“Unless what you said to me in the truck earlier was complete bullshit then you most certainly would.”
I don’t even process what he’s saying because the instant his scent dances over me, everything else goes right out the window. I take a deep inhale, not even the least bit concerned with the fact that I’m not being discreet.
“You smell good,” I tell him, smiling.
“And you’re drunk.”
“Doesn’t matter. You still smell good.” I giggle.
“Fuck me.” He steps back. “Let’s get you home.” He pulls me next to him before dropping an arm over my shoulder. Securing me against him, probably to make sure I don’t fall more than anything, he sets off through the crowd, making a beeline for Chris who’s chatting with a dark haired girl I’ve never seen before.
He seems quite invested in whatever they’re talking about but his gaze shifts to us when he senses our presence. His eyes bounce from Thad to me and then back to Thad.
“I’m going to drive Laken home,” Thad tells my brother. “Apparently she can’t handle whiskey.”
“I could have told you that.” Chris chuckles before his expression falls serious. “You good?” he asks Thad in a way that makes me extremely curious and yet I’m not at all able to process why.
“Yeah, I’m good.” He gives my brother a quick nod before we’re walking again, this time in the direction of the truck.
“Are you sure you should be driving? Maybe we should just sleep in the truck,” I slur out once Thad has me planted in the passenger seat and is settled into the driver’s seat next to me.
“Why would we do that?” He gives me a weird look before firing the engine to life.
“Um, because we’ve been drinking,” I say way louder than I intend to.
“No, you’ve been drinking.”
“Oh that’s right. Mr. Goodie two shoes doesn’t like to drink,” I mock.
“I never said I didn’t like to drink,” he states flatly, popping the truck into gear before doing a U-turn in the middle of the street.
“You’ll need to explain that, because I’m pretty sure you told me you don’t like drinking when I asked if you wanted to have a drink with me.”
“I simply declined your invitation for a drink. You assumed from there.”
“So then what’s your deal? You like to drink but you don’t drink?” The statement makes very little sense in my inebriated state.
“Pretty much.” He shakes his head and sighs. “Now, can we talk about something else?” There’s a hint of irritation in his voice and for some reason it really does it for me.
“You’re hot when you’re mad,” I slur.
“I’m not mad,” he counters, the side of his mouth quirking up.
“Well, you’re still hot.”
“Says the girl who can’t speak without slurring.” His smile widens. “Not sure you’re the best judge right now.”
“Screw you, I can speak just fine.” I do my damndest to keep my voice even but it ends up coming out worse.
“Uh huh.” He chuckles, clearly amused by my ridiculousness.
“Do you want me?” The question leaves my mouth abruptly and without any real thought.
“What?” Thad’s gaze whips to mine before quickly darting back to the road.
“You heard me. Do. You. Want. Me?” I state each word slowly.
“Laken.”
“Don’t try to dodge the question. I was right earlier, wasn’t I? You want me and that’s why you keep me at arm’s length.”
“I don’t really think now’s the time to discuss this,” he objects.
“Now’s the perfect time. Tell me the truth.”
“It won’t change anything.”
“What won’t?”
“How I feel. It won’t change anything between us so why should it matter?”
“Because it matters to me. And who says it won’t change anything?”
“Because it won’t.”
“But what if it does?” I challenge, unsnapping my seatbelt before sliding into the middle of the truck, my hand instantly finding Thad’s thigh.
“Laken,” he warns, his hand landing firmly on top of mine, preventing it from moving it upward.
“Don’t Laken me. You want me. I want you. Why are you fighting me on this?” I ask, the alcohol driving my actions and my words.
“Pretty sure you’re going back to L.A. the first chance you get. Not to mention I’m the last guy you want to get involved with.”
“I’m not asking for a marriage proposal here, Thad.” I lean in, running the tip of my nose up his jaw before my lips press to the soft spot right below his ear.
His entire body tenses as he takes a swift intake of air.
“Laken,” he tries again.
“Come on,” I whisper, sucking his earlobe into my mouth.
“Fuck,” Thad grinds out, jerking the truck to the side of the road with so much force I slide back into the passenger seat.
Before I can say a word, Thad is out of the truck.
“What the hell are you doing?” I try to get out of the truck on my side but remember the door is broken.
“Trying to keep myself from fucking you stupid right now.” He stops mid pace and pins his gaze on my face through the open window.
“Why would you want to stop yourself from doing that?” I attempt to open the driver’s side door, but Thad presses his weight into it the moment I do, making it impossible for me to do so.
“Because you’re drunk and as much as I want to, I can’t be that guy.”
“So you do want me,” I say, a slow smile stretching across my face.
“For fucks sake, Laken, you know I do,” he grinds out. “I’d have to be fucking blind not to.”
“Then let me out of this truck,” I say, trying to force the door open without success.
“Not a chance.”
“Then get back in here.”
“I can’t. Not until you promise you’ll stay on your side of the truck and keep your hands to yourself.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Fuck, Laken,” he growls. “Just fucking promise so I can get your ass home.”
