Hidden Kisses (Love in Sienna Series Book 2), page 5
It’s been three months since I’ve seen or spoken to my best friend. I look out the window of my living room. It’s cold, and there’s a light dusting of snow on the ground.
This will be the first year I’ve spent the holidays by myself. I’ve always spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with the Ecostas, but that isn’t an option this year.
Amber still hasn’t shared the picture, and I’m wondering why. Why threaten me and then not follow through? I keep waiting.
At least I was able to finish the season as a champ. But if the photo does get leaked, I’ll never play again.
Now that the season is over, I feel like I’m going crazy. I couldn’t even be happy about the win because I didn’t have anyone to share it with. I put on a face for the cameras, then came home and got drunk. I never let people into my life, so I don’t really have friends. I have people I drink with, and woman I fuck, but no one close to me. Mikey was the only one, and now he wants nothing to do with me.
After the fourth beer, I pull out my phone.
Me: Are you drinking tonight?
Leah responds with a picture of a Jager bomb. That makes me smile. She only responds when she drinks, I’ve come to learn. I guess she lets her guard down when the alcohol enters her blood stream.
Me: So, where’s the party at?
Leah: I’m not telling.
Me: Oh, come on. Give me something.
Leah: Follow my Instagram. If you can find me, I’m yours.
I swallow hard. Fuck me. I’m always up for a challenge, and this one will have a great reward.
Pulling up Leah’s Instagram account, I go through her pictures. My first thought is that she will be at All That Jazz, but I instantly know that’s not right from the background. I stare at the giant pink flowers with silver accents. I know I’ve seen that wall before, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what bar it is. Of course, I’m always wasted when I’m out, and not paying attention to minor details. My face is also usually buried in some chick’s tits, so what wallpaper is on the wall isn’t my priority.
She keeps posting pictures, and I still can’t figure out where she is. I pull at my hair. This is driving me fucking nuts. I can’t just drive around to every bar. That would be pointless. Sienna is way too large. It’s getting late, and if I can’t figure out where she is soon, I won’t be getting her tonight. And I desperately need to get laid.
Just as I think I’ve figured out where she is, I get a picture text. It’s Leah lying in bed. Her makeup is smudged, and she is cuddled up in her blankets. Fuck.
Leah: Missed your chance.
Leah: Too bad. I was hoping you would find me.
For fuck’s sake. Trying to be clever, I text her back.
Me: What’s your address?
Leah: Hahaha, nice try. But that’s not happening.
Leah: Maybe next time.
She sends me a GIF of a sleepy kitty, and I know my ship has sailed. But she did say next time.
Why did I decide to come to the grocery store again? Normally, I just get my housekeeper to pick up my groceries. But no. This week, I decided I should do things myself. After signing my fourth hat, I’ve decided this is a bad idea.
I’m squeezing an orange trying to figure out if it’s ripe enough to take when someone rams their cart into the back of my leg.
“Fuck!” I mumble under my breath.
Seriously, I am never coming back to the grocery store again.
“I am so sorry,” the softest voice says, picking up the orange I dropped when she tried to take out my legs.
“Don’t be, sweetheart,” I say, smiling, as Leah realizes it’s me.
“For fuck’s sake,” Leah huffs out as soon as she meets my eyes. “I take back that apology. You deserve much worse than a little ankle hit.”
She starts to storm away, but I stop her. “Oh, come on. Tell me the truth. You knew it was me all along and just wanted to say hi.”
Her eyes are the perfect shade of brown and I can see the fire in them.
“You are the last man on earth I want to talk to,” she spits out, making me chuckle.
I lean in so she can feel my breath on her neck. “Those messages you keep sending me say something else.”
Leah visibly shivers, and I smile.
“Drunk Leah is stupid,” she mutters, and I laugh again.
I lift her chin and move in slowly. Her lips are parted just slightly, and damn, I want to kiss her. Just as I’m about to close the space, Leah steps backward and pushes me away.
