The Winning Ticket (Circle of Friends #1)

33. Are You Happy With How Things Are Between Us?

brIANNA

33

By the time we leave the club, the heat that I felt with Jake earlier has snuck back in, and it takes all my willpower not to touch him while we sit close together in the back of the cab. Chris sits up front with the driver, and Morgan looks a little worse for wear next to me, where I sit squeezed between her and Jake in the backseat.

“You doing okay?” I ask Morgan, and she nods back slowly.

Her mascara is smudged under her eyes, and I’m pretty sure she’ll have a wicked hangover in the morning.

“Thanks for a great night,” she says before closing her eyes and resting her head on my shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re back and that you didn’t take advantage of Jake.”

She starts snoring lighting almost immediately.

Pissed at yet another dig about me stealing Jake’s virtue, I take the opportunity to grab Jake’s hand and squeeze it gently. He laces our fingers together, bringing my hand to his lips to kiss the back of it softly before holding it in his lap.

The cab eventually pulls up in front of our apartment building, and Jake lets go of my hand when Morgan lifts her head and blinks a few times.

“Where are we?” she asks.

“We’re back at our place. Do you want to get your stuff now or just come back for it tomorrow?” I ask, and she stares at me for a moment.

“Right… Oh, yeah… I better get my stuff. Pretty sure I’m going to be in bed all day tomorrow.” She finally gets her bearings and stumbles out of the car behind us.

Chris sticks his head back in the front window to ask the driver to wait while they come up to get Morgan’s stuff, and I’m relieved to see that he seems to be a little more sober than my sister. We take the elevator upstairs in silence, and Morgan wanders around the apartment, collecting the stuff that she’d left in various locations while Chris has a large glass of water.

“Got everything?” I ask, watching Jake grip the back of one of the dining chairs, his eyes tracking my every move while I follow Morgan around.

She finally seems confident she has everything, and Jake gently rounds them up and guides them towards the door.

“Finally,” Jake says, locking the door behind them.

“You tired, JJ?” I ask, raising an eyebrow while he stalks towards where I’m leaning against the kitchen bench.

“Not even a little bit.” He pulls me into his chest and kisses me hard, and within seconds, we’re picking right up where we’d left off in the club.

I moan against his lips when he pinches my nipples through my dress, rolling them between his fingers.

“I cannot wait to fuck you while you’re wearing this little dress. It’s been all I can think about for the past few hours.”

I undo his belt and fly, slipping my hand inside his jeans and wrapping it around him.

“I can tell. You’re hard as a rock.” I pump my hand back and forth, and he groans against my neck, thrusting into my hand.

“Fuck, yes. Just like that, Bri.” He kisses me again, his hands still on my breasts.

With my hand still on him, he slowly slides the straps of my dress down so that I’m naked from the waist up and bends to trace his tongue over my left nipple.

I gasp and push my chest closer while I squeeze my hand, picking the pace.

“Not so fast, Little B or this will all be over before I can bend you over this bench.”

Neither of us hear the sound of the door unlocking.

But we freeze a second later when Morgan screams, “Oh my god!” from the open door, the key dangling in her hand while she and Chris gape at us.

“What the fuck?” Chris sputters, and Jake steps in front of me, his back to them while I quickly pull my dress back up, and he manages to get his fly done up.

“Fuck,” I say quietly when Jake slips his arm around my waist and turns to face them with me.

“What the hell is going on?” Morgan demands.

“I think that was pretty obvious,” Jake says, his grip on my hip tightening when laughter bubbles up within me.

I’m pretty sure it’s hysteria.

“Are you two… Are you… Are you sleeping together?” Morgan is swaying in the doorway, though whether it’s from what she’s just seen or the alcohol, I can’t tell.

“What are you guys doing back here?” Jake asks, his voice tight.

“She forgot her hair straightener in the bathroom,” Chris says, glaring at us both.

I look up at Jake, and he nods. I quickly enter the main bathroom and grab her straightener from the vanity. When I return to the kitchen, our unwanted visitors are still glaring at him while he stares them both down.

I hand Morgan the straightener, and she snatches it from me. “I can’t believe you’ve been lying to me all this time,” she says loudly, her voice shaking.

“Back off, Morgan,” Jake says, sliding between us.

“We will be talking about this when my head isn’t swimming from all the alcohol.” Morgan glowers at me, and Chris steps up behind her.

“Can’t wait,” I snap back.

“Actually, I don’t think it’s any of your business, Morgan. If Bri wants to talk to you about it, she will.”

His tone of voice takes me aback, and I look over my shoulder to find him glaring at them. Turning back, I see Chris give a slight nod and pull Morgan along behind him.

Jake steps around me, shutting the door again and sliding the chain across before resting his forehead against the door. My legs wobble underneath me, and I manage to reach the couch before I collapse.

“Fuck,” I whisper, dropping my face into my hands.

I hear Jake walk over and feel him sink down beside me on the couch.

“Well… that sucked.”

I snort, my face still buried in my hands. “You think?”

He rubs his hand up and down my back. “It’ll be okay, Bri.”

I swallow hard and raise my head to look at him. “How is this going to be okay? You saw their faces. The wedding is in a week, and now my sister probably won’t speak to me. Not to mention how they were looking at you.” My voice cracks, and I bury my head back in my hands.

“Hey. Look at me.” He shifts closer and reaches around to turn my face so that his gaze meets mine. He wipes away the tear that is tracking slowly down my cheek. “I don’t care what either of them has to say. The only people whose opinions matter in this situation are the two of us, okay? I know you wanted to keep this secret because Morgan was worried about me, but I’m fine, Little B. I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time. Are you happy with how things are between us?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.

I swallow, Will’s words from earlier running through my head. This has gone far beyond friends-with-benefits. I don’t think it ever was that simple.

“Yes,” I whisper, and he slides his fingers along my jaw, pushing my hair back behind my ear.

“Then that’s all that matters, and we’ll deal with the rest of this bullshit together, okay?” He kisses my forehead before tucking me into his side.

I sink into his embrace, allowing myself to be comforted by his presence, even though I can’t shake the look on Morgan’s face from my mind. Regardless of what Jake seems to believe, I know I’m in for a very difficult conversation with my sister.