“Ow! Watch where you’re poking that thing!”
“Well, if you’d stop squirming around so much, we wouldn’t have this problem. Now hold still.”
I finished plucking the last out-of-place strand from Liberty’s eyebrows and moved on to applying her makeup. She was either going to love me or hate me when I was finished with her, but I had to say I was quite impressed with what I’d chosen for her. Her only stipulations were no ass or tits hanging out. Go figure… that cut out ninety-five percent of my wardrobe, so I went with the next best option: shiny black leggings with an equally form-fitting, off-the-shoulder, belted top. The cherry on top was the “f*ck me” red, patent leather heels I had yet to wear, but for Liberty’s first frat party, I was willing to let her break them in for me.
“Owww! Dammit, Maddie, I’ve had enough. This is cruel and unusual punishment. Drop the mascara wand before you actually poke my eye out.”
“All right, just one more swipe.” Perfect. Now for the big reveal. I refused to let Liberty look in the mirror before I was finished, which might not have been the brightest idea, but it was too late now. I moved closer to the door, reaching for the knob just in case I had to make a run for it.
Liberty spun around and took it all in. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but by the way her mouth kept opening and closing and her eye was twitching, I thought it was safe to say I might’ve gone a little overboard.
“Maddie…”
“Hey, I think you look hot. This is probably my best work yet.” I folded my arms over my chest with an accomplished grin plastered on my face. “Oh, and by the way, you’re welcome.”
“I look like Olivia Newton-John at the end of Grease! I can’t wear this!”
“What are you talking about? You look great! I have no doubt that all eyes will be on you tonight.”
“I don’t want all eyes to be on me, Maddie. The only one who should have his eyes on me is Shayne.”
“Well, you’re not going to make many friends with that lame-ass attitude. Besides, a little time away from Shayne wouldn’t kill you.” I grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the room before she could protest further. “C’mon, we better get going. We’re already pushing ‘fashionably late’.”
When we stepped into the living room, I had to choke back the giggle that was building up inside me. Robbie was sitting on the couch next to Shayne and definitely pushing the boundaries of his personal space. I could tell that it was starting to get to him by the beads of sweat that began to pool above his brow. The moment Robbie’s hand landed on his arm and started stroking up the length of his bicep, Shayne bolted off of the couch away from him. I couldn’t help but smile at Robbie for his futile attempt. Liberty cleared her throat, stealing away Shayne’s attention… and boy did she have his attention. He was practically drooling all over my carpet like a Pavlovian dog.
“Wow… um…” Shayne reached up to wipe away the nervous beads of sweat with the back of his hand. “Wow.”
As much as I hated to see Liberty elicit that kind of reaction from him, I had to pat myself on the back for that one.
“See, I told you. You look hot, lady!” I reassured her.
“Liberty, sweetheart… um… I uh… I don’t think you should wear that out tonight. It’s starting to get cooler outside, and I don’t want you getting sick.” Shayne’s eyes were still roaming up and down her body, drinking her in.
“Are you kidding me? It’s almost seventy-five degrees, and it’ll be even hotter with all of those bodies crammed into the house. Stop being such a p-ssy and let the girl show off those sexy curves. I’m sure she’ll spend the whole night flaunting that damn ring anyway, so you have nothing to worry about, lover boy.”
I ignored the glare he shot my way and cut my attention over to Robbie. “Are you coming with us or are you going to pull the old-man card again?”
Liberty looked at him with her eyebrow raised. “Old man? You’re like twenty-four.”
“Yeah, and this old man’s partying days are over. Frat parties aren’t really my scene anyway, so Lance and I are just going to spend the night in.”
“What the hell! I said the same thing, and you’re still dragging my ass there. How come he doesn’t have to go?”
“Because, he’s not the one trying to be a social pariah with her new fiancé. You need to get out there and meet new people, especially if you’re going to be sharing classes with some of them. Now grab your purse and let’s go!”
“Is she always this bossy?” Shayne whispered into Liberty’s ear, but Robbie must have overheard because he beat her to the punch.
“You have no idea, man. Who knew living with a woman was such a chore?”
Shayne slapped him on the back, letting out a hearty laugh. “Yeah, I know what you mean. “
“Hey, we’re standing right here!” Liberty all but screeched.
“I’m just kidding, sweetheart. Living with you is far from a chore. Although, you have been a great addition to my workout regiment…” he trailed off as he nuzzled into Liberty’s neck.
