CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ERIS
The Morning After The Night Before
†
I BLINKED A FEW times. The late-morning light came streaming through the window, casting its rays across the bed. I groaned. Sunlight was not my friend right now.
My whole body was acing and I had an earth-shattering headache, my mouth was dried out like sunbaked clay as even my lips stuck to my teeth. I tried to blink the sleep away as I turned slowly to take in my surroundings. My confusion grew as I struggled to understand where I was. I perched myself unto my elbows to get a clearer view.
Why was I in Kyle’s bedroom?
The question lingered, my sluggish mind searching for the answer. Slowly memories of the previous night started to tiptoe out of the corners of my mind.
I groaned as I slumped back against the pillow, the cool air against my naked breast making me look down in horror.
Why was I half-naked lying in Kyle’s bed?
I let out a soft little cry as I grabbed hold of the covers and tugged it underneath my chin, only to pop my head underneath again just to make sure I was not mistaken.
Yep. I’m naked! Well, half-naked. Not that that made a difference.
My mind raced, trying to piece everything together. It felt like I was going through all seven stages of grief as the fog lifted and memories became clearer.
Oh God. What was I thinking behaving like that last night!
I silently swore off drinking altogether. Even so, I still didn’t know how I ended up here!
“Good, you’re awake.” Kyle was standing at the door, a large glass of water in the one hand and the other holding a glass of green looking slosh that I silently prayed was not meant for me.
“Drink this first.”
My prayer clearly fell on deaf ears.
He walked forward and handed me the glass. I took it with one hand, careful not to let go of the covers.
“What’s this?” I moaned. I knew that I was not going to enjoy drinking it. I avoided eye contact; too embarrassed to look him in the eye and ask him outright what was going on.
“It’s a hangover tonic. Just drink it in one go and then drink the water. You need to hydrate,” he instructed, standing next to the bed waiting for me to do as I was told.
Then it hit me. “Wait a minute. How do you know I have a hangover?” I asked.
“We can talk about that later. You need to drink this first,” he insisted.
“No Kyle, please tell me. I really need to know,” I pleaded, thankful when he conceded.
“Okay. I’ll give you a quick rundown, but then you drink this. Agreed?
He was so sexy being all bossy like that.
“Fine.” My desperation for an answer to how I ended up in his bed trumped my nervousness at finding out what the reasons might be.
”We were at the same club last night. You drank too much. You passed out. I was there when it happened. I bought you back here,” he said in short clipped sentences.
Oh my God, he was there… seeing me like that… seeing me with Jay?
I cringed inwardly. All I could muster was a mortified, “Oh.”
But I still needed to know one last thing. “And?” I dared as shame flushed my cheeks. I hoped that he would catch on to what I was asking without me actually having to utter the words.
“And… nothing happened. Trust me, if it did you would remember,” he said without even so much as a twitch.
God, he was so smug!
“Now drink.”
Apprehensively I brought the glass to my lips, throwing him a quick glance as I paused.
“Drink! You’ll thank me later,” he insisted.
Ah hell. Bottoms up!
I threw my head back as I gulped it down, nearly gagging. I desperately reached for the water to wash down the bitter taste that was lingering at the back of my throat, downing the cool liquid in one go.
“Oh my God,” I breathed. “That tasted like lawn in a cup!” I moaned, swallowing a couple of times to keep everything down, my face twisted in disgust.
He smiled at my animated reaction. He took both the empty glasses, placing the smaller into the other before turning to leave.
“When you’re ready, you can take a shower, there’s no rush. There are fresh towels in there and a toothbrush on the basin,” he said as he motioned towards the bathroom with a nod of his head.
Before I could ask the obvious question, he turned around, “I’ll put some of my clothes out for you to wear while you shower.”
“Where is my dress?” I stupidly ask.
“I threw it away.”
With that, he turned and closed the door behind him before I could respond.
†
I found him standing at the kitchen counter, feet bare and wearing a white T-shirt and dark tracksuit pants. He turned, holding onto the handle of a spoon that was upside down in his mouth. When he saw me, he pulled it out slowly, licking it clean and placed it in the basin.
Oh God…
He gave me a quick once over and I thought for sure I detected a hidden smile in his eyes. I knew I looked ridiculous, his clothes several sizes too big for me.
