Playing with Fire

He took a step back, putting space between us.

“She’s the one, isn’t she?”

He looked away, down to the floor. “No promises,” he warned steely. It felt like he’d severed my veins and was watching me bleeding out. “It’s casual or nothing.”

I picked up my ball cap, slipping it over my head. I hoisted my clutch over my shoulder again. “I need to think about it,” I said honestly, starting for the stairs.

He grabbed my wrist, stopping me. “Think about it tomorrow. Be with me tonight. Please.”

I glared at him.

He growled, shaking his head, exasperated with both of us.

“Look, I promi—” He stopped himself, clearing his throat. “I give you my word I’ll keep the cobwebs on your pussy intact. But you’re all dressed up, fucking smoking, and it’s probably the first night out you’ve had in a long time. Let’s get a little dirty.”

I looked at his tan fingers curled around my wrist. Big, but gentle. I couldn’t refuse him. I couldn’t refuse him if the world went up in flames—which, for me, it had.

I had no excuse for what I said next.

I knew I was reaching for the poison, taking a generous sip.

“I’ll give you tonight,” I said quietly, knowing he’d already taken much more than we both had bargained for.

We raced downstairs to the second floor. Other than our friends, everyone else had left.

Karlie was chatting up a cute frat boy with sandy hair and Nordic features named Miles by the beer station. Reign was flirting with Tess in the corner, even though her eyes darted past his shoulder, our way, as soon as we came into view.

Max was perched on his soap box, counting money, and Easton was messing around on his phone.

West went directly to Max while I tugged at Karlie’s dress, telling her I was going to split and hang out with West.

The smile Miles had put on Karlie’s face evaporated in supersonic record. “Whatever happened to just friends?” She frowned. “I was worried sick about you. I kept wondering if I imagined your thumbs-up or not.”

I shifted weight between my legs. “You didn’t imagine it. And I promise, it’s just casual, so …”

“You don’t do casual.”

“I can do casual. I’m not allergic to it. I just haven’t tried it before,” I argued.

“And what better person to do it with than the most infamous, popular man on campus, who happens to break noses for a living? I see no potential complications at all.” She gave me a skeptical look that was supposed to bring me back to my senses.

Clearly, I did a good job hiding how far gone I was for this guy.

“Karl, please.” I pulled her into a hug, trying to melt her reservations away. “It’s just fooling around. No feelings involved. Weren’t you the one who told me the ends justify the means?”

“I take it lover boy is no longer all about Tess,” she grumbled, patting my back without much enthusiasm but starting to come to terms with the idea. God bless Mrs. Contreras for creating this supreme human being. I didn’t think I could survive a second without Karlie in my life.

“We cleared that up.”

“Ah-ha. Is that what you kids call it these days?” She pulled away from me, giving me a stern, motherly once-over.

I laughed.

“I’m half-worried, half-morbidly curious. You better call me with all the details.”

I felt myself blushing.

West reappeared by my side, looking cold and apathetic. “Ready, Grace?” He tucked a thick stack of cash into his front pocket.

Grace. Not Texas or Tex. I nodded.

West jerked his chin toward Karlie, Miles, Reign, Tess, and Easton in goodbye.

“Where’re y’all headed to?” Tess called out, sticking her hip out.

“Giving Grace a ride home,” West flat-out lied.

“Wanna hang out afterwards?” Tess smiled brightly.

“I’m good.”

We crossed the road to the food truck silently. There was an unspoken agreement upon where we were going. It just felt right. That Taco Truck was our safe haven.

I unlocked the door and pushed it open, sneaking in first. West locked the door, leaning against it, his hands tucked behind his back, flashing me a rakish smirk.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” I propped myself against the opposite wall of the trailer, smiling back. “And to think your famous first words were you were never going to touch me.”

“Well, Tex, I’m not sure I will be touching you,” he teased. “But you’re still going to come so hard you won’t be able to walk straight tomorrow.”

I slid down the wall. He slid down the door. We were facing each other, on opposite sides of the truck. Maybe not touching each other was a good idea. I was already in too deep.

“Nice panties,” he commented, his hungry gaze dipping teasingly between my legs. I flipped him the bird. My legs were pressed together, and I was hugging my knees.

“Nice try. You can’t see my panties.”