by Laura Lee
As frustrated as I am about not making progress in the situation with our fathers, everything else has been so great that I've been happy more often than not, for the first time since losing my mom. A part of me can't help but wonder when the other shoe will drop, though. It's almost been too peaceful.
We have the next week off for Thanksgiving break, and tonight, that means the students at Windsor are celebrating. The five of us haven't been to a party since Peyton's birthday, so in the interest of acting normal as Kingston's P.I. had suggested, we'll be rectifying that tonight. The party is at some girl named Chantel's house, which Ainsley assures me is neutral territory. As a bonus, she lives right on the beach in Malibu, so if I'm lucky, maybe I'll get to take a moonlight stroll with my sexy boyfriend and roll around in the sand a bit.
“Girl, you look fuckhot.” Ainsley runs the straightening brush through the last section of my hair. “Every guy at that party will want to put their babies in you tonight.”
I laugh, taking in my high-waisted faux leather leggings and red off the shoulder crop top. My dark hair is pin-straight, my eyes are smoky, and my feet are covered in a pair of black studded booties. Okay, I guess I can admit I do look pretty badass.
“Uh, no thanks. I don’t want any guy putting a baby in me anytime soon, not even your brother.”
Her lips curve. “But you two make such cute parents. Belle’s lucky to have you.”
I roll my eyes. “You know, we’re going to stop inviting you to our Sunday outings if you don’t lay off the old married couple jokes.”
“Whatever, bitch, you love having me there just as much as I love being there.” She adjusts her breasts, pushing them up a bit in her halter top. “How do my boobs look?”
I give Ainsley a good once over. “Hot. So, you think tonight’s the night you and Reed finally do the dirty, huh?”
She groans. “It’d better be. I’m sick of all the foreplay that never leads to his P in my V. I’m pretty sure my hymen’s about to grow back.”
My lips twitch. “Thanks for that visual.”
Ainsley disappears into her walk-in closet for a moment and comes out wearing a new top. This one has a scoop neckline and is flowier. "Please. You have zero room to talk. You and Kingston have taken PDA to a whole new level. You're legit approaching exhibitionist territory."
I make a face. “Uh, I can assure you, that’ll never happen. I’ll never judge anyone for their kinks, but I’d prefer to keep my sex life private, thank you very much.”
"Speaking of..." Ainsley blushes. "I have to tell you something because I really need to talk about it, but you have to promise you won’t say a word to my brother.”
I sit on the edge of Ainsley's bed. "Well, now, I'm intrigued."
She crawls onto the mattress beside me, tucking her legs beneath her. “I mean it, Jazz.”
I mime buttoning my lips. “My lips are sealed. What’s the big secret?”
"So, you know how Reed was all standoffish?" She draws circles on the purple duvet cover with her finger. "Pulling the I want to be with you, but I can’t actually be with you crap.”
“I remember. But I thought you guys finally worked that out after the incident with Rapey McRoofie.”
“We did. The only reason I was even talking to that fuckwad was because I was mad at Reed for stringing me along. But after that night...Reed said it made him realize he couldn’t keep pushing me away. That he had to lay it all out there and let me decide whether or not we’d move forward.”
"And? Why was he so cagey in the first place? I didn't want to pry before, but since you're bringing it up..."
Ainsley gets a wistful look on her face. “Well, it turns out Reed’s behavior was less about the whole bro code thing and more about being afraid he’d scare me off.”
“Why?”
“Because he had it in his head that I’m the type of girl who prefers pretty ordinary sex. Especially with my lack of experience, he assumed I would think he’s a freak or something and never look at him the same way again.”
I frown in confusion. “Why would you think he’s a freak?”
She wrings her hands together. “Because Reed Prescott has very particular...tastes in bed. He likes to do some pretty kinky shit.”
My eyes widen. “What?! Are you sure we’re talking about the same Reed? He’s so reserved.”
“Not always. And definitely not in bed. Damn, the things that boy can do with his tongue.”
