CHAPTER TWELVE
G uys patted Tate’s shoulder. He had a death grip on my hand as we strolled out of the crowded room.
“Where are we going?”
“Doll, there’s always an exclusive party room for the most elite kids at Haven Saints at every party. The space is set aside for us so we can party freely. Sometimes, Tate and I hang out in the space and other times we chill elsewhere. But I hate to say, Mason has become the star of the party tonight.”
“Matt, chill out. We don’t want the girls to think we won’t have a great time. We’ll chill in the room for a little while then we’ll chill with the others.”
“Others?” He said it like they were commoners. My boyfriend was definitely privileged. His father might struggle financially for a while rebuilding their family’s empire, but Melissa’s family was also filthy rich. Tate’s other grandfather Harlon Hughes was a real estate tycoon. He owned real estate all over the world. So, Tate was never broke. His grandfather bought him a G- wagon for Christmas. Said his mother deserved to have her truck back. I couldn’t talk either. My grandfather also gave me a new car for Christmas. A gold Bentley coupe awaited me when I returned to Atlanta. I wondered if granddaddy felt guilty for all I’d gone through in London. Pulling up in that beauty at school on the first day of the new semester would be epic.
White double doors opened as we approached. Tate and Matt fist bumped the oversized guys manning the doors. My favorite song blared through the speakers. The DJ stood in a booth in the back corner of the large room filled with snobby teens. They drank and smoked as they sat on the edge of pool tables and threw bowling balls down the glow in the dark lanes. Waiters filled their trays with glasses of champagne at the bar before catering to us. Who needed to party elsewhere?
“I told you,” Megan yelled over the music in my ear.
I just realized my mouth hung open. Placing my hand under my chin, I forced my lips shut. Shit, I looked as if I wasn’t a part of this crowd. Not long ago I wasn’t.
First outcast, now jock princess.
Tate’s lips melted against my ear. Fuck, would I make it till the end of the night? I was hungry for Tate all the time. So thankful to have him back .
“Babe, I need to have a conversation with a couple of assholes. They’re begging for my attention.”
They yelled obscenities from across the room.
“Tate, you’re a pussy and a cheater,” they spewed.
“And I plan to give them my undivided attention with my fists.”
My hands splayed his chest. “Tyler said he didn’t want any trouble tonight.”
“Oh yeah, well maybe not out there, but in here I think he wants a show. Tyler played his part pretty convincingly at the door. But he knew Mason was alive. They were friends growing up. I’ll ask Rocco to do a little digging, but I bet I’m right. Take a peek.”
My eyes swept over the room and Tyler. He was whispering to another guy. They appeared to be conspiring in regard to something. I wasn’t sure what, but Tate felt he knew.
“He’s wearing the shittiest, snarkiest grin I’ve ever seen. That fucker nodded to the guys near the bar.”
I pulled back meeting his angry gaze. “You don’t have to do this?”
“Chelsea, I do. I knew the shit would hit the fan. Thought I had another week.”
“Fuck, Tate,” the stalky guy shouted from across the room .
Tate stood to his full height peeling off his jacket.
My heart raced, and I clenched my fists, holding my breath.
“Not to worry, princess. I got this.” He placed his jacket in my arms. Tate and Matt stalked across the room.
Megan clutched Matt’s jacket.
“What the fuck just happened?” Her brown brows rose over her perfectly arched eyebrows.
“Tate and Matt felt they had to teach those guys a lesson.”
Tate grabbed the guy up by his lapels then slammed his fist into his jaw.
“You don’t ever speak ill about me,” Tate roared.
Matt and Tate pounded the faces of the guy and his entourage. I glimpsed across the crowded room again. Tyler snickered, drink brushing his pink lips, now holding a girl under his arm. He was a little too tuned into the scuffle happening near the bar that he didn’t bother breaking up. Before I knew it, our guys were back, pulling us to the dance floor. Tate placed a vodka cranberry in my hand.
“Was that necessary?”
“Yeah, it was. If we weren’t at Tyler’s home partying, I would have bashed his face in too. Didn’t want to wreck the entire party. I won’t let those fuckers ruin our night. I am with the most beautiful girl.” His lips grazed my neck as he gripped my waist. We needed to rivet the year behind us. His big strong hands found my ass as our tongues tangled. Megan was right the party was epic. We left the elite party room and danced toward the middle of the main room. The banging of the drums pulsated through my body as Tate swayed my hips to the beat. Veronica and Rachelle giggled as they stared at me from across the room.
