“Ruby, are you jealous?” Dex asks, looking at me all knowingly.
“No, I’m just annoyed. He’s such a player. He just broke up with Amber and he’s already moved on? It’s sad really.”
“Well, he broke up with Amber like three weeks ago,” Dex offers.
“What?” Why didn’t I know this?
“Yeah, shortly after our engagement party,” Dex informs me.
“Why did he wait until yesterday to tell me he broke up with her?”
Dex shrugs like he really doesn’t know, and I believe him. I slide my gaze over to Morgan.
“I didn’t know, or I would have told you,” she says, lifting a hand in honesty.
As I’m busy mentally chewing on these thoughts, I almost don’t hear what Dex says next.
“You should just stick your tongue down his throat next time you see him. End this madness.”
Morgan nearly spits out the drink she was taking. I look at him in confusion. “I don’t understand. What madness?”
“You two have been circling each other for years now.” He lifts an eyebrow in challenge. My mouth hangs open.
“I … we … we’re just friends,” I sputter.
“Uh-huh. Friends who want to rip each other's clothes off,” he replies.
“More like each other’s heads. That boy drives me nuts most of the time. Such a big ego.”
“Yeah, but that big ego of his drives you wild too. You guys go around and around. Really, we all knew at that first Visionwave party that you two had met your match with each other.” He’s talking and I’m trying to decide if I want to accept what he is saying or if I want to balk at his craziness.
But then Morgan chimes in, “Think about it. You two hate each other’s significant others, you are always arguing one minute and then laughing the next. You keep his ego in check, and he doesn’t let you get too bossy.”
I scowl at her because, damn it, she’s right.
“You also work really well together. That new classic video game series you’re helping him with is getting huge,” Dex adds. “All we’re saying is that he’s single, you're single, we’re on vacation. Live a little.”
“You mean stick my tongue down his throat?” I retort.
Dex’s eyes sparkle. “Exactly. He won’t know what hit him.”
I narrow my eyes at him again. “And if he brings Melissa? Should I push her out of the way and jump him?”
An easy grin takes place on his face. “Yeah, he won’t bring her with him. He’s been texting me all night. She only gets handsy whenever the camera turns on. He’s not interested in Melissa.”
Morgan makes an annoyed noise, turns to him and says, “And you couldn’t have shared that from the start?”
“Nah, I wanted to see if Ruby wanted Link the way I know he wants her. Seems as if she does.”
Morgan is shaking her head at her man, who in turn is watching me with laughter dancing in his eyes.
And damn him, he knows I want Link. And apparently, Link wants me.
~~~
Later that night, we are sitting up in the VIP section at the club that hosts the yearly Visionwave party. Visionwave is the company that publishes Call of Battle, the game the team plays. Since they are the top team and had a signing at Comic-Con, they are required to be here. They break off for a little bit, shake some hands, and talk to a few industry people, but other than that, it’s a fun night out.
I have a couple drinks in my system and I’m feeling good. My brain isn’t foggy with the effects of too much alcohol and I don’t want it to be. I’ve promised Bernie once she’s done with the work part of the night, we’d go let loose on the dance floor. Morgan isn’t big into dancing, but Gia and I will happily accompany Bernie downstairs to the expansive dance floor. The DJ is on point tonight with a great mix of songs from both past and present.
Link hasn’t shown up yet and I can’t stop thinking about what Dex said.
I want Link. I’ve wanted him since the first time I saw him. He’s so damn sexy with his disheveled hair and soulful, dark eyes. While his ego is a problem sometimes, his humorous, yet cocky attitude toward life seems to fit with mine near perfectly. He’s hard not to like.
But before now, all I was looking for was a hookup. A couple dates here and there. Someone I liked enough to help me scratch my itch when I didn’t feel like doing it myself.
And Link, he’s the same way. But here lies the problem. Or should I say, problems? Because there are five of them. Their names are Morgan, Gia, Dex, Simon, and Bernie.
