“Veronica,” I grit between my teeth. I could slap a NOT INTERESTED sticker on her chest, and she still wouldn’t get the picture. “You were rude.”
“I was rude?” she counters, trying to wrap her arms around my neck, but I swiftly peel them away. “You’re supposed to be here with me.” Her whiney voice is like nails on a chalkboard, and I cringe.
“That doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to dance with other people. I think you have the wrong idea about us,” I tell her, but I don’t explain further before I rush off and make my way out of the ballroom to find Savannah.
Talking to her again after all these years has my emotions all over the place. I’d always had feelings for her, even if they weren’t reciprocated, but hearing her say she missed me has me focused on the past ten years without her in my life. It’s been hell.
Savannah was always an amazing singer, and when I heard her angelic voice again, even if she was muttering the words, I was brought back to our high school days. Anytime we’d study, she’d hum so beautifully, and the next minute I’d have her on her back, ripping off her clothes. There was always something so damn sexy about her studying and humming. And fuck if I don’t want to do the same to her right now.
I find her stumbling down the hallway as she hugs the wall. With one hand holding her body up, she’s attempting to lift her leg and pull off her shoe.
“Shit,” I hear her mutter when she misses the grip of her heel. “Fuck. Goddammit shoe.”
I hold back a chuckle and come to her side. “Need some help?”
Savannah looks up at me and exhales. “I can’t get this stupid foot off my shoe. It’s glued on or something.”
Her slow speech has me laughing. She’s so drunk and doesn’t even know what she’s saying. “Let me help.” I kneel in front of her and slightly lift her bare leg. I effortlessly release her shoe and hold it up like a prized trophy. “Got it.”
Her foot hits the floor, and she drops about six inches of height. “Think you can sweet-talk the other one to come off?”
“Let’s give it a whirl,” I say, holding out my hand. She loses her balance and holds herself up on my shoulders. “You okay?” I raise my brows and notice how close her cleavage is to my face.
“Sorry. Yes. Just gravy.” She can barely keep her eyes open at this point, and my only thought is keeping her safe.
Once I have her second shoe securely in my hand, I help put her foot down on the floor before standing. “Sav. Let me take you to your room.”
“I’m fine,” she quickly argues, patting down her dress. “I have my key card somewhere.”
“C’mon, let’s find your things, and we’ll go.” I press a hand to her lower back and hold her shoes while I guide her back to the ballroom. She doesn’t argue this time and presses her body into my side. Dozens of memories surface, and everything about this woman has me transfixed.
The way she feels pressed against me. The softness of her skin. The smell of her hair.
It’s as if no time had passed at all.
It’s as if she didn’t break up with me over the phone and shatter my entire life.
It’s as if I haven’t spent the past ten years wondering what-if.
“Hunter,” I say, grabbing his attention from the brunette shaking her ass on the dance floor. Although he came as a buffer, his eyes have been glued elsewhere. “I need a favor.”
He finally turns and looks at me with furrowed brows. “What?”
I step closer. “I need you to take Veronica home,” I tell him, keeping my voice low.
Hunter leans slightly and notices Savannah next to me, then gives me a look that tells me he doesn’t approve.
“It’s not like that,” I reassure him. “She’s wasted. I just want to make sure she gets back to her room safely.”
“Mmhmm. Right.” Hunter crosses his arms over his chest and straightens his stance. He’s bulkier than me, no question, but he tries to act like the big brother when I’m five years older.
“Yes, right. If she stumbles back to her room, she might not make it before some fucking creep takes advantage of her. Or hell, she could choke on her own vomit in the elevator. Either way, I’m just gonna take her upstairs, get her settled into bed, and that’s it.”
Hunter shrugs, deciding not to push me on the subject. “Alright, man. But if Veronica starts stroking my dick, I might not be gentlemanly enough to say no.”
That comment alone has me roaring with laughter. Hunter’s twenty-three, fresh out of college, and working his way through all the single ladies in town. I can’t say he was always like this, though; at least not until she barged into his life and made it hell.
“Do whatcha gotta do,” I tell him, slapping his shoulder. “Just please, use a condom.”
“Pff,” he scoffs, pushing off my hand. “Don’t gotta tell me twice.”
“Thanks, I owe ya. Text me when you get home so I know you made it safe.”
“Sure thing, Dad,” he mocks.
I turn toward Savannah and see how glazed over her eyes are. She’s beyond drunk at this point.
“Savannah,” I call, grabbing her attention. She spins around and nearly topples over. I step forward and quickly catch her elbow before she can faceplant the table next to us. “C’mon, let’s get you back to your room. Where’s your purse?”
