by ERIN BEDFORD
"Hey, we were just..." I started to come up with some excuse but then realized I was being silly. I didn't need to make up stuff for them. We were all adults. They knew I did stuff with Paul the same as with them. "Well, you know," I ended lamely with a giggle.
"Yeah, we can see that." Ian, not giving a fuck about the situation, plopped down on the bed next to his brother and smacked him on the back. "Come on, no hogging the lady. The night is young, and I, for once, have plenty of time to woo and deflower my girl." He wagged his brows at me, making me roll my eyes and giggle again.
"Sorry to tell you, but someone already beat you to that." I crinkled my nose at him.
Ian turned his eyes to Paul who held his hands up. "Don't look at me." He turned his eyes back to me and placed his hands over his heart with woe in my eyes. "You wound me, Max. Not only did you not get deflowered by my brother but by some stranger? Some unworthy human I should guess?"
Covering my mouth to hide my laughter, I nodded.
Slumping down onto the floor, Ian flopped his arm at his sides. "I am beyond repair. Nothing will save my broken heart now."
I arched a brow at him and then at Aidan. Aidan shrugged. Well, he was a lot of help. Glancing back to Ian and then at the clock, I noticed we were already missing all the festivities.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to go find me a drink." I walked toward the door, stepping over Ian as I went. Paul and Aidan began to follow suit, causing Ian to lift his head.
"You can't just leave me here."
"Why not?" I asked, my hand holding onto the door. "You're the one who said no one could help you. I know a lost cause when I see one." I shifted to leave, but Ian stretched out a hand toward me.
"Wait, there is something. Something you can do to save me."
One hand on my hip, I couldn't keep the sarcasm from my voice. "Oh, really now. And what's that?"
Ian grinned. "A blow job?"
To the guys, I said, "Let's go." Aidan walked out, and Paul followed, but Ian shouted before I could close the door behind us. "What now?"
"Okay, maybe not a blow job, but how about a kiss? A kiss from the fair maiden who has wounded me so?" He blinked his long dark lashes at me, not fair really, and rolled over onto his side.
Clucking my tongue as I pretended to think about it, I nodded. "Fine. One kiss. Then I need a drink and some fun."
"And this isn't fun?" Ian asked, reaching out toward me as I moved closer.
I snorted, kneeling next to him. "Playing games to get sexual favors? Not really. If you want sex from me, you'll have to do better than that."
"But you'll let me taste you." Ian's finger crept up my inner thigh. Warmth flooded between my thighs, and I forced myself to push his hand away, lest we get stuck in there all night.
"That was different, and you know it." I cupped his face in my hands and pressed my mouth to his in a quick kiss. "There. All done. Now get up."
"Now, hold on just a second." He grabbed my hand and gave me a tiny tug. I ended up splayed across his chest and the hard-on in his pants. "I think we can do a bit better than that, don't you?"
I gave him a sassy grin but let him roll us over so that he was on top. "Fine but make it quick."
"Oh," he quipped, a fake expression of pain on his face. "You really know how to hit a guy where it hurts."
"Yeah, the ego."
"Watch your mouth."
"Make me." I shimmied beneath him, making sure to rub up against his pants.
Ian closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the sensations I was giving him before pinning my arms over my head. I arched my back, trying to get him to release me but only ended up rubbing my nipples against him. Ian captured the gasp that fell from my lips with his own, taking over my mouth like he was a starving man and the only way he would survive was inside my mouth. I stopped trying to get my arms free and instead wrapped my legs around him, grinding myself against him. Ian dropped his hands from mine and cupped my breasts, squeezing them until they ached.
I was half a second away from saying fuck the party and just have him fuck me before Ian pulled away and stood. I gaped at him, my core pulsating and my mouth swollen from his kisses. "What the hell, Ian?"
"Don't we have a party to get to?" Ian grinned, acting as if we hadn't almost fucked on the floor. If I couldn't see the form of his dick pressed against his jeans, I would have thought that whole thing hadn't affected him at all, but seeing it only made me scowl. So that's how he wanted to play it?
