We both get up and head for the freezer where a half-full bottle of Grey Goose sits. “Is it the stats test that’s making you tense or all your man trouble?” Kelli asks.
“Both,” I tell her truthfully.
“I don’t want you at the house tonight,” Jade says firmly, her gaze directed at me. Not that she could be talking to anyone else, considering we’re the only ones here.
I’m sitting at the kitchen counter eating cereal for lunch. I’m too lazy to leave the house to grab something and I definitely don’t cook. Jade’s bustling around the kitchen pulling shit out of the pantry she’s going to use to make her appetizers for her little gathering later this evening. She’s even wearing an apron—a rather domesticated scene that’s making me extremely uncomfortable.
Does Shep even understand what he’s doing by living with Jade and letting her have full reign of his house? He’s insane.
“Why can’t I stick around? It’s my house too,” I mumble around a mouthful of Fruit Loops.
“Ew, don’t talk with your mouth full.” She swats me with a dishtowel and I duck out of her way. “No girl is going to want you if you talk to her with milk dribbling down your chin.”
I immediately touch my chin, which is bone ass dry. Jade grins. “Made you check.”
Grumbling beneath my breath, I shovel another spoonful of fruity loops in my mouth, chew and swallow before I speak again. “All the girls want me, Jade. I don’t think a little milk drool is going to hurt my game.”
She rolls her eyes. “Are you for real right now?”
My answer is a shrug, which seems to irritate her more.
“You need to go out. Maybe you and Shep could go to a bar. Or to the gambling house,” she suggests. That she’s encouraging me to drag Shep’s ass to a bar is unbelievable—and tells me she’s serious about getting us out of here.
“I don’t want to go out.” The weather is for shit today. Cloudy and gloomy and rainy. A big storm is forecasted for later tonight—thanks Ginger Zee on Good Morning America—and I really don’t want to get stuck out in it.
Do I sound like an old man or what?
“Seriously? The one night I will practically pay you to go to a bar with my man and you’re not interested?” She stops on the other side of the island, directly in front of me. I look up to meet her irritated gaze. “What can I do to convince you to leave?”
“You’re not going to pay me?” Like I’d take her money.
She shakes her head.
“So you really don’t want me around.”
“Absolutely not.” She even mock shudders for the full effect.
“Because of your party?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of party is it?” No one has said. I think it’s weird that Jade is entertaining her friends like my mom would on a Friday night. With appetizers and wine and all that bullshit.
The look on Jade’s face is immediately sketchy. “Just a little something to get all the girls together.”
Uh, huh. She’s not telling me everything. Pushing my empty bowl away from me, I fold my arms on top of the counter and contemplate her. “I won’t disturb your little something. I’ll lock myself away in my room for the entire night. I promise.”
“You can’t promise anything and you know it.”
She’s got me there. “Where’s Shep going tonight?”
“With you.” She does this weird little hand thing that’s a total gimme a break gesture. “Come on, Tristan. Help me out here.”
“Who’s coming to this party?”
“My friends.”
“Lucy?”
“Of course.”
“Kelli?”
She nods, then proceeds to rattle off a list of girls while ticking each one off with her fingers. I don’t recognize any of their names so I immediately tune out. I didn’t know Bitch Face Jade had that many friends. Go figure.
“Oh, and Alex. Kelli’s friend,” Jade tacks onto the end of her list, like no big thing.
But it’s a huge thing. I’d pushed her out of my thoughts on purpose. More for my own protection than hers because come on, I’m the most selfish monster on the planet. I got caught up in some weird, temporary obsession with Alexandria. Like to the point where she was consuming my thoughts and that’s just completely unlike me. So instead of pursuing her relentlessly like my inner instincts were screaming at me to do, I gave up.
Completely.
As in, I haven’t been with a girl in what? Over a week? Two? I’ve lost fucking count.
And that’s unheard of.
“Hey baby.”
I turn to see Shep walking into the kitchen, immediately going to Jade so he can give her a kiss. “Cute apron,” he tells her when their lips break apart.
Jesus. He would like it.
“Thanks.” She beams up at him.
“You should wear it and nothing else sometime.” He swats her ass, making her squeal.
I clear my throat because yeah, I don’t want to watch this nauseating spectacle go on any longer. “You two crazy kids,” I mutter.
Shep chuckles as he walks over to settle onto the stool next to mine. “Where we going tonight?”
“Do we have to leave?” I’m whining but I can’t help it.
“Listen bro, I’m with you. But Jade wants us gone. She’s afraid we’ll make the girls uncomfortable.”
“Wait, what? How the hell could we make them uncomfortable?”
“Because it’s a sex toy party. No men allowed.”
“Shepard Prescott you weren’t supposed to tell him that, remember? God, you can’t ever keep your mouth shut, can you?”
He grins at Jade who’s scowling at him in return. “Baby, you prefer it when my mouth is open.”
“Ugh, stop turning this into a sex thing.”
“It is a sex thing,” Shep argues.
I’m stuck on one thing in particular. “What do you mean, a sex toy party?” My mind is blown. Women do this sort of thing? Jeez, I remember Mom kicking us out of the house a few times because of various social gatherings with her friends over the years but I really hope to hell they weren’t about sex toys.
“It’s called a Desire Party,” Jade explains, sounding reluctant. Like we have a gun held to her head and we’re forcing her to spill the details. “They sell sex toys, lube, lingerie, the works.”
I’m gaping at her and Shep laughs. “You’re cool with her having this party?” I ask him incredulously.
“Dude, I’m going to benefit from her having this party, so why the hell not? The more she sells, the more credit she gets for free shit. It’s like a Tupperware party but X-rated.” He rubs his hands together. “I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to trying out the anal beads the most.”
“Shep, Jesus! Shut up!” Jade yells but then starts to laugh when Shep bends over and clutches his gut, overcome at his own ridiculous joke.
“Try them out on you or her?” I ask, not really wanting to know the answer.
“Don’t you dare answer him.” Jade grabs a knife out of the nearby block and brandishes it at Shep. “I’m serious.”
Thank God for Jade.
“No comment,” Shep says as he sits up fully, wearing a giant smile. I keep one wary eye on Jade as she slips the knife back into its slot in the wooden block. “See, we can’t stick around. We’ll just cause trouble and say inappropriate things.”
Yeah. I don’t think I want to see a bunch of chicks manhandling a monster-sized dildo as they pass it around. That sounds kind of…creepy. And uncomfortable for all of us.
I frown. Would Alex want to buy a monster-sized dildo? She hasn’t even seen the monster I have in my jeans but she’s felt it because I can’t control myself when I’m around her. And when she’s wrapped all around me, her lips fused with mine? Forget it.
“Fine. We’ll go out,” I finally say. I can’t be in the same house with Alexandria. I’ll do something stupid.