“I’m way too sober to be dealing with this shit,” she says, storming off and leaving her grocery cart behind.
I chuckle to myself. She wants to say she hates me, but her body tells another story.
I grunt, pulling down the weight. My life lately has consisted of hitting the gym every day, drinking a lot at night, and banging nameless chicks when I feel the need.
Leah texts me when she’s drunk and ignores me the rest of the time. Even the drunk texts have slowed down since the grocery store encounter. She’s still convincing herself that she hates me, but hate sex could be good too.
I just need her in my bed for one night. She’s the only woman I think about. When I’m banging the random women, I have to think of her to get off. No one does it for me anymore.
But Leah isn’t easy. I can tell she wants me, and she loves to play games. But I’m sick of the fucking games. I need to come up with a plan and get her in my bed. Tonight.
I pull out my phone and text one of my teammates. Troy always knows where the parties are at. I think I want to play a game of my own tonight.
“There is a huge beach party tonight at All That Jazz,” Rayna states while grabbing the wine glasses. “We have to go. Karson is going to be there, and I need my wing woman.”
Karson is Rayna’s boy toy right now. They aren’t dating, but I think she wants to change that.
“Fine,” I concede. “I could use a good time. Maybe even get my mind off a certain baseball player.”
I told Rayna all about Johnny. About how I keep texting him when I’m drunk, and even about why I really shouldn’t be texting him.
Drunk Leah really needs to slow her roll.
I hate him, I remind myself.
“Yes! Let’s both get laid tonight!”
I pull out my phone and text Tia
Me: Ugh, why do you have to be pregnant? I want you to come out tonight.
Tia: LOL! I know. I feel like an old lady, but seriously, it’s not even 8pm and I’m ready for bed.
Me: I miss your face.
Tia: Miss you too. Have fun with Rayna. Don’t do anything stupid.
Me: Like drunk call the guy I like and confess my love for him?
I think back to the time Tia did that to Mikey and giggle.
Tia: Ugh! Don’t ever bring that up again. I thought I was going to die of embarrassment the next day.
Me: I’ll see you next week at Crystal’s birthday.
Tia: Yes! Love you.
Me: Love you too.
The bass is so loud, I can feel it through my body. This is why I love it here. The energy is insane! I have my sexiest bikini on under my skimpy wrap-around dress. I plan on winning the bathing suit competition later. Five hundred bucks? Yes, please.
“Oh, there’s Karson!” Rayna yells. “I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t lie to me,” I chuckle. “Just come find me when you’re done making out. If you ditch me, send me a text.”
She blushes and runs off.
That girl is hornier than I am, and that’s saying something. I haven’t had sex since I broke up with Chad, which was around seven months ago.
It’s not that I’m a prude, but life just got so busy. Tia and Mikey had barely started dating before shit hit the fan, and I would have felt like a shitty friend for ditching her in her time of need. I’ve already felt like a shit friend for so much.
It feels great to get out, and I am getting laid tonight. I don’t even need to know his name. He just needs to be hot and preferably have a giant cock.
Waiting at the bar for a drink, I feel someone standing next to me. “What are you drinking?”
That voice. A shiver runs down my spine. I hear that voice in my dreams. I can’t stop thinking about that voice.
I hate him.
I turn and face Johnny.
“Fancy seeing you here.” I look around him. “Weird. I don’t see any sluts. Have you not managed to find any yet?” I raise my hand to my eyes, looking out towards the dance floor. “Oh, I see one. Better run before she dances away.” I turn my attention back to the bartender.
“Maybe I only have eyes for you?”
I put my finger in my mouth and pretend like I’m gagging. “That was the worst line I have ever heard.”
He places his hand on my arm, and I immediately get goosebumps. I’ve never reacted so easily to a guy the way I do to Johnny. Why is this happening? It needs to stop.
He leans in slightly. “I found you. Wasn’t that the rules? If I found you, I could have you?”
I can feel his breath on my neck, and I fight back a moan.
“Too bad for you the game is over.”
