Conflicted (Secrets and Lies) (27 page)

I glanced towards Bri and Trey. They were in a heated argument. Trey's face flushed as he kept his hands in tight fists. Bri's temper flared too. She raised her hands towards him on several occasions as she fought back tears. Whatever they were discussing wasn't pleasant. I shook my head that her evening went in that direction. I turned to the guys and nodded towards Bri and Trey. They shook their heads with no explanation. Our drinks arrived and I grabbed my beer taking it down in two gulps. I set down the empty bottle before picking up a shot.

"Seriously, what are you doing downtown?" I questioned.

"Idiot over there thought he'd have a better chance finding some ass downtown. He came to the realization tonight that he has more or less slept with the entire female population on campus. He had to widen the pool to increase his chances on getting laid," Shane said indifferently.

I snorted. "Well, it was only a matter of time."

"Both of you two can fuck off," Jackson snapped.

Shane and I laughed even harder at the perturbed look upon his face.

"So...uh...how long have you guys been here?"

"Not too long. We saw you dancing and were about to join you when those chicks sat down. I'm going to go get us some more drinks," Shane declared.

He rose from the table to head to the bar on this floor. I looked over to the hallway for Bri and Trey but it was empty.

"They probably went into the bathroom for a quickie," Jackson said with a devious grin.

"Christ, you can be an ass sometimes."

Jackson smirked. "I'm just saying. She's going to have to do something to calm him down. Trey was livid watching you two dancing out there."

I ran my hands over my face. The whole ordeal had me more than confused. "I've danced a lot sluttier and so has she so I don't understand why he's that pissed off. It's not like she was making out with someone else in front of him," I rebutted.

Shane returned with a plate of shots and drinks. I downed the first shot and took a quick sip of beer before slamming the other one. Jackson arched an eyebrow as I set down the empty shot glass.

"I'm a little more at ease with two of my best boys," I admitted with a shrug.

Shane gave me a huge grin as he finished his shots. Jackson chuckled before taking down his. By the time we finished the second round of drinks, Bri and Trey were on their way back to the table. They had very satisfied smiles upon their faces. I shook my head as Jackson burst out laughing. I smacked him making him laugh even more.

"I only tell it like it is Mia. They fuck like bunnies so throw in a little alcohol and jealousy and what did you think was going to happen when they left this table together."

They slid into the booth next to the rest of us. I raised an eyebrow at Bri.

"You said I only had to tell you if it was a random stranger," she said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. They picked up their waiting drinks and snuggled into each other. They were becoming nauseating. I grabbed Jackson's hand and started to slide out of the booth.

"The music is tight. Let's go dance. With you, I don't have to worry about being groped."

"I'm just a piece of meat that you use when you use fit," Jackson joked.

"Oh shut up and dance with me," I requested.

He shook his head to rid his eyes of the hair that started to cover them. Shane got up to join us too. I suspected he wanted no part in being the third wheel with Trey and Bri. They had already become shameless as they stuck their tongues down each other's throats.

Jackson grinned. "Fine but you better make me look amazingly sexy."

"I'll do my best," I promised.

Once downstairs, Shane veered off after a blonde. Jackson and I hit the dance floor falling into the rhythmic beat of the music. Dancing with him was easy and not just because I didn't have to worry about him taking advantage of me. He had moves that made dancing with him fun. The music transitioned to a slower song and I clasped my hands on his shoulders. Jackson pulled me closer as we swayed to the slow beat.

"Have you found anyone that you're going to chase tonight?"

Jackson gave me a thoughtful look before gazing around the dance floor. "There are plenty of girls in here tonight. I'll find someone to go home with by closing time. Right now, I'm having fun dancing with my best girl."

I tilted my head back. "Best girl?"

Jackson beamed. "Yes, my best girl. You're my best friend Mia. You wanted to dance so I'm out here dancing with you."

