Tequila

by Toppen, Melissa

  “Vacation. We’ve been coming here every March since we were kids.” He gestures off somewhere in the vicinity of our friends. “Colton’s family and mine are extremely close. Our moms have been best friends since they were in grade school, so our families did everything together growing up, including vacations. Colton’s dad passed a few years back. I think continuing to come here is his way of keeping his memory alive.”

  “I get that,” I sympathize, not even able to fathom not having my dad around.

  “It’s been tough on him but he’s getting by. Mainly by driving my ass crazy.” He laughs to himself. “What about you? You local?”

  “Born and raised.” I nod, taking a sip of my Cosmo.

  “I would have given anything to live by the beach growing up.”

  “If I had a dime for everyone that has said that to me over the years I’d be rich.”

  “I guess you kind of take it for granted. The weather, the beach. When it’s around every day it probably loses a bit of its luster.”

  “When I was younger maybe, but not so much now. I don’t know, it’s different I guess. For all the times I’ve said I couldn’t wait to get out of here I don’t really ever see myself leaving either. I think I’d miss it too much.”

  “And what is it that you do? For a living I mean,” he tacks on when I don’t answer right away.

  “Actually, Emma and I are seniors in college.”

  “Students.”

  “For another three months anyway.”

  “That’s amazing. What are you majoring in?”

  “Design.” I shrug. “Emma’s dad buys and sells a ton of real estate and he’s agreed to cut me and Emma in once we graduate. Let us design his renovation projects. His only stipulation is that we, well really she, went to college first.”

  “That’s pretty cool of him.”

  “I thought so.” I shrug. “So how long are you and Colton in town for?”

  “We’re heading back tomorrow morning. This is our last night in Florida.”

  “Well that doesn’t leave us much time then, does it?” I grin mischievously.

  “Time for what?” He cocks a brow, his eyes dancing with humor.

  I knock back the rest of my Cosmo and push to my feet, reaching for his hand. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?” He stands, taking my outstretched hand in his.

  “You’ll see.” I wink before turning, pulling him through the crowd of people onto the dance floor.

  “Um, I don’t dance,” Hudson informs me when I stop in the center of the dancing masses and turn toward him.

  “Well it’s about time you start.” I smile, reaching up to wrap my hands around the back of his neck. “Besides, you owe me.”

  “Do I now?” He wastes no time pulling me close, dropping his face within inches of mine.

  “I did buy you a beer after all,” I remind him, slowly starting to move my hips, the front of my body sliding against his.

  “I didn’t realize it came with strings,” he quips, his smile fully intact.

  “I’ll make it worth your while,” I promise, pushing up on my tip toes to close the small distance between us.

  “Is that so?” His voice is low and sexy, his breath hot on my lips.

  “Do you trust me?” I whisper, my eyes locked on his.

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  “Well get sure.” I smile, reaching down to grab his hand before taking a full step back.

  He eyes the sudden space between us and a slow smile pulls up the corners of his mouth.

  With one hard tug, he pulls me back against his body, and just like that, he starts to move.

  Chapter Two

  It’s nearly two o’clock in the morning when we finally exit the club. After spending nearly three hours dancing and drinking with Hudson, the night air feels incredible on my face.

  Turning, I watch Emma step out onto the sidewalk, Colton fast on her heels. Hudson is the last to exit and the minute he steps up next to me I’m grasping at how I can avoid saying goodbye to him.

  “This was fun.” He smiles down, standing a good six or seven inches taller than me.

  “It was,” I agree, turning just in time to see the Uber car that pulls up along the curb and stops just shy of where we’re standing.

  “Well, this is us,” Emma says, turning toward Colton like she too doesn’t want this night to end.

  “Why don’t we go somewhere else?” Hudson chimes in, pulling my attention back to him.

  “Where? Everything is closed.” Emma is the first to respond.

  “We could always go back to our hotel room.” Colton grins at her, dropping an arm over her shoulder.

