Where You Are

by Alla Kar

  I pull my hair to the side and lift an eyebrow. “You do know this is a pretend date, don’t you? I don’t want his hands on me.”

  Heather rolls her eyes. “It’s just an expression.”

  I’m pretty sure it’s not, but I nod anyway. Bethany slings the door open a few minutes later. She is carrying a bunch of snacks and a small video camera. “How are we doing? You look hot, when will he be here?”

  “Five minutes,” I say.

  She nods, unloading her armful of candy onto Heather’s bed. I poke my lip out. “Why don’t I get any candy? I’m the one doing all of the work.”

  Bethany tosses me a Snickers and continues to get her gear set up. Heather pulls my hair to the side in a long ponytail. “Be sure to speak into your necklace, make sure it’s on at all times. We’re going to get this sucker.”

  “Should we be worried about her?” I whisper to Heather.

  She shakes her head. “Nah, she is just a woman scorned. You know what they say about that.”

  Isn’t that the truth.

  Aiden is right on time. A few knuckle raps against the door tell me he is here. I open the door. Aiden is holding a bouquet of pink roses. He grins, gaze rolling from head to toe. “You look amazing. I guess I’ll be with the prettiest girl at the party tonight.”

  Lame, we all know that’s not true. I fake a smile. Heather reaches around and grabs the flowers. “I’ll take those, you two have a great night.” She shuts the door, leaving me alone in the hallway with him.

  “You ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  The party is loud. I can hear the music from three blocks away. It’s only a short distance from our dorm room to the TKE fraternity house, so Aiden decides it would be nice to walk. I, on the other hand, wouldn’t have minded a ride in the BMW. These heels are killing my poor feet.

  “So, about the other night. I—I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about that guy and you. I’m sorry…it’s just…” he trails off, pulling at the neck of his shirt. “I was jealous.”

  I’m sure Bethany is having a heart attack right now. I clear my throat and push my hair behind my ear. “We’ve only been on one date, Aiden.”

  He nods, squeezing his arm around my waist. “I know that. I—I feel like a girl. I just don’t want anyone else to have you.”

  I fight the urge to roll my eyes, and give him a small smirk. “Well, let’s just see how tonight goes. No need to rush into anything.”

  Aiden nods, even though I swear I see him frown.

  ***

  I don’t know how many drinks have been thrown in my direction. Aiden doesn’t seem to notice that I’ve been dumping them into the plant standing right beside me. I am not about to become that girl.

  Aiden has claimed a small corner, close to the kitchen. Easy for him, since he’s been slipping away to bring more drinks back for me. He thinks I haven’t noticed but I know he has only had one drink. A couple of other guys stand around us.

  I’m on my fourth pretend drink, when Aiden leans down to rest his lips just below my ear. It’s the first physical contact we’ve had. It startles me, causing me to dump my drink onto the floor, splattering all up my legs.

  “Shit,” I mumble.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you. You want me to go to the bathroom with you to get cleaned up?”

  Yeah, like that’s a good idea, I’ve seen How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. I press my hand to his chest. He misreads me and pulls me close to him, his lips a whisper away. I knew this would happen, I mean, I am bringing this upon myself. Think, Laney. Think.

  Instead of kissing Aiden, I wrap my hand around his neck and grab a hold of his hair. “Save my spot,” I whisper, before withdrawing and climbing the stairs. I see an excitement in Aiden’s eyes. He doesn’t even move.

  Maneuvering my way through the crowded staircase, I try to calm down. The beer is sliding down to my toes, and my heart is jackhammering in my chest from the physical contact. I haven’t had any in years.

  A few people are in line at the bathroom. After five minutes of waiting, I push the door open and lock it behind me.

  “Gross,” I pinch my nose and flush the toilet. Damn alcoholics.

  Stripping my shoes off, I grab a washcloth from underneath the sink and run it under the cold water. Sliding onto the sink, I start to wipe the beer from my skin.

  Chill bumps climb up my leg and I shiver. A small knock on the door startles me, and I drop my washcloth.

  “Someone is in here,” I say.

  Three more knocks. Thud. Thud. Thud.

