We headed down toward the staircase, but as soon as we reached the top step and I saw all the people, some I recognized as old classmates of Damon’s from Thunder Bay and others as Storm players from Michael’s team, I locked up.
“I don’t like…” I pulled my hand away from hers. “I’m not sure I belong here. I don’t like this. I feel…”
I didn’t know what to say. My body was covered, and I’d run around The Pope all those years ago in boxer shorts, too, but now…
Look at all those women. Dressed in lingerie. Sexy. Tan. Beautiful. I didn’t want to dress like that, but I also didn’t feel like I fit in like this, either. The only person I wanted to wear stuff like that for was Kai, and I couldn’t do this. This was his scene, not mine.
I took a step back. It would be more fun to stay up here and explore the rest of the house anyway. There were dozens of rooms, and an attic, I was sure. Not to mention, if there was one secret passageway in the study, there were bound to be more. Anything would be more fun than this.
But hands caught my hips from the back, and Kai’s whisper was suddenly in my ear.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I folded my arms over my chest. “I don’t flaunt myself for the enjoyment of men.”
His chest shook with a laugh behind me. “Well, good. Happy to hear it, because I’m the only man whose attention you should be trying to get, and baby, you got it years ago while wearing another man’s clothes.” He kissed my temple, his hot breath sending chills down my spine. “So, you can imagine how fucking beautiful you are to me right now wearing mine.”
My heart fluttered, and all of a sudden I felt braver.
Without another word, he walked past me, down the stairs, to greet his guests. I stared at the muscles in his back, visible since he only wore pajama pants like a lot of the other guys, and felt myself heat up again.
But I no longer felt nervous. I started down the stairs with Alex.
The party wasn’t actually as busy as I thought. He could’ve easily packed over a hundred people on the bottom floor, but there seemed to only be about seventy to eighty of their gang’s close, personal friends. Basketball players, business associates, old high school friends…
And the place was set up like a slumber party, in keeping with Will’s theme of pajamas.
Tables filled the dining room, covered with an assortment of snacks, and Heavy In Your Arms played over a sound system around the house.
Servers circulated with more hors d’oeuvres, including wine glasses filled with milk, topped with a huge, chocolate chip, M&M cookie. I smiled, loving how it reminded me of being a kid. Not any of my memories of being a child, per se, but how a kid ought to grow up. Massive pillows were also flung in piles, while young women, some in sexy little nighties and some in men’s pajamas like me, laid down, snacked, and chatted.
There was even a beautiful tent in the corner of the living room made out of sheets and strung with white Christmas lights on the inside.
“This seems so unlike Kai.” I looked around, noticing how the atmosphere had made people kind of playful. Some guy, well over six feet, was diving into the tent after his squealing girlfriend.
“It’s not like him at all.” She downed a shot of Patrón and sucked on a lime wedge. “I planned this.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Will needed to have some fun with his friends. Kai thought it was a good idea, so he opened up the house. Finally.”
She handed me a shot, but I waved her off. I was still nervous, and I wanted to keep my head clear.
“If Kai had more skill,” a man said, “he would figure out how to have you without signing a contract.”
I whirled around, seeing Michael approach me. And he didn’t look like he was teasing.
But Kai followed, shaking his head.
“Shut up,” he grumbled.
Michael wore black pajama pants and no shirt, scanning me up and down. “You clean up nice,” he smiled, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Even better than the last time I saw you in pajamas.”
I stopped breathing, and he turned toward the party, both him and Kai watching everyone as I waited for the shoe to drop. The last time he saw me in pajamas was six years ago, and while Kai would assume he was talking about all of us at The Pope that night, Michael’s hushed whisper was insinuating how he’d sneaked into Damon’s bed and on top of me before that. How he discovered I was Damon’s sister.
So, Michael knew who I was. So, what? He also knew it didn’t change anything, and Michael didn’t interfere when it wasn’t necessary. Damon always liked that about him. While Will was nosy and Kai tried to reign Damon in, Michael rarely interfered with how Damon wanted to have a good time.
Kai was going to find out, but I hoped he wouldn’t just yet.