  “Next suggestion.” She shakes her head at him.

  “What’s wrong with going back to our hotel?” he counters.

  “You’re cute and all, sweetie, but my father did not raise someone who goes to a hotel with a man she just met a few hours ago.”

  I stifle a laugh. Leave it to Emma to lay it out there so bluntly.

  “Ouch.” Colton grips at his chest dramatically with his free hand. “Here I thought you liked me.”

  “I think we should probably call it a night,” I find myself saying even though it’s the last thing I want to do.

  I have to agree with Emma – going back to their hotel isn’t an option. Neither is taking them to our place. That pretty much leaves nowhere.

  “I had a lot a fun tonight.” I turn my gaze back to Hudson. “Even if you were the worst dancer on the floor,” I tease.

  “Oh come on, I wasn’t that bad,” he fakes offense, but he’s unable to contain the smile that stretches across his handsome face.

  My eyes go directly to that damn dimple and my stomach dips for the hundredth time tonight.

  “You weren’t that bad,” I finally concede, stepping up in front of him. “Have a safe trip home. Who knows, maybe we’ll run into each other again next year.”

  Pushing up on my tip toes, I lay a gentle kiss to his scruff covered jaw before turning toward the small black car on the curb.

  “Wait.” My hand freezes mid-air as I reach for the door, Hudson’s voice halting the motion. “Let’s flip a coin.”

  I turn to see him already digging in his jeans pocket, his hand reemerging seconds later holding a quarter.

  “What?” I question, not really sure what he’s saying.

  “Let’s flip a coin,” he repeats. “Heads, we part ways now. Tails, we keep the night alive.”

  “And go where?” Emma chimes in.

  “Anywhere. How about the beach?”

  “I’m in.” She shrugs indifferent, even though I know deep down she likes the idea of spending more time with Colton. “Besides, it is my birthday after all.”

  “I hate to break it to you, honey, but your birthday ended over two hours ago,” I remind her.

  “Tomato, tomatoe.” She swipes her hand through the air. “I say the man flips the damn coin.”

  “Okay,” I concede. “Flip the coin.”

  I watch Hudson twist the quarter between his fingers, studying it for a long moment before tossing it into the air. It flips a few times before he snags it, closing his fingers tight around the coin before slamming it down on the back of his other hand.

  His gaze meets mine for the briefest moment before he looks back down right as his hand lifts.

  “Tails.” He smiles, his eyes once again flashing to mine.

  “Well alright then.” Emma giggles. “Looks like the adventure continues.” She skips to the Uber and throws the passenger door open, dipping her head inside. “You got room for four?” She says moments before she turns back to the group. “Well come on, bitches.” She grins and quickly slides into the front seat.

  “You heard the woman.” Colton is the first to move, quickly pulling open the back door and climbing inside.

  I turn to follow him in, but Hudson’s fingers close around my wrist and pull me back toward him.

  “Wait,”
is all he says before his face lowers toward mine.

  I don’t have time to react, to even breathe, before our lips connect. The instant they meet my body turns to complete mush. Melting into his so easily it’s like it was made to do just that.

  His tongue skirts along my bottom lip before gently slipping inside my mouth and it’s all I can do not to moan. His fingers tangle into my hair and he tugs gently, sending arousal shooting through my belly.

  The kiss ends just as abruptly as it began. Hudson pulls back to look down at me, a satisfied smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.” He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.

  “Well it took you long enough.” I shove playfully at his chest.

  “Are you two coming or are you gonna stand there making out all night?” Emma groans from the car and I turn to see her leaning through the open window. “Today, love birds.” She winks at me, quickly rolling up the window.

  “Come on.” I grab Hudson’s hand and pull him toward the car, releasing it to climb into the middle of the backseat next to Colton.

  Hudson appears next to me seconds later, sandwiching me between him and his friend.

