Tagged & Ashed (The Sterling Shore Series #2) (6 page)

Like all the fucked up shit he’s done.

She half smiles, and then I see her shivering as the wind picks up.

“Cold?” I muse as more of the bursting beauties light up the sky.

“A little.  I was on my way to my room to grab a blanket before the firework show, when I heard the music playing in your room.”

Is that really the only reason she lingered outside my room?  I hate feeling all the damn uncertainty she causes.  There are so many mixed signals.  It’s making my head hurt.  I feel like a fucking chick.  I'm so going to lose my man card if she keeps messing with my head.

“I’ll be right back,” I murmur while jumping up and heading to the room.

I grab the tan, velvety blanket dressing the chair, and then I head back out to take my seat beside her, scooting even closer.  I wrap the blanket around her, and then I risk throwing my arm around her shoulders and tucking her against my body.

I expect her to scoff and peel my arm off, but she doesn’t.  Instead, she snuggles up against me as we sip the champagne straight from the bottle and stare up at the firework display in a comfortable silence.

I’ve never spent time with a girl in this way, and it’s surprising me how easy this all feels.  I’m too comfortable around her, and I don’t know when to shut up.  It’s as if I’ve lost all my game.

Chapter Three

Truth or Truth

Tag

Her body is pressed tightly against mine, her leg is tossed over my waist, and her white skirt has ridden up high enough to show me her white thong.  How dare she be this hot and yet this hard to get.  It's not nice.  Not nice at all.

Her red shirt has stretched in her sleep, and it drapes down enough to give me a glimpse of the sexy white lace bra she’s wearing.  I’ve never been so jealous of a bra.

Her leg hugs my waist a little more as she stirs in her sleep, and I tighten my grip as her center presses against my early morning erection.

The tip of my cock is almost painfully pulsating, and it’s excruciating to resist the urge to fuck her into waking up.  I want to be inside her, feel every bit of that wetness meant for me.

Her skirt slides up farther, giving me a full view of her glorious ass that curves incredibly and taunts me with its perfection.

I’ve never slept with a girl and managed to not
sleep
with them.  This is definitely a first, but after four bottles of champagne, neither of us were thinking straight.  I’m almost certain I could have fucked her, but I wouldn’t do that while she was drunk.

I might be jerk, but I’m not a complete creep.  Besides, I want this girl sober when I make her scream my name.

My hand starts sliding up her ass when I can’t deny the urge any longer, and I tug her gently as my cock burns with desire.

I'm tired of playing.

***

Ashiara

Firm, possessive hands are gripping me a little too tightly, and my eyes flutter open to stare into Tag’s glorious icy blues.  That's an incredible and dangerous thing to wake up to.  Damn.  Not good.  Not good at all.

I realize his erection is pressed against me, and I begin throbbing as I notice my leg sprawled over his hip - his thin track pants and my thong being all that separates the skin on skin feeling I’m almost desperate to feel.

“Hey,” he murmurs before bringing his lips to mine and jerking me tighter against his hard-as-a-rock erection.

Oh damn.

His expert tongue strokes mine as my whole body rushes with heat, desire, and need.  I don’t know what he’s doing to me, but I wish he’d stop.

My fingers find their way into his soft hair as he reels me in, and I climb on top of him to straddle him fully as he grips me with frustrated, greedy hands.  He grinds against me, and I slide my hand down the front of his pants to feel his firmness for the first time.  It’s so...
Mmm.

He moans into my mouth as I slide my hand up and down, finding a rhythm he seems to thoroughly enjoy, and his hand curves around my ass until he finds my sex and slips a finger in.

“Damn, you feel so good,” he breathes into my mouth, and that’s all I can take as I slide his pants down to fully free that piece of perfection my eyes haven’t seen yet.

I’ve spent the night in his arms, and we managed to keep our clothes on.  This morning, however, I’m tired of being a good girl.

He rips my thongs to the side as the tip of his erection grazes my wet opening, and I begin throbbing harder as it slides in just a little.

He grabs my hips and starts to push me down, when barreling footsteps in the hallway ring out.  I drop to the ground just as someone swings the door open.