  “I said, someone is in here!” I yell, jumping down to find the cloth. I’m in the process of picking up the cloth when I hear the door click and it slides open.

  Jumping up, I press my hands against the back of the sink and stare at my intruder. I wish I hadn’t.

  Lachlan is standing in front of me, and dammit if his gaze hasn’t moved from the low drop in the front of my dress. I clear my throat and his eyes rise to mine, not one indication he is sorry for staring. Damn him and his lock-picking abilities. He used to pick every lock in the damned school so we could have a room to ourselves. We weren’t very academically motivated back then; our hormones ran everything.

  I’m so anxious and it is eating me alive. I have no idea why he is standing in front of me, breathing hard, eyes glued to me. Swallowing, he reaches over and locks the bathroom door.

  That anxious feeling just turned into torment. I won’t—no, I can’t. “What are you doing in here?” I finally choke out.

  He doesn’t answer at first, only gazes over me, head to toe. “I—I saw you come in here. I was following you.”

  Following me? Why? Had he seen Aiden try to kiss me? Had he seen me dumping my drinks? “Why?”

  His powerful chest is rising and falling hard. The fabric of his dark gray T-shirt is pressed as tightly as possible to his chest. Jesus. “I—” he steps closer, the woodsy smell of his soap nearly brings me to my knees, “—we need to talk, Lane. I—we haven’t talked since it happened. I want—I need you to talk to me, please.”

  “I can’t. Not here. Not now. I have—I have to get back out there.” I try to move past him but he doesn’t budge. “Move, Lachlan. Now.”

  He shakes his head slowly, not taking his eyes off of me. I feel dizzy, my senses not allowing me to think clearly. They’re focused on him…on Lachlan.

  I’m trembling from his closeness, yet I can’t make myself turn away. He had always been there for me. Through it all. I tore him into pieces and he is still standing in front of me…wanting to work it out…wanting to talk to me.

  Startling me, his arms come out, tangling rough fingers into my hair. He pulls, yanking my head back, to look up at him. The spot in-between my legs is burning for him. His touch…there is nothing like it. He knows exactly where to touch to drive me to my knees. Inhaling, he presses his mouth to my ear, a small growl erupting from his throat.

  A strong arm wraps around my waist, and his tongue slides out to kiss my neck. I moan, not able to control myself.

  “Luv, I can almost see your knickers in that dress.” God, if his accent didn’t light me on fire, his fingers brushing the edge of my dress does.

  Arching my back, I press my chest against his, feeling how hard he is against my stomach. “Can I kiss you, luv? You know you want me to,” he whispers, touching his lips to my jaw.

  I don’t answer, just keep my head pressed against his chest. I don’t trust myself to look at him. I’m sure I’d be beneath him breathing hard in two point five seconds. A hungry groan leaves his throat, and he swings me around until my back presses against the bathroom wall. Grabbing my face with his hardened hands, he drags his tongue from my neck to the corner of my mouth.

  I ache. Everywhere. He dampens my lips before opening me with his tongue, grazing my bottom lip with his teeth. A helpless sigh escapes my lips, which causes him to crash his tongue into me.

  And I talk about Heather and Bethany and their la
ck of self-control. I can’t help but let myself go with him. After four years of being separated in torment, I feel him against me. It’s so perfectly wrong. I feel like I’m drowning in his warmth, in his want for me.

  It’s all happening again…that night. The day I did it. I broke his heart. I broke my own. Trying to pull my mouth away, Lachlan grips my hair tighter, keeping me in place so I can’t move. “Please, luv. Just a bit longer. I want to remember your taste. Let me taste you.”

  Frustration is building in my chest, I want him too badly to describe, but I know I can’t. I can’t do this to him. I can’t do this to me. I’m here with someone else, pretend or not. Pressing against his chest, he stops cold. No more.

  He steps back away from me, eyes wide with hunger. “Lane, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

  I shake my head, trying to calm myself down. My entire body is still flaming. “You can’t just come in here and kiss me, Lachlan. I’m here with someone else.”

  It feels foreign on my tongue. I hadn’t been with anyone else since him. It had always been him. Always.

