The DIK guys, who showed up with a bunch of girls and jello shots. A few of Miranda and Serina’s sorority sisters who sipped spiked seltzers from discrete koozies. Even the birds were looking at him a little too closely.
“Earth to Courtney.” Serina giggled, waving a bag of chips in front of my face. She was blocking my view of my Beautiful Monster and I needed to keep him in my sight. I craned my neck around her, trying to spot him.
Where did he go?
“I know you’re high as fuck, but you’re freaking me out,” Serina said, sitting in front of me on the beach lounger.
“They all want him,” I told her, taking the bag of chips and ripping it open.
“Who?” she asked slowly, looking at me like my wits had dripped out of my ears. I scanned the pool again. Resort style, modeled after the modern designs in Miami, but on a college budget. Yellow umbrellas over navy blue striped chairs littered the brick pavers bleached by the relentless Florida sun.
“How’s my little stoner?”
I spun around.
Ollie’s smile rivaled solar rays in its brightness. I reached for him on impulse, his chuckle vibrating through my bones as he pressed a bottle of water into my hand.
“Better now,” I admitted.
If he was with me, he was safe.
He cupped my face, thumb smoothing over my cheek. I leaned into his touch like a cat. “Drink some water, baby,” he murmured, glancing at Serina. I poured water into my mouth-delicious. I guzzled more.
“How is she really?” he asked.
“A little paranoid when she can’t see you.”
I swallowed. “I’m stoned, that doesn’t mean my ears stopped functioning.”
Ollie snorted a laugh, bending down to kiss my forehead. I gobbled up the sight of ink shifting with his movements, the ripple of his abs, and line of golden fuzz disappearing into his black boardshorts. I licked my lips.
I wanted to hear him beg again.
“Ollie! Get your ass over here!” Jack yelled from a cluster of DIK brothers. He hesitated, eyes glued to me.
“I’m with her, she’ll be fine,” Serina promised.
My hand shot out, wrapping around the new tattoo of angel wings encircling his wrist.
“Be careful.”
His brows pinched. “Did you see something?”
I bit my lip. “No. I-”
Was it the high or something else demanding to keep him close?We’re all here, nothing can touch us when we’re together. I loosened my grip on his wrist.
“I just want you with me,” I murmured.
He smiled, tilting up my chin and kissing me- salty sweat from his upper lip, the scrape of stubble and the intoxicating slide of his tongue lulled me into a trance.
“We’re waiting on you, asshole!” Jack hollered.
Ollie smiled against my lips. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.
Then he was jogging to the group of guys holding jello shots. I couldn’t tear my eyes from him. When he reached them, it seemed like they had miscounted the shots. The sound of Hannah’s laugh raked down my nerves. A shot passed through hand after hand until it landed in his waiting palm.
“He’ll be right back,” Serina assured me. “Have something to eat.”