"Yeah, we do." I stood up, ignoring the hand Ian held out to help me. I pushed him toward the door. "I'll meet out here."
Ian only raised a brow at me, his cocky grin on his lips still. "Oh? Need to finish something?"
I knew what he was implying, but I simply shut the door in his face. Turning away from the door, I marched over to my closet and dug into the back for the dress Callie had talked me into buying recently. Tossing my jeans and tank top off, I shimmied into the form-fitting red dress that landed right below my butt. The dress was strapless, so I took my bra off. The material was thick enough that I wouldn't need it, I just wouldn't be jumping around too much tonight. I traded my tennis shoes for a pair of heels and then, with a naughty thought and a giggle, removed my panties.
“What do you think?” I grinned at Aris through the mirror. “Think it’s too much?” Letting out a little pleased hum, I pretended she answered me. “Me either.”
I grabbed my phone from my jeans and then frowned down at my dress. I didn't really have anywhere to put it now. With a shrug, I left it there. Not like I wasn't going to be with everyone I would want to talk to anyway.
Heading out the door, I could already hear the music filling the hallway. Only a few people were still in the halls heading toward the main corridor where the party was being held. Since this wasn't a sanctioned school event, the party stretched between several rooms in the fourth-year hallway, the majority of the people popping in and out of rooms as they mingled. I shifted from one foot to the other as eyes started to turn in my direction. Most of them were curious, others a bit lecherous, and several even waved at me. I waved back with a small smile, completely too aware of the fact that I was pantyless in a room full of people.
All of a sudden, an arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I tensed before tilting my head back to see Aidan. "Hey, sorry I'm late."
Aidan didn't smile or frown but stayed expressionless. He only gave me a two-word answer. "Stay close."
Snuggling into his side, I didn't have the strength to deny him. Maneuvering through a large group of people was easy when you had someone the size of a mountain. Most people just moved out of his way on their own but not without an interested look between the two of us. There were a few women who were looking for longer than they should, and a jealous zing zipped out of me in the girls’ direction, making them jump in place. Their eyes jumped to me with a scowl until they seemed to realize who I was. With an apologetic dip of their heads, they moved to find someone else to drool over. Okay, so my family name did have its perks, but I didn't have to like it.
"Drink?"
"Huh?" I glanced away from the crowd and to Aidan, who held a plastic cup out to me. "Oh, yeah. Thank you." I started to sip it but paused at the fruity smell. "Hold on, this isn't..."
"No." Aidan's one-word answer was joined with an amused quirk of his lips.
"Well, then. Cheers." I bumped my cup against his and then took a large drink. The alcohol in it burned on the way down, settling in my stomach with a sizzle. The effects were instant. All of my nerves disappeared, and a smile slid up my lips. "Uh oh. I think I'm drunk already."
"No." Aidan took the cup from me and stroked the side of my face. "Not drunk, happy."
I started to furrow my brows but then found I couldn't, my face was stuck in a joyful expression. "Why can't I frown? I'm trying to frown." I rubbed my cheeks, shoving at them to go into position but they just jumped back up. "What did you do?" Even my accusatory tone sounded gleeful in
stead of annoyed.
"Helping you to relax."
"Hey, what's going on over here?" Dale appeared out of nowhere before I could happily rip Aidan a new one. Dale's eyes scanned over my form and my Joker face grin, his mouth dropping open a bit. "Uh, um. Wow. Max, you look. Um, wow."
I didn't need the alcohol to make the happy feeling coming to my chest at making the know-it-all Dale speechless. I could just imagine how he would react to knowing I didn't have anything underneath my dress. Actually, that thought made me all too happy as well. God, my face was going to hurt after this.
"Thanks." I pulled my hair over my shoulder and played with the ends. "I wanted to try something different."
"Well, you definitely achieved that." Dale's eyes moved to Aidan and the cup in his hand. "Oh, man. Don't tell me you gave her that? No wonder she looks so weird."
I frowned or, well, tried to. Fuck, this was annoying.
"She looked stressed," Aidan confessed, lifting an apologetic shoulder. He was able to frown easily, meaning he didn't have the same thing in his glass.
