“Not even in my top five,” I smack, the unpleasant taste lingering.
Brook places a finger under my lowered cup, inching it closer to my mouth. “The trick is not to breathe as you drink. Just gulp it down.”
Kodi throws hers back without another word, swallowing the lukewarm beer until her cup is empty. “That’s so disgusting.”
Caleb spreads his hands wide. “I’m working with what I got.”
“A fake ID and this is how you choose to abuse it?” I snort.
He tilts his head as his lips thin. “Okay, ungrateful, sorry if I couldn’t whip up a lemon drop with the expired gift card and lint from my pocket, but this stuff was on sale.”
“I can see why, baby,” Brook hums, her lips quirking as she takes another sip. Her eyes widen as she moves her drink aside and holds up a finger. “Kodi! Have you told Melody about The Hunt?”
My brow creases. “The Hunt? What’s that?”
Caleb pushes off the counter before grabbing the back of some guy’s collar and dragging him into the circle. “Matt can explain The Hunt.”
The short guy shoves his wire-framed glasses higher up on his nose, his face settling into something severe. Which is pretty laughable with the bulky, neon yellow banana costume he’s wearing. “The Hunt is a part of a form of BDSM known as primal play. Participants are divided into two categories: predators, who do the chasing, and prey, who try to avoid being captured. It’s based on instinct and animalistic behaviors. It can often fall into the category of high-intensity play, trust, and power dynamics.”
As he rattles off the details, my brows hit my hairline. I blink. “Is there sex involved?”
This sounds like a sex thing…
He shrugs. “More or less. If you’re not down with sloppy fucking in the middle of the woods, you could choose a red bracelet. It lets whoever is hunting you know that you’re only there for the scene. Nothing more.”
Kodi eyes me, nudging my elbow. “Sounds hot, right?”
It sounds…interesting. I never considered BDSM before. The only experience I have is what Kaden has shown me.
Would he be interested in this?
Oh, god. What if he thinks I’m a freak for wanting to try?
Okay. That’s my own anxiousness speaking. He seems to teeter towards rougher tastes, and I have to admit, so do I. I love it when he chokes me and gets this dominant aura to him. It’s like he has all the power, but I’m still firmly in charge. I could end anything with a single word, and he would back off.
I trust him.
“It does sound hot…” I trail as I take a sip of my beer.
Kodi slaps my shoulder. “Hell yeah! It’s a week from now, so clear your calendar.”
Someone bumps into me from behind, knocking me forward as hands grab my biceps. “Oh, fuck! I’m sorry—Melody?”
I peer over my shoulder to see Dylan smiling at me. “Hey.”
He releases me quickly, stepping back as he shakes his head. “Wow…you look amazing.”
“Thanks,” I hide the curl of my lip easily, masking my face.
“Dyl!” Caleb greets loudly. “We were just telling Melody about The Hunt.”
His eyes widen. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah, man,” Caleb chuckles, shaking his girlfriend’s shoulders. “Fresh meat for the guys.”
Brook smacks his chest with a heated glare. “Don’t treat women like objects. We talked about this.”
His face falls. “Sorry, babe…”