“How you feeling?”
“Like crap, thanks,” I responded, pressing my palms to my temples. I forced a smile as I looked up at him. “At least now I can say that I know what a hangover feels like.”
He stared at me blankly, clearly not finding that funny.
“You want something to eat? I’ve just made a fruit smoothie,” he offered.
“No thanks. Maybe later,” I replied, feeling queasy at the mere thought of anything that resembled food, healthy or not.
“Let’s sit. We need to talk,” he said, making his way over to the couch, smoothie in hand.
I followed him without protest. I sat down as far away from him as the couch would allow, trying desperately to ignore the uneasy feeling that settled in my stomach. My mind still stubbornly refused to offer any answer to the burning question: “Who undressed me last night.”
The last clear memory I had of the evening before was throwing back shots like a seasoned pro, enjoying the feeling of not having a care in the world, and flirting with Jay. Thereafter, images I can only describe as a series of slideshow prints flashed in front of my mind’s eye. I recalled the loud music, flashing strobe lights, Jay kissing me, pushing me against his body.
I flinched at the thought.
I could recall strong arms grabbing hold of me, the sound of a car door slamming shut and the glare of streetlights flashing by. The last memory was more of a sensation than an image. The feeling of warmth and safety. The lingering scent of spice and musk…
Kyle?
“So, tell me about last night. Why were you at that club?” his question jerked me back into the present moment.
“Lisa invited me.” I quickly answered. I was not about to volunteer the actual reason why I accepted the invitation and it was none of his business anyway.
I frowned. “Why were you there?” I threw the question back at him.
“I met up with friends for a drink,” was all he offered in response. “But we are not talking about me, Eris. We are talking about you.”
I was taken aback. “Me? Wait, I’m confused. Why me?”
“Yes. You. Do you usually frequent clubs dressed like that?”
I was glad that I sat out of arms reach, as I swear to God I’d have slapped him with a force colored by my anger.
“First of all, I don’t frequent clubs. I went to watch a show with a friend and enjoy myself for once. We younglings do that from time to time.” I said sarcastically. “And secondly, I don’t have to justify myself to you. I’ll wear whatever I goddamn please. So please, keep your insults to a minimum.”
Kyle didn’t respond immediately. His brow was drawn into a frown as he chewed at the inside of his cheek, his mouth pulled into an angry pucker. He eventually responded.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you. That came out wrong.”
I didn’t expect him to back down so quickly and patted my ego on the head for standing its ground and defending me so well.
“Do you remember what happened last night… at the club?” he asked, his voice still strained.
I tried to keep it lite, casually listing off what I could remember from the time we arrived at the club until the time the band started playing, not really understanding what this had to do with anything, as it didn’t explain what I really wanted to know. I was tired and wanted the conversation to come to a quick end.
“Then I met Jay. He was nice enough to buy me a few drinks and we ended up having a good time… dancing and stuff… I liked him.” I threw him as innocent a smile as I could muster, shrugging my shoulders to add to the effect.
His lips thinned. He was visibly clenching his teeth. He slowly raised his glass to his mouth, emptying the last of the fruity shake before setting it down on the coffee table in front of him in a very deliberate and controlled movement.
I had enough. My head was beginning to pound again.
“Look, Kyle. I know I drank too much. You don’t have to lecture me on that and I know I was out very late, but… Oh look, my laptop!” I squealed as I caught sight of it lying on the one side table next to the couch where I’d left it two days ago.
“You must be fucking kidding me!” he breathed through clenched teeth, the vein at the side of his temple throbbing visibly. “That…” pointing at the laptop, “…was here the whole of two days and you made no attempt to get it back from me. In fact, I tried to get hold of you, but you didn’t even bother to pick up the fucking phone. Where were you these two days, Eris?”
I was flabbergasted. I opened my mouth to explain, but as soon as I caught sight of his expression, I closed it again - my previously brave ego now running for the shadows.
“And, to come back to that little outfit you were strutting around in last night. It’s not a dress, Eris! It’s a fucking slip!”
What was it with him and the dress!
