Fuck me. My night was over.
“Who was it?” Hannah asked, throwing her elbow back as someone bumped into her. “This place is crazy packed tonight. What band is playing?”
Beth had been staring me down. She ignored her cousin. “What’d he say?”
Interest sparked with Hannah. She forgot about the crowd. “Wait, what? You have a boyfriend? You have a boyfriend and you haven’t said a word about him?”
Glaring at Beth, I replied, “No boyfriend and it was Cord. Something happened to the paper. He wants me to go to their house to work on it tonight.”
“It’s a Friday night.”
“I’m aware.”
“You don’t do homework on a Friday night.”
Beth started snickering.
Hannah had a point. I texted Cord:
Why tonight?
He responded:
Have something going on. Need to get it done tonight, proof it Saturday and do other homework Sunday night.
I shared the text with the girls.
Hannah’s face scrunched up. “That sucks.”
“Wait, doesn’t Cord live with Jesse Hunt?”
My foot ached to make contact with Beth’s butt. I settled for glaring instead.
Hannah threw her cousin a confused look. “Yeah. So?” A light bulb clicked on. “He’s way out of our league, Beth. Although I like the way you think.”
Now it was her cousin’s turn to grow wary. “What are you talking about?”
“We have homework to do, right? Let’s go with her. Besides, I don’t want Jamie to talk to her like that again.”
“No, wait. That wasn’t what I meant—”
It didn’t matter. Hannah was starting to gain speed. Her eyes lit up. “Yeah and Cord will be there. Obviously. So when you guys need a break, I can be there ready to give him a massage. He won’t turn that down. And I bet Chandra won’t be there, not if Cord’s doing homework. She hates it when he studies. I think she gets a rash and goes crazy. She itches all over. We should go.”
Beth’s mouth joined mine on the floor.
This night had gone a different direction than I anticipated.
“Surprise!” Hannah flung her arms in the air when the door opened. All three of us stood on the front doorstep, but Beth and I wore sheepish grins while Hannah was poised for a magazine shoot. She was the only one who hadn’t changed out of our club apparel. Beth and I changed to jeans and T-shirts while she still wore ripped black leather pants with a black corset top. The top was frayed at the ends as well, with holes that exposed her black bra. Ruby red lipstick, heavy eye shadow—Hannah could’ve been the lead singer for a metal band.
“Uh…”
The guy stared at her for a moment. His lips were pursed together and moved in a fish movement, confused, as he scratched at his head. Jesse hadn’t opened the door; Cord either. Not even Jamie. It was the fourth roommate. He was dressed in blue scrub pants and a white shirt. He looked ready for bed. His dark hair was messed and sticking up, as if he’d just come from bed. I was racking my brain trying to remember why he looked familiar. Then we heard someone ask from inside, “Who is it, Derek?”
Beth and I shared a glance. This was the roommate who was the boyfriend of our RA. No drinking for us tonight.
A wide grin stretched over Hannah’s face and she pushed her way in. We followed, giving Derek an uneasy look. He waited, holding the door open and nodded to us, being polite. Beth gestured to me. “She’s here for a group project with Cord and Jamie. We came to keep her company.”
He nodded and didn’t say a word. This could’ve been a normal thing from how he was reacting. Gesturing around the corner, where Hannah had disappeared, he led the way after he closed the door. I couldn’t help but grin as he made sure to lock the door before he moved around us.
We moved into the kitchen and into the massive dining room where we got our own shock.
It wasn’t just the three of us girls or only Cord and Jamie.
Kara was at the end of the table. An empty chair beside her that was filled by her boyfriend when he moved around us. But at the opposite end was Jamie, and in his lap…Tiffany. She was currently drilling holes in her sister’s head, but there were two other occupants at the table. On one side was Cord and across from him was Chandra.
Visions of her flashed in my head again. I cringed as I snuck a peek at the living room where the offense had taken place. Never again. I did not want to see her naked and straddling Cord again.
Beth dropped her bag on the floor between us. She muttered, “So I guess it’s a study night for all of us.”
The entire table was covered with books, papers, pens, highlighters, and laptops.
Yep. They had the same idea as Hannah. I wondered if it’d been Tiffany. Did the two sisters think alike?
But then I was distracted once again.
The basement door opened and Jesse walked through. He was barefoot and in gym shorts. No shirt, judging from the soft gasp I heard beside me, there was plenty of service ready for him. I couldn’t blame Hannah’s reaction. I’d seen him without a shirt, without any clothing many times, but it never got old. He had just worked out. I could always tell. His muscles were more enlarged than normal. His body was more sculpted and his hair was wet. He was fresh from the shower. A lone droplet of water fell from his forehead and crashed to his chest. It made a solitary trek all the way down until it disappeared underneath his short’s waistband.
