Dirty Sex (3 page)

A chorus of “fine,” rippled through the group finished by Reese

and me.

❖

I just wanted to take a piss. When I went inside the pub, I started

weaving through the masses of people toward the bathroom. Halfway

across the room, I saw something that made me stop dead. Reese was

at the bar and some guy was all up on her. She was holding her ground,

but I could tell she wasn’t having fun. Her shoulders were squared and

her eyes narrow so that even in the dim light I could see them killing

the guy a foot away from her. Ryan and the guys were all outside. Fuck

it. I pushed my way to where they were.

“How’s it going?” I positioned myself just barely in between

them. The guy looked me up and down and decided I wasn’t a threat.

“Fine. We’re trying to, ya know, talk.” He angled his back against

the bar so his body was brushing against Reese. I almost decked him.

“It’s fine, babe.” Reese touched my arm. “I was just coming back

outside.” She smiled so that it seemed like she couldn’t see anyone or

anything, only me. It was all a lie, but he didn’t need to know that. I

slid an arm around her waist protectively. Suddenly, I remembered that

I was taller than her. It was a fairly recent improvement. Go me.

“You sure?” I said in her ear like it was meant for only her, but

I made sure I was loud enough for the prick watching us to hear. He

looked like he might throw up on his K-Swiss. Who still wore those?

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AShley BArtlett

“Sorry.” Reese looked at him like she cared. “I’ve really got to go

back outside.” She threaded her fingers into the hair at the base of my

neck and started playing with it. My spine slowly started melting at her

soft touch.

“Fuck that shit,” he muttered as he turned away and sauntered

back to his friends.

Reese leaned against me so she wasn’t facing the guy anymore.

“Is he still looking?” Her lips brushed my ear slightly.

“Oh, yeah.” He was scowling from across the room. Reese moved

her mouth down my neck kissing and licking my skin. “He doesn’t look

happy.” We were putting on a show. I had to keep her updated.

“I think he’s had enough.” Her lips were on my ear again. “Come

on.” She slid her hand into mine and pulled me to the back door. The

guy was still scowling. Right before we rejoined our friends, she

dropped my hand and said, “Thanks, Coop.”

I nodded in response. We’d run the same scam a thousand times

when people didn’t understand the meaning of no. I tried to act like this

time was the same. But it was the first time her warm breath and lips

against my skin had made my entire body feel seared.

❖

Someone was pounding on my door. It had been going on for a

while.

“Go away,” I shouted.

“Come on, V. It’s noon,” my little sister shouted back.

“Go away.” She ignored me. There was a scrape against the door

that I knew was her stretching to reach the top. After a second, I heard

a key slide into the lock and jiggle around. On top of a doorframe is a

terrible place to hide a key. The door pushed open.

“Wake up.” She sat on my bed and started bouncing.

“Fuck off, Adriana.” I pulled the sheet over my head even though

my room was already like eighty degrees.

“No, I need a ride.” She was fifteen and without transportation.

Life was tough.

“Learn to walk.” It’s what I did at fifteen.

“It’s almost ninety out.” She stopped her bouncing and started to

tug at the sheets. I gripped as hard as I could in my just-woke-up haze.

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Dirty Sex

The sheets were immediately yanked out of my hands. Ade put her

head on my pillow inches from my face. I turned and stared into eyes so

like mine it was freaky. They were a bright lime green, just like Dad’s.

Most people thought we all wore contacts.

“Bring water,” I suggested as a remedy to the heat.

“I need to go to the Galleria.” I doubted she really needed to go to

the mall. It didn’t matter anyway. We both knew I was going to drive

her there.

“Ask Mom to take you.”

“She’s at work.” Coyly, she grinned at me. “I’ve got a Jamba card.

If you want to stop, I’ll get yours.” Bribery always worked.

“Fine. Fine. Let me shower,” I said like I was doing her the biggest

favor. Actually, I kind of was. “I’ll be ready soon.”