A small smile crossed my lips. Jackson considered me his best friend. I rested my head on his chest. It was a nice reminder that I really did have people that cared about me regardless of show shitty I treated them at times. I held on to that thought until the song ended.

"I'm going to go find Bri. This is a girl's night after all."

Jackson slid his arms down my sides giving me a wide smile. He took off further into the dance floor and I couldn't help but laugh watching him go after his latest conquest. When I was on my way back upstairs, I froze from the hand that slipped over my waist. It had my stomach scorching underneath its hold. Only one person could do that to me.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I slowly turned to face Ethan. He was drop dead gorgeous. He had on a pair of snug dark indigo jeans that had parts faded throughout them. His chest rose as he stared at me with a fierce hunger in his eyes. I saw the lines of his abs through his fitted button down steel shirt. He left several of the top buttons unbuttoned so glimpses of his tattoos popped out. The look in his eyes sparked every nerve ending in my body. I'd always known being around him with alcohol in my system would be a bad scenario. I never imagined it would make feel like I was on fire. He was looking at me with a combination of heady desire and unexplainable irritation.

"What the hell are you doing here? Are you stalking me now?" I snapped.

I attempted to remove his hand but the effort behind it was marginal. Everything within me relished his hands all over me. My knees became weak with the heavy want coursing between my legs. My upper body constricted with my wayward needs. Ethan tightened his grip as he whirled me around so that my back was on his front. The music shifted to a slow, deliberate song that was fitting for my predicament. I cursed Usher underneath my breath for coming out with this song. Ethan had buried me into his body so it was impossible not to notice his hardness. He ran his hands down the front of my thighs until he hit bare skin.

"It's hard to stalk someone when they're in the club that you own," he shot back.

"You own this place," I stammered.

"I have a vested interest so I come in on occasion. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered you were here," he remarked.

My concentration was dwindling with every stroke he made upon my body. Ethan continued running his hands up and down my thighs causing my heart to beat out of my chest. I bit my lip to keep from moaning from the pleasure when his fingers lingered towards the inside. My hands took on a mind of their own sliding down his waist and thighs. He leaned into my neck letting his breaths trickle across my neck. It heightened the erotic dance south of me. I was in the danger zone with him. I fought to find my rational side to avoid undressing for him right then and there. My mind grasped at the few functioning brain cells within me to keep him talking. It was the last line of defense I had to keep him from kissing me.

"Why are you so upset?"

"I'm angry because you keep denying me when it's clear that you want me. To top it off, you come to my club and dance with countless men right in front of me," Ethan growled.

He ran his nose down my neck before licking away a bead of sweat. I gasped. The hand that he had moved to my waist slipped underneath my top. He caressed my belly before running his fingers further down making every ounce of me come to a dull ache. Against my will, my body moved in ways to encourage him to travel further south to take full advantage of me. Ethan settled along my waistline lazily trailing his fingers along it. My mind screamed one last time that this was not an option for me. In a last ditch attempt, I paused his hands so he wouldn't go any further. Ethan whipped me around to face him. The passion in his eyes was unmistakable.

"I'm trying to do the right thing," I moaned.

His hands drifted underneath my shirt and up my sides on their way north this time. As he progressed along my rib cage to the lower line of my bra, he moved us off the dance floor. Ethan pushed me up against a pillar at the far end of the dance floor. He brought his body right into mine. He tossed in an occasional thrust of the hips as he pinned me just to remind me how very well he knew my body. Ethan cupped my breast with tender strokes of his hand before pressing his lips beneath a spot underneath my ear lobe. It was enough to melt every part of me. I was throbbing all over for him.

"You want me and I want you. I don't care what is right or wrong," Ethan hissed.

I tilted my neck as he trailed deep kisses down my collarbone and exposed shoulder. I wanted him so much that it was close to making me burst. I moaned even louder when his teeth grazed the crook of my shoulder. He sucked along my neck with eagerness making no effort to hold back his want for me. I slanted my head to bring my lips vigorously down on his. My mouth forced his open to take what was mine. My tongue drifted across the top of his mouth before his met mine where they danced to the beat with music around us. My hands moved down to his hips as he pumped against me with his body. I slid them even further down to his ass. Ethan responded by grinding harder and grabbing one of my legs to raise it around his hip.

