Page 99 of Brutal Reign
My breath stalls, heart taking a flying leap.
Is this really happening?
She trudges in my direction, the breeze ruffling the strands of her long espresso hair. “Just don’t drive like an idiot, or I swear I’ll jump off.”
“Then you’d kill us both, because I’d jump off after you,” I remark, scooping an arm around her waist and yanking her body against mine.
A puff of air escapes her as our chests crash together, River jerking up her chin to maintain our eye contact. “Real smooth,” she tuts, rolling her eyes.
“You wanna see smooth?” I grab her by the chin as she starts to turn her face away, leaning down to smack a kiss against her lips. She tastes like strawberry chapstick, prompting me to lick my own lips as I pull back and grin down at her. “There’s a party at the old lodge tonight,” I murmur. “Ace is DJ’ing.”
She tilts her head in confusion, a little crease forming between her brows. “Since when?”
“Just found out. Guess they’re starting construction on Monday for renovations, so Andie and Ares demanded one last rager.”
“I fully support that,” Riv muses, her plush lips curving in a smile. Then something flickers in her eyes, a thought crossing her mind causing her to snicker in amusement. “God, remember the last time the three of us went to a party there?”
I snort a laugh, rocking back and urging her toward my bike with my arm still slung around her waist. “Let’s hope this one ends better,” I muse.
My pulse kicks up a notch as the two of us approach my bike, securing our helmets before we each toss a leg over and climb on. Riv scooches in close, her thighs bracketing mine and her arms circling my waist. My dick stirs to life, thickening against my zipper as I twist the key in the ignition and the engine rumbles to life beneath us, River’s arms tightening around my waist as I knock back the kickstand and start walking us backwards out of the parking spot.
I twist the throttle, the heat of her body bleeding into mine as she presses herself closer and we take off, the tires squealing against the asphalt and adrenaline rushing through my limbs. I was right; the reality of having her on the back of my bike far surpasses the fantasy. Might tie her up just so I can keep her here as long as I want.
I’d have to cut her loose for the party tonight, though. Because with any luck, I’ll soon be living out another fantasy; one that’s been torturing me for three long years. Ever since the last party at the lodge the three of us snuck into…
33
PAST
Ihiss a curse under my breath as cold beer sloshes from the rims of the red plastic cups in my grasp, spilling down over my hands and splashing my shoes.
“Sorry!” the girl who bumped into me sing-songs, glancing down at the dripping cups in my hands apologetically. “Hey, is one of those for me?” she asks sweetly, batting her lashes as she returns her blue-eyed gaze to mine.
“Er… no, sorry,” I grumble, averting my gaze as I shuffle past her, trying my best to hold the cups steady and avoid anyone else knocking into me as I weave my way through the thick crowd.
The whispered stories of the parties up at the old ski lodge don’t hold a candle to the real thing. I’m not sure if it’s the sheer number of people packed into the decrepit ballroom or the wild, infectious energy rippling through the air, but it feels like I’ve crash-landed in another dimension, barely able to keep my balance.
Or maybe that’s just the effects of the beers I’ve been throwing back like water.
Fighting my way through the throngs of people, I locate Seb leaning against the far wall, a lazy grin spread across his face as he jokes around with Eli, Beau, and Micah. One person we arrived with is conspicuously absent, though, and my heart leaps into my throat as I whip my panicked gaze back and forth in search of River.
“Where’d she go?” I demand when I approach, thrusting one of the cups toward Seb’s chest.
He blinks back at me in bewilderment as he takes the beer from my hand. “Huh?” he asks, glancing around like he’s just realized she’s missing. “She was here a second ago…”
I growl in frustration, pivoting back around and scanning the crowd. I swear this is the last time I agree to go along with one of their hairbrained schemes. We shouldn’t even be here; we’ll get raked over the fucking coals if this gets back to any of our parents, especially hers.
“There she is,” Seb points out, bumping his shoulder into mine as he comes up alongside me, gesturing toward the swarm of people dancing in the middle of the room.
I squint my eyes, gaze bouncing from face to face as I try to locate hers.
“C’mon,” he grunts, gripping onto my arm and tugging me to follow him.
We barge through the fray, and I finally spot our missing friend, relief crashing through me at the sight of River’s grinning face. She’s not in any trouble. To the contrary, she looks like she’s having the fucking time of her life. She’s completely lost in the music, the hood of her sweatshirt slung up over her head as she dances without a care in the world– but if someone tells her dad she’s here, we’re all fucked.
I pick up my pace, shouldering past the other partygoers until I can grab her by the arm and yank her in close.
“What are you doing?” I hiss, my fingers tightening around her bicep until her glossy hazel eyes latch onto mine. “We agreed we’d lay low.”