by Lola StVil
“No, it’s not,” Clare agrees. “But seriously, Aria, how have you managed to keep it up when you look so fucking hot?”
I laugh, and she joins in, and the moment of awkwardness is gone. I stand up on slightly shaky legs.
“Where are you going?” Clare asks.
“The bar,” I say. “I don’t know about you, but I could as sure as hell use another shot.”
“Not for us,” one of the guys says. “We’re moving on to a club. You two up for it?”
I shake my head. It’s one thing letting my hair down like this, but the thought of a sweaty club makes me want to retch. Clare shakes her head as well, laughing loudly.
“On a school night? Are you kidding me? I’d be dead in the morning.”
“Your loss.” He grins. “You sure you won’t join us, Aria? I’m sure we could get that virginity of yours gone.”
I can’t help but laugh at his brazenness. “If that’s the best line you’ve got, I reckon I’m good right here.”
He gives me a fake hurt expression, clutching his heart. “I’m wounded.”
I go to the bar and order two shots of Aftershock. On the way back to our table, I feel brave suddenly and veer over to the karaoke. I write my name on one of the slips and grin to myself as I write down my song choice: Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name.” It’s one of my favorite songs, and it’s definitely fitting for tonight.
“I thought you’d sneaked off to the club with that lot,” Clare jokes as I sit back down and hand her one of the shots.
“No,” I say with a grin. “I was putting my name down to sing. You should totally sing with me.”
“Screw that.” She laughs. “It would empty the bar.”
We drink our shots.
“So you and Colton? Never?” I ask, the alcohol making me feel brave.
“Never,” Clare says. “I get that he’s hot. I mean, I have eyes, right? But it’s hard to see someone that way when you grew up together. How do you go from grazed knees and climbing trees to anything else? He’s my best friend, but that’s all there’s ever been to it.”
“So you’re not the one who broke his heart, then?” I ask.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the whole not-dating thing. He had his heart broken, right?”
Clare shakes her head. “No. He just got disillusioned with the whole thing. Women who only wanted him for his money, bad dates with no chemistry, the ghosting. It’s a fucking rat race, and he just dropped out of it.”
The thought of anyone having the chance to be with Colton and then ghosting him is so ridiculous to me that I just can’t fathom it. What sort of woman is that stupid?
“You like him, don’t you?” Clare says.
I shrug.
“Oh, come on, Aria. It’s obvious.”
“Yeah. I guess I do. But it’s not like it’s ever going to happen. I mean, look at him. He could have any woman he wanted. And besides, he’s my boss. It would just get messy.”
“You say messy like it’s a bad thing.” Clare grins.
I am saved from having to say more when the DJ calls my name. I stand up, swaying a little.
“That’s me. Are you sure you don’t want to join me?”
“I’m sure,” Clare says with a laugh.
I make my way over to the stage, pushing my way through the crowd. I manage to get up the steps with a little helping hand from the DJ.
“Ready?” he asks me.
I nod, and he starts the track. I lose myself in the song, belting it out and meaning every word of it. I’m no Ariana Grande, but I can hold a tune, and I’m pleased to see that most of the bar is dancing and joining in with the song.
I know the words by heart, and by the end of the song, I have my eyes closed, feeling the emotions of the song. I finish and open my eyes to rapturous applause. I feel myself blush as I give an awkward half bow and run to the edge of the stage.
As I reach the edge, my heel skids and I feel my ankle turn slightly. Not enough to do any damage, but enough to send me sprawling. I feel myself flying through the air as I come off the end of the stage.
Hands grab me, stopping me from falling to the floor. I look up and find myself looking into Colton’s eyes.
CHAPTER EIGHT
COLTON
It seems I didn’t fool Clare for a second when I told her I wasn’t into Aria. She texted me a while back to see if I was coming for a drink, and she made a point of telling me Aria was there. I had no intention of going out for drinks tonight. But then I got that text and couldn’t help myself.