Reaching up and snatching the cup from his hand, I took a tentative sip. This one didn't burn as much but did make my eyes droop considerably. Oh. Wow. I cleared my throat, the inside of my thighs rubbing together deliciously.
"And what the hell are you drinking?" Dale scoffed, grabbing the cup from my hand. "Happy Juice and Aroma Tonic? Really? So, get her happy then fuck her silly? Do you really need that much help?" The irritation in Dale's voice made me happy, and not the artificial kind.
"Yeah," I bumped Aidan on the shoulder, making my boobs jiggle hard enough that I feared they'd fall out, something the guys noticed.
"No," Aidan placed a hand on my shoulder. "To either of those things."
"Then explain yourself, because this says date rape all over it." Dale snarled, causing us to earn some attention from the surrounding students.
“You’re making a scene.” I poked Dale in the shoulder. “Stop it.” The music changed to a slow sultry beat, and I grabbed Dale’s hand. “Come on, grumpy butt. Dance with me.”
Dale seemed a bit reluctant but let me lead him into an open area where other students had begun to dance. Throwing my arms around his neck, I moved my hips from side to side. Dale’s hands found their way to my hips, moving along my sides. His brows furrowed before they shot up to his forehead.
“Are you...?” He dipped his head until his mouth was by my ear. “Are you not wearing underwear?”
I pushed my tongue against the back of my teeth and then grinned, shaking my head. “Nope.” I let the word pop in my mouth and shimmied even closer to Dale. “I think you should probably take advantage of me before someone else does.”
Dale shook his head in exasperation. “Fucking Christ, Max. What am I going to do with you?”
Arching up on my tiptoes, I slid my tongue along the shell of his ear. “You can fuck me.” I let my hand trail down his back and cupped his ass. “Preferably hard and dirty.”
Groaning against me, Dale stiffened and then took a deep breath and pushed me away. I frowned up at him, or tried to. The magical cocktail was still in my system.
“I can’t.” His shaggy hair swayed from side to side as he shook his head. “Not that I wouldn’t love to, but you’ve been drinking and...”
“That would be wrong,” I finished for him with a giggle. “You’re such a good guy.” I poked at his face, way too interested in the skin on his face. “Why are you such a good guy?”
Dale let out a shaky breath. “Just cursed, I guess. Come on.” I lead me back to where Aidan stood. “She’s completely gone.”
"She overthinks everything," Aidan started, trying to reassure Dale about his choices. "I just wanted her to have fun, and I like the taste of the other one."
"That's all good and well, but a heads-up would be nice." I poked him in the chest with a stern pout. "I don't need a repeat of last time."
Dale took my hand and drew me to him. "Believe me, none of us do. Now, let's get you a real drink before you end up poisoning yourself. Word to the wise: Don't mix drinks unless you want to be flying around the campus butt-ass naked thinking you're a butterfly."
"Speaking from experience?" I giggled and let him lead me to the table with drinks.
"Not mine thankfully." Dale looked up at the ball of light hovering over my head. He poked his finger at it with a frown. "I think your guardian is broken by the way. It’s supposed to warn you of dangers like this."
"She," I corrected him with a grin and then petted the air around Aris. "And she's not broken. Aris just knows Aidan had my best interests at heart." I glanced over my shoulder at Aidan, giving him a wink. Aidan smiled behind his cup. Changing the subject, I turned back to the table before me. "So, what should I drink? What about this?" I reached out and picked up a cup with a sea green color to it with a lime scent coming from inside. That was a strange combination. When neither guy objected, I lifted the cup to my mouth, but a hand jutted between it and my mouth. Frowning, I glared at the feminine hand until I found its owner. "Oh, joy."
"I wouldn't drink that if I were you." Sabrina gave me a warning look before turning that laser gaze to Dale and Aidan. "And you call yourselves her boyfriends. Really, I don't even like the girl, and I wouldn't let her drink a Leeching Pond."
"Leeching Pond?" I stared down at the contents inside the cup. "That doesn't sound good."
