dash

When I pull the door open and find little miss perfect, Evie King, crying and surrounded by the remnants of half my twelve pack, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thrown.

“Um…” I start, coming to a stop in front of her and taking in the small circle of destruction in the middle of the floor.

“They’re empty,” she blurts, wiping her face on the sleeve of her shirt. “It’s over…”

Her words have her sobbing once more, simultaneously making me feel a combination between awkward, pity and amusement at her theatrics.

“At least you’re taking it well,” I sigh, staring down at her for a moment before I lower myself into a crouch. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing,” she lies, another sob taking her as she turns away from me, obviously embarrassed that I’d caught her falling apart. “I feel really good. This is a really great vacation.”

“I can tell,” I smirk, pushing the bottles out of the way and sitting beside her. “Seriously, what’s up? Why are you crying and drinking all my beer?”

She shakes her head furiously, turning away from me even more this time as she tries to pull herself together. After a moment, she does, clearing her throat and staring straight ahead.

I consider her weird behavior for a moment before I narrow my eyes at her.

“You’re not going to talk to me?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she shakes her head. “I told you, I’m fine.”

I study her for another minute before I reach for my phone.

“Alright,” I shrug. “I tried.”

“What?” she asks, whipping her head around and watching me as I scroll through my recent call list. “What are you doing?”

“Calling Mason,” I admit. “I get why you wouldn’t want to talk to me, but he told me to call him if you started acting crazy and I know you tell him every…”

“No!” she cuts me off, her eyes wide as she reaches for my arm, taking my phone and shoving it into her shirt, biting her lip when it falls through the bottom and hits the floor beneath her.

“Really?” I arch my brow, retrieving it and setting it on the floor beside me.

“I’m fine. Don’t wake him up,” she says, more evenly this time although her words are slurred. “I’m really fine, Dash. I’ll buy you more beer.”

In my current condition, I know there’s no way I’ll finish what’s left, let alone another twelve pack tonight. By the way she’s swaying, she doesn’t need anymore, either.

“I’ll make you a deal,” I offer, pulling her puffy eyes toward mine, filled with question as she swallows hard. “You tell me what’s going on and not only will I not make you buy me beer, I won’t call your brother.”

“Dash,” she shakes her head, wiping the last of her tears away. “Why? Why does it even matter to you?”

“Because it matters to Mason,” I admit, resting my elbows on my knees and releasing a small sigh as I stare ahead. “And because even though I hate admitting it, I don’t like watching you cry.” I swallow hard as I glance over at her, realizing for the first time just how blue her eyes are. “You’re too tough for that shit.”

There’s an awkward pause that lasts long enough that I shake my head clear and reach for one of the remaining beers and pop it open, taking a long pull. I’ve already got a pretty decent buzz from our trip to the bar, but if I’m having a heart-to-heart with Evie in the middle of a hotel room floor, I’m going to need more than a buzz.

“Come on,” I order gently, settling in beside her. “Let’s hear it.”

She reluctantly looks up at me, her eyes shifting nervously between my face and the cell phone setting on the other side of me, weighing her options as she chews on her lip.

“Okay,” she finally says, her voice low and awkward. “So, Mike…”

“Who’s Mike?”

“My boyfriend.”

“You have a boyfriend?”

“Had… We’re dating… Well, we were dating…” she clarifies, growing irritated with her inability to find the right words. “Oh, my God!” she blurts, making me stifle a smirk. “Mike was the guy I was dating,” she corrects herself, shaking her head. “And I broke up with him because I found out he was cheating on me yesterday right before I left to come home.”

I nod, tipping my bottle back as I let her continue, offering her another beer.

“Thank you,” she manages, taking a long sip to settle her nerves. “I don’t really even know why I care. He’s been acting like a total dick for over a month,” she admits. “And he’s done some pretty unforgivable things lately,” she sighs, shaking her head. “But I guess I just didn’t really see it coming and the girl was a friend,” she swallows hard, picking at the label for a moment before sipping from the bottle. “And they were fucking in my bed.”

