“Yeah, well you didn’t give me much of a choice.”
“Then I’ll see you tonight? Everyone wants you there.”
There was another pause before she responded. “See you tonight, Micah.”
After he hung up the phone, he sent Shawn a quick text telling him that Lex would be attending the party tonight after all. A gust of wind made him shiver and he decided to cut his run short and head back to his car. Lex said that he wasn’t the reason she had cancelled on the party, but he didn’t believe her. It didn’t matter either way because not only was she going to the party now, but she was also accompanying him to his hometown. And he planned on taking advantage of every moment he spent with her.
* * *
Lex lightly shook her wrist and watched the red wine swirl around inside her glass. She couldn’t stare at her wine all night, but she could definitely plan to stare at it long enough to avoid Micah, who had invaded her space in Imani and Daman’s kitchen. Their large estate with a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan had an enormous basement that Daman deemed the man cave and the entire six bedroom, five bathroom home had more than enough space to host their bimonthly get-togethers and holiday gatherings. But somehow, Micah had managed to pop up in the same room she was in three times tonight.
She didn’t care that Cyd, Imani and Mya were in the kitchen, as well. Not only was the wine helping her hide her discomfort to his presence, but they were too consumed with talking about their newest clients at Elite Events to notice her lack of interest. She could feel her body heating in desire as he bent over in the fridge to grab a beer bottle.
Lord have mercy, she thought as she stole a couple glances in his direction. His loose-fitting blue jeans did nothing to hide the imprint of his butt, and his black-and-gray button-up seemed to only accentuate his muscular arms. And Lord knew she was infatuated with muscular arms. She’d never had the pleasure of dating a man who was as fit as Micah. Guaranteed, her ex, Evan, was in shape, but he definitely didn’t have a body that looked that good.
He turned from the fridge quicker than Lex had anticipated and caught her staring. He shot her a half smile before popping off his beer cap and taking a quick swig. She took a sip of her wine as a distraction and was glad when a few people entered the kitchen to say their goodbyes. She was relieved when Micah took that time to leave the kitchen, as well.
“I have a great idea,” Cyd exclaimed, clasping her hands together. “Since most of the guests are leaving, how about we play a group game or something.”
“Well the guys are downstairs playing cards,” Imani said. “What type of group game did you have in mind?”
“A drinking game!” Cyd exclaimed.
“What are we, in college?” Mya chimed in.
Cyd cut her eyes at Mya. “What’s wrong with a drinking game?”
“I agree with Mya,” Lex added. “We’re too old for drinking games.”
“Well, I’m with Cyd,” Imani said, getting up from the stool she’d been sitting on. “Let’s play.”
“Of course you both want to play a drinking game,” Mya responded crossing her arms over chest. “With Daman and Shawn here, you can both get drunk and make love to them afterward. What are Lex and I suppose to do when we get all drunk and horny.”
“Oh, come on,” Cyd said as she shook Mya’s arms loose. “Daman still has a couple single friends here and flirting never hurt anyone. Besides,” she continued as she glanced over at Lex. “Don’t you want to see Lex try to ignore her attraction to Micah?”
They cannot be serious. “Um, I’m not playing,” Lex said.
“It won’t be fun without you,” Imani said as she leaned in to hug Lex.
“You mean, it won’t be fun if you don’t have me to laugh at.”
“What if we promise not to laugh?” Cyd asked. Oh, brother. They weren’t going to let her back out of the group game easily.
“I’m only playing the game if Mya agrees to play, too.” All eyes turned expectedly on Mya.
“I’ll play,” she said with ease as she shrugged her shoulders. Lex squinted her eyes at Mya in frustration.
“Great! I’ll go get the guys so we can gather in the grand living room!”
“I’ll come with you,” Cyd said as she followed Imani out of the kitchen.
Lex flared her hands once Imani and Cyd were gone. “Um, Mya? What happened to the two of us sticking together?”
“A girl can’t change her mind?”
