond, smoking hot guy murmurs far too close to me.
"Hey yourself," I lightly flirt while turning my cup up again.
"Hey," Cindy squeaks, her red curls bouncing with excitement.
He smiles at her briefly, and then he turns his attention back to me.
"I'm Thad. And you?" he asks curiously.
"Alyssa. Are you a vacationer?"
"No, I just moved in a little across the way, close to Midbrook and Holtz."
"Awesome, Alyssa lives around there," Cindy interjects.
He tilts his head to the side, and then he leans up beside me while clanking the side of his cup to mine.
"Here's to new neighbors then," he says with a sexy grin, making me flush a little. Another bad boy. Just my luck.
"I suppose so."
Cindy frowns, possibly feeling ignored, and she wanders off to leave me alone with Mr. Blond Heaven.
"So, how long have you lived here?" he asks while getting a little closer.
"Less than a week," I chuckle out, and he lets a laugh free as well.
"Well then, I guess we're both the new kids on the block."
"I guess we are," I murmur while turning up the glass. "So how do you know the people that live here?"
"I don't," he laughs. "I'm a total party crasher. I guess I'm busted, but I thought it'd be a good way to meet some of the locals."
"Well, instead you met me. Another newbie."
He smirks, but doesn't laugh like I do. "I'd say this was a party worth crashing."
I blush lightly, and then Cindy walks back in.
"Hey, Alyssa, come here. I want to introduce you to Misty and Heath."
I turn to face the platinum blond vision, and then I hold my hand out to shake his.
"I guess I should go mingle. It was nice meeting you, Thad."
He smiles, pulling my hand to his lips instead of shaking it, and then he plants a soft, sweet kiss on the back. "It was very nice to meet you, Alyssa."
The way he looks at me makes me blush again, and I turn away, happy that someone else is interested in me besides Kane - the asshole who left me naked in bed while he went to find his missing girlfriend.
Time to drink until I can quit thinking about him.
The howls of the drunk exude the howls of the wild as I giggle over every stupid joke told. Staggering, I make my way outside where Heath is standing.
"This is a great party," I slur.
He laughs, though nothing is funny, and I laugh too while hanging off the back deck overlooking the lake.
"I'm glad you came."
"Me too," I chirp while chugging another guzzle.
He smiles as he leans toward me, and a sick feeling strikes my gut right before he jerks me forward into a kiss. I push him back with all my strength to shove him off while wiping his slobber from my face.
"What the hell?" I scold. "You're married."
He laughs and shakes his head. "Lighten up. It's a party."
He starts toward me again, and I dart underneath his drunken grasp and rush down the stairs to escape him, happy to reach the yard.
"Alyssa, I can play this game," he chuckles out, and I start scouring the party in search of Thad, praying he's still here.
I'm not surprised when I don't find him - since I haven't seen him in hours - and I start running to escape the drunken fool following too close behind.
My phone buzzes, and I juggle it up to my ear, hoping it's Frankie getting ready to scoop in and save me.
"Are you seeing this?" I ask, though my drunken stupor has made my words sound unintelligible and malformed. "Where the hell are you already, Frankie? I need your help."
"Alyssa? Are you drunk?" Kane's voice sounds out, and I get all the sicker as silence steals my breath, his voice concreting my feet to the ground. "Alyssa, where are you?"
The music blares louder as several drunken people stagger out of the house, and then I feel arms wrapping around me far too tightly.
"Let me go!" I yell while struggling under Heath's grasp.
"I've got you now," he chuckles out.
"Alyssa, damn it! Where are you?!" Kane demands.
"I swear I'll break you like a damn twig if you don't let me go right now!" I screech.
My phone drops to the ground as I start trying to free myself from this asshole's grip. If I use my power on him, I'm breaking the law of the light. If I don't use it, I'll probably end up dealing a consequence that I'm not willing to face.
I finally get enough leverage to stomp his foot, making him yelp and loosen his grip, and giving me the chance to start running again. I cry out as I stumble and crash to the ground, but knowing that scum is right behind me, I pull myself up and start running again.
I look over my shoulder to see Heath gaining on me, and suddenly I'm brought to an abrupt halt as I slam into a hard body. New arms wrap around me to keep me from collapsing to the ground.
"Alyssa," Heath chuckles out from not far behind, but when I look up, I see the fury burning in Kane's eyes as his grip on me tightens.
Shit! How'd he find me?
"Kane," Heath murmurs in surprise as his groggy eyes zoom in.
"Heath," Kane strains out through gritted teeth. "I think you should get back to your wife, don't you?"
His grip tightens on me more when my legs try to give out, and Heath's eyes glaze over with fear as Kane stares him down.
"Um, yeah," the stupid ass murmurs, and then he turns to walk away, leaving me alone with the guy I damn near gave something I couldn't get back.
