Page 73 of Scrimmage

“Right, right.” Alexi sits up. “Ashy, I’ll walk you.”

“No fucking way. If we got robbed you’d slow me down.”

Koda sets his phone onto the table. “I got you a ride share, dipshit.”

“I told Penny,” Alexi frets.

“I’ll get her home,” Koda promises.

“You sure?” Alexi asks me. “My brother is more annoying than me.”

“I’ll be fine. I have two more drinks to finish. Worst case I’ll crash upstairs with Prince.”

“Ah, yes. Prince the tattoo god.”

“They’ll be here in one minute. Get the fuck to the street ‘cause I’m not paying extra for you being an idiot. Red Toyota Camry,” Koda says.

“You two have a good night. Tell Prince I said hello.” Alexi starts to wobble away.

“Alexi!” Koda barks.

He stops and turns as much as he can without falling. “Yes, brother?”

“Ask them if they’re a fucking ride share before you just get into the car.”

Alexi salutes. “Will do.” He staggers away, and I watch him disappear up the stairs.

“Last time he got into some sorority girl’s car. He’s lucky he’s popular, or he probably would’ve gone to jail,” Koda explains.

“You can go with him. I’ve crashed with Prince plenty of times.”

“I thought it was a tattoo shop upstairs?”

“It is, but he lives above it on the top floor.”

He pulls me into him. “No.”

In this spot we’re shielded from most of the bar. I finish Alexi’s drink and start on mine. “I’m pretty drunk. I don’t feel like walking home. Especially with you.”

“I didn’t say you were going home.” His hungry eyes watch me, starving. “I told you that if you were a good girl I’d give you a reward.”

My heart rate increases as I try to keep my breaths even. He slides his hand between my thighs and gently brushes his fingers over my pussy. Even though it’s barely a touch, I can feel it like an electric shock. “I’m not fucking you in the bar bathroom.”

“We’re going to my place. Drink up, cause our ride will be here in three minutes.” He bites his lip and puts the glass to my lips, forcing me to gulp down the tequila.

Some of it escapes and streams down my neck. Koda’s tongue licks it up, then he kisses me. It’s different from the other times we’ve kissed. There’s something in it, like there was in that closet during the tornado. I want to kiss him again. Our mouths hover, ready to devour each other. That one kiss was life threatening. Koda’s phone starts to ring. He takes a deep breath then answers.

“Yeah? Right. Be there in a second.” He hangs up. “Car is here.”

He pulls me from the booth and leads me up the stairs where Jake is standing guard. We always talk shit saying Jake hates us, but he definitely doesn’t. He’s like a massive Teddy bear.

“Jake!” I squeal, throwing my arms around him. He squeezes me back.

“I thought I might not see you,” he grins, then sees Koda. “Get her home safe. She’s valuable.”

“Yes, sir,” he responds.

Koda takes my hand leading me away, and I skip up the stairs behind him like I’m headed to see the wizard of fucking Oz. I’m the perfect kind of drunk. When we get into the car and it starts to move, Koda turns to me, and he looks kind of mad.

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