We are such a tightly knit group of friends that I don’t want to risk our dynamic for a hookup. Even a hot as fuck hookup I know Link would be. We almost allowed it to happen once, but I shut that shit down fast.
I was emotional. So was he. We weren’t thinking about the consequences of our actions.
Now though? Damn the consequences, I want Link under my skin more than I want my next breath.
What if we just partake in some vacation sex, get the want and need out of our systems? Then things can get back to normal once we are home in Chicago.
And if that doesn’t work, we can just keep having sex.
I’ve stopped myself from this line of thinking before, but what if we could try the whole ‘friends with benefits’ thing? Would that work? Would we be able to have no-strings attached sex and maintain our friendship?
I sigh. I don’t think that’s what I want either.
“What’s up, buttercup?” Bernie stands next to me.
“Hey, when did you get back?” I ask her. She was off rubbing elbows while I was keeping our table from being snagged up. Dex took Morgan around to meet some industry people and Gia ran off with Simon a while ago. I honestly don’t know where they went.
“You were thinking pretty hard there, didn’t even notice me until I said something.”
“Yeah, I have some things on my mind,” I tell her, sighing.
“Hit me.” She sits down next to me in the huge, oversized booth.
“What do you think about vacation hookups versus no-strings attached sex?”
“It’s no good. Wouldn’t work,” she says without hesitation.
My eyebrow lifts. “You didn’t even think about it.”
“Nope, because it wouldn’t work for you and Link.”
I open my mouth, then close it. She smiles at me, reaches over and grabs the fruity drink in my hands and takes a sip.
“You and Link are special. The entire group knows it. We’ve also all been waiting for you two to stop holding back. You are finally both single and something has changed between the two of you. Just slightly, but I’m perceptive.”
I bite my lip while I think about what she said. Ever since Link gave me those tickets to meet Gail, things have shifted slightly. We seem to be more aware of each other.
“And, I may have overheard Dex and Simon taking bets on if Link finally mans up and puts the moves on you. I’m around those boys every day, I know how they work.”
“So, are you saying no to both the vacation hookup and no-strings attached sex?” I finally ask for clarification.
She chuckles, “Yes. You and Link are the real deal. You can try the other things, but in the end, it will be real. Plus, don’t forget about your quest for something more. What was the whole point of trying to make a relationship with Mason work if you’re just looking for another hookup?”
She’s got a point.
“You didn’t pick the right guy to move forward with the first time. Try again.” She shrugs.
She acts so casual about it, but this is Link we are talking about. This is a big deal.
“Don’t look so scared, Rubes. It’s Link. He’s one of your best friends.”
“Yeah, which is why I don’t want to mess things up between us, or for our group.”
“Nah, you two will be fine. You’ll bounce back if it doesn’t work, and if that happens maybe we don’t hang as one big group for a while, but it will be fine. You owe it to yours
elf to see if things work out with Link. Mason was just a warm up. Thankfully, Mason didn’t scare you away from still wanting a long-lasting relationship.” She pours some water into a glass from the pitcher a server just replaced on our table.
“Since when did you get so insightful about relationships?”
She lifts a shoulder, “I’m insightful when it comes to my friends and their happiness.”
She acts like it’s not a big deal she’s doling out relationship advice. But everything she just said was what I needed to hear.
“Bernie, why haven’t you made a play for Wade yet?” I ask, seriously wondering. She’s had a crush on Dex’s older brother for a while now.
“Er, well, that’s an easy answer,” she says, looking into her glass of water. “He doesn’t see me in that way.”
“In what way?”
“As anything other than his brother’s friend. Like a little sister of sorts.” She shrugs like it’s not a big deal.
Right before I offer my own words of wisdom, laughter and familiar voices descend on the booth. Before the group makes it all the way to the table, I catch her eye and tell her this conversation isn’t over. She gives me a small smile and shakes her head.
