Spin Devil

Sebastian faced Luella with a wan, lazy smile, so sure of himself and his disgustingly potent sex appeal. He looked casual and confident, as if he did this sort of thing every day, which was probably a correct assumption.

Cleo watched as his big tanned hands cupped Luella’s cheeks and he bent forward to kiss her. No matter how many times Cleo had watched Sebastian kiss someone—which at college had been more times than she’d cared to count—it never failed to shock her. His victims always unfailingly reacted the same way—in a way Cleo thought the feminists in the country would greatly disapprove.

It was as if he hypnotized them, and within seconds they would be limp in his arms and breathing fast and furiously. He, on the other hand, would drop his hands as if he’d finished doing something as mundane as brushing his teeth, and look as unmoved as a mountain during a storm.

Cleo had thought about this repeatedly during the years. Although Sebastian’s eyes were enough to send a woman running for cover, she wondered what it was about his mouth and those strong, powerful lips that could melt almost anything they touched.

Luella was no exception to this power, and by the time the kiss ended she was limp and flushed and gasping for air. Cleo, meanwhile, fought with her own share of emotions, among the fiercest—one she hadn’t felt in exactly four years—was envy. The sick, green slime was slowly winding its way through her veins like poison.

Sebastian turned to look at Cleo and she felt even more agitated by his stare. A winged black eyebrow rose in inquiry. “There. Does that suit you, Sister Cleo?” There was no mistaking the mockery in his voice.

Everyone laughed at his words except Haley, who said, “You’re always such a jerk, Bas.”

Luella was too busy struggling to breathe to even notice.

While Cleo…she was used to his insults. And she had never been frontal about her defense.

This was not the time to do things differently.

She tried unsuccessfully to swallow back a lump of thick saliva stuck in her throat, rendering her speechless. At one point during her college years Cleo had wished she had the balls to tell Sebastian up front what she thought of him and his mockeries, but she was unfortunately a traditional woman, and she had no balls.

“I need another vodka,” Luella mumbled, still visibly shaken by Sebastian’s kiss.

Haley reached for the plush devil toy to spin it once again. Silence befell as they all watched it twirl around and then stop, the tail to Jason, the pitchfork to Haley.

Jason chuckled wickedly, his eyes narrowing at her. “Truth or dare, babe?”

“Dare!” Haley shouted in a burst of enthusiasm.

“That’s what I’d hoped.” Jason took a swig of his beer and watched her through lowered lashes for several long, endless seconds. “I want you, Haley, very slowly…very gently…to pucker up those lips of yours…bend down…and kiss my ass, baby!”

/>

“Eeeew,” Haley said, her face contorted with disgust.

Everyone hooted with laughter until Haley stood up and mumbled a curse on her way to where Jason was now standing, midway in the process of dropping his pants.

“You are so gross, Jason,” Luella said, and yet out of sheer morbid curiosity, she kept her eyes glued to his pale white buttocks as Haley bent down to kiss them.

The moment Haley pressed her lips to his butt, Jason made a lascivious face. “Oh yeah, yeah, lick it baby, suck it baby, yeah.” Haley smacked her hand on the side of his ass to silence him.

Jason’s eyes widened. “Hey, I kinda liked that. Can you do it again?”

“You’re so funny, Jason,” Haley said, all sarcasm as she pulled away from him and headed to sit next to Luella, glowering the whole time. Her cheeks were flushed and though she was scowling, there was an indisputable spark of heat in the depths of her eyes.

“You can’t say you didn’t like it, Haley,” Jason said, the image of solemnity as he zipped up his pants.

“I did not.” Haley brushed the back of her hand over her lips to prove it, making Jason laugh.

“You did too.”

“If I get to dare you, you’re going to have to kiss mine!” she threatened.

“Gee, I would love to.”

“Okay, let’s keep this shit moving,” Luella said, bored already, since she was the kind of person who got extremely bored when she wasn’t the center of attention. Before anyone could reply, she spun the devil once more. Cleo swallowed hard when it stopped—the pitchfork staring her in the face, the tail toward Sebastian.

A rope of fear stretched in her insides and coiled around her heart like a noose.