“I don’t n-need a babysitter, Hayden.”
The corner of my lips tilts up slightly at the exaggerated way she says my name. Even in drunken distaste, I’ve missed hearing it come from her lips.
“Sav, it’s time to call it a night.” I effortlessly pull her into my arms. “Before some drunken douchebag takes advantage of you.”
She giggles for some reason, but I’m quite sure it’s the alcohol. I don’t know if she always gets like this, or if she can’t handle her liquor, or if she got drunk because of me—in fact, I don’t know a lot about her habits anymore—but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let her wander off and potentially get hurt.
“Donny can take me,” she argues as her body melts against mine.
I tilt her chin so she’ll look into my eyes, and that’s when I feel it. The heart racing, rapid breathing, would die for her feelings I’ve tried so hard to erase rush through me. Ten years of heartbreak, and I still want to pull her mouth to mine and claim her.
“Donny’s making out with the bartender and elbow deep in margaritas,” I explain, popping a brow.
“Damn,” she mutters, and I can feel her back arching into my embrace.
With my hand wrapped around her waist, I help her find her purse. She waves at Donny before we make our way out of the ballroom, and I let him know I’m taking her.
“I don’t remember you feeling this hard in high school,” she blurts out as soon as we walk onto the elevator.
My eyebrows raise at her admission, and I smirk when her face turns red.
“I mean, you got buff. Like your muscles. Are hard.”
Holding back a smile, I nod. “I work out with the football team a lot.”
“Oh, duh!” She slaps her forehead, and it actually makes her take a step back. “Shit, whoops.”
“Do you always drink this much, Sav? Or was tonight a…special occasion?”
“Also, you got scruffy!” She moves her hand to my chin and twirls a finger in my beard. “You didn’t have facial hair like this back then,” she blurts out.
I burst out laughing. As much as I’d prefer her sober so we could talk, I’m amused by this side of her. We were too young to drink when we were together, though we did sneak into some parties where getting drunk meant a red Solo cup of beer and a couple of shots of Jäger. I’m about to speak when her fingers brush along my neck, and the softness of her skin sends an electric current through me. Fuck me.
“Well, I was eighteen. A lot has changed since then,” I remind her.
“Right.” She awkwardly pulls back, and then mutters, “This is the slowest elevator ever.”
“What?” I turn and look at her.
“Shit.” Her face turns red as she squeezes her eyes shut. “I didn’t mean to say that aloud. Sorry. It’s not because of you. I mean, yeah it is, but I really have to pee. Or throw up.” Her nervous chatter makes me think that she’s as affected by seeing me tonight as I am about seeing her.
The doors fortunately open, and I rest my hand on the small of her back to guide her through. I walk us in the direction of her room, then ask for her room key.
“It’s in my purse,” she tells me, giving me permission to go through it.
I dig around like a hurricane for it and finally see it at the bottom. Once I pull it out, I realize I grabbed a condom with it.
“Uh, here you go.” I hand the purse back. “And this.”
Her eyes widen, and she quickly snatches it from my fingers. “That’s not mine.”
“Relax, Sav. I’m not a cop.” I snort-laugh, but she’s not amused.
Once I get the door open, I hold it open for her and flick on the lights.
“It’s Donny’s. He thinks he’s funny, putting condoms in there and stuff,” she tells me as we make our way inside her room.
“Well, I’m relieved he’s using protection.” I hold back a smile because I know she’s embarrassed. It’s not like we’re kids anymore, so she really has no reason to be.
Savannah tosses her purse on the dresser, and I set down her shoes. I walk to her and can tell she’s trying really hard to steady herself while she sways. As she catches herself, I quickly grab her waist.
“Let me help you get undressed. I promise not to look.” I grin, trying to hold eye contact.
She flashes a smile in return, which I fucking love. Savannah has a gorgeous smile, and I could look at every single day of my life.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, Hayden.” She shrugs.
Purposely, I gaze down her face, between her breasts, and all the way down her legs. “I don’t know about that, Sav. I don’t think you had curves like this in high school. I’m not the only one who’s changed,” I tell her, smirking.
“Stop gawking,” she taunts, slapping a hand on my chest. I catch it and hold her there, needing to feel the contact. There’s so much I don’t know about Savannah anymore, and every part of me wants to tear down her walls and escape in her soul again.
“I was admiring,” I finally say. “Couldn’t help myself.”
“Then you better undress me.”
Fucking hell.
Drunk Sav is testing my willpower, and right now it’s about to snap.