“We’ll get back to the tongue thing. I want to know about the kinks. You can’t leave me hanging like that. Tell me all the dirty, dirty deets.”
She laughs. “For one, he’s really into spanking. Like, bend you over his knee and redden your bare ass kind of spanking.”
A surprised laugh escapes my lips. “Are you shitting me?”
“Not even a little.”
“Whoa. It’s always the quiet ones.” I make an exaggerated spanking motion in the air. “How do you feel about that? Have you let him smack that ass yet?”
Ainsley bites her lip and blushes. "Uh-huh."
“Shut. Up!” I give her a playful shove. “And you liked it?”
“I didn’t think I would at first, but I really, really do.”
“Did it hurt?”
“A little,” she admits. “But it’s really brief. He does this thing where he rubs the spot right afterward, which takes the sting away. And then he rubs other spots. It’s actually pretty freakin’ awesome.”
“Well, hot damn. Who knew you were such a fiend?”
“Oh, shut up.” Ainsley rolls her eyes. “You’ve never done anything kinky like that before?”
Do three-ways with my boyfriend’s bestie count?
I shrug. “I’ve never tried spanking before, but I have done other stuff.”
She lifts an eyebrow. “Like?”
“Um...didn’t you say you never wanted to hear about your brother’s sex life?”
Ainsley scrunches her nose. “Ew, no. Forget I asked.”
I wiggle around until I find a more comfortable position. “What’s the other thing? You said, ‘for one’ which leads me to believe there’s more than one freak in Reed Prescott’s closet.”
Now her face is really red. “Aaaand...he’s super into butt stuff. Like, he’d want to stick his D up my ass, and not just on special occasions.”
“Okay, there’s not a dude alive who’d turn down anal—at least not any I know—but how do you feel about that?”
“I told him I was definitely open to exploring, which shocked the shit out of him. God, you should’ve seen his face when I told him I wanted to experiment a little.” Ainsley giggles. “We’ve done some stuff...with you know, his finger...and I can’t say I hated it. He even licked me down there, which I thought would be weird, but it felt incredible. Like, oh my sweet baby Jesus incredible.”
I wag my eyebrows. “Get it, girl. Looks like you’ve landed yourself a man with a bit of an ass fetish.”
“Holy crap, I never thought of it like that, but he totally has an ass fetish.” She laughs so hard, her eyes are filling with tears. “I may not have much in the boob department, but good thing my ass is fantastic, right?”
“Your ass is spectacular, Ains.”
She smiles. “Have you ever done it?”
“Anal?”
Ainsley nods.
“No...but I’ve experimented a little, too.”
"Do you think you'll ever want to? And please don't tell me if you do, because I know it'll be with my brother, but do you think it's strange that I'm inquisitive about it? After Reed told me what he likes, I've been watching some porn, you know, for like research, and it's pretty freakin’ hot. The thought of doing that with him turns me on.”
“I don’t think it’s weird at all,” I assure her. “I’ve thought about it a lot, and I’d totally be open to trying it. Besides, I always say whatever floats your boat in the bedroom is what’s right for you. As long as it’s consensual, who am I to judge what other people l
ike? Ya know?”
Ainsley nods. “I think that’s a great way to look at it.”
My phone buzzes, so I pull it out of my pocket and see a text from Kingston.
Kingston: You two almost ready? The guys are here, and we're waiting in the pool house.
“The guys are with Kingston,” I tell Ains before replying to her brother.
Me: Be down in a few.
Ainsley stands up and looks at her reflection in the mirror. “This shirt isn’t doing it for me. You go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”
“You sure? I don’t mind waiting.”
“Positive.” Ainsley nods. “I’ll be like ten minutes, max.”
“Okay. See you down there.”
I head down the stairs while Ainsley changes and make my way toward the back of the house. When I round the last corner that will take me to the back yard, I crash into a wall, face first. Only it’s more of a solid chest than an actual wall.
“Jasmine. This is a nice surprise.” Kingston’s dad has his hands around my biceps. I think he was trying to steady me at first, but he’s making no effort to remove them.
