The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (91)
“You definitely fucking can, but not right now. I want to enjoy it, and that will take time we don’t have right now.”
He lifted me from the table, and with one last peck, we ended up back in the billiard room where the guys were engaged in a drunken game of Truth or Dare. Tyra was laughing hysterically as Vaughn attempted to dance alone without music. It was hard to believe someone that hot and talented had two left feet.
“Yo, Four! Truth or dare,” Jamie yelled.
Vaughn looked relieved when every drunken gaze in the room turned to me.
“Truth.” I had no idea why I was bothering to indulge him. There was always a hundred percent chance Jamie was up to no good.
“Did you and Ever finally bang it out?”
A chorus of whoops and snickers followed. Jamie certainly never disappointed. The lascivious and hopeful stares coming from the guys made it clear they were all waiting for the day when they could have Ever McNamara’s seconds. If I weren’t so uncomfortable, I’d feel sorry for them.
“Jesus, he’s asking for me to kick his ass,” Ever whispered from my side.
My lips pursed as I glared at Jamie’s smiling face. “I wouldn’t be opposed.”
A wicked grin spread Ever’s lips, and then he was prowling across the room. “Move,” he ordered the chick in Jamie’s lap.
She must have been what kept Jamie occupied for the hour he’d been missing. The moment she scrambled out of harm’s way with a shriek, Ever delivered a mean uppercut, sending Jamie and the chair toppling over. “Everyone out! Party’s over.”
Ever searched for a movie while Vaughn, Tyra, and Jamie lounged on the huge sectional, sharing booze and popcorn. I was studying the numerous pictures of family and friends on the mantle when I came across one of a young Thomas posing with two other guys who looked to be around the same age. One of them had reddish-brown hair and the same cocky grin as Jamie.
“Jameson?”
He groaned and said, “Why do you have to be such a bitch, Four?”
I snickered and pointed to the guy on Thomas’s left. “Is that your dad?”
“Sure is,” Jamie said with a huge grin. “He was a handsome devil, wasn’t it? I’m hotter.”
“The sun never sets in your world, does it?” Tyra questioned Jamie, who only shrugged.
“And who is this?” I pointed to the guy on Thomas’s right with dark hair and a deep chin dimple. I stared at his smiling face and couldn’t put my finger on why he seemed so familiar. I was positive I’d never met this man before. “Is he also a relative?”
Ever looked up with a frown and said, “No. That’s Sean.”
“Oh…okay.” For some reason, I met Jamie’s gaze, but he quickly looked away.
Feeling weird, I sat down and ate some of the popcorn Tyra offered. A few minutes passed, and Vaughn had just shot me his tenth curious glance. “What’s your deal, Rees?”
“I’d ask you a question, but I don’t want Ever ruining this pretty mug.”
That earned a derisive snort from Jamie, who held a bag of frozen peas to his jaw. “He could pound me until I looked like Leatherface, and I’d still be hotter than that sensitive Nancy.”
“Ooooh, touchy much?”
Jamie sat up lightning quick. “Whose side are you on, Four? When did you join the land of the pricks?” He scowled at me as if I’d betrayed him.
“You humiliated me! Again.”
He waved me off. “I told you that wasn’t personal.”
“When a boy likes a girl, he tells her so,” Tyra schooled with thinly veiled contempt. “He doesn’t antagonize his friends and family to show his affection.”
Jamie simply blew her a kiss, earning an eye roll from Tyra and a slap upside the head from Vaughn.
“Keep those pass-arounds to yourself,” Vaughn growled. He then focused on me. “Anyway, I saw your bike in the garage. It’s a beauty.”
“So, what’s your question?”
“Can you really ride that thing?”
Everyone except Ever, whose back was still turned, leaned forward, eager for the answer.
“Ride it, fix it, race it. It won’t win, but I could top the speed without killing myself.”
Vaughn gave me half a smile and an approving nod as he slouched in his seat again. “I knew it would take a badass.”
My eyebrows rose as I nervously toyed with the end of my ponytail. After the party ended, I’d ditched the beanie while Ever had been preoccupied keeping Jamie off him and shoved my hair back into a ponytail. “To do what?”
“Make this apathetic asshole feel again.”
I peeked over at Ever: shoulders tensed, nostrils flared, mouth tight. Yup, he was pissed. “Was he really that bad?”
“I’m in the room,” Ever woodenly reminded.
“You’d have had better luck sneezing with your eyes open than getting him to crack a smile.”
“Still here,” Ever snapped.
I decided to take a page from Vaughn’s book and ignored Ever. “He was a dick to me the first time we met and every moment after. I’m not sure how much I helped.”
Vaughn began blinking rapidly. “Wow! He actually acknowledged you?” I rolled my eyes when he started slow clapping. “You must have made quite the impression.”