Page 88 of Double Dare

He drops the marker and grabs my wrist, pulling me back. “I’m never too busy for a quick fuck.” His lips hit my throat and his tongue follows, teasing me until I’m ready to drag him into the bathroom.

“Quick?” I pout. “Hurry up and finish so we don’t have to be quick.”

“So bossy.” He kisses me again and lets me go.

“Lakey, honey. Can you call Gar and ask him to bring his speakers?” Rayne shouts from across the room.

I nod at her, and Kade laughs at me. “Guess you’re busy, too. Tell that asshole he better come tonight. Four has been perving on him from a distance lately.”

“Four?” They all have. Kade just grins and gets back to drawing. All ten of them have a weird fascination with Gar. Well, most of them, anyway. I respect it.

Walking down the hall, I pull my phone from my pocket and run straight into two girls. “Shit, sorry. You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry,” one of them says, smoothing out her shirt. “Are you dating him?” she asks, nodding at Kade.

“Uh.” Weird thing to ask. “Do you know him?”

“He checked us in,” the other girl says. Sisters. Definitely. She ogles Kade, and I can’t really blame her for it, but it gets my back up a bit. “Is he going to be at the party tonight?”

Jesus. Bold. “Uh, no. Not here.” I don’t know what else to say, so I wish them a happy new year and keep moving.

I call Gar but hear his phone ringing somewhere nearby. He rounds the corner with a luggage cart, holding up his phone. “Are you calling me?” He smiles.

“Yeah, reminding you to bring the speakers,” I laugh, nodding at the speakers on the cart. “Guess you’re smarter than Rayne gives you credit for.”

Gar smirks at me. “Shit, you’re edgy already. Better get you another drink.” He gives me a quick hug.

“You’re coming to the Dares’ tonight, right?” I ask, pocketing my phone.

“Yeah, I’m already half-buzzed. Zahn had to pick me up. Let me drop these off and then we’re going to get Amber.” He cringes a bit, knowing Amber and I don’t really get along. I mean, I tried, but she just straight up hates me and doesn’t want to become friends. Which is fine. Not all girls have to be friends, but it sucks when she’s dating my best friend and it’s causing some tension there. Gar is my life soulmate, and I miss him lately. If she hurts him, I won’t hesitate to…do something. I’m not really the ‘hurt her back’ type, but I’ll make sure Gar is protected. He’s my biggest priority.

“Laken,” Jed shouts as Gar pushes his cart down the hall. “Gar,” he catcalls, grinning. He runs through the lobby, kissing my cheek when he gets to me. “Have you seen Kade?”

I nod in Kade’s direction. “He’s doodling.”

“Doodling? If that’s what he doodles, I don’t even wanna see what he puts effort into.” He smiles. “Come on. Let’s get shitfaced tonight and be rowdy. I’m in the mood for getting wild.”

“I can do wild,” I agree, feeling a bit edgy, as Gar said.

Jed grips my jaw, bending down to be eye level with me. “Fair warning, love, you’re getting fucked so hard tonight. You have no idea.”

Oh, I do. But I like it when he goes all caveman. Jed gets primal and Kade gets challenging; that’s all it takes to wake up my wild side to match them on whatever playing field we set for the night. I grin at him, kissing his lips only to hear some gasping.

When I look up, those two girls are watching us. Shit, now they think I’m a slut. They surely saw me kiss Kade a few minutes ago, then hug Gar, and now kiss Jed. It’s a shitty feeling, but I’m not doing anything wrong.

Things are hard when the world is so judgmental, though. I haven’t even told my dad yet.

It’s time.

Sitting on the front porch of the Dare house while the snow starts falling again, winter coat done up tight, and a hot chocolate with Baileys in it, I call my dad.

“Hey, Lakes.” I missed his gruff, excited voice. “You half in the bag yet?”

“Nope. Just made my first drink,” I laugh. “You?”

“Three deep. Working on it. Happy New Year, hun.”

“You too. Happy New Year! What’re you doing tonight?” I ask.

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