She doesn’t look at me the rest of the weekend. I should have expected this. Calculated the risk. I know she’s not some meek little wallflower, no matter that she sometimes pretends to be. She’s punishing me for leaving her hanging and it’s fucking working. What was supposed to be a punishment for her, a reminder of who the fuck was in charge here, ended up backfiring on me and now I’m watching her like some lovesick dog without his bone.
I keep forgetting she isn’t like the rest of the girls here at Sun Valley High. She doesn’t give two shits who I am and she’s making that abundantly clear. She sticks close to Henderson all day Saturday, leaving me little room to swoop in and take her. Not unless I want to make a big show of it, and yeah, that’s not happening. So, I’m left to stew as she laughs with the motherfucker, drinks with him, lets him touch her. It’s not romantic. At least I don’t think it is for her. But every time that asshole throws an arm around her shoulders, I want to pummel his face in.
Allie Ramirez is mine. Mine to fuck. Mine to hurt. Mine to soothe, should I decide to. I’m itching to touch her and it’s doing things to my head I don’t like.
“Ro, what’s your deal, man?” Dom asks as I brood on the cabin porch sipping on a glass of water, nursing back a bit of a hangover from the night before. I don’t drink often. None of us do. Football is too important. But the few beers and the game of beer pong are leaving their mark today. “I figured you’d fuck the girl out of your system and walk away. What gives?”
I grunt. “Maybe I just want a few more fucks before I move along.”
Before I finish the sentence, he’s already shaking his head. “Nah. I’ve seen you with girls. This one is different. I get the whole mind-games shit you like to pull with chicks, but even that’s different with her. You cooked last night, and don’t try and bullshit me into believing that was for me or Emilio. You did that for her. Why?”
Emilio interrupts, stepping outside, still rocking that stupid bright ass bikini over his sweat pants. “I like Allie. Can we keep her?”
Dom and I both jerk our heads toward him. “What?” I ask, surprise coloring my voice.
“I said, can we keep her?”
‘She’s not a puppy,” Dom chides, but his brows furrow like he’s wondering the same thing.
“Why?” I ask again.
Emilio rolls his eyes. “Hello, I just said because I like her. Are you even paying attention? What is up with you today, man?”
I turn to Dom but all he does is shrug and raise a brow as if to say, don’t ask me. Some help he is. I don’t get this side of Emilio. Sure, the guy’s nice to pretty much everyone, but only at face value. He doesn’t actually like people. I don’t even think he cares for Dom or I all that much and we’re his best fucking friends.
“What happened to you two fuckers saying I needed to focus on the field?”
“I changed my mind. I wanna keep her. If you’re not into her anymore now that you’ve had your fun just say the word. I don’t mind sloppy seconds. Based on the sounds I heard coming from your room last night, that girl is well worth the trouble.”
I stand and take a menacing step toward my best friend, ready to nail the asshole in the face with my fist when Dom steps between us. “What are you planning here?”
“To wipe that smug look off his face.” I point my water bottle right at Emilio and the fucker smiles at me.
Dom shakes his head. “Not with numb nuts over there. What are you planning with Allie?”
My jaw tightens and I glare at him. “I don’t have any plans,” I bite out, “Why the fuck are you two down my throat about her all of a sudden?”
“She’s not like other girls,” he says.
“I’m aware. If she was, she’d be over here kissing my boots instead of playing around with Henderson all goddamn day. What do you want from me?”
Emilio shoves himself between the two of us and flicks his gaze back and forth. “He wants you to lay out your intentions, Rome. We both do.” And for once the dude has a serious expression on his face.
I glower. “Why the hell are you two so goddamn interested in who I fuck all of a sudden?”
Dom grunts. “Because Emilio is right. We like her. Neither of us wants you to fuck things up for us.”
My mouth drops open. “For us?”
Emilio nods and smacks me in the chest light-heartedly. “Yeah, fucker. For us. Like I said, we like her. She fits in with our crew. She doesn’t see dollar signs when she looks at any of us like every other chick in this town. We could use a feminine touch up in here. Too much testosterone with you two jackasses all the time if you ask me, and your dick is going to fuck that up so this is us telling you not to do that. Lo entiendes?” Do you understand? Was he fucking with me right now? “Say whatever you need to say to her. You fucked something up this morning or she wouldn’t be hanging with that ass wipe and you wouldn’t be over here brooding.”
My jaw clenches. “This isn’t how things roll with us.” There’s a bite in my tone I usually reserve for everyone but the two people beside me. Dominique and Emilio are like my brothers. They’re family. But I don’t take orders from anyone and I don’t have to explain myself to them.
Emilio meets my stare and his eyes narrow, sparking with something I’m not used to seeing in his gaze. “She’s the relationship type.”
I work my jaw harder. “And this matters to you because…”
“You’re not.”
“Never tried to claim I was,” I remind him. And then I add in for good measure, “She laid her cards out first. She wants fun. No strings. Don’t jump down my throat for giving the girl exactly what she asked for.”
Both their expressions consider me for a moment, searching for any deception. Then Dom asks, “She really said that?” He doesn’t sound convinced.
“Yeah, fucker. She did. So calm down.”
“Fine, let’s assume we buy that. What’d you do to piss her off?”
My shoulders sag and I grit my teeth.
“Come on, fucker. Spill.” Emilio says, all but bouncing beside me. The guy is wired this morning. I need to remember to hide the coffee from him.
“I fucked her.”
“And…?”
I huff out a breath. “And I withheld her orgasm when she refused to beg for it.”
Dominique whistles and Emilio whoops, then says, “I always knew you were a shady asshole with control issues but fuck, man, that’s cold. And let me guess, you still got yours?”
I nod.
Emilio cackles, covering his mouth as he folds over at the waist before he straightens. There are tears of laughter shining in his eyes. “Damn. If you want inside that pussy anytime soon, expect to do some groveling.”
Not. Fucking. Happening.
