Page 51 of Hellbent
I smile and nod, even though I can’t quite picture it yet. My gaze sweeps past the open framework to the stretch of land beyond. In the distance, I think I can make out the roof of the garage, but Ryder’s house is hidden from view.
“Let’s take the shortcut down,” Damian says, pointing over the edge to a tarp covering a raised pile near the foundation.
“Are you crazy?” I ask, my eyes widening. But he’s already moving. He takes a running start and launches himself off the edge, body cutting through the air.
The tarp sinks with his weight into the padding below, lifting at the sides to reveal the rough pink edges of insulation. He whoops and rolls off, careful to keep the tarp between himself and the fiberglass.
Jake exhales sharply, shaking his head like he can’t believe this is his life, then follows. Not as recklessly fast as Damian, but just as smooth, landing in a whoosh of flapping tarp before throwing his hands up in victory.
They both look up at me.
“Your turn, baby!” Jake calls, eyes gleaming.
“No way!” I shout back, crossing my arms.
“What’s the matter?” Damian teases. “Thought you had a wild streak!”
Jake tips his head, expression softening. The goading fades from his voice. “Nah, don’t worry. I’ll come get you.”
Something in me flares hot at that. At the assumption that I need saving. Before he can move, I step up to the edge, heart pounding.
The drop looks farther from here. Adrenaline floods my veins but I roll my shoulders, take a breath—
And jump.
The air rushes past, weightless and fast. My stomach flips, the world tilts—then impact. Harder than I expected. The tarp whips up around my face in one suffocating moment, and then I’m bouncing back up, breath catching in my throat.
I did it.
I roll off, flushed and breathless, and Jake steps in with a high five.
“Brave little Maxie,” he murmurs, green eyes shining.
And when he kisses me, it’s pure electricity.
Back in the house, the air is thick between us.
My pulse is still pounding from the jump, adrenaline mixing with something darker. Something hotter. Jake and Damian spread their coats on the unfinished floor, a makeshift barrier against the cold wood. I sit cross-legged beside Damian while Jake retrieves two bottles of beer from the truck. When he returns, we settle in, knee over knee, passing silent, knowing smiles between us.
Damian drags his fingers over mine, teasing, tracing. Beside me, Jake takes a slow sip of beer, then sets his bottle aside and shifts closer, his palm sweeping the curtain of my hair aside to kiss my neck. Heat blooms in my stomach.
Damian’s fingertips skim the inside of my wrist, lingering at my pulse, feeling it race. His hazel eyes flick up to mine, a dark promise burning in them, and then he leans in and kisses me lightly on the lips.
I push my bottle across the floor, away from us, grab the front of his jacket, and pull him in harder.
Jake chuckles. The sound slides down my spine like warm hands. His breath is at my ear, and then his palms find my hips, fingers slipping beneath my shirt, moving slow.
“I can’t stop thinking about the other night,” he murmurs.
Damian groans against my mouth. “Do you know how fucking hot that was? Watching you swallow Jake’s cum before taking you myself?”
Heat flashes across my cheeks like I’ve been slapped. Damian catches it instantly, his lips curving into a knowing smile.
“Did you like that, Finch?” His voice drops, deep and smooth. “Fucking both of us?”
God, yes.
Jake’s fingers roll over my nipple through the thin fabric of my bra, and I moan, my head falling back.
