Responsible.
“I’m Natalie, and you are?”
“Chad.”
“Hi, Chad.”
“Nothing in your hand?”
“Just got here,” I scan the room again for any sign of the band and come up empty. It seems since the last time I blinked, a dozen or so more people have sprouted up in every direction. Ignoring the stomach drop that follows my fruitless search, Chad speaks up.
“Allow me?”
“Please,” I say when Chad holds out his elbow, and I wrap my hand loosely around his bicep as he escorts me toward the bar.
Whatever he’s doing is none of your business. Whomever he’s doing is none of your business.
Even as I think it, I feel a possessive stab start running rampant through me. Why drag me here if he had no intention of being here with me? I’m positive Joel alerted Easton I was here, which only fuels my irritation. The thought that Easton might be trying to toy with me rears its ugly head. Repulsed and becoming more certain that’s the case, I decide I want no part in whatever sick game he’s planning on playing with me.
Plan, Natalie. Party.
After a few fruitless attempts to flag the few tending bar, Chad takes matters into his own hands and hoists himself up and over the bar counter. He ducks out of sight before retrieving two bottles, one vodka, and one rum. I point to the unopened vodka bottle, and he winks. “Smart!”
“Not my first rodeo!” I yell back, my thoughts drifting to the makeshift cowboy I hung out with today.
He’s not this callous, Natalie.
Shaking off the threatening urgency to find him, I command myself back into the moment and watch Chad pour a healthy shot of vodka over ice.
“Can you please mix it with something? Club soda, if you can find it!”
He grins. “Got you!”
“I’m a good tipper!” I yell.
“What?!”
We collectively laugh because the notion of conversation is ridiculous. Chad busies himself looking for a mixer as I step aside to make way for another in need of the bartender and stumble into a warm body. Righting myself, I go to apologize and come face to face with LL. Feeling slightly relieved to see a familiar face, I open my mouth to greet him noticing his eyes are hooded. My jaw unhinges when I discover he’s heavily preoccupied.
“Natalie,” he greets me casually as my eyes drift down to where his hand is fisting a brunette’s hair. A brunette who’s on her knees, sucking him off with wild abandon as he guides her bobbing head with his firm grip.
“Apologies, love,” he relays, “the Molly hit her pretty hard.”
Doing my best to conceal the shock—while a bit jealous his day has gone in a spectacularly better direction than mine—I take a small step back and can’t help my wandering eyes from lowering again as his impressive length glides in and out of her lips. Unable to stop the train wreck, I watch him caress her face with his free hand like she’s a good pet. My eyes fly back to LL’s for a few seconds, his mouth parting slightly as his arousal spikes, his surreal crystal blue eyes piercing.
Slight apprehension threatens for the degradation taking place before me, and I ignore it, knowing the power is ultimately hers. With that notion, I find myself turned on, chest heaving with my increased intake of breaths. LL seems to read my expression as I allow my eyes to again dip in time to see his companion swirl her tongue skillfully around the tip of his cock.
“Fuck, you’re going to have to stop staring at my cock like that, love,” he exhales gruffly as his hungry eyes sweep me, and I avert mine to check the room in search of Easton. My nipples draw painfully tight, an intensifying ache growing between my legs just as a cup appears in my line of sight.
Chad.
My Drink.
Embarrassment covers me, heat blanching my neck as my eyes fly to Chad, whose own lower to discover the scene playing out before slowly lifting back to mine, the effect on him clear.
“I…um…，” I shake my head, knowing my skin is betraying me as I take his offered drink, “thank you.”
Chad’s eyes bounce between LL, his current situation, and back to me before he leans in on a whisper, his voice charged as his breath hits my neck. “I would give anything to know what you’re thinking right now.”
I can’t blame him for his own response, I feel exposed in a way I’ve never been before.
“What am I thinking?” I laugh. “I’m neither a prude nor saint, but I wasn’t expecting to get so close to the fire during the length of a single song. Obviously, I’m embarrassed and…”