His lips lift at the corners into what I’m sure he thinks is a sexy smile. All it does is make me feel sick.
“Um, you did?” I don’t know what else to say. I know where he’s going with this, but I just want to get out of here as fast as possible.
Dean chuckles a low sound. “Because I like you, Morgan. And I was thinking”—he moves even closer—“that we should go upstairs and get to know each other a little better.”
“I, uh…” I’m sliding along the counter, beer in each hand, edging away. “I can’t. I, uh, I have to get back to my friend.”
His body turns, following mine. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you didn’t go back straightaway.”
“No. I, um…I have to…get her drink to her.” I spin on my heel, sloshing beer over my hands, but I don’t stop. I get the hell out of that kitchen as soon as possible.
As the door shuts behind me, raucous laughter breaks out in the kitchen.
“Struck out with the fatty!” One of them laughs. “Looks like you’re gonna need that titty pic of Cross’s after all!”
And I die a little more on the inside.
I’m getting drunk.
I know, I know. I’m being stereotypical. A bunch of guys called me fat, and I’m getting drunk.
But, honestly, the more I drink, the less my insides hurt. So, drinking, it is.
Joely knew something was wrong when I came back from the kitchen, but I told her that I was fine. I know Joely. She would have gone and given Dean a piece of her mind. Then, she’d have suggested we leave the party and go grab some pizza, meaning she’d have left behind the cute guy who was clearly into her.
So, I smiled and told her I was fine and that she should go dance with the cute guy, who I now know is called Todd. It took a few times of persuading her until she finally relented.
So, while she’s been dancing with Todd, I’ve been knocking back the drinks. Well, I’ve only had three beers, but I’m a cheap date.
And a fat one apparently.
Can anyone say bitter?
Okay, so I’m super drunk now.
I’m on my…fifth beer. I think. It could be sixth. Who knows? All I know is, I’m buzzing, and I feel awesome!
Joely is currently on the sofa, making out with Todd, and I’m super happy for her.
Really, I am. I love Joely, and I want her to be happy.
And at least one of us is getting some.
She didn’t just leave me standing here alone though. She kept coming to check on me every so often. I told her I was going to leave the party if she came to check on me one more time. She got the hint and hit the sofa with Todd, and she’s been sucking face with him since.
I’ve not been standing here like a sad loner though. Hannah came to chat for a bit, and then she vanished again. I was talking to Andrea from my business enterprise class until her boyfriend turned up, and she disappeared off with him.
I laugh to myself, like the loser that I am.
My bladder squeezes.
Ugh, I need to pee. I haven’t been to the bathroom all night, and I’ve drunk about a gallon of beer. It’s surprising that my bladder hasn’t burst already.
I take the stairs, dodging the people sitting on them.
When I reach the landing, I walk down the hallway. There are, like, a hundred doors here.
Okay, not a hundred, but enough. And not one has a sign saying, Bathroom Here.
The last thing I want to do is walk into someone’s bedroom and see people going at it.
I pick a door and step close to it. I lean in, seeing if I can hear anything. There’s no noise, so I try the door. It opens, and no one is in there, but it’s a bedroom.
I shut the door and step close to the next door.
“Fuck yes! Right there, Benji! Right there!”
Benji?
My next-door neighbor back home has a dog called Benji. He’s a poodle.
And, now, I’m imagining that the Benji behind the door has hair like a poodle.
I snort and cover my mouth to catch the sound.
Yeppers, I’m totally drunk.
I stumble away from the door, chuckling to myself, and bump into the wall.
“Oh God, Wilder. You’re so good at that.”
I stiffen at the sound of the breathy female voice.
My head turns to the door next to me. It’s a little ajar, so I can hear them but not see them.
“You like that, huh?”
“God, yes,” she moans softly.
And I close my eyes against the hurt spilling into my chest.
Because I know that voice. Her voice.
Hannah.
“You’re gonna make me come,” Hannah whispers.
“That’s what I’m aiming for.” Wilder chuckles, deep and low.
She moans louder this time.
Then, there’s silence. The rustling of clothes.
I need to leave.
I’m standing out here, like a creeper. Someone could come out and see me. But I just can’t seem to make myself move. The betrayal is just too much.
“Wilder, you, um…you won’t tell Morgan what we just did, will you?”
“Morgan?”
“Morgan Stickford. She’s in some of your classes, same major.”
“I know who Morgan is. I’m just wondering why you think I’d tell her that you and I hooked up. We’re not exactly friends.”
“No, but she’s, um…well, she’s kind of a friend of mine.”
Kind of a friend? Nice, Hannah.
“And she, um…well, she…”
Don’t do it, Hannah. Don’t you fucking tell him.
“Well…she kind of…likes you.”
Wilder laughs loudly. The sound splinters into my chest.
“Morgan doesn’t like me.” He laughs again. “She can’t fucking stand me.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” Hannah says quickly. “I was thinking of someone else. I just can’t believe she doesn’t like you.”
Silence.
