CHAPTER TWO
AURYN
Ripley stared at me in surprise. Her pale blue eyes wide and unblinking. I would’ve loved to take a moment to really enjoy her expression.
“Your girl?” the guy repeated, glancing between the two of us.
“That’s right,” I said. “I was right over there at the table watching you make her uncomfortable. Now I don’t know exactly what’s going on here, but it looked to me like you were being an aggressive asshole.”
Making the mistake of ignoring me, the jackass looked at Ripley and asked, “Who the hell is this guy?”
“Are you not fucking hearing me?” I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “I’m her boyfriend. I’m also the guy about to kick your fucking ass all over this place.”
He was smart enough to look wary. However, he wasn’t smart enough to walk away. “Ripley, who is this guy? I’ve never seen the two of you together.”
I had to give Ripley credit. She got on board pretty damn quickly. Leaning into me, she said, “Jamie, this is Auryn. My boyfriend. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, so I didn’t mention him before. That’s why I broke things off with you. He and I are together now.”
Jamie wore a skeptical frown. I didn’t know this guy, but I was ready to beat his ass. Ripley was one of Codie’s best friends. Codie was my roommate, as well as my best friend’s fiancée. I would always step up to defend anyone that mattered to her.
Of course it didn’t hurt that I’d been eyeing Ripley up for a while now. Stray had told me to keep my distance from her, not wanting me to do anything to upset Codie. Did they really expect me to sit back and do nothing while this shithead harassed her?
“I don’t believe you.” Jamie shook his head. “Not once have I seen you with this guy. Why are you lying to me?”
Some guys really didn’t get a clue, did they? Turning Ripley to face me, I tipped her head up with a finger beneath her chin. “Don’t worry about a thing, baby. I’ll take care of this.”
With zero hesitation, I kissed her. A deep kiss. Going all in. Slipping my tongue between her lips. Making sure Jamie saw everything. I enjoyed every damn second. Especially when Ripley kissed me back, her mouth moving ravenously on mine.
I didn’t totally blame this idiot for wanting her.
She was a gorgeous little blonde with a body to die for.
Beautiful blue eyes like the sky on a perfect sunny day.
One time at one of our graveyard parties she was with the other girls and I heard her laugh.
Something about that melodic sound had made me look twice.
If she hadn’t been Codie’s friend, I would’ve fucked her a long time ago.
When we finally pulled apart, I glanced up to find Jamie staring at us in absolute disgust. I chuckled. Reluctantly releasing Ripley, I stepped toward Jamie, getting right in his face. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt.
“Now are you going to leave her alone, or do I have to get violent? Because if you’ve heard anything about me and my friends, you know we like to get violent.
And if you haven’t heard about me, then I guess you’ll learn the hard way.
” Without waiting for a response, I slammed Jamie up against the fridge.
He raised both hands, clutching a beer bottle in one. “All right. I get it. I’m going.”
Too bad. I hadn’t expected him to give up so easily. I held him there for a moment longer before releasing him and stepping back. I watched until he fled the room. If he had any brains in his head, he would leave the house before I changed my mind.
I turned back to Ripley, finding her flushed. Her cheeks pink and her lips slightly parted. Relief swept over her face.
“Thanks, Auryn. I really appreciate your help. He was starting to creep me out.” Her painted pink fingernails dug into the side of her plastic cup. She was clearly a bundle of nerves.
“No worries. Happy to help. Maybe you can do a favor for me now. Since you kind of owe me one.” Taking her free hand in mine, I slid my fingers between hers and tugged her toward the table. “You can be my good luck charm.”
She followed me back to the table where the poker game had resumed without me. Even though she didn’t try to take her hand from mine, she said, “I should probably get back to the girls. They’ll be wondering where I went.”
I shook my head, pulling her down onto my lap as I reclaimed my empty chair. “I wouldn’t worry about that. If they look for you, they’ll find you with me. You’re my girlfriend for the night after all.”
Anyone who knew me knew damn well that the last thing on this planet I wanted was a girlfriend. Dating one person seriously was not on my radar. That was of no interest to me. I preferred to have a good time. Get drunk and high. Share a hot steamy fuck with the right lady and move on.
However, Ripley had given me the opportunity to get close to her without Stray or Codie chasing me off. How could I not take advantage of that?
She sat stiffly on my lap, nervously glancing around the table at the other guys. Rebel and Casper sat at the other end of the table. They both gave me a curious stare. Rebel raised a brow to which I simply shrugged in return. Whatever. Ripley and I were both adults.
