Page 30 of Dark Hearts: Volume 1
Me: This is why I’m a hermit. My first day of socializing and I was almost murdered.
Kaylee: Not murdered. Raped. Watch yourdrink, Alice.
“You’re okay,” Zeke says, bumping my shoulder with his.
“Uh… thanks,” I say quietly. Of all people, why would Zeke give a fuck what happens to me?
I sit with my beer and listen to everyone talk about graduation and plans after college. “You can drink it,” Brett says as he leans in. I’ve been sitting here for nearly an hour, and I haven’t taken a sip of my drink.
“I’m… I’m okay,” I say, setting my cup on the table in front of me.
“Hey! Let’s play suck and blow,” a girl says as she perks up.
“Yes!” They say. I groan when Zeke and Brett agree in unison.
“Alice?” Kaylee asks. I know what the game is, but she knows Zeke and Brett tease me incessantly. I do feel safe with them though. Tonight proves that. I’ve never thought that they would hurt me. I guess I’m just surprised that they defended me. I’ve never been in a situation that required defending.
“Does our mousy girl even know how to play?” Zeke teases.
“Oh, she reads smut. She knows what’s up,” Kaylee winks at me. I narrow my eyes at her, and she giggles.
“I’m a hermit. Not an idiot,” I say, annoyed. “I’ll play.”
When a smile grows on his face, I know I fucked up. “Start us off, Kaylee.”
She grabs a playing card and puts it to her mouth. The point of the game is for you to suck on the card and hand it off to someone else without dropping the card. So, you are just basically passing the card around only using your mouth. It goes from person to person without issue. Men pass it to men. Women pass itto women. The moment it gets to Zeke, I know what he’s going to do. I’m not a chicken. So what if he kisses me? I’ve kissed people. It’s notthatbig of a deal.
Zeke leans in to pass the card but it’s his hands grabbing my face that distracts me. He drops the card and kisses me hard. I am instantly sucked into his orbit as I get lost in his kiss. His tongue tastes like beer and spearmint from the candy he was eating earlier. When I feel Brett put his hand on my thigh it snaps me back into reality and I pull away.
Brett grabs my chin and gently turns my face towards him as a blush creeps up my neck and fills my cheeks. Everyone is looking at me… us. “Our sweet little mouse is blushing,” he says softly. “Can’t handle a little kiss?”
“What I can’t handle has nothing to do with my reaction to people watching me,” I frown. It is obnoxious when they imply that I’m some innocent little flower. Just because I’m introverted, doesn’t mean I don’t understand or that I haven’t done anything. Hell, I lost my virginity in a threesome with Kaylee and her boyfriend at the time. I don’t think that’s innocent.
“Oh?” Brett asks, moving closer. “So, you can handle… more?”
“More people or more kissing?” I ask seriously. Kaylee laughs out loud, and it makes me smile.
“Oh, she can handle more people,” Kaylee answers vaguely.
“Then this shouldn’t be too big of a deal,” he says, brushing his lips against mine. He squeezes the bend of my hip but stifles my involuntary moan with his mouth. He kisses me hard and keeps squeezing. When he lets go, I pull away from our kiss.
“Mmm. Those little rosy cheeks,” he says cupping my face and running his thumb across my hot cheek.
“Stop implying that I’m innocent,” I say as I smack his arm away.
“Aren’t you though?” Zeke asks.
“Just because I don’t go to stupid college parties does not make me innocent,” I retort.
“So, you’re not a virgin?” Brett teases. “Here I was hoping to pop your cherry.”
“Too late, boys. I did it for you,” Kaylee says seriously. When I grin at her words, Brett is visibly surprised. “She can handle anything you give her.”
“That isnotwhat I mean,” I say quickly.
“Oh? Are we too much to handle?” Zeke asks.
“Not in the slightest. I’m sure I can handle something that small,” I say with a snarky tone. Kaylee laughs as Zeke leans in and whispers in my ear.
