Fuck, that was close.
My breaths explode over my lips from the sudden fright.
“Holy shit,” Jade whispers. With a trembling hand, she reaches up and removes the earphones, then says, “Thank you. Shit. I didn’t see the car.”
Holding her body close to mine wakes my protective streak, and mixing with the fright I just had, it bleeds into anger.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” I snap. Part of me wants to scoop her up and carry her back to the suite where she’ll be safe, but my rage wins out, and I finally manage to loosen my grip on her. Grabbing hold of her shoulders, I spin her around and pin her with a glare. “Do you have a death wish?”
Her eyes are wide on my face as she whispers, “I’m sorry, Hunter.”
Letting out a chuckle, I shake my head at her. “Those words come easy for you, don’t they?” Shoving past her, I bark, “Watch where you’re fucking walking. Your so-called accidents are annoying as fuck.”
Jase jogs to catch up to me, and I can feel he wants to say something, but he’s trying to hold it back. “Spit it out, Jase.”
“You don’t think that was a little harsh?”
Stopping dead in my tracks, I lock eyes with him, “No, if I hadn’t pulled her out of the way, she’d be in an ambulance right now.”
“I get you’re upset, but she didn’t do it on purpose, Hunter,” he defends Jade.
I let out a frustrated huff because I know Jase is right. It’s just… for a moment back there, I was scared out of my fucking mind, and it let me forget everything Jade has done to me. It reminded me of how much I care about her.
And… for a split-second, having her body pressed against mine made me remember what it felt like when I kissed her.
“Sorry,” I apologize to Jase. “I just need a drink.”
“See,” Jase begins to grin, “we need a night out.”
“Yeah, fine,” I agree. Getting hammered might help me relax a little.
Jase wasn’t joking when he said he wanted to get wasted. Sitting at our regular table at Studio 9, I’m struggling to keep up with him as he downs one whiskey after the other.
“What’s the rush?” I ask when he orders two more tumblers.
“I want to get to the fun part as quick as possible,” he grins, finishing the last of the whiskey in front of him.
“At this rate, we’ll either pass out or puke. Slow down.”
His eyes dart past me, and the grin on his face widens. “Finally, the girls are here.”
I glance over my shoulder and smile at Fallon and Hana, but then my expression freezes when I see the dress Jade’s wearing. The piece of silver fabric hardly covers her ass. My eyes drop to the black knee-high boots that complete her revealing outfit.
“What the hell are you wearing, Jade?” Jase asks the question I’ve been thinking.
“A dress Fallon dared me to wear. I’m already self-conscious about my butt hanging out for everyone to see. Please, don’t make me feel worse,” Jade complains as she comes to stand by the table. She drops her little bag, which can’t store much more than her phone and a credit card, and says, “I’m going to go dance.”
Without looking at me, she makes her way back to the stairs to head down to the dance floor.
Turning my gaze to Fallon, I give her a what-the-hell look. “Why did you let her dress like that?”
Fallon picks up my tumbler and sniffs at it. Pulling a disgusted face, she puts it back down. “God only knows how you drink that stuff.” She signals for a waiter and orders a coke before she tilts her head at me, giving me a knowing smile. “Jade has a killer pair of legs and a butt I’d kill for. She should show off her goods with pride. Why do you have a problem with it?”
Letting out a chuckle, I smirk at Fallon, not falling for her bait. “I couldn’t care less.”
“Why aren’t you wearing a sexy number?” Jase asks Mila even though his eyes are roving hungrily over her tight jeans.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” she asks, glancing down at her outfit.
“It’s covering too much,” Jase teases her.
“Pervert.” Mila walks away to join Jade, and I quickly move two chairs up, so I have a clear view of the floor below.
I just want to make sure the girls are okay while they’re on the dance floor.
I let out a huff of air and shake my head at myself. Who the fuck am I trying to kid? I’m sitting here like an ass because I know Jade looks fucking hot, and every guy with a working dick is going to notice her.
