Evelyn Vine Be Mine (53 page)

“Make sure you talk to Stone tonight about his costume!” Candy shouted cheerfully after me and I groaned, pausing to shoot her glare. All three of them burst out laughing and I stormed away without saying goodbye.

***

Thankfully, Briar, Fredi, Donny, Alec and Stone were the only people sitting at our table when I approached. I wasn’t in the mood for any hangers-on today.

“There you are!” Briar said with a triumphant smile as she pulled me to stand between her seat and Stone’s.

“I went for another run,” I explained quickly, worriedly glancing down at Briar’s sketchbook and avoiding the determined set of Stone’s jaw.

From across the table, Donny snorted, “Yeah, we heard the rugby boys bitching about it in the gym.”

Alec grinned at me, “Apparently you were running up a storm out there.”

I fidgeted uneasily, “I was thinking.”

Donny chuckled, “You better watch out Stone. The boys were saying Vince and Jesse have got major hard ons for our girl.”

He ducked just in time to miss the crushed can Stone threw at him. He laughed and winked at me.

I rolled my eyes at him, “They do not.”

“They do t-”

“Anyway…” Briar interrupted, shooting a glare at Donny, “Sit down Evie and help me convince Stone to wear his costume.”

I sighed and started to walk around Stone to my usual seat, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me down into his lap. I looked up at him in surprise, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was glaring over at Vince, who had just entered the hall. I stifled a giggle and snuggled back into him in reassurance as Briar thrust the book at me and raised a prompting eyebrow. I frowned in defeat and took another look at the drawing, before glancing warily up at Stone.

No, his eyes told me steadily. I looked back at the drawing with a feeling of dread. There was no way I could get Stone to wear this outfit. It was of a safari hunter. Nearly straight out of one of those books. The funny hat, the cream-coloured shirt and matching shorts…with tan coloured boots. A kerchief around the neck and a rifle in hand. I sent a look over at Briar.

Are you kidding? I asked with my eyes, but she didn’t seem to understand. Sure, Stone would look good in anything…but there was no way he was going to agree to it.

“C’mon Stone,” she urged, “You’ll look so cute next to Evie in this outfit!”

I shook my head at her. She knew Stone. Cute, was definitely the wrong word to say.

Stone’s glare must’ve been enough to make her back off, because she turned and smiled sweetly at Alec. “Alec,” she purred. He raised his eyes to meet hers warily. “We should finish the final adjustments on your costume.”

He frowned, but heaved a sigh and stood with a reluctant nod. Briar shot me a wink, before hurrying to escort Alec away. I glared at my empty food tray, ignoring my growling stomach. It was easy for her. Alec was smitten and a lot more easy going than Stone.

Stone handed me his knife and fork and rearranged my position on his lap so that I was sitting more comfortably. He edged his tray closer to me and sat back to give me room, his hands resting on my hips and his thumbs teasing the gap of skin between my singlet and shorts. I smiled at him gratefully and tucked in.

“So what are you making me wear Winnie?” Donny asked Fredi with a smile. She looked him over with a grin.

“I’m going as Red Riding Hood,” she said with a shrug.

Donny’s smile turned wicked. “Cute,” he said with an approving nod, running his eyes over her body as if imagining it.

Fredi shook her head. “Not cute. I’m going to be the independent woman version of little Red. It’s going to be sexy and barely clothed, with guns and knives and bright red lipstick.”

“Awesome,” Donny breathed, tugging her chair closer to his and leaning in, “So what does that make me?”

Fredi smiled sweetly and I swallowed nervously. She leaned forward a little, waiting a breath before saying smugly, “The slaughtered wolf, dressed up in granny’s clothes.”

I smothered a laugh…but Donny reared back and laughed loud. “No,” he said firmly, “I mean seriously.”

“I am being serious Donovan,” Fredi growled, “If you want to dress up with me, then that’s what you’re wearing.”

“And I say fuck no,” Donny growled back.

Fredi went into fight mode and I felt Stone huff with frustration. He nudged me off his lap and stood, glaring at Donny and Fredi, before tugging me away to his room.

***

I sat nervously on the edge of his bed with the notebook as he turned on his TV and flopped down on his back.

“So,” I started hesitantly, my voice barely a whisper, “Maybe if we asked Bri to change a few things…your costume wouldn’t be too bad…”

“No,” he growled, not looking away from the TV.

I crawled over beside him and tried to use my feminine wiles, pressing myself against him and looking up at him pleadingly. “It will look sexy on you,” I whispered against his bare bicep, placing a small kiss there. His eyes left the TV and stared down at me. Suddenly, he rolled onto his side and pulled me close.

“Let’s not go,” he murmured in my ear.

“But…” I stammered, “It’s supposed to be fun…Briar is really excited about it…”

“We’ll have fun here,” he growled against my neck, slowly kissing his way along it.

I trembled beneath his touch as he started stroking along my side. “We can have that kind of fun afterwards,” I said breathlessly, “But I want to go to the party.”

I blinked, a little surprised that I actually meant it. I wanted to go out and enjoy myself. I wanted to dress up and go to a packed club. Well, okay, so I wasn’t too keen on the dressing up part…but I wanted to share this experience with friends.

“Fine,” he said easily, “We can go…”

His lips moved to my ear and his voice lowered to a very quiet growl, “But I’m not dressing up.”