“I like you,” she says in that breathy voice again.
“Well, babe”—his voice sounds rough, raspy—“why don’t you get down on your knees and show me exactly how much you like me?”
Finally, my legs move. I stumble away, quickly heading for the stairs.
I rush out of the party. I don’t wait to tell Joely that I’m leaving. She’d know something was wrong, and I really don’t want to tell her what just happened. Because I know she’ll be furious with Hannah, and I don’t want to be the reason that they fall out. Also, we have to live with Hannah for the next year.
God, I have to live with Hannah for the next year.
What if she starts dating Wilder?
I shut my eyes and take a deep breath. I don’t want to think of that right now. I’ll deal with it if and when the time comes.
I pull my cell from my pocket and call for a cab. Then, I text Joely to say that I’m not feeling well and that I’m heading home.
I walk a little ways down the street, away from the party, and lean back against a wall of a neighboring house.
“Morgan doesn’t like me. She can’t fucking stand me.”
The sound of Wilder’s words and his laughter ricochet through my mind.
He thinks I don’t like him. He should think that because that’s what I spent the last year ensuring he would think.
And I was right to do so. Because he’s an asshole.
Hating Wilder is the only line of defense that I have left now.
Because I’ve been lying to myself for a long time.
I don’t have a crush on Wilder.
I’m in love with him.
And loving someone like Wilder Cross is pointless and a surefire way to get a broken heart for a girl like me.
If he hasn’t broken it already.
Morgan and I spent a few hours at the factory this morning with Niran, going over a few final details and signing some paperwork, and then we were done. Afterward, he insisted we us
e his driver for the rest of the day to go sightseeing.
So, Morgan and I are in Niran’s limousine with plenty of time for sightseeing.
That means, I get Morgan all to myself for the rest of the day.
She’s seemingly back to normal today after her weird moment last night.
Seriously though, I do not understand women at all. They get bent out of shape over the smallest of things.
But then it’s not Morgan’s head that I want to get into. I just want in her panties.
Charmer—that, I am.
And my plan today is to show her what a fucking awesome guy I really am, and then after spending all day around my awesomeness, Morgan will realize that she needs to be fucked by me immediately. She’ll drag me back to the hotel, and we’ll screw each other’s brains out all night long.
It’s a simple plan. But, sometimes, simple is all you need for an effective outcome.
And I really hope my outcum is in Morgan, or I swear to God, I will lose my ever-loving mind. I will quite possibly need to be committed to a mental institution due to insanity caused by lack of sexual activity, and I’ll also have to face my cock shriveling up and dying from lack of pussy stimulation.
I shudder at the thought. So, if I want to keep my cock alive, it is vital that he finds his way into Morgan’s wet and willing pussy today.
Sometimes, women need to be romanced to get their juices flowing. And I’m not the most romantic of guys, but Niran recommended that we go visit the San Kamphaeng Hot Springs as one of our sightseeing spots today.
I figure, what better place to get Morgan hot…than at a hot springs?
Okay, that sounds fucking terrible, even to my own ears.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Since Morgan came back into my life, I’ve turned into a fucking dimwit.
I really need to get back on my game; otherwise, I’m going to be draining the vein via the five-knuckle shuffle tonight. Before being committed to an insane asylum, minus a working cock.
Sound dramatic? Well, try being me these past few weeks, unable to fuck any other women, and the only woman I actually want to fuck has been unavailable to me. Then, try telling me I’m being dramatic.
Okay, so moving on.
“You’re surprisingly quiet,” Morgan says from beside me.
“Sorry. I was just thinking about work.” Sure you were, Cross. If business is how you’re going to get into Morgan’s panties.
“Anything I need to know about?”
There’s a hint of concern in her voice, so I reassure her, “No, nothing major. Just some stuff I have to do when we get back home.”
“Well,” she says, turning her body to mine, “I say, don’t think about work now. Think about that when we’re home. We’re in Thailand. And we have the whole day to explore.” She grins.
Her smile infects me, tilting my lips up. “You’re right. No more work. Just fun for the rest of the day, babe.”
Something hot and smoky flashes through her eyes.
She likes that I called her babe.
Interesting.
Maybe Morgan and I are more of similar minds than I realized.
The let’s-get-naked-and-fuck kind of minds.
Jesus, I’m so fucking tempted to jump her right now.
But I hold back.
She’s been looking forward to going sightseeing, and she deserves to have some fun after all the hard work she’s put in with the Ananda deal.
So, I’ll hold off for as long as possible before I stick my moves on her. And then stick it in her.
God, I’m such a romantic.
Our driver pulls the limo up outside the Hot Springs. I tell him to wait for us, and then Morgan and I exit the vehicle.
Morgan and I argue over who’s paying the entry fee. In the end, I lie and tell her that I’m charging it to the company, but I pay it myself. It’s the only way she’d let me pay.
Then, we’re inside and walking around.
Basically, it’s just warm water spurting out of the ground and some pools of water set in gardens. But Morgan seems to like it. And I’m happy if she is.