“Uh...yeah, sure. I was just on my way to Kingston’s. If you’ll excuse me.”
“What’s the rush? Can’t spare a minute for your boyfriend’s old man?” He laughs breezily, but it contradicts the skeevy way he’s looking at me.
I eye his grabby hands pointedly, but the dude doesn't get the hint until I take a step back. I swear his grip tightened for a second like he was about to pull me into him. It's unsettling being this close to Mr. Davenport, knowing what a despicable person he truly is. It's even worse than being around my sperm donor because at least Charles doesn't look at me like he's picturing me naked. Kingston's dad, not so much.
“I didn’t realize you were back in LA. Weren’t you supposed to return tomorrow?”
He doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he’s perving on me. Gross. “Keeping track of my schedule, are you? I’m flattered.”
“What?! No...I, uh...Ainsley mentioned you were out of town and due back tomorrow. That’s all.”
Mr. Davenport assesses me carefully. I tell myself to play it cool; don’t let this asshole get to me. That’s easier said than done when Kingston looks so much like his dad. It freaks me out. Even worse, they have the exact same eyes.
I love it when Kingston gazes at me with those beautiful hazels, but it's unnerving when his dad does it. Although they're identical in shape and color, the elder Davenport's eyes have a malevolent tinge. They're cold. Calculating. Looking into them, I swear I can see his complete lack of conscience—the psychopath hiding beneath the shiny surface.
“Dad. What are you doing?”
Oh, thank fuck. Kingston must’ve been coming to see what was taking so long.
Kingston’s dad turns toward his son and flashes a big smile. “I was just saying hello to your lovely girlfriend.”
Kingston’s jaw clenches. “When did you get back?”
“Just a few minutes ago, actually. I was heading to my office when I ran into Jasmine here.” Mr. Davenport looks my way and winks. “Or should I say, she ran into me?”
Kingston turns his attention to me. “Jazz, we should get going so we’re not late. Where’s Ainsley?”
I jerk my head toward the stairs. “She’s changing. Said she’d be out in a few.”
“Go ahead and wait out back with the guys. I’ll get Ains.” Kingston has some kind of weird stare-off with his father. “Dad, if you’ll excuse us, we really must be on our way.”
“Of course.” Mr. Davenport gives his son the fakest smile I’ve ever seen in my life. “Well, I won’t hold you up any longer. We can catch up on Thanksgiving, Jasmine.”
“Thanksgiving?” I frown in confusion.
“My son didn’t tell you about our Thanksgiving tradition? The Davenports and Callahans celebrate together every year.” He gives me another sleazy once over. “I’m looking forward to seeing such a beautiful addition to the head table.”
With that, he pats Kingston on the shoulder and walks away. Kingston waits until his dad is out of sight before speaking.
“Go to the pool house, Jazz.”
“What in the actual fuck, Kingston?” I whisper shout. “How could you not tell me about Thanksgiving? It’s only five days away!”
Come to think of it, why hasn’t anyone told me about it? It's not like I see Charles or Madeline that often, but I run into Ms. Williams every day.
Kingston releases a heavy sigh as if I’m exasperating. “I was going to talk to you about it tonight.”
“Well, you can count me the fuck out. I’m going to see Belle.”
Kingston grabs my hand and yanks me into his body. I absolutely do not feel him up a little or take a big whiff of his sexy cologne.
He cups the back of my head and pulls me into him. If anyone came upon us, they’d probably think we were in a loving embrace, but the anger radiating off Kingston and the tension in his body is anything but.
“We will talk about this when that bastard is not in the building, but you being a no-show is not an option. Me being a no-show is not an option. Our fathers make a big deal out of this holiday. They invite a lot of business associates. Men that I need to interact with to further our agenda.” Kingston’s other hand lands on my hip, gripping it with bruising force. “Now, go to the fucking pool house and wait with Reed and Bentley.”
"Fine." If my face wasn't smashed against his stupidly firm pecs, he'd feel the force of my glare, but since it is, I have to project it in my tone.
