There was one thing I could say about the Broomstein brothers. They were givers all the way. However, they each had a different style to it.

Where Ian liked to tease me until I exploded, Paul was all about getting as many orgasms out of me in a short period of time. It might have been the short time frame I had wished upon us, but I couldn't complain.

“No more,” I gasped, tugging on his hair to drag him out from between my legs. “I surrender.”

“Are you sure?”

I laughed at his apprehensive expression. “If I had a white flag, I’d wave it.”

Paul crawled back up my body so that his lower half laid between my thighs. His hard length brushed against my sensitive skin, and I let out a moan, caught between pain and pleasure. I now believed death by orgasm was a thing. A great, wonderful thing.

Kissing me lightly, Paul reached between us and shifted his hips. I came out of my delirium long enough to put my hand on his arm. “Hold on. Do you have any condoms?”

Paul’s brow furrowed. “No. I don’t use condoms.”

I gaped at him, pushing him away in horror. “What do you mean, you don’t use condoms? Everyone uses condoms.”

Shaking his head, Paul moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “There’s a potion girls take for that. I never had to worry about it with ...”

Jealousy flared in me. “Sabrina, you mean? You never had to worry about using a condom with Sabrina.” Now I really was worried. So much for the mood, it was thoroughly smashed. With a disgusted growl, I climbed out of the bed and began pulling my clothes back on.

“What are you doing?”

Shoving my hair out of my face, I glared at him. “What does it look like? I’m done here. What a waste of a wish,” I muttered, jerking my shoes on with angry force.

Paul rushed around and cut me off before I could hit the door. “Come on, don’t leave. Just because I don’t have a condom like a stupid ...”

“Keep talking, Paul.” I snapped, snarling in his face. “Just keep going. You’re doing a great job of making sure you never see me naked again.” I spun around and reached for the doorknob.

“Look, I’m sorry.” Paul grabbed my arm. “I’ve never dated someone who was raised as a human. I didn’t know I’d need to prepare something, or I would have.”

“And you just assumed I’d be on something?” I quirked a brow, crossing my arms over my chest. “Despite what the rumors are spouting about me, I’ve slept with a total of one person. One.” I held up my finger and shoved it in his face. “Forgive me for not jumping onto birth control the morning after when he dumped me!”

Paul’s face had a mixture of horror and pity. That was the final straw. Jerking my arm away from him, I marched out of the room and hurried down the hallway before he could stop me again.

I didn’t run into anyone on my way back through the maze of a house. Luckily, we hadn’t turned too many times for me to find my way back to the staircase and the raging party below. That rubber band feeling came over me as I popped out of the private area, and the music blared loudly in my ears.

Rushing down the stairs, I searched for Callie or even Trina, who I had yet to see at the party. When I didn’t see them amidst the dancing guests, I headed outside. The music was just as loud out here, except the lights were dimmed to allow for a kind of sexy ambiance.

The massive pool was filled to such a capacity that I feared someone might drown from all the writhing bodies. The water changed colors on demand as bubbles were created out of nothing, floating up and into the night sky. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that it was a regular old college party, except for the bathing suits covered in dancing pineapples and the random swirls of multicolored sparkles floating in the air without any kind of wire attached to them.

I now understood the need for the bubble around the property. If a human came wandering in to investigate the noise, there’d be all kinds of hell to pay.

I passed by a couple of people making out on some lounge chairs, searching around for Callie’s familiar blonde head of hair. A squeal pulled my attention to the pool once more.

Callie’s blonde head came sputtering up from beneath the water, a playful irritation on her face as she splashed the perpetrator. Griffin laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, dragging her to him. They backed up against the side of the pool and proceeded to make out.

Well, there went my ride. I so was not getting in the middle of that. I’d never hear the end of it.

Turning away from the pool, I bumped into someone’s cup, and it all came spilling out onto my jean shorts.

“Sorry,” the girl whose drink I spilled on me grimaced.

I shook my head and proceeded to pull the wet shorts off. “It’s my fault. Don’t worry about it.”

