Making Choices: a dark and angsty love triangle romance, page 31
“It’s like you said, we’ve spent so long coupled up that we’ve kinda missed out on all of the fun of being a single twenty-something.”
“When did I say that?”
I roll my eyes at her. “It was while you were plotting to make Zeke jealous... you remember the conversation we had after the funerals.”
“Oh, yeah... it’s part of our plot to make him realise what he’s lost.”
“I don’t know how successful we’re going to be with that part of the plan.” My voice is tight as I add. “I want to let loose for once. Forget about all the bad stuff. I just wanna feel good.”
After scanning my face for a long moment, Nadia inclines her head. “All right, Anna... let’s do this.” She shakes out one of the pills onto my outstretched palm, then she tips the other two into her own hand. I unscrew my water bottle, grinning when my best friend does the same. “Bottoms up, bitch... oblivion beckons.”
“Bottoms up,” I echo.
In unison, we swallow the MDMA. The bitter residue makes me pull a face. Nadia laughs at me, then she links her arm through mine. “Brace yourself, little Cherub, for clarity, horniness, and inner peace.”
Although my broken mind rebels at the thought of sex, I still admit, “I can’t wait.”
Since I’ve heard enough stories from the club brothers, I know that my high is starting to come on when my scalp begins to prickle about twenty-five minutes later. The cool air that blows over the packed dance floor makes me shiver, not from the cold, but from the delicious tingle it leaves in its wake when it brushes my skin. Goosebumps erupting all over my body, I glance at the people dancing closest to me, the bright stream of the strobe lights making them appear then disappear to the beat of the music. My mouth runs dry. My heart speeds up. Every ounce of tension drains from me.
“Fuck,” I murmur as the music vibrates through me. After filling my lungs, I allow them to empty. It’s nirvana. “God.”
“It’s good, isn’t it?” Nadia asks. I blink slowly as I sway to the beat. When she passes me her water bottle, I accept it gratefully. Moaning as the water slides down my parched throat, I run my fingers through my hair. My skin is electric. “You’re so fucked up, Anna.”
The excitement in Nadia’s voice feels like silk to my ears. “So fucked up.”
My best friend takes the water away from me, then she grabs my hand and strokes the soft skin on the inside of my wrist. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”
“So good.”
“Now imagine a tongue between your legs.”
As a shudder runs through me, Nadia twirls me in a circle. I move easily since the aches and pains that have dogged me since Alex’s attack have magically disappeared. The thought of Alex makes me stumble, but my brain refuses to let the negativity take hold. It’s like magic, my psyche is too relaxed, too content, too fluid, for anything other than happiness to fully capture my attention.
Slanting forward, I brush my lips over Nadia’s. “I love you.”
She presses her mouth to mine again for a second. “I love you more.”
We circle our arms around each other, leaning on the other. I close my eyes as one of my favourite remixes starts to play. In sync, almost like we’re joined by invisible elastic, Nadia and I dance together. Every move is sinuous. Every fleeting touch close to orgasmic. The air conditioning keeps me cool as the heat from the bodies around us builds. When large hands slide around the curve of my hips, and I’m pulled backward, I go without a fight. Eyes widening as thumbs gently trace the outer swell of my breasts, I meet Nadia’s enquiring gaze and quirk my eyebrows questioningly. Nadia grins, then nods. My twin moves in behind her, then he spins her around to face him.
Sander’s eyes flash with lust and loathing, then they start kissing.
I avert my gaze.
A wide chest meets my back, and a man’s hand flattens over my lower stomach. Glancing down at it, I recognise the familiar silver rings adorning the thick fingers.
Then I register the hard-on pressing against my spine.
Twisting around, I face Slash.
He peers down at me with an inscrutable expression.
My heart skips a beat.
Nadia was so very, very right.
Carter Hudson is beautiful.
A giant, ridiculously chiselled God.
The dirty-blond hair that’s caught in a knot at the top of his head beckons my fingers.