Lex blew out a frustrated breath. “Not when there’s so much at stake!”
“Okay, maybe I missed something. What exactly is at stake by us playing this game?”
Lex thrust her head to the ceiling and closed her eyes. If she admitted that she didn’t trust herself around Micah when alcohol was involved, that would mean she would have to admit that her self-control was low around him. She wasn’t even ready to admit that to herself so she definitely wasn’t going to admit that to Mya.
“Whatever,” she said brushing it off. “Let’s just go get this game over with.”
As they rounded the corner and walked the hall that led to the grand living room, Lex’s heart was beating so fast, she swore she could actually hear the sound of it echoing through the hall. She felt as if she were walking into the lion’s den, with Micah being the lion and her, his prey. You got this, girl. It’s just a game and he’s just a man. But the minute she entered the room, she knew she was in trouble. His piercing brown eyes landed on her, breaking the little cool she had.
Cyd had already directed everyone in a circle and the cards on the large coffee table were spread sporadically in a circle, as well.
“What is this game?” Lex asked as Cyd, she and Mya took a seat next to one another in the circle, as Cyd had instructed to with her index finger. They’d played group games before, but this wasn’t their usual Q&A game and it definitely involved more liquor than usual.
“It’s called circle of death or ring of fire. Whatever name you like most. I personally like circle of death so that’s what we’re calling it tonight.”
Say what? Circle of death? Who in their right mind would play a game called circle of death? Lex finally noticed the beer can in the middle of the table. Shot glasses and mixed drinks were also in front of everyone. She lifted up one of the red cups and inhaled. Tequila? Oh, heck no. I’m not drinking this!
“Um, Cyd?” Lex asked, holding up the red cup. “What’s in this cup?”
Cyd gave her a sly smile before responding. “That’s tequila my dear, but don’t worry, I watered yours down with juice. And before you tell me you refuse to drink it, how about I explain the rules of the game? Because if you pick your cards right, you may not have to drink that much.”
Lex flashed Cyd a fake smile before she put the cup down.
“You’ll be fine,” Mya whispered in Lex’s ear before glancing across the room. “I got your back.”
She followed the line of Mya’s eyes and landed right on the same person she’d been trying to avoid the entire night.
“Yeah, right,” Lex whispered back. Lex could handle her liquor and usually loved a good game. But having Micah in the room made her nervous, and her friends knew that tequila was her kryptonite. Therefore, she avoided the stuff like the plague.
“Lex you pick a card first,” Cyd prompted. Please be a good card. Please be a good card. Yes, a three! Wait, what’s a three?
“I have a three,” Lex said to the group. “What does that mean?”
“A three stands for me,” Cyd said. “Which means you have to take a drink.”
Of course that’s what it means. Lex reached for the red cup.
“Not that one,” Cyd said. “Your first drink has to be a shot.”
“Fine,” Lex said through gritted teeth. She swung back the shot and placed the glass back on the table wi
th more force than necessary.
“Mya, you’re next.”
Mya picked a four, which meant that all the women had to drink. “I hate this game already,” Lex said in what she thought was a whisper. She glanced at Mya, Cyd and Imani in time to see them all trying to stifle a laugh. When she glanced across the table at Micah, he seemed to be holding back a laugh, as well. Lex loved a good laugh just as much as the next person, but lately, it seemed that all jokes were on her.
Chapter 5
Since it was the group’s first time playing this particular game, Cyd had stated they would only go a couple rounds. Micah thought it was nice to revert back to their college years when drinking games were a thing of the norm, but most people in attendance were in their upper twenties and thirties, so their tolerances weren’t nearly as high now as they were back in college.
Micah could tell that Lex was trying her best to keep her composure because, apparently, liquor made her a lot bolder. She wasn’t shy about batting her eyelashes in his direction, and on a couple occasions he saw Mya hold Lex’s hands down to her sides. Each time, he wondered what Lex was about to do that caused Mya to grip her hands.