I could see Aria in my mind, hear her laugh. It made my cock stiffen, and the decision was pretty much made. I have no idea what happened to her date tonight. I’m just glad it didn’t happen. I have to have that girl.
I walk into the bar and spot Aria straight away. It doesn’t surprise me. I could pick her out of a crowd of ten thousand people. What does surprise me is that she’s up on the stage belting out a Bon Jovi classic. And not just any one, either. My favorite one.
I stand at the edge of the crowd for a moment, watching her. Her eyes are closed and she’s swaying in time with the music. Her voice is perfect, low and gravelly, and it sends a shiver through me. I can’t help but imagine her screaming my name.
I force myself to look away from her and make my way to the bar. I order a whiskey and Coke and stand at the bar looking around. I spot Clare standing up and waving her arms beside a table, and I start to make my way through the crowd. My route takes me as close to the stage as I can get, and I can’t pull my eyes away from Aria as she finishes up her song.
The crowd goes wild, and she gives an awkward little bow and then runs toward the edge of the stage. She’s clearly worse for wear. She wobbles and goes over on her ankle. She falls forward. She’s going to face-plant on the ground. I stick my arm out and catch her, pulling her against my chest to stop her from falling. She looks up with a goofy grin on her face.
Her grin fades when she sees me. Her face changes, becoming lustful. She looks at me with such longing in her eyes that I feel my cock spring up. I want to strip her and claim her right here on the dance floor. It takes a lot of willpower not to. Instead, I grin at her.
“Looks like you’re falling for me after all,” I say.
My words break the spell, and she gives a low laugh and steadies herself. I reluctantly move my arm away from her waist.
“What can I say? You just have that effect on me, I guess,” she replies.
She winks and moves through the crowd, leading the way back to the table where Clare is seated. She gives me a knowing look when I sit down.
“That was amazing, Aria.”
“Ah, but did you see my encore?” Aria laughs.
Clare nods. “Yup. I thought that was going to end in a bloody nose for sure.”
“Me too,” Aria agrees. She grins at me. “But I had a knight in shining armor.”
“More like a twat in tinfoil.” Clare laughs.
“Hey,” I say. “It’s good quality tinfoil.”
We spent some time winding Aria up, laughing at her failed crowd-surfing attempt. My drink goes down much faster than I planned. I get up.
“Same again, ladies?” I say.
“Actually, I should get going,” Clare says. “But Aria is up for anything.”
“No arguments here.” Aria giggles.
Clare says her goodbyes and gives me a wink when Aria isn’t looking. She had this planned the whole damn time. I roll my eyes and head for the bar. My heart is pounding as I make my way back to our table with my bottle of beer and Aria’s glass of dry white wine. With Aria and I alone, anything could happen.
I sit back down and hand Aria her drink. She thanks me and takes a sip.
“I never did thank you,” she says. “For saving me. Again.”
“I’ll never let you fall,” I say.
She looks at me, studying me intently as she hears the sincerity in my statement.
“No.
I don’t think you would,” she says. Her face melts into a grin. “So we should dance.”
I snort out a laugh. “No way,” I say.
“Why not? Are you scared I’ll trip over my own feet and show you up?”
“No. I’m scared I’ll be the one to do that. I don’t dance in public. Ever.”
She shuffles closer to me, and I can feel the heat off her thigh. She’s making me crazy being this close. It’s taking every little bit of willpower I have to not scoop her up in my arms, carry her home with me, and never let her leave.
“So you’d dance with me in private, then?” she asks with a mischievous grin.
I would do more than fucking dance with her. I’d make her come so many times she wouldn’t be able to focus. I’d make her feel things she’d only ever imagined.
“I could perhaps go for that. As long as you don’t mind me ending up on top of you.”
“That sounds like something I could definitely live with,” she says.
She looks into my eyes. I can see the need in them, the longing for me to take her, to make her mine. In my mind, she already is mine. I can’t stop myself any longer. Fuck my no-dating policy. Fuck the office politics.
