CHAPTER 12 #3
Jette let out a breathy chuckle in response to something Sloan said, but her mind was miles away from the conversation at hand.
She risked a look at Reese and smirked when she saw green eyes already staring back.
Confidently, Reese refused to break eye contact as she raised her chin.
The way her demeanor changed made Jette’s insides tingle.
Jette felt exposed in the dark corner as if everyone had turned to stare at them, but no one seemed to be paying any attention.
The music overhead thudded loudly and bodies on the dancefloor swayed to the rhythm.
“Alright bitches, let’s go,” Lida announced while slamming a platter full of salt shakers and lime wedges on the hightop.
Behind her, the rest of the team accompanied a short butch woman carrying a tray full of tequila shots.
Jette looked to Reese who was acting as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
She laughed and teased Lida about her slurred speech while slowly moving her hand to rest on Jette’s knee.
Her long delicate fingers fidgeted with the frayed edges where large rips left Jette’s skin exposed. Jette’s heart pounded in her throat.
Sloan seemed to be the only one trying to keep the unruly group in check as the rest of the team took turns to see who could take the most suggestive tequila shot.
Her leg felt cold when Reese pulled her hands away and reached for two shots before sliding one in front of Jette.
Reese seemed to move deliberately slowly as she ran her tongue over the soft skin on the inside of her wrist, making sure to make eye contact with the team whose cheers echoed even louder than before.
Shaking salt on the patch of damp skin, Reese raised the shot glass and shot a wink to Jette before brushing her tongue over the spot and tipping the shot back in one fluid motion.
Jette wasn’t even close to drunk but, fuck, she was in way over her head.
Just the sight of Reese’s tongue left her feeling lightheaded.
Confidence seemed to radiate from Reese as she leaned back and returned her hand to Jette’s knee.
A smirk crossed her lips as their eyes met and Jette could feel the intensity through Reese’s gaze.
It left her own face flushed with desire.
Jette couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this flustered.
Her head seemed to buzz with anticipation as she reached for the shot glass and swallowed in a hurry.
Jette wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and waited for the burn at the back of her throat to dissipate as Reese gently grasped her thigh.
This time, Jette made no effort to move closer.
Normally, she would’ve enjoyed the chase, but being on this side of Reese’s unrelenting attention was wildly addictive.
She glanced down at their legs pressed together when she noticed the glow of Reese’s phone on the table.
It took less than a second to make out Kiran’s name in the text notification and Jette couldn’t help the way she physically recoiled.
She pulled back and ran a hand through her hair as she watched Reese’s eyes dart to the phone.
Jette was alarmingly reminded of every reason why she’d kept her distance over the past month.
She cleared her throat pointedly before taking a sip of her drink.
The bar seemed to roar around them. “Your boyfriend texted,” she jutted her chin toward the phone in Reese’s hand.
Guilt and shame left her neck feeling hot and prickly when their eyes met.
“You should probably answer,” she added quietly.
Reese set the phone down and ran a hand through her waves. “He’s not my—” she stumbled over her words. “We’re not together.”
The words made Jette stop in her tracks.
She waited, positive that she had misheard or misunderstood, but Reese simply stared at her.
The look in her eyes left a combination of emotions swirling around Jette’s mind, but she still couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Jette tilted her head and studied Reese’s features, looking for any indication that this confession was just a result of one too many drinks.
They weren’t together. But Reese’s eyes watched her every move with sober precision, her face still and determined.
Slowly, Jette turned in her seat and felt a heavy thudding in her chest as her knee bumped into Reese’s again.
Her breathing felt shallow as the realization sank in and Reese gently brushed her fingers against Jette’s knee.
The touch wasn’t heated or possessive, but rather soft and tentative.
They weren’t together and Reese was sitting here with a hand on her knee.
Jette opened her mouth to speak when a loud thump shook the floor.
A crowd of Reese’s teammates surrounded Lida who was now splayed out on the floor hysterically laughing.
From the back hallway, two hulking security guards came into view and quickly approached the rowdy team still swaying on the dance floor.
Reese said something through gritted teeth, but it was too loud for Jette to hear.
Before Jette could pull her jacket on, Reese was already on the move, muscling her way through the crowd.
Overhead, Sloan’s intense gaze scanned the dancefloor as she spoke to one of the burly-looking bouncers.
Jette hurriedly followed Reese to find her in the center holding a very inebriated Lida.
Her stomach sank as the chaos around her unfolded.
Sloan was now heatedly arguing with the bouncers who continued to send disapproving looks at Lida and the rest of the team, but neither of the men seemed to be all that forgiving.
Jette swallowed with difficulty as her heart continued to sink into a pit, effectively extinguishing the sparks that previously blazed in her chest just moments ago.
“Look, honey. It’s too much. You either get your girl out of here, or we kick your whole group out.
My paycheck comes either way.” The taller security guard gestured a thumb over his shoulder as he yelled over the music blasting overhead.
Reese shot an apologetic look at Jette, her gaze teetering between annoyance and embarrassment.
Jette returned an understanding smile and moved to the other side, lending another shoulder to support Lida’s inebriated state.