“It’s so pretty,” she says softly beside me, trailing her fingers through the pool of water we’ve stopped by.
“Yeah,” I say. But not as pretty as you.
We walk on a little farther and see people are taking off their shoes and walking into the water from the springs.
“You wanna?” I gesture to the barefoot people in the water, walking around, looking like they’re enjoying themselves.
“Yeah.” She smiles, and it nearly blinds me.
We slip our shoes off. Thankfully, I’m wearing shorts, and Morgan has a knee-length skirt on, which she hitches up a little as we step into the water.
It’s nice. Warm. Like bath water.
I feel water hit the backs of my legs, and I see Morgan grinning.
I turn to her. “Did you just kick water at me, Stickford?”
“Maybe.” Her brow lifts in challenge.
“Right. That’s it.” I charge for her. Sweeping her up off her feet, I fling her over my shoulder.
She screams with laughter. “Put me down, Wilder!”
“You really want me to put you down?” I lean forward with her, holding on to her with my hand on the backs of her legs.
“You’re gonna drop me!” she squeals, banging her hands on my back.
“Am I?”
Then, I surge forward, like I’m going to drop her in the water, and she screams.
“Wilder! Don’t you dare!”
“Say you’re sorry for kicking water at me.”
“What? No way!”
“Okay. A soaking, it is.”
“No! Okay, I’m sorry for kicking water at you!”
“And say, Wilder, you’re so awesome. I’m so sorry for thinking you were a dick for all those years.”
“I’m not saying that!”
I feel her huff of anger against my back, and I have to hold back my laughter.
“Okay then…” I lunge with her again, and it works.
“Okay! I was wrong! You weren’t a dick in college, and you’re not a dick now!”
“See? That wasn’t too hard, was it?”
Grinning, I slide her down my body until she lands on her feet in the water, enjoying the feel of her against me.
I expect her to move away, but she doesn’t. Fiery eyes stare up at me. A thrill shoots through my body.
“You’re a jerk,” she says, but she’s smiling.
“You really want me to toss your ass in this water, don’t you?”
Her eyes narrow on me, and I let out a laugh.
“God, you’re fucking adorable when you’re mad.”
“I’m not adorable.” She pokes me in the chest with her finger. “And I can’t believe you just forced me to say you weren’t a dick in college. Just so you know, I take it back. You were a dick.”
I catch hold of her finger, wrapping mine around it, keeping her there with me. “I know, at times, I was. And I know we didn’t get along in college,” I say gently. “But I always thought you were smart and tenacious.”
“Sure you did.” She rolls her eyes, turning her face away from me.
I know I’m losing her, so I catch her chin in my hand, forcing her focus back to me. I want her to listen to me. I want her to hear what I’m saying.
I know I said I wanted her in my bed. I still do. But I’m not telling her this to make that happen, I realize. I’m telling her because it’s the truth, and I want her to know that.
“I thought you were strong and smart, and I admired that about you. I still do. You worked your ass off in college. You never strayed from your goals. And look where you are today. No one gave this to you. You earned everything you have right now.”
I have her attention now. She’s staring at me, rapt.
I brush my thumb over her skin, and her breath catches.
My eyes dip to her lips and then back to her eyes. ?
??I think you’re incredible. I like how you don’t take my bullshit. You never did.”
The fire in her eyes turns into something else. Something that I really, really like the look of.
“I like you, Morgan.” So fucking much.
I inch my mouth in closer to hers. I can feel her warm breath on my lips.
Her eyes flutter shut.
I’m so close to kissing her that I can almost taste it. Taste her.
God, I want her. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want Morgan.
And I’m just about to erase the last of the space between our mouths and finally kiss her after all this time when the shrill scream of a young girl getting soaked by the shooting spring jolts us apart.
For fuck’s sake.
The disappointment I feel is immense. But I don’t let it show on my face.
“We should probably go,” she says, skirting past me and out of the water. She bends over and picks up her shoes.
I follow after her. “Morgan,” I firmly say her name.
She turns to me, and the look in her eyes is…almost pleading.
The words die on my tongue.
I hold back the sigh I feel. “Are you hungry?” I ask instead, bending to pick up my own shoes. “I was thinking we could grab some food before getting back on the sightseeing trail.”
I see relief flicker through her eyes, and honestly, I don’t know what it means. I don’t know what any of this means. Because I know she wanted me to kiss her. I could see it in her eyes. Feel it in her body.
But I also know, if I push her now, she’ll just clam up on me.
“Sure,” she answers. “I could eat something.”
Okay, so food first and questions later.
And there will be questions. Because, now that I know for sure she wants me, I’m not letting her get away.
We end up in a bar that serves local food, as we couldn’t get a table at any of the restaurants we tried. But the menu looks good, and they serve beer, so it works for me.
I honestly don’t care where I am so long as I’m with Morgan.
Look at me turning into a sappy fuck.
We take a table in the back. I pick up the menu and browse over it. It’s all written in Thai, so Morgan translates for me.