“Thanks. You’re awesome.”

“I’m just doing it for the smoothie.” I headed for the shower,

leaving her on my bed.

❖

“Did you tell Mom I was taking you to the mall?” I asked once we

were in the car with our liquid breakfast.

“I texted her.” Adriana started playing with my stereo.

“You’re not supposed to text your mother. It’s disrespectful.”

Someone had to teach her these important life lessons.

“I’ll remember that.”

“You know you’re getting to be a smartass.” I swatted her hand

away from the stereo and plugged in my iPod.

“Can’t imagine where I learned that.” Pointedly, she stared at me.

“Gee, it will be so sad when you have to drive yourself.”

“What kind of car do you think Mom and Dad will buy me when I

turn sixteen?” she asked, all spoiled innocence. “An Acura like yours?”

I almost pulled the car over. “You have got to be fuckin’ kidding.”

“What?”

I turned down the stereo so she could hear me. “I paid for half of

this car.” Lovingly, I petted the dashboard. “And I paid for that stereo

and this bass.” I turned it up again until her seat vibrated, then turned it

back down. “I paid for the custom headlights and all the engine mods.

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AShley BArtlett

I worked my ass off for this car, little sis. Our parents are not going to

just give you one.”

“They still paid for most of it. I’m sure they’ll get me one.” For the

first time, she looked a little worried. “Anyway, I’m the baby. You’re

paving the way for me.” She was the most obnoxiously petulant brat

I’d ever seen.

“Get over yourself.”

“Oh, whatever. You love me.” She was right.

“Let me put it this way. When I was fifteen and a half, I already

had my permit and Dad left out the ads for me every morning. He would

circle promising cars.”

“So?”

“How long until you turn sixteen?”

Slowly, she counted. “Two months.” For such a smart kid she

was a little slow. “I haven’t finished driver’s ed yet. That’s why I don’t

have my permit.” More like she couldn’t pass driver’s ed. “And Dad

probably just doesn’t leave out the ads because he knows I wouldn’t

know what to do with them. I’d look online. I want to see pictures.”

“You want advice? Get a job. Your chances of having a magical

car drop into your lap are better that way.”

She looked horrified.

❖

Austin was awesome. Not the best for picking up girls though.

That’s why I loved Ryan. He knew what was up. But we were at the

gay club, which meant Austin was my wingman and Ryan was at home

getting stoned and watching James Bond movies. Ryan didn’t like to

watch pretty girls all night if one of them wasn’t going to fuck him.

“What about that one?” Aus used his drink to indicate a very

pretty boy.

“You are the worst wingman ever.” He was unconcerned.

“Okay, okay. There.”

“The one with the mullet?” It was a scene kid mullet, not a circa

1980s mullet.

“Mullets are soooo back.”

“Doesn’t make it okay,” I clarified. He shrugged. “There. By the

bar.” I pointed subtly with my bottle.

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Dirty Sex

Aus gave me a weird look. “Dark hair, dark eyes, short skirt?

Looks kinda haughty? Not hottie, but haughty.” He giggled.

“That’s the one.”

“I can see her nipples from here.” He said it like it was a bad thing.

“You notice anything about her?” I shook my head. I didn’t know what

that meant. “She doesn’t remind you of anyone?”

“No, what do you mean?” She was super hot. Other than that, I

didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.

“Nothing. Go get ’em, tiger.” It was an awkward sort of encour-

agement, kind of skeptical.

❖

Her name was Andi. She seemed cool. And she didn’t want to

dance. Big plus for me. She was fully content to lean against my

Abercrombie shirt and tuck a hand into my belt. The warm breath

on my neck was making me horny. It had been too long. Okay, my

girlfriend had dumped me less than a week before, but I was young and

I had needs.

Up close, her dimples were too deep for normalcy. Upon more

careful inspection, I could see the piercing scars at the center of each.