Piercing blue eyes that flare with hunger roam my face.
Sparsely tattooed arms circle my waist.
I loop my arms around his neck and allow him to crush my body against his.
Every inch of his chest is hard, the eight-pack that I know lays hidden beneath his shirt and cut is etched like stone, but it’s the obvious erection that pokes me in the stomach that captures my attention. I dance my fingertips along the leather covering his spine, then I shove my hands into his silky hair. Slash moves one of his thighs between mine. His hands are splayed around my lower back, just above my arse, and he uses his grip to move us in time to the thumping beat.
Lifting onto my tiptoes, I angle my mouth to his ear. “You’re so pretty.”
He flushes with colour before leaning down to say, “Pretty? That’s the adjective you’re choosin’ to describe me?”
“Pretty sure pretty is a verb.”
“That’s quite a tongue twister you’ve got goin’ there, Cherub.” As the song changes to a slower tempo, Slash adjusts our rhythm. “Makes me wonder what else you could do with that tongue.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Would probs have a heart attack to be honest.”
When I grin at him, he smirks. After taking hold of my hand, he dips me backward, supporting my back as he moves me in a half-circle. Recognising the move, I’m giggling hard as he pulls me upright and cradles me to his chest. We sway back and forth, pressed together like bookends until Isaiah bobs up next to us and taps Slash on the shoulder.
My eyes track Slash as he stomps off in the direction his prospect just gestured. When he stops to speak to someone, my heart jumps into my throat.
Zeke.
They exchange words, then my current dance partner follows my ex-fiancé outside.
“Holy fuck,” Nadia screeches directly into my ear. I jerk like I’ve been electrocuted. “He pulled the Johnny Castle on you.”
“What?” I blink fast as I try to make sense of her comment. “Oh, yeah... Slash knows I’ve always wanted to try that.”
“He’s gone for you.”
“No. He’s...” Frowning, I search my MDMA-addled brain for the right words to explain that Slash is gone for Zeke, but he’ll likely be back quickly. Those two can’t stand each other right now, I’m sure any meeting between them will be short and blunt. “He’s—”
Sander muscles his way between us. “He’s an idiot, is what he is.”
Looking up at my twin, I try to ascertain the abrupt change in his mood. “Weren’t you just stuffing your tongue down my best friend’s throat?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, you’re hardly an authority on who’s an idiot around here.”
My twin has the good grace to look away as he mumbles, “I’m just tryna look out for you.”
“I’m fine,” I retort. “High as a kite, which obviously helps.”
“You’re high?” The way Sander’s expression immediately darkens alerts me to my mistake. He takes hold of my jaw and keeps my head still as he scans my face with panic-stricken eyes. “Fuckin’ hell, Anna... where’s your head at?”
After jerking free of his grip, I rub my chin.
Sander glares at me.
I shrug, then I meld into the crowded dance floor before he can say anything else.
Half expecting him to chase me down, I turn to look over my shoulder. Instead of demanding answers from me, my brother has turned his wrath on Nadia. She immediately gives as good as she gets. Part of me wants to defend her, since it was my choice to take drugs tonight, until the tiny portion of my brain that still holds a small grudge over her betrayal with Alex when we were at high school rears its head to demand that I leave them to their never-ending drama.
They deserve each other.
It’s an uncharitable thought.
Yet I can’t find it within me to regret it.
As much as I love the pair of them, the stark truth is they’ve caused a lot of heartache for everyone in their orbit, me included. I’ve spent more hours than I can count refereeing their fights. The secrets I hold on their behalf are numerous. My pride has been dented more than once by their callous disregard for my feelings. A good amount of the trauma that stalks me can be directly traced back to their bad choices.
When an Avicii remix starts to thump through the club, I let the music take hold of me again. Determined to maintain my high for as long as I can, I shake off the discomfort that dogs me at the knowledge that Zeke is nearby. Every ounce of distress I feel at his cruel rejection is purposely forgotten as I dance my cares away amongst the small portion of the Perth population that’s gathered in the club tonight.