“Turn around,” I demand. Her hand falls from my chest, and she does as I say. I brush her hair over one shoulder, letting my fingers graze along her soft skin as I make my way to the zipper of her dress. It goes down the length of her back, and I lower it slowly. One of my hands slides down her spine, and she shudders beneath my touch. Once it’s completely unzipped, I bring my hands to her shoulders and push the fabric down her arms.
The dress falls into a pool at her feet, and the moment Savannah turns around to face me, my heart pounds rapidly and lodges into my throat. She’s wearing a strapless bra that hides nothing. One small flick of the cup would expose her nipple.
I swallow hard, reminding myself she’s drunk and to be a gentleman. But then my eyes slide down and take in the lacy panties, and I’m two seconds away from falling to my knees to worship the sweetness between her legs.
“Hayden,” she says my name with a whisper, and I almost don’t hear it.
Blinking, I force my eyes to hers and see the lust in them. Knowing she’s not staying past the weekend and that we never had closure, making a move right now would be the dumbest thing to do.
Though I’ve been known to do dumber shit.
“We should get you to bed so you can sleep off the alcohol,” I say, the words forced and feeling wrong. What I want to say has nothing to do with sleeping.
“Right, but, um…” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and bites it.
Goddamn, why is she doing this to me?
Fuck it.
“Say it, Sav,” I demand, my chest rising and falling faster as I exhale short breaths.
“Kiss m—”
My lips are glued to hers in less than two seconds. I cup her cheeks and pull us together until our bodies mold as one. She wraps her hands around my neck and holds on tight. I devour her lips as if they’re the last thing I’ll ever taste. Her chest presses against mine, and I slide a hand down to cup her breast. Savannah releases a long, deep moan, and my cock nearly busts out of my slacks.
Everything about this moment is surreal. She tastes like fruity alcohol, and when she pulls back slightly, the sounds of her pants remind me how drunk she is.
“Sav…”
“I missed you, Hayden. Your kisses. The way you smell. You still wear the same cologne.” She giggles. “I want to bury my face in you and inhale you all night.”
Her admission has me laughing and wishing things were different right now. We can’t reunite and immediately jump into bed together as much as my dick and I want to.
“You’ve been drinking, sweetheart. As much as I want this—you—we can’t, okay? Not when you’re drunk,” I tell her as sincerely as possible. My dick is screaming at me, and I’m already anticipating needing to take care of myself in the shower tomorrow. Or hell, tonight.
Savannah looks at me intently, not saying anything, and now I’m worried I’ve hurt her feelings—or worse. I move to touch her arm, and she holds up a finger, stopping me.
Before I can say another word, she’s covering her mouth and running toward the bathroom.
Fuck.
I follow behind her, but she waves me away. Seconds later, I hear her emptying her stomach and dry heaving. Shit.
“Sav?” I call out, feeling helpless.
“I’m fine. Just don’t come in here.”
I hold back a chuckle, but respect her space. I’m sure this is the last thing she wants me to witness.
A few minutes pass before she comes out and uses the mouthwash on the sink counter. I take the opportunity to get a washcloth and rinse it under cold water. After handing it to her, I assess her and make sure she’s okay.
“Feel better?” I raise my brows, worried.
“If by better, you mean humiliated, then no.”
I chuckle lightly and take her hand. “C’mon. Bedtime.”
“Okay as soon as the room stops spinning.” She blinks a few times, and after I finally get her into bed, I cover her up and put a trashcan next to her.
“Just in case,” I reassure her.
“Thanks.” She groans, then laughs.
I pull the covers up before sitting down next to her. Unable to resist touching her, I rub a finger along her cheek and watch as her eyes flicker closed.
“Mm…that feels nice,” she hums. I rub along her forehead and other cheek. She’s already starting to fall asleep, which gives me some relief. “I’m sorry…” she mutters.
“Nothing to be sorry for, Sav. I don’t mind taking care of you,” I reassure her, smiling at the way her face leans into my touch.
“No,” she says on a half-moan. “I’m sorry for breaking up with you.”
My chest tightens. “We don’t have to talk about that right now.”
“I lied,” she continues.
My head snaps up as I watch for an expression. Her eyes are still closed as she quietly moans.
“I lied when I broke up with you.”
Too curious to shut this conversation down, though I honestly should, I keep her talking.
“What’d you lie about, Savannah?”
“Mm…” The corner of her lips curl up slightly when my finger grazes her bottom lip.
“Sav?”
“It was all a lie,” are her last words before she finally passes out.