Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
STERLING
The music is pounding, bass vibrating through the floors and walls. Aside from Maisy, Levi, and Courtney, I don’t recognize many faces. Levi swears I know most of them from the resort or from school, but right now I feel like I’ve been dropped into a room full of strangers.
I shoulder my way through the crowd, brushing past a couple making out against the wall, until I reach the kitchen island where Levi’s lined up bottles, mixers, and a pyramid of cheap beer cans. I crack one open and take a swig as my eyes skim the room, searching until I find her.
Maisy.
She’s near the back door, surrounded by Jeff and a couple of his friends.
She tosses her head back, ponytail swishing behind her as she laughs at something one of them says.
Her cheeks are flushed, eyes bright with intoxication, and the way every single one of those guys is looking at her makes my stomach twist. Like they’re proud she’s giving them her attention.
Attention that I want.
“And here I was thinking she was your girlfriend,” a voice purrs beside me.
I drag my eyes away from Maisy to find Courtney leaning against the island, bent forward, cleavage on display, lips glossed to the nines. She bats her lashes at me with a look I’ve seen a hundred times tonight, the same one she gave me at the skating rink. It’s an invitation.
“Shouldn’t you be with Levi?” I ask, my tone flat and bored.
She smirks, turning her attention lazily back to the crowd, giving a little finger wave in someone’s direction. “He sent me, actually.”
I follow her gaze and spot Levi across the room, beer can in his hand. He grins at me, winks, and raises his drink in a silent toast. A silent message that says ‘All yours, bro.’
“Thanks,” I mutter, lifting my can to my lips. “But I’m not interested.”
Courtney watches me drink, a smirk tugging at her mouth, before tilting her chin toward Maisy. “I don’t think she is either.”
My head snaps up, finding her in the crowd again.
Jeff’s got his hands on Maisy now, and she’s dancing against him, her body pressed close, her ass grinding into his lap while her ponytail whips side to side with the beat.
My hand clenches so hard around the beer can that it crumples in my fist, liquid fizzing over my knuckles.
Jeff catches my stare through the crowd, smirking like he knows exactly what he’s doing, and winks.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” I growl.
“Or,” Courtney purrs, her nails dragging slow, deliberate lines down my bicep, “you can just show her you can move on too.”
I glance down at her, repulsion curling in my gut, but she takes my silence as permission. She slips in front of me, back pressed to the island, and her hands drift up my chest like she owns me. I look past her, back to Maisy, only to find her already watching me.
She’s still against Jeff, but she’s not moving now. She’s frozen, eyes locked on mine as Jeff’s mouth presses sloppily against her neck.
Something inside me snaps.
“Alright,” I mutter, leaning forward and planting my palms against the counter on either side of Courtney’s hips, caging her in. “I’ll bite.”
Her lips curve in triumph. “Good boy,” she purrs.
The words make my skin crawl, goosebumps rising, but I let her tug at my collar as she backs us toward the dance floor.
We stop in the middle of the room, bodies swaying all around us.
Maisy and Jeff are directly ahead, and I see Maisy’s expression shift the moment Courtney turns to face her, taking my hands and dragging them down the curves of her body until they’re resting on her hips.
I let her grind against me, mechanical and detached. The whole time, I’m watching Maisy. Watching the way blood rises to her face and the way her lips part in shock and hurt.
Jeff must notice too because he slides his hands lower, gripping her waist and tugging her back into the rhythm, as if doubling down will keep her focused on him.
Maisy’s spine straightens and she tilts her chin high before she starts moving again, her body grinding against his as if to provoke me now.
As if she’s punishing me, and I take it, jaw clenching so tight it aches.
I watch as Jeff’s hand slides back up, cupping her jaw, and before I even blink, he yanks her face toward his and crashes his mouth against hers.
Maisy stiffens instantly, a muffled sound bursting from her throat as she shoves at his chest, breaking free with a force that sends him stumbling back a step.