I might still be angry at her, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t care.
I down the whiskey a waiter just brought, and feeling lightheaded from the alcohol, I know I should slow down. Still, it doesn’t stop me from ordering another glass.
My eyes are glued to Jade as one song blends into another. Another two drinks later, there’s a bitter taste in my mouth from all the whiskey, and I’m grinding my teeth.
Carefree, Jade thrusts her hands in the air, and she begins to jump up and down when a fresh beat pulses through the club. Lifting her eyes to the top floor, our gazes collide.
I swear I can feel a spark even though there’s a distance between us.
Then Mila throws her head back and laughs as she turns in a circle before swaying to the beat, and it draws Jade’s attention away from me.
“Jase, you’re missing one hell of a show from Mila,” I manage to say without taking my eyes off the girls.
He bumps into me as he comes to sit closer and then lets out a groan. “Damn, she’s going to kill me one of these days. Death by blue balls.”
I let out a bark of laughter that fizzles away when some guy, who must have a death wish, sidles up behind Jade. He takes hold of her hips, and when his pelvis is practically glued to her ass, I shoot up from my chair.
“I’m coming too,” Jase hollers, almost tripping over my chair in his hurry to get up.
I race down the stairs, and as I stalk toward Jade, she pulls an awkward face at Mila, then her gaze sweeps through the dancing throng of people around her until they still on me.
Reaching Jade, I take hold of her arm and pull her against me, and with my right hand, I shove the guy backward and growl, “Get away from her.”
“Sorry, I thought she was fair game,” he slurs.
Fair game?
Keeping my hold on Jade, I pull back my right arm and let my first connect with the fucker’s jaw. He staggers back a couple of steps, and when Jase comes to stand next to me, the guy quickly skulks back into the crowd.
Knowing Mila is safe with Jase, I turn around and pull Jade after me. I’m done watching her dance half-naked while drunk fuckers grind their limp dicks against her ass.
I drag her right out of the club and toward my car.
“Are you guys leaving already?” Kao asks, grabbing my attention. He and Noah must’ve just gotten here.
“Yeah. Keep an eye on Fallon and Hana. I left them at our table,” I bite the words out because I have zero chill right now.
“Drive safely,” Kao calls after us.
Jade has been surprisingly quiet, but as I dig my car keys out of my pocket, she says, “I think I should drive. You’ve had a lot to drink tonight.”
I’m not going to argue with her about that, but I can’t resist taunting her. “Yeah, and how would you know?” Tilting my head, my voice drops low, “Have you been watching me, Jade?”
“Just give me the keys. We can talk at home.” There’s no sign of her ever-present fire and spark, and it grinds against my last nerve.
I shove the car keys into her outstretched hand and stalk around the car to the passenger side.
After Jade slides in behind the wheel, she stretches her body over mine, which instantly makes every single one of my muscles tighten. “Just helping with your seat belt,” she whispers as she straps me in.
I’m clenching my jaw so damn hard, I won’t be surprised if I crack a tooth.
Jade starts the engine, and
the vehicle roars to life. My heartbeat is still erratic and just as out of control as my emotions as she drives us back to the dorms.
Where I get the strength from to not lay into her, God only knows.
She’s hardly brought the car to a standstill outside of our building when I shove the door open and climb out. The anger that’s been simmering on the way home begins to bubble back to the surface. Grabbing her hand, I drag her toward the elevator, and once we're in the confined space, I glare at her.
“I think we should wait to talk until you’ve sobered up,” she says cautiously.
Shaking my head, I say, “No, it’s happening tonight.”
The elevator doors slide open, and Jade follows me to the front door. Once we’re both inside, I slam the thing shut behind us and turn my thunderous gaze on her. “Did you enjoy wearing next to nothing tonight?”
“Huh?” Her expression instantly turns to confusion.
Angrily, I gesture over the length of her body. “That fucking dress can’t even be compared to a t-shirt!”