He breathes out heavily, watching Heath until he staggers off into the shadows, and then he looks down to me.
"You okay?" he says too sincerely.
"Peachy," I mumble while trying to wobble free from his grip.
"Damn, you're so drunk right now," he sighs while catching me before I lose my footing again.
"So what?"
He doesn't have time to answer before the heel on my shoe breaks and I go falling forward. I tense up, but I'm suddenly going up before I hit the ground. Kane pulls me into his arms in a bridal-style carry.
"Kane, please put me down. I want to go home," I gripe while struggling.
"I'm sure you do, but you're too drunk to walk, and quite frankly, I'm not taking you home until I know you're not going to have alcohol poisoning."
"That's a little melodramatic," I scoff.
"No, ignoring me al
l day, staying away from your house, and then getting drunk at some random party where you don't have any friends there to have your back is melodramatic."
His tone is almost scolding, and I start to laugh at how absurd he sounds.
"Stalk me much?"
His jaw tenses, proving he's a little madder than I realized.
"Alyssa, you're obviously pissed, and all I want is a chance to explain about last night."
"It's fine. I'm sure Amy was thrilled to have you come after her, especially when she found out you left me naked in the bed to run out."
He huffs loudly, cursing under his breath, and then he murmurs, "You heard that? Why didn't you just say something?"
I squirm uselessly in his powerful grip. I'm too drunk to be very strong right now. Fuck it.
"Sounded like a personal problem, and it was obvious I was the other woman."
He groans, frustration rolling over him as he readies himself for the big explanation.
"Not even close to being the case. Yes, Amy is a little obsessed with me, but I've never been with her. She's just my damn roommate," he grumbles, as if he's exasperated. "She gets a little crazy, but we usually just calm her down."
"How? Do you put her back in her cage?" I mumble sardonically, not really meaning for him to hear, but he lets a laugh out.
"Something like that," he snickers.
Obviously I didn't say that as quietly as I meant to.
"How did you find me?"
He motions behind him with his head, though I have no idea what he's motioning to.
"The music. It's not like we haven't heard it thudding every time we go outside. We don't go to Heath's parties, but I would have shown up sooner, had I known you were there."
"Why? So you could tell me all about leaving me naked in the bed to go chase after another girl?"
His head drops back as he lets out another exasperated groan.
"You're really blowing this out of proportion. The last thing I wanted to do was leave you. Believe me, it was painful to do. But that's not why I would have shown up. Heath has a reputation for doing girls the way he tried to do you tonight."
"Oh," I mumble, looking away as a sick pang strikes.
That was way too damn close.
"So I suppose your mother's friend - Frankie - was supposed to be watching out for you?"
I thought so.
"I just assumed he was. I guess he would have been if I told him I was going out."
"I would have been if you had just talked to me."
I sigh, not really sure if I want to be talking to him right now. He definitely didn't do much for my confidence.
"Sorry, but I still don't feel right about all this. I shouldn't have even let you in my bed, and now you're whisking me away to who knows where."
"My house," he says as we start up the steps, making me look around.
My jaw drops when I see the three story cabin stretching wide. There's no way they can afford this beast. And he thought my place was impressive?
"Okay, this definitely doesn't feel right. I really don't want to be around Amy right now."
He frowns, and then he shakes his head.
"Don't worry about her. She knows not to mess with you, and she'll eventually get the hell over me.”
Doubtful.
I sure as hell can't seem to stop thinking about him, and I just met him.
"Just take me home, please."
"If I take you home, I'm staying with you. I'm not leaving you alone tonight, not with the heavy amount of alcohol you've apparently taken in."
I can't let him stay with me because then I wouldn't be able to sneak out to get away.
"Fine," I huff. "I'll stay until I'm sober enough to leave."
He smirks, and then his delicious lips stroke my forehead as a guy opens the door to the cabin for us.
"Did you kick his ass?" he asks.
"No, but it was hard not to. Do me a favor, Zee, will you go grab Alyssa's phone? I think she dropped it around the midway point."
"Yeah, sure. Maybe I'll get the chance to run into Heath."
The menace in his eyes is unmistakable. They really hate Heath.
"Play nice. Don't cause a scene," Kane warns before walking through the enormous living area filled with gallant, large widows.
The others are stretched out on couches and chairs, some of them coupled up, and the others seeming causally engaged in whatever movie they're watching. Then I get sick when I see Amy staring at me with the scorned woman's fury.
"Should have kept her in that cage," I almost whisper, and Kane lets out a laugh again.
"You're probably right," he murmurs while kissing my forehead again.
"You alright?" one of the girls asks, seeming sincere in her concern.
"Fine, just drunk," I mumble.
