That did it. She whirled around and glared at me. “Who in the fuck do you think you’re talking to, Duke Jackson? I don’t answer to you.”
I ignored what she said and advanced toward her. “Does your brother know you’re here?”
She put her hands on her hips and cocked one hip to the side. “It doesn’t matter if he does or doesn’t. I’m 18 years old and I don’t need his permission for anything.”
That was bullshit and she knew it. Yeah, she might be a legal adult, but she still needed Carbon’s permission because she was living with him. Hell, she was still in high school. I heard him tell her on several occasions that he would ship her ass off to a boarding school or all girls college if she didn’t behave. “I see. So, you wouldn’t mind if I gave him a call right now to let him know your whereabouts?”
She stiffened, then sighed, “What do you want, Duke?”
“You need to go home. Right now,” I answered. If Phoenix was right and there were drugs coming from these parties, she didn’t need to be anywhere near it. Besides, the majority of the people there were too old for her to be hanging around with anyway.
“I can’t go home right now. We just got here and my date, who is also my ride, has already started drinking,” she explained.
Not a problem. “I’ll take you home. Let’s go.”
She shook her head. “I can’t get on your bike dressed like this,” she gestured to the tight as fuck dress she had painted on her gorgeous body.
“You’re in luck,” I grinned and held up my keys. “I’m in a cage tonight. Now, let’s go.”
“I need to tell my date I’m leaving. Be right back.” She turned and walked back to the boy she arrived with before I could say otherwise. When she got close, he slid his arm around her waist while she whispered in his ear. I decidedly did not like any of that one bit. I silently fumed while she spoke with him, smiling and laughing at the fucker. The muscle in my jaw started to tick when she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. I’d had enough. I had taken two steps toward her when she pulled back and began walking in my direction.
She didn’t say anything to me while we walked to my truck. She continued her vow of silence for the entire drive to Carbon’s condo. I knew she was pissed. She sat there with her arms crossed and stared out the passenger window. When I pulled up to Carbon’s place, she jumped out of the truck and whirled around, pinning me with her angry green eyes. “Thanks for ruining my prom night, asshole!” Then, she slammed the door and stomped off.
I climbed out of the truck and followed her. “Reese, wait.” Did she? Of course not. She continued stomping to the front door. I carefully grabbed her arm and turned her around to face me. “It was your prom night?”
“That’s what I said,” she spat.
“For that, I’m sorry, but you had no business being at Ricky’s party,” I explained.
“What business did you have there, Duke?” she asked with an eye roll.
She answered her own question in unison with me, “Club business.”
She turned around and unlocked the front door. I don’t know why, but I followed her inside. “Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be just fine, Duke. It’s not the first time I’ve stayed by myself and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to find Carbon’s stash of liquor so I can salvage what’s left of my prom night.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“It’s like a rite of passage, to get drunk on prom night,” she looked at me incredulously.
“Hang on a second,” I said and proceeded to do one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done. I walked out to my truck, unlocked the toolbox in the truck bed, and pulled out the bottle of tequila I had purchased earlier that day.
Walking back into Carbon’s place, I held up the bottle and asked, “You got limes?”
She grinned. “Why Duke, are you offering to get me drunk on prom night?”
“Only because it’s your prom night and I don’t want you here alone drinking. If you’re going to get trashed, you should have someone here with you.”
That’s how I ended up getting shitfaced with Carbon’s little sister on her prom night. We took shot after shot. Before long, the bottle was half empty and I was feeling great. We talked and laughed for hours. I was having a great time getting to know her better.
We were sitting on the sofa in the living room when she leaned closer to me and whispered, “Do you know what else is a rite of passage on prom night?”
I shook my head. I had no idea what she was talking about. I didn’t go to prom when I was in high school. I was busy working and helping take care of my little sister. Reese climbed into my lap and straddled me. She leaned forward until her lips were only a hair’s breadth away from mine and whispered, “Sex.”
CHAPTER ONE
Reese