Jade frowns at me, her expression clearly stating she thinks I’ve lost my mind. “Did you lose your shit because of my outfit?”
“It was either that or have every fucking guy in the club rubbing up against you,” I bark.
“Seriously?” There’s a spark of anger in her dark eyes. “So, you didn’t drag me out of the club so we could finally talk about what happened over the past two years?”
“That’s a whole different story,” I snap, growing frustrated that she didn’t even realize how provocative her outfit looked. “Dressed like that, you might as well go stand on the nearest corner.”
Her lips part, and anger ripples over her face. Her features tighten, and it makes her only look sexy as fuck. “You did not just call me a hooker?” she hisses.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I glance over her body. The sight of her tight curves and totally fuckable ass, only makes my anger explode out of control. “Yeah, you totally look the part.”
“This is ridiculous!” she snaps, and then my eyes widen as she reaches for the zipper on her side. She pulls it down and shoves the fabric from her shoulders. Watching her wiggle out of the dress, my mouth goes dryer than a desert, and it grows scorchingly hot in the suite.
With Jade standing in her bra, panties, and boots, I have to blink a couple of times, while all my rampant emotions are drowned out by desire.
Fuck, she’s looks nothing short of erotic.
“There.” She scowls at me. “The dress is gone. Can we talk now?”
My eyes travel back up her body, drinking in the perfect curve of her hips and the taunting V between her legs. Her toned stomach and the firm curve of her breasts peeking from her bra does nothing to quench the heat spreading through me.
When my eyes finally lock on Jade’s, I have zero self-control left and darting forward, I bring my hands to her face, and my mouth crashes against hers.
All my frustration, anger, and exhaustion spills over into the kiss, and when Jade tries to push me away, it only spurs me on.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, I yank her body against mine. When her struggle against me intensifies, and she tries to break the kiss, I move my other hand to the back of her neck to keep her in place.
She manages to free her mouth for a moment and cries, “Hunter, stop!”
I’m beyond the point of rationality. My body moves forward, and my touch is biting when I take hold of Jade’s neck, crushing her lips beneath mine.
She lets out a whimpering cry and fighting against me to turn her head away, she manages to scream, “Stop!” The flat of her hand connects with the side of my neck, and the sting causes me to flinch away from her.
My eyes focus on her face, and when I see tears glistening on her cheeks, I sober in an instant.
Her breaths explode over her lips, and there’s a panic-stricken look in her wide eyes. “Please… just stop,” she begs.
The blow is hard as disgust for my actions begins to smother me.
What the fuck did I do?
Darting forward, I wrap my arms around her, and my voice is hoarse as I say, “Fuck, I’m so sorry. I… I…” There’s a lump in my throat that’s threatening to choke me. “I’m so fucking sorry, Jade.”
Bringing her hands up, she pushes me away again. A sob escapes her, making me feel worse than dog shit.
Using the tips of her fingers, her hand visibly trembles as she wipes the tears from her cheeks.
Needing to do something, I run across the room and grab one of the throw blankets from the sofa. I rush back to Jade and quickly wrap it around her shoulders. Seeing the red imprints, my hands have left on her neck and cheeks makes utter devastation rattle me to my core.
I hurt her.
“Christ,” I breathe through my horror. “I’m so sorry.”
Her breaths shudder through her, and the paleness of her skin only makes the red imprints stand out more. My voice cracks, “I won’t hurt you again. This should never have happened. I’m sorry.”
She tries to nod, but her shoulders shudder from the sobs wracking through her.
We’re destroying each other. This has to stop.
Slowly lifting my hand, I brush the tips of my fingers over the redness on her neck. “Do you need some time, or can we talk?”
She pulls back from my touch and not looking up at me, she shakes her head. “Not tonight.”
With a sinking feeling, I watch her walk away from me. I still can’t believe that just happened. I wish Jase was here to beat the shit out of me.
