Wasted Love

by Danielle Jamie

  “What are your plans for the holidays?” I ask Kayden as I get to work filling a cup with ice and Jack. I grab a can of Coke and pop it open, filling her cup.

  Kayden follows alongside me, pouring Savannah a glass of sweet tea. “I’m flying out to Memphis to spend Christmas with Savannah’s family. Mom is staying in Haiti, and you sure as hell know I would rather sit through one of Mya’s fuckin’ operas than spend Christmas with my father.”

  Kayden’s hatred for his father runs deep, and the feelings are mutual throughout our entire family. What he did to Kayden and my aunt Lorelai is unforgivable.

  Bringing my cup to my lips, I down half my beer in one gulp while nodding in agreement with Kayden. I lick the beer residue from my lips and glance at Kayden before heading back towards the girls, who are now standing near the bonfire.

  “Lila and Mike are flying in from Dallas on Christmas Eve. They will spend Christmas with my parents but are leaving to go back to Dallas by the twenty-sixth. They have some New Year’s benefit dinner with Mike’s law firm.”

  Lila’s my sister, and even with me being twenty-four and her twenty-eight, she and I are best friends. We used to fight like cats and dogs when I was younger. You know I was a pain in the ass little brother to my older sister, but now with me towering over her by more than seven inches, I now feel more like the big brother. I don’t go more than a week without catching up with her. It’s hard to believe how close we’ve become over the last several years.

  Her husband Mike is a good guy. They had the typical ‘boy meets girl in college, fall in love, get married, and start a family’ relationship. She’s just at the end of her first trimester, whatever that means, but that’s what she texted me the other day when she sent the ultrasound picture.

  It’s crazy to think I’m going to be an uncle.

  “I wish we weren’t out of town while Lila was here. I tried to meet up with her while Savannah and I were in Dallas meeting her parents, but there just wasn’t enough time. We’ll have to plan a get-together soon, maybe at the family cabin or something.”

  “She’ll like that. With her being knocked up and all now, it’ll be more beer for us!” I joke as we maneuver around a crowd of people surrounding the bonfire.

  As a result of people riding together, there are twice as many people here as there are vehicles. Every tailgate is full of people sitting on them, drinking and chatting amongst themselves. It’s pretty much everyone we know from work, and their significant others.

  I spot enough girls hanging around the bonfire on their own to know they must be single. I’ll make my rounds soon enough and see how the night will end.

  I immediately take notice that Jacob and Zak are nowhere in sight when we get to Kayden’s truck.

  Thank God, because I’m not up for making small talk with strangers unless they have tits, and there’s a chance I’ll end up with their legs around my waist by the end of the night.

  As we approach Brooklyn and Savannah, I spot our friend Benny. He runs his parents’ farm that's down the street from Tank’s house and goes riding with us a lot.

  “Hey, guys. This place is crazy tonight,” he says as he observes the people around us partying, dancing and chatting it up.

  There’s an intense game of beer pong going on a few feet away that has caught Brooklyn and Savannah’s attention. They’re watching from beside the fire. It’s pretty chilly tonight, so my guess is they’ll be hanging by the fire all night.

  Kayden gives him a bro hug, managing not to spill his beer before Benny moves around him to give me one, too.

  “Yeah. Tank’s going to have quite the mess to clean up come tomorrow,” Kayden says, with sarcasm laced in his voice.

  “That’s why I never throw parties at my place. It’s a bitch to clean up the next morning. People are fuckin’ slobs!” I say, letting out a small chuckle.

  I can’t help but notice the way Benny is watching Brooklyn as she approaches us. I can feel my jaw ticking as anger courses through me, causing my blood to boil. I try to refrain from violence, but right now the thought of him possibly making a move on her has me seeing red.

  “This mine?” she asks me sweetly as she reaches out towards the red cup in my left hand. Her hair is dancing around behind her in the gentle, cool breeze that’s blowing over us. Her cheeks have a red tint to them, and the smile she just gave me…I swear; it outshines the fucking moon right now.

