by Ali Parker
“Good?” she snapped.
“Very. You should have eaten them. You too worried about your ass getting big?” I teased.
“Oh my God, you are so awful. You are feral. You belong on a deserted island. You’re not suitable for human interaction,” she said, grabbing the drink in front of her and sucking it down.
“Addy, your ass is perfect,” Deanna assured her friend.
“Yeah, Addy,” I said the name with a sneer. “Your ass is perfect. One fry isn’t going to hurt.”
“Mason, stop,” Deanna scolded.
I held up my hands. “Fine. I don’t mind if my ass gets bigger.”
The waitress brought the check over and placed it on the table. I reached for it, before pulling out my wallet and slapping my credit card on the top of it. It wasn’t even something I had to think about. I just did it. Deanna and Dalton were basically my family. I liked to pay for our dinners out. They refused to accept any kind of gifts from me. Dinner was the least I could do to thank them for being so kind and welcoming to me when my own family was less than thrilled to have me hanging around.
“Uh-uh,” Adelaide said, shaking her head.
“Thank you, Mason,” Dalton and Deanna both said.
“No way. You are not buying my meal,” Adelaide said, fishing in her purse and pulling out her wallet.
“Get over it,” I told her. “It’s not a big deal.”
“No way. I’ll pay my own. It is a big deal to me,” she said with disgust.
“You’re being dramatic. I have more money than I’ll ever need. I’ve got it covered,” I told her.
She shook her head. “No way. I don’t care how much money you have. I don’t want any part of it.”
“I’m not offering to buy you a Ferrari. It’s dinner. Not exactly a huge hit,” I told her.
She made a choking sound. “Oh, I forgot, you’re rich. How could that have slipped my mind,” she said sarcastically.
“Addy, don’t be rude, he’s being nice,” Deanna whispered.
“She can’t help herself,” I retorted. “She’s rude. She’s only being herself.”
Adelaide pulled out a wad of cash and shoved it across the table at me. “Take it. I don’t need you buying me anything.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re insufferable. Were you born that way or is it a symptom of that stick being shoved so far up your ass? Have you looked into getting that surgically removed?”
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re horrible.”
“I’m paying the bill. I don’t think that means I’m horrible.”
“Take the money. I’m not taking your charity,” she spat.
I dropped the cash onto the check. “You can pay the tip.”
The waitress came by, leaving the cash and taking the card and check. Adelaide looked like she was about to blow a fuse. Her eyes were practically shooting fire. Her mouth opened and then closed. I could see her winding up for one hell of a scathing lecture. I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest and waiting for it.
Her mouth opened again. “You know—”
“Hey, the night is still young, why don’t we head over to the bar,” Dalton said, cutting off whatever it was Adelaide was about to say.
“I’m going home,” she said and got to her feet.
“Bye,” I said, waggling my fingers.
“Addy, you said you wanted to dance. Let’s dance,” Deanna pled.
“You guys said you wouldn’t blame me if I went home early. I’m going to hold you to that,” Adelaide replied.
“Come on. We never get to go out, drink, and have fun. It will be fun if you let yourself have fun,” Deanna said again.
Watching her beg made me a little sick. I didn’t see why she was so invested in the idea of Adelaide going with us. She was a serious downer. We didn’t need her to have fun. Hell, I was confident we would have more fun without her there. Deanna was a good person. I didn’t know if I could say the same about Adelaide. I knew she wasn’t necessarily bad, but she was certainly obnoxious.
“Deanna, you know I would love to, but not with him,” she said, making sure it was loud enough for me to hear.
I smirked, winked, and stood. “Feeling is mutual, princess. I’m ready to party. Let’s go.”
“Addy, come on, this will be fun,” Deanna said, taking Adelaide’s hand in her own.
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, come on, princess. Don’t let me spoil your fun,” I said with a big smile.
She glared at me again. “Shut up.”
