Chapter Six
Jack
I can”t help but revel in the look of sheer panic on Ria’s face, but it’s mixed with interest too, I think. She didn’t think I’d offer, but there’s not a chance I am watching her lick another man’s body.
“You don”t have to do this,” she says to me with a shaky breath. “I”ll make Ali do it.”
“You are doing it, Ri,” I say, pinning her with a determined stare. “Now, like I said…” I pause, waiting for her ocean-blue eyes to meet mine again. “Where do you want me?”
She scans the room, looking for the best spot and pointing to the corner of the VIP area. Ria walks beside me, like a deer in the headlights, and I reach for her hand, linking my fingers with hers. When I give her hand a reassuring squeeze, a tingling sensation floods my body at the feel of her skin.
We make our way over to the largest Table Ali can find and rally the bachelorettes to clear the glasses.
“Okay, action man, lay here,” Ali says, tapping the table.
Unable to take my eyes off Ria, I don”t miss the way she keeps glancing over at my torso like she wants to explore it—or maybe that”s just wishful thinking, but it gives my ego a little boost. Her cheeks pink when she realizes I’ve seen her checking me out, and I give her a playful wink.
Tara appears with a shot of tequila, a salt shaker, and a slice of lime. “Okay, Ri, you need to lick the salt of these rock hard abs,” she instructs as she glides her hands over me, my body unaffected by her touch.
“Then, only using your mouth, take the shot of tequila from his belly button and take the slice of lime from his mouth and suck, but no hands, okay?”
Ria just stares at Tara and nods.
The entire bachelorette party and the boys gather around the table. I can feel the buzz of excitement over the music. My senses heightened, my pulse quickening, abs tightening at the thought of what’s about to happen. Ria’s eyes dart round the room like she”s looking for the nearest exit.
I make eye contact with her and mouth, “you can do this” and she gives a weak smile, nodding.
I lay back against the hard wooden table and Tara sprinkles salt in a line over my abdomen and hands me the slice of lime.
Ria steps forward, gathering her hair to hold it back. Bending down, she edges her mouth towards me and, I don’t care about the people standing around us, clapping and cheering, all I can focus on is her.
Eyes closed, her warm tongue peaks from her mouth and swipes expertly over my abs, licking up every tiny grain of salt. She opens her eyes and looks up at me and, fuck, I’ve never seen anything hotter. Her eyes don”t leave mine as she licks her lips clean. Tara then places a large shot of tequila on my stomach, the cool glass sizzling against my hot skin.
She wraps her plump lips over the rim of the shot glass and tilts her head back, draining the clear liquid from the glass, her neck muscles flexing as she swallows.
Freeing her hair, she takes the shot glass from her mouth, making eye contact with me again. I swear, I stop fucking breathing. Her blue eyes become heavier and I can tell something has changed between us.
Fuck, I want her, consequences be damned. I place the slice of lime in my mouth, leaving just enough of it peaking out for her to get to, but I know her lips will be forced to touch mine.
She leans in and sucks the juice from the slice, her soft lips covering mine. I hum softly as I taste her for the first time, my heart hammering in my chest and my already heated skin turning into an inferno. I grip the slice of lime firmer, so she”s forced to press her lips harder against mine. My hands twitch at my sides, desperate to bury themselves in her hair so I can deepen this kiss and taste her properly.
She pulls away, bringing a perfectly manicured hand to her lips as if she can’t believe our mouths touched. I”m not looking at Noah”s little sister right now. I am looking at the sexiest woman I have ever laid my eyes on, and all I can think about is taking her home and making her mine.
I’m ripped away from my daydreaming by cheering and hollering and Harry dragging me up from the table.
“Jesus Christ, I thought I was gonna blow my load right in my pants watching you two,” he laughs. “That was hot as fuck. If you don’t take her home, I will.”
I turn and glare at him. “Don”t you fucking dare.”
“Dude I’m joking. I’ve got my eye on little Ali cat over there.” He smirks looking over to the far corner where I see her and Gabby hugging and laughing with Ria, who has her hands over her face shaking her head, probably in disbelief at what she”s just done.
“I can already tell she won”t put up with your bullshit,” Brad mumbles from where he stands next to Harry.
I put my shirt back on that Harry hands me, button it back up, and head over to Ria. Looking flustered, she rambles, “Erm, thanks for doing that.”
Running my tongue over my bottom lip, remembering how her lips felt on mine, I lean closer and whisper, “Believe me when I say it was my pleasure.”
I can think of more places I”d like you to lick too.
We spend the next few hours chatting, drinking, discussing business ideas, but I can”t help but stare at Ria all night. I”m not even being subtle about it, and I don”t even care. I watch as she sways her hips from side to side to a Rihanna song, dragging her hands up and down her body and into her hair, as Gabby and Ali dance around her. A flush of warmth makes my dick twitch at the thought of my hands doing just the same to her body.