JADE
My world’s been tilted on its head. I don’t know if I’m coming or going.
I’ve showered and crawled under my covers, but I’m still so shaken up from what happened. Never in a million years did I think Hunter would hurt me.
Not physically.
His handprints have already started to fade away, but the shock is still rippling through me. There was so much anger in the kiss. For a moment, I was terrified of him.
My bedroom door opens, and I freeze, scared that it might be Hunter.
“I’m going to kill Jase one of these days,” Mila complains. Leaving the light off, she crawls under the covers and lets out a huff. “All his flirting is driving me insane. By the way, you forgot your purse at the club. I brought it home for you.”
She drops the bag on top of me.
Needing to take my mind of the incident between Hunter and me, I ask, “Yeah? What did he do?” Opening the purse, I take my phone out and feeling for my charger in the dark, I plug the device in.
“He practically dry-humped my ass on the dance floor.”
A small smile tugs at my lips as I get comfortable again. “Shame, Mila. You should give him a chance.”
She lets out a disgruntled huff. “Not in a million years.”
“Why?” I ask, snuggling closer to her. Having her here is a soothing balm for me.
“He’s a player, and the second I give in, he’ll head for the door, and it will be the end of our friendship.”
Even though I disagree, I keep it to myself because it’s Mila’s choice to make. No matter how much I love Jase, I’ll never force my friend to do something she doesn’t want to.
“Will you sleep here tonight?” I ask, not wanting her to leave.
She turns onto her side. “What happened after you left the club with Hunter? I can’t believe he punched that guy. It was insane.”
I swallow hard and shake my head. “I don’t want to talk about it tonight.” I snuggle closer to her and wrap my arm around her waist. “Can you just hug me?”
She wraps me up in a tight hug and presses my face into the crook of her neck. “You can talk to me when you’re ready.”
We lie in silence, both our minds filled with our problems until sleep finally catches up to us.
When I wake up, I reach out to the bedside table and taking hold of my phone, I squint at it to see what the time is. Seeing I have a message from Hun
ter, I dart upright and quickly unlock my phone.
Hunter: I’m disgusted with myself. I never wanted to hurt you. I hope you can forgive me. Please listen to the song because it says everything I want to tell you. Always here. Hunter.
There’s a link to Spotify, and I click on it.
Don’t Give Up On Me by Andy Grammar begins to play, and it makes my emotions burst in my chest. My eyes start to burn, but I blink the tears away, not wanting to miss a second of the song’s video.
As much as last night hurt, there’s nothing to forgive. Hunter was bound to explode after everything I’ve put him through.
“I love that song,” Mila mumbles from next to me. “We need to watch Five Feet Apart again.” She peeks up at me then grins sleepily. “We can take a sick day and stay in bed, watching movies and eating junk food.”
“That sounds perfect,” I say, smiling at her.
She darts out of bed and rushes to the door. “I’m going to get snacks before you change your mind. Sign in to Netflix.”
I let out a chuckle, then turn my attention back to my phone.
I scroll through all my playlists, looking for the perfect song to send back to Hunter. Finding one that can speak for how I feel, I share Surrender, the J Breeze cover with Hunter.
I understand, and there’s nothing to forgive. Take all the time you need, and then we can talk things out between us. Never giving up. Jade.
I set my phone down and go to brush my teeth. When my eyes fall on my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I check for any marks. When there are none, I let out a sigh of relief.
I’m going to spend today with Mila and just work through my own emotions before having to face Hunter.
Chapter 15
JADE
I was sure that I could handle seeing Hunter, but the moment I opened my bedroom door and heard his voice from the living room, I slammed the thing shut again.
Yeah, I’m far from ready. I feel anxious, and truth be told, even a little shy, which is an odd emotion. I’ve never felt self-conscious around any of my friends before.
Yeah, you’ve also never stripped to your underwear in front of the guys before.
Coldhearted Heir (The Heirs Book 1) Page 12