“What the hell?” Tag gripes at whoever is in the room.

I stay still, quiet, and out of sight, as the mystery intruder starts to speak. 

“Sorry, have you seen Ash?  Mom wants us to head out for shopping and stuff before the festivities tonight.  You coming?”

Wren.  Damn it, it’s Wren.

“I don’t feel like shopping.  What makes you think I’ve seen Ash?”

There’s silence, and I can hear, rather than see, Wren’s smile.

“Oh come on.  Everyone saw the way you two couldn’t keep your eyes off of each other, and the only two people not in attendance for the fireworks were you two.  So give it up.  Did you fuck her or what?”

My cheeks fume with their red shade, and I hear Tag nervously clearing his throat.

“No.  We watched the fireworks last night from the balcony, but she-”

“Don’t say she went back to her room, because the bed is still made, proving she never went there last night.  Since when are you shy about sharing details?  I’m getting married, so I have to live vicariously through you.”

Details?  Definitely not good.

“She slept here - all we did was sleep, though.  She left a little bit ago to go change so no one thought she was taking a walk of shame.  Anything else?”

“Bullshit.  You don’t just
sleep
with girls, and you know it.  She’s still in here, isn’t she?  That’s why you’re being so evasive.”

Oh shit.

I scammer around to jerk my skirt into place, and then I roll under the bed just as Wren’s feet stop in the spot where I was lying.

“Dude, get serious.  She’s not in here.  We really didn’t fuck.  She was drunk, and you know my policy on that.”

“Oh.  I didn’t know she was drunk.  Still though, you don’t just sleep with girls.”

“We were both incredibly drunk, and we fell asleep without meaning to.  Christ.  Get the hell over it.”

Wren laughs, and then I watch his feet head toward the door.

“Just meet us downstairs in twenty if you change your mind.  Mom sent me to retrieve Ash since Bity has apparently disappeared with Rene.  He’s so fucking stupid.  There’s no way I’d leave a girl as hot as Ash to be with
Rene.
”

Tag snickers from above, and I roll my eyes.  He told me Wren was
Ashed
. 
Gross.

“I’m not changing my mind, but since Bity is out with Rene, how about you tell Melanie Ash didn’t want to go?  I could use the day to
Tag
her.”

Ass.

Wren laughs loudly, and I just puff from under the bed.

“Well, I suppose there’s no harm in that since Bity is loving Rene again.  I still think he’s a dumbass for that endeavor.”

“I’m just glad she’s leaving me alone.  I’d have gotten Bity a girl a long time ago if I had known it would make Rene hang on him.”

I have to get out of here before I throw up in my mouth.

Wren laughs again, and then I hear the
click
from the door shutting just before Tag’s head suddenly descends and peers into the opening where I’m shamefully hiding.

This is more humiliating than his fountain accident.

“You can come out now,” he teases, his boyish grin almost making me smile against my loathsome desire not to.

“Cute.  Real cute,” I grumble while rolling out from under the bed.

I shuffle to my feet and smooth out what wrinkles I can as I fidget with the skirt that loves climbing up my legs.

“So, we have the house to ourselves now,” he says while bouncing his eyebrows up and down.  Then he grabs me at my waist and pulls me back down on the bed before his lips graze mine.  “So where were we?”

I was about to make a big mistake. 

I can’t fuck my best friend’s mortal enemy.  Not to mention, Tag is obviously the type to kiss and give details.  No thanks.

“I was about to go grab a shower, eat breakfast, and then wait on the others to get back - which won’t be long after I do all that,” I mutter while pulling away.

***

Tag

What the hell did I miss?

Once second she’s on top of me, seconds away from letting me have her, and the next she’s like ice.  What happened to flip the switch?  Women should come with an instruction manual - one for every type.

Surely Wren bursting in couldn’t have doused the moment that much. 
Fuck.

I’m going to implode if we keep up this game of tease-but-don’t-please.

“Mind telling me what just happened?” I muse while holding back my agitation and rising up to face her.

“I just need to gather myself.  Look, I know you don’t get this, but I’m really not into the whole 'screwing someone I barely know.'  I realize we keep getting into these... situations, but obviously you and I have different opinions on what sex is for.  Sorry, but I need to go.”