“It’s you turn, bro,” Shawn said breaking his thoughts. He’d surprisingly pulled a number that hadn’t been pulled yet.
“Cyd, what’s a five?” She glanced over at Shawn and gave him a slick smile before she answered Micah’s question.
“Well, like I said, there are many different versions to this game. But for tonight, a five means that we have to play never have I ever. Let’s just do a rotation around the circle and each person says something that they have never done before. For kicks, let’s put up five fingers, too. If you have done it, we trust that you’ll be honest and put down a finger if you have. If you run out of fingers, participate anyway for fun.”
Seems simple enough. “Okay,” Micah said as he tried to think of a good never have I ever confession. “Never have I ever been fired from a job,” he said deciding to keep it general. He may have quit his fair share of jobs when he was younger, but never had he been fired from one. A couple of Daman’s friends and one of Imani’s friends put one finger down.
“Never have I ever hot wired a car,” Daman said next, receiving a few groans from a couple men, Micah included.
Imani was next. “Never have I ever been arrested.” Micah was hesitant to put down a finger with Lex watching him so closely, but he promised to be honest.
“Didn’t you used to be a cop?” Lex blurted out. Damn, I knew she was looking.
“Yes” was all Micah said. If she wanted to know the story, she’d have to wait.
“My turn,” Cyd said. “Never have I ever skinny dipped,” she continued as she gave Shawn a hard stare.
“Baby, I told you I didn’t like how that lake looked,” Shawn said firmly. “Besides, you’re forgetting about the whirlpool in Carbondale last year.”
“Making love to me in a hotel whirlpool is not skinny dipping,” Cyd said poking her finger at Shawn’s chest.
“What about all those times in Anguilla?”
Cyd blushed and lowered her voice. “Oh, yeah, all those times in the ocean...swimming pool...natural spring pool.”
“TMI guys,” Mya said shaking her head with a laugh. “We can still hear you and that sounds like a conversation for the bedroom.”
Shawn and Mya took turns next, and then it was finally time for Lex’s turn. She’s beautiful, he thought as he watched her contemplate what she wanted to say. She had gotten up from her chair and was now sitting on the floor with her legs crossed. The color of her skinny jeans and blouse made him think about the lilac lingerie set he’d seen her purchase a few months ago. Damn, what he’d give to see her in that. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and once again, she was wearing lipstick, only today, it was a color he hadn’t seen before. She caught his eyes before she spoke.
“Never have I ever done anything in my life that was spontaneous or against the rules.” Micah took note of the sad look in her eyes as she glanced around the room and saw finger after finger drop from people who had done what she confessed she hadn’t.
When the next person went, his eyes still remained on Lex. She was playing with the rim of her cup, but her mind looked as if it were miles away. Before he could think about what he was doing he interrupted the game.
“Sorry everyone, but I think I need some fresh air,” he announced. “Lex, would you like to join me on the patio outside?”
She gave him an incredulous look. “It’s like twenty degrees out there.”
“I’ll get our coats.”
She still looked skeptical, but luckily, the women talked her into joining him. He hadn’t been outside yet, but he’d heard Daman talking about the rectangular bonfire table and outdoor furniture they had on the patio.
“It’s freezing,” Lex said as soon as they stepped outside into the darkness.
“Let’s sit over there.” He pointed to the chairs stationed around the bonfire. He sat on the bench and she took a seat two chairs away from him. He observed her as she blew into her hands before rubbing them together to stimulate friction. Even with the wine and tequila, she still didn’t look completely relaxed.
“Why don’t you sit here by me so I can warm you up?” She turned up an eyebrow at him. “I just meant we would stay warmer if we were sitting closer together. More body heat,” he continued. She didn’t need any more convincing as she began to move to sit beside him.
“So,” she said, slightly turning to face him, “what were you arrested for?”
Man, she wasted no time asking me that. “How about I tell you that story when you’re a little more sober.”
“I’m sober now.”
“Not completely.”
“Nothing’s wrong with my listening skills.”