“Well, I thought I’d look damn great in it, thank you!” I cried, slamming my palms down on my thighs, pushing myself to my feet with newfound courage. “And Jay though so too.” I knew I shouldn’t have said it as soon as the words passed my lips, but I couldn’t have cared less. I was not going to sit here and let him give me a lecture.
I moved around the couch, but Kyle jumped over the back of it grabbing me by the arm.
“No, you don’t. Sit your little tight ass down… this is not finished!”
I lifted my chin to meet his gaze.
“Yes, it is. I told you once before, you are not the boss of me! And what’s more, please explain to me why the hell was I in your bed this morning… Naked!” my voice was now shaking noticeably. “Last I remember I was with Jay, dancing and enjoying myself!” I knew that was a lie as I recalled his wet, hard kiss and my desperation to get away from him just before I passed out. But I didn’t care to bring that up.
He took a step backward, placing both his hand on his hips, shifting his weight onto one leg. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. I’ve never seen him so mad. He dropped his head for a moment, sucking in his breath. When he looked up again, his eyes were dark grey in color, making me lean back against the couch.
“Do you have any idea what that sick little fuck was planning for you last night?”
I felt brave, maybe because I was so damn angry with him and flashed a wicked little smile, a feeling of resentment now setting in. Who was he to give me a lecture on morality?
“Yes, Kyle. I knew exactly what he was planning and I was ready to give it to him… all of it… all night long,” I smirked.
O-oh!
He stepped forward, closing the gap between us before I could move. He grabbed hold of my wrists, pinning it behind my back with one hand, pulling a handful of my hair back with the other, forcing my chin up. I let out a small cry when I felt the tug.
“Oh really. You ready to play with the big boys, Eris? Well then, sweetheart. Let’s play.”
A low growl came from his throat as he took my mouth in an angry kiss. His tongue pushed forward, forcing my lips apart, penetrating until it found mine. He let go of my hair taking hold of my chin, angling the kiss deeper. I moaned at the feeling of his tongue sliding up and down against mine.
My anger was quickly washed away as my desire for him took over. He tasted like fruit, making me crave more. It was intoxicating. This was not the way I imagined our first kiss would be, but I didn’t care. I wanted more.
He released my wrists and as soon as he did, I brought my one hand up, grabbing hold of his hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. The other taking hold of his arm.
He moved quickly. With both his hands he grabbed hold of the back of my thighs, opening my legs as he lifted me up against his body. He carried me towards the kitchen and sat me down on the kitchen counter. Stepping forward, he pressed his hard body against mine. His hands grabbed my butt, pushing my hips forward. I obliged.
I drew in a sharp breath as I felt his hard erection press between my legs. The sensation sent me reeling as I moaned with pleasure.
He pulled away slightly, cupping my face with his hands. “Eris…,” he breathed before assaulting my already open mouth again. My hands moved down to grab hold of his T-shirt, pulling it up in an attempt to remove it. I needed to feel his body… wanted to feel his skin against the palms of my hands. Oh God, I was so hungry for him.
His hands moved down and paused against the slides of my breasts. He moved his thumbs to brush the pointed peaks and I heard myself whimper, throwing my head back as I arched into his touch. He leaned down and sucked on my exposed throat, leaving his mark before he moved to close his mouth over one of my clothed nipples.
“Kyle!” I moaned aloud.
He stiffened and stopped moving. My eyes shot open.
“We can’t do this, Eris.”
His words killed me. Neither of us moved as we stood staring into each other’s eyes, our breathing still heavy. My mind went blank and my heart dropped as he slowly took a step back.
“Fine,” I whispered. “If you don’t want to…”
“No. God, no. It’s not that, sweetheart,” he whispered, stepping forward and pulling me into his arms once more.
I was so confused and hurt.
“Then what. Why did you stop?”
He leaned back slightly, enough to place his hands on either side of my face, lifting it to meet his gaze, his eyes soft and gentle now.
“I know you don’t remember much about last night, Eris, but you were pretty out of it.”
I knew that was the truth.
“But you did say a lot of things when you woke up at one point. A lot of it didn’t make much sense… you were drunk and disorientated. But some of it did make sense.”
“What? What did I say that would want you to stop?” my mind was racing.
“Sweetheart, you told me you’re still a virgin…”