Kingston pulls back a little and bends his knees, so we're eye to eye. "I'm sorry for snapping, okay? When I came in here and saw him so close to you, I just..." He briefly closes his eyes. "I didn't know he was back in town. I wouldn't have left you alone in the house if I knew."
Any lingering irritation I had dissipates. “I know you wouldn’t.” I cup my hands around his jaw and pull him into me for a soft kiss. “I’ll meet you out back, okay?”
I can feel Kingston’s eyes on me the entire time I’m walking to the pool house. As I step inside the safe zone, I can’t help but think that other shoe may be dropping sooner rather than later.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
JAZZ
If you've been to one rich kid's party, you've been to them all. But if that rich kid happens to live on the beach, it's a step above the rest, in my opinion. This particular gathering has both an indoor bar as well as an outdoor bar beneath the raised deck. The second we got here, Ains and I ditched our shoes and headed down to the beach portion of the party. The guys won't let us out of their sight, but we told them we needed a little female bonding time, so they're keeping their distance.
It still trips me out how much money is spent on these things. Ainsley and I each ordered a Sex on the Beach from the hired bartender. I know it's totally cheesy, but she assured me they were delicious, and she's not wrong. I moan as I take my first sip of the peachy drink.
“God, I needed this.”
Ainsley takes her own sip. “It’s really good, right?”
I chuckle. “Well, yes, but I was referring to the beach. It’s been a while since I’ve been to one.”
“Hasn’t it only been a few weeks?”
“Exactly.” I power chug the rest of my delightfully fruity cocktail, tossing the red cup in the nearby bin.
“Right. My bad.” Ainsley follows suit and squeals when some of her drink dribbles down her chest.
Even though it’s dark outside, I love being out here. Seeing the moon reflecting off the ocean, hearing the waves crashing against the shore, smelling the briny air as soft sand squishes between my toes. I take a deep breath and let it go, then I do it a few more times. It’s chilly out here, but thankfully, alcohol is a warm friend.
The ocean has always been my happy place. No matter how shitty things can get sometimes, it’s vastness and vitality reminds me there’s a whole big world out there and many people who are stuck in worse situa
tions. That regardless of how badly I’m hurting, I’m alive; therefore, there's an opportunity for a better tomorrow. It's never been more critical for me to remember that than now.
“I’ve stayed away long enough.” Kingston sneaks up on me from behind and pulls me into him.
I moan as he licks the sensitive spot right below my ear. “It’s been five minutes.”
“Exactly. Five minutes too long.”
A flame flickers in the darkness as Bentley lights a J and takes a long drag. "You guys good? I think I'm going to skip the fifth wheel thing tonight and go mingle. And by mingle, I mean, find a hot chick to suck me off."
I can’t help it; my eyes automatically fall to his crotch. Just because I don’t want to be up close and personal with it again, doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good peen. And Bentley has a nice peen.
I roll my eyes to cover my obvious ogling. “Have fun with that.”
Bent smiles, no doubt because he caught me looking. “Oh, don’t you worry, princess. I will.”
“Have I told you how unbelievably fuckable you look tonight?” Kingston growls in my ear, making me shiver.
I turn around and loop my arms behind his neck. “You have not, but thank you.”
Kingston grabs two handfuls of my ass. “No, thank you for being such great eye candy.”
My lips turn up in the corners. “You’re an idiot.”
“Maybe.”
I lift up on my toes to kiss the underside of his jaw. "It's hard to believe only a few months ago, we were at a party just like this, and you were rapid-firing insults at me."
Kingston searches my eyes. “You know I never meant any of that, right?”
“I know.” My fingers play with the hairs on his neck as I hear the beginning notes to Meghan Trainor’s “Woman Up”. Well, there’s a perfect segue if I’ve ever seen one. “You know what else I know?”
“What?”
I pull away from Kingston and grab Ainsley’s hand to yank her away from Reed. “That Ainsley and I are going to get our dance on. You boys are welcome to watch, but don’t even think about getting in the middle of our groove.”