“Okay, I’ve heard and seen enough. Let’s go, before I have to gouge my own eyes out with a mascara wand.”
Robbie wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in for a tight hug, and pressed a kiss against my hair. “Try to behave tonight, baby girl. I better not get any calls at two in the morning, begging me to bail your pretty, little ass out of jail.”
“That won’t be a problem as long as they can keep their hands to themselves for more than five seconds.” I looked over at them with their arms encircling one another in a tender embrace. Had it been any other guy, I would have thought they were the most adorable couple. The way they looked into each other’s eyes was enough to make me believe that maybe what they shared was real; that maybe love wasn’t such a farfetched notion. For me, though… it just wasn’t in the stars. I had accepted that a long time ago.
Knowing what kind of person Shayne really was, the sight of them now made my stomach turn.
“Ughh, I’ll be out in the car whenever y’all are ready.” I grabbed my clutch off of the kitchen counter and stormed off toward Shayne’s Jeep. I could already tell this was going to be a long night and require a lot of liquor to drown out their nauseating PDA.
We pulled up to the Delta Mu house, and people were already scattered across the lawn with red Solo cups in hand. The Jeep wasn’t even thrown into park before I grabbed Liberty’s hand and pulled her toward the front door, not bothering to wait for Shayne.
“Let’s go mingle!” I shouted. Jason Derulo’s “The Other Side” was blasting through the speakers, and my hips swayed to the beat of the song as we made our way into the house.
Before Liberty could respond, or argue rather, my hand was torn away from hers, and I was pulled into a brick wall of a man who smelled unmistakably familiar. He tightened his hold around me as I buried my face into his chest, soaking up his masculine scent.
“Where have you been, baby? All the guys have been looking for you,” he said, not once removing his thirsty gaze from my cleavage.
“I’ve been around. Mark, this is my friend, Liberty. She’ll be joining us at Savannah State this year.”
“Well, hello there, gorgeous. Where has Maddie been hiding you?” He pulled Liberty’s hand up to his lips, completely ignoring the huge diamond that was in plain view.
“You mind keeping your hands and mouth off of my fiancée?” Shayne walked up behind us, pulling Liberty flush against his side.
“Shayne F*cking Thompson! I haven’t seen you in ages, man! How the hell are you?” He reached over, slapping Shayne on the back harder than necessary. “Let me get you a beer. Can I get you ladies anything?”
“I’ll take a rum and coke with an extra shot of rum.” I wasn’t playing around. It was the first party of the school year, and I planned on making the most of. If I could just hunt down a guy to bring home, then my night would be complete.
“Thanks, but I think I can handle getting our own drinks. Do you want your usual, babe?” Shayne looked down at Liberty adoringly, and she nodded back at him while biting her lip.
“Seriously, can you guys tone down the gag-worthy gaga looks you keep shooting at each other? I’m about ready to vom, you guys are so ridiculously cute together.”
“Jealous, are we?” Liberty cocked her eyebrow, shooting me a knowing look.
“Of y’all? Ha! I think you already know the answer to that, Liberty.”
“Just making an observation.”
“Oh really? And what, pray tell, have you observed because seriously, I’m just dying to f*cking know?” I stood there with my arms crossed over my chest.
“Maddie, I can see you out of the corner of my eye every time Shayne and I show any inkling of affection toward one another. There’s a look of longing in your eyes, like you crave what we share. You don’t need to be shy about admitting it. You deserve to have your prince charming sweep you off your feet one day, too, and it’s coming soon. I know it.”
Mark came back just in time for me to throw back the drink he’d just passed to me, swallowing it down in one long gulp. I couldn’t listen to Liberty babble on about her prince charming bullshit any longer. I wasn’t interested in fairytales and happy endings. I was a realist. And what I really wanted to do right now was let my hair down, loosen up, and dance.
“Here you go, sweetheart.” Shayne reached his arm over Liberty’s shoulder and handed her a mixed drink that looked like cranberry juice and vodka. I guarantee if Shayne was the one who made it, there was barely even a shot in there.
“Thanks, baby.” She leaned up to kiss the corner of his mouth.
Gag.
“Hey Shayne, I think I saw Jack heading out toward the porch. Didn’t you guys play baseball together in high school with my brother?” That seemed to grab his attention, and I was glad because I needed to get them away from me before I actually hurled.
“Shit, I haven’t seen him in ages.” Shayne laced his fingers with Liberty’s and brought them up to his lips. “C’mon, sweetheart. I’ll introduce you.” I wiggled my fingers at them as he led her toward the door, and Liberty blew me a kiss.