Looking up, I see Dex and Morgan have found Gia and Simon. Link is now in attendance as well. He slides in through the other side of the booth and scoots all the way around until he’s right next to me. The others filter in.
Our group is loud and fun. There’s always lots of laughing and teasing.
Conversations are going on across the table, but I can’t focus on any of it.
All I can focus on is the heat of Link’s thigh touching mine. The feel of his fingers when he brushes mine to take my water glass out of my hand to refill it.
When I look over at him, the smile he has for me makes me melt a little more and the way he says my name makes me tingly, in all the areas I’ve never wanted Link to be.
Shit.
I know right this moment that I’m about to be reckless tonight. After two years of this back and forth, I’m done fighting it.
Chapter Fifteen
Ruby
“You all promised we’d drop it like it’s hot out on the dance floor. We’ve been here for almost three hours and we haven’t made it downstairs yet,” Bernie nearly whines. She is correct. We did promise.
“Then let’s go!” I slam my empty glass down. I point across the table at Morgan and then Gia. “Come on ladies!” Bernie starts to scoot out of the booth and I’m right behind her.
Morgan melts onto the table dramatically asking, “Do I have to?”
At the same time, Bernie, Gia and I all say, “Yes!”
We all laugh and Dex nearly pushes Morgan out of the booth.
“Come on babe, think of it as some practice for our wedding reception,” he tells her.
“Uh, we will not be partaking in dirty dancing at our wedding. Our grandmas will be there. And our parents. I’m certainly not going grind up on you in front of them.”
“Then what kind of dancing are you going to be doing?” I ask
“The chicken dance,” she deadpans.
“Nope,” I say leaning on the table, facing in toward Dex. “Do not let her put that on the DJ’s list. And no Macarena, or the Hokey Pokey either.”
“I could go for the Electric Slide,” Gia adds.
I ponder this. “Okay, I’ll allow it.” I straighten as Morgan scoffs, muttering something about it being her wedding.
“Will you boys be joining us?” Bernie asks, linking her arm through mine.
“I will in a bit,” Simon says, leaning in and whispering mysteriously into Gia’s ear.
“Yeah, what he said,” Dex adds.
I’ve been avoiding Link’s gaze all night, but now my eyes slide to his. “And you?”
“I could bust a move or two. But I’ll join you lovely ladies when they do. I’m really too much to handle and I don’t want you four to be too overwhelmed.” The cocky-ass smile on his face makes me want to roll my eyes so badly, but he’s so damn sexy when he uses it. And I’m horny as hell after having a few drinks.
I just smile and wink. And he gulps. He wasn’t expecting my reaction.
Bernie tugs my arm and we turn to head down to the dance floor. She leans in and whisper yells in my ear, “You want him so fucking bad.”
I just laugh.
Moments later the four of us gather in a circle in the middle of the dance floor. We are surrounded by bodies. The mixture of sweat, cologne, perfume and alcohol swirls around us. There are a lot of people on the floor, but it’s surprisingly not stuffy and hot. There is a light chill in the air and I assume the air conditioning is working over time. Once we start dancing, I’m sure it won’t feel as chilly.
The music is pumping. The beats are sick and the sounds of laughter and shouts fill in the air around the music. I can clearly see the girls, as we are all pretty close together, but everyone else out on the floor blends into the sea of dancing bodies. It’s dark for the most part, but the strobe lights work the room allowing rhythmic flashes of actual people and not shadowed figures.
I lose myself in the feel of the music before too long. The DJ smoothly transitions into a remix version of a popular Jason Derulo song. I open my eyes and notice that the girls are still near, so I allow myself to stay in the moment.
A large, warm hand wraps around my waist and while normally, I would flip out, the familiar scent of Link’s cologne fills my senses. I keep moving my hips when I feel the fabric of his denim clad leg wedge between my legs and his chest at my back. Warm breath fans across my neck as he speaks my name in my ear, sending delicious anticipation skittering down my spine.
“Ruby.”
