was handed a shot glass with an ochre liquid in it.
Everyone had one. When they finished those, they took another round, and another, and another, until she stopped counting. The flavours were all different, some sweet, and some sour, the last one was bitter but had a caramel aftertaste. Too much, too fast. Her head felt like it was starting to swell. Cade squinted her eyes, then widened them and narrowed them again, trying to keep her vision clear. Then a green cocktail in a martini glass was handed to her. Cade thought it was antifreeze in a fancy glass but she sipped it. Her tongue was bathed in sweet. Maybe a little too sweet. She stared at her glass warily. Didn’t she read somewhere that antifreeze is sweet?
“You like it?” Luke asked. His grip on her had loosened. She nodded and was about to slide off his lap when Jax appeared. And he didn’t look too happy.
Cade tried to focus on him. She widened her eyes, as his animosity seemed to be targeted on her. She saw Zee behind Jax, shaking his head. Cade took that cue to put her drink down and get off Luke’s lap. Her butt landed hard on the purple faux-ostrich skin booth.
The group welcomed Jax. He chose to sit across from Cade, beside JP and Beth, on the wide bench, which was as wide as a queen-size bed. Perfect for the rock god to not only sit on it, but lean back and stretch his torso. He supported himself with a bent elbow. The heat on Cade’s face heightened when Jax’s shirt crept up and exposed his taut muscles. He looked at ease.
Bending forward, Cade grabbed her drink and drank the whole thing in one smooth swig. Bad idea. The green antifreeze seemed to have more alcohol in it than all the shots combined, unless her mind was already gone and muddled because of the previous drinks. She stared at her hands, finding them odd and hazy.
Another hand appeared in front of her. “Let’s dance!” She looked up to see Beth’s sweet smile.
Cade held onto the hand thrust at her, and she found herself lifted up and standing on her own feet. She took a careful step. Dizziness made her sway but she took deep breaths to push oxygen into her system and get her mind cleared off.
“Ya gotta take your jacket off. It’ll be hot down there,” Beth yelled in her ear, trying to fight against the music.
“Okay.” Cade pushed off her jacket and dumped it behind her.
Someone whistled.
Someone said, “Damn, Cade!”
Everyone and everything were starting to blur. Cade blinked her eyes. She had to get a grip. For once in her life, she was doing something fun, something for her. But maybe that much alcohol that fast had been a horrible idea. She felt a prickle against her neck, then on her forehead. Something cold? She blinked her eyes again, and found herself clutching at Jax’s shirt.
He had taken off his jacket too. There they were standing in front of each other in matching white tops—short sleeve tee for him, and a ribbed tank for her—and dark jeans. Jax unscrewed the top of a water bottle, which had been cooling her forehead.
“How much did she drink?” Jax asked Luke and Marco.
“A few shots,” one of the guys answered him. Cade couldn’t tell which one.
Jax, frowning at her, tipped the bottle against her lips. “Have some water.” She wanted to touch his face, outline his sharp features with her fingers, run her nails over his broad shoulders, taste his red lips. Instead, she obeyed. She drank half of it, stopped, and then had the rest. “Good,” Jax said. “Now, go dance the rest off.”
“Rentyucomen?” Even to her, the question sounded odd. Jax raised a brow. Cade tried again, slowly enunciating the words, “Aren’t-you-com-ing?”
But Beth grabbed her hand again, and answered for Jax, “Rock stars don’t dance. Come on. It’s you and me.”
She swaggered around the table, noticing Zee giving her a slight warning with a tilt of his chin and non-expressive face. Cade held onto Beth as they walked down the steps, through the
Everyone had one. When they finished those, they took another round, and another, and another, until she stopped counting. The flavours were all different, some sweet, and some sour, the last one was bitter but had a caramel aftertaste. Too much, too fast. Her head felt like it was starting to swell. Cade squinted her eyes, then widened them and narrowed them again, trying to keep her vision clear. Then a green cocktail in a martini glass was handed to her. Cade thought it was antifreeze in a fancy glass but she sipped it. Her tongue was bathed in sweet. Maybe a little too sweet. She stared at her glass warily. Didn’t she read somewhere that antifreeze is sweet?
“You like it?” Luke asked. His grip on her had loosened. She nodded and was about to slide off his lap when Jax appeared. And he didn’t look too happy.
Cade tried to focus on him. She widened her eyes, as his animosity seemed to be targeted on her. She saw Zee behind Jax, shaking his head. Cade took that cue to put her drink down and get off Luke’s lap. Her butt landed hard on the purple faux-ostrich skin booth.
The group welcomed Jax. He chose to sit across from Cade, beside JP and Beth, on the wide bench, which was as wide as a queen-size bed. Perfect for the rock god to not only sit on it, but lean back and stretch his torso. He supported himself with a bent elbow. The heat on Cade’s face heightened when Jax’s shirt crept up and exposed his taut muscles. He looked at ease.
Bending forward, Cade grabbed her drink and drank the whole thing in one smooth swig. Bad idea. The green antifreeze seemed to have more alcohol in it than all the shots combined, unless her mind was already gone and muddled because of the previous drinks. She stared at her hands, finding them odd and hazy.
Another hand appeared in front of her. “Let’s dance!” She looked up to see Beth’s sweet smile.
Cade held onto the hand thrust at her, and she found herself lifted up and standing on her own feet. She took a careful step. Dizziness made her sway but she took deep breaths to push oxygen into her system and get her mind cleared off.
“Ya gotta take your jacket off. It’ll be hot down there,” Beth yelled in her ear, trying to fight against the music.
“Okay.” Cade pushed off her jacket and dumped it behind her.
Someone whistled.
Someone said, “Damn, Cade!”
Everyone and everything were starting to blur. Cade blinked her eyes. She had to get a grip. For once in her life, she was doing something fun, something for her. But maybe that much alcohol that fast had been a horrible idea. She felt a prickle against her neck, then on her forehead. Something cold? She blinked her eyes again, and found herself clutching at Jax’s shirt.
He had taken off his jacket too. There they were standing in front of each other in matching white tops—short sleeve tee for him, and a ribbed tank for her—and dark jeans. Jax unscrewed the top of a water bottle, which had been cooling her forehead.
“How much did she drink?” Jax asked Luke and Marco.
“A few shots,” one of the guys answered him. Cade couldn’t tell which one.
Jax, frowning at her, tipped the bottle against her lips. “Have some water.” She wanted to touch his face, outline his sharp features with her fingers, run her nails over his broad shoulders, taste his red lips. Instead, she obeyed. She drank half of it, stopped, and then had the rest. “Good,” Jax said. “Now, go dance the rest off.”
“Rentyucomen?” Even to her, the question sounded odd. Jax raised a brow. Cade tried again, slowly enunciating the words, “Aren’t-you-com-ing?”
But Beth grabbed her hand again, and answered for Jax, “Rock stars don’t dance. Come on. It’s you and me.”
She swaggered around the table, noticing Zee giving her a slight warning with a tilt of his chin and non-expressive face. Cade held onto Beth as they walked down the steps, through the
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