Page 53 of Dangerous Play

Max was acting weird.He dressed up in his green cargo pants and green T-shirt, which both complimented his skin tone well, his dark eyes sparkling, and hair messy as I liked it. He looked a lot like Peter Pan, which everyone mentioned to him.

Compared to previous years, where I got ready with Kaia in our apartment, getting ready with a house full of guys was more entertaining as I expected. They all seemed to accept me and wanted to involve me in every single detail that made my heart melt.

“Come, Poison Ivy, drink this.” Derek motioned me over, his hair styled back and shirt fully unbuttoned, leaving his abs on display.

“I’m telling you for the tenth time, I’m Tinkerbell.” I grinned, not even getting offended anymore by his teasing. I took the yellow shot from him. People at Westpoint started calling me Poison Ivy after the break up, and I was annoyed that Hillview soccer started picking up on it too. They didn’t realize how annoying it was. “What’s this?”

“Dude, the wings.” Liam patted Derek on the back and pointed at my delicate wings.

Usually, I would have felt self-conscious wearing glittery thighs and basically a bodysuit only, but none of them made me feel uncomfortable in my skin.

“Couple’s costumes,” Dex said, earning a dark look from Max, who was sitting on the sofa focused on his FIFA game against Maddox. He was dressed in his outfit and he even went as far as getting green Vans to match the look.

“What’s this?” I asked again, swirling my drink curiously.

“Limoncello,” Max replied, his eyes on me, as he missed a shot. “It’s good for digestion and you said you still feel the lunch swim around your stomach.”

My heart melted a bit from his caring and I took the shot without further questions. It actually tasted good.

“Plus, it’s alcohol,” Dex added, taking the glass from me. “That’s always good for digestion.”

I exchanged a look with Max, who ducked his head with a grin before returning to the game. He never usually played when I came over, but since I showed up to get ready, he made a point of putting distance between us. Distance was the last thing I wanted.

Ever since that kiss in the park, when his lips devoured mine in a way no one has ever kissed me, I wanted more.

I shouldn’t have wanted more, but I was tired of fighting my body’s attraction to him. He was hot, and I wanted to fuck him. Despite all the complications.

Approaching him, I nudged his legs with mine, and he automatically opened them, allowing me to step between his legs and sit on his thigh.

Readjusting the controller, he hugged me around it and his breath tickled my neck.

“You’re losing,” I observed the score.

“Yeah.” He sighed as Maddox scored a goal. “I’m distracted.” His eyes ate me up.

I had to remind myself it was fake and he didn’t mean it, but the way my stomach clenched from his touch and the way warmth spread through my body from his gaze contradicted the facts.

There was no faking the pained look on his face and the primal desire between us. There was real, tangible tension in the air surrounding us and slowly suffocating us.

Max shifted behind me, adjusting his hold on me as his wooden scent wrapped around me like a security blanket.

“Are you ready to go?” he muttered into my ear, his husky, sensual voice contrasting his rapid movements on the joystick.

A shiver worked its way up my spine, and I played it off as chills.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“No,” I muttered, turning to look at his profile, admiring his cheekbones and dark eyes that where still staring at the screen. I loved video games too, but I craved his attention. I needed his gaze at me, not at the game. “I’m ready, whenever you are.”

Max exited the game with another missed shot, and Maddox snickered. His fingers brushed my waist and he squeezed me slightly before nudging me up.

“Let’s go.”

We laced our fingers, and with Derek and Maddox, we made our way to the Uber XL awaiting us.

The party was as big as I remembered. The Phi Kappa Psi frat house was always throwing the best parties, and I knew several other students travelled to come to this Halloween special because they always went crazy. I felt like walking into a house of horror rather than a fraternity. All lights where dimmed,spiderweb hung from every direction and smoke enclosed us as we made our way to the drinks bar set up in the living room.

“Dude, this place is freaky,” Derek muttered from my left. He was dressed up as Ken, in his light washed denim jeans, and denim vest that he left unbuttoned. No wonder he drank a lot during pre-game at their place to keep himself warm.

---