Fever (Breathless 2)

A shiver worked over Bethany’s shoulders. “I’d planned to sober up before we went back home. I didn’t want Jace to know I got drunk. He’d worry and probably disapprove. But if what you’re saying is true . . .”

Mia bumped into Bethany’s side and threw her arms up in the air. “Oh it’s true,” Mia shouted. “He won’t be able to resist!”

“In that case, let’s get our drink on some more!” Bethany shouted back.

“After we give Gabe a show he won’t soon forget,” Mia said with a wink.

Bethany laughed and the two got into the beat of the music. Caroline joined them a moment later, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling with happiness. The three put on a show that later would mortify Bethany when she thought back on it, but it was so much fun, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d really let loose and had such a fabulous time.

When the song ended, Mia grabbed Bethany’s arm and the two fell all over each other getting back to the table where, predictably, the waitress was waiting with another round of drinks.

Gabe’s lips were twitching in amusement when they teetered up to the table. His eyebrow lifted when both Bethany and Mia reached for their drinks and downed them in two seconds flat.

“You girls are tying one on tonight,” he observed. His gaze drifted lovingly to Mia. “You going to pass out on me, darling?”

Mia grinned cheekily and then lifted up on tiptoe to plant a scorching kiss on Gabe’s mouth. Then her mouth slid over his cheek and she murmured something in his ear that had Gabe’s entire body tightening. His jaw clenched and his eyes darkened.

Bethany’s stomach churned just witnessing his reaction to whatever it was Mia said, and Bethany was convinced it was extremely naughty. Apparently she was absolutely right about this drunk sex thing.

She waved to the waitress and held up her glass for another.

Gabe put his arm loosely around Bethany and pulled her close so she could hear him.

“You okay, sweetheart? How much have you had to drink?”

She flashed him a bright smile. “I’m fine! And Mia said you were getting us home tonight so I didn’t have to worry about how drunk we got.”

His arm tightened at her waist. “Damn straight. I’ll be taking you home to Jace, so do what you want. I just want to make sure you can handle it.”

She smiled again. “You’re sweet.”

He rolled his eyes. “Sweet isn’t a word I’d use to describe me.”

No, she supposed it wasn’t. Power emanated from him just the way it did with Jace. There was a glint in his eyes, particularly when he looked at Mia, that just made her shiver from head to toe. Even now when he’d put his arm around Bethany to steady her, he had a lock on Mia’s wrist and he made certain there was little space between them.

“Just don’t make yourself sick,” he said. “I want you girls to have fun and not to worry about anything else. When you’re ready to go, I’ll get you all home.”

“Thanks!”

“Let’s dance again, Bethany!” Mia yelled.

Gabe groaned. “Got to tell you, baby, that dancing you’re doing? Should be illegal. I’m going to have to beat every man’s ass who’s staring at yours.”

Mia grinned and then snagged Bethany’s hand, dragging her toward the dance floor again.

For the next hour, they danced, drank and then danced some more. And then drank again.

The last time they left the dance floor and got to the table, Bethany knew she couldn’t tolerate another drink. She was fuzzy and completely enveloped in a warm haze. She laughed at everything, whether it was funny or not. Gabe wore a perpetually amused look and Brandon grinned when he checked in on them again.

“I think I’m done,” Bethany said breathlessly. “But I don’t want to ruin the night for the rest of you.” She stared up at Gabe, who was holding Mia upright. She had her own tight grip on the table, worried that if she let go, she’d hit the floor with a resounding thud.

“No, I’m ready too,” Mia said. “You ready, baby?” she asked Gabe.

“Been ready,” he growled.

She giggled. “We have to get Bethany home first. I imagine Jace is fit to be tied by now.”

“I texted him,” Gabe said dryly. “He knows what to expect.”

“Let me go grab the others,” Mia said. “Caro is hanging out until Brandon gets off work.”

“I’ll call for the car,” Gabe said. “You’re not walking out of here without me. You’ll fall on your faces.”

Bethany grinned and waited, still holding on to the table, while Mia rounded up the rest of the group.

“Tonight was fun,” she hollered at Gabe. “Thanks for getting me home. Mia is great.”

Gabe smiled, his eyes warm and affectionate. “Glad you had fun, Bethany. And yeah, Mia is the best. No problem on getting you home. No way I’d let you go home by yourself. Jace wouldn’t allow it either. If I hadn’t come to get you, he would have.”

Mia returned a moment later with Chessy, Trish and Gina. They were all as drunk as Mia and Bethany were and giggling like lunatics. Gabe rolled his eyes and then motioned for Brandon.

Brandon appeared with one of the other bouncers and they guided Chessy, Trish and Gina toward the exit while Gabe put an arm around both Mia and Bethany.

Bethany teetered and then giggled when Gabe’s arm tightened around her.

“Jesus, how much did you two drink anyway?”

Mia looked innocent and then held up her hand, trying to count. After three attempts of staring at her fingers in confusion, she threw up her hand and said, “A lot.”

“I’m getting that,” Gabe said with a chuckle.

He guided them out to the waiting car and stood patiently while Brandon and another bouncer got the other three girls inside. Then Brandon flashed Gabe a sympathetic grin.

“Good luck, man. Looks like you have your hands full.”

“No shit,” Gabe muttered.

He got Bethany and Mia seated and then slid in to sit beside Mia.

“You’re aces,” Chessy said, flashing a grin in Gabe’s direction.

“Absolutely,” Trish and Gina both chimed in.

“We told Mia if she ever lets you get away, she’s an idiot,” Trish said solemnly.

Chessy nodded just as solemnly. “But just so you know, if she ever is that idiot, I’m more than willing to step up.”

