“I don’t think I have a choice then,” I said. “I’ll have to come have that drink with you.”
“That’s my girl,” Alice said, winking as she laughed. “I’m in the green Corvette. Follow me there?”
“Are you going to be okay to drive home after this drink?” I asked.
“Hopefully not, but don’t worry. Like I said, it’s a local bar. They have plenty of cab drivers on speed dial. We’ll be okay.”
“Is it okay if I just ride with you then? I’ll get a cab to work again in the morning.” Getting arrested for driving under the influence was an adventure not even I wanted to have, not to mention that Kole would be livid. Besides, breaking rules that endangered other people wasn’t okay with me.
Alice nodded and motioned to her car. “As long as you give me a ride back to the bar after work tomorrow afternoon to pick up mine.”
“Sounds like a fair deal to me.” I followed her to her car, which was in as much disarray as mine. Makeup containers were between the seats, a travel mug of coffee in her cupholder. At least five different jerseys and sweaters were spread on her backseat and there was a spare pair of shoes in my floorboard. “Let me guess. You also believe in having everything you might possibly need in your car?”
She nodded, her expression serious. “Absolutely. What’s the use of having the thing almost always with you if not to carry everything you might need that won’t fit in your purse?”
I clutched my chest. “A woman after my own heart. I’m the same. I’ve only had that Jeep a little over a week, and it’s already got at least half my wardrobe in it.”
“You know what they say. Great minds think alike.” She scrunched up her nose. “Well, they also say that fools never differ, but who are they anyway? Let’s go with the great minds thing.”
“Yeah, let’s.” I smiled and buckled myself in, then chatted to Alice about the kids in our class until we pulled up next to a small bar with only a single, even smaller sign outside.
“Everyone prefers this place to be kept off the tourists’ radar,” she explained. “It’s perfectly safe, though. Don’t worry.”
“I hadn’t doubted that for a second.” Even though I’d only known Alice for two days, I already felt comfortable with her. “What does this wicked happy hour entail anyway? You never said.”
“It’s a cocktail special to end all cocktail specials. Come on in. You’ll see what I mean.” She grabbed my arm and dragged me into a dimly lit old-fashioned bar.
Everything was made of dark wood and the lightbulbs glowed orange. It was one of those places that gave no clue as to where in the world we were. It could have been Europe or Asia or Russia, but the drinks were cheap, and despite the lack of windows, it was cozy.
True to her word, it was a really good special. Three for the price of one.
Alice and I each ordered our own, then settled into a small round booth and set our drinks down on the hardwood table between us. Alice seemed to know everybody and everybody had a story, which she also happened to know.
“See that girl,” she said, discreetly pointing at a coffee-skinned woman with flaming-red hair at the opposite side of the bar. “That’s Rachel. The guys go nuts for her, but she’s ever only been interested in him.”
Her finger swiveled to a guy flirting with a different group of girls sitting behind Rachel. “That’s Trey. He’s some kind of military contractor, although no one really knows what he does exactly.”
“That’s quite scary,” I said, though I had to admit I was intrigued. Not by Trey himself. Rachel could have him. Just by the mystery of it all. “Any rumors about what it might be?”
She rolled her bright blue eyes, already so much brighter after taking only a few sips of her drink. “So many rumors. Everything from organizing coups in Africa to really being a gamer who spends his days on his computer in his mother’s basement.”
Alice and I people-watched for some time while she filled me in on who was who. A few people came over to greet her and she hugged them all. It quickly became clear that she was well liked around here, and it was easy to see why.
She remembered everything about everyone, inquiring after spouses and children, jobs, and even pets. Making an effort to introduce me to everyone and to include me in the conversations, she really made me feel welcomed and involved.
When she sat down again after the umpteenth person had come over, she grinned apologetically. “Sorry. It’s always like this so I won’t even pretend like it isn’t. We’re a pretty close-knit community around here.”
“I love it,” I said honestly. “My best friend back in California and I used to talk about how we only knew one of our neighbors. When she moved, she left us her cactus, but that was it. We didn’t even have her number.”
“The community here is not like that,” she said. “Everyone in here right now is pretty drunk because of the special, but they’ll remember you tomorrow. So, how are you liking the island so far?”
We’d spent about ten minutes talking about Honolulu and what I thought about it before a guy with slicked-back black hair approached us. “Hey, ladies. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Fuck off, Drew,” Alice said without even really looking at him. “We’re busy.”
“Good, be busy then, Alice. I wasn’t really wanting to buy you a drink anyway. Who’s this fresh blood you’ve got with you?”
“Her name is Fuck and her last name is Off.” Shooting me a warning glare, she finally looked up at Drew. “Was there anything else?”
“Sure. Do you know if your friend hurt herself when she fell from the sky? Because she looks like an angel to me.”
I lurched in my seat as I tried to hide my laugh. Alice rolled her eyes. “Have you still not come up with anything better than that old ridiculous pick-up line?”
Drew shrugged. “If it’s true, it’s fine. You gonna tell me her name at least? The real one.”
“Nope.” Her eyes met mine across the table. “This is Drew. He’s the laughingstock of the island for the reason you just experienced firsthand. The boy’s got no game.”