  Anger runs over his face, and he clenches his fists tight at his sides. Part of his dark hair has fallen into his eye. “That fucking twit downstairs? You’re better than him, Laney. You fucking know it. He hasn’t stopped staring at your chest since you walked through the bloody door.”

  I scoff. “As opposed to you, who stares at it in the bathroom?”

  Lachlan growls, pushing his fingers through his hair. “You’re mine! I had you first. I deserve to have you now. You’re being ridiculous…” he walks toward me, glaring. “And you fucking liked it, luv.”

  Half of my body is cowering in a lustful fear, and the other half, the logical half, is mad as hell. “Get out of the way.”

  He sidesteps me and holds his hands up. “Gladly.”

  Slinging the door open, I slam into a few people scattered through the hallway. I’m raging and I can’t wait to get out of here. I make it to the bottom of the stairs and run right into Aiden.

  He grabs my shoulders and bends his knees to get a better look at me. “Wow, Laney. Are you okay? You’re pale…” He gazes over me and it makes me nervous. I hope I don’t look as hot as I feel.

  “Yeah,” I scratch my forehead. “Actually, can we head out of here? I’m feeling a little sick to my stomach.”

  “Sure, let me get our coats.”

  Aiden doesn’t say much on the way home. He holds my hands between his, rubbing over my fingers lightly. The gesture surprises me but I don’t stop him.

  When we get to my dorm, he opens the double doors for me and walks me up the stairs. My hormones are just now calming down, and the thought of him kissing me goodnight is alive on my mind. I listen when we get to our door, just in case Heather and Bethany are listening on the other side. I’m sure they are.

  Aiden clears his throat and tugs on his sleeve. “I’m sorry you weren’t feeling too great. Are you feeling better?” he asks, pushing his blond hair from his eyes.

  I nod. “Yeah, I think the smoke and alcohol started to get to me.”

  Aiden licks his lips, eyes darting over my face. I haven’t given him any reason not to kiss me, so it shocks me when he asks. “Laney, I really like you. I don’t want to push you away, so I’m asking, can I kiss you goodnight?”

  I hear a loud gasp from the other side of the door. Aiden’s brows pull together and he jabs a thumb toward my room. Panicking, I grip his face between my hands, holding him an inch away until he is really nervous. Leaning forward, I press my lips to his. He takes a long breath in, then reaches for my waist and pulls me toward him. He is solid, his lips soft, and Bethany wasn’t lying. He is a pretty good kisser. But, not Lachlan great.

  Pulling back, he groans and presses his forehead to mine. “God …I think that’s the best first kiss I’ve ever had.”

  Smiling, I reach for the door and slide it open. “See you later, Aiden.”

  He is smirking when I close the door.

  “Holy shit, Laney. Get your ass over here. Why aren’t you melted into a puddle right now?” Heather screeches.

  I lift an eyebrow, then it comes to me. They saw and heard everything in the bathroom too. Blood rushes to my cheeks, and I feel warm. Bethany is sitting on her shins, her hands pressed underneath her chin as if in prayer.

  “Who the hell is Lachlan? And you just had two totally hot guys kiss you. What is going on?” Bethany yells.

  Sighing, I slip out of my shoe and dress. “I told you both, Lachlan is an ex-boyfriend. He…kissed me in the bathroom. There. That’s it.”

  Heather laughs, bends over and really laughs. “Right, because that in the bathroom was just a kiss. He fucked your mouth, Laney. That was the hottest kiss ever. ‘Please, luv. Just a bit longer. I want to remember your taste. Let me taste you,’” she says in a fake Australian accent.

  I roll my eyes to keep from drawing attention to my blush. It was the best kiss ever, though. My panties are still soaked. Shrugging, I crawl into bed beside Bethany. “Jesus…it was so good.”

  Heather claps her hands together and jumps onto her bed. “Are you going to tell us what happened?”

  I shake my head. “I’m tired. I just want to go to sleep. I mean—I just got tongue raped by two guys. Well, sort of.”

  Bethany smirks and plays with the end of her hair. “He…he just kissed you. He didn’t try and come inside or jump you.”