“Wait… how did they get to your bed?”

“The friend is also my roommate,” she explains, leaning back against the bed behind us. “Apparently the four feet to her bed was too much.”

“Damn,” I make a face. “That’s rough.”

We share a few moments of silence, both of us sipping on our beers before she twists slightly and faces me, her expression curious.

“You know, the kicker of all of it is I don’t even really care that we broke up, I just think cheating is the stupidest shit ever,” she insists. “I mean, I get being over something, someone… but why be a coward? Why not just say that you’re over it, end things, then be free to go do whatever you want?” she continues. “Why express interest in a girl if you’re just going to fuck someone else? Just leave the first girl alone, ya know? If you like her enough to pay attention to her, why then cheat on her? I just… I don’t fucking get it.”

I study her features and consider her question, trying my best to push away my own emotions in order to give her a real answer.

“You really want to know?”

“Yes,” she says immediately, turning to face me.

I nod, studying her for a moment longer before I finish off my beer and toss it toward the trash, reaching for the next.

“Most guys who cheat are just lazy,” I start. “I mean, think about the balls it takes for most guys to ask a woman out. If you’ve already got one, who cares if the second one says no?” I shrug. “But if she says yes? Well, then you can half-ass it with both of them until one of them finds out.”

“That’s disgusting,” she says, face scrunching up in horror.

“Hey! I didn’t say I agreed with it,” I chuckle. “You just see a lot of shit standing behind a bar, y’know?”

“Yeah,” she rolls her eyes. “I’m sure you’re the poster boy for monogamy.”

“No, I agree with you. Cheating is definitely the coward’s way out,” I admit, meeting her eyes. “Of course, I tend to avoid relationships altogether,” I shrug. “But that’s beside the point. Bottom line, if a guy is paying attention to you, attached or not, nine times out of ten, it’s because he wants to fuck you.”

“What?” she asks, her lips curling up as her eyes narrow in disbelief. “Nine times out of ten? That can’t be right!”

“Hand to God,” I chuckle.

“That’s insane,” she counters, her eyes darting toward my chest when she thinks I’m not looking. “Besides, you’re being nice to me and you’re neither interested in my personality or seeing me naked, so explain that.”

I glance back over at her, my lips curling up slightly as I swallow hard, ignoring the way my dick hardens when I look at her again.

“Who knows?” I shrug, playing it off. “I’m a fuckin’ enigma.”

When she starts laughing, I’m surprised, but can’t stop the chuckle from leaving my lips as well.

“Whatever,” she smirks. “I call bullshit. You’re gonna have to do better than that.”

Our laughter settles and I glance back over at her, my eyes raking over her chest once more as she looks away, sipping her beer before glancing shyly at me again.

“It’s just different with us.”

“Why?”

“I might give you a lot of shit,” I start, my voice low as I smirk at the expression my words put on her face. “But the truth is, I have a lot more respect for you than you probably would ever believe,” I admit, my eyes flitting to hers quickly as I swallow hard. “Even when we were kids, you made it pretty obvious you were different than the rest of us,” I admit, both of us smirking at the double-edge to my compliment. “I always knew you’d do something big, get out of town and be the big deal you’ve thought you were since you were eight. You have more pressure on you than probably anyone I’ve ever met, but you handle your shit and that deserves respect.”

“You’re just saying that because I’m Mason’s sis…”

“No, I’m not,” I cut her off. “You might be a pain in the ass, but you’re also smart, talented and gorgeous. You are the full package, Evie. We’ve been fighting with each other for over twelve years and even I know that,” I say quietly, swallowing hard as I stare down at her. “If someone else can’t, then they aren’t worth your time and they damn sure don’t deserve your heartache. Plain and simple.”

Her eyes move to mine, surprise filling them as her lips part slightly in shock. I’m about to make a joke, but the beer has slowed my thoughts and before I can come up with something, I’m out of time.

