Page 67 of The Puck Chase

“Yes, it’s really happening,” I reply with more ease than I thought possible, since I never imagined us being anything but enemies, but here we are.

Josh watches me for a long time, no doubt waiting for me to say something else, but when I don’t he shakes his head. “I think it’s a mistake.”

His words are like a punch to the gut, not because I agree with him in any way, but because he’s my best friend, he always has my back. So why hasn’t he got my back in this?

It’s why I can’t help but let the rage inside of me rush to the surface, as I snap, “And I think that like you, I have spent years looking for something to numb the pain my father left in his wake, and Archer Gray manages it by just fucking existing.” I almost surprise myself with how fast the admission falls from my lips, but with the way his eyes widen, I’d say my best friend is more surprised than I am. “You don’t have to understand it, Josh, but you do have to respect it, and him,” I tell him sternly, and after watching me for a few more seconds, he nods.

“We should get back, it’s almost midnight,” he finally sighs, finishing off the bottle of champagne in his hand, before reaching for the whiskey in mine. “Wouldn’t want to keep my father waiting,” he spits drunkenly, downing more than a quarter of the liquid, before brushing past me and heading back up to the house.

By the time we slip back into the party, the dance floor is flooded with people, and my eyes scan the room in search of Archer, but come up empty. Josh however, spies Hallie almost instantly, leading us towards where she waits at the bar, but my stare settles on our roommate, who seems far too cosy beside her.

Hallie is giving Levi her polite stare, but I can tell she is uncomfortable, which given the way Levi is staring at her, I can’t say I blame her. What the fuck is going on there? Josh storms towards them, as I remain hot on his heels, and I don’t miss the relieved look in his wife’s eye as we reach them.

“Tink, there you are, I was starting to worry I wouldn’t find you before midnight,” Josh grins, sliding between them to kiss her cheek, but my eyes stay on Levi, who scowls at my friend’s arrival.

Josh seems oblivious to the whole thing, and when Hallie meets my questioning stare, she subtly shakes her head, before focusing on Josh with a smile. “My lost boy always finds his way back to me.” The smile he gives her in return mirrors her own, but then I watch in horror as he reaches out and boops her nose.

“And I always will, Hallie Bear,” he drawls, and I see her flinch slightly, no doubt smelling the stench of intoxication on his breath, before she looks at me.

“Is he drunk?” she asks, and I nod only once.

“I’m not drunk,” Josh snaps, and I roll my eyes, as Levi continues to stare at him like he wants to kill him, and an uneasy feeling stirs in the pit of my stomach.

Hallie smirks, shaking her head at him slightly, before she slides her hand into his. “Come on, Husband, I think it’s time you took me for a spin round the dance floor,” she tells him, and Levi continues to watch them, as Hallie drags Josh away, but my focus is on only him.

When he moves to follow, I grip his arm tightly until his stare finds mine. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t, she’s his fucking wife.”

Levi only sneers, ripping his arm from mine, and making the wise choice to slip off in the opposite direction, as he mutters, “Not for long.”

I watch him leave in total confusion, before making the decision to follow him. He slips round the corner, and just when I am about to go after him, I am gripped and slammed back against a wall. Before I can even register who it is, soft yet firm lips find mine, and I groan into Archer’s mouth as he presses himself against me. He tastes like champagne, sweet with a hint of him, and fuck, I want to drown in it.

Archer kisses me until I can’t fucking breathe, grinding his hard cock into my own, and all I can do is take it, wondering why I was so easily able to tell it was him.

When he pulls back, his eyes are glossy and lust-filled, and he peppers kisses along my jaw, as I grunt, “I thought you were avoiding me.”

His teeth sink into my neck and I gasp, desperate for more, hating how good his brand of pain feels, as his lips brush along my skin. “I’ve been doing the opposite of avoiding you for three fucking years, baby, you need to keep up.”

I’m mildly aware of people counting down around us, from where we are half-hidden by the door, but when Archer’s lips move back to mine, nothing else matters. Not the countdown, not the people, not even the fucking fireworks when the clock strikes midnight. Not when there are even bigger fireworks happening right inside of me.

“Am I coming over again later?” he asks against my mouth, rubbing his very interested dick against mine.

“Why? Do you need something, Gray?” I dare to ask, and the way his lips feel against mine when they curl into a smirk, has my heart thundering in my chest.

“Yes, your cock in my ass again,” he admits without shame, and fuck if I didn’t already want him before, I would now.

“Your fucking mouth is wicked,” I groan, kissing him even harder, before forcing myself to step back, because if I don’t, I will bend him over and fuck him right here for everyone to see. “Your house, later,” I promise him, straightening my jacket, and he’s already nodding, closing the distance between us and giving me one more kiss.

“I’ll show you how wicked my mouth can be later,” he replies, as he pulls back and tosses me a wink before strolling back into the party without looking back.

All I can do is watch him leave and try to will my cock to fucking relax, which is how Josh finds me.

“Ready to go?” he asks, and I nod, more ready to go than he could even realize, as I follow him through the party towards the door.

As we get closer, I find Hallie already there waiting for us, but it’s Josh’s father standing close to her side, looking more smug than usual, that has my hackles raising. From the way Josh’s entire body tenses, I know he feels the same, and we both quicken our stride to reach her, his focus only on his father, but mine is on Hallie.

“Everything okay?” he asks her, his father smirking at his only son, as they stare at one another.

“Yes, everything is fine,” Hallie replies, and it almost sounds like the truth, but I hear the slight shake in her voice. One my best friend might notice, if he weren’t so focused on the mayor, and as my questioning stare meets Hallie’s, her eyes instantly drop to the floor.

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