  “Where to?” the driver asks, not seeming the least bit annoyed that he’s been sitting here waiting for us to decide what the hell we’re doing for a good five minutes.

  “9999 Gulf Shore,” Emma rambles, giving the driver our address.

  “Em,” I start to object.

  She looks over her shoulder at me. “We decided the beach, yes?”

  “Beach, not our house.”

  “Same thing,” she quips.

  “Wait, you live on the beach?” Colton asks, his voice dripping with envy.

  “Technically my dad owns the condo, but yes, we live on the beach.” She settles back into her seat, strapping her seatbelt seconds before the driver pulls out onto the street.

  I open my mouth to say something else but snap it closed when Hudson’s hand settles just above my knee.

  I turn in his direction, kneading my bottom lip between my teeth nervously when he hits me with a look that physically makes me squirm in my seat.

  Deep breaths, Lennon. Deep breaths.

  Facing forward again, I try to focus on anything other than how his hand feels on my bare skin, but it’s no use. I’m completely consumed by it. I feel every shift, every tiny movement caused by the motion of the car.

  I’m so distracted that I don’t even notice we’ve reached our condo complex until I hear the car door open and look up to see Emma already exiting the front seat.

  I flash my eyes to Hudson who’s watching me with an expression that tells me he knows exactly what his touch is doing to me.

  “Shall we?” His lips tip up in a smirk before he turns, quickly exiting the car. Colton exits from the other side at the exact same time.

  Shifting out of the backseat, careful to keep my dress from riding up too high as I do, I avoid looking in Hudson’s direction as I straighten my posture and turn toward Emma.

  “Okay, boys. To the beach,” Emma instructs, pointing out to where the moon is perfectly accenting the water a couple hundred feet from where we’re standing. “Lennon and I will go get refreshments and meet you out there in a couple minutes.” With that, she hitches her arm through mine and quickly drags me toward the elevator that sits right inside the parking garage.

  “Holy shit. Holy shit.” It’s the first thing Emma says when the elevator doors slide closed behind us. “He’s so into you.” She turns toward me, her green eyes wide with excitement.

  “What?”

  “Hudson. Holy shit. He is so freaking hot too.” She fans herself dramatically.

  “He really is,” I agree, not able to fight the smile that spreads across my face.

  “And the way he kissed you outside the club. Holy shit.” She leans against the back wall of the elevator. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off of you all night, Len. Like at all.”

  “What about Colton? He seems pretty smitten by you. Not that there’s anything surprising about that.”

  “He’s okay.” She shrugs, almost indifferent.

  “Okay? He’s had his hands on your ass half the night. I sure as hell hope you think he’s better than just okay.”

  “I mean, yeah, he’s hot and sweet and he’s definitely the kind of guy you take home for a one night stand and never see again, but he’s certainly not dating material. Not that I’d want to date him, I’m just saying.”

  “Why do you think he’s not dateable?” I ask as the elevator doors slide open on the fifth floor.

  “Have you not been paying attention?” she asks, shaking her head on a laugh. “No, I guess you haven’t. Anyway, Colton is a player. Like, with a capital P. I knew that within thirty seconds of meeting him.”

  “Then why spend the whole night dancing with him?” I ask, following her out of the elevator and across the hall to our door.

  “Because look at him. Plus, he’s been rubbing his crotch on me all night and I happen to know for a fact he’s packing down below. If you know what I mean.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me before finally clicking the lock and pushing her way inside.

  “Oh my god, Em. Please tell me you haven’t spent the entire night with him because you think he has a big dick.”

  “No, I’ve spent the entire night with him because I plan to prove he does.” She grins, shimmying her hips as she crosses through the living room, flipping on lights as she goes.

  “You’re not actually going to sleep with him, are you?” I ask, pulling my last ten dollar bill out of my bra and dropping it on the end table sitting next to the fluffy white couch that lines the back wall.