Her hand flies to her mouth, furious, as she wipes at her lips.
“You asshole,” she spits, voice trembling with rage, and it’s enough to set me off.
I shove Courtney off me and she stumbles into Levi, who curses under his breath as he steadies her. But I don’t stop to check if she’s okay because I have tunnel vision, blood roaring in my ears as I close the distance between me and Jeff in two strides.
He barely has time to smirk before my fist collides with his jaw. Gasps ripple through the crowd as Jeff staggers back, clutching his face, his cocky grin wiped clean off his face.
I’m on him before he can recover, fist pulled back for another blow. “Try something like that again and I’ll break that ugly face of yours, dick.”
Jeff spits blood, eyes flashing with anger and fear, but he doesn’t move.
Smart choice.
“Sterling!” Levi shouts before his arms are around me, dragging me back before I can swing again. My chest heaves, eyes still locked on Jeff, every muscle vibrating with the need to finish what I started.
“Cool the fuck off,” Levi snarls into my ear. He shoves me a step back, then turns, raising his voice above the music so that everyone can hear. “The party's over. Get out.”
No one argues as people scatter instantly, muttering as they grab their coats, shoving cans into the trash on their way out.
Levi doesn’t let go of me until the last of the guests have disappeared into the cold, the door slamming shut behind them.
Then he turns on Jeff, who’s still rubbing his jaw, glaring at me from across the room.
“You’re done,” Levi says coldly. “Don’t bother showing up tomorrow. You’re fired.”
Jeff’s mouth falls open, but he doesn’t say a word as Levi takes a warning step toward him, fists still clenched at his sides. Without another glance in Maisy’s direction, Jeff storms out, slamming the door so hard the windows rattle.
Levi exhales slowly, dragging a hand through his hair before looking at me. His eyes are furious, but under it, I see disappointment too.
“Cool off, Sterling,” he says flatly. “I’ll be back in the morning to help clean this shit up.”
Courtney hovers near the door, her arms crossed, clearly waiting for Levi. When he stalks past, she falls into step behind him, shooting me one last wink as the door shuts behind them, leaving me and Maisy alone.
She’s still standing in the open room, closer to the counter now, cheeks flushed, and arms folded tight over her chest. “You didn’t have to go all caveman on him,” she says, her voice trembling.
“You should’ve just kept paying attention to Courtney.
She was basically serving herself to you on a platter. ”
I bark out a humourless laugh, raking a hand through my curls. “That’s rich, coming from the girl that was grinding her ass into Jeff like she was auditioning for a fucking 90’s music video.”
Her lips part, but no words come out. I don’t care, though, I’ve waited long enough.
I step closer, my tone dropping lower. “What do you want from me, Maisy? Huh? You’re the one who said you wanted to be friends with benefits.
No strings attached, remember? That means I should be able to talk to whoever the fuck I want.
Dance with whoever the fuck I want. Just like you.
” My jaw clenches. “And yet, the second you see me with another girl, it bothers you. So what do you want?”
She swallows hard, her eyes flicking to mine, brows pulled together in confusion. “I don’t—”
“Don’t what?” I press, closing the last bit of space between us. “Don’t want me with anyone else? Don’t want me touching anyone else? Then say it, Maisy. Fucking say it.”
“I don’t want to see you with anyone else!” she shouts, shoving me hard. “But I don’t have any right to feel that way because I’m the one who ended things.”
I grab her wrists, pinning them to the counter behind her as my mouth crashes into hers. The kiss is messy, angry, all teeth and desperation. She melts into it, pulling her hands free from mine and tugging at my shirt like she can’t get me close enough.
I break away just long enough to growl, “You drive me insane,” before lifting her straight off the floor. She gasps, legs wrapping instinctively around my waist, arms looping around my neck as I carry her toward the kitchen island.
I kiss her like I’m starving, like she’s the only thing keeping me alive, tongues tangling, teeth clashing.