Our bodies melded together in an erotic dance as our mouths devoured each other. I lost myself in the music, in his lips, in his body, in his hands, and in the desires that he brought out in me. His hands ran up and down my body while his lips and hips brought me to a dead ache for him. I didn't care who was watching us. I couldn't lie to myself any longer and I was over trying to pretend. My lips lingered on his until I had his gaze locked with mine.

"I want you but not here," I panted.

"Are you fucking serious? What game are you trying to play now?" Ethan bellowed.

He moved his lips down to my neck causing me to groan as he sucked hard along my collarbone and shoulder. My body was beyond hypersensitive as I pulled away.

"I'm not playing a game. I'm not having sex with you for the first time in a public. Do you have any respect for me?"

Ethan stepped back as he processed my point. I took a minute to catch my breath. My heart thumped with the song playing while the rest of me clenched together in its need for him.

"I have to tell my friends that I'm leaving with you," I breathed heavily.

"Fine, I'm coming with you," he said, running his lips softly across mine.

I exhaled shakily at his gentleness but refrained from letting it go any further. We would be right back to where we were five minutes ago. It wasn't any closer to where I wanted to be with him. I lowered my hand to his locking our fingers together. We made our way through the dance floor and hit the stairs at a fast pace. We approached the table to find Bri and Trey absorbed in each other's lips. It was torture to watch them play out what I wanted to be doing.

"Ah, guys, I'm going to head out for the night," I said quickly.

Bri swayed back from Trey. She let out a frustrated huff before sliding to the edge of the booth. She looked at our entwined hands and shook her head in disapproval.

"Mia, a quick minute," she requested, pointing to the bathrooms.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard a variation of that phrase.

I nodded and began untangling my fingers. As Ethan let go of my hand, his face fell with uncertainty. I brought my lips to his for a soft kiss. I let my eyes linger on his fantasizing about every ounce of passion that was waiting for us tonight. He kept his forehead pressed upon mine and his desire radiated from every part of his body. Bri yanked me away from his thrall and marched us towards the hallway. She pushed the bathroom door open with force.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving with Ethan."

I gazed at her with a nonchalant attitude. It was obvious what was about to happen so why she asked was beyond me. Bri shook her head in frustration as her eyes flew to the ceiling. She muttered a few choice words before giving me her attention again. I stared at her unaffected by the ever-changing mood swings she displayed throughout this evening.

"Are you sure you're ready for what you're about to do?"

"What do you mean? I'm not the one that's already had sex tonight."

"Oh don't fucking go there. We were watching you two. You practically had sex with him on the dance floor. We're talking semantics at this point. What the hell are you doing?" Bri shrieked.

My face flushed with her boldness. She arched an eyebrow to goad me even further.

"I can't deny it anymore. I've wanted him from the second I met him. Maybe if I get it out of the way it will make everything else clear," I shot back.

She huffed. "You're an idiot."

"I didn't come in here for your approval Bri."

"Remember, I warned you."

"If memory serves, you told me that I was going to end up sleeping with him. Now, it's about to happen and you're acting like you never mentioned it at all," I retorted.

We glared at each while remaining resolved in our arguments. Bri took a deep breath to maintain her temper. I did the same to keep from shouting if this went on for much longer.

"Mia, just because I said it doesn't mean that I wanted it to happen. I was hoping that you heard everything else that we discussed and got yourself out of that company. If you had listened to me from day one, we wouldn't be standing in here having this conversation. Here's a final piece of advice. You might want to keep him from marking you," Bri snapped, gesturing to my shoulder.

I gasped at the deep purple marks that lined my collarbone and shoulder. I hadn't had a hickey since high school.

How did I miss him doing this to me?