The bartender slides me my drink, and Johnny slaps a bill on the bar. I roll my eyes.
“I can buy my own drinks, thank you very much,” I hiss.
Grabbing my drink, I try to walk off, but Johnny stops me.
“Well, how about a new game?” he asks, his eyes gleaming.
I pull my arm back aggressively.
“I don’t have time for your stupid games,” I spit, trying to walk away again.
“Are you entering the bathing suit competition?” he hollers.
I stop, turning slightly. “Well, of course. I’m totally going to win!”
I raise an eyebrow at him, wondering what his angle is. I shouldn’t even be talking to him, but I love a good challenge and I can’t turn down a bet.
“Okay, so here’s the game. If I win, you come home with me tonight. If you win, I leave you alone for good.”
My heart drops to my stomach. No, I hate him. This should thrill me. So, why does the thought of never seeing him again make me sad?
“Or you can choose whatever you want. You would be the winner,” he suggests, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
Yep. This is why I hate him. He is such a man-whore and all he thinks about is sex. I’ll just be another notch on his bedpost. No, thank you.
He steps in close, invading my space, and I think he’s going to kiss me. I close my eyes, waiting, but it doesn’t come. Opening my eyes, I see his smug smile. Asshole.
“So, are you still confident that you’re going to win?” he asks.
This is my chance. I can finally get him to leave me alone forever, and willingly. I can’t pass up on this opportunity.
“You’ve got a deal!” I raise an eyebrow and stick my hand out for him to shake. “I don’t lose.”
“Where the fuck have you been?” I yell at Rayna, who is sitting on Karson’s lap.
“Um, right here?” she states, like I’m an idiot.
I slap my hand on my forehead. “Ugh! I just made a really stupid deal. Why can’t I back down from a challenge?”
Karson laughs. I know Rayna has told him stories.
“What is it this time? Going to run naked through the bar?” he asks.
I narrow my eyes at Rayna. “Really? You told him that story?”
She shrugs. “What? It’s a good story. I’m still shocked you made it all the way down the hotel hallway. Even after that hot guy opened his door and saw you naked as a jaybird.”
I feel my cheeks heating at the memory. I’m pretty confident in my own body. I walk around naked all the time, but when a super hot guy walks out, catching you mid-run, it’s hard not be slightly embarrassed.
“I’m never playing drinking games with you again,” I grumble.
“Don’t hate the player, hate the game. And it’s not like it was the first time someone saw you naked. Have you remembered to close your blinds yet?” she asks.
I giggle. “I really don’t think my neighbors can see me. You’d think they would have made a comment by now if they could.”
Like I said, I walk around naked a lot. And yes, I forget to close my blinds often.
She shakes her head. “No, they’re probably just like me and Tia. They’re so used to seeing you naked that it doesn’t even faze them anymore.”
I push her playfully. It’s true, though. She and Tia may have walked in on me naked on more than one occasion.
“That’s what you get for not telling me you were coming over,” I tell her.
She rolls her eyes at me. “Anyway, back to the real topic. What’s the challenge this time?”
“Johnny doesn’t think I’m going to win the bathing suit competition, so he bet me that if I win, he’ll finally leave me alone.”
“And if he wins?” Karson asks raising an eyebrow at me.
I look at the floor and twiddle my thumbs. I cannot believe I agreed to this.
Rayna’s eyes grow big. I’m pretty sure she just read my mind.
“You’re going to sleep with him!” she shrieks.
“No,” I deny. “Only if he wins.”
I say last part quieter, but she hears me.
“You better fucking win, Leah. Tia will not be happy if you start fucking Johnny.”
“I know. I don’t want to fuck him,” I sigh, but I can taste the lie. “I’m guaranteed to win the contest with this bathing suit, though. There is no way I’ll lose unless he cheats.”
I freeze. Oh, shit. I never thought about cheating. With Johnny’s reputation, I wouldn’t put it past him. Shit. Fuck. Shitfuck.
“You don’t think he’ll cheat, do you?” I ask timidly.