I keep dancing, relishing the feel of his hand on my hip and his hot body pressed against mine, moving with my rhythm.
Suddenly, I can no longer feel the cool air anymore.
I lift my arm to gather my hair and hold it away from my neck.
Link’s hand slowly runs up my side, sliding his fingers near my breast and all the way up to my elevated arm. It’s erotic and fucking hot as hell.
What I’m not prepared to feel is soft but firm lips on my neck. I shiver all over at the sensation. I hear my name again before his lips continue their work on my neck. Before I know what to do next, he spins me around and pulls me into him.
My eyes blow wide open as I look up into his. The neon lights illuminate his face. I can’t see all the heat in his eyes, but I feel it radiating off of him all the same.
We dance like this for a long moment, staring into each other’s eyes. His hands are everywhere. His thigh is pressed to the heat between my legs as we move in sync. I grind, and he takes it. His hand cups the back of my neck and I drop my hair. I drape my arm over his shoulder while placing my other hand firmly on his chest. A song I’ve never heard surges into the room. It’s reminiscent of 80’s dance music, complete with near-sex moaning lyrics. And I thought I was horny just sitting next to this man.
As if he reads my thoughts, his cocky-ass smirk spreads across his face. I bite my lip, and it has his full focus.
The space between us evaporates and then his mouth is on mine.
His lips are hot and firm, taking, nipping at me. He’s not being gentle, and I don’t want him to be. He pulls me flush against him again, and I go willingly. Our bodies are aligned from chest to hip, not a breath of space between us.
He pushes his tongue into my mouth and, oh my fucking god, I can’t get enough. I want to get even closer.
Time evaporates as we drink each other in but the music changes at some point and the reality of where we are suddenly hits me.
I pull back but don’t let go of him.
We are standing still in a sea of movement.
Gasping for air we look at each other with all the heat from before but it’s amplified by at least a thousand percent.
I break eye contact to scan the area around us, looking for our friends. I spot Gia and
Simon several feet away getting their own dirty dancing on.
Link pulls my attention back to him with a tug of my hair and leans in to talk in my ear. It’s so loud in here and the dance floor isn’t meant for conversation, but I hear him loud and clear.
“Come back to my room with me.”
I turn my face toward him as he slowly pulls away from my ear. Our lips nearly touch again.
“Okay,” I breathe out unevenly.
He closes the gap and I open my mouth, accepting his tongue. His hands on my arms slide down and his fingers clasp mine. Then before the kiss gets good, he pulls away and yanks our joined hands as he leads us off the dance floor. I don’t miss it when he discreetly rearranges his pants. We pass Simon and Gia, and Link claps Simon’s shoulder as we go in a silent gesture. Gia catches my eye and smirks knowingly.
I have no clue where everyone else is, but truthfully, I don’t care.
The walk back to his room goes by in a flash. There isn’t much talking. Link is gripping my hand protectively as we walk the few blocks to the hotel. Every time our arms brush or our shoulders bump into each other, we both seem to miss a breath. The electrical current between us is affecting us both. Every time I steal a glance at him, I see he’s doing the same thing. The first time he catches my eyes, his smile makes me delirious with anticipation for what is coming next.
Riding the elevator up to the seventeenth floor, one floor above the room I’m sharing with Bernie, takes a thousand lifetimes, however.
We stand side by side, along with a few other convention guests. Link’s fingers twist around mine, his thumb caresses the inside of my wrist. I can feel his eyes on me. He’s only a few inches taller than me so I just slightly tilt my face toward him.
I stare at his mouth, and when my eyes reach his, he smiles. It’s not his cocky-ass smile that drives me insane with both annoyance and lust, but a smile I’ve never seen before. A smile that you’d save for something or someone extremely special. There’s so much tenderness and want in his eyes that I can’t help smiling back. He bends his head and captures my lips. I turn toward him, getting lost in the kiss. When his other hand finds my waist, there’s a loud cough from somewhere in the large metal box.
Game All Night Page 11
