Whiskey and Regret

by Danielle James

  When it did, I went back to studying the enigma sitting beside me. She pulled out her phone, still keeping her body angled away from mine. I tried to occupy myself with something so I pulled out my phone too. I couldn’t stare at her for the entire ride.

  My phone buzzed with a text the moment I had it in my hands.

  Xari: Why are you staring at me like a fucking creep?

  I jerked my eyes to her, and I couldn’t help but smile a little.

  Xari: Apollo is going to notice you’re staring at me too, Evander.

  Me: Sorry. I get caught up when I see beauty up close and personal.

  Xari: Wow. That was so fucking horrible. LOL Is that how you apologize for being a dick?

  Me: Nah. Usually, that involves fucking you until you can’t walk.

  Xari: Fucking me until I can’t walk. Sounds like what you wrote in A Heart’s Song. I mean you said it poetically but that was the gist.

  I stared at my phone for a few silent seconds, blinking at her words. My heart thudded to life in my chest.

  Me: You read A Heart’s Song?

  Xari: Yeah. I finished it. I finished all your books. I was planning to have this long, drawn-out discussion with you book club style last night but we ended up getting drunk and you gave me dick until we passed out.

  Me: We did…I don’t regret it.

  Xari: Me either.

  Me: So…what did you think? I mean about the books.

  Xari: LOL because you already know how I feel about the dick.

  Xari: I think you have such a unique voice, Evander. I also think I saw a little bit of myself in Riley from Firebird.

  Me: Because you did see a little of yourself in her. When I wrote that book, you’d started bleeding into my subconscious.

  Xari: Being your muse makes me really fucking horny, Evander.

  When I glanced over at her, she was biting her plum-colored bottom lip. Watching her and knowing she was turned on, made my dick hard. I shifted a little in my spot and went back to texting.

  Me: You keep biting that bottom lip and I’ll have the driver pull over.

  Xari: Are you going to fuck me in front of Apollo? Because there’s no way for us to sneak in a quickie without him knowing we’re fucking.

  Me: Maybe I’ll steal you away once we’re inside the event then. One way or another, my dick is going in that sweet pussy.

  She cleared her throat beside me and did that little wiggle I love so fucking much. I wanted her to do it on my dick.

  I put the phone to sleep and discreetly slid my hand over to her thigh. “Heard from Frankie yet?” I quizzed, opening up pointless dialogue so she could move a little closer without it seeming too obvious.

  She inched over and I gave her thigh a squeeze. “No, not yet. I’m sure she’ll text when the play is over.” My hand disappeared beneath the hem of her delicate blush dress and she tried to control her breathing. I watched her chest rise and fall quickly though. The way she responded to my touch made me want to pull her on top of me and slide my dick inside her.

  My fingers brushed against the silk of her inner thigh and inched higher until I felt the fabric covering her pussy. The tip of her piercing greeted me and I pressed my thumb gently against it, giving her just enough pressure to make her body hum.

  “I wonder what play she’s seeing,” I said, keeping my eye trained on the front of the truck. I knew both the driver and Apollo could see the top half of Xari and I but unless they purposefully looked down, they couldn’t see anything else.

  “Who knows?” Xari’s legs parted a little more, granting me easier access to her. “So, um is this charity event going to go all day?”

  “Yeah. I’m uh, raising money alongside some of the community leaders for people who have been affected by housing loan discrimination. We’ll end the evening at the governor’s mansion for dinner.” I pulled her panties to the side and my fingers slipped against her wetness. I swallowed down the expletives dying to get out and Xari tried to compose herself, squirming and rocking her hips using micro-movements. I knew it wasn’t enough for her.

  I knew my girl.

  My flame.

  She wanted us to crash together so we could burn like we always did but if we came together in the backseat, we’d set fire to the truck and incinerate it down to the frame.

  I flicked her piercing and she gasped then tried to cover it with a cough. We were either being reckless or the chemistry between us was something that couldn’t be ignored even in the face of better decisions.

