Page 57 of Home Ice

"Promise me you'll never let your eyebrow use its power for evil." I stand and everything goes spinsies. I want to hold my arms out so I can go spinsies too, but Brant grabs my hands just before I get the chance. I stare at him. The right side of his mouth quirks up like he finds something funny but doesn't want to laugh. "You're so incredible," I tell him. "How did I get so lucky?"

He holds me steady as I straddle his legs. Our faces are inches apart now that I'm on his lap, and even though the Earth won't hold still, I lean forward to kiss him. I'll never understand why every kiss feels so dramatic with him. Even a quick touch of our lips feels like our first kiss. But this isn't that. He opens his mouth, and I slip my tongue inside. My nerves all fire at once. Their energy pools between my legs, and I shift my hips to relieve some of the mounting pressure. When I do, I feel how hard he is. I rock my hips, now desperate for the friction, and I wonder again what it would feel like to have him inside me.

Sex with Tyler was more stressful than pleasurable. For him, it was only about sticking his dick into something. There were so many times during sex with him that I could have swapped someone else into my place, and Tyler would never notice. If he did, I don't think he would have cared. It's no wonder I never orgasmed with him. I didn't say anything for the longest time because I didn't want to hurt his ego. When I finally did, he told me it was probably because of my surgery. Never mind the fact that I orgasmed just fine with my toys. The truth was, he didn't care. If I couldn't come, it wasn't his problem. I thought maybe all men were like that.

"Hey." Brant's word snaps my eyes open, and I realize we're not kissing anymore. "You disappeared. Are you okay?"

I look down at his legs between mine and nod. "I'm good. I'm so good. Are you good?"

"You're drunk."

"I'm not drunk." I shake my head. Too fast. I have to put my hands on his chest to hold myself still. But I like the way my hands look on his chest anyway. I like the way his chest feels under my palms. "Your chest is drunk."

Brant chuckles and kisses my forehead. "You just said the word drunk two times without pronouncing the N or the K either time. And I wanted you to sit on my lap," he looks down, "not straddle me and try to fuck me right here in front of everyone. Not that I'm complaining." He kisses me again, on the lips this time, before I have a chance to be embarrassed. "I think I need to get you to bed."

"I think so too." I throw my arms around his neck and tilt my hips against him.

"Not like that." He slips his hands under my thighs and stands. My stomach wrenches from the movement, and I'm pretty sure his backyard flips over because somehow I can now see Kayden and he's upside down. Or maybe my head rolled back too far. I’m not sure. "Hey guys, Lily's had a little too much for the evening, so I'm taking her inside," Brant announces to the others.

"We're going to bed," I shout and try to whirl one of my hands above my head like I'm twirling a lasso, but I just end up losing my balance and my head falls against Brant. My nose presses to his cheek. Even when he's drunk like this, he smells so wonderful.

"Not like that," he says again, louder this time so everyone else can hear. "I'll get her tucked in and then come right back down."

"You could stay with me." I tease my lips along the side of his face. Somehow, his stubble tickles my tongue as I do it.

"No, he can't," someone says. It takes me a few seconds to realize it's Kayden. "Consent is important, Lily. If he tries anything, you let me know, and I'll cut off his balls."

The other players all murmur the various things they would do to Brant if he tried anything. Even Silver wakes up just long enough to growl before he closes his eyes again. "Aww, seriously guys?" I slur. Maybe I have had a little too much. "You'd chop off his balls for me?"

"Whoa!" Brant backs us toward the house. "Let's not get too excited about this. Nothing's going to happen. Not tonight. There's no need to pull out any knives. Besides, you guys know me better than that."

"Damn right we would, Lily," Milo says. "And we know you wouldn't, Branny. But if you did?" I look up at him just in time to see him make a snipping motion with his fingers. "Now, take your girl to bed. And make sure she has plenty of water, or she'll feel like shit in the morning."

I wave goodnight to all the guys as Brant carries me into the house. He doesn't stop until he's at the top of the stairs. "Those guys are the sweetest people in all of Utah," I proclaim.

"Easy to say when they're not threatening to chop off your body parts."

"It's not that bad. I had a surgery where?—"

"You're way too drunk to make that joke. Now, let go of my neck and swing your feet up for me."

I let go, half expecting to fall, but then I realize I'm already on the bed. "I think I might be a little drunk."

"Just a little. I'll get a couple bottles of water for you. I want you to drink most of one now. And then drink every time you wake up during the night."

When he takes a step back, I realize this isn't his bedroom. "You're not sleeping with me?" I whimper.

Brant shakes his head. "I'll be right back with your waters."

"Please?" I bite my lower lip and hope it looks seductive and not like I have the world's worst overbite. "Pretty please with an enormous pile of jelly beans on it?"

He stares at me for a minute before muttering "fuck" under his breath. "Okay. But I still need to grab your waters. I'll tell the guys to lock up when they leave. But we're only sleeping tonight, okay? Nothing more until you're sober."

"You're. No. Fun." I thrust a finger at him with each word to emphasize how extremely unfun he is, but not even what I hope is a scolding look on my face sways him. He just stares at me with that one annoying eyebrow raised. I try to hold his stare, but this bed is too comfortable. And the pillow has to be one of those fancy pillows that's handcrafted by workers who are paid an actual living wage and given health insurance better than mine, because it is the most comfortable thing I've ever put my head on. It's impossible to keep my eyes open with all this fair pay fluffiness, and the look on Brant's face as I finally give in and close my eyes tells me that he knows just how unfair this is.

CHAPTER 38

THE SECOND MOST BEAUTIFUL THING

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