I’m not sure how long I’m left to my devices.
It simultaneously feels like a fleeting moment and an eternity before the warm hands I’m becoming accustomed to link at the small of my back and I’m pulled into the warm embrace of the only man I fully trust with my fragile heart right now.
“Hear you dropped some MDMA,” Slash murmurs in my ear.
Falling still, I circle my arms around his neck, then tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “Are you gonna lecture me about it?”
Despite the loud music, it’s clear Slash comprehends my question. He shakes his head, then he drops his hands to my hips. Forcing me to turn, he steps up behind me. Palm flat against my belly, the other arm banded around my ribs, directly beneath my breasts, he moves us to the beat. As I grind on him, the erection that I felt earlier quickly swells against me.
Warm breath rushing over my neck, Slash tells me, “Next time you wanna get high, I expect you to come to me. I ever find out that you’ve accepted drugs from anyone else, even if it’s Hunter’s stuff, I’ll spank your arse ’til it’s scarlet. You won’t be able to sit for a week by the time I’m done with ya.”
My heel catches and I stumble.
Slash steadies me with ease.
Then he presses his hard length to my back, and we recommence dancing like he didn’t just cross a line we’ve never even come close to skirting before tonight.
29
SLASH
“Not sure what the fuck you want me to do about it?” I tell Venom once I’ve followed him outside of the nightclub. Visibly pissed off that he’s interrupted my dance with Cherub, just after I pulled my best move, my annoyance is clear. “Don’t have time for any more of your bullshit tonight.”
Apparently non-plussed at my reminder of our failed mission, he leans back against the rendered wall of Club Mirage, knee bent with the sole of his boot braced on the drain that runs along the building. The cigarette clenched between his lips remains unlit, even though he flicks the wheel of his lighter over and over to spark the flame.
This is the first time we’ve been alone since the cemetery.
Tension emanates from us both.
It’s thick and unyielding.
If I was a better man, I’d seize this opportunity to lay my cards on the table.
As quickly as that thought enters my head, I ignore it.
“Thought you might be able to speak to—” Rather than say Cherub’s name, he lifts his chin in the direction of the club. “—see if she knows anythin’ about it.”
“Sure, I could do that,” I reply with a snicker. “As soon as hell freezes the fuck over.”
“Look, I know it’s a touchy fuckin’ subject, but the old ladies talk, especially to...”
When he trails off again to avoid directly naming her, I decide to call him on his shit. “Are you that fuckin’ cold-hearted that you can’t even say her name?” When Venom jerks like he’s been shot, I grin. Teeth flashing, malice lacing every word, I pour salt on his metaphorical wound. “Repeat after me, Lily… L-I-L-Y… Lily.”
“I’m… not—”
“Fuckin’ Nadia. Fuckin’ Cherub. It’s like the blind leadin’ the blind with those two. I swear, if one of them jumped off a bridge, the other one’d swan dive off after her with a smile on her damn face,” Sander declares as he storms out of the side door. The heavy metal clangs in his wake, then his steps grind to a halt as he spots Venom. “Can’t believe you had the balls to show ya face back here a second time.”
“What’s Nads done?” Venom asks.
I snort when he avoids Cherub’s name again. “Fuck you’re a one-man clown show.”
My ex-best friend glares at me.
“As much as I’d like to pin the blame on Nads, I’m pretty sure this was all my twin’s doin’.”
The memory of her lithe body plastered to mine before Venom decided to interrupt our night makes my heart skip a beat. Although I’ve dreamt of it more times than I can count, I’ve never had my hands on her curves like that before. Every peak and valley, each bend and dip, inch after glorious inch, there wasn’t a part of her that didn’t fit perfectly with me.
I clench my hands into fists as I fight the urge to storm into the club to reclaim her.
“Nads gave Cherub some of Hunter’s MDMA.”
As Venom kicks off the wall to splutter with barely suppressed rage, I burst into laughter.
