Blame it on the Vodka (Blame it on the Alcohol)

Her eyes slid closed as if picturing every word. We were so close her soft, short breaths brushed my lips, begging me to do it. And like the weak man I was, I did. Just a taste. Just the softest graze of skin that left her chasing me when I pulled back.

“That’s what I imagined.”

“Austin,” she whispered.

Redness stained her cheeks, but I wanted to see what it looked like when it stretched its way down her chest. I didn’t want just a stolen kiss right now. I wanted it all, and to get it, I needed to be patient. I needed to make her want it as much as I did.

“You should probably get ready,” I said, inching back.

Her eyes snapped open, hazy as if coming out of a dream.

“The party,” I clarified. “You said you wanted to get ready. You can have the shower first. I’ll respond to some emails while I wait.”

She blinked, and I watched her, enjoying the way she floundered for her composure. I couldn’t remember a time I hadn’t seen Rae immediately snap back. I marked this moment as a win and was kind enough to wait to smile until she closed the bathroom door.

I’d been dreading the black and white party when she told me, but something about tonight felt different than any other formal we’d attended.

Something about tonight felt like each win I’d earned today would come to a tipping point. I just had to make sure it tipped toward winning the war and not losing it.

Chapter Twelve

Raelynn

If I thought I was going to make Austin pay for calling me jealous all day with my sexy-ass dress, I was right.

Watching his jaw drop when I strutted out of the room in the silky white dress, flooded me with satisfaction. A satisfaction that evaporated as soon as he stood from the chair in the corner.

I wasn’t the only one using my body as a weapon tonight.

His white pants, jacket, and shirt with a few buttons undone fit him like a second skin, and all I wanted to do was peel it off one delicious layer at a time.

Tracking up his body to find a gloating smirk, only pissed me off more.

“Ready?” he asked.

I matched his arrogance with my own, forcing an unaffected tone. “Of course.”

He held the door open, and I did my best to ignore the rich vanilla and sandalwood cologne that made my mouth water as I walked past.

I’d smelled the scent a thousand times, but after today, after the way Austin knocked down some barrier in my mind firmly caging him in the friend-zone, it permeated differently. It reached different, deeper, and sparked my imagination in ways I never considered to think of Austin. Of course, I flirted with him, but never seriously. I never closed my eyes, trying to picture what it would be like to be with him.

Now, I couldn’t stop.

Not after that kiss.

God, that kiss. It was nothing—barely a fraction of skin touching. Yet, it consumed me like an inferno. Hell, hours later, and it still left me hot. I tried to rub my thighs together to ease the ache and ended up stumbling.

“You okay?” he asked, gripping my arms.

I met his green eyes and wanted to beg for more. The words climbed up my throat, and I barely swallowed them back down.

Jesus, Rae, I reprimanded myself. I needed to get it together. “Yeah. I just need to run back and get my lipstick. I’ll meet you down there.”

I dashed back to the room, not waiting for a response. In the bathroom, I ran cold water over my wrists, staring in the mirror at wild eyes. Leaning in, I searched for any green that Austin claimed was there but only found the usual brown. I almost laughed at my lunacy.

I prided myself on being bold and honest. Yet, there I was hiding. The least I could do was be honest with myself.

Maybe I was jealous.

What did Aubrey have that I didn’t? Was it her demure personality? Was I too bold? Did he think I was a slut, and that was why he turned me down that first night? I’d never thought about it, but after being confronted with Aubrey, I couldn’t stop wondering.

“Ugh,” I groaned in frustration. “I’m going fucking insane.”

I needed help, and I knew just where to get it. I dug through my purse for my phone and hit call.

“Daaaaaaaaamn,” Vera greeted.

But I didn’t have time for pleasantries. The car would be leaving soon, and I needed to get my head straight. “I don’t care what men think of me.”

Her eyes widened comically wide. “What?”

“And I’m not jealous.”

“Okay. Wait. What are we talking about? What do you need? Fill me in.”

God, I loved her for knowing exactly what I needed. I gave the cliff notes version, managing not to laugh at the full gamut of facial expressions.