Jaded (Jaded #1)

He said that nothing came up, but the stuff was still running. He said you’d know what he meant.”


Tatum grinned proudly, “All the guys helped out, but most wanted to go to Harris’. He’s having an after-party party at his place, but I don’t think he actually knows that since he was with you guys.”

“Don’t suppose you two are going?” Chet murmured.

Bryce slid a hand down my back and answered, “No, we’re not going.” His hand stopped caressing my leg, but he tightened his hold and clasped me strongly against him.

“Let’s go to Harris’,” Tatum exclaimed as he stood from the couch.

Mandy sighed and stood, slower.

Chet grinned as they left. He stopped just short of the stairs and said as an afterthought, “That Donadeli kid showed up tonight. He said that he was invited, but he took off again. He’s going to come back later in the morning to pick up the Party Packs. Have a good night, guys!”

His chuckle could be heard as he jogged upstairs and shut the door behind him.

As the door closed with a deafening click, the laughter was cut off abruptly.

The absence echoed around the mansion and all I heard was Bryce’s breathing.

I moved and straddled him instead.

Bryce’s hand fell to my legs and he relaxed against the back of the couch.

Our eyes met and we both waited for the other to break the laughter’s absent echo.

I broke it and murmured, “Mandy has a crush on you.”

“Left field.” Bryce grinned. “So?”

“So. Nothing.”

He asked and watched me intently, “Or were you hoping for a reaction?”

“No,” I lied.

“What are you doing? I don’t care about Mandy. You know that.”

I said evasively, “Mandy’s not stupid. She’s kinda cool. I like her.”

“She’s stupid for being friends with Becky Lew.”

“You’re stupid for letting her sit on your lap all those times,” I pointed out.

It didn’t escape my notice that his hands swiftly pulled me farther down. I felt him jerk upwards at the contact and grinned, smug.

“You know what that was about.” Bryce bent forward and kissed my shoulder. He trailed towards my neck and settled there.

“I know,” I sighed and curled a hand around his neck to hold him in place.

No more words were shared until we were both panting and I had been transferred to lie on the couch. Bryce lifted himself up and said, out of breath, “I don’t want to do this here. Not with those feeds still going…”

I shuddered at the reminder, but nodded and crawled up as he moved off the couch.

We walked in unspoken agreement to my bedroom. Bryce led and I followed.

The light was left off as I silently packed a bag and Bryce waited on the edge of the bed.

When I was done, I turned and Bryce lifted the bag out of my fingers. He carried it and his free hand found mine.

We walked down the stairs, flipped the lights off, and programmed the alarm system. The door was locked and we were in Bryce’s car, heading towards his place within moments.

“What about your mom?” I hadn’t asked before, but I asked now.

“She took Savannah and Luca to our Aunt Kelly’s. Mom called and left a message. She doesn’t feel safe with everything going on in the community.”

“Her words?” I grinned and relaxed in the seat.

“Her words exactly.” Bryce shrugged. “I’m okay knowing that my little sister and brother aren’t around right now.”

“Yeah.”

Bryce reached over and took my hand. I never knew that my fingers grasped his, desperately.

The rest of the way was in silence. When we got outside, it was peaceful. It was shattered when we both shut our doors. Bryce led me inside, in the dark, and we moved into his bedroom.

He waited on the bed as I moved into his bathroom and cleaned for the night. We bypassed each other and then I curled underneath his blankets. As I waited, a tear slid down, but it was brushed briskly away and I sat up to open Bryce’s window an inch.

He always liked that. He liked the cool breeze of fresh air.

When he came back in, he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me. Our eyes met as the moonlight filtered inside and cast shadows across our features, but our eyes were glitteringly alive and we saw the other.

“I can’t…” He sighed, raggedly.

I shook my head. There was too much in the air with Corrigan in jail, the stalker still out there, and Bryce was leaving me. He couldn’t say anything to make any of it right so I just shook my head.

Bryce sighed again and moved towards me.

Tenderly, he kissed me.

The kiss inflamed and I found myself clutching to him. Bryce shifted so I could lay down and he rose above me. I closed my eyes against the onslaught of pleasure. He stretched out on the side with one leg thrown over mine, proclaiming his hold, as his mouth kissed mine again and slid down. With each kiss that trailed south, I heard his breath exhale. I felt his breath on my skin and raked my hands through his hair.