“You know, I know a spell that would dry that right up.”

The familiar sound of Dale’s voice had me spinning in place. I launched myself into his arms and buried my face in his neck. Inhaling him deeply, I could feel the stress of the night melting away.

“Hey!” Dale patted me on the back, holding me tight. “I’m glad to see you too.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I held onto him. I didn’t want to move away. I didn’t care who was watching, I just wanted him to hold me for a moment.

“Max.” Dale eased me back, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as he led me to a chair in a more secluded part of the pool area. After sitting me down, he brushed my hair away from my face, his thumb smoothing across my cheek where a tear had escaped. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

I shook my head, turning my face away from him. “It’s not important.”

“Well, it sure seems that way. You’re crying.” Dale thankfully didn’t try to turn me back to face him. I hated crying. I wasn’t a pretty crier, and I didn’t want him to see me this way. He smoothed his hand along my hair, his voice low and soothing. “You can tell me. I’ve been told I’m a good listener.” He huffed a laugh, making me smile slightly.

Sniffing, I twisted around, my eyes down at my hands. “I think I just overreacted.” I sighed heavily. “Am I wrong to get jealous over an ex when I’m the one forcing four guys to date only me?”

Dale’s thumb pressed my chin up, urging me to look at him. “No one is forcing anyone to do anything. I promise you, we all want to be here. We want to be with you.”

“But why?” I grasped his hand with mine. “What’s so special about me? I’m nobody.” Dale started to interrupt, but I beat him to it. “Okay, so I have famous grandparents that don’t mean anything to me, and if anyone wants to be with me solely for that reason, they might as well hit the road.”

“So, money and fame aren’t things you value?”

“No.”

“Did you know that Aidan, Ian, and I were best friends in elementary school?” Dale said out of the blue.

“You were?” my eyes widened. “What happened? I mean, between you and them?” I left out the obvious reasons that Ian and Aidan were still best friends. I mean, they pretty much tag teamed me in my room.

Dale lifted a shoulder. “What usually happens. We drifted apart, became interested in different things. Also, their parents weren’t that happy about them hanging out with someone like me.”

“You mean someone without any magical status?”

“Yeah. So, it might not mean much to you, but most of the people here ...” He gestured around the party, where no one was paying much attention to us. They were too busy focusing on their own entertainment. “... they care. Being with you not only makes them look good to their peers but could open doors for them in the magical community they might not have had otherwise.”

“So, you think that Ian, Paul, and Aidan only want me for that reason?” Anger and hurt swelled in my throat, my eyes burning once more.

“No.”

My head jerked up to meet Aidan’s hard gaze. His form loomed over Dale and me, covering us in shadows.

I forced down my anger long enough to ask him, “No? What do you mean no?”

Aidan knelt before me, drawing the attention of those around us. He didn’t seem to care though. “I did not know your name before I saw you in my mind. I only saw a beautiful woman with a laugh that lit up the sky.” He took my hands in his large ones. “I knew once I met you that I had to know you.” Aidan’s lips caressed the top of my knuckles. “Nothing and no one would have kept me away.”

Wow. That was what I called romance. Who knew a man of so few words would have that kind of passion inside of him? The fact that he had been watching me before we even met, maybe even before I came to school, should have freaked me out but it didn’t. It made me feel confident that someone wanted me for me and not for my grandparents’ name or money. He made me feel wanted.

My mouth dry, I wetted my lips before opening my mouth to speak. “So, your stalker tendencies weren’t because of my winning personality?”

His lips curved at the edges. “No. They were not.”

Dale cleared his throat, interrupting our moment. “You know, you can’t really keep calling him a stalker when you also call him your boyfriend. It will confuse people.”

I glanced from Dale to Aidan. “He’s right. You have touched my boobs, after all.” I grinned and giggled, earning a heated look from Aidan.

“Come on, the party’s just started.” Dale stood and offered me a hand. “How about a drink?”

