ChapterOne
Lily
Shoot Tequila
Tigirlily Gold
“I really don’t wantto do this, Bri.”I stand outside the double doors of a hotel suite, the soul of my sneakered foot scuffing back and forth across the floor as I plead to my best friend.
“Of course you do!”She rolls her eyes, always the dramatic one, then continues.“I mean, how often do you personally get invited to an actual rock and roll party, and by a member of one of the biggest bands in the world?You are coming with me, whether you want to or not!”
“But he invited you, not me.”I point at myself.“I wasn’t even there when he asked you.How do you know it’s okay for me to come?”
Bri chuffs, again with another eye roll.“Lily, it’s a fucking party thrown by rock stars.I’m pretty sure they’re going to be okay with another hot chick in attendance.”
Before I can utter another protest, she knocks on one of the doors.It opens almost immediately, as if someone was standing there waiting, andoh shit, listening to our entire conversation.I’m already mortified, and we haven’t even walked into the room yet.
A big man, dressed all in black, analyzes us both with a hard stare.“Who are you here with?”
“Yeah, um, Dean invited me.”She tosses a glance my way, remembering to include me in the mix.“Us.He invited us.Said to come to this room.”All the confidence she exuded a moment ago, fading away as she rambles on.“You know, the guitar player for Devil’s Halo.”
“I know who Dean is.”The man deadpans.Not exactly the friendliest dude.“What’s your name?”
“Briana.Briana Chambers.”Like a last name really matters right now.
“Hold on.”The door shuts in our faces.
“See?”I shuffle away from the door.“We should go.I told you this was a bad idea.”
“Will you stop it!Why are you being such-” Her question cut short when the door opens, Dean now standing beside the man in black.
“There you are, you little fox.”Dean flirts with Bri.“I’ve been waiting for you.”He grabs her hand, tugging her to his side, his lips planting a kiss against her cheek.“Now the fun can really begin.”
Bri’s face glows, her cheeks coloring a faint pink as her entire body leans into his, her arm sliding around his back.He pivots them both into the room, Bri’s free hand launching out to grasp onto my arm, dragging me behind her.“This is my friend, Lily.”
His eyes peruse over me, his head nodding as the corner of his mouth tilts up in a coy grin.“Cool.I’m game if you are.”
I skid to a stop as it clicks that he thinks I’m there to join them for a threesome.I yank my arm out of Bri’s grip, my eyes widening as I mouth, “no way” to her.
“It’s just going to be me and you, if that’s okay handsome?”My heart slows its roll as Bri slithers under his arm, pressing her mostly exposed breasts against his chest.
“More than okay.”He purrs, and as if it were even possible, his grin cocks up into one more wicked than a moment ago.“Let’s get you ladies a drink.”
His arm drapes over Bri’s shoulders as he steers us further into the suite, straight toward a bar that’s set up in the back of an adjoining room.It’s enormous, complete with a marble top and leather stools.It sits in front of a bank of twenty-foot-tall windows that overlook the strip, lights twinkling brightly.Every imaginable liquor is displayed behind the bar, lit up underneath in a cool neon red, compliments of a glass LED shelf.
“What’ll be ladies?”Dean flashes another easy smile our way as he nods toward the row of choices.
“Tequila shots all around!”Bri shouts, my brow shooting up to my hairline as I curl my fingers around her wrist and squeeze.
Her gaze meets mine, the look she delivers making it very clear I better just shut up and drink.I glare back at her, silently conveying that she’s going to owe me big time, releasing the vice grip I have on her.The things we do for our best friends.
“You heard her, Eddie,” Dean chuckles.“Line ‘em up!”
The bartender, who we now know as Eddie, places three shot glasses on the bar and fills them to the brim.A second later, there’s a shaker of salt and three wedges of lime next to them.
Dean grins broadly, then lifts his hand to his mouth, his tongue darting out as he presses it flat against the base of his thumb knuckle, before dragging it lazily up to the bottom of the next knuckle.His eyes remain locked on Bri the entire time, his intention with the single action amplified with a salacious wink as he sprinkles the shaker onto his dampened skin.
He licks the trail of salt left behind, then raises the shot, tossing his head back, swallowing the clear liquid in one gulp.His lips pull back to expose a small grimace before swapping the glass for a wedge of lime, which he promptly squeezes between his teeth.“Fuck yeah!”
