"Are we friends?" I ask, my voice a decibel above a whisper.He nods and eases me forward until my chest rests against his, until our noses graze. My breath leaves me quick and shallow as anticipation builds in my veins, mixing dangerously with the lust he stirs. "Good friends."Our lips brush and he holds us there, barely kissing, as he smooths his giant palms along my thighs to my backside. Seth tightens his grip, holding my pelvis firm to his. His desire swells beneath me, too rigid for me to ignore his intentions. "Friends do this all the time," I say, convincing myself that this isn't anything more than what it is; a friendly moment. "Right?"Seth nods. "Yeah. All the time." He crushes his lips to mine, catching me off guard. A strangled moan leaves my throat as he plunges his tongue into my mouth and kisses me with wild abandon. He claws at my blouse, tugging at buttons, and opening them with ease. He shoves the fabric down my arms and holds me around my waist, feeling the cur
He swears and lifts his body off me. Releasing my wrists, he reaches between us and pushes on his jeans, shoving them down his thighs. His hard, thick arousal presses against my center, and I still, sobering once more. Seth settles against me, using his big thighs to push my legs wide open. I swallow hard as he touches his lips to the shell of my ear, his breath ragged and heavy."I'll be careful," he murmurs, and I nod.I trust him. Seth slides his hand into the nape of my neck and presses his lips to mine. I melt into him, running my hands over his incredible physique, enjoying the heat of his skin as it gathers in my palms. With his free hand, he fists himself and drags the tip of his cock through my wetness, up and down, making it slip so easily. He flicks his tongue over my lower lip, coaxing me into opening my mouth to him. I part my lips and his tongue is right there, pushing into my mouth as he inhales and breaches my entrance with the head of his cock. I inhale sharply, and he
Exhaling, I shut the door of the taxi and walk up my parent's drive. I peer up at the orange and red sunset as it casts a warm, beautiful glow over my parent's one-story house. I can't help but inhale the cool, Portland air and smile as I open the familiar white gate, stepping through to the rocky pathway. Pebbles crunch beneath my feet, a sensation forgotten once the smell of shepherd's pie and roast vegetables wafts up my nose.I walk along the pathway and stomp up the wooden stairs and across the porch. I knock on the door and wait. A heartbeat later, Mom is ripping the door open and beaming widely at me."Darling!" she greets, pulling me into a hug that smells of basil and salt. "You know you don't have to knock here."I bury my face in her short, chocolate curls as I hug her back. "I know."Pulling away, she takes me by the wrist and drags me into the house, smiling gleefully at my ugly sweater. She loves it. She loves the mustard-colored ruffles and the white stripes around the e
I smooth my palms down the front of my tight black dress, fingering the folds in the fabric as I go. The expensive black fabric wraps tight around my body and clings high on my thighs. The tiny, thin straps hold the dress over my bra-less breasts, but the neckline dips deep. It's the only dress of its kind I own. Long forgotten, I found this impulse buy hidden far in the back of my wardrobe and away from Blade's prying eyes. It still had the price tag on it and Blade hated when I spent money on expensive clothes. So, I hid it to avoid conflict. Wearing it reminds me why I bought it. It was breathtaking on the mannequin and when I tried it on I felt sexy. Good to know time hasn't changed that.I sit on the edge of my bed and slide my feet into a pair of black stilettos that aren't mine, but match the dress perfectly-thanks, Selena. I just manage to get the last buckle clasped around my ankle when there's a firm knock on my bedroom door."Come in," I call, lifting myself off the bed, exp
Seth parks in Heaven's designated parking lot and we walk around to the front door. The air outside is way too cold for the dress I chose and my feet are already killing me. His friends are pumped. They run their mouths about what drinks they're going to drink, and dancing and girls. All I can think about is crawling back into my nice warm bed.Seth leads us past the queue and up to the robust security guard manning the front door."Seth Marc! It's been a long time!"While they catch up, I peer into the nightclub trying to catch a glimpse of how busy it is. A second later the guard steps aside, letting all of us into the club."He was nice," I shout at Seth and he bends, bringing his ear closer to my mouth, smoothing his hand up my back. "I said he was nice. Is it safe to assume you haven't slept with his girlfriend? Or maybe he just hasn't found out yet?"Seth laughs and it's a deep, hearty laugh I barely hear over the noise. He cranes his head to speak in my ear. "You're hurting your
I open my mouth to apologize to the woman I attacked and extend my hand to help her up, but strong arms seize my waist and I'm lifted off the floor. "Time to go," Seth shouts, and I whip my head in Selena's direction. She thrashes her long legs as Jackson throws her over his shoulder and hauls ass after us. People stare and part as Seth carries me out of the room and down the stairs, like I'm as light as a handbag in his hold.I close my eyes, hoping the bout of adrenaline-induced nausea that courses through me stops. I've never felt so awful. I can't believe I physically assaulted someone. In the face.I don't open my eyes until the fresh night air cools my burning skin."Wasn't expecting you to hit her," Seth says, still carrying me like a doll. I groan, my knuckles thumping. "I don't know what came over me. I thought she was going to hit Selena and I just...I reacted. What the hell was I thinking?" "You weren't thinking." He sets me down on the sidewalk and I wobble on shaky le
My eyelids flutter, then close again. I drag my tongue along the roof of my mouth and smack my dry lips together. Ick. My mouth is a desert. My brain thumps in my skull, a gift left by the shots I drank last night. Opening one eye, I blink until the blurry lines of the world sharpen. Yawning, I haphazardly reach for the water bottle on my nightstand. I unscrew the lid and sip it. It wets my tongue and stimulates my saliva, but it doesn't help the dehydrated state of my body. I swallow and the sensation makes my bladder constrict. I squeeze my thighs together to ease the tightening feeling, but it doesn't help. Replacing the lid on my bottle, I drop it to the floor and slip from the bed, careful not to wake Seth. I scoop his crumpled blue shirt from the floor and pull it over my head as I tiptoe from the room. When I return, Seth is sitting up, my sheets low on his naked hips, so low his muscular thigh juts out. He blinks at me, then points at the alarm clock on my bedside."Do you know
After breakfast, Seth drops me home to get ready for Concord. He continues on with Jackson and Selena, promising to pick me up in a couple of hours. Without ceremony, I let them go, desperate for some alone time after the morning I've had. Lucky for me, the mechanic I called yesterday arrives at the same time and immediately gets to work fixing my car. While he does that, I climb the stairs and enter my apartment. In the silence, Blade's little red box burns a hole in the leg of my jeans. I pluck it from my pocket and sit on the edge of the couch. I hold it in my palm, cautious as if it's going to pop open, like a jack in a box. Or explode, like a grenade.It creaks as I open it.I stare at the ostentatious white and red diamonds nestled on top of a multi-layer white gold band, then slam the box shut and toss it onto the couch beside me. Rage laces around my midsection and squeezes, like a corset. How dare he spend money on this. How dare he give it to me. I stand up and storm to the b