I lean closer, and she presses herself against me, tilting her head to meet my kiss. Her eyes are half closed and her lips are parted. She looks fucking divine. My cock is so hard that I’m sure everyone in the room must know about it.
As our lips are about to meet, I feel a hand clap me on shoulder. Aria jumps away from me as a loud voice booms out.
“Colton Blackwell. Fucking hell, man, I haven’t seen you since high school. How are you?”
It’s Will, my old best friend. We lost touch after school and I haven’t seen him in years.
“I thought you’d gone travelling in Europe,” I say, trying to keep the annoyance at being disturbed out of my voice.
“I did. When I was eighteen. I’ve been back for years.” He nods in Aria’s direction. “Is this the wife, then?”
Aria blushes slightly at his words. I want to make her cheeks that color some other way. I shake my head.
“Not yet.” I wink. “Aria, this is Will, an old friend. Will, this is Aria.”
I don’t give Will any information about Aria. What would I say? My secretary? That sounds so fucking impersonal. But she’s not really a friend, and as much as I’m going to make her so much more than just someone I know, I can’t announce that here like this.
Will sits opposite Aria and me, and I know there’s no chance of him sensing the mood and leaving us to it. Aria is still touching me, her leg pressed tightly against mine, and I want her to know I haven’t forgotten about her. I brush my fingers lightly over her knee, not looking away from Will.
“How about you? Wife? Kids?”
I feel Aria’s fingers on mine, and for a second, I think she’s going to push my hand away. My heart stops beating for a second, but she doesn’t push me away—she moves my hand higher, placing it on her bare thigh above her knee.
“I’ve been married for three years almost. Baby number one is on the way,” Will says.
“Congratulations,” Aria says.
Will grins at her. “Thanks. Do you have children?”
“Not yet. But I’d like to one day,” she says.
That’s good news. I’ve always pictured myself as a dad. I trace my nails up and down Aria’s thigh. She sucks in a breath, which she covers by coughing.
Will flags down a passing waiter. “Hey, can we get a round of Fire Bomb shots, please?” he says.
“What the hell is a Fire Bomb shot?” I ask.
“You’ll see.”
He launches into a speech about the good old days. I’m only half listening, conscious of my hand on Aria’s thigh. I move it from the top of her thigh down to the inside. Her skin is warm and smooth, perfect. I can smell her perfume as she shifts slightly in her seat.
She scoots forward and opens her legs slightly, giving me easy access to her pussy. She rests her elbows on the table, covering my movements from view. I move my hand higher and run my fingers along the outside of her panties. I can feel how damp they are. She’s so fucking wet for me.
Knowing how wet she is turns me on even more, and I tug at my jeans, trying to ease the pressure on my cock. I push against Aria’s clit, moving her panties up and down, letting the lace rub over her. I am rewarded with another rush of wet heat.
The waiter chooses that moment to come to our table with a tray of shots. He places six drinks on the table.
“What the hell are all of those?” I ask Will after the waiter’s gone.
“One is Fireball whiskey, the other is absinthe. Pour the absinthe into your mouth and then, without swallowing, take the Fireball. Then just swish and swallow.”
“I wonder where I’ve heard that before,” Aria says.
Will laughs. “She’s a fucking keeper, Col.”
Damn right she is.
“I’ll do mine first, show you how it’s done,” Will says.
I glance at Aria as Will puts the shots into his mouth. Her face is flushed, her lips swollen and red. What I wouldn’t give to mash those lips with mine, to claim that sensuous mouth.
Will swallows his shot and winces. “Your turn, Col,” he says.
I have to move my hand away from Aria to drink the shots. The second my fingers leave her, I want them back there. I am so taking her home tonight. I am going to claim that pussy as my own.
