Raleigh skirted around us and pushed the front door open, holding it there by leaning against it. “Surprise.”
James and I smiled at each other and stepped into the building. I heard soft murmurs coming from inside, and as we rounded the wall that hid the front door, a room full of people came into view. Cheers and applause rang out, and I swallowed down a bubble of emotion.
Kian stood next to Angel, whose blue eyes sparkled with mischief.
Much like the “baby shower” they’d thrown me before I left, they’d put together a joint bachelor party for James and me. The bar still held the same gothic, Halloween theme, but the various skeletons, bats, and spiders hanging from every surface were adorned with phallic-shaped necklaces and headbands. As James and I took in the decorations, a pop sounded to either side of us and holographic confetti rained down on us—also in the form of dicks. We both burst into laughter and leaned into each other.
Raleigh appeared then, with a double shot of tequila in each hand. “Drink up, you two. You’ve got twenty-four hours before you have to collect yourselves, and I expect I will have topouryou into bed later.” He threw me a wink, knowing that I’d be the only one to feel the effects of alcohol, but James could put on a good enough front.
One double shot turned into two, which then became three and after that, I lost count. Dizzy, I made my way around the room, greeting people I hadn’t seen in almost two years. Hug after hug, familiar face after familiar face, I started to notice that someone was missing from the crowd: Jack.
Jack was my former coworker, a sassy little spitfire who kept everyone on their toes. He was a staple to the Hopyard, so I couldn’t imagine he had left, or that Raleigh and Angel would’ve let him go.
Before I could ask where he was, Angel thrust another double shot into my hand and shoved me into a chair. I tossed back the drink, and Raleigh sat James down next to me. “What’s going on?” I slurred.
Thumping music blared through the speakers, and the lights dimmed. “Shut up and enjoy the show!” Raleigh shouted.
A pair of arms dropped around my shoulders, and a familiar voice spoke into my ear. “Congratulations, Ryder.”
I twisted to look over my shoulder. “Jack?”
He smiled, glossy lips and glitter-accented eyes shining under the lights. He stepped around to my front and it all fell into place.
Jack had always tested the limits of his clothing, with tiny shorts that could hardly be considered that, and often see-through shirts. He was tall and lithe, with brown hair and green eyes that tended to get people in trouble—and Jackoutof trouble.
Tonight, he wore… yeah, thosedefinitelyweren’t shorts. Whatever they were, they cut high on his ass cheeks and sat low enough on his hips to show off his pierced belly button. He didn’t bother with a shirt, instead smearing himself in body glitter that sparkled under the lights.
He straddled my lap. Instinct brought my hands to his hips. I tossed my head back and laughed, feeling James’s happiness through the bond. The loud song thrashed into the chorus, and Jack continued his strip tease. He encouraged both James and me to put our hands on him, and both of us eagerly obliged. He glanced at my fiancé at one point, gesturing to the button on the tiny scrap of denim he wore. Holding Jack’s hand, James’sother expertly worked the button open. Though my vision swam, I watched with rapt attention as he shoved the denim aside. I writhed under Jack on the chair, and he smirked at me, feeling my obvious erection.
The small denim piece didn’t come off, but Jack was no less erotic. He leapt off my lap and hopped into James’s, giving him the same treatment and smearing glitter over his face. The crowd roared with laughter alongside James, and red flashed across his eyes—the violent lights providing the perfect excuse to anyone paying too close attention.
For the big finish, Raleigh handed me another—smaller—shot. “Hold this in your mouth,” he instructed.
I did, and Jack leaned over.
Oh, shit. I knew where this was going. I shared the tequila with Jack, who then turned and spat it into James’s mouth. Lust slammed into me so violently that I coughed, and I made a mental note that weneededto do that again.
The music ended, and Jack gave us both sloppy, wet kisses on our cheeks, then encouraged us to kiss each other. James slid his tongue into my mouth. Damn, tequila tasted so much better that way.
“Congratulations,” Jack said again, climbing off of James’s lap.
“Did you know about this?” I asked James.
He still smiled ear-to-ear. “Not a clue, but I’m not mad about it.” He leaned in to speak directly into my ear. “Any chance Jack wants to come back to the hotel with us?”
I reared back to stare at him in shock. Had he really just asked me that? Before I could answer, he burst into laughter again. “I’m only joking, love. I cansmellthe danger on that one.”
With Raleigh’s big surprise finished, he swept our chairs away, which cleared up the middle part of the floor. Between us and the bar staff, we packed the small dance floor, James andme in the middle. Raleigh handed us more shots, and we lost ourselves to the music. My head swam, and it was only partially due to the booze. James’s hips ground against mine. I was drunk offhim. And soon—yet somehow not soon enough—he would be completely and wholeheartedlymine.
Chapter 25
The next morning,James and I stayed wrapped up in each other as long as we possibly could. Morning crept into afternoon, and nothing short of the end of the world would have gotten that man out of bed. Soft white sheets spilled over our skin, pooling in the divots where our bodies twisted together. If it wasn’t his lips, James used his fingers to trace over my body, my veins a map for his touch that drew a path of goosebumps over my skin.
He was stalling, and damn it, it was working.
I’d hardly convinced him to let me have a bathroom break before his hands were back on me. I stood beside the bed, his hands on my hips.Talentedhands that he’d spent all morning showing off.
“Come on, love,” he coaxed, pressing a soft kiss to my lower belly. “One more round.”