“And what will you do with me once you get me home?” I ask, leaning through the open window.
“I’m gonna spank your ass if you’re not careful.”
“Mmm. Mr. Mitchell, I think I like that sound of that,” I purr.
“Are you purposely trying to kill me right now?” he says almost pained despite the smile on his lips.
“Kill you, no. Fuck you, yes.”
“And then what?” His question catches me off guard.
“What do you mean?”
“What happens after I fuck you?”
“Hopefully you’ll do it again.” I smile wider.
“You know what I mean. What exactly do you want from me? I can’t give you more than sex.”
“Well lucky for you that’s all I’m asking for.” I try the door again, and to my surprise, Thad lets me push it open, stepping out of the way to let me slide out. “No strings. No attachments. Just two adults acting on a mutual attraction.” I step up in front of him.
“And when you move back to L.A.?”
“Then I can say I had one hell of a good time while I was home. You say you can’t give me more and that’s good with me because I don’t want more. But right now I do want you.” I fist his shirt, pulling his face close to mine. “Now what are you going to do about it?”
“I can’t,” he tells me, taking control as he backs me into the truck. “Not tonight,” he says, calming the rejection he delivered by sliding my tank top strap over my shoulder and pressing his lips to my collar bone. My head falls back and warmth instantly spreads through my body.
“Yes tonight,” I pant out breathlessly as his mouth works slowly up the side of my neck.
“No.”
His eyes come up to meet mine, his face so close I can feel his breath hot on my lips
. He holds my gaze for what feels like an eternity before he finally closes the distance between us.
The instant his mouth is on mine my entire body zings to life as if being zapped by a thousand volts of electricity. It surges through me causing every hair on my body to stand and every inch of my skin to prickle.
I open for him immediately. Wanting to feel him, to taste him. He kisses me deep, his tongue swirling against mine. His fingers wrap into the back of my hair and hold my face in place, forcing me to take the full brunt of the kiss. It’s hard and punishing and hands down the most powerful kiss I’ve ever experienced.
I’ve barely processed the intensity of it all before Thad steps away, his mouth leaving mine so abruptly that I nearly whimper at the loss of him.
He pulls in a few deep breaths before speaking.
“We should go.” He pulls open the driver’s door forcing me to step out of the way.
“What?” I question, my voice a mix of anger and confusion.
“Laken.” He turns his gaze on me. “I already told you, not tonight.”
Disappointment instantly settles in my gut.
“If you wake up tomorrow and you still wanna do this, I’m in. I may not be much of a gentleman, but I have enough class not to take advantage of a woman who clearly isn’t in her right mind.”
“Money says if any one of the women that was hanging all over you earlier threw themselves at you, you’d have no problem fucking her.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have. But that’s because I respect you enough not to take advantage of you right now. I won’t be something you wake up to regret tomorrow. I’ll be that guy for some women. But for you I won’t.”
I consider that for a long moment. No matter how all over the place my drunken emotions are, I can’t deny that he seems to really be struggling with this. Whether it’s because I’m drunk and somewhat offended so he’s trying to talk me off a ledge, or because he really means what he says, I decide to give.
“Fine.” I huff, turning to climb into the truck when suddenly my stomach turns viciously.
It hits me out of nowhere and I barely get my head turned in time before puke spews from my mouth like a scene out of The Exorcist. Luckily, my back is to Thad so he can’t see my face but I still burn with embarrassment knowing he’s standing right behind me, witnessing the entire mortifying scene as it plays out.
His hand settles on my back as heaves continue to rack my body, but I shake him off, holding my hand up to keep him at bay.
I don’t know how long I stand hunched over next to the truck – a minute, two minutes, ten – all I know is that when the vomit finally subsides it feels like it’s been hours.
When I’m able to straighten my stance I sway, the alcohol seeming to hit me twice as hard now that it’s out of my body.
“Whoa.” Thad moves to support me when I nearly fall turning to climb into the truck. “Careful,” he says softly as he helps me up.
I slide into the passenger seat and instantly lay my head against the open window, feeling like I might be sick again and yet having no idea how there could be anything left in my stomach at this point.
“Laken,” Thad starts the moment he’s settled into the truck next to me.
“Just don’t, okay? I’m mortified enough as it is,” I grumble almost inaudibly.
I don’t look in his direction, my eyelids too heavy to even think about opening again.
“Just let me know if you need me to stop, okay?” he says, the truck swaying as he pulls back out onto the road.
I don’t answer, afraid what will come out if I open my mouth. Instead, I curl into myself in the seat and pray that I can make it home without any further embarrassing incidents. Though I think it’s safe to say the damage has already been done.
Chapter Ten
I groan, rolling to my side to try to alleviate the harsh pounding in my forehead that pulls me from my sleep. My stomach lurches and I instantly shoot up, fearing I won’t make it to the bathroom in time as I take off through my room and out into the hallway.
I slide into the bathroom, managing to get the door shut and to the toilet just in time. I have no idea how there’s anything left in my system to throw up after last night and yet it keeps coming.
