I needed the other bottle of Boone’s Farm, that was currently chilling in my fridge like cheap shit-wine should. Wine wouldn’t help, though. This bottle hadn’t even touched the problem I was trying to drink away.
I was lonely.
So fucking lonely, I felt numb. My last boyfriend, the guy who promised he’d get me my “big break” had scammed me out of my money, given me some shitty drugs that almost killed me, and disappeared. I hadn’t seen that asshole since Halloween, and since I was out of money, I probably wouldn’t ever see him again.
Good.
I didn’t need that asshole. I didn’t need anyone. So what, if my fridge and bank account were both empty? I’d figure that shit out. After all, I’d survived worse. I had people who loved me and a place to stay. I was fine, just a little alone, but I knew how to fix that. Digging my cell phone out of my jeans pocket, I thumbed it on. No missed calls, no texts, nothing.
What did I expect? Markie was probably asleep or being pampered by Angel, and since I’d been focused on my non-existent singing career, loser waitress job, and shady ex-boyfriend for the past year, I hadn’t exactly had time to focus on building friendships.
There was onefriendI could call…
Thumbing through my contacts, I hovered over Bones’s number. My feelings toward Bones were a complicated mess woven together with threads of desire and frustration. Regardless, alcohol-enhanced fantasies about his big beefy hands holding me down as he fucked me had my fingers flying across the keys.
Me: Will you please come help me move my bedroom furniture around?
Bones: Sure. Be right there.
Proud of myself for such quick thinking while my brain cells were drunk and starving, I dropped my phone and started shimmying out of my skinny jeans. I planned to seduce that sexy, mysterious man if it was the last thing I did. The tight ass pants barely crept down, and my squirming made me woozy. Swallowing back bile, I fought to remember the plan: slip into sexy lingerie and seduce Bones. How the hell was I going to do that when I couldn’t even get off the floor? I’d barely gotten my jeans down to my hips when he knocked.
Shit!
Knowing I had limited time before he used his key and let himself In, I bucked my hips, simultaneously trying to pull my pants up and sit up. I whacked my head on the bed.
“Son-of-a-bitch!” I swore, abandoning my jeans to rub my head.
“Ari?” Bones asked, his footsteps nearing. “You okay?”
Before I could answer, he rounded the corner wearing sweats and a tight T-shirt. I’d never seen him dressed so casually before, and was surprised by the way he even made sweats look good. His gaze swept over my body, zeroing in on my unzipped, low-sitting jeans before he stepped back and looked away.
“Jesus, Ari, pull up your pants.”
I’d been hoping the sight of me would make him lose control and profess his undying lust for me, but that’s the lousy reaction I got instead. Eyes burning from humiliation, I struggled to do just that, but my fingers and body wouldn’t cooperate. “I… I need help.”
For a moment, he didn’t move, and I wasn’t sure he’d heard me. Finally, he reappeared in the doorway, taking in the scene. “What the fuck are you doing? You’re not even old enough to drink,” he said, staring pointedly at the bottle beside my hand.
Indignation burned away my humiliation, stiffening my body as my hands continued to tug at my jeans. “I’m celebrating. I turned twenty-one yesterday.”
His expression changed, morphing from anger to surprise. “Shit. Really?”
“You think I would lie about my birthday?”
He eyed me and blew out a breath. “No, but why didn’t you say something?”
“Everyone was a little busy. Will you please help me up?”
He took two long strides, and then stood by my side, holding out his hand. I reached for it and missed. Swearing under my breath, I tried again. Grabbing my flailing hand, he hefted me to my feet. The room tipped on its side, and so did I. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me and pressing my body against his.
My hand splayed out across his hard chest, feeling every delicious muscle as I breathed in his scent. I could feel him growing against my stomach, and my entire body reacted, wiggling closer.
He wanted me.
Overjoyed about that, my hand drifted south, down the lines of his abs toward the waistband of his sweats. His hand caught mine, pulling it away from his body.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
I rubbed against him, stroking his length with my body. “I told you. Celebrating.”
