but I feel like maybe I’ve never really seen her. Not like this.
“A–Abi,” I stammer, finding my cool again. “Arch.”
“Hey, Ross . . . and Goose,” Archie jokes, using his nickname for Kaede. “You still haven’t taken me to bed.”
“Guess I’ve lost you forever then,” Kaede replies as the two bump fists. Kaede’s as straight as I am, but he’s chill as Slurpee with Archie, ever since Arch wing-manned for Kaede one night. I still can’t pry the full story out of Kaede a year later. I just know he walked into work the following Monday looking like he’d had a holy experience.
“Violet.”
The word hangs in the throbbing bass-filled air of the club, and I swear Vi blushes a little as she gives me a nod, but more than likely, that’s the pink lights skimming over her skin. “Ross.” She seems completely unaffected by me, which unnerves me for some reason.
“Anyway . . . what’s the emergency?” I ask as Abi scoots to the side and I find myself wedged beside Violet. Her thigh rubs against mine through my pants, and . . . oh, fuck, it moved.
This can’t be happening. Violet’s my little sister’s best friend, to the point that I’ve heard all of their stupid little girl giggling from the time she was eight years old. She’s damn near family, which means off limits.
Nope. Not going to happen.
I am not allowed to be attracted to Violet.
Not tonight. Not ever.
What the hell is wrong with me?
But feeling the warmth of her thigh pressed against my leg and the way her lightly tanned skin contrasts with the blood red of her sexy dress, that shade of red I’ve always thought of as Fuck Me Scarlet, is new, and I’m having to fight my own body’s desires.
It doesn’t care that Violet is Abi’s BFF.
It doesn’t care that I’ve known this girl since she had chicken legs.
It only cares that those legs are long, toned, and leading to a body that’s erotic in every atom of its being.
It only cares about sheathing myself in one of her body’s tight, velvety crevices and emptying itself inside her.
She’s a siren calling me to crash on the curves of her shores.
“Hey, Ross? Earth to Ross!”
I blink and look over at Abi, who’s giving me a strange look. “What?”
“You drunk already?” Abi asks, grinning. “That’s new for you.”
“Probably that pizza hasn’t digested enough yet,” Kaede says with a chuckle. “You know, low blood sugar and all. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast.” He’s good at covering for me, but I can see the questions in his eyes.
What the fuck, man? You okay?
Kaede reaches his hand across the table toward Violet. “Kaede Warren. Good to see you again. It’s been a while.”
Violet shakes his hand with a firm grip, no wimpy kiss-it greeting from her, and I have to fight the urge to growl at my best friend for touching her. “Violet Russo. I remember you from school, and I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Kaede offers a flirty smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you too, though it seems not the important things.” His eyes drop down, licking over Vi’s body, and I cough to cover the kick I throw his way under the table. Luckily, I hit my target and not Arch.
Kaede’s eyes snap to mine, humor dancing in their dark depths. The bastard’s fucking with me.
Next to me, I can feel Violet fidget, a sort of nervous energy almost vibrating off her body. “So, Abi, what—”
Suddenly, the music changes, and Archie jumps up, grinning like a fool. “Bitches!”
I blink, stunned. “Huh?”
“This is my jam!” Archie says, grabbing Abi by the hand. “Come on, Abs. You too, K-dawg. Abigail’s gonna need a dance partner while I find one of my own! Unless you’re volunteering to be the meat in the sandwich tonight?” He laughs, not remotely serious, but he is pulling Abigail and Kaede out of the booth.
Kaede gives me a raised eyebrow, but I give him a slight tilt of my chin. He’s a good guy, and I know he’ll be polite enough with my sister that I can trust him. Besides, while he’s out on the dance floor, he’ll probably be scanning the crowd looking for potential candidates for me.
Knowing him, he’ll probably come back upstairs with at least two or three.
The three of them head downstairs, Archie using an intimidating glare and his long arms to make room on the dance floor before breaking out moves that just might put Simone Biles to shame.
“Look