Plucking the cup from my hand, Sabrina handed it to a pretty girl passing by with a brilliant yet totally fake smile. "Here you go, you look like you could use this."
"But, I thought you said..." My finger followed after the girl, but Sabrina grabbed my hand and jerked me back around to the table. Picking up a different cup, she sat it in my hand with a wink. "Don't say I never did anything for you."
The new cup's contents swirled around on its own, the colors changing from blue to purple to pink and then back around again. I couldn't really tell what it smelled like. It sure as heck didn’t smell like any other food I'd ever smelled. Not trusting Sabrina as far as I could throw her, I glanced at Aidan and Dale. Neither seemed bothered by the choice. I then looked up at Aris. She didn't even flinch, just hovered uselessly above my head.
Shrugging, I lifted the cup to my mouth. "Bottoms up."
A coughing fit overcame me the instant I took a drink. Man, I thought that first one had been strong. The one might look pretty, but lava would have been cooler than its contents.
Rubbing a hand over my suddenly running nose but happy to have a clear head, I turned to Sabrina. "I don't feel any different. What's in it?"
"You don't want to know, but now you won't be able to be coerced into anything you don't want to do now." She shot a look at Dale and Aidan which really wasn't necessary but appreciated none the less. When her eyes turned back to me, she scanned over my outfit and frowned. "I thought we were making progress."
My eyes dropped to what she was looking at, and I shrugged, giving her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, it’s nothing against your teachings. Just trying to prove a point." Sabrina didn't ask, but she had a humorous glint in her eyes that told me she knew exactly what I was playing at. I ducked my head to the side, searching around Sabrina who had dressed in a black dress with so many straps I would strangle myself trying to get it off. "Where are your minions tonight?"
Sabrina sniffed taking a drink of her cup. "Libby is off probably sucking face with your roommate, and Monica..." She trailed off, her eyes getting a far-off look before she straightened. A broad grin spread across her lips. "So, where are our favorite brothers at? I need their RSVP for your party."
I frowned. "But we haven't even made the guest list yet."
"Oh, don't worry, I went ahead and did that for you." She placed a hand on my shoulder, a concerned expression coming over her face. "I know how much you want to make sure the party goes well, and that means keeping the riff-raff out." Her words were for me, but her eyes were on Dale.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dale snappe
d, taking a step closer to me. "I'll be at that party, no matter if I'm on the list or not."
"Right." I nodded. "What he said. And while I appreciate your help," I pulled my shoulder out of her reach, "I think I can decide for myself who I want to invite."
Sabrina didn't seem bothered by my declaration. In fact, it only seemed to amuse her further. "Oh, Maxine, didn't you know?"
"Know what?" I growled.
"Your grandmother put me in charge of everything." She giggled and shimmied her shoulders.
I gaped at her. "Why would she do that?"
A sly grin on her lips, Sabrina took a sip of her cup. "I told her you were just too stressed by finals and begged me to help. And of course, being the loving soul, I am, agreed." She patted me on the head. "You're welcome." Before I could rip her head off, she was pushing her way through the crowd and out of sight.
"You're not going to really let her take over like that, are you?" Dale asked at my side, his hand on my waist.
I look up at him and Aidan, who looked about ready to chase down Sabrina and make her take all her words back. "No, but taking it out on Sabrina won't fix anything. I'll have to take it to the source." Well, there went my happy night. Where was that Happy Juice at again?
Chapter 7
"Are you sure you want to stay here?" my mom asked for the millionth time. She shut the car door and stared up at the large mansion before us. "I mean, you can just as easily plan the party at our house."
Sighing dispassionately, I grabbed my bag from the back of the car. "No, not really, but I already promised grandmother I'd stay. Plus, I need to clear something up." I slung the bag over my shoulder and headed for the front door.
My mom followed closely behind me, seeming as excited as I was to be there. "You know you can change your mind at any time, right? Just because you said yes before doesn't mean you can't say no now."
I gave her a sideways look. "And you know just as well as I do, that we don't want grandmother at our house for longer than we have to. I'd like to have a house to come home to."