“Those hurt?” I lightly touched one. She leaned in even closer.

“Not really.” The words poured from her thick, like honey. “I like

getting new piercings.”

“I’ve never gotten one.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Never?” There was a quick inspection

of my ears, which were without adornment. “Ever think about it?”

“I guess.” I shrugged. It never seemed to be a priority to shove a

metal bar through my skin. “Seems painful.”

“It’s not bad. Addicting though.” As we talked, her face seemed to

get closer and closer to mine. Fine by me. Her breath smelled of mint

and cloves. When she spoke, she whispered against my lips.

“I have plenty of vices. Promise.” Andi laughed in response. The

laugh was what bothered me I decided. It was too infectious, too bubbly,

giving the impression that she found everything funny. Maybe it wasn’t

the laugh. Maybe I just didn’t feel like it. No, that couldn’t be it. I was

twenty fucking years old. Anything that stood still long enough should

have been potential humping material. And I was definitely horny. It

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AShley BArtlett

was probably the laugh. I was contemplating the meaning behind that

when I looked up. Reese was on the edge of the dance floor locked

in a slow, sensuous grind with a gorgeous girl. Their heads were bent

forward so their hair mingled together shielding their faces. The chick’s

hand was delicately resting on Reese’s ass. I was instantly wet and

disgusted at my body’s response.

I did the sensible thing and kissed the girl in front of me. I couldn’t

take it anymore. At the velvet glide of her tongue, I braced my back

against the wall, pulling her into me. She was holding on to my shirt

like it might suddenly fall off. It was excruciating to keep my hands

from sliding up that short skirt into the waiting heat. Instead, I dug

my nails into the soft flesh of her thigh. Andi moaned into my mouth.

She circled her fingers around my bicep and slid them down until

they intertwined with mine against her leg. I thought she was going

to push me away, but instead she directed my hand up. My fingertips

brushed damp cotton. Just as I eased a finger underneath to push the

underwear aside, she pulled away. Her eyes looked over bright and she

was breathing damn hard.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah,” I responded brilliantly. As she grabbed my hand and

started dragging me toward the door, I looked up. Reese was still

dancing, but her eyes were following my progress. To anyone else

looking she would have appeared totally nonchalant and unconcerned

with anything happening around her. If I didn’t know her brother so

well, I would have seen the same thing as everyone else. Instead, I saw

a sort of cold fury that she thought I was oblivious to. She was glaring

with distaste at the girl dragging me. For a second, I deluded myself

into reading jealousy in her expression. Then I realized it was what I

always got from her, unbridled hatred. Reese saw me with a chick and

assumed I was somehow manipulating the girl. Fuck Reese. The girls I

hooked up with wanted me for what I could offer them, a couple hours

of fun.

We had to go through the mass of people dancing to get outside,

which brought us continually closer to Reese. With every step, Reese’s

eyes got darker and narrower. I couldn’t see in the dim light, but I knew

that as she got angrier her brown eyes would be invaded with flecks

of charcoal. Ryan’s did that same thing when he got mad or high. I

wondered if hers went gray when she was high too. Probably never

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Dirty Sex

tested the theory. I pulled my keys from my pocket and let go of Andi’s

hand.

“I’ll meet you outside. I need to give these to a friend.” She

nodded and left.

“You might want to check her ID,” Reese suggested wisely. She

stopped dancing, but her partner continued her fondling.

I leaned forward so Reese could feel me everywhere. I wanted

to make her forget the foreign hands roaming her body. A vein in her

neck jumped and her jaw clenched. “Thanks, buttercup. I’ll keep that

in mind,” I whispered in her ear. “I won’t need these tonight. Will you

give them to Aus for me?” I slowly pushed the keys into the pocket of

her super tight jeans. She gasped in response and looked ready to deck

me all at the same time. “Thanks.”

When I joined Andi outside, I was primed and ready to go. She

looked sexier under the streetlight. We made it down two streets to 19th