A long time ago, I promised her brother I”d look out for her but she had Alex so I backed off and buried the feelings I had for her, but tonight hearing she”s single again stirs up those feelings all over again. The want I had for her flickers inside me like a dormant fire waiting for her to fan the flames. I know it”s a risk; she’s going through a break up and her brother happens to be one of my best friends and is fiercely protective of her, but I can”t help but feel that maybe the universe has pushed us together for a reason and if there was ever a woman worth risking it all for, it would be her.
I watch her leave the dance floor, a Whitney Houston track coming to an end. She sways as she heads over to where I”m sitting. Flopping down in the booth next to me, it”s clear she”s drunk.
“How”s it hanging, Jack Jack?” She giggles.
“Please don”t ever call me that again,” I deadpan when she quotes the line from the movie, The Incredibles.
She laughs, giving me a playful tap on my thigh, sending a signal to my dick that now is apparently the time to stand to attention. I rearrange myself as discreetly as I can, clearing my throat.
“Sorry, my Lexi loves that movie. If it”s not that on at home it”s Minnie Mouse or Princesses… ugh, I miss them,” she sighs, sounding sad.
“Are they with Alex tonight?” Thinking about that prick will definitely make my dick go down.
“Ha, you’ve got to be kidding,” she says in a sarcastic tone. “He”s ‘on a business trip’,” she adds, making air quotes with her fingers. “Which is code for fucking his secretary or whatever poor soul he”s convinced to open up for him.”
I wince at how bitter she sounds. “Shit… I’m sorry Ri, you deserve so much better.”
“Thank you,” she huffs, her eyes getting heavy and fluttering closed. “I just wasn”t what he wanted anymore.” Her words becoming a mumble as her head rests on my shoulder.
I reach down and tuck away the stray hairs that have fallen over her face and I can’t resist pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. How could he cheat on her? How could you not want Ria? If she were mine, I”d spend every day making sure she knew she was everything to me. Whispering, I tell her, “I think it”s time we get you home.” I glance around, looking for Ali and Gabby and spot Ali on the dance floor where she’s been most of the night with some of the girls from the bachelorette. I catch her attention, gesturing down at Ria and then pointing to the exit.
Ali appears a moment later, looking way more sober than Ria. “Come on, you lightweight. Let”s find Gabby and get you outta here.” She drags an uncooperative Ria up from her seat and I instantly miss the warmth of her body leaning against mine.
“Use our driver, I insist, standing and pulling out my phone to call him.
“Oooh, you hear that, Ri? He”s got a driver,” Ali mocks.
“No, no, we can get an uuuu-Uber,” Ria slurs then hiccups.
“I’m gonna text him right now” I fire a quick text to Graham and then wrap my arms around Ria’s waist, taking her weight as she leans into me.
“You don’t look like an Incredible actually…”
“No?” I ask, a playful tone in my voice.
Her hands drag over my shirt as she traces the outlines of my pecs and abs, making it hard to focus on what she’s saying. “Like Christian Hougue or like an action man… yeah Ali’s right, you do look like an action man. I could do with a bit of action, man.” She giggles to herself like she”s proud of her little joke, even though she’s not making any sense to me.
I lean in, my mouth pressed close to her ear. “Sweetheart, I’ll be your action man any day of the week.” She leans on me more, pressing her chest to mine, her heart thumping as she lets me hold her, which makes my already aching cock even more needy. “But you need to get home and get some sleep first.”
I look behind me, wondering where Ali disappeared to and I see her pulling a reluctant Gabby behind her, away from the bar where she was was standing with Brad.
“Sorry, had to tear this one away from the cocktail menu,” Ali says when she reappears.
“Ugh, I’m not ready to leave. I didn”t get to try the Bloody Mary,” Gabby groans.
“We”ve got to get this drunk home.” Ali gestures to Ria.
My phone beeps and I know it will be the driver, so I walk the girls out, practically carrying Ria and help her into the car.
“Can I give you my number so you can let me know you got home safe?” I ask Ria as I lean into the car, making sure she has her seatbelt on. Despite how drunk she’d seemed, the icy air seems to have sobered up slightly and she rifles around in her purse, finding her phone, unlocks it and hands it to me.
I save my number and send a text from her phone to mine before I hand it back to her. “Let me know when you get in, okay?” I lean in to kiss her cheek, but as I do, she turns to look at me and our lips crash together. We freeze, our lips pressed together, neither of us moving. Her vanilla scent wraps around me, and I swear she lets out a little moan.
Fuck, I wanna climb in this car with her and take her home.
She eventually breaks the kiss, looking embarrassed, tucking her hair behind her ear and clearing her throat. “Sure, ugh, thanks for tonight and the car. Next time I drink tequila I”ll think of you.”.
“You better, sweetheart.” I wink. “Graham, get my girl home safe. Okay?”
My girl? Why the fuck did I say that?
“Sure thing. Sir,” Graham assures me. I shut the car door, tapping the roof, Graham taking that as his signal to pull away from the curb into the New York traffic. A feeling of emptiness creeps over me as I watch the Black SUV drive off.
Letting out a slow, deep breath, I feel Brad and Harry walk up next to me.
“Fuck, you’re in trouble,” Harry declares, slapping my back.
And I know I am. Ria is back in my life, and this time I’m not letting her go.