He searched her face. “I think I’ll wait.”
She looked disappointed. “Can you at least give me a hint?”
Micah laughed as he shook his head. “You already know that I used to be a cop, so clearly I’m not a bad person.”
“I never said you were a bad person, but you do seem like a bit of a troublemaker,” she said, brushing away a few strands of hair that had escaped from her ponytail.
“How can you tell?” he asked. “You’ve barely given yourself a chance to get to know me.”
“Oh, I can tell,” she said with a laugh. “You get this sneaky look in your eyes right before you’re about to do something or say something to rattle someone’s nerves.” So she has been paying attention.
“That’s not enough to label me as a troublemaker.”
“Hmm...okay. From what I’ve observed over the past few months, I can tell that you’re arrogant, cocky and a womanizer.”
“Whoa,” he said as he placed his hands over his chest. “Arrogant and cocky...at times, yes. Why? Because I’m a confident person. But a womanizer? That’s far from the truth.”
She gave him a look of disbelief. “You’re a class A flirt, Micah, and I’m sure you’d screw anything with a skirt and not even care about how she felt afterward.”
Ouch. That hurt. Especially coming from Lex. “Okay, yeah, I like to flirt. And I love being surrounded by beautiful women. But what man doesn’t?” Micah got closer to Lex to make sure that she was listening to every word. “But I’m selective in who I date and who I sleep with. A womanizer is a selfish, egotistical prick that manipulates women and cares too much about himself. Whereas, I like to cherish women. I value their opinion, and although I’ve chased a few skirts in my time, now I’d much more prefer to date just one woman.”
Her eyes grew bigger, and he noticed a quickening in her breathing. She didn’t say anything and slightly turned her head away from him, so he continued.
“You see, Lex, for months I’ve been trying t
o get to know you but, apparently, you have already convinced yourself that I’m no good for you. Now, I’ll admit that every now and then I can cause a bit of trouble, but I promise,” he said as he lightly touched her chin to bring her face back toward him, “my kind of trouble is pleasurable and satisfying.”
He watched a range of emotions cross her face, the most prominent emotion being interest. He’d seen that look on her before, but tonight was different. Tonight he’d learned that Lex was the type of woman who followed the rules. She thought before she took action and if something was out of her comfort zone, she backed away from it. Micah knew he was definitely standing outside of her comfort zone blocked by a gigantic electric wall. But he wanted to blow her fuse and he was pretty sure now was his chance to push her a little further.
He leaned in closer to her and to his surprise she began leaning forward, as well. When they were mere centimeters apart, she hesitated and slightly parted her lips, releasing a small fog only visible in the frosty breeze. Keep going, Lex. He wished he could grab her and finally get the kiss he’d been waiting on for months. But he needed her to make the decision to move just a tad closer first. Her breaths grew quicker, letting out faster puffs into the cold air that matched his own and mingled into one white cloud between them.
“Remember what you said during the drinking game?” Micah asked, noticing a cute small brown freckle on her nose that he hadn’t seen before.
“During never have I ever?” she asked breathlessly.
“Yes,” he said. “Don’t think, just do.” She searched his eyes before dropping to his lips. She leaned in a couple more centimeters. That’s close enough, Micah thought as he crashed his lips to hers. He expected her to be surprised, but instead, her hands went around his neck as she softly moaned into his mouth. She tasted just like he’d imagined she would...sweet and tangy with a hint of wine and tequila from the game they’d been playing.
He probed her mouth open even farther and slipped his tongue deeper inside when she parted her lips more. She moaned softly into his mouth and gripped his neck even tighter, lightly massaging the back of his head as she did. The seductive way she moved her hands just made him want to kiss her harder...longer...until they were both breathless and craving for oxygen. What was it about this woman that pushed him to the brink of insanity? He’d never been this intrigued by a woman before, nor had he enjoyed a kiss quite like this. When she moaned into his mouth again and slipped her tongue even deeper, he knew he had to stop before he lost complete control of himself.
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