44. Alana
ALANA
“Sit,” Eden demanded, at least it sounded like a demand to me.
I leaned down, not wanting to scream over the loud music. “There’s no more space on the sofa.”
Well, there was some space left, but it was half the size of me, so I definitely wouldn’t have fit in there. Also, while Eden might’ve known everyone at this stupid party, I only knew him. And perhaps three other people, none of which were seated on the sofa.
Eden grinned up at me, looking almost devilish at this point. He reached for my hand and pulled me closer to him once more, ignoring my protest. “You can sit on my lap, Alana.”
His lap? Fuck no. I was way too heavy for that. He was going to break both of his legs in a matter of ten seconds.
I tried to shake my head, but Eden’s grip on my hand tightened as he pulled me down onto his lap. I could feel the heat of his body beneath me, and my heart raced at the sudden closeness between us.
Part of me tried to focus on the music thrumming in the background while I told myself not to blush. I’d never sat on someone’s lap before, let alone someone like Eden.
“Please, just let me sit on the floor,” I begged, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. But Eden’s hold only tightened, and his mischievous grin grew wider.
“Relax, Ally-Bear,” he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “I won’t break that easily.”
“I weigh like twice as much as you do.”
He chuckled, his hands sliding around my waist to hold me firmly in place. “You really don’t.”
“How would you know that?”
“Because I have eyes, baby. You definitely don’t weigh more than 230 pounds, which, in case you wanted to know, is what I weigh. And I bench almost twice as much. So, you on my lap is nothing.”
I might’ve not weighed 230 pounds, but I was close to it. He was so lucky he was tall.
I took a deep breath, refraining from replying at all, because what was I even supposed to say? I couldn’t disagree, mainly because I had no idea what Eden was able to bench. I still thought I was too heavy for him, but he certainly wouldn’t budge and admit it.
Still, Eden’s closeness was dizzying, and the way he held me made it hard for me to think straight. I shifted uncomfortably on his lap, trying to find a position that didn’t make me feel like I was crushing him. If he noticed, he didn’t say.
While someone was turning down the music inside the living room to ensure we didn’t scream at each other during the entirety of this stupid truth-or-dare game, I couldn’t help but notice how our bodies seemed to fit perfectly together despite my doubts.
Eden’s fingers drummed lightly on my hip, sending a tingle through my veins.
I tried my best to ignore the fluttering in my stomach and focus on anything other than the warmth of his body beneath mine.
“See? Not so bad, is it?” Eden’s voice was low, almost intimate, as he leaned in closer to me. His breath tickled my ear and I shivered involuntarily.
I swallowed hard, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. Once again, I shifted on his lap, trying to find a more comfortable position. Eden’s hands moved from my hips to my waist, forcing me to sit still.
“If you move any more, I’m gonna get hard, baby,” he warned me. “I mean, I’m not opposed to dragging you upstairs, but I doubt that’s something you want.”
I froze, feeling my face grow even hotter, if that was possible. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or scream at his bluntness.
“You wouldn’t dare,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. It was difficult to keep my cool around Eden recently, but I knew he was just trying to get a rise out of me. And for some reason, it was working. It always did.
I looked at Eden just in time to see him smirk.
“Try me,” he spoke, his voice unusually low.
We were truly nearing the danger zone, I could tell.
He reached a hand to my face, grasping my chin with his fingers before pulling me closer to the point where our lips almost touched.
“I’d fuck you right on the spot if we didn’t have an audience. ”
Before I got the chance to wrap my head around what he just said, he’d already moved in and captured my lips with his.
The moment Eden kissed me, everything around me seemed to turn into nothing but a blur, the noise of the party fading into the background as if it were just the two of us in the room.
I didn’t know what to do—didn’t know what I wanted to do—but the feeling of his lips on mine, so soft and insistent, pushed all my fears away.
His body against mine was overwhelming. The heat between us was enough to make my pulse quicken, and I found myself shifting against him, pressing closer without thinking.
Eden deepened the kiss, his tongue lightly brushing against mine, and I froze, not sure if I was supposed to respond or pull away.
It wasn’t the first time he’d kissed me when we weren’t alone. But it was the first time he kissed me like this when someone was watching. And I was certain at least one person had their eyes on us. Someone was always watching, no matter what you were doing.
Yet I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t.
There was just something in the way Eden kissed me that I couldn’t resist—something I wasn’t sure should’ve terrified or thrilled me.
Then, as quick as the kiss started, Eden broke away, but he didn’t go far. His lips lingered on mine, the taste of him still there.
“Ah, fuck, Ally-Bear. You’re ruining me,” he whispered, his tone low and voice husky, sending a shiver through me.
My eyes traveled over to the person on my left, watching as she moved away as much as she could—which wasn’t a lot at all.
“I…” I couldn’t form a coherent thought.
The entire moment suddenly felt too intense.
The black-haired girl, who I was sure was one of Eden’s friend’s new two-week fling, must’ve heard everything Eden said to me.
If embarrassment wasn’t going to kill me, I was sure the girl was going to, judging by the look on her face.
Then it finally registered that it wasn’t just her who watched us—everyone did. And they were probably still watching.
At least I have my back turned toward them.
Just when I thought I might be able to survive tonight, Eden made it worse.
He looked past my shoulder and shot a quick wink to whoever Eden thought deserved it, clearly enjoying the attention we were attracting.
Once again, I shifted on his lap, but this time to get off him. I had to turn around and face everyone eventually, didn’t I? Even though running away seemed like a great option.
The second I stood and turned around, Eden reached for my hips and pulled me back down.
“Alright, alright,” Kaan called, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s get this game started before these two love birds eat each other alive.”
There were a few small laughs and chuckles, and though I wasn’t exactly sure they were meant in a teasing, fun, or judgmental way, I could look past it now.