Page 86 of Beautiful Defiance

27

LEIGH

“When can we start?” I say breathless-like. “Unless you’re playing with me. Guys can be worse than girls, teasing and promising things, then not following through.”

“Is that so? You have experience with this?”

“On my knees kind of experience,” I purr.

“Fuck, you are hot.”

“And in need of liquid courage. I’m more limber when I’m wasted.” I edge back.

He licks his lips, his eyes hanging on my mouth. Is he wondering what I can do with my mouth? Here is crossing my fingers he does. Also, Midnight or Dare better be getting all this on video. I am uncomfortable as heck flirting with a guy like I’m a hussy.

If I had my way, I would be talking to Seven in this way rather than this cheating jerk.

“I can help you with that. Let me refill this baby for you.” He takes my cup. I follow him outside. He tells me to wait by the door. I see the reason. Henry is outside talking to this pretty gal with long brown hair. She is smiling at him, hanging on his every word.

As though he feels me staring a hole into the back of his head, Henry turns around. When he sees me, his eyes get huge. I give him a big smile and a small wave, tugging at the hem of my dress when it rises.

Jackson returns and hands me my cup. Out of the corner of my eye, Henry’s jaw locks and his body pulls taut. I take the cup from Jackson, murmur a breathless, “Thank you, big guy,” and chug my drink.

“Ready?”

I nod. He leads me out of the kitchen, and bumping into other partiers who barely glance our way, he guides me up the stairs. Whatever he refilled my cup with is stronger. I’m tipsy and woozy, my body buzzing.

“Did you put something in my drink?”

“You wanted liquid courage. I added tequila.”

Shit, no wonder I am swimming in a daze of drunkenness. I’m a lightweight. It’s the reason I sipped my drink and to chug beer and however much tequila Jackson mixed into my drink . . .

I stumble on the carpet. He picks me up. The room is spinning. Oh, God, this is such a bad idea. I rub my brow. Close my eyes. Every step he takes ups my dizziness factor by twofold. Where is Henry? Where are Midnight and Dare? Rue I saw talking to a bunch of guys with Red at her side.

Jackson stops walking. I open my eyes, and my vision adjusts to the darkness. He sets me on my feet and takes my cup from me, setting it on top of a bookcase. The whooping and hollering from downstairs fades, then mutes altogether when Jackson shuts the bedroom door.

“We shouldn’t be up here. It’s some other guy’s room.”

“He won’t care, baby.” He pushes me onto the bed.

I try sitting up. The room spins, and I fall back onto the bed. He comes over to the side of the bed and looks at me, starting from my heels to my bare legs to the rise and fall of my chest. He leans in and skims his fingers over the swells of my breasts.

“Small. Sexy.”

He trails his fingers down the center of my body. When he gets to the hem of my dress, he uses both hands and hitches up my dress until the hem pools around my waist. He drinks in my white thong with his eyes.

Where is Henry? Did I have this all wrong, that Henry will come to my rescue knowing what a douchebag Jackson is?

The door crashes open, and slinging my arm across my eyes, I smiled shakily. Thank the stars.

There’s a scuffle, followed by the sound of a body hitting a piece of furniture, hard. Holy cow, Henry is strong. And pissed off. I lift my arm. It’s not Henry taking on douchebag Jackson. Jackson staggers out of the room. Dark-as-coal eyes blaze angry and hot at me, Seven’s gaze eating me up.

He marches to the bed, and before I can get a word in, he picks me up and slings me over his shoulder.

“Seven?”

“Not a word, Leigh. I am so pissed at you right now.”

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