“I’m a great wingman. Maybe you need to get laid. I will help you out. I’ll hook you up with any man in the place,” I offered.
Her lip curled. “I don’t need a wingman. I do just fine on my own.”
I laughed. “Obviously not. You’re here, single like the rest of us, and in sore need of getting laid. I’ll do this pro bono.”
She closed her eyes. “You are such a dick.”
“Let’s go party. You won’t even know he’s there,” Deanna said, scowling at me.
“I was only trying to help,” I said in my defense.
“Let’s go,” Deanna said, grabbing Adelaide’s arm and pulling her toward the door. I knew Deanna well enough to know she didn’t give up anything without a fight. Once she set her mind to something, it was going to happen.
“Sorry about that,” Dalton said with a grimace. “I invited you. I want you along,” he said.
“Don’t worry about it. The little princess has never been fond of me and the feeling is mutual. She doesn’t bother me a bit. All bark and no bite,” I said with a laugh.
We followed the women outside. They started walking down the sidewalk. Dalton and I exchanged a look. “Where are they going?” he asked.
“I haven’t a clue,” I replied.
It didn’t take long to figure it out. There was a new club that had opened close to the restaurant. We pushed inside, finding the place just starting to fill up. Deanna and Adelaide walked over to one of the few empty tables and claimed it as their own. Dalton and I joined them.
“This place looks fun,” Deanna said excitedly.
“I’ll be right back,” I said and walked up to the bar to order a round of drinks.
I didn’t bother announcing my intentions to the table. It would only set off Adelaide again. I rested my elbows on the bar, waiting for the bartender to make his way over.
“Hi,” a tall blond woman said, coming to stand next to me.
I turned and smiled at her. “Hi.”
“You here alone?” she asked.
I chuckled. “Not entirely alone, but not with anyone in particular.”
“I’m here alone,” she cooed.
“No, you aren’t,” a brunette said, sidling up to stand on my other side.
“You’re with her?” I asked.
“Yes. I saw you first and this bitch is trying to move in on you.” The brunette pouted.
I laughed, appreciating a strong woman who wasn’t afraid to say what she wanted. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve got to get some drinks for my friends. I’ll find you later,” I said, before turning to look at the blonde. “Both of you.”
I ordered four beers for the table, keeping it simple. If I had to drink another one of Adelaide’s drinks, I wanted it to be something I really wanted. The bartender promised to have the drinks delivered. I turned to walk back to the table when a very pretty woman stepped directly in front of me.
“Buy me a drink?” she asked sweetly.
I looked her up and down. She had a great body, but I had a feeling it was a body that had seen a lot of action. “You know, I’d love to, but I have a few people waiting for me.”
“Maybe later?” she suggested, reaching out to run a fingertip over my chest.
“We’ll see,” I mumbled and stepped to the side to go around her.
I liked forward women, but that was a little much for me. I caught a glimpse of Adelaide and Deanna. They were both gi
ggling. Her pretty strawberry-blond hair was moving as she laughed. She had put the leather jacket back on. I hadn’t been able to miss the tight jeans and her perfect ass in those jeans as we walked to the club.
She was hot, sexy as hell, and sassy. The sass drove me crazy, but something about the way she was tonight was making me feel less crazy and a lot more turned on. I hated that she had me thinking that way about her. I disliked her. I hated how snooty she was. She and I had nothing in common.
But damn, that leather and that pink-toned hair, it was doing something dangerous to my body.
Chapter 8
Adelaide
The night was actually turning out to be a lot of fun. I had barely seen Mason since we got to the club. Women had been flocking to him as if he were the hottest thing since sliced bread. He’d been making the rounds throughout the club, flirting and dancing with every woman in the place it seemed like. It was just me and Deanna, dancing and having a great time.
“This is so much fun!” I yelled over the music so she could hear me.
“Yes, it is! I want to do this every night!” she screamed.
I burst into laughter. “I would die.”
