by C. M. Owens
I wasn't thinking about everything I needed to do, or anything at all, really. It was refreshing and needed.
"Kade, where's your girl?" Marcus asks, seeming to be already a little drunk, and he just got here. Damn. They'd better act right around her.
"She's still getting ready. Upstairs."
I shrug, but in all honesty, I'm desperate to see what she looks like. Hell, I just want to see her.
"She's sleeping in another room?" Mel asks, seeming skeptical.
Shit.
"No. That's just the room she keeps her stuff in. She prefers not to share closet space. Besides, she wanted to surprise me," I lie, just like I do every time someone questions this relationship.
It's a lot of work to have a fake girlfriend.
Before anyone else can try to ask questions, I turn away to do something I absolutely hate, but it'll shut them up.
"Give me a shot," I call to Brock as he lines up at least thirty shot glasses, and I move into the dining room next to him.
"Hell yes," he says, offering me one almost straight away.
They act like it's a treat to see me take a shot, since I rarely do it. But it works. No more questions arise about me and Raya, but I take another glass for good measure, making their cheers roar.
I'll regret that later.
When I walk back into the living room, a divine body wrapped in a perfectly-fitted white dress is moving toward me. Her dark hair is loosely curled, her perfect lips are edged up in a sexy grin, and her glistening legs seem to go on for fucking days. Yeah... I just forgot how to breathe. That's not good.
I have two choices—grin or let my jaw flop. I choose to grin, since it seems to be more respectable.
"Hey," I say, trying to sound as casual as possible. But my eyes refuse to stay on hers, and I let my gaze rake up and down her, swallowing hard but discreetly. "Need one?" I ask, holding up my cup.
It's hard to speak right now. The fewer words I try to use, the better.
"Here." I hand her a cup, and then move to fill one up for Ember, the girl whose jaw dropped when she walked into the house.
I feel bad for not talking to her, but I had too many people to deal with already, and I wanted her to rush Raya along. Talking to her would have delayed her bringing down this ravishing creature in white. Fucking white! Ah, hell. Mel's game.
I hand the cup to Ember, who starts twirling her hair, acting like she wants attention. My eyes are otherwise engaged, though. You couldn't peel them off Raya right now if you tried.
"Feel like introductions?" I ask, moving closer.
She sighs and frowns as though I've said something wrong, letting her eyes drift to the girl beside her for a second. Did I miss something?
"Yeah, sure. Ember, this is Kade. Kade, Ember."
I laugh while shaking my head as my hand moves to the small of her back. I stifle a groan when I feel how thin and tight the dress is. She's officially trying to drive me insane.
"I've already met Ember when she came in to find you. I was asking if you wanted me to introduce you to everyone. Let you get a feel for the crowd."
Her eyes become fixed on mine, and I almost feel drunk. Maybe it's the shots. It has to be the shots. I only had two, but there's no other reason I should feel like this.
"Not right now. I think I'll stick to nursing a beer and observing."
I feel disappointed already. Her friend has abandoned her to go dance with Eric. But Raya doesn't seem too worried. In fact, she looks happy about that.
Jacob comes to talk to me about a research paper just as Raya's eyes come to rest on me. I pretend not to notice her appraising me, slowly moving her eyes all over my body. Damn, that feels good. Did she just lick her lips? Ah, hell. If I make it through this night, I'll be shocked.
Then Jacob draws my attention with his next words.
"Dad's bringing me on next year to run the shipping side of the business; let me get a feel for it."
Crap. Now I have to go play the game. He'll want someone to talk about this with, and I'm the perfect ear.
"That's a really good opportunity," I say, nodding. "Congratulations. I'm sure you'll handle it without a problem. Hang on just a second."
I don't want Raya to wait on me, knowing how bored she'll be, so I lean over to talk to her.
"You good?" I ask, wishing I could just take some time to hang out with her.
"Um... yeah. Go have fun," she says unsurely, looking around nervously.