As soon as they were out of sight, I swiveled on my heel and headed toward the commotion that was coming from the living room where a group of guys crowded around a table. I squeezed through their massive bodies and found blonde girl #1 lying on the table, her shirt lifted high enough so that her breasts were just about to pop out. She had a lime placed between her lips and was waiting for scantily clad, blonde girl #2 to take a body shot. Blonde girl #2 climbed up on the table between her legs and lapped up the tequila that had been poured in her navel. Her tongue slowly trailed up the length of her body, brushing the underside of blonde girl #1’s breasts and finally landing on her lips where she sucked the lime out of her mouth. The blonde duo then proceeded to make-out, gaining some appreciative cat-calls and cheers from the douche bags surrounding them. Typical.
I shook my head and walked away from the girl-on-girl show only to find someone I wasn’t expecting to see tonight. Tucker. F*ck, I hadn’t hooked up with him since spring break, and seeing him now brought back the memory of that night we had camped out on the beach under the stars. It was the first and only time we had sex, but remembering the way our bodies melted into one another in a sweaty tangle of limbs, moving together to the rhythm of the waves…
Yeah, I could definitely go for round two.
His hair was shorter than it was the last time I had seen him, but his body still looked just as divine. His broad shoulders were practically tugging at the seams of his plaid button down shirt, and his toned, tan legs peaked out beneath his shorts. As I approached, I noticed the addition of a lip ring to his already handsome mug. God, what I wouldn’t give to trace my tongue over those lickable lips.
“Maddie Harrington. Psych 101.”
“Is that how you remember all of your girls?” I sneered. “By what class you shared with them?”
“Only my favorite ones.” He gave me a cocky, alcohol-induced grin.
“Well then, I guess I’ll count myself lucky. Are you here with anyone?” I licked my lips, unable to remove my gaze from the shiny new hardware reflecting back at me. I imagined myself playfully tugging it between my teeth before capturing his mouth in a searing kiss. What was it about piercings that made guys appear so damn sexy?
“Nah, you know I like to play things by ear. How about you? Anyone sweep you off your feet since the last time I saw you?”
“Nope,” I said, popping the “p” for emphasis. “I just came here with my friend, Liberty. It’s her first year here, so I was trying to get her to break out of her shell and meet some new people.” I moved in closer, grazing my chest against his. “As for sweeping me off my feet, I was hoping maybe you could do the honors tonight.” I looked up at him through hooded lashes and knew he was catching my drift.
“Oh, I can definitely handle that, sweet cheeks.” Tucker firmly grabbed my ass, lifting me off the ground and spinning me around so that I was seated on the table behind him. He pushed my legs apart and moved between them while running his hands up the length of my bare legs. I was wearing a coral halter dress that was practically painted onto my body with a pair of nude, stiletto heels, but Tucker was having no problem teasing the hem of my dress higher up my thighs.
“Do you want a drink?” I wasn’t nearly buzzed enough to get this party started so I accepted the drink he handed me graciously. It burned like hell going down, but soon had my whole body feeling warm and relaxed.
Tucker continued to knead my thighs with his strong hands and trailed his lips along my neck and collarbone. I leaned my head back, giving him better access, and he took that as an invitation to move further down along the curve of my breasts and between my cleavage. I closed my eyes, soaking up his warm, wet kisses and felt myself spinning further into his sensual exploration. When I opened my eyes, my vision had become noticeably blurry. It couldn’t have been the alcohol, though, because I had only downed two drinks since we arrived.
“Hey, do you… do you mind… fresh air? I think I need some… air.”
“Sure thing, baby.” I could just make out the devious grin on his face as I slid myself off of the table.
Whoa. My legs seemed to be moving independently of my body, and I had to lean against Tucker’s steady frame for support.
“I got ya, babe.” He bent down and scooped me up beneath my legs, carrying me bridal style.
Where… where was he taking me? I could barely register what was going on before I heard his shoes hitting the steps leading upstairs. Why were we going upstairs? I thought I said I wanted some fresh air. Didn’t I? I couldn’t recall what I had said merely thirty seconds ago. What the hell was wrong with me? I tried to ask him where were going, but all I could manage to get out were a few unintelligible moans. My head lolled to the side as we ascended the stairs, and the next thing I knew, my back was hitting a springy mattress. A shirtless body was pressed up against me, pinning me to the bed, and that was the last image to flood through my mind before my eyes fluttered closed and everything succumbed to darkness.