“Fine, but we have to do this again, lots!”
“I agree. Thank you for dragging me out. I know I was being a real pain in the ass earlier.”
She was shaking and grooving, laughing as her head swayed. “Yes, you were. You and Mason are intense. It seriously felt like there was going to be some kind of spontaneous combustion.”
I shook my head. “Gah, don’t even say his name.”
“He’s not that bad.”
“He is that bad,” I insisted.
She only smiled at my insult directed at her friend. I knew they were close, and I knew I should probably temper my negativity toward him, but he just seemed to bring out the worst in me. Despite what Mason thought about me, I wasn’t always rude. I was actually what I thought to be a very nice person. I was only obnoxious toward him, but he certainly deserved it.
We had been dancing through several songs, but I felt like I could dance for hours. I was ready to party all night. I had switched to ginger ale a bit ago, wanting to slow the buzz I had gotten from slamming the long islands I had at dinner.
My joy and feeling of euphoria evaporated the moment I saw Mason’s large body stalking my way. He wasn’t alone. There was a woman on each arm, and he was walking like he was king of the world. As he walked, he was still checking out other women. He looked like a voracious animal, searching for his next meal. It was actually very intimidating. Dalton was behind him, holding the hand of a woman as well. My eyes drifted back to Mason, then Dalton. The difference between them was striking. Dalton looked peaceful and like he was ready for a good time. Mason looked like a man on a mission.
“Ah! I love this song!” Deanna squealed, grabbing me again and shaking my shoulders.
I had no idea what the song was, but it did have a catchy tempo that I liked. When two women were on the dance floor, it was like an open invitation for men and women alike to join the private dance party. That was exactly what happened. We somehow found ourselves in a group, all of us dancing with one another and having a great time.
I couldn’t remember having so much fun. My face was flushed. I had stripped off the leather jacket earlier, thankfully. My shirt was light and airy, keeping me from sweating overly much. I lifted my hair from the back of neck and let the breeze brush over me.
“Ready for a drink?” Deanna asked.
I nodded, feeling very parched. We headed off the dance floor back to our empty table. I had no idea where Mason and Dalton were and didn’t care. A waitress wearing a tiny pair of shorts and a tiny shirt came by our table. I was craving a beer.
“Bud Light,” I ordered, shocking Deanna.
“Really?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I’m thirsty and that beer I had earlier was pretty good.”
Deanna ordered a margarita, saying she wanted the icy drink to cool down with.
“Beer, huh? I wonder if a certain someone has turned you on to something new,” she teased.
I scoffed. “I’ve drank beer before.”
“Not that I’ve ever seen. You’re a liquor kind of girl.”
I giggled. “You make me sound like a lush.”
Our drinks were delivered quickly. I grabbed the beer and sucked down a good portion of it straight from the bottle, and oh God did it feel good sliding down my throat. I happened to look up and found Mason watching me from a few tables over. There was a knowing smile on his face as he moved away from the table he was at. I ignored him and took another long drink.
“Should we order you another?” Deanna asked.
I shook my head. “Nope. I’m good. That was good.”
She sipped on her margarita until she declared she was drinking too fast and had a brain freeze. An old Backstreet Boys song came on. Deanna’s eyes widened. “Yes! Come on!” she exclaimed, dragging me back onto the dance floor.
Once again, we found ourselves in a group of women who were all about our age. It was a fun throwback to days when life was easy. I remembered crushing on the Boys when I was just a teenager. Dancing to a song I remembered listening to through my actual wired headphones and doing homework took me back. I was so glad Deanna had practically dragged me out. It was definitely worth it. Someone bumped me. I turned to apologize and realized it was Mason heading out to dance with several women, who were all giggling and hanging around him like planets orbiting the sun.
