“Well, I was getting some dick… until he tried to trick me into saying I’ll be with him while he was still inside me.” I roll my eyes, grabbing my drink from the bartender.
“Damn, girl, he mustreallywant you.” She bursts out laughing, nearly spilling hers.
“Bitch, it’s not funny. You know how I feel about my fuck buddies. Oh—and by the way, this is his parents’ house—sorry, I meanoneof their houses.”
Her eyes widen. “Jaine, you gotta get with him!” she squeals, practically jumping up and down as she grabs my hands like we’re kids gossiping again.
“Girl, no.” I yank my hands back, shaking my head. “You can go fuck his parents if you love the house that bad. Hell, you never know—they might be swingers.” I laugh, taking a long sip.
“I’ll keep him around, but that’s enough. Plus, he’s mad at me right now, so… yeah. Let’s party.”
After a couple more drinks, we’re in the middle of the backyard, bodies packed tight, moving like we’re the beat. My hips grind against hers as the bass pounds through us, laughter spilling between every song. The air’s hot, our skin slick, our hair sticking to our necks—but we don’t care.
Thirty minutes melt away like nothing. My feet ache, my chest heaves, and I finally spin around, scanning the crowd for somewhere to sit and rest for a minute.
That’s when I feel a pair of eyes on me.
I catch them instantly. Dark blue eyes gazing at me—and he doesn’t look away. His stare pins me in place, but instead of shrinking, I meet it head-on, letting a slow smile curl across my lips. His mouth mirrors it, and somehow, even from all the way over there, the heat between us damn near ignites.
I turn to tell Arina, only to realize she’s already clocked his friend—both of them looking straight at us.
Perfect.
Chapter Eighteen
Blue Eyes and Bad Timing
G
rabbing Arina’s hand without a word, I lead us toward an open seat glowing beneath the spotlight beside the steaming jacuzzi. The water bubbles and hisses, mist curling upward like smoke, wrapping the corner in a false sense of privacy—even though we’re still very much in view. As soon as we sit, I can’t help sneaking another look—and there he is. Still staring, his friend right beside him.
Only now his expression is heavier, darker. Desire sharpens every inch of his face. He stands with his friend, both holding drinks, a joint burningbetween their fingers as they pass it back and forth. His friend’s gaze slides right past me and locks on Arina. I don’t even have to check if she notices—she’s already standing.
Arina makes her way toward them, hips swaying like she owns the whole damn backyard. I swear she’s allergic to rejection.
I don’t normally approach men—and I doubt I ever will. The thought alone makes my skin crawl. Yet even with this fine ass guy staring at me like I’m the only person out here, the ache Daniel left in that bathroom won’t budge. It’s a reminder of how close he got… and how my body didn’t exactly disagree.
I slip my hand into my bra, pull out my lipstick, and pop the cap with a soft click. Using the mirror on the back of my phone case, I drag the color across my lips, pretending that’s the only thing I’m focused on.
And even though I don’t see Daniel anywhere, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t seeme. With my luck, he’s probably lurking somewhere in the crowd, watching me like I’m breaking some unspoken rule.
I blot my lips and slide the lipstick back where it came from just as a shadow falls over me, swallowing half my light. My heart skips, sharp and traitorous, but I make sure to make him wait before I glance up.
He stands in front of me, a joint in one hand, a drink in the other. The crisp white long-sleeved shirt fits just right against his muscular frame, hanging loose over the dark jeans that sit low on his waist. Fresh Timberlands ground him—clean, and unmarked, like he just pulled them out of the box tonight.
The sight alone makes my mouth part, before I remind myself to close it and I start drooling like an idiot. And maybe it’s just me—but I’ve always had a thing for the colorwhite on guys. Something about the clean confidence of it all makes my pussy throb.
And of course tonight, both him and Daniel decide to make my life difficult, walking around in that same fucking color.
When my eyes finally lift, I almost forget how to breathe. His dark blue eyes lock with mine, steady and unblinking, pulling me under like waves I have no business swimming in. The light freckles that scatter across his skin, soften at the edge of his full beard—dark, and trimmed perfectly. The contrast between his beard and the thick chocolate hair on his head gives him this two-toned ruggedness that shouldn’t work but absolutely does.
I really need to stop admiring him so much, but my mind doesn’t listen. Every detail of him burns itself into me, and the longer he stares, the harder it is to remember that I just fucked and probably broke Daniel barely an hour ago.
He drops down beside me, the fabric of his jeans grazes my bare thigh, the heat of him bleeding into me. He holds out the joint like it’s an invitation. I take it, because hell, I could use it. I bring it to my lips and pull a quick drag before passing it back. He doesn’t take it right away.
Instead, his eyes flash with a teasing gleam, and he says, “That wasn’t a real hit. Do it again. Actually hit it.”
I smirk, accepting the challenge. “Oh, you wanna see lungs already huh?”
