Page 8 of One Hot Night
I don’t even think he means for it to be sexual, but my mind goes there.Fuck yeah, I’m hungry.Only, the thought of getting naked with Cam again brings on a fresh dose of shame.
“Go on.” He moves the pizza box closer to my chest, and Callie grabs another slice with her free hand. “It’ll help soak up all that alcohol.” He misinterprets my hesitation. “I know you haven’t eaten anything.”
Has he been watching over me? My insides melt a little at the thought. Which is so stupid. What the fuck is in this beer? I’m not the girl who needs or wants a doting boyfriend.Fuck. I shake my head. Cam’s not my boyfriend. He’s probably not even looking out, just looking for a way to get me in his bed again. Only that doesn’t feel true either.
“What?” His soft chuckle floats between us. “You’re not one of those poor souls allergic to gluten?”
“Jill,oh-my-fucking-God,you need to eat this.” Callie picks up a piece and shoves it at my face.
I intercept the pizza before it makes contact with my skin. “Thanks.” I force a laugh and roll my eyes at my friend.
“Good girl.” Cam winks—fucking winks—and my panties go damp.
I have to look away. I don’t know what’s going on with me right now, but I don’t want him to see any of it. I breathe a sigh of relief when one of his buddies calls him over from across the room.
The pizza is good. I don’t realize how famished I am until I practically inhale my slice.
Callie leans into my side, her breath hot on my neck as she sighs. “Tired now.” She’s done. I know she is. My friend doesn’t usually have more than a few drinks, and I’d put money on the fact she’s less than an hour from bowing down to a porcelain goddess. She’s only been dating Chase a short time, so it’s my duty to get her out of here before that happens.
“Let’s get you home, yeah.” I pat the top of her head and pull out my phone to request an Uber.
“Sleep,” Callie mumbles.
I drag her over to an open chair near the door. Her eyes close, and she snuggles into the sleeve of her own shirt. I balance her so she won’t fall off before turning to search for Alicia. Doesn’t take long. She’s the center of attention, laughing and practically glued to one of Chase’s firefighter friends. I glance back at Callie, praying she stays put. I’ve had to drag these two from parties before. Herding cats would be easier.
“We’re leaving. You ready to go?”
“Go.” She waves a hand and directs her gaze at the dude everyone is calling Pants. Her lips pull into a seductive smile. “I’ll call an Uber. In the morning.”
“Really?” I already dislike this plan. If we come to a party together, we should leave together. It’s like an unwritten code in theWoman’s Guide to Being a Good Wingmanhandbook. Unless maybe we’re talking about checking someone off her bucket list, and this dude is no Shawn Mendez. “His name is Pants.”
“Nickname.” She giggles and tosses her locks over one shoulder. She glances at the man in question.
“But you hate wearing pants,” I deadpan. I don’t know if I could ever take seriously a man who goes by a piece of clothing. Pants? Shorts? Shirt? He’s one step from being a blanket. Not that I should judge. I just hooked up with Cam because I like dimples. I release a sigh of defeat. When Alicia wants something, there’s no stopping her. “You’re the reason I’m going to have gray hair.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” She throws her arms around me and presses her lips to my cheek. “I’ll be fine,” she whispers at my ear. She turns to a very horny Pants, who’s ready to lead her down the hall. Before he does, she shouts back at me, “Don’t worry, Jilly!”
But her words are pointless. I always worry. God, I hope she knows what she’s doing. Or rather, who she’s doing. Pants might be a firefighter by day, but that doesn’t mean he’s a nice person. I don’t want to see my friend fucked over, and not in the good way.
“Chug, chug, chug!” A chorus of voices rises from the other end of the room as two guys race each other to finish their beers. Cam stands at the edge of the crowd, his eyes following me with interest. A slight grin on his lips reminds me of every delicious thing we just did in his bedroom. I look away. I can’t be dick-stracted right now.
My phone buzzes with an alert. Our ride’s here. I hustle to where Callie is seconds from passing out and haul her to her feet. “Let’s get you home.”
“I’m fun.” Her lower lip juts out and she stops short on the landing at the top of the stairs.
“Okay.” I loop her arm around my waist and force her to hold the railing with her other hand.
“I was fun,” she mutters, a little more indignant this time. “You saw me. Right?”
“You’re the most fun.” I don’t even try to interpret what she’s talking about, but it’s clear this is important. Also, I refuse to miss our ride over a drunken rambling. “Know what would be even more fun? Getting home.”
She acknowledges my words with a grunt, and thankfully stays upright enough that we make it down the stairs without either of us falling. I maneuver her into the back seat and pray she falls back asleep for the car ride. Callie’s a lightweight and probably passed her limit hours ago. Something tells me I’ll be paying for this night for weeks to come. I don’t need a puke charge in our Uber to top it off.
“You ladies had some fun tonight. This the address?” our driver says, meeting my gaze through the rear view mirror as I buckle Callie, then myself.
She grins. “We did have fun. I had fun. Jill, did you have fun?”
I had morefunthan I want to admit. “Yep, that’s the address. We’re dropping her home, then another stop for me.” I need to tell Callie about my hookup with Cam. My head pounds with the thought of her reaction. I glance at my friend, her eyes fluttering shut with the lull of the ride. I need to tell her. I do, but that’s a problem for another day. Looks like I’ll be waking up to a cluster of problems.Fuck. I really know how to set my life on fire.