She smirks and then she stands to walk to a door and opens it for us. Her soft auburn hair falls to her shoulders. Her eyes are dark, smoky blue, and they have a depth that shows experience beyond her years, giving her a delicate but mysterious edge.
"Heath is a total creep, and he knows it," she almost growls. "He's one person I'd like to break my no-violence rule for."
"I think that goes for all of us," Kane murmurs while carrying me through the doorway, and then I feel a plush bed beneath me as he puts me down.
"Let me know if you need anything," she says while shutting the door behind her.
"At least she's not psycho for you." I sigh while turning over on my side, avoiding looking at him.
"Definitely not. Sierra is Deke's girl, and she's pretty cool... like a sister to me." He walks over to a dresser and pulls out a tee-shirt, and then tosses it to me. "You can sleep in that, or I can see if Sierra has something you can borrow."
"I’ll stay in my clothes because I'm leaving the second I'm sober."
His sweet face is taken over with agitation.
"Alyssa, you're not getting sober until you get some sleep. Change or I'll change you."
That shouldn't turn me on, so why does it?
"Fine. I'll change," I mumble while sitting up and pulling my shirt over my head.
He coughs and turns his back, and I let a laugh free.
"Like you didn't see more last night. Afraid you'll feel the urge to run off again?" I taunt.
He turns back around as I slip on his shirt, and then he walks over to me to pull my lips to his, devouring me by surprise. He jerks my hips to his and rips my pants free from my body.
Heat floods through my veins, burning me alive from the inside in the most divine way. Damn he tastes so good.
"Shit," he murmurs while backing away. "I didn't want to look because I knew it'd be hard as hell to stop myself, but I'm not some asshole like Heath who's ready to pounce on a girl while she's drunk."
"You didn't have a problem stopping yourself when I was completely sober."
My snarky comment forces a wince from him. He runs his hands through his hair, demonstrating how terribly frustrated he is.
"Please don't keep punishing me for that," he groans. "I've already explained it and told you I was sorry several times."
Sorry doesn't piece back together my dignity or my confidence. How's a girl supposed to feel?
"I'm not punishing you, I'm just stating the obvious."
I try to ignore the throbbing desire to straddle him right now, but it’s almost overwhelming. One thing that helps me is the fact I really don't feel like being turned down a second time.
He sighs as he climbs into bed beside me, and then his arm drapes around my waist as he pulls me to him.
Now that he's touching me, it makes it all the harder to deny the throbbing ache inside me, pulsating at the spot no one has ever gone. When his arousal brushes against my back, I shiver.
"Kane, you're not exactly making this easy on me," I mumble, and his sharp intake of breath follows my words.
"Sorry. This isn't easy for me either."
He uncoils from my body, and then he rolls over t
o the other side of the bed to leave me all the more distraught and yearning for his touch.
I close my eyes tightly, praying for sobriety and sleep both. Maybe I can make it through the night without dreaming about him.
Chapter Five
The sun blinds me as it peers through the enormous window in front of my face. Shielding my eyes, I climb free from the bed to hear laughter and animated conversation on the other side of the door.
"Hey, I found the best new video," one of the guys laughs out. "You have to see it."
"Not right now. I'm trying to get Alyssa some breakfast ready before I take her home," Kane murmurs in objection, and I tense up.
I definitely don't want to see him right now... not after the idiot I looked like last night.
I start picking up my clothes and stepping into them as quickly as I can. My bra is nowhere to be found. Apparently I shed it during the night while I was sleeping, and right now I don't have time to find it.
I open the window to the balcony, and I grimace when I see how far down it is.
I hate using magic.
I force the ladder on the ground to rise to the window, and I tuck my high-heels under my arm as I climb down quickly. With a flick of my wrist, the ladder slides down and back into its place before I run like hell through the woods Kane forbid me to travel without him.
After the first briar tears at my foot, I pull on my heels, deciding to brave the woods in shoes never meant for hiking or running. I forgot I broke one of the heels off, so now I have to run like a gimp idiot through the patch of forest. This walk of shame is by far the worst one ever experienced, and I'm still a damn virgin.
I stumble onto the sidewalk, and then I remove my heels again as all the judgmental eyes of the quiet street fall on me.
Small town slut.
It'd be great if I actually got to have sex while being a slut.
I look over my shoulder, worried someone I actually know is going to see me, and then I feel myself colliding and arms wrapping around me to steady me as mail drops to the ground.
"Hey, whoa," a familiar voice chuckles out.
I turn to see Thad - fresh, clean, and looking just as sexy in the sun as he did under the moonlight.
"Hey," I bumble out.
"I guess you had a rough night," he says, amused, while staring at my bare, bleeding feet, my heels in my hand, and my previous night's clothing. Not to mention, I'm sure my hair is a hot mess.
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