Page 15 of Halloween Hottie
I smirk. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”
Our eyes are locked and, somehow, we both go still at the same time as our lips are being pulled closer by some unseen force. I wet my lips and my eyes close. A second later, his lips are pressing against mine. They’re soft and slow, and when I feel his tongue brush against my bottom lip, I open for him. His tongue slides into my mouth and dances with my own. My arms move up his chest and wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands fall back on my hips, and he pulls me against him. They travel up my back, down to my hips, and then dip lower to my ass where he squeezes it with a firm grip. My body comes alive. I feel hot and sticky.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been held this way, kissed like this. It feels like a fire has been lit in my stomach and it’s warming every inch of me. My fingers lace into his hair and tug at the root, wanting and needing so much more. He tastes like beer and something else, something that’s sweet but savory at the same time. I’m so turned on and confused that I don’t know what to do. I want to take him upstairs and have my way with him, but that’s not something I usually do.
I’ve only slept with a couple of men in my lifetime—and all of them had to work for it. They were guys that I spent a lot of time with, dating and getting to know. I don’t sleep with someone unless I love them. I’ve found this to be the best way to not regret giving myself to anyone, but now my body wants someone who it doesn’t know, and while that scares me, it also excites me.
Someone bumps into us and we pull apart. I look to my right to see who bumped us when my eyes land on Steve. He’s alone, but he looks drunk and pissed off. His blond hair is disheveled, and his eyes are bloodshot. He has thick stubble growing on his jaw, which I find odd because he’s always been cleanshaven. He looks awful, and I won’t lie, a small part of me likes to see him falling apart after the way things ended with us.
“Oh, sorry, Liz. Didn’t see you there.”
I roll my eyes. “No worries,” I say, not wanting to give him the ammo he needs to start a fight right in the middle of the party.
“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight. Margo didn’t mention you when she invited me.” He lifts his cup and takes a drink and when he drops it back down to his side, I smell nothing but straight whiskey.
“Well, Steve, I’m sorry if you weren’t expecting to see me, but Margo is my friend too and she insisted that I come. I bet if you go right over there,” I point to a faraway corner, “you won’t even see me. Why don’t you try that out?”
He scoffs. “Always such a bitch,” he spits out.
Jake pushes his way between us. “That’s not a way to talk to a lady.”
Steve laughs. “Lady? I don’t know who you have her confused with, but she’s no lady. She’s nothing but a fucking tease. Go back to doing what you were doing. You’ll see.”
I take a deep breath and turn to leave. I’m not doing this here at a crowded party to give everyone something to gossip about later. Instead of turning for the kitchen, where I’ll possibly bump into him again, I head for the stairs. Surely there’sonebedroom that isn’t being used.
Chapter Eight
JACOB
“What are you even doing other than making an ass out of yourself, man?” I ask the guy I knew from high school moments after watching Elizabeth run up the stairs.
He rolls his eyes. “I’m doing you a favor. You should be thanking me. That one,” he says, pointing toward Elizabeth, “she’ll only waste your time. I gave her two years of my life only for her to kick me out and break things off. You won’t get anywhere with her. Trust me.” He shakes his head and turns and walks out the front door.
I take a deep breath and push myself forward, walking up the steps after Elizabeth. The hallway is long, and there are at least twenty different doors; I have no idea which one she vanished behind. Some are open, so I skip past them. Others are closed, but when I get close, I can hear that it’s not Elizabeth behind them but other couples. I push further, listening at each one. Finally I find one that is closed but has no moaning sounds coming from within—so I knock.
“Come in,” she says.
I open the door and step in, closing it behind me.
I walk deeper into the room to find her sitting on the edge of the bed. She has tears in her eyes, but no streaks on her cheeks to tell me she’s let them fall.
“Are you okay?” I ask, walking over to the bed and sitting beside her.
She nods. “I’m fine. Steve’s just an asshole.”
I nod. “Yeah, he seems pretty bitter over the breakup.”
“Good.”
I look at her and she giggles. “I’m sorry you had to see that. He’s… unpleasant.”
I laugh. “For lack of a better word?”
She nods. “Will you hang out in here with me for a little bit? I don’t want to go back down there and run into him again.”
I don’t know how to answer her. Of course, I’ll stay until she’s ready to go, but I know with the way my body responded to her on the dance floor that it’s going to be hard to keep things friendly between us. I try to get my body and my head on the same side. “Sure,” I finally agree.
I look up and take in the room, wondering whose room we’re in or if it’s just a guest room. The room doesn’t seem very personal, which would lead me to think it isn’t used daily. There’s a big bed that’s covered in decorative pillows, a table and lamp on either side of the bed. There’s a desk and chair, a dresser, and an entertainment center with a TV on the wall. There are no personal products on the dresser, no computer on the desk, no clothes hanging in the closet that I can see through the open door.