  Tears are building in her eyes. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her toward me. “You want to stop? I can easily break it off now.”

  “No!” she screeches. “No, Laney. This is what he deserves. He does this to every girl he comes in contact with. Now, he will see how it feels. Please, we have to keep going. Please.” Her last “please” is breathless. She wants this so bad. How can I say no? I’ve already agreed. Regardless that alcohol played a huge part of my poorly made decision.

  Damn it. Just when I thought I had an out. “Okay, we’ll do some sabotage tomorrow.”

  Chapter Eight

  Lachlan

  “When you’re dreaming with a broken heart

  The waking up is the hardest part” – John Mayer

  I’m a bloody idiot. Of course she was here with someone else. I had seen him feeding her beer all night long like a damned whore. I’d also seen her pour it out into the plant behind her. Not to mention he totally misread her signs; she didn’t want to kiss him.

  She didn’t, but why?

  It doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t really touch him¸ only goes along with him, teasing him almost.

  It frustrates the fucking hell out of me. She deserves so much more than him.

  Mumbling under my breath, I take the stairs two at a time. I’m sure she’s already left. Judging by the empty space in the corner, they’ve both left. Shoving my way through the crowd, I look for Lucas. He isn’t the tallest bastard, so I’m having trouble finding him.

  After ten minutes, I find him bent over a pool table in a back room. Fuck. Now, I’ll have to pry him away from his pool game.

  I push my way toward him, tapping him on the shoulder. “Oh, hey, man, where’ve you been?” He takes a long drag off his cigarette.

  Christ, I need one, too. “I need to go.”

  Lucas glances up over his fag and lifts a brow. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  I shrug and mess with my hair to avoid looking at him. “I’ll tell you later, mate, can we please just go? It’s getting late anyway, and I have the Cook Off tomorrow.”

  It wasn’t a stupid lie. I was worried about the Cook Off, but right now, it’s the furthest thing from my mind. All I can think about is pounding that twit’s face into oblivion.

  Lucas nods, takes a long drag, and puts his pool stick down. “Sorry, boys. I’ve got plans. Hit me up and we’ll play sometime next week.”

  They all mumble their goodbyes, while I’m on edge waiting to get the hell out of here.

  Lucas follows me out, drops his cigarette on the groun
d and stomps it out. “What is the rush? Did you see her?”

  I look over at him and stare.

  “I take it that’s a yes?”

  Shoving my hands into my pockets, which is something I should have done in the bathroom, I shrug. “Yeah, I definitely saw her. I basically shoved my tongue down her throat in the bathroom.”

  Lucas laughs loudly and unlocks his door. “So, what happened? I see you don’t have a black eye. That’s always a good start.”

  “No, she kissed me back for a bit, then went all nuts on me. She said she was here with someone else. Then she stormed out of the bathroom.”

  Lucas sighs, then scratches the back of his neck. “Well, maybe a not-so aggressive approach would do?”

  “Are we talking about the same girl?”

  He smiles. “You’re definitely right. She’ll come around. We’ll make sure of it. Now, we need to get the hell home. I’m dying for a drink.”

  ***

  Savannah is sitting on the couch when we get home, a dark-haired girl beside her. She doesn’t look familiar, but I have only been here two days.

  Savannah jumps up when we walk in, a grin plastered to her face. She actually looks a little embarrassed. “Hi, guys.” She clears her throat. “This is Jamie, she is my friend from school. This is Lachlan and Lucas.”

  The girl stands and offers her hand to both of us. She looks nervous and keeps fiddling with her jeans, which are skin-tight to her ass.

  “We were just going to hang out tonight; we didn’t realize you guys were going to be home so early.”

  That’s a bloody lie. She had been texting Lucas the whole damn time. I narrow my eyes at Savannah, but she avoids it by offering Jamie something to drink.

  If this isn’t a setup I don’t know what the hell is. “Well,” I clear my throat, not in the mood for games, “I’m beat. I think I’m going to head to bed.”

  “No,” Savannah yells. “Why don’t you guys play a game of dominoes with us? Please, one game?”