Rayna gives me a look. Of course he’ll try to cheat. He’s Johnny Crown.
“Shit!” I groan.
“‘Shit’ is right, my friend. But I won’t tell Tia if you don’t.” She raises her eyebrows at me before breaking out into full hysterics.
I’d better fucking win.
The bar is packed, and everyone is wearing next to nothing. Considering that it’s February and pretty cold outside, I hope they wore coats. Otherwise, there are going to be a bunch of people catching pneumonia tonight.
Wait. Why am I even thinking like that? I don’t normally give a shit about anyone but myself. Unless I’m trying to get someone in my bed. Even then I don’t really care all that much; I just act like I do. What is happening to me to make me care about anyone else, especially a bunch of people I don’t know? I don’t know if I like this change of events.
I’ve had girls throwing themselves at me all night, but I don’t want any of them. I want Leah. She’s the only one I seem to be capable of thinking about anymore. My eyes keeping searching the crowd, looking for her.
She keeps trying to push me away, but I know she wants me. There is no denying the way her body reacts to me. She can lie to herself all she wants and say she hates me, but I know the truth.
She looks so damn hot in her tiny dress. I wanted to untie it and see her bikini the second I saw her. Hell, who the fuck am I kidding? I wanted to get rid of all her clothes and fuck her on the bar.
And when I got all up in her personal space to fuck with her, I almost really did kiss her. It was like there was something pulling me toward her. I’m drawn to her and I have no idea why.
It’s almost time for the bathing suit contest and I am ready to kill it. I don’t want to cheat, but I did ask my buddy, who is the DJ, to play a special song when it’s my turn to strut my stuff.
DJ Boomer comes on over the microphone. “Hey, all you sexy people out there! How are you all doing tonight?”
The crowd cheers, and I start making my way over to the stage. I don’t see Leah yet, but I know she’s close. I could tell when we made the bet that she wouldn’t be backing down.
“If you want to be a part of the bathing suit contest, please come stand by me.” A light starts strobing by the DJ booth. “So, this is how it’s going to work. We are going to get the ladies up on the stage first, and then the men. This is going to be chosen by crowd applause. We will pick the top two of each gender, who will then battle it off in a dance off. So, remember, if you want someone to win, what do you do?” He pauses, and the crowd goes batshit crazy. “Y’all know how to cheer. Okay, ladies, get ready! It’s about time to start.”
I watch as Leah unties her dress, and my breath leaves my body. Holy fuck. I might be screwed. That thing should be fucking illegal. It’s a yellow bikini with straps wrapping around her middle. I honestly have no idea how her tits are staying in it. If she makes one wrong move, everyone is getting a nip show. I try to take a deep breath, but I can’t, and of course my cock thinks now is a great time to come out and play.
Down, boy. Not right now.
We have a fucking contest to win, and I cannot be sporting a hard-on in this bathing suit, so I try to think of gross things to get it to go down. I think of my grandma in a bikini and…yep, that does the trick.
All the ladies line up. They all look good, but Leah is clearly going to win this. DJ Boomer walks around, having the ladies introduce themselves, and people cheer. This one blonde so far is clearly winning, but Leah is up next.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” he asks Leah.
“Leah, and don’t even worry about the formalities. I know I’m going to win. You can just give me the cash now.”
Everyone laughs. Always ballsy, that Leah.
“Let’s get some love for Leah!” Boomer yells.
The crowd erupts in cheers. Yeah, Leah’s going to win. There is also a part of me that wants to throttle all the guys cheering for her.
“All right, all right, we have our two finalists. Now it’s time for their dance-off!”
Boomer goes to his computer and starts playing “Dirty” by Christina Aguilera. And fuck, does Leah have moves.
The music takes over her body, and she just gets lost in it. She isn’t looking at the crowd or trying to be sexy. But then, she doesn’t have to try to be sexy. She just is. The other girl is trying way too damn hard and almost looks like she’s having a seizure. Leah is definitely winning her round. Now I have to win mine.
