CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Zane
AGE NINETEEN
“Hap-py Birth-day toooo yooouuu.”
I roll my eyes as the cheers ring out. I told them under no circumstances were they allowed to sing, but my so-called friends just finished not one, but two drunken renditions of the happy birthday song. And there’s a fucking cake.
Kill me now.
“Come on, Zane.” Cade slaps my back before wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Cheer up. It’s your birthday.”
“I thought it was, and yet, I asked for none of these theatrics and here we are.”
“It’s tradition. Don’t be so sour. Your friends want to celebrate and shower you with attention.”
“No, they don’t. Like you, they want to piss me off.”
“True. And it worked.” He turns to our friends, all staring my way. “He hated every second. We did it.” The cheers get louder, and I groan until my eyes lock with Blair’s, her sympathetic smile bringing about my own.
The cake’s placed in front of me as she gestures toward the yard, biting her lip. And while this could very much be another twisted ploy from her brother, I quickly blow out my candles, following after her while my friends are distracted with food.
“Please tell me you weren’t a part of that?” I ask when I find her outside, a suspicious smile gracing her lips.
“I’ll never tell.”
“Come here.”
I launch off the back deck, grabbing her around the waist as she lets out a squeal. “You owe me a blow job for that.”
“What? No way.”
“Zane?” my sister calls out, and Blair and I spring apart. “Are you out here?”
Blair ducks down behind a garbage can seconds before Sierra steps out. “I knew it.” She laughs. “You can’t hide forever.”
“I can and I will.”
“They just want to celebrate with you.”
“God, you sound like Cade. You’re not allowed to hang out with him anymore.” She flips me off and I chuckle. “Go back inside, Sierra. I’ll be in soon. I promise.”
“Ooh, I see. You have one of your chicks out here.”
“One of my what?”
She bursts out laughing as Cade appears behind her.
“Told you that would get him riled. He’s always so secretive about the woman he fucks.”
I stiffen and cough to hide Blair’s gasp from behind me. “Fuck off, both of you. It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to.”
“Pussy. You’ve got five minutes and I’m dragging you inside.”
“Noted.”
They disappear and I cringe as Blair lifts to her feet. “It’s not what you think.” I raise my hands in surrender. “I’m secretive because there are no women.”
Her frown has my stomach sinking and my fist clenching at my side, ready to beat the shit out of Cade. If she doesn’t believe me, I’m going fuck him up. “B, I—”
She bursts out laughing as she leaps into my arms, slamming her lips to mine.
I stiffen momentarily, until I’m lost in her kiss. Fuck, she feels good pressed against me.
With one hand supporting her weight, I sink the other into her hair and tug on the strands, slipping my tongue into her mouth when she lets out a whimper.
“I know that you’re faithful,” she whispers, pulling away too soon, lightly brushing her nose against mine. “But it would be so much easier if we told everyone the truth.”
“Soon,” I promise her, my chest tight with emotion.
“I’ll take ‘soon.’ But for now, our time is up.” She shrugs, gesturing toward the door. “I’ll see you inside?”
“You will.”
She runs off toward the side gate so she can enter the rented party space through the front door, and like every time she leaves, she takes a little piece of me with her.
I need to man up and talk to Cade. But I can’t do that while we’re here.
Especially when he’s in spring break party mode.
He once told me I’d never be good enough for B, and that was after I joked about it.
He’s going to be beyond pissed, and I can’t have Blair caught in the crossfire.
But the second we’re back at college, I’ll tell him the truth, even if he doesn’t want to hear it. Even if he’s ready to fight.
“Another shot,” one of the guys calls out and I hold out my hand, despite barely being able to stand.
The alcohol warms me as it travels down my throat, and I smile lazily. “To my birthday,” I say, rocking slightly as I head over to an empty table, dropping down onto the bench seat with a thud.
“How are you doing there, big bro?” Sierra asks, laughing at my expense as she walks past, bottles of water in hand.
“I’m in fine form as always, little sis. How are you?”
“Never been better. I think Jaxon likes me.”
“Jaxon?” I jump up but she’s quick to push me back down.
“Don’t be an asshole, Zane. You know he’s a good guy.”
I smile, giving her a loving shove. “You’re right. As far as guys go, he’s decent.”