  “Sure is, darlin’,” I drawl as I hand her the cup. “I hope I made it to your likin’.”

  She takes a sip, and her lips curl up into a smile with the cup still pressed against her perfect, full lips. Pulling the cup away, she slowly slides her tongue along her top lip, making my dick jump in my fucking jeans again. Thoughts of that tongue licking the head of my dick flash through my mind.

  “That’s the best Jack and Coke I’ve had all night.”

  I give her a questioning look, as I assume she’s busting my balls. She lets out the sweetest light and airy giggle, then rests her small, delicate hand on my forearm. “I’m serious! It’s delicious…here, try it,” she insists while shoving her cup back into my hand.

  “You are pretty frickin’ bossy, you know that?” I tell her as I take a sip from her cup. I feel my muscles flex and my dick harden more when the breeze shifts just right, and the smell of her hits me. The thought of my lips on the cup where hers just were consumes me.

  I admit, I mix a bad ass Jack and Coke.

  I nod my head and take one more sip, relishing in the whiskey that’s sliding down my throat and instantly warming my body. I keep my eyes locked on Brooklyn’s. “I have to admit; no one can mix a Jack and Coke like me. I know my whiskey.” I may sound like a cocky son of a bitch, but Brooklyn sure is eating it up.

  She stands a little closer and takes her cup back. “Well, from now on I know who to call when I’m drinking Jack.” Is it bad that I feel myself mentally fist pumping as Brooklyn continues to flirt with me? She's barely acknowledging Benny over there, who's left in the cold with no girl leaning on his arm.

  Kayden and Savannah have moved closer to the fire. She's standing with her back pressed against Kayden’s chest, and he has his left arm holding her tightly by the waist. They're both sipping their drinks and watching the fire hiss and pop as the tall flames dance around in the night sky.

  I decided tonight to toss my worries into the burning inferno before us. I tell Brooklyn, “Give me your phone.”

  She raises an eyebrow at me, with a puzzled look on her adorable face. “For what?”

  I hold my hand out and tell her again, more sternly this time, “Just give me your phone, Brooklyn.”

  Shaking her head, she digs it out of her hoodie pocket. “Here you go. And you say I’m the bossy one?” The amusement in her voice is evident.

  I find myself giving her a sly smirk as I get to work programming my number into her phone. “Come here,” I tell her as I drape my arm around her shoulder and pull her in close for a quick picture. “There, darlin’,” I say and hit save on her phone. “Now, if you ever need me to fix you a drink, you've got my digits.”

  I down the remainder of my drink to drain the cup with one big gulp. I need to drink some more if I’m going to quiet the voice in my head that’s warning me I’m playing with fire with this chick.

  “Why, thank you, Dixon. I’ll be sure to remember that when I’m back in town again.”

  She’s leaving? I thought she just wrapped up that movie she was shooting?

  “I thought you were back here for good now? Kayden mentioned you wrapped up your movie this week,” I say nonchalantly.

  She cocks her head to the side and fingers the long curls of her ponytail as she leans against my side some more. “I’m flying back to L.A. for the holidays, but I’ll be back after New Year’s. I doubt I’ll be here long before I have to fly back. My agent is busy scheduling auditions for me. The life of an actress,” she says lightheartedly before another giggle escapes her lips. She beams up at me for a
few seconds before turning her attention back to the fire and taking a long sip from her cup.

  “You’re an actress?” Benny interjects as he maneuvers around Kayden and Savannah and stops on the opposite side of Brooklyn.

  I zone out their conversation as my ears ring with anger; it sounds like the teacher in the Peanuts movie to me.

  Fighting the urge to pull her against me and claim her as mine for tonight; I stuff my free hand into my pocket and tighten my grip on my cup, which is in serious need of being refilled. I would hate to leave her for the keg to have this asshole swoop in and end the evening with Brooklyn; just the thought of her fucking him and not me makes my head spin.

  What the fuck is wrong with me?

  There are perfect tens here tonight, and I’m standing here with Brooklyn. It is almost impossible to remove myself from her side. I am fucked up. This girl is fucking with my head. Maybe some space will do me some good. I need to get some distance between me and her perfect ass to get my head back on straight.