“Chelsea?”
I tore my eyes away from trouble and glanced in the direction of the voice to my left. “Connie, Rocco, Trevor.” My face lit up as I hugged my friends.
“I am so happy y’all are here.”
“Babe, catch up with your friends. Matt and I will be back.”
I stared up at him. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, you need time with the geek squad.” He and Matt chuckled.
My fist slammed into his broad chest. He smacked my ass before walking off.
“Are y’all loving this party?”
“Fuck yeah,” Connie grinned .
“How did you guys enjoy your holiday?” I yelled over the music.
“Shit, not as fun as you bitches holiday in London.” Connie’s arms crossed her chest, and she quirked a brow.
I peeked at Rocco. “What the hell?”
“It wasn’t like that. Well maybe it was. I couldn’t help tell Connie and Trevor about the Christmas party fight involving Mason and Tate.” He winked.
I exhaled inside. “Sorry guys.” I glanced between Trevor and Connie.
“I had no idea Mason was coming back from the dead.”
“Good evening.” We turned to the waiter balancing a tray of drinks.
“Ms. Culver, this drink was sent over from the gentleman across the room.” I followed his gaze to a tall brown haired guy with gray eyes. He raised his glass. Who the fuck was he? He must’ve walked in after Tate’s public display of affection.
I smirked. “I can’t accept it. Tell him thank you, but no thank you.”
“Understood.”
Tate would kill him. I was saving his life.
“Could you bring me a vodka on the rocks, please?”
“Right away. ”
“Guys, do you know him?”
They shook their heads.
I scanned the room. Tate and Matt stood talking to Stephen and a few other jocks not far from Veronica.
Another waiter walked by. My friends swiped glasses of champagne and plates of hors d'oeuvre off the tray.
“Megan, are you and Matt an item now?” Connie waited for her answer as she sipped the champagne.
I snickered as I snatched a shrimp off of Megan’s plate.
“We are just having a little play time. Nothing more.” She downed the glass of champagne.
“Whoa, what the fuck?” I glared at her.
“So you two aren’t a couple?”
“No, we will never be a couple.” Her lips fell flat. She pondered on a thought, then a plastic smile lit her lips.
What the fuck was going on with my friends? “Megan, you need to spill,” Trevor pushed.
“I cannot, guys. If it were only that easy.”
Connie gripped Megan’s arm. “We’re your friends. You can tell us.”
All of our curious eyes stared at her.
She slipped a prosciutto wrapped date into her mouth.
Trevor’s swift feet and arms moved to the beat. We followed suit. As always, others crowded around us. Rocco joined his buddy pulling his tuxedo shirt up showing off his abs. And who appears out of nowhere—some chick. I wondered was she the girl from the last party. Her blonde hair swayed from side to side as she shook her ass against him. We threw our hands in the air, cheering them on. I glanced to my right. Veronica leaned into Tate’s ear. That fucking bitch. My fingers curled into tight balls at my sides.
“Hey, there Laura Croft. Slow your roll,” the silky deep vocals said against my ear. I glared up over my shoulder.
“Who are you?” I glowered.
“Your boyfriend’s quite the ladies man.”
“You don’t take rejection well.”
“I love a challenge.” His soft lips fell against my cheek.
I shoved him back. “You want your ass kicked. If Tate catches you, he will kill you.”
“Not worried, sweetheart.” He nodded his head in Tate’s direction. “Uh, oh, looks like someone’s headed to hook up.”
Veronica gripped Tate’s hand pulling him out the door. My arm heated. I scratched at the faint cut lines. What was happening?
“Come on, let's dance.” He twirled me around.
I threw the vodka, I’d been nursing since the waiter brought it a few minutes ago, to the back of my throat .
“Why are you dating such a jerk?”
“You know nothing about me and Tate?”
His arm slid along my waist as he danced against me. I shoved my palms against his abs. “Back the fuck up.”
He flashed a wicket boyish grin.
“All right, party Haven Saints, we are getting ready to countdown to midnight,” a band member shouted from the stage.
The mystery guy pulled me close and crushed my lips. Like a deer in headlights I stared at his flawless face as I braced my hands against his chest.
He stepped back. “Later, sexy.” He darted out the door.
What the fuck was that?