  There definitely are perks to having your best friend’s dad in the real estate business. Not only has he allowed us to live in a condo well beyond anything we could dream to afford, but he also gave Emma pretty much an endless budget to decorate it however she wanted since he will rent it furnished once we move out. Needless to say, she went a little overboard. Buying way nicer things than either of us would probably ever buy for ourselves, leaving us with a gorgeous water front condo that looks like a successful business woman lives here rather than two poor college students.

  “Um, of course I am,” Emma answers as she reemerges from the fridge, a bottle of Tequila in one hand and flavored vodka in the other.

  Neither of us are huge drinkers. Well, except on Thursdays. We don’t have class on Friday so typically Thursday is reserved for margaritas or cosmos and a binge session of whatever we’re currently watching on Netflix. Hence the vodka and tequila.

  “Tell me you’re not planning on banging that hottie who’s been following you around all night like he can’t see past that fantastic ass of yours,” she counters.

  “Absolutely not,” I say adamantly, unsure if I’m trying to convince myself or Emma.

  “Says the girl whose legs turned to jelly when he kissed her. You’re totally going to bang him.”

  “Don’t do that.” I crinkle my nose.

  “Do what?”

  “Refer to sex using phrases like ‘bang him’. Makes me feel like some horny teenager.”

  “As opposed to a horny twenty-two year old,” she quips, rolling her eyes at me. “Come on. Let’s not keep them waiting.” Emma slides out of the open kitchen that’s only separated from the rest of the living space by a large breakfast bar lined with round top stools.

  “You go ahead. I’m gonna change out of this dress first. It’s pretty chilly outside.”

  “Suit yourself. But make it quick, would ya?” She narrows her eyes at me. “You bail on me and I swear to god, Lennon, I will cut off your left tit,” she warns.

  “Like I would do that.” I shake my head at her, instinctively cupping my left breast protectively.

  “Five minutes, Len. Seriously. Five minutes or I’m sending Hudson up to get you.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I huff, wondering if maybe I don’t want to test h
er threat. As much as I hate to admit it, the thought of having Hudson alone in my house causes my stomach to do more than just twist with excitement.

  Turning, I quickly head down the hall, disappearing inside my bedroom seconds after I hear the front door close behind Emma.

  Unlike the rest of the house, my bedroom is pretty blah. Clean but blah. Filled with hand me down bedroom furniture from my parents and a desk I got for dirt cheap at a thrift shop.

  Flipping on the light, I quickly scour my closet for something to wear, settling on a pair of worn, ripped jeans and a long gray sweater. While it was in the mid-seventies earlier today, I know for a fact how cold the air coming off the water can get at this time of year.

  I change at rapid speed, stopping in the hall bathroom to give myself a once over before heading out into the living room. Considering it’s the middle of the night and I’ve been drinking and dancing for the last several hours, I don’t look nearly as bad as I thought I would. My blonde hair a bit wild and untamed and my lipstick is long gone, but other than that, my makeup has held up pretty well.

  Slipping on the flip flops I always leave next to the door, I grab Emma’s favorite sweatshirt off the coat hook, knowing she’ll probably need it, before quickly exiting the condo, locking the door behind me.

  It isn’t until I’m on the elevator that the reality of the situation seems to settle over me. While I may be outgoing and flirty, I’ve never picked someone up at a bar before. This whole situation is new territory for me. I’m completely and totally out of my element and yet, I can’t deny the bubble of excitement simmering through me.

  I spot Hudson, Emma, and Colton on the sand not far from our private beach entrance, all three barefoot and wading in the water.

  Kicking off my flip flops at the edge of the sand, I quickly make my way toward them, tossing Emma her sweatshirt before stopping next to Hudson. The minute his dark eyes find mine I’m a ball of nervous energy.

  “Much more you,” he says, allowing his eyes to travel down my body before coming back up to my face.

  “I thought you liked my dress?” I question, biting my lip to contain my smile.