"Business," I explain low enough for only her to hear, giving her a wink. "You go have fun. It'll be loud, so call me if you need me for anything. My number is programmed in your phone."
Ah damn. Her eyes are on my lips again. Why does she love staring at them? It really makes it hard to behave. When she doesn't say anything else, I offer a wave and follow Jacob out as he chatters on about all the responsibilities he'll have.
I interject when necessary, making sure I seem incredibly interested, but my mind is on the girl I can't see from in here. Several others come to talk business, all of them sounding like the brilliant minds they are.
They always listen when I speak, often agreeing with me. This is usually my favorite part of the night, but right now, this is the last thing I want to be doing.
After what seems like an eternity, our small group is broken up by a warning.
"It's Get Wet time!" Mel announces over the dulled music. "Same rules as always. When you hear the song, grab someone to lock up with until it stops. All ladies without a partner, prepare to be tossed in the pool!"
Shit. "Sorry to cut this short, but I need to go check on my girl," I say, gathering a few claps on the back.
"Tonight, the Get Wet song is Good Man!" Mel says excitedly as I walk in.
That ass Brock is already next to Raya. Unbelievable. I'll kick his ass and he knows it. I don't care if he looks like he just ate The Rock for breakfast, I'll still kick his ass.
Mel makes her way to him, as always, and I start sifting through the crowd, quickly making it to Raya just in time.
My hands go around her waist just as the Get Wet song starts. I spin her around, press her against the wall, and damn near shove my lips on hers. But I stop just barely out of reach, teasing myself by letting her breath rake across my mouth.
"What... w-what are you doing?" she asks, swallowing audibly as soon as the hoarse words leave her lips.
"Making people think we're doing what we're supposed to be doing. Otherwise, you'll get tossed in the pool. Considering you're wearing white, and you don't have... much on back here,"—my hand slides over her ass on its own, and I tug her closer—"you might not need to get caught."
I don't know what compelled me to touch her so boldly, but it's too damn hard to pull back. If she so much as leans forward just a little bit right now, I'd bruise her lips with the kiss I want to give her. Not to mention the other things I'd probably do.
That's it. No more tequila for me.
"Whenever you see Mel drift toward Brock," I say, motioning in their direction, "find me, and I'll make it look like we're just as engaged as everyone else enjoying the festivities."
"So they're a couple?" she asks, probably curious as to why Brock was most likely hitting on her. I'll deal with him later.
"No," I say with a laugh, doing what I can to make that prospect sound preposterous. She better not even think about paying him attention. "Brock isn't in the market to settle down, but Mel wants him. So, she plays this game every party. When the DJ sees her close to Brock, he plays the song. That's your cue. Just find me, unless you want some strange guy locked on your lips or tossing you in the pool."
My eyes involuntarily move to her lips. It makes it a little hard to breathe when my cock swells in my pants. Just one kiss wouldn't be too bad, would it? I could say someone was looking. Right?
No. No. No.
"You do have your tongue pierced," she says suddenly, breaking me out of my mesmerized trance. "I thought so," she adds, seeming to be talking to herself.
I smile as my eyes move to hers, and I resist the urge to show her some of the things I can do with it. It was a spur of the moment thing—something I did with absolutely no reason to do it. Other than the fact that my dad hates it.
"You've been trying to get a look?" I ask, moving in closer.
I roll it to be between my teeth, giving her a better view, while possibly trying to seduce her. I forget about the weapon in my mouth most days. Had I known it would drive her as crazy as she's been driving me, I'd have been swirling this thing around quite a bit.
When it's apparent that her mind has either gone blank or scandalous, I pull it back and grin at her.
"You could have just asked."
The song ends, and I almost hear her labored breaths. I'm already on the verge of breaking, and her sweet, breathless panting is close to pushing me over the edge. She staggers as I lean back, and I grab her waist to steady her. How much has she been drinking?
"I guess you did more than nurse that beer," I say teasingly.