While I played another round of poker, she downed her drink in record time. Unable to relax, she squirmed on my lap. If she kept doing that, I was going to get hard. Hoping to help her chill out, I offered her some weed I’d been carrying.
“Spark that up, beautiful.” Pressing my lips to the shell of her ear, I whispered, “Relax. I won’t bite. Not until I get you alone.”
Ripley took the joint and the lighter I offered. I watched as she placed it between her heart shaped lips. My cock responded as if it would be next.
Keeping her voice low so as not to be overheard, she softly said, “Better be careful. I bite back.”
I grinned. I loved a woman that rose to the challenge I presented her. Someone willing to give back everything she got. Maybe hooking up with Ripley would be worth incurring Codie’s wrath. I was willing to take my chances.
The poker game quickly lost its appeal. After playing a few more hands, I tossed in my cards. “Best of luck boys. I’m out.” Not willing to let Ripley get away, I caught her hand in mine. “Let’s get a refill and find somewhere quiet to sit.”
I poured us both an especially strong drink before seeking out a place to get better acquainted with my fake girlfriend.
Spotting an open space in the cut out beneath the staircase, I pulled Ripley over there with me, settling us both into the little nook.
It gave us a great view of the living room as well as those going up and down the stairs.
“Care to take this party to the next level?” Pulling a small baggie from my jeans pocket, I poured two small pills into my palm.
Ripley eyed them curiously. “What are those?”
“Ecstasy. Ever done it before?” Something told me that Ripley wasn’t as squeaky clean as she looked.
“Once or twice.” She accepted the pill I dropped into her hand, popping it in her mouth without a second thought.
I popped my own pill, chasing it down with a strong shot of whiskey.
It had been some time since I’d done ecstasy.
My drug of choice was blow, along with weed, although I barely considered that a drug these days.
There weren’t many drugs I hadn’t tried.
I wasn’t a junkie or constantly strung out, although I enjoyed seeing where my mind could take me with the right substance.
“So tell me about Jamie,” I said, breathing in her soft vanilla scent. “How did that happen?”
Ripley leaned back against the wall behind us with a groan. “He’s in one of my classes. I made the mistake of going out with him a few times. Nothing ever came of it, but in his mind we were betrothed or something.”
“How long has he been hassling you?” The thought of that idiot following Ripley around and desperately trying to get with her made me want to snap his neck.
“It’s been a few weeks now I guess. He’s even shown up at my work a few times. I don’t want my boss to get pissed off, so I haven’t spit in his food or anything yet.” She laughed, that musical sound that rubbed my senses the right way.
“I’d be doing a lot worse than that,” I muttered, sipping from my drink.
I hated that she had to see him in class every day on campus. Would our little show tonight be enough to keep him at bay? I may have to keep an eye on him.
“I’m so done with dating,” she continued. “I’m really not cut out for this bullshit. Growing old alone with six cats sounds really fucking good right now.”
Knowing that she wasn’t looking for anything serious made her even more appealing. I nodded my agreement. “Sounds good to me. I like cats.”
From where we sat we were able to see Rebel enter the living room, taking a seat next to Storm on the couch.
Luna disappeared with Casper, most likely to go bang their brains out.
People were making out all around the room.
A small group was playing Spin the Bottle in one corner.
Did people really play Spin the Bottle these days? Weird.
Ripley and I sat in our little nook, watching the party go on around us while not really being part of it.
We talked about school and life on campus.
Passing the time until the ecstasy we’d dropped began to take hold.
Once I felt that euphoric relaxation set in, I knew the night was about to get good.
I lit up another joint, leaning against the wall next to her. “That Jamie idiot is still here. He’s over there with those people playing beer pong. If you need me to keep being your fake boyfriend on campus next week, I’m cool with that. Unless you think you can take it from here on your own.”
Ripley stared across the room at Jamie, her eyes bloodshot and glassy. Her upper lip curled in revulsion. “I might have to take you up on that. If you don’t mind playing the part.”
Struck with the sudden urge to touch her, I angled myself to face her, grasping her chin. Drawing her gaze to mine. “I don’t mind at all. Although my services may come at a price.”
Her gaze dropped to my lips. I knew she was thinking about our kiss earlier. Especially when she murmured, “And what might that be?”
Needing to taste her again, I seized her mouth in a fiery kiss.
Stoking the simmering heat between us into a blaze.
Ripley welcomed it when I slipped my tongue against hers.
Sweeping her mouth with a dramatic flourish.
Not even the thump and bang of someone falling down the stairs above us broke us apart.
When she pushed her hand into my hair and leaned in to kiss my neck, I chuckled softly. “I’m pretty sure we can work something out.”