I'm going to need a cold shower.  Maybe she needs me to be blunt.

“I don’t get you.  Why do you keep telling me
no
when it’s painfully clear you want to say
yes
?”

She smiles softly and then walks toward the door as I climb out from under the sheet and pull my pants back into place.

Her eyes flash down to my cock before it’s fully covered, and her cheeks burn with a crimson glow as I strut toward her.

“Stay, talk, enjoy a little bit of time with me, and if the moment arises, don’t freak out,” I soothe, treating her like a skittish cat backed in a corner.

“Sorry, Tag.  Really, I am, but I can’t stay in here with you.  Um, I’ll... I’ll see you later,” she hesitantly releases before darting out.

“Yeah, later,” I mumble to the vacant room before flopping back down to the bed.

I have to stop obsessing about this girl.  I just begged her to stay and talk.  I don’t beg - especially to
talk.

Get a grip, Tag.  She’s just a girl.  Just a damn girl.

I wish I could convince myself of that.  The truth is, I enjoyed last night.  She snuggled up to me all night long.  I've never done that with anyone.  I've passed out after exhausting myself, and sometimes the girl crashed next to me, but it wasn't like what I did with Ash last night.

I don't know how this happened.  Her rich wit and her sassy finesse keeps me on my toes, and I like it.  Her disarming smile makes me dissolve, and when I'm with her, I'm not some dick trying to get lucky - well, not the way I usually am.  I'm just... me.

It's refreshing.

***

Ashiara

Oh my damn.

I’ve spent an hour hiding out, and all I’ve been able to think about is Tag - or his lips on my body, rather.  I'm a train wreck on steroids right now.

I have to stay away.  Maybe if I go for a swim, it’ll clear my head.

I pull on my bikini, and then I slip on a pair of frayed jean shorts and a slinky top.  Staring in the mirror, I start questioning my true intentions.  Am I hoping to run into him while wearing something as slinky as this?

No.  I need to clear my head.

Creeping past his bedroom, I head downstairs, which is silent.  Maybe he went back to sleep, or even better, maybe he left.

“Looking for someone?” a playfully seductive voice chimes in to interrupt my thoughts, and I cringe as I slowly turn around.

Drat.

There he is - all of his perfection completely intact.  He's smirking as he pops a slice of an apple in his mouth, drawing my eyes to those lips I know feel as incredible as they look.  He has on a sleeveless shirt that shows his arms, shoulders, and a bit of his smooth chest.

I can tell those shorts hang low, even though his shirt hangs over the waistband.  I pray his shirt stays on so I don’t have to see those mouthwatering hip lines again.

“Hungry?” he asks with a mischievous glare as he takes in my gaping, awestruck, ridiculous reaction to seeing him.

Very hungry
- for all the wrong things.

Swallowing hard and pushing my jaw back into a respectable position, I murmur, “Yeah.  A little.”

“I can have Eduardo whip you something up,” he says while moving to the phone in the front kitchen.

Eduardo’s kitchen is separate, enormous, and filled with fancy things I don’t even know how to turn on.  Not to mention, the pantry in his kitchen is stocked with ingredients I’ve never even heard of.  This one is more user friendly for the layperson such as myself.

“That’s okay.  I’ll just have some cereal or something,” I force out while walking far away from him and heading to the cabinets.

“Cereal, huh?  I thought you to be more of the muffin or bagel type,” he murmurs while watching me too intently.

“Are you saying it looks like I eat too many carbs?” I tease while opening one of the top cabinets.

I feel my shirt sliding up as I stretch to reach the box of bran, and his eyes fall on the smooth skin of my stomach.

“Not at all.  You just don’t seem like a
cereal
girl.”

He swallows hard, suddenly not liking the game he started here in the kitchen as I lower my hands back down with the cereal in tow.

I grab the milk, a bowl, and a spoon before being a big girl and going to stand next to where he's sitting at the bar.  As I toss together my breakfast, I decide to address his weird comment.

“What does a
cereal girl
look like?” I mock.