When my thighs hit the island, I spin, one arm tight around her while the other sweeps across the countertops, sending bottles and cans clattering to the floor.
Glass shatters, liquid spilling across the tile, but I don’t care.
All I care about is the space I’ve just cleared—the space where I set her down, her ass hitting the counter hard enough to jostle a squeal out of her against my lips.
“Sterling—” she starts, but I cut her off by kissing down her throat, biting, sucking, making her whimper. My hands yank at her top, tugging it up and over her head, exposing her nipples before I cover them with my mouth.
I drag her panties down and toss them aside, leaving her skirt in place without my mouth leaving hers, and once they’re off I lower her onto her back and hook her thighs over my shoulders, spreading her wide.
The sight of her like this—flushed and needy, trembling under my touch—sends me into a frenzy.
“If you want me all to yourself, then I need to hear you say it,” I growl before I bury my face between her legs.
My tongue drags along her pussy slowly at first, savouring how she tastes, before I dive in with the same hunger that’s been clawing at me since the second she tried to push me away. Her fingers tangle in my hair, nails scraping my scalp as she moans my name, her hips bucking against my mouth.
Every sound she makes pushes me harder, deeper, until she’s gasping and trembling, her thighs tightening around me. I grip her hips to hold her still, forcing her to take everything I give until she’s crying out, her whole body convulsing against my tongue.
When she slows, I rise, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand before I crash my lips back onto hers, letting her taste herself on my tongue. She’s still breathless, panting into the kiss, when I stand up straight and look down at her pretty pussy.
“Messy,” I rasp. “That’s what you do to me.”
I fumble with my jeans, shoving them down just enough before I push into her in one hard thrust. Her cry is swallowed by my mouth as I grip her thighs, holding her steady while I drive into her again and again, the island creaking under her.
Her nails dig into my shoulders, her moans broken and frantic. Every slam of my hips is fueled by the jealousy of seeing her with Jeff, the frustration, and the confusion of this stupid friends with benefits situation.
I bury my face against her throat, sucking hard enough to mark her. “Say it,” I growl, my voice guttural. “Say you don’t want me talking to anyone else. Say you want me all to yourself.”
She shakes her head, but her body tells a different story—her thighs tightening around my hips, her pussy clenching around me like she’s scared to let go.
“You can’t even lie to me right now,” I bite out, slamming deeper, pulling a sharp gasp from her lips. “You don’t want Jeff, or anyone else. You don’t want anyone touching you but me. Admit it, Maisy. Admit it before I fuck the words out of you.”
Her eyes flutter shut, jaw tight, refusing. I grip her chin, forcing her to look at me as I thrust harder, rougher, her body jerking with each push of my hips.
“You want more than just benefits, don’t you?” My forehead presses to hers, sweat dripping down my temples. “You want me. All of me. No strings? That was bullshit. This—” I drive into her, deep and relentless, “—this is a string you’ll never cut, baby.”
“Sterling—” she gasps, her voice breaking as pleasure takes over.
I drag her closer, my hand sliding up her spine, holding her flush against me as if I can fuse us together. My lips graze her ear as I whisper, “You’re mine. Not Jeff’s. Not anyone’s. Mine. Say it.”
Her resolve cracks, a sob tearing free as she clings to me. “Yours. I’m yours.”
The words ignite something primal in me, and I fuck her harder, my claim stamped into every thrust and bruising kiss. She chants it again, breathlessly, until neither of us can hold back any longer.
When she comes, it’s with a shudder that rips through her body, her cries muffled against my shoulder. I follow, spilling into her with a groan, my grip tight on her, like I’m afraid she’ll slip away if I let go.
We collapse against the island, panting and trembling. My lips brush her hair, my chest still heaving. “Don’t ever try downplaying what we are again,” I rasp, voice hoarse. “Because after tonight, there’s no pretending this is nothing.”