“I’ve got game,” he sputtered, “and no one laughs at me.”
“Dude, everyone laughs at you.” She barely looked at him. “You need to ditch the ancient pick-up lines. Maybe then people will stop.”
“I’ve got many talents that will prove to both of you that I shouldn’t be laughed at.” He sucked a finger into his mouth, but it was anything but seductive. “I’ve got great suction.”
“You also have many shortcomings, my friend,” Alice said. “You still slick your hair back with the same stuff all the old men on the base use, you try the pick-up lines that might have worked for them, and your phone has a Charlie’s Angels lock screen that says ‘Good morning, Angel.’ Do you really want me to continue?”
Drew muttered something under his breath about having the same name as one of Charlie’s Angels, but then he turned around and stomped away. Alice sighed. “That boy needs some serious help, but he refuses to take any.”
She shook her head, glancing at him before turning her attention back to me. “Now that we’ve dodged that bullet, I realized I never even asked. Do you have a man in your life?”
Jordan’s forest-green eyes and handsome, chiseled face with the short dark hair atop it jumped to my mind. Not that he’d been very far away from it since Saturday. Thankfully, he was coming over for dinner tomorrow because I was running out of batteries for my tiny bullet vibrator.
“I don’t really know. There is someone, but he’s not really in my life in any capacity I can count.”
Alice waved a hand. “If you don’t really know, then it’s nothing. If a man wants you to be his, he’ll let you know. If he wants to be yours, he’d have made it clear that he already was.”
Jordan could never really be mine, regardless of how I felt. That was the problem. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s nothing. So no, no man in my life.”
“You want one?” She grinned. “Because I
can definitely hook you up.”
“I’m okay for now, thanks.” I laughed, but knowing I’d be seeing Jordan tomorrow made my insides clench with anticipation. The plans I have for you…
Alice took my mind off it by pointing out more people and telling me all about them. We finished all three of our own drinks before she asked the barman to call us a cab.
We gave our addresses and he dropped me off first, seeing that I was apparently on the way to Alice’s house. When we parked outside of mine, I gave her a hug. “Thank you for tonight. I really like hanging out with you.”
“Same here.” She squeezed me tight. “Now that you’re a part of the island, I’m sure we’ll be spending a lot more time together. You’ll be tired of me in no time.”
“Nope, not going to happen.” Alice was my first real friend on the island, and we had so much in common, there was no way I was letting her go.
Chapter 17
Jordan
“You got any plans for tonight?” Mauli asked at the end of our shift as we trudged off the field. “I’m going to see my cousin, but we could probably work in a drink after?”
“No can do.” I grinned, beads of sweat running down my temples. “I’m going to dinner at Elyse’s.”
“Dinner, huh?” He waggled his eyebrows at me. “That’s a good thing, bro. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen you. It’s kind of gross, but it’s probably a good thing.”
“No. No, it’s not.” The fact that Mauli could tell I was happy was distinctly bad because Kole knew me even better than he did. If Mauli could tell, Kole would be able to.
Fuck. I shoved a hand into my hair and let my head tip back. “Is it really that obvious?”
Mauli frowned. “Yes, bro. It’s really that obvious. It’s a good thing, though. I’m sure of it. Everyone deserves to happy.”
“Yeah, maybe. I just can’t be happy with her.” Thankfully, neither of us had any long-term expectations. “It’ll pass. It has to. This is just because it’s been so long.”
He raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t say anything. The look he gave me was enough for me to know he didn’t agree.
After saying goodbye, he walked over to his car and left me wondering who was right between the two of us. Once I got home, I wasn’t sure that I should go over to Elyse’s. There was still enough time to back out.
On the other hand, I knew that she didn’t know many people on the island. Maybe she just wanted to hang out. She probably hadn’t invited me over to do anything sexual.
I grabbed a quick shower and tried to convince myself that if she just wanted to hang out, it was fine to be going over there. No betrayal in keeping her company.
Being just friends with her would be tough, but I could do it. I could be there for her in the way I always should have been, even if it meant not being with her in the way I wanted to be. Putting our sexual relationship behind us was really the only way to go forward.
Sighing into the steamy shower cubicle, I closed my eyes and resolved to at least try. I got dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt when I was done getting cleaned up, then plucked my keys up from my dining room table and fired off a quick text to let her know I was on my way.
I knocked on her door at six on the dot. When it didn’t open, I knocked again.
“It’s open,” she called from inside.
My eyebrows tugged together. Leaving her door open definitely wasn’t safe. Twisting the knob, I let myself in and assumed she was busy in the kitchen.
I was already halfway there when I realized I didn’t smell any dinner. “Where are you?”
“In my room,” she called back. “Do you mind coming in here for a minute?”
I minded. I definitely fucking minded. The memories I had in that very bedroom were not going to make it easy to stick to my promise to try being only a friend to her. Groaning softly, I took a deep breath and walked over to her room.
Bracing myself for having to fight against an onslaught of memories of what had to have been the hottest night of my life, I opened the door.