When the heaves start to subside, I slide down on the floor and press my back to the side of the bathtub, pulling my knees up to my chest before resting my head on top of them.
It doesn’t take long for the memories of last night to resurface, but as soon as they do, I’m concerned that I’m going to get sick all over again. Only for a very different reason.
And yet, as embarrassed as I am by my behavior I can’t deny how incredible the kiss Thad and I shared was. Closing my eyes I replay the moment in my mind. How it felt when his lips touched mine. How I felt like my heart was going to pound out of my chest. How even though I was drunk it seems to be the one thing about last night that burns crystal clear.
I never intended to drink the way I did. I’m not even sure why I did it. And I certainly didn’t plan on throwing myself at Thad either. Though I’m pretty certain I know why I did that.
My attraction to him has been undeniable from the first time I saw him. I’m pretty sure I’ve thrown myself at him a hundred times over in my mind but never thought I’d be ballsy enough to actually do it. Of course it took drinking way too much to get me there.
I don’t even remember getting home last night. The last thing I can recall is puking on the side of the road. Heat floods my cheeks at the thought of what condition I was most likely in when Thad got me here.
Pulling my head up, I look down at my clothes to find I’m still in the same outfit I wore to the party. Feeling the sudden need to try to scrub myself clean of the fool I made of myself last night, I reach behind me and turn the water on before standing and discarding my clothes on the floor.
Pulling the lever to activate the shower head, I slip underneath the spray as soon as the water is warm enough. The heat intense against my chilled skin.
I try not to focus on last night as I lather my hair and rinse it. I try not to think about the way Thad’s kiss lit me on fire. I try not to imagine it’s his hands sliding down my body as I wash myself. It becomes very clear to me rather quickly that trying any of these things is a fruitless act. No matter how hard I try I simply can’t shake the spell Thad Mitchell seems to have cast over me.
By the time I exit the shower nearly twenty minutes later, I feel physically better but mentally a hundred times worse. The more I think about how I acted the more embarrassed I become. So much so that I purposely hide out in my room until I’m certain Thad is finished with breakfast. Even then I still sneak through the house, checking around every corner before entering each room.
I let out a deep sigh of relief when I find my mom alone in the kitchen, cleaning breakfast dishes and talking on the phone to who I can only assume is her sister Cheryl based on the conversation.
She gives me a soft smile over her shoulder when she hears me enter, clearly having no idea of the hangover I’m currently nursing. I doubt she’d keep talking on the phone like it’s any other day if she knew.
My mom has never seen me drunk or even hung over, but I can’t imagine it would go over well if she learned of her only daughter’s horrible behavior last night.
Pouring me a quick cup of coffee, I suck it back in record time, somehow managing to not burn the roof of my mouth in the process. Sliding the empty cup into the sink, I wait to get my mom’s attention before telling her I’m running to town for a little while. Still on the phone, she simply nods and presses a light kiss to my cheek.
I exit through the front door to avoid any chance of running into Thad before taking off through the front yard to my car that’s parked in the grass a few feet from the house.
Jamming the keys into the ignition, I cringe when the engine rumbles to life. My Civic has been on her last leg for a while and it seems the time she’s sat over the past few days has only
worsened her condition. I consider abandoning the idea to go to town but quickly change my mind when I catch sight of Thad off in the distance, pushing a wheel barrel toward the barn.
Shoving the car into drive, I do a U-turn in the driveway without looking in his direction again.
Chapter Eleven
“Wait, you did what?” Whitney laughs into the phone, clearly finding humor in my current predicament.
“It’s not funny, Whit. I made a complete fool of myself,” I tell her, making my way out of Luna’s Ice Cream shop on Main Street – a large mint chocolate chip milkshake in my hand. Growing up it had been my go to treat when I was feeling sorry for myself, so when I passed Luna’s I couldn’t stop myself from turning around and going inside.
“I’m sorry, Lake, but it is funny. Very funny actually.”
“Well I’m glad you think so,” I grind out, looking both ways before quickly crossing the street to where my car is parked.
“Oh come on. You have to see the humor in this.” She chuckles. “If it were me and the roles were reversed, you’d be having a nice long laugh at my expense right about now.”
“I would not,” I object. “Okay, so maybe you’re right. But that doesn’t make things any better for me right now. What the hell am I going to do? I’m pretty certain I will never be able to face him again.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. So you got drunk and suggested you become fuck buddies. Would that really be such a bad thing?”
I consider that for a moment knowing it wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.
“You’re completely ignoring the fact that I practically vomited on his feet. He probably doesn’t want to be anywhere near me.”
“Pretty sure most guys would not be deterred by a little upchuck.” The smile in her voice is clear.
“So then what do you suggest I do?” I ask, unlocking my car door before sliding into the driver’s seat.
“Drive your ass back home, walk right up to him, and tell him you meant what you said last night.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“That’s easy for you to say. What if he laughs in my face?” I take a long gulp of my milkshake before laying my head back against the headrest.
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