Chapter 2
DECLAN
Ipause with my lips on the rim of my glass.
“I know, I’m surprised too,” Brent mentions, glancing over his shoulder in Violet’s direction.
I can’t tear my eyes away from her. “How the hell did she end up here?” My voice is half-edged and half… well, intrigued, far too much.
“Her brother would go through the roof.”
My eyes whip to Brent’s. “Again. Why is she here?” Now my voice is clipped.
“Violet knows Charlotte, and you know I can’t say no to Charlotte when she requests an extra invite.”
I rub a hand across my jaw from his explanation. “Thank fuck for the NDAs that we all sign.” I’m not even joking.
This woman, oblivious to my gaze, is completely off-limits.
But since I’m no longer her brother’s off-limits hockey player friend and everything stays between these walls, then I have no problem looking a little longer at her, trying to comprehend how in the world she wound up standing before me twice today.
She’s a bad idea, but I’m the selfish guy who ignores potential alarms when the parameters allow… as in the rules of this party preventing anyone from finding out.
Lucky me, the parameters allow.
Violet’s eyes catch with mine and blaze in recognition. She looks away quickly but then back to me, as there is no escape.
She’s been caught, and I’ve been caught.
My interest is far too piqued, because she doesn’t strike me as someone who would come to these types of parties, and my guess is that this is her first.
“Knew you would love the guest list,” Brent speaks low before I move.
I’m too confident of a guy to pretend to ignore this coincidence of being at the same party, which is why I stride my way toward Violet, with her eyes now glued on me as I approach her.
Planting my feet next to her, standing side by side, I notice the way her breath catches and her body flinches in my presence.
“Violet,” I greet her firmly, with a sinister laugh brewing in the back of my throat.
“Declan.” She returns the tone but doesn’t look at me.
“I thought you had a concert tonight. This is the last place I would have guessed to run into you.”
“A little white lie. I doubt my brother would enjoy the specifics of what I’m doing tonight.
Charlotte is a friend of mine; we went to college together.
” I’ve never hooked up with Charlotte, but Brent loves to.
Apparently, Charlotte is wild, and she’s married to her job in marketing and detests relationships as much as Brent.
My eyes roam the room to see if anyone takes notice of us, which they don’t.
“Brent and I have known one another for years. You do know that nobody leaves this party alone, right?” I tell her, and it doesn’t surprise me that it comes out almost as a dare, because I’ve thought about bending her over a few times through the years, in various ways.
She turns her body to me and gives me, I swear, a seductive smirk.
“I do know that.” She pauses for a second while her demeanor turns relaxed.
“How are you, Declan? I didn’t get to ask earlier.
It was your last season of hockey. All good?
” Her tone is purely genuine, soft, and it’s refreshing because nobody ever asks me like they truly care.
I half-smile. “We’re at a sex party, and you’re asking me how I am?”
“Why not?” She shrugs.
“Your brother wouldn’t be thrilled if he found out you were standing before me.”
Her smirk turns humorous. “Considering you telling him would immediately reveal what you get up to in your free time, then I severely doubt he’ll find out.
Besides, nobody wants to talk to their friend about their little sister’s sex life.
Not to mention the contract we all signed,” she challenges with a cocked brow.
I like her bite. “True. But why are you here?”
“Why are you here?” she counters.
I have no qualms revealing the truth. “I’m a man with needs who enjoys a beautiful woman. I don’t do relationships and don’t go for the puck bunny bullshit; I have a little more class than that.”
Violet scoffs a laugh. “Wow, that’s some honesty.”
I have to quirk my lips and squint an eye to study her. “You’ve done this before?”
She crosses her arms over her chest, which doesn’t help this situation, as it draws my eyes to her pert cleavage, and she taps her arms with her dark pink nails.
“There is a first for everything.” I admire her candor and the hint of assurance in her voice.
“Everyone is allowed to live a little. There are many things in life that scare me, and this little rendezvous of an evening is not one of them.”
“What does scare you then?”
She side-eyes me. “Birds. Freaking hate them.”
I chuckle. “Any bird in particular or all birds?”
“All. I just have a complete trauma thanks to Hitchcock.”
“Fair enough. I hate maple syrup, if it’s any comparison.”
She snorts an adorable laugh. “Doesn’t your family own Grizzly Dash, that maple syrup company?”
“That and a bunch of hotels. But maple syrup is… sticky and too sweet.”
“Many delicious things in life are sticky and sweet… it’s natural.” Her tone is floaty and seeping with innuendo.
“I like your philosophy.” And her dirty mind.
Her head lolls to the side slightly. “What really scares you?”
I have to rile her as my mouth curves up. “That you’ll end up with me tonight.”
She glances at me with her wistful eyes. “The odds of that are slim.”
“Want to bet on it?” I challenge.
She lets a chortle escape her edible mouth. “Not really, no.”
I step closer to her, eager to touch her arm and feel her skin that looks silky. Leaning in, I whisper, “That’s a shame, it could be fun.” I let my lips gently graze her cheek, desperately wanting a little nibble before I step away.
Her breath changes as she straightens her back; she’s affected, which was my goal, so I take another step back to create space, admiring the goosebumps spreading down her arms, and I enjoy my victorious smirk that I’m now entitled to take.
Our eyes hold, but we are interrupted by the sound of a glass clinking.
Brent is standing on his coffee table, tapping a drink glass with a fork. “Ladies and gentlemen, shall we get started?” He grins.
The small crowd gathers around him, and my eyes remain laser-focused on the prize I know I want.
We get to the final two couples, and the four of us stand in a square, as if fate has already paired us off. Brent next to Charlotte, and Violet near me.