Then my jaw dropped at the same time as her robe. Elyse was standing in front of her bed stark fucking naked. Except for a pair of red stilettos on her feet.
She wore a come-fuck-me smile and her eyes had been made up to look smoky. “Hey. I hope you don’t mind, but I had something a little different in mind for dinner.”
An hour ago, I’d promised myself I’d try to stay away from her, but there was no fucking way I was going to be able to do it now. She was naked, for Christ’s sake. I wasn’t a fucking saint. No way was I going to be able to resist her.
Before my brain even consciously gave the command, my feet were carrying me to her. My hands wound into her hair and gripped the soft strands a second before my body crashed into hers and our lips slammed together.
Elyse moaned into my mouth and slipped her arms around my neck, walking us backward until we toppled onto the bed. Our tongues mashed together, exploring and devouring all at the same time.
Her hands ran down my back, her legs hooking around my waist. I felt the heat of her naked, bare pussy through the fabric of my jeans and nearly lost it right fucking there.
She writhed beneath me, rubbing herself on the seam of my pants, making these ecstatic noises that drove me wild. I had no idea what she’d been up to before I’d gotten here, but the possibilities of what she might have been doing to have gotten herself this worked up already had me halfway out of my mind and desperate to ram into her.
Bringing a hand to her hip, I slowed the rolling movement of them and broke the kiss to look into her eyes. “Well, hello to you too.”
Her lips were swollen from our frenzied kisses and her pupils blown up. I could see and feel from the way she was trembling that she was right on the edge.
With her chest rising and falling on panting breaths, she smirked up at me. “I’ve missed you.”
“I see that.” I ran my hand from her hip to the underside of her breast and back down again, noticing the shiver that ran through her when I did. I cocked my head, an uncharacteristic playfulness expanding in my chest. “Why have you been missing me so much, huh? What have you been doing?”
She groaned in frustration, her hands grabbing my ass and squeezing it. “Isn’t it obvious?”
I shrugged, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Indulge me. I thought I was coming over to hang out and have dinner. Then this happened.”
“Are you complaining?” She narrowed her eyes on a glare as I shifted my hips when she tried to rub against me again.
“I’m absolutely not complaining.” I ground my aching cock against her flesh, watching as she practically fucking whimpered and her eyes fluttered closed. “Trust me, I’d never complain about getting to have you for dinner. I’m just wondering what brought this on.”
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the other night.” She bucked against me and opened her eyes, already getting hazy with pleasure. “God, Jordan. I haven’t… I mean…”
She forced herself to suck in a deep breath to collect her thoughts and brought her gaze to mine. “I haven’t wanted anyone this much in a really long time. I don’t usually go around throwing myself at people, but I thought you might like the surprise and honestly? I didn’t want to have to wait to see how the night played out.”
“I love the surprise,” I said, “and you have no idea how much it turns me the fuck on to know that you went for what you wanted. You never have to wait around with me, okay? Just tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.”
Her lips parted on a soft moan and she wiggled her hips. “I want to come.”
“I can definitely give you that.” I sat up on my knees and tugged my shirt off over my head, the corners of my lips lifting into a smirk as I ran my eyes down her flushed porcelain skin. “Tell me something though. What were you doing before I got here?”
“Getting ready.” A rosy hue colored her cheeks as she swallowed.
I tilted my head a
nd my eyes darted to the half-open drawer in her nightstand. “You didn’t have a whole lot of clothes on when I came in, so what were you doing to get ready?”
“Uh.” She paused then rolled her eyes before fixing them to mine and rocking her hips against me again. “Do I really have to spell it out for you?”
“No, but I would like you to show me.” I scooted up a little and pulled the drawer open, my suspicion confirmed when I saw a small bullet-style vibrator lying on top of a pile of other stuff. I reached for it and held it up. “Yeah, I’m definitely going to need you to show me.”
Elyse’s skin flushed more, but I didn’t want her to be embarrassed about this. It was fucking hot, nothing to be embarrassed about.
Finding a little button on the vibrator, I turned it on and leaned over to whisper in her ear as I ran the toy down the center of her chest. “You’re not the only one who’s been getting yourself off because you can’t stop thinking about that night. I haven’t jerked off this much since I was fifteen.”
She moaned when I ran the vibrator over her nipple, her eyelids heavy but her gaze locked on mine. “Really? You’ve been thinking about it, too?”
“So much.” I let the toy trail between her breasts to pass it over the other nipple. “Please don’t be embarrassed. I want to see what you do when you’re alone, but you don’t have to show me if you don’t want.”
Her throat moved as she swallowed, but after another beat of searching my eyes, one of her hands closed over mine and took the vibrator from me. She moved up a little so her head was fully resting on her pillows and released a breath.
“I’ll show you if you show me.” Shit, I should have seen that one coming. “That’s the deal.”
She ran the toy down the length of her body, teasing it over her thighs. Her lips were parted, and I saw how much she wanted to touch the thing to her clit, but she wouldn’t until I agreed.
“Okay,” I said, aware that I was about to cross yet another line with her. At this point though, it hardly seemed to matter, considering that I’d crossed about a million as it was.
Have Your Way With Me Page 11