Lida swayed drastically but finally spoke up over Sloan and the rest of the team now passionately chiming in.
“You guys stay,” she slurred slightly, clinging to their shoulders to stay upright.
“I’m leaving. Don’t worry, sir.” The term of respect felt like anything but as Lida spit it out.
Jette stifled a laugh and watched the rest of the team fighting the same urge.
Sloan shot an exasperated glare at Lida before turning her attention to Reese.
Her hazel eyes flashed between the rest of the team, the bouncers, and back to Reese and Jette holding Lida.
Reese chuckled and looked at the bouncer with an apologetic expression before glancing back to a visibly frustrated Sloan who waved her off with a gesture indicating she wanted a phone call later.
“Let’s go babe,” Reese said. Her voice was surprisingly cheerful as the bouncers followed them to the exit.
Jette looked over Lida’s shoulders—a feat, considering how tall Lida towered over both of them—and caught Reese’s green eyes alight with something she couldn’t describe.
Behind them, the rest of the team gave a hearty round of applause as Lida was escorted out of the crowded bar and Jette couldn’t stop the unexpected laughter that burst from her chest. Reese’s loud cackle echoed from the other side of Lida’s shoulders as they crossed the threshold into the late Las Vegas night.
“Let’s get you home, Li.” Reese leaned her head into Lida’s temple affectionately and looped an arm around her waist.
“You’re the best wife.” Lida’s words were less slurred than Jette had been expecting after the drunken spectacle that had just occurred.
She planted a loud kiss on Reese’s cheek before planting another on Jette’s.
Jette let out a giggle and wrapped an arm around Lida’s waist, accidentally grazing her fingers over Reese’s arm in the process.
“And you’re a good friend, Jette, you know?
You’re a real one.” The earnesty in Lida’s voice rang louder than the drunkenness.
The cool night air sent a chill down Jette’s spine as the three of them shuffled down the strip. “Awe Li, you know I’d do anything for you,” Jette said with a heavily flirtatious tone and grinned when the words made Lida giggle even harder.
“We gotta hang out again.” Lida said a little loudly even over the busy street.
Her voice sounded clearer after some much needed fresh air.
“And next time you have a show in Philly, I wanna go. Reese wouldn’t stop talking about you after the last one.
” Jette’s ears burned and she didn’t have the resolve to risk a sidelong glance at Reese.
Lida leaned on her shoulder heavily and tugged Jette in another direction.
Reese was now rather purposefully avoiding meeting her gaze as she led the three of them back to the hotel.
At least, Jette hoped Reese was leading the way.
She had no idea where the hotel was located or if they were even heading in the right direction.
Jette remembered the tickets in her hotel room and tried her best to sound as though the idea had just occurred to her now instead of hours ago.
“Well, if you guys don’t have plans tomorrow night, I have a couple extra tickets to the show.
They’re yours if you want.” She offered while looking past Lida to Reese.
“Only if you want. No pressure.” The words came out quickly as Jette looked at the approaching glass doors to her hotel with a confused expression.
Reese gave a quick smile and gestured with her chin towards Jette’s hotel since her hands were still busy holding Lida upright.
“Oh my god, Reese, please. We gotta go.” Lida pleaded as they crossed the threshold.
“Please! C’mon.” Jette’s brow furrowed as she looked around the hotel lobby.
They hadn’t discussed where they were essentially carrying Lida, but she was positive she hadn’t offered her own hotel as an option.
She couldn’t even remember telling Reese where she was staying.
“Well, I’m definitely going.” Reese winked as she noticed Jette’s confused expression. “I don’t know about you, though. I guess we’ll see how you feel after this hangover,” she teased Lida. She returned a confused expression of her own back at Jette. ‘What?’ she mouthed behind Lida’s shoulders.
“What are we doing here?” Jette asked, gesturing to the hotel. Lida was mumbling and giggling at something she said when Jette was too busy trying to figure out how they’d gotten here.
“I’m taking Lida home. What do you mean?
” Reese returned. Jette opened her mouth to answer when the realization finally dawned on her.
She shook her head and smiled, waving Reese off with a flick of her wrist. “I think I can handle her from here, if you want to go,” Reese politely offered.
She ran a hand through her hair and looked vaguely frustrated.
Though Jette couldn’t tell if it was because of Lida’s drunken ramblings or the charged moment that Lida had inadvertently interrupted back at the bar.
Jette simply shook her head and pushed the button for the elevator.
Oblivious to the exchange happening around her, Lida pulled Jette in for a hug.
She weighed down on Jette’s shoulders and giggled to herself.
Even Jette let out a chuckle. When the doors opened, they carefully maneuvered Lida into the empty elevator.
Reese shifted awkwardly and patted down her pockets, seemingly searching for a room key to activate the sensor.
Having known that this exact moment had been coming for a few seconds now, Jette already had her own key card in hand.
She swiftly tapped the thin plastic against the black sensor and glanced back at Reese with a smirk.
The incredulous look in Reese’s eyes left her breathless.
“How did—?”
Jette answered at the same time the elevator chimed overhead. “It looks like we’re staying at the same hotel.”