In the next breath, she’s gripping my neck and pulling my lips to hers.

 

evie

If you’d told me ever that one day, I’d be kissing Dash Hunter, I’d have called you a liar and laughed in your face. After the shitty couple of days I’ve just endured, what he’d said and the alcohol coursing through my veins, I know I’m not thinking clearly.

I also know I just don’t care.

The sexual tension I’d been feeling around him since I got back was at an all-time high and my give-a-fuck meter has just bottomed out at zero.

I launch myself at him so quickly, I’d likely be humiliated if I wasn’t so shit-faced. Thankfully, I am and so is he. I can blame this kiss on the booze in the morning, but deep inside, in this beer-induced moment, even I know that’s bullshit.

Right now, I want nothing more than to taste his lips on mine.

I’m not surprised when he tenses up in shock at first, his lips unmoving against mine for a split second. What does surprise me is the low groan that vibrates within his chest as he begins to relax against me, his fingers gripping my waist and the cotton of my shirt bunching into his fists.

His kiss is delicious, a combination of the beer we’ve been drinking and something uniquely him.

Instantly, my nerves are settled, though I can’t say why.

God, he’s a really good kisser, I think to myself. I’ll just kiss him for another minute. Just a couple more seconds and I’ll stop.

My palms lie flat against his chest at first, his teeth nipping at my lower lip making me whimper, my whimper making him moan into my mouth as he kisses me harder. His arm snakes around me, pulling me onto his lap to straddle him as my chest settles against his. His palm hovers low on my waist, the brush of his fingertips over my skin sending a chill through me that makes my nipples hard, the groan leaving him telling me he feels them through the thin cotton of my shirt.

Just a little longer and then I’ll pull away.

I run my hands up his neck, one hand stopping there and the other hooking around his shoulders, the feel of his cock going hard against my belly making my already lightheaded thoughts go foggier still.

Jesus, his cock feels spectacular.

I need to pull away.

Shit’s getting too real.

I circle my hips, swallowing his moans as I deepen the kiss, the feel of him grinding into me as he bites my lip making me wet. He tangles one hand into my hair, holding me in place as he kisses me harder. At the same time, I feel his palm slip under the seam of my tight, cotton sleep shorts and grip the top of my thigh, his fingers clenching my ass as the pad of his thumb grazes the edge of my panties.

Oh, fuck. Oh, shit.

“Dash…” I manage, my voice shaky with lust as he hums against my lips. “I think…” I try, his teeth biting gently into my chin making my brain useless. “Shit,” I hiss, gripping the bed behind him with one hand as I use the other to grip his shoulder. “Do you think this is a good idea?”

“It feels like a great idea,” he rasps, his lips running down my neck as he twists his hips into mine once more, killing even more of my brain cells. “But we can stop if you want,” he promises me, my eyes fluttering open lazily to find his heavy gaze on mine. “Do you want me to stop, Evie?”

“Um… I kinda feel like I should, but… no, not really,” I shake my head, dropping down on him again, pulling a groan from his chest as he squeezes my ass again and runs his palm up my front, lifting my shirt with it. “Do you think we should stop?”

“We definitely should,” he admits, his hand swallowing my breast as he pinches my nipple between his fingers, teasing my lips with his tongue once more. “But I mean, this is the only time I’ve ever had any fun hanging out with you.”

“I know,” I husk, my head rolling back slightly as he dips his head low. “Usually you’re incredibly annoying, but this isn’t so bad.”

His lips lock onto my nipple, sucking on the barbell and making me shiver as he rolls his hips into mine once more.

“Fuck… we’re really gonna hate ourselves for this tomorrow,” he whispers as he gently flips me onto my back, the cheap carpet beneath me biting into my flesh as his mouth hovers over mine, his broad frame stretching out and settling between my thighs.

“Probably,” I agree, pushing my shorts down my legs and groaning as he runs his mouth down the side of my throat, his weight over me making my thoughts hazy. “But I think I’m only worried about tonight.”