The song switched to something slow and full of a heavy drumbeat. It was a sex song if I ever heard one. I began a subtle move, slow and easy, as my eyes stared at the back of Mason’s head a few feet over. He was doing his best to satisfy the two women who were practically clinging to him. He was moving in time with the music. I was mesmerized by the way his body swayed. He was big but surprisingly graceful. I couldn’t stop watching as he ground his hips against one woman, his hand sliding over her hip before gently pushing her away and reaching for the other woman. Both women had looks of pure passion and desire on their faces.
It irritated me to see them acting so completely wanton, crawling all over Mason like he was man candy. Deanna grabbed me, spinning me around and into the arms of a man. “Dance,” she ordered, effectively stopping my staring.
“Hi,” I mumbled, looking up at him.
“Hi there,” he said with a smile.
His hands went to my waist, as he began to sway and grind against me. It was clumsy at best and not at all like what I had seen Mason doing. I looked over at Deanna, scowling at her, promising to give her a piece of my mind as soon as it was over. She looked just as miserable dancing with the guy’s friend. We suffered through it. It was a little like dancing with an octopus, I surmised. Deanna seemed to be having the same problem with roaming hands. She expertly swatted them away. I saw Dalton watching over his sister nearby, ready to step in if the handsy guy got carried away. I knew he would jump in and save me as well if it came to that.
I was silently begging the song to hurry up and get over. The man had stepped on my foot three times already. My boots weren’t new, but I didn’t want them totally scuffed. I heard the song winding down and removed myself from his grip.
“Where you going?” he asked, his words slurring a bit.
“My friend is waiting for me,” I said.
Deanna grabbed my hand and pulled me toward where Dalton was dancing with the same woman. The woman smiled at us. She seemed nice enough, I thought, hoping it worked out for Dalton. The DJ had switched up the music, moving us right into a bumping club song.
“Sorry!” she squealed.
“My God! He stepped on my foot so many times,” I complained, looking down at my boots.
“Come on. Let’s shake it off!” She laughed, her arms going up as she waved her arms back and forth in the air.
I laughed, joining her and spinning around. My eyes immediately scanned the area looking for Mason. It wasn’
t hard to find him. He was shaking his body, the two women bent over, rubbing themselves over him. It was a rather vulgar display. I hated my body’s response to the way he moved. I realized a second too late that I had stopped moving. I was standing on the dance floor, Deanna moving around me as I watched Mason.
He happened to turn and look directly at me, as if he knew I had been watching. His eyes were holding mine as he continued to move. It was like he was dancing with me. I could almost feel his hands on me, his body pressing against mine. I watched as he slowly disentangled himself from the women and walked toward me. It was like something out of the movies. The crowd parted, the music dimmed, and it was only the two of us on that dance floor. He stopped in front of me, and as quickly as the noise had faded, it came back, louder than ever. It felt louder, the beat vibrating deep inside me, plucking at my nerve endings.
He reached for my hand, his callouses scraping over my palm. I looked down, wondering what the hell was happening, but I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. He gently pulled. I turned to look back at Deanna, silently begging her to save me. She only offered me a smile. Dalton nodded, using his hand to gesture me to keep going. They were both encouraging me to dance with him. I wasn’t sure why, but I was going to give them both hell tomorrow.
I resigned myself to dancing with him. It was one dance. It couldn’t be all that bad. I had watched him dancing and knew my boots would be safe. It felt very strange to have him holding my hand. He stopped moving and turned to face me. His hazel eyes were closer to mine than I had ever seen. I couldn’t ever remember being so close to him, at least not when we weren’t verbally attacking each other.
“You don’t have to dance with me,” I muttered, feeling like he was only being charitable again.
“Of course, I don’t have to. I’m here, you’re here, we both want to dance, there’s nothing stopping us from dancing together,” he said, his voice low. “And I can guarantee I dance a hell of a lot better than that asshole stomping all over you.” He growled.
I had to lean close to hear him. I caught a whiff of something musky and masculine. It sent a little shiver down my spine. “One dance,” I replied.