My throat went dry and I licked my lips. The same lust as always was smoldering in me. It was waiting for the opening, the word from him, the gesture to follow him. None came, yet. So I held myself still and I tried to keep my pounding heart from being heard by anyone else in the room.
Hannah’s eyes went wide as she took him in. She licked her lips. “Oh my.”
He heard her and stopped. His gaze jumped from her to me. They latched on.
I was given a swift kick in the gut when his eyes narrowed and hurt flashed in them for a moment.
Swallowing over a lump in my throat, I knew I should’ve texted. I shouldn’t let him know ahead of time. He could’ve been prepared, but then Hannah would’ve missed the vision before her. I wouldn’t have minded that. My gut clenched in knots as a sultry smile came over her. She tilted her head to the side in a sexy poise, and strode over to him with her hand outstretched. “Hello there. I’m Hannah, Tiffany’s sister. We’ve never formally met before.”
I flinched. Even her voice was husky and seductive.
Jesse was still watching me. A dark look appeared and he scowled before turning his attention to the wanton friend-of-mine in front of him. Ignoring her hand, he clipped out, “I know who you are.” Then he moved around her, back down the basement, and slammed the door behind him.
I jumped from the fierceness.
Hannah rotated back to us. “What a dick.”
Jamie shoved Tiffany off his lap, but stayed in his seat. His scowl matched the one Jesse had worn. “Maybe if you’d stop being a slut, he would’ve been polite.”
Tiffany frowned at her boyfriend but crossed her arms over her shoulder. She said to Hannah, “Jamie’s right. Don’t hit on Jesse. He’s had his share of whores trying to use him for his dad.”
Hannah snorted, “Or just for him. He might be a dick, but he’s hot. I’d forgotten from the few times I saw him in person before.”
Holding still, I was aware of the two pairs of eyes trained on me. Beth and Cord. They were both silent, just watching, just waiting, just judging. I felt ready to burst.
Everyone else was fixated on the sisters, who seemed ready to rip into each other. Kara came to the rescue as she gave Beth and me both a friendly wave from her chair. She pointed to the empty chairs around the table. “Cord and Jamie told us about the computer eating your paper. Have a seat. We figured it’d be a fun night if all of us stayed in for a study night. These are some of the best times I’ve had at the house.” She glanced at Hannah. “Don’t worry about Jesse. He’
s not a fan of new people.”
Derek leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She melted into his arms but continued to smile our way.
They were out of place, happy amidst a room full of wolves. I could imagine Tiffany and Hannah sharpening their fangs as they stared ‘em down.
“Yeah.” Chandra shoved back her chair and stood awkwardly. Her entire demeanor was forced. “Sit. Get comfortable. Do you guys want some food or something to drink?”
Beth and I shared another look, but Hannah spoke up, “Are you serious? Playing hostess again, Chandra? This isn’t even your house.”
“It’s more hers than yours,” her sister snapped back.
Hannah’s eyes went feral. A snarl came to her lips and she was ready to lunge, her hands were already forming claws to go around Tiffany’s throat.
“Hey. Whoa.” Beth grabbed Hannah’s arm. She sent a warning to her other cousin. “Stop it. Both of you.”
The tension rose another level in the room, but my mind wasn’t in there. My mind was downstairs. He looked hurt. I had hurt him. How was that possible? He had told me before that he cared, that he had wanted to be with me. And I had heard testimony from Marissa too, about the fight she’d overheard from my brother and him. Slowly, it was sinking in. Maybe Jesse really did want more? But—panic flooded me.
I still wasn’t ready.
As if knowing my thoughts, my eyes jerked up and I saw the portrait of Ethan and Jesse again. I felt him beckoning to me. Purposely avoiding it when we first came inside, I couldn’t look away now. God. My throat trembled as agony spread in me.
I missed him. So damn much.
“—bathroom, Alex?”
Jolted back to the room, I looked around. Dazed. “Huh?”
Beth’s eyes darted to Cord from underneath her eyelids.
Oh. I turned to see that he had risen from the table. He knew. How did he know? But I brushed a hand over my eye and took a deep breath. I couldn’t break down in this room, not with these people. “What’d you say?”
“Do you have to use the bathroom? You can use the one downstairs.”
I caught the extra meaning and nodded, grateful now.