  Xari dug her fingers into my forearm and shot me a look that said she was about to coat my fingers in slippery sweet honey. My lips ached to kiss her neck and mark her up before we walked into this event. I wanted everyone to know who she belonged to.

  But did Xari really belong to me?

  I loved claiming her over and over but before now, I’d never wanted to show everyone that she was mine. My mouth went dry while I tried to push that thought away. I looked at Xari and let myself drown in that sexy ass face she made when she came.

  Her eyes fell shut for a couple of seconds and her breathing stopped. Goosebumps blanketed her golden skin before her spine went lax. “Oh my god…” she breathed. “The governor’s mansion. I can’t wait.” Her voice was painted red with lust and so were her dimpled cheeks.

  “They have the best food catered. I mean it’s absolutely…” I licked my fingers while I looked into her espresso pools. “Delicious.”

  “I bet it is.” Her eyes were lava as she fixated on my mouth. Her hand slid over to my lap, gripping my cock moving up and down my shaft. I loved watching her hold my dick. Her slender fingers couldn’t close around me completely but she knew exactly how to touch me.

  I lifted my hips a little and slid down in the seat, giving Xari a better grip. If we were alone, I’d pull it out for her and let her wrap those plump lips around it. The need to come was staggering. The way she touched me, the smell of her pussy on my fingers, the beauty of her piercing eyes were all pushing me to the edge. If she kept running her hand up and down my dick, I was going to blow my load in my fucking pants.

  “Yo, Dean, stop at this gas station. I need to take a piss.” Apollo’s voice made Xari yank her hand away but I can’t say that I was upset. I would have been in a world of fucking trouble if she kept going.

  “I need to go too,” I said, clearing the desire from my voice. I had to do something to get my dick to go down. Taking a walk would have to do.

  When the truck stopped, I hopped out and hurried toward the bathroom. I heard Apollo right behind me. “You know you can’t walk that far in front of me, Van. What the fuck are you speeding for?”

  “When you gotta go, you gotta go.”

  “Not before you wait for cover.” I almost forgot how seriously Apollo took his job when he was on duty. The only thing I was worried about was my erection.

  “We’re taking a quick bathroom break, Apollo, I’m fine.”

  “Oh…” He paused when we walked inside the gas station and I looked over my shoulder at him. “I know what this is.” That was all he said before walking to the back where the bathrooms were. I lowered my brows as I stepped into the bathroom and hoped he hadn’t seen what Xari and I were doing in the backseat.

  I ran cool water over my hands and shook them out while the blood in my body went back where it belonged. Xari had me acting like a teenager. I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Even the mention of her name made my temperature climb and my chest tighten.

  I even looked different when I came face to face with myself in the mirror. My eyes were brighter and I looked…peaceful. Usually, I had a million worries painting my features but not now. Not today with Xari by my side.

  When I left the bathroom, Apollo escorted me back to the truck just so he could use the bathroom without me being out in the open. “Try not to be all over Miss Lucas. I’m going to take a piss.”

  “What?” I chuckled as I approached the truck.

  “You’re like tw
o newlyweds in the backseat.” He shook his head then headed toward the gas station. When I climbed into the backseat, I looked up front and noticed the driver wasn’t there. I looked at Xari and she flashed me a smile.

  “I asked him to get me a few things from the gas station,” she grinned.

  “So that means we’re alone in here?” I smoothed a hand over my chin and pulled her petite frame close to me. She nodded then sandwiched my face between her palms.

  We crashed into a kiss.

  Each lick, suck, and bite was soaked in gasoline. Xari’s soft, needy whimpers were the match. I pulled her on top of me and grabbed her perfect ass under her dress.

  “Evander, I want to fuck you so bad.” She rocked her hips on top of my hard cock and I groaned.

  “Yeah, the feeling is more than mutual, Xari. You look so goddamn sexy right now.”

  “So do you. That suit is making me so wet.” She made sure to grind against me again, working her hips and waist.

  “Make yourself come for me, baby. Use my dick to come.”

