Filthy English (English #2) - Ilsa Madden-Mills Page 0,87
in the designated area near the tree line. There had to be about a hundred people here, and before the night was through there’d be more.
Two girls walked into our circle. My eyes flared at one of them.
I stumbled and thankfully managed to fall back in my chair.
Wearing that short-as-fuck dress from Masquerade and heels—what was she thinking—Remi walked into our circle. The cream-colored dress showcased her Dax tattoo and was almost see-through with the lanterns behind her. Her hair was like fire, her pearls draped around her neck.
No bra. No panties.
Someone whistled.
My beer fell out of my hand and spilled on the ground.
Everyone hushed in the middle of a game of Never Have I Ever. I don’t know if it was because they saw my livid face or if they were gawking at her body.
I was a statue, couldn’t even twitch as I watched her sashay over to me, teetering a little when she stepped on a rock.
She stopped in front of Alexandria. “You. Whatever your name is. Up.”
“Excuse me. No. You don’t own him.” She squinted, letting out a nervous laugh. “Wait. Aren’t you his roommate?”
“Get up. I do own him. And take your hand off his leg.”
Alexandria looked at me for help. The best I could eke out was one of my trademark shrugs. My heart was freaking out. My mouth was dry as cotton. “She’s the boss,” I pushed out.
Sputtering, Alexandria stood and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Fine. He’s boring as shit anyway.”
I burst out laughing just to relieve the awkwardness; plus the idea of me being boring was ludicrous.
Remi took her seat, politely covering her ankles so no one could see up her dress.
“Don’t you think you’re a bit overdressed?” I said curtly.
She smiled, showing me the little space between her teeth. “You’re lucky I wore anything at all.”
I hissed.
“I wore it to piss you off.”
My lids lowered. “It’s working,” I growled.
Lulu took a seat on the other side of her, which had been vacated when Alexandria stormed off.
The conversation began to grow again, but I could feel people’s eyes on us.
I knew what they were thinking.
That chick is practically naked!
Wasn’t she engaged to Hartford?
She just claimed Dax Blay as hers. Is it the end of the world?
I laughed as warmth buzzed in my brain, and it wasn’t from the beer.
Someone handed the girls cups of beer, and we got back to playing the game. I tore my eyes off Remi and kept them focused straight ahead. Maybe if I didn’t stare at her, I’d get some sense, because right now, all I wanted to do was scoop her up and carry her off.
No one could remember whose turn it was, so Remi said she’d go.
I leaned back in my chair and watched her stand. She looked damn beautiful—even if I did want to grab a blanket and wrap it around her.
She raised her glass. “Never have I ever had a one-night stand.”
Everyone murmured or chuckled and most of us took a drink. She drank. I drank.
“May I go again?” she asked sweetly, and of course, all the brothers said “Sure, babe,” eyeballs all over her. My fists clenched.
“Never have I ever had a one-night stand that turned into a three-night stand because you’d fallen in love and couldn’t bear to leave that person. Ever.”
She tipped her glass up and took a swig. I didn’t see who else did, because my eyes were only on her.
I drank.
God, I loved her. Deeply. Intensely. Completely.
She smiled around at the circle and did a little curtsey. “Thank you for letting me hijack your game.”
“Anytime,” a male called suggestively, and I sent him a go to hell look.
I stood. “My turn,” I announced. Nerves hit me. My hands shook.
It’s now or never, Dax. Tell her how you feel. Own it. Embrace it.
“Never have I ever loved someone so much that I’d get down on my knees and beg her to forgive me for being too young to know that what we had was the most beautiful thing in the world, and all I had to do was let go of my fears and love her forever.”
I gulped down the rest of my beer, watching her.
She picked up her glass, saluted me, and took a drink.
The group grew quiet. Again. Eyes on us.
Hell, we were a soap opera. I’d just confessed my love for Remi in front of the entire frat and probably some random people I didn’t even know.
Something had fried my brain because I wasn’t done.