  I move away from her abruptly, causing her to snap her head around and lock eyes with me, ignoring Benny. “You leaving?” she asks. I don’t know if it’s my mind playing tricks on me, but I swear I hear disappointment in her tone.

  I shake my head back and forth. “Nah, I’m just going to go grab a refill.”

  “Oh. Well, my drink is almost empty, so I’ll go with you–seeing as how I’ll need you to make it for me. Looks like you’re my bartender for the evening.” A playful grin appears on her lips as she follows me over to the keg. “This is fun. I’ve never been to a party like this before. I’ve seen them in country music videos…but to experience it in person is pretty freaking awesome.”

  For a moment, I forgot she’s from Hollywood. She’s used to expensive night clubs. I’m surprised she isn’t bored out of her mind without all the techno music and overpriced cocktails.

  “Really? And you find this fun? It’s a drastic change from your Hollywood parties.” I keep my eyes on the keg, watching the beer foam rise to the brim of my cup.

  “I like to experience new things. Too much of the same thing gets boring. It becomes redundant, and I get bored fast.”

  I give her a genuine smile, then get to work filling her glass with ice and mixing her Jack and Coke. “I couldn’t agree with you more. Believe me, I love going out to the clubs here in Houston, but sometimes I just want a chill night with my boys. Nights like tonight are perfect when I’m too tired from a long work week to go out partying. Here, we just hang out and drink beer.”

  “I, for one, want to try out a game of beer pong,” she says as she watches the game going on across the yard. “I haven’t played since my UCLA days. We don’t get too many beer pong games going at house parties in L.A. Most people just lie by the pool or dance around while getting trashed.”

  The more I'm around this girl, the more I find myself really liking her; not a ‘just wanting to fuck her’ kind of like, but a ‘really enjoying her company’ kind of like.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dixon

  Most girls can’t carry on a fucking conversation if their lives depended on it. They spend the entire time talking about themselves, what they bought that day, or what they want to do to me. Brooklyn, on the other hand, is just a cool chick.

  As soon as I finish mixing her drink, we walk over to the ping pong table, which is now being used for beer pong. After a few of my buddies and their girls finish up their game, Brooklyn, and I join in, playing against one another.

  We spend the next twenty minutes at the table, playing and watching others play. I have a good buzz going on and find myself loosening up with every passing second. With every drop of alcohol that enters my system, all my concerns about me and Brooklyn hooking up slowly begin to disappear.

  We finally make our way back over to Kayden’s truck, where he is now sitting on the tailgate with Savannah standing between his legs as he talks with Benny. Benny's still hanging around, but he now has a petite redhead with a pixie cut hanging off his arm.

  Thank you, God. Maybe he will lay off the flirting with Brooklyn since he’s got a girl trying to get on his dick now.

  “There you are!” Savannah shouts as we approach the truck. “We thought y’all got lost,” she teases Brooklyn as I slide up onto the tailgate beside Knox.

  Brooklyn rests between my thighs, mirroring Savannah. “We played a few games of beer pong. I kicked Dixon’s ass the first game, but he killed me in the second one. I blame it on my two Jack and Cokes, and then all the beers they had me chugging over there.”

  I feel Kayden’s eyes on me as I try to keep my eyes focused straight ahead on the fire and watched the orange, yellow, and blue of the flames dance around. A few people are tossing more wood onto the fire, causing the flames to sway around and climb higher. Ash flies through the air like fireflies.

  Unable to take his eyes on me any longer, I finally glance over at him and mouth, “Shut up.”

  He laughs and shrugs his shoulders. “What?! I didn’t say anything!”

  He doesn’t have to say anything; I can hear his fucking thoughts loud and clear all the way over here over the blasting music.

  Jake Owens' Barefoot Blue Jeans Night starts playing, and Brooklyn begins swaying between my legs while she's talking with Savannah. I hear her tell Savannah, with laughter in her voice, “I love this song! I haven’t heard it in ages!” She spins around to face me. Her eyes are smiling up at me as a sexy little grin dances across her lips, knocking the air straight out of my lungs.