The girls dissolved into laughter while Gabe sent his eyes heavenward in a seeming plea for help.

They stopped off at each of the girls’ apartments and Gabe patiently escorted them in and made sure each was safe before returning to the car.

“He really is terrific,” Bethany whispered to Mia as they watched Gabe return from escorting Chessy up.

“Yeah,” Mia whispered. “I’m so lucky to have him.”

“We’re just lucky bitches,” Bethany said. “Gabe and Jace rock.”

“Yeah,” Mia said again. “But then, so do we.”

“We do, don’t we?”

“Absolutely.”

Then they both broke into laughter again, still giggling like fiends when Gabe slid back into the car.

He shook his head. “Don’t know what I’m going to do with you two, I swear.”

A devilish gleam entered Mia’s eyes. “Well, if you don’t know what you’re going to do with me . . .”

“Didn’t say that, baby,” he said gruffly. “Got plans for you.”

Mia sent a knowing grin in Bethany’s direction that clearly said, “I told you so.”

“Jace is meeting us in the lobby,” Gabe said when they neared Bethany and Jace’s apartment building.

Bethany’s heart fluttered with anticipation. She hoped like hell that Mia hadn’t been wrong. Now she was suddenly nervous and her mouth went dry.

Mia reached over to squeeze her hand. “Trust me.”

Bethany squeezed back and Gabe sent them both a suspicious glare.

When the car pulled up, Gabe got out and then helped Bethany extricate herself from the backseat. She wobbled unsteadily on her heels as they started toward the entrance to the building.

“You’re going to kill yourself in those damn heels,” Gabe muttered.

“But they’re sexy,” Bethany defended. “At least, I thought so.”

“No doubt there, sweetheart. You look killer in them. Jace is going to swallow his damn tongue. But if you kill yourself before you get to him, they won’t have done much good.”

“Mia said Jace would want to fuck me in these shoes,” she said and then was mortified by what she’d blurted out.

Gabe chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Did she now? Well, Mia is an authority on being fucked in killer heels, so if she said that it’s probably true.”

Bethany grinned cheekily as they entered the building. Jace was standing a short distance away, and his gaze narrowed as he took in the unsteady gait in which she walked.

“Gabe thinks I look sexy,” she announced when Jace stopped in front of them. “And he totally said you’d fuck me in these shoes.” She stopped and frowned, her thoughts suddenly muddled. “Or maybe it was Mia who said you’d fuck me. Either way, I wanna be fucked in these shoes.”

Gabe shook with laughter next to her.

A slow grin curved Jace’s lips. “I think that can be arranged.”

She nodded. Then she turned and leaned up on tiptoe to kiss Gabe’s cheek.

“Thank you again for taking such good care of us tonight.”

Gabe chuckled. “Anytime, sweetheart.” Then he turned to Jace. “Better get a hold on her. Once I let her go, she’ll likely take a header.”

Jace chuckled but took firm grip on her arm as Gabe turned to walk away.

“Thanks, man. Next time it’ll be my turn.”

“Thank fuck,” Gabe muttered. “You have no idea what I was subjected to tonight. Let’s just say there isn’t a damn man in that club who wasn’t drooling on the floor at their antics.”

Jace’s eyebrows went up and then he glanced down at Bethany, his gaze inquisitive.

She sent him a dazzling smile and he grinned at her in return.

“Gotta say, the shoes are definitely sexy on you,” he murmured.

“Mia was right,” she said smugly.

He turned her toward the elevator and half carried her into it.

“What was she right about, baby?”

“She said you’d take one look at me, drunk, in these sexy heels and you’d want to instantly fuck me. While I’m still wearing the shoes.”

He laughed as the elevator opened into his apartment. “Can’t say I’m going to argue with that assessment, although can’t say hearing that about me from my sister is at the top of my list of priorities.”

“She said Gabe wouldn’t make it to the bedroom and that he’d fuck her in her heels just inside the doorway,” she said solemnly.

Jace winced. “Baby, you gotta stop. Definitely don’t want to be hearing about some man fucking my baby sister and definitely don’t want the details.”

She laughed and then weaved when he let her arm go.

“Whoops!” she said as he caught her again.

“Just how much did you have to drink tonight?”

“Lots,” she said smugly. “I wanted to have drunk sex with you and I wanted you to tear my dress off me and fuck me in my heels like Gabe’s going to fuck Mia.”

Jace groaned. “Baby, you have to stop. I’m more than happy to fuck you any way you want but can we please leave Gabe and Mia out of this?”

She nodded. “Or maybe I’ll fuck you.” She brightened at that idea and then her eyes narrowed fuzzily on Jace. “Can I do that?”

He laughed and then tugged her toward the bedroom. “Oh, hell yeah. Baby, you can do whatever your sweet little drunk ass wants to. I’m more than willing to let you take advantage of me in your drunken state.”

She wobbled after him into the bedroom and shivered at the sultry look he sent her way as soon as the door closed behind them. His eyes were dark with lust and amusement, the good kind that told her everything Mia had predicted was absolutely true.

Her hands went to unfasten her dress but she couldn’t quite get the hang of the zipper and she nearly fell over when she angled her arms higher.

“Oh, let me,” Jace murmured. “You don’t have to do a single thing, baby. I’m going to take full advantage of your inebriated state and since you’ve planned this the entire evening, I’m not going to spare an ounce of guilt for all the things I’m going to do to you. But you better damn well remember it in the morning.”

She shivered again when his hands slid up her back and then eased the zipper down, loosening the dress.

“I’m not that drunk,” she said, defending herself.