  “Oh my god,” she whispered as she humped my cock through my slacks. I slipped my thumb in her mouth, pushing between two plush lips. I watched her suck and stare at me with beautiful eyes.

  The minute I found a place to pull her off to, I was going to fuck her so damn hard. We couldn’t get to the charity event soon enough.

  “Fuck, I’m about to come.” She leaned in and kissed me then she came while she straddled me. “Oh, Evander,” she breathed against my mouth.

  She slid off my lap and not a second later, the driver came back with her requested items from the gas station.

  “Thank you,” she said, trying not to sound steeped in sex and orgasms. Apollo came back right after that and we were back on the road.

  I knew I could count on him not saying anything because he rarely spoke more than one sentence when he was on duty unless we were completely alone. He never even looked at Xari in the rearview mirror even though I knew when he got the chance, he was going to rail into me. Well, as much as Apollo railed.

  “We’ve arrived, Senator Freeman,” the driver said before putting the car in park. We arrived at the back entrance to the Freeman Recreational Center in an understated fashion. I didn’t have Navy driven to the event, even though I would have if she wanted me to. She preferred to drive her own car. Apollo and Xari rode in the truck with me so my vehicle entourage was only one.

  Some congressmen and local celebrities pulled up with a caravan that was ten vehicles long. I hated being flashy. I was only there to help people and raise awareness, that didn’t call for a fleet of vehicles and a team of security. I wanted people to know me, not fear me.

  “Wow, I didn’t know you had a rec center named after you. Nice,” Xari stepped out of the backseat and I instinctively took her hand.

  “Named after my father. Not me,” I clarified.

  Dad donated the rec center to a poor neighborhood then made a big splash about it. He wanted inner-city residents to always remember him as being helpful. They had no idea he was only in politics to push his own agenda.

  He didn’t give a shit about people who couldn’t afford their rent and couldn’t feed their kids. He cared about looking good in front of people so he could fuck them when they turned around.

  “Still, it’s pretty fucking cool,” Xari said as Apollo opened the door for us.

  “It is what it is. I don’t care for it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because my father bought it to look good in front of people.”

  “Of course he did,” she sighed.

  We headed down the hall with Apollo leading the way through a simple maze of hallways and office doors. He came to a stop in front of office three.

  “Navy is inside with your itinerary,” he told me before opening the door.

  Navy was seated in front of a desk with her eyes trained down on her work iPad. When I walked in, she smiled. When Xari walked in, her brows knitted together.

  “Hello, Senator Freeman and…Xari.” She studied her sister with scrutiny and I knew her brain was busy putting puzzle pieces together. Xari already told me Navy suspected we were fooling around. She wasn’t wrong but it was nothing she needed to concern herself with. It wasn’t like Xari was my woman.

  “Hey, Sissy,” Xari chirped. Navy blinked at me then looked toward Apollo at the door. As usual, he shot her a glance and took her in all at once. “I have your schedule of events and a copy of what you’re going to say at the start and finish of each event.” She handed me a paper copy then pushed a copy to my phone.

  “Thank you, Navy.” I sat behind the desk and without thinking, I pulled a chair up beside me for Xari. Without having to say a word, she sat beside me. I saw her fingers stretch and I knew she wanted to link fingers with me because I was fighting the same urge.

  Navy’s brown eyes swept over Xari and I sitting beside each other quietly then she returned her focus to her phone. “Governor Shaw will be arriving in five minutes so when he gets here, we’ll kick things off,” Navy said. She was the perfect professional as usual, but I saw the questions dancing in her eyes, especially when she looked at Xari, who was an expert at ignoring her big sister.

  The four of us sat quietly in the room together beneath a blanket of awkward silence. Navy and Apollo knew Xari and I were fucking around but neither of them would break their ironclad professionalism to slice through the silence.

  “Wow, the air is tight in here. It’s like a dick in the ass,” Xari exhaled, shaking her head. That girl never knew what the fuck to say out of her mouth. It made Apollo snort by the door but he returned to his stone-faced self in a matter of milliseconds. Only Xari had the talent to slip past Apollo’s shield and make him laugh even for a little while.