“Better than you.”
“Fuck off. You worship me.”
“Ugh. I know. It’s a curse. Always have, always will.”
“Feeling is mutual, S. Go get him.”
“What? How?”
“It’s simple… You walk up and you say, ‘Want to make out?’ He’ll probably blow his load on the spot.”
“And that’s why it’s a curse. Right now, I want to hate you.”
“But you can’t.” I smile wide and she pokes out her tongue.
“God, I wish I could tell you what I know right now. But instead, I’m going to let you stew on it.”
“What?” I stare at her confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing.” She smirks before spinning on her stiletto heel and prancing away. Prancing. While I’m struggling to figure out what the fuck is going on. Sisters.
The night goes on with me unable to move from my seat, chatting to anyone that stops by, my gaze seeking Blair whenever I can.
After I’ve been staring at her for a good five minutes this time, she catches me watching and raises a brow, her eyes bouncing around the room before she makes her way over.
“I’ve barely seen you tonight,” she says above the music, perching on my lap and wriggling to get comfortable.
I’d be worried if we didn’t do this often, never attracting a second glance. The whole town knows we’re friends. Most of them think she’s like a little sister to me. If only they knew the things I wanted to do to her.
This time when she sits down, however, her short dress lifts dangerously high on her thighs, giving me a view of her black lace panties when my gaze travels down.
With an internal growl, I search the room for voyeurs, sighing in relief when I realize our legs are hidden from view.
Only I can see her, and fuck, that feels good.
“So…” Blair continues when I don’t respond. “Where have you been?”
“I’ve been here.” I lean in, letting my lips brush against her skin, loving when she shivers. “You seem to be having fun.”
“You’ve been watching me?”
“I have.”
“Then you’d know that while I am having fun, my night could be better.”
“Oh, yeah?”
She swivels in my lap, repositioning herself until she can whisper in my ear, the movement drawing her dress even higher.
I close my eyes to stop myself from looking, imagining the smile on her lips.
“I want you, Zane. I wish you could touch me.”
“Christ.” I hold her away from me, checking her face for any signs of humor. But there’s none. “You know we can’t.”
“So, I’m expected to just watch you flirt and be fine with it?”
“I wasn’t flirting.” I stiffen, trying to remember a moment where I had, but nothing comes to mind.
“I’m kidding. But I’ve thought about what it would feel like if you did. How it would make me want you more. Knowing you’re mine.” Her lust-filled gaze bores into mine, and she squirms in my lap.
“You’re killing me, B.”
“It’s killing me too. Why can’t we be together?”
I open my mouth to argue, but pause, throwing her question around in my mind. Why can’t we be together?
Right now.
No one is watching.
Leaning back, I roll up my sleeve and glance down at the glimpse of her panties, trying to gauge how wet she is beneath the skimpy black material. It’s dark, and in her new position, people wouldn’t be able to see my hands.
But they would see her expression, unless…
“Can you keep a straight face?” I ask, the idea now firmly planted in my mind.
“What?” The question leaves her mouth on a breath, and her legs clench as she blinks rapidly.
“Can you keep a straight face?”
Her gaze drops to my hand hovering near her thigh, and her breath hitches. “Yes,” she whispers. “But you have to keep talking.”
“Talking?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to tell you about my day while I finger fuck you, B?”
“God.” She shakes her head no, but then whispers, “Yes, please.”
“Anything for you.”
Cupping her leg, I gently skim my fingers across the inside of her thigh, gliding my hand toward her core. She sucks in a breath but otherwise holds up her end of the deal, the picture of stoic perfection.
“Did you like your cake?” she asks, her voice strained, making me chuckle.
“You know I didn’t.” I reach her panties, dragging a finger across the soaked material, biting back a groan. My cock twitches and Blair squirms on top of me, making it worse.
Her lips part and I squeeze her waist, drawing her gaze. “Ask me what my favorite present was.”
“O-kay” she rushes out, a fake smile locked in place. “What was your favorite present?”
“Finding your pussy soaked for me, imagining you chatting with your friends, your arousal pooling at your entrance all night. Waiting for this.”
“Jesus.” Her body sags and for the briefest of seconds she closes her eyes. “You can’t say that.”
“Sorry, would you prefer I told you that I like the new sneakers from your parents?”