I pour the absinthe into my mouth, wincing at the acrid taste. I hold it and pour the Fireball in. It’s a disgusting mixture of sweetness and burning alcohol, and, quite frankly, it tastes foul. It doesn’t matter. I have no intention of swallowing it. I am going to be driving Aria home tonight, and that won’t be a good combination. I swish and pretend to swallow. I pick my bottle up to “chase it down,” and instead spit the shots into the bottle.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Fucking hell, that’s disgusting. Aria, you don’t have to drink that, you know,” I say.
Even though I didn’t swallow the concoction, the taste fills my mouth and I can taste just how potent it is.
Aria laughs and shakes her head. “Don’t be so boring,” she says.
She pours the shots into her mouth and screws her face up at the taste. She swishes the liquid around and swallows. A shudder runs through her, and she swallows a large gulp of wine.
“Holy fuck, that was disgusting,” she says with a laugh.
“That’s my middle name,” Will jokes.
We sit chatting for a bit longer. I want to get out of here, to take Aria home, but she seems to be having a good time, and I don’t want to have an argument with her if she doesn’t want to leave just yet. I try to get into the party mood both her and Will seem to be in, but it’s hard when all I can think about is Aria’s legs wrapped round my waist, my cock in her pussy, her face twisted in pleasure as I pump into her.
After a few more drinks, Aria gets to her feet.
“Right. I’m sorry to break up the party, but I really should go.”
Her voice is slurred, and she’s swaying slightly.
“Nice to meet you Will,” she says. “See you tomorrow, Colton.”
She takes a shaky step to the side. I stand up.
“I’ll drive you home,” I say.
She shakes her head. “No, you don’t have to leave just because I am. I can get a cab.”
“I’ll drive you home,” I repeat.
I place my hand on the small of her back, and I know she feels sparks. She sucks in a tight little breath and nods. “Okay.”
I say my goodbyes to Will, and we promise to keep in touch. I wrap my arm around Aria’s waist as we make our way through the busy bar to stop her from weaving. We get outside. The cold air hits me as we step outside. Aria is already shivering, and I up my pace a little, pulling her into my side. She lets herself be led. As we walk, one of her knees buckles and she dips. I catch her before she falls. She giggles
and clings to me.
“Oops,” she says. Her voice is more slurred now. The cold air has hit her a lot harder than it’s hit me. “I think I might be a little tipsy.”
She pronounces tipsy as tifsy. I grin at her. “More than just a little.”
We reach my car, and I hold the door open for her and help her into the passenger seat. I get in beside her, and she gives me her address. I head toward her place. She fiddles with the radio for a moment until she finds a song she likes. She hums along with it.
Her place is close by, and within five minutes, I pull up outside her door. She turns to me and smiles.
“You know, I had a great time tonight. I think this was just what I needed,” she says. She looks down into her lap and grins. She looks back up at me. “I think maybe you are what I needed.”
She leans closer to me, and I move to kiss her. Suddenly, she turns away fast. She throws the door open and throws up on the sidewalk. I rub her back as she dry-heaves a few times. She sits back up straight, breathing heavily.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she says.
“Bad curry?” I joke.
“Something like that,” she says with a smile.
She puts her head back on the headrest and her eyes start to close. I have no idea which apartment is hers, so I can’t let her fall asleep.
“Let’s get you inside,” I say.
She nods sleepily but doesn’t move. I get out of the car and hurry around to the passenger side, making sure to avoid the puddle of vomit. I reach across Aria and unclick her seatbelt. I take her hands in mine and half help and half drag her to her feet. She giggles and falls against me.
I prop her against the car and lean in to get her purse. I hold it out to her.
“You need your keys,” I say.
“They’re in there somewhere,” she mutters thickly, pushing her purse back toward me.
I sigh and fish through her purse until I find them.
“It’s number five. Bottom floor,” she says.
Her eyes slip closed and she begins to slide down the car. I catch her and lift her into my arms. My cock comes back to life as I hold her. Even with her in this state, I just can’t help it. It’s like whenever we touch, I just come to life.