Violet’s eyes darken as her eyes shift to mine. I’m not sure if Brent picks up on this or if he heard me once mention how it would be good to screw Violet into oblivion to get what I need out of my system, but Brent gives me a confident look.
“Well, ladies, last draw.” Brent smiles at Charlotte and Violet. Charlotte is all game, even nudges Violet’s arm in excitement, but Violet looks nervous as she nibbles her bottom lip.
Odds are completely in my favor.
Brent slowly pulls the paper up to reveal his name. Then he looks between all of us as he draws a paper up from the other glass bowl, moving inch by inch to draw this out, making me nervous that he’ll pull the wrong name, because random my ass, I’m counting on luck.
“And the name is… Charlotte.” He displays the paper.
Relief hits me. Looks like he gets his wish, and I’m not complaining either.
I immediately turn to my prize who parts her mouth gently, hoods her eyes, and then opens them in slight disbelief. She can’t seem to look at me as she breathes a long inhale.
As Charlotte and Brent leave with their hands interlaced, eager as can be, I soak in our newfound silence as I pull the last two papers, one from each bowl, with our names on them.
I step into Violet’s space. “Well, look at that. You and me.” I’m smug, and she focuses on our names scribbled on the paper with a droll smile gracing her luscious lips.
As I move closer to her, it causes her to stand taller.
“Rules are rules, Violet,” I taunt her with a breathy whisper into her ear, and I feel her tremble in my presence.
She smells like fresh-cut flowers, and it tingles my nose, and for a split second, I’m not sure what the play is for this game book.
She stares directly into my eyes, and anticipation is already flowing to my dick.
“You and me, it seems,” she whispers huskily then swallows, before she surprises me by yanking my arm to drag me with her toward the hall, with her heels clicking at a fast pace.
Brent is worth millions, so it is only fitting that his place has exactly five bedrooms, along with an office that I’m sure someone is using without care for a lack of a bed. I mean, there is a nice leather sofa in there.
We’re already alone in the hall, as most head straight into what they came for.
I grab Violet’s wrist to stop her and swiftly spin her until she’s pressed against the wall, with my hand fitting perfectly against her hip.
She’s warm to the touch, and her whimper from the element of surprise sends a promising surge through me.
But I gotta be virtuous for one sec.
“This is where I throw you over my shoulder and get you the fuck out of here, out of respect for your brother,” I grit out because I hate throwing in a yellow card right now.
“No!” she is quick to reply, nearly panicked.
“Ah, so you do want to be here and with me?”
A sly, sexy-as-fuck smirk takes form on her mouth, a confidence that feels new. “What if I say I’m not complaining?”
“Consent. I need to hear you say it.” I’m direct, but damn, my voice swelters with heat.
“Yes. I’m here and with you, apparently.” She escapes my hold and reaches out with her fingers to touch my chest under the sides of my suit jacket.
I tilt my head slightly to the side. “Did you know I was going to be here?” This coincidence has me slightly in disbelief.
She shakes her head and chides, “Rules are rules.” Of course, none of us knew exactly who would be here until we arrived. Her fingers are playing with my buttons, and I hope she breaks every single damn one of them tonight.
“Vi, a woman like you should be getting wined and dined by some lawyer who plans on buying you a house in the suburbs.”
She laughs nervously. “A woman like me deserves to explore… things. And I doubt I would find this opportunity in Lake Spark.”
I’m not going to question her more; it’s not in me to knock down someone’s sexual confidence, which she clearly has.
Her brother would kill me. But I don’t seem to care about that at this moment.
Especially when I feel Violet’s body warmth mingle with mine and notice when she steps closer, inviting me to snap and ravish her.
“Not here, sweetheart, let’s go,” I inform her, grabbing her arm and dragging her with me.
“What, why?” she protests.
I don’t answer, instead continuing our journey to the front door. I see the line of purses on the side table, and I indicate for Violet to grab hers.
When we go into the hall near the elevator, I pin her against the wall, this time pressing my body against her middle that makes her jolt and let out a gasp.
“I know this is your first time doing something like this, and by all means, I can take you into Brent’s guest room.
But at some point, you will have to face everyone when you leave, and as much as I appreciate the idea of them knowing how much you enjoyed having my cock inside of you all night, I’m going to show one ounce of respect for our delicate dynamic tonight. ”
I’m direct as I trace her mouth with my finger. Her hot breath hits my flesh, making me slightly delirious, imagining her mouth spreading heat down my chest until she goes lower where I like it the most.
Her bottom lip falls, her eyes near pleading, and I’m doing my damnedest not to slam my mouth onto hers.
Not yet, anyhow.
“My place is up one floor, has a better view too. The rules apply for the night. You and I will be more comfortable there,” I clarify.
“What if I say that takes away from the experience?” she dares. “Isn’t the whole point that maybe I get a glimpse or hear someone else and vice versa?”
Nuh-uh, I draw a line at the idea of anyone spying on her. Something inside of me doesn’t like that thought. She’s mine for tonight, only mine.
I huff a chuckle. “You’re a bit wilder than I anticipated. Kind of had you pegged for being vanilla, an on-your-back-in-bed kind of girl.”
Her mouth falls open in humorous offense. “You may just be a piece of work.”
Stepping between her legs, my hand lands on her inner thigh, causing her to gasp. Slowly, I trail my fingers up her bare skin until I feel the heat of her soaked panties that I run my thumb along, her body writhing against my touch as her breath catches.
“Which apparently you love.” Fuck, I feel like I may crawl out of my skin if I can’t dip a finger inside of her stat.
That hint of flowers on her skin occupies my brain. I bet she tastes like rose water, that’s what comes to my mind. My tongue will discover soon enough.
Because lucky for me, tonight is about pure pleasure with the unexpected surprise that is my friend’s little sister.