“God, don’t mention my—”
My fingers dip under the lace of her thong, brushing against her bare pussy, and Blair hisses at my touch. “I happened to think the cake was delicious,” she says as I insert a finger inside her, her hips bucking ever so slightly.
“You know what’s delicious?”
“You better say food or so help me God.”
I chuckle, inserting a second finger before scissoring them inside her. And fuck, she feels amazing. Warm. Tight. We’ve done this before, but there’s something about doing it in public that makes it all the more sweeter. More dangerous.
I groan against her hair and her walls tighten, her pussy sucking me in.
“Fuck. I’m definitely not thinking about food. Though I would like nothing more than to eat your pus—”
“You’re not playing fair.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“God, no. Don’t stop.”
At her desperate plea, I buck my aching cock into her ass and drag my thumb over her clit, feeling the bud harden. She moans then bites her lip, though she needn’t worry. It was barely audible over the party noise.
“I’m going to get you back for this,” she rasps, wriggling as I increase the pressure, curling my fingers to rub her walls.
“I can’t wait.”
She clenches around me, and I’m just about to tell her to come when Cade sits opposite us, groaning as he slams down his drink. “She didn’t come. Bianca promised she’d be here and she didn’t come.”
Another day. Another girl. But while his choice of words are laughable in this present situation, I freeze in panic, my fingers still inside Blair, my thumb on her clit while her brother whines about his love life.
“Maybe she’s running late,” Blair says, comforting him, now fully playing her part. Acting the innocent girl and caring sister that he believes her to be.
It takes me longer than it should to register what’s happening, and I quickly remove my fingers, subtly wiping them on my jeans. Blair jolts at my abrupt withdrawal but continues talking as though nothing’s going on.
We sit like that for a second, until she spins to face Cade and leans forward, rocking her soaked pussy against the bulge in my jeans. My balls tighten, and a bolt of electricity travels the length of my cock.
I’d say this is my payback right now.
“Blair,” I warn, my whisper barely loud enough to be audible, but when she rolls her hips again, I know she heard me.
I bite back a groan and when she reaches between us and squeezes my length, I lose it.
“I’ve gotta go.” Grabbing her waist, I lift her just enough to shift her to the bench seat beside me, then hightail it out of there, pissed off with myself just as much as her.
I slam through the back door, beelining for the shed near the fence, needing a moment to compose myself. Maybe a release if I’m being honest. But I deserve the blue balls.
What was she playing at?
God. I shouldn’t be questioning what the hell Blair was doing… What about me?
What did I think was going to happen when she came? Feeling her arousal coating my fingers was likely to set me off and—
“What the hell was that?” Blair appears out of nowhere, her anger clear in the darkness.
“Me? You were talking to Cade while rubbing your pussy against my cock. And you think I’m the one in the wrong?”
“You dumped me on the chair and stormed off. Talk about suspicious.”
“Your brother’s drunk. He won’t remember that.”
“Then why did he comment? His exact words were, ‘What’s his problem? You sit on him all the time.’”
Fuck. “Did you tell him my problem?”
“No.” She shakes her head and relief fills me, until she adds more. “I can’t keep doing this, Zane. You gave me whiplash in there. Pushing me away and then fingering me in public. I may not want to be a princess, but I deserve the world. And if I’m not your world, then what are we doing here?”
What? “You know you’re my world, B.”
“Do I?”
“Yes, you’re being ridiculous.”
“Oh, okay. Let’s go and tell Cade then.” She holds out her hand for me to take, but all I can do is stare down at it, unable to tell her yes or no. I can’t say yes, because I don’t want to tell him, but I can’t say no either. Because the second I do she’s going to walk away.
And I’m not sure she’s coming back.
“Well?” She drops her hand and crosses her arms over her chest.
I’ve fucked up. I know. But I can’t…
I stay silent and she scoffs, shaking her head. “Find me when you grow up, and stay away from me for the rest of the night.”
My heart jolts as she storms off in a huff, and I bang my head against the shed, kicking the empty boxes lining the yard. Fucking Cade and his closeted asshole ways. If she really knew how he was going to react, she’d never once question me.
But maybe she’s right. Maybe it’s time for me to grow up and choose—my best friend or my world.
Not a hard decision really.