A drunk Raya? I'd love to see that.
"I guess so," she says, exciting me more.
There's no telling what truths I could get out of her if she gets drunk. The mystery shrouding her might get squashed. I look forward to this.
"Good. You need to loosen up."
After retrieving her empty cup, I take her hand in mine and start leading her through the crowd. She needs a refill. Now.
I realize I haven't even complimented her tonight, and I silently chastise myself for such a lapse.
"That dress looks good on you. I'm glad I didn't let you bypass the dresses you'd never wear," I say with a small grin.
Her giggle is so sweet and rewarding, but it also tempts me more. When I smile, she giggles a little more. Hell yes. She's already close to being drunk.
I hand over her cup to the keg master, and look back at her.
Shit. She's staring at Brock? Really? I won't allow that. I'll have to keep a closer eye on her if she's getting drunk, because Brock isn't touching her.
"Don't tell me Brock's your type," I groan.
"No," she says, bringing her eyes back to mine.
Thank God.
"Good. I really don't want Brock hanging out and making your room sound like a carnival."
Though I'm smiling, I'm serious as hell.
"No worries. I can promise you won't be hearing anything like that coming from my room. What about you? Are any of these girls part of your business?"
A touch of jealousy, perhaps? Good. I pretend as though I'm looking around to make sure, and then I shrug.
"Not in that way. I'm friends with them, but I draw the line at those sorts of personal relationships with anyone you see in this room. I don't need the drama later on in life. This group—these people—have some of the most influential parents I've met, which is why they're the hardest partiers. Let's say I hook up with one. Later on, she or her husband could be the hitch in a major business arrangement."
Again, I'm telling her too much. I need to learn to keep this stuff to myself.
"You plan really far ahead, don't you?" she asks while shaking her head.
"I have to if I want to be successful. Considering it'll be my grandfather's business I take over, I want to be very successful. It's what he deserves."
Those eyes hold a depth of adoration I wasn't expecting, and for a second, I almost say to hell with us playing any game and just kiss her. But I can't. I don't know what I want from her, but I do know I can't let anyone else have her. Could I try a relationship? Would she be ready for that step? How many shots of tequila have I had?
"Do you ever do anything just for fun?" she asks, looking up at me with those beautiful, innocent eyes.
"All sorts of things. I'm driven, but I'm not a robot," I say while trying not to picture all the fun things I'd like to do with her.
"So?"
"I'm talking to you right now for fun. I have no business interest in you."
I'm rewarded by her sexy grin, and I can't stop myself from smiling back. I really like this version of Raya.
"Now, let's dance. For fun."
I pull her, and she comes willingly into the thick of the dancing partiers. I struggle not to be a perv and grab her ass when my hands slide down her back, but I manage to stop before I get too far.
When her hands start running up my chest, the blood rushes through me, and I move in closer, wanting to feel as much of her body as I can. She moves like a sex goddess against me, and I wish I was a man without control right now. I'd love to throw her against the wall and have my way with her.
Christ.
She turns around and I pull her to me until her ass presses against me, making me almost explode in my pants. Yeah, I'm fucking fourteen again. Great.
Before the song even ends, I'm already in massive physical pain. I stare at the sweet, perfectly curved ass that is grinding against my crotch, and I'm pretty sure I either growl or moan. Maybe both.
She lifts her hair as she gets lost in the music, and I study the skin of her neck, licking my lips as I imagine devouring her.
"Kade! We're doing shots!" Jacob calls, cutting through my wicked fantasies.
Thank God. I was getting close to three options—die, get inside her, or go to jail. She's driving me that crazy.
"Time to work. I'll be back," I lie, having no intentions of drinking another shot. I just need distance between my cock and her sweet ass.
I struggle to walk normally, cursing each time someone bumps into me. When I finally make it over to the guys, Brock scowls at me. Not sure why.
"Brock didn't know you were dating the hottie in white," Hank—I think his name is—says. "And I didn't believe it until that little show."