Connie nudged me. “He’s a cutie. I see Tate has a little competition.”
“I’ve never seen him before. Doubt I’ll ever see him again.”
I swiped two glasses of champagne off a waiter’s tray. Chugging it, I glanced beside me at Trevor’s watch.
Where the fuck was my boyfriend? I couldn’t go running behind Tate. Not tonight any way. This was New Year’s Eve. I chugged half the glass of bubbly.
Big strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind. My body vibrated against his rock-hard frame.
“Ten, nine, eight...” The band members counted down .
Tate turned me to face him. “I love you, baby.” At the count of one, his lips devoured mine.
The famous song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ filled the room.
“There’s no other girl for me but you,” Tate confirmed against my lips.
“Not even, Veronica.”
He laughed. “Definitely not her. She claimed she had to talk to me about something important. We stepped in the hall. She told me I came on to her at the Halloween party.”
I slapped my hand against my forehead. “Shit, I forgot to tell you.”
“No need. I figured it was Mason.”
“Yeah, he was trying to destroy us.”
Tate held me tight. “I want to beat his fucking face in again.”
“Babe, you’ve done so well tonight ignoring him.”
“I don’t want to think about how many other girls he went after, in an effort to rip apart our relationship.”
“Me too.”
Tate didn’t leave my side again. His friends gathered around us. Nosy Haven Saints eager gossipers and those looking to gain popularity across the room surrounded Mason and Marisa. Tate and Mason were never seen again in close proximity for the remainder of the night. We finally said our goodbyes and Tate led the way toward the door. Veronica flashed a devilish grin near the exit. I halted.
“Tate is my man, bitch. I am not Brittany. Try to get alone time with him again.” I cocked my fist back and slammed it into her pretty eyes. She stumbled to the floor holding her face.
“Shit, I told Tyler no trouble tonight.” Tate shrugged, before helping Veronica to her feet. “Guess I lied.
I leaned into Veronica. “Once again, find your own man, slut. If you see my man walking in your direction walk the other way. Or next time, it will be my three-inch stiletto on your throat.”
“I was fucked up the night of the Halloween party. Better believe I wasn’t in my right mind if I was flirting with you.” Tate pulled me into his arms. “We’re out.”
I sighed as we slid across the back seat of the Maybach.
Matt and Megan disappeared upstairs. Tate said he’d send the chauffeur back to pick them up.
Leaning against the door, my feet rested in Tate’s lap. “Babe, I hate I can’t tell her the truth.”
“Me too. Relax, Chelsea.”
My eyelids hooded as he cradled one of my feet, pressing his thumbs into the center of my throbbing skin. “That feels so good, Tate. ”
He slid closer. His tongue stroked my neck. “In a moment, I have something else that will make you feel better.”
“Is it long and thick?” I purred
“You bet your sexy ass it is.”
TATE TOSSED ME ON THE bed the second we were through the suite doors.
Not sure how I forgot but the guy who kissed me came flooding back to memory.
My eyes widened. “Shit.”
Tate stood at the foot of the bed shedding his clothes.
His brows bunched together. “What’s wrong?”
“Tate try not to get upset.” I swallowed hard.
The bed dipped as he kneeled beside me. “What now?” Tate tugged my dress over my head.
“Well, once you and your friends were across the room talking. A guy sent me a drink.”
He tossed my dress in the chair across the room. “Did you take the drink?”
“No.”
“Good, only accept drinks from Matt, Stephen, and your geek pack.”
I shoved my fist against his muscled chest. Fuck, so sexy .
“What about Kyle?”
“The jury is still out on him. We may have lost him to Mason. What else?”
“Later he appeared as you were walking out of the door with Veronica. We danced.”
Tate sank against the headboard, seething in only his red boxers.
“He called you a jerk.”
Tate’s eyes darkened.
“And he kissed me.”
He sat straight up. “What?”
I tried pushing him off of me.
“What is his name, Chelsea?”
“I don’t know. He never told me. Trust me, I asked. After the kiss he disappeared.”
“I told him to leave me alone.”
He pulled me into his arms. “Baby, I believe you. And I will find that fucker. Tried to steal my girl.” His lips crushed mine.
I caressed his cheek. “I’m all yours, Tate.”
“Happy New Year, Chelsea. Can’t believe I was in a dungeon for weeks. Now I’m home with my woman.”
He held me tight. “It feels so good to be back in your arms.”