How fucking ironic...
The first time I touch her, she’s destined not to remember in the morning.
My brother’s special concoction is ecstasy in its purest form.
It promises the user the best time they’ve ever had.
It also promises them zero regrets.
The same mind-bending properties that reduce inhibitions clears their short-term memory.
Sure, Cherub will be left with flashes of memories and vague hints of what happened, but she’ll have gaps big enough to drive a road train through.
Which is just my goddamned luck.
“How’s this funny to you?” Sander demands. “Cherub’s got enough to deal with without Nads gettin’ her hooked on shit.”
“You know Hunter wouldn’t give them anythin’ addictive.”
“Still...” Sander trails off when he realises that I’m not going to agree with him.
“She’s a grown woman,” I tell him. “For the first time in her life, she’s free to make her own choices, and if that means she wants to get high and fuck a random or two, I’m not gonna stop her.”
Venom growls at the mention of Cherub fucking anyone but him. As much as my own jealousy rears its head at the idea, I enjoy his transparent reaction.
Try as he might, he can’t even hide it.
Regardless of whether he’s admitted it to himself yet or not, it’s obvious that he regrets leaving her. I should be sympathetic, but even as that realisation dawns, Nadia’s warning flashes into my head, and my need to possess Cherub threatens to overwhelm me.
The idea of sharing her with Venom weighs heavily on me.
I don’t know if I can do it.
I know I don’t want to do it.
“Well, as nice as this catch-up has been,” I declare with clear sarcasm. “I’ve got better things to do.” Offering Venom a dismissive half-shrug, I continue. “I’m sure you can find your own way outta the city... you’ve had enough practice at it.”
Without waiting for whatever half-witted retort he eventually manages to concoct, I stride off. It’s easy to spot Cherub as she dances in the middle of the main dance floor. Every man with a functioning pair of eyes is watching her, but none of them can get close enough to touch her. The bouncers have done their jobs well, keeping a decent barrier around her while doing their best not to make it too obvious to my duchess that she’s being treated like a protected species.
As soon as I reach them, they step aside to let me through.
Knowing that she’s unlikely to remember much tomorrow, I abandon all subtlety. I sidle up to her, wrapping my arms around her and dragging her into my embrace without even trying to act like I have an ounce of chill. She comes willingly, looping her arms around my neck and allowing me to hold her close. The smile that graces her full lips is filled with adoration that I match in one of my own.
It’s the perfect moment.
One that I wouldn’t usually trust because if I hadn’t seen the photos of us in the pool, I would chalk up her ease with my proximity to the drugs coursing through her system.
I’ve sampled Hunter’s experiments so I know exactly how Cherub feels right now.
Peaceful.
Electrified.
A little horny.
Yet, thanks to Nadia’s meddling, it’s clear that Cherub’s acceptance of my closeness is more than that.
“Hear you dropped some MDMA,” I murmur.
“Are you gonna lecture me about it?”
The rebellious look in my duchess’ eyes hardens my dick to concrete. She’s ready to defend herself from any judgement I toss her way, and her stubbornness strips me of my misguided need to protect her from accidentally making a mistake. My earlier comment to Venom about Cherub being a grown woman who’s free to make her own choices was designed to irritate him. But now, I can see that I was right. My regal duchess, the strongest woman I know outside of my mumma, is crying out for the chance to stand on her own two feet for the first time in her life.
All I have to do is work out how I can help her fulfil that goal without leaving me behind.
Keen to see how far I can push her resolve, I shake my head, then grip her hips tight. Turning Cherub so her back is to me, I step in close. My erection is trapped between us when I flatten my hand on her belly to pull her into me. As I curl my other arm around her waist, it slips upward until her heavy tits are resting on my forearm. The blood in my brain drains down to my cock, and moving behind her, I allow the music to take control. When I realise that Cherub’s definitely noticed my hard-on, and she’s not going to mount a protest, the line her twin drew in the sand back at the cemetery is blown to smithereens.