  “Give me your hands,” she commands me, then grabs my hands that are resting on my lap and laces her fingers through them. The instant her hands fold against mine, there’s a spark that shoots from our fingers straight to my chest. From the look of surprise in her big brown eyes, I’m guessing I’m not the only one who felt it.

  I can’t take my eyes off her. She has closed her eyes as she grips my hands and dances around, swaying her hips slowly with the beat. I’ll never hear this song again without thinking of her like this…just completely carefree.

  Almost an hour passes with us hanging around Kayden’s truck. We talk with everyone, with a few friends making their way around the party and stopping to say hey. The party is in full swing now, with everyone getting louder, rowdier, and tipsier. Savannah is fully sober now, so she drags Kayden over to the makeshift bar to get a sweet tea with a splash of whiskey in it.

  I guess she’s the designated driver for Kayden and Brooklyn tonight. The thought of that little body behind the wheel of Knox’s big ass truck is scary. It would be a cold day in hell before I let a girl drive my fucking truck.

  I slap the palms of my hands off my thighs and shout, “Well, nature calls, my friends. But don’t worry, I’ll be back.” I give Brooklyn’s shoulders a gentle squeeze as she maneuvers out from between my legs. Her eyes follow me as I slide off the tailgate.

  Her gaze is burning with desire as she holds my stare. I snake my arm around her waist and pull her flush against my body. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I’m no longer fighting the pull between us.

  It has to be the whiskey. I’ll just blame it on the whiskey.

  She lets out a small squeal as she crashes her body against mine and brings her hands to rest on my chest, which is rising and falling as I try to keep my body under control. At this point, I’m ready to drag her ass into the house and fuck her against Tank’s guest bathroom wall.

  “I’ll be right back. You’re mine tonight, Brooklyn, so don’t let any of these assholes try to make any claims on you while I’m gone takin’ a piss.”

  Her eyes grow larger as my words sink in. She just nods and hums in agreement, “Mmhmm,” before saying in almost a whisper, “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

  I smack her on the ass and flash a panty-melting grin. “What do you say we get out of here when I get back?”

  “I’m ready when you are.” She takes me by surprise when she fists my shirt in her hand a
nd pulls me down to her. But her lips end up on the last place I was expecting; instead of her mouth landing on my lips, they graze my ear and she whispers, “Hurry up, because I’m so fucking wet right now just thinking about the things I am going to do to you. I don’t think I can behave myself much longer. I’m five seconds away from pulling you into the field and riding your dick; not caring who the hell sees us.” Her breath is warm on my skin, causing my dick to stir in my jeans, and her tongue darts out of her mouth as she gently licks my lobe before sucking it into her mouth.

  I have never been so close to cumming in my fucking pants in my entire life. Believe me, I’ve had my fair share of women nibbling and whispering naughty shit into my ear. But there’s just something about Brooklyn that has my dick running in overdrive.

  “Fuck…I will be back in record fuckin’ time, darlin’, don’t you worry that sexy little ass of yours,” I tell her, giving her butt a squeeze and pressing a kiss to her neck before hauling ass towards Tank’s house.

  As I walk towards Tank’s back patio, I inhale a deep breath, filling my lungs completely, before blowing it out forcefully. As I try to calm my body down, I lift my ball cap off my head and run my fingers through my hair to reset it on my head.

  I swear; my heart is beating so hard, it’s on the verge of smashing through my goddamn ribs.

  This girl has my body going into overdrive. Every little thing she does has me going crazy. I just hope once we leave together and hook-up, I can finally move the hell on.

  I need to learn not to tell my body it can’t have someone, because the second I did that with Brooklyn; she's all my body has craved.

  I have never pissed so fast in my life. I probably look like a fucking weirdo leaning over Tank’s bathroom sink and splashing my dick with warm water. Shit, I want Brooklyn to blow me, and it’d be downright nasty for her to have to do so right after I took a damn piss.

  After shaking myself off, I tuck my dick back in my jeans.