“What? Hell no,” Jamie growled. “Downstairs is off-limits to chicks. What are you thinking?”
Beth hastily stepped in. “I have to go to the bathroom too.”
Hannah sighed and plopped down on one of the chairs. She grumbled, “This is going to take a while. She can pee forever.”
“See. Jesse won’t care if she uses the bathroom. It’s not like she’s going to use his personal one.”
Another furtive glance. Another furtive meaning. Caught it and understood. I was bursting at the seams to get to Jesse now, but I held back. Jamie opened his mouth again, another argument on the tip of his tongue.
“I think she could wait,” Tiffany offered, frowning at me with suspicion lurking in her depths. “Or she can use the one upstairs.”
“Which is filthy.” Cord pointed to the door. “Go ahead, Alex. You’re not going to get murdered down there. I don’t know why they’re freaking so much.”
“Rules are rules, dude!”
Hannah held a hand in the air. “I’ll use the one upstairs. If they’re going, I’m going.”
“Oh my god!” Tiffany threw her arms in the air now. “Pee break for everybody?”
Kara stood. “I don’t know about a bathroom break, but I wouldn’t mind pouring some more wine and maybe ordering a pizza?”
“These are your residents. You can’t drink with them.”
Kara frowned at Tiffany, but shrugged. “I don’t think Beth or Alex will say anything. They’re kind of related to our group of friends now, aren’t they?”
“Go, Alex.”
Cord’s statement was soft and all the clearer against everyone else.
A ball of emotion was in my throat. I couldn’t speak because of it, but I nodded at him, gratefully, and didn’t wait for another chance. As soon as I was through the doors, I shut it behind me and heard the automatic lock click in place. Jesse had told me about that. The door had a passcode to get through to his area; it was one of the only reasons why he allowed any parties to be thrown in the house. He never wanted anyone in the basement except the few he trusted.
Hurrying down the stairs, I didn’t turn on any lights. I knew the way by memory.
His door was open and I knew he’d been waiting. He knew I would come. Turning into his door, he lifted his head. His elbows rested on his knees, as he was perched on the edge of his bed. Just waiting. No other lights were on, only what could be seen from the moon as it filtered through his opened windows. A breeze wafted in, caressing against my cheeks.
Right there, right then in that moment, I felt beautiful.
As he watched me with a somber expression, with the breeze, the sounds of outside as a backdrop, I saw the darkening of lust in his gaze.
My heart jumped to my throat. I was moving before I knew it and I was in his arms. He caught me and fell back on the bed with me on top. Pressing a kiss to my throat, he whispered against my skin, “You think I’m mad at you, don’t you?”
I nodded. My throat was too thick. I couldn’t speak.
“I’m not. I promise.”
“You looked hurt.” My tongue was so damn heavy and big. It was constricting me. That was why I couldn’t talk.
“I was.”
“What?”
Moving to the side, I propped myself up on an elbow as he mirrored my position. He grinned and traced a finger down my side profile, down my neck, to my shoulder, down my arm, my hand, my waist, all the way over my stomach, and back up.
I was breathing heavy by the end, when he paused at the corner of my lips. With my eyes closed, I waited and tried to memorize every touch from him. I wanted them in my permanent memory for when we wouldn’t be like this. Huskily, I asked, “Why were you hurt?”
He pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. His hand flatted over my stomach with his thumb rubbing in a circle. “Because you were in my house, with my friends, and I wasn’t the reason you were here.”
“What?”
More heavy breathing. His damn thumb was talented.
He chuckled against my skin, lingering over my lips. “I was jealous, Alex.”
“What?” I shoved him back enough so I could stare at him. My heart was throbbing in me. I felt every beat pulsate through my body. He must’ve felt it as he was pressed against me.
His hand moved up the middle of my back and splayed out in a possessive hold between my shoulder blades. The tips of his fingers gripped my skin like he didn’t want to let go. Ever. A primal thrill swept over me and I sank back down over him. My body melted onto his as I forgot what we were talking about. Nothing mattered. Jesse swept the demons away. I wanted him to sweep ours away, the one the two of us had created. It was dark and looming, wrapped with fear because I didn’t know what was going to happen with us anymore.
I was too far gone.
Holding my hips with his hands, he rolled us to the side and kept going so I was on my back. He was on top now, but he positioned himself so he wouldn’t bear all his weight on me. His lips nibbled up my throat and his hand skimmed over my hip and back to my stomach. Two of his fingers began caressing again, making the throbbing between my legs stronger. It was taking me over. I was becoming blind to anything except the need of having him inside of me.
Why were we still talking?