My body went slack and I sighed with defeat, picking at the lint on my singlet and frowning down at my hands.

Stone groaned. “What’s wrong?” he demanded, “Tears won’t work.”

“I’m not crying,” I said softly.

He tilted my chin up and studied my face. “Why?” he asked.

I blinked in confusion.

“Why is dressing me a like a fucktard so important?” there was a little bite to his voice and it made me shiver slightly.

I looked away with a blush and shrugged, but he turned my face back to his.

Why?

I closed my eyes and whispered, “Because it proves my power as a woman.”

He let go and I carefully opened my eyes. He waited, eyeing me cautiously, but commanding me to explain.

“Briar and Candy and even Fredi expect me to be able to convince you. They’re all working on their men…Briar and Candy have already got theirs to agree. They think that I can find a weak spot in you. That you’ll be willing to do this for me.

“I tried to tell them,” I whispered, “We’re not…You don’t feel…I don’t have that sort of power over you.”

I looked away and this time he let me. “I just feel…like a failure. Like they will be disappointed. Like they’ll think less of me or something…”

I cringed and shut my mouth, wishing I’d never opened it.

Stone’s sigh was loud and long, but he sat up and reached for the notebook.

“I’m not wearing the hat,” he growled fiercely. I glanced up at him hopefully and he glared at the picture, as if trying to correct all that was wrong with it by commanding it to change.

I squealed my relief and jumped on him, grabbing his face for a kiss even as his arms wrapped around me.

“I’ll get Bri to change it for you,” I whispered between kisses, “Thank you.”

He didn’t answer me with words. He rolled me onto my back and proceeded to take his payment…

Not that I minded in the least.

Thirty-Three

As expected, Candy and Briar were smug when I told them Stone had agreed to the costume – or an altered form of the costume anyway. My costume was looking more and more scandalous as Briar worked…so I was making the most of the university gym. This also meant that I saw a lot more of Jesse, Vince and the other Rugby players. My face was constantly red – a combination of exertion and blushing. Those boys were incorrigible flirts.

It was after one such strenuous session, that my mother decided to ring. Needing to eat and shower, I was far from in the mood to speak to her, but I couldn’t ignore her call. My mother wouldn’t stop ringing until she got hold of me and the longer I put it off…the more her imagination and curiosity stirred.

“Hello Mum,” I said softly, sinking down onto the bathroom floor and trying to ignore my growling stomach.

“Evelyn darling!” she greeted enthusiastically as always. I swear, even if you rang her at some god awful hour of the morning, she’d still answer the phone with unrivalled enthusiasm. I bit back a smile of warmth. My mother needed all the enthusiasm she could pack with twelve children underfoot.

“How’s the novel going?” I asked, hoping to distract her from asking any probing questions about my love life.

“Awful,” she said, a pout in her voice, “I’m completely uninspired.”

I bit back the urge to tell her about Evan’s recent sexual exploits (Charlie had recently updated me on all the family gossip)…but I’d learned my lesson about speaking to Mum without thinking. Whilst Evan wouldn’t blow up at me like Harvey had done…he’d definitely be unimpressed.

“How are the boys?” I asked quickly.

My mother sighed and chuckled ruefully. “You’d never believe how much trouble the triplets have been causing. I think they think that they can do whatever they like now that they are in the last term of school. Phone call after phone call I’ve been getting…and did you know that Luke has a girlfriend?!”

“No,” I admitted, but then Luke had always been the more secretive one of the younger triplets.

“Caught them at it in the shed!” Mum went on excitedly and I rolled my eyes. Every one of my siblings had used the ‘shed’ for making out at some point…even Ben and I had once or twice.

“How do you know she was a girlfriend?” I asked with a giggle.

Mum chuckled and made a tutting noise, “Jake told me. And my Luke isn’t like that anyway…”

Mum snickered and lowered her voice, “Not like randy Mike. I’m always shooing his sluts away from here. Carries on in the open that boy does.”

I shook my head with suppressed laughter and wondered if she knew Jake was nearly as active…but definitely more discreet.

“How is Paul doing?” I prompted, “His final exams and interview with the education board should be soon right?”

Mum huffed. “Paul is so boring,” she complained, “All he does is go to the clubs and study. He never brings home any women and he’s moving out after Christmas.”

“Paul isn’t boring,” I argued, sticking up for my older brother, despite how annoying he’d been lately.

Mum snorted and changed the subject, “Have you talked to Logan?”

I groaned and closed my eyes. I was getting sick of this question.

“Yes, but I have no idea what’s going on,” I told her firmly.

“Well I don’t understand why he’s avoiding my calls!” Mum snapped, her usually cheerful voice suddenly sharp, making me sit up a little straighter. This voice didn’t appear very often…and when it did, she meant business.

“Look Mum,” I said carefully, “I think Logan is trying to sort some stuff out and he’s not ready to tell everyone yet. He doesn’t need the added stress of everyone calling him and picking at him. He’ll tell us when he’s ready.”

“But he has the most interesting sex life and I need inspiration,” she complained, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. I winced. Logan hadn’t said a word to Mum in nearly six months. I didn’t think he’d talked to any of the others either. I hated the thought that he was hurting Mum though. However annoying and weird she might be, she was my mother.

I winced, knowing that I was going to do something incredibly stupid to make her feel better…