I stared at his hand and then to Aidan. Aidan stood as well, also offering me his hand. With a huff and a smile, I placed my hands in both of theirs and let them pull me to my feet. Those who had been watching before had already turned their attention back to their own conversations. No one even cared about us anymore. We were yesterday’s news.

Aidan and Dale ushered me over to the bar they had set up outside by the pool. I didn’t really drink, but I allowed Dale to order me something and push it into my hand. I took a small sip of it and made a face.

“Not good?” Dale asked with a laugh as Aidan watched me with bemused eyes.

I scrunched up my nose and shook my head. “It’s bitter and kind of burns.”

“Is this your first time drinking?” Dale took the cup from my hand and gave it back to the guy working the bar. I lifted a shoulder in response. “Okay, how about this, instead?” He then asked the bartender, “One Bubble Pop.”

“What’s a bubble pop?” I wrinkled my nose as he passed me the drink. The liquid was pink, it fizzled, and It smelled like a strawberry lollipop. I took a tentative sip. It also tasted like a strawberry lollipop, and the burn was barely noticeable.

“Good?” Dale asked, watching intently.

I nodded, taking another big drink of the tasty concoction. Each drink made my body warm and tingly as it settled in my stomach. I giggled and then hiccupped. A pale pink bubble came floating out of my mouth, hovering in the air. When I leaned in closer to look at it, it suddenly popped.

“Oh! So, that’s why it’s called Bubble Pop.” I giggled a bit again on the incessant side. Was I drunk? Already? I’d barely had a drink. I couldn’t possibly be drunk that fast.

“Come on, lightweight.” Dale wrapped an arm around my waist and led me inside, Aidan close behind.

“Hey, Max!” Trina cried out, waving her hand high in the air, as she came barreling toward me in a lime green bathing suit. The sides were cut out with a thin strip connecting the middle, showing off a swirling tattoo along her side.

For some reason, I lifted my hands up in the air too, shouting, “Trina!” When I got close enough, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug and jumping up and down.

“Okay, okay,” Trina laughed nervously, pushing me away. I hung onto her shoulders as she asked Dale, “How much has she had to drink?”

“One,” Aidan said simply.

“Not even one.” Dale corrected.

Trina took the cup Dale had in his hand and sniffed it. “Bubble Pop! Come on, you don’t give a Bubble Pop to a lightweight and a human raised one at that! You have to start out small.”

I wiggled my finger at her face, my body swaying from side to side. “Bubbles are fun.” I hiccupped again, a bubble floating out of my mouth. “Look, look!”

“Yeah, that’s great,” Trina said, not nearly as excited as I was. Why wasn’t she happy about the pretty bubbles? In fact, she looked downright irritated.

“We’re taking her to get some water.” Dale dragged me out of Trina’s arms, and I flopped onto him, grabbing his glasses from his face.

I put the glasses on and cocked my head to the side. “Look at me, I’m Dale. I have a stick up my bum but have mad kissing skills.” I giggle-snorted as Dale took his glasses back and then handed me over to Aidan. “Oh, I need a big strong man to save me. Are you that man?” I squeezed his biceps with a saucy waggle of my eyebrows.

Aidan chuckled, the sound rumbled through his body and shook mine. Bending down, he slipped his arm under my knees and then the world was upside down.

“Let’s go, princess.”

My head bounced around, and the world danced as we moved through the crowd. I felt like I was flying ... until I saw a blonde that even upside down and, even drunk, I recognized here. Lifting my head quickly, something I regretted immediately, I watched Sabrina come down the stairs from the private section with a smug expression on her face. Paul came hurrying after her, tucking his shirt into his pants.

“Put me down.” I smacked Aidan’s arm when he didn’t listen. “I mean it, put me down now!”

Aidan brought me back down to my feet, a confused expression on his face. I stared hard at Paul and then Sabrina and then back to Paul. His gaze met mine, confusion and hurt filling them before he looked to Sabrina and back to me. At that, his eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.

I turned away from him just as he yelled my name. Grabbing Dale’s arm, I pulled him toward the entrance. “Take me home. Now.”