  “Behave,” I said, squeezing her thigh.

  “What?” She shrugged then gave me a smile because she knew how I felt about those dimples.

  “You know what,” I said trying to keep my voice down. It didn’t matter though. Navy and Apollo could hear everything I said.

  “It’s true.” When our stares collided, the air between us popped with bursts of energy.

  “You’d know that how? There’s nothing tense in here,” I said.

  “Oh, I thought you were asking how I knew what a dick in the ass felt like.” She bit her bottom lip and grinned at me, mischief dancing in deep pools of espresso.

  Another snort from Apollo at the door and an eye roll from Navy. I swallowed my laughter and glared at her. It only made her smile bigger.

  “Um, Senator Freeman,” Navy said, clearing her throat. “I adore my little sister but can I ask why she’s here? Is Frankie coming later on or…”

  “No, she’s not. I just wanted Xari to get out of the house. She’s been practicing non-stop for the past week. She needed a change of scenery.” I neglected to tell Navy that her sister put me at ease and I enjoyed her company. That would sound too much like a date. I wasn’t dating Xari.

  “She does practice a lot…” Navy eyed Xari who blew a kiss at her and crossed her shapely legs.

  “I do,” Xari nodded her head then glanced at me. “So do we have to hang out in here the entire time or can we walk around and talk to people?”

  “We generally wait for all the speakers to arrive before we make an appearance. That way it can be in solidarity,” Navy said.

  “Well, I’m bored in this office and I want to talk to people.”

  “Are you five? You can’t sit still for a few minutes?” Navy quipped.

  “No, I’m not five but I do like stimulation. Plus, if Evander is one of the speaking guests, why not go out there and let people see him? Staying back here isn’t doing anything.”

  Her words sank into the crevices of my mind and I realized she was right. I was an advocate for the people of my state and I was busy sitting in the back, hiding until my fellow politicians came. It felt like we were promoting clique behavior and alienating ourselves from people.

&
nbsp; I stretched my finger in the air and said, “You’re right, Xari. I should go out there and mingle before things start.” Apollo stood up and sighed.

  “You really doing this, Van?”

  “Why not? You know Governor Shaw is never on time.” I turned to Xari and smiled a little. “Thank you for pointing out that I was hiding back here.”

  “Things always work out better when you let me drive the boat,” she smirked and I let out a warm laugh.

  “Remember you said that, Xari.”

  “How could I forget, Evander?” She leaned into me and I tugged on the hem of her blush pink dress a little.

  Buzz.

  Crackle.

  Hum.

  The energy between us lit up like orbs of electricity.

  My eyes roamed over her full lips and bronzed slashes of cheekbones. I wanted to cup her face and bring her in for a kiss. She must have felt the energy too because she slid her hand over discreetly and hooked her pointer finger with mine on the desk. Our eyes locked and the room melted away.

  “You’re doing it again,” she whispered, leaning over on her elbow.

  “What am I doing?”

  “Staring like a creep.” The corners of her mouth twitched.

  “You’d have to be staring back to notice.”

  “True. You started it,” she purred.

  “You make it hard to look away with that dress on.” My eyes lapped her up.

  “How hard would it be if it were off?” She wiggled in her seat and my dick jerked in my slacks. I adjusted in my chair a little. She knew exactly what she was doing to me. “Miss Lucas, you’re misbehaving. You know how I feel about that. So behave.”

  “Make. Me.” She fluttered her long lashes at me and I smoothed a hand over my face.

  “Um, should we leave?” Navy’s voice cut through the bubble around Xari and me.

  “Oh, no…you have to excuse me, Navy. Your sister and I have a certain kind of banter that…”

  “It’s like an inside joke,” Xari finished with a nervous laugh. Neither of us realized we’d completely checked out of the real world and landed in our own fantasy world where only we existed.

  How the fuck was I supposed to keep my hands to myself when Xari was around if I couldn’t concentrate on anything but her? “Listen, you two are grown and I’m not going to pass judgment or make any further comments about your relationship,” Navy told us, holding her palms out.