In Too Deep by Stella Rhys

From afar, it looked like I was wearing only a pair of boots.
    Sloane shook her head.  “You two are going to have sex at the party, aren’t you?”
    My lips twisted into a grin as I grabbed my clutch.  “That’s the plan.”

Chapter Nineteen
    Buccieri’s second floor lounge was a cozy little spot with candlelit tables, leather booths and tufted walls.  There was something undeniably sultry about the room and I always loved sitting there, sipping champagne cocktails and luxuriating in the sounds of my favorite songs by Nina Simone.  They drifted through the air as I laughed with Sloane and occasionally caught Jackson’s eye from across the room, where he and the boys discussed whatever it was that they discussed.
    I couldn’t wait to do exactly that tonight – give Jackson bedroom eyes from afar, cross and uncross my legs, do all the things that always forced him to excuse himself from his friends and take me elsewhere for a private moment.
    But I didn’t spot him right away when I got to the second floor.
    “Fuckin’ fuck,” Sawyer groaned when he saw me first.  He thrust his fingers into his coiffed hair, ruining it.  “Lara.  Babe.  Fuck ,” he said as if it were a real sentence.  He was speechless as I kissed his cheek and stood there as more of Jackson and my friends came to greet me.
    “Oh my God , Lara,” Emily Rocha gasped, gesturing at my dress before giggling and whispering in my ear.  “Piper’s putting the moves on Jake right now and he’s totally not into it.  It’s hilarious! Come say hi with me so you can see.”
    Before I could say no, she dragged my arm, pulling me to the circle booth at the very back of the room.  There, I saw Piper kneeling in her leather mini dress, two teasing fingertips trailing up to Jake’s package as she whispered in his ear.  He stared ahead, a lowball of scotch in his left hand and a sexy, crooked laugh on his lips.  “Not into it” didn’t seem like the most accurate description.
    Still, Emily tossed me a “ how funny! ” look before clearing her throat.  “Excuse us, Piper.  The man of the hour needs to say hello to his future sister-in-law.”
    Act normal, I braced myself.
    But the second Jake looked at me, the room stood still.  The laughter and music floated from my ears and all I could hear was my own pulse as he stared at me with a lust so instant I feared Emily and Piper would know – that the air would give us away, growing instantly thick with the energy of two people who weren’t supposed to have had sex.
    But their banter was what brought me back to Earth.  “Couldn’t you see that we were talk ing?” Piper asked Emily, who shot back with something I didn’t hear because Jake was standing up.
    “Always good to see you, Lara.”  His voice was convincingly casual.  My body was hot as he leaned forward, one hand on my waist as he kissed my cheek.  “You look beautiful as always,” he said, his eyes boring into mine.
    “Thank you,” I murmured as I took in the sight of his athletic body in formalwear.  He looked torturously good in a dark grey button up and black skinny tie – like he belonged on the red carpet.  “You look very handsome yourself,” I offered quietly, a shiver rippling up the length of my spine as Jake leaned back on his heels, still taking me in.  He’d yet to take his emerald eyes off of me.  But then again, I couldn’t stop staring at him either.  The air was thick.  Tense.
    But to my surprise, we cracked a smile at the same time.
    Thank you, Rocha sisters .  They were still bickering ridiculously but I was grateful for the comic relief.  I hadn’t spoken to Jake since a couple nights ago, when we’d done whatever it was we’d done in the guest bedroom.  I hadn’t been sure of how he’d act around me tonight but thus far, things were looking amicable at the very least.
    “Nice boots,” he gave me a small but dimpled smile.  Taking a step back, he eyed my outfit, his stare so