Chapter 17 Know Your Enemy #2
“I’m not a romantic, but I would like something more than I have a vagina and you have a penis, so let’s fuck.
” The whipped cream has begun to melt into my hot chocolate.
“I don’t know what that something is. Maybe friendship.
Maybe connection. Maybe nothing more than sexual frustration.
But right now, something is missing and I’m still… ” I swallow and admit, “Afraid.”
No one says anything right away, and my chest aches with the need to breathe.
“What was Ashley talking about earlier?” Luke asks, and my attention goes to his calculating eyes. I take in a breath.
“What do you mean?” I was still a little high off orgasms and pretty drunk when I confronted them.
Holy shit, I confronted the Cheermonsters. My ass is grass.
“They gave you some friendly advice.” Eli leans forward with his elbows on the table.
“Oh, yeah.” I fold my hands in my lap and take a deep breath. “Kenz and I were out to breakfast and Sidney, Ashley, and Emma joined us. Not really joined, more like came over to our table and made themselves comfortable.”
Luke’s hand rests on my thigh, making the butterflies fly around drunk in my stomach. I lift my gaze to his light blue eyes. I should just tell them. I mean, it’s not me that’s going to get in trouble over what the girls said.
Even the tips of my ears burn when I say, “Sidney told me if I couldn’t keep you guys satisfied, they would step in and help.”
“The fuck?” Eli shakes his head. “At least they have lady balls if nothing else going for them.”
“Did they say why?” Luke’s fingers clench into my thigh. I want to say that doesn’t affect me, but those butterflies dive bomb my pussy.
Of course, he wouldn’t let it go at that, so I continue. “It’s some suspicion of theirs that if you don’t get sex often, you guys will rage on the school or something weird like that.”
Luke presses his lips together and looks thoughtful.
“You wouldn’t actually do it though?” Nico asks. “Ask them to step in?”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t want them touching any of you.”
Caden grabs the back of my neck and kisses the hell out of me.
I think I hear low voices in the background talking, but Caden consumes me.
His tongue slides against mine and my fingers dig into his hair to hold him there.
Luke strokes my inner thigh, winding me tight.
When Caden finally releases me, I inhale to fill my starving lungs.
“We’ll discuss this later.” Luke catches my attention.
The guys are quiet as the server brings the food over. The fevered need inside me dies down a little, and I suspect Caden was a distraction so the guys could talk. I watch them all and wonder.
“I’m applying to college for next year,” Jack says after swallowing a bite of food. “Not sure what for yet, but I know I want a job that pays a lot. Mom says I should go pre-med, but I’m not sure. I really enjoy working with computers.”
“You hacked my webcam,” I realize.
Jack grins proudly. “Guilty.”
“I’ve been on the college track since I was born,” Caden says. “My dad wants me to take over the family business, but he travels so much for work, and I’m not sure that’s the life I want to lead.”
“What about art?” I ask. After all, I’m familiar with what he’s capable of, and it’s impressive.
“It’s a hobby.” He shrugs. “My family wouldn’t let it be anything more. Business is where the money is. No need to waste an education on crap.”
I slide my hand over his on the table and smile. “Your art isn’t crap. It’s amazing. I’d like to see more of your pieces if you want to show me.”
He leans in to peck my lips with a soft kiss. Butterflies burst in my stomach at the simple touch. Huh, that’s new.
“I’m going pre-law and then law school.” Eli raises an eyebrow at me. “One of us will need to look after these guys once we make it to the real world.”
“And that’s you?” I give him a teasing look.
“I have the brain. In spring, I’m on the debate team. It’s good experience until the mock trials in April.”
“My parents want me to go to school to become a doctor,” Nico says, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I don’t really have the stomach for blood. I haven’t really settled on what I want to do, but I know I want to play football in college and figure out my degree while I’m there.”
“Mom’s a nurse, and I’m not cut out for that. The sight of blood makes me sick.” I turn my nose up and shove some hash browns into my mouth. My eyes go to Luke as the only one who hasn’t answered.
“My father wants me to follow his footsteps. Harvard Business and then into the family business,” Luke says.
“But what do you want to do?” I ask softly.
“It doesn’t matter what I want.” Those words sound so definitive I almost reach around Luke and give him a hug. Why do I always want to hug Death?
“What about you, sweetheart?”
Everyone’s attention is on me when I look up.
“Oh, uh, college for sure, I’ve started sending my applications and essays for scholarships. I don’t have a particular college I really want to go to and I’m applying as undecided. I might want to do something with business or maybe teaching.”
“Not art?” Caden takes a piece of bacon and devours it.
“I’m not really talented. I just like art. It helps clear my brain.” I shrug and push my almost empty plate away.
We could all end up anywhere. College is a time of growth and finding out who you are. It’s not like we’re all in a relationship and plan to have a future together, but I will miss them next year and I still hope they get to do what they want. Will they keep in touch with me?
I shake myself mentally and look around the table. My brain is clearly not thinking straight. Keep in touch?
“So what? That’s five minutes alone with each of you for me?” I raise my eyebrows at them. “I get the prize too, right?”
Jack laughs. “Can we use our prizes at the same time? So instead of five minutes alone we get ten?” He shifts his attention to Luke.
So I turn to him too.
“I guess that means I get fifteen minutes alone with you, princess.”
“Wait a minute,” I say over everyone else protesting. I hold my hands up. “Why do you get fifteen?”
“You asked me a follow up question and I answered.” Luke wipes his mouth with his napkin. “Caden and Eli also get fifteen.”
Jack and Nico look put out.
“It’s not my fault Harper is more interested in us,” Luke says with an evil glint in his eyes.
“That is not— You didn’t—” My mouth falls open and I narrow my eyes on him. “You’re diabolical sometimes.”
“Only sometimes?” He cocks an eyebrow.
The server stops by with the check. Before anyone else can claim it, Caden hands her a couple hundred-dollar bills and tells her to keep the change.
Caden grins. “Want to ask me another question?”
Smiling, I shake my head.
“Come on, little nympho. You’re sleeping in my bed tonight.”
“With the rest of us,” Luke clarifies.
“Yeah, but you guys don’t matter.” Caden draws me out of the booth and into his arms. “When this is all over, I’m keeping Harper.”