"Yeah," I say without hesitation, narrowing my eyes at Brock, who has a challenging gleam in his eyes. "She's mine. So don't even think about it."
The smirk he gives me isn't exactly comforting. That's fine. Raya will come to me if he gets close. She's starting to trust me, and I'll be damned if I let Brock get his hands on her.
I haven't heard a word Jacob has said for the past... however long. But I nod and pretend to care as my eyes stay fixated on the beauty on the dance floor. She's laughing with her friend, whose name I've forgotten, as she throws her head back and moves to the music.
That has to be the un-sexiest dancing ever, but I could watch all day. It's so nice to see her having a good time.
When her eyes lock with mine, I stare fearlessly, holding her gaze, while keeping a small smile. I expect her to come to me at any second, or hell, I'll go to her.
Then a song starts playing that strikes a chord of dread in me. My eyes widen when Raya is spun around by the hulk of a beast who apparently didn’t take me seriously earlier. I haul ass through the crowd, doing all I can to reach her. I'll deal will Brock later.
When I reach her and see her body still untouched and poised for protest, my anger dissolves. I do the only sensible thing, considering I can't let everyone see her in a wet white dress, and I pull her to me, spin her around, and crush my lips to her in a kiss I've been wanting since that day in the dressing room.
"Seriously, Kade?" Brock groans, but I can't even think to do anything else besides smile.
Christ, she tastes good, and those lips are just as perfect as they look. But my smile fades quickly when she fists her hands in my hair and pulls me closer, making me ache again.
I don't hold back. When her lips part, I push my tongue into her mouth, and she moans, making me forget anyone else is even in the room. Her soft, delicious tongue plays with the metal in mine, and I half debate moving this to the bedroom. I'm almost worried I'm holding her too tightly, but another tiny moan from her lips makes my grip tighten more.
Before I know it, I've shoved her against the wall to better devour her, and she lets me, never once breaking the kiss. I was so happy about her drinking earlier; I wanted to see her drunk. Now I wish she hadn't had a damn drop, because I would have her
on my bed right now if she was sober.
When the song ends, I curse it silently. Raya is still kissing me, so I don't stop. I press against her, letting her feel what she's done to me, but when it starts to hurt, I have to pull back. My balls are going to hate me tomorrow.
A kiss really shouldn't have that much power, but her sucking on my tongue had me thinking too much about what else her mouth could do.
"Sorry," I say, grinning and trying not to sound as out of breath as I feel. "It was going to be me, him, or the pool. Mel would have flogged you if it had been him."
Her lips are swollen and a little red. Why does that look so sexy right now?
"You. Definitely you," she says quickly, and I laugh, loving the fact she's being honest.
I wish I was drunk enough to blurt out the truth. Instead, I decide to lie.
"Conversation is getting pointless now. The shots have ruined them all, so they won't remember much from here on out. I'll hang out with you the rest of the night to keep that from happening again."
I want it to happen again, but I might not stop if it does. I can only be a gentleman for so long. People are still plenty sober, but I don't want to be around anyone but the girl who's holding my hand.
"Want to go chill by the pool?" I ask, needing out of this atmosphere so I can keep my hands off her.
She nods, so I don't dally. We make it outside to see several girls hauling themselves out of the pool.
"Thanks," Raya snickers, making my grin grow while I shake my head.
"I never recommend wearing white to one of my parties again."
When she laughs, my chest tightens in a way that worries me. I love her laugh.
"I agree," she says with a smile in her voice.
After we're comfortable, conversation between us takes off easily. She listens to everything I say, and I'm completely enchanted by anything that comes out of her mouth. It's the most relaxed and comfortable I've felt in so long. We're two people getting to know each other.
Each time she gives me that sweet look, the tightness in my chest grows, but it feels good. It's new. Raya is a bit of an enigma still, but I love the fact that I can just be myself around her. In fact, she prefers it.