My eyes narrow into slits. “Fuck you.”
His face lights up in a mocking grin. “Not if yours was the last pussy on Earth, sweetheart.”
Really? my eyes say. It didn’t seem that way the other night.
I didn’t hear you complaining, his eyes retort.
I have to remind myself not to shrivel under his scrutiny as his gaze leisurely runs the length of my body. I have no doubt he’s doing it to make me uncomfortable, and I refuse to give him that satisfaction. When he pauses on my chest, I look down to make sure nothing is popping out. My boobs aren’t big—slightly less than a handful—but the tight black tank Ainsley convinced me to wear has a low neckline and cut outs which expose a little side boob.
The muscles in his neck tighten. “Was your little pet project also invited?”
Ainsley rolls her eyes. “Lay off, Kingston.”
“I’ll lay off when you stop being a stubborn—”
We’re interrupted when some guy joins us, obviously checking Ainsley out. “You made it!”
Every trace of irritation from fighting with her brother vanishes. “Donovan!” She nods to me. “This is my friend, Jazz. I hope it’s okay I brought her along.”
He flashes a toothy smile. “Of course it’s okay. Beautiful women are always welcome in my house.” Donovan nods to Kingston. “You come with your sister, too?”
Kingston shakes his head. “Nah, Reed and Bent are around here somewhere.”
Donovan swings his heavy arms over both mine and Ainsley’s shoulders. “Well, then you won’t mind if I steal these beauties, will ya?”
Kingston’s jaw tics. “Knock yourself out, man.”
Donovan leads us toward the wall of sliding glass doors. “Let’s head out back. It’s much more chill out there.”
“Sounds good to me.” Ainsley giggles.
I slip out of his hold—which he doesn’t even seem to notice—and follow them outside. We make our way to a large firepit surrounded by long, wooden benches. Donovan pulls Ainsley onto his lap, burying his nose in her neck. I smile when I see how positively gleeful my friend is right now. This guy is definitely into her, and he’s making a pretty public statement about it.
A different guy takes a seat on my left. “You’re new around here. I would’ve remembered seeing someone as beautiful as you.”
I take a sip of my drink before replying. This guy’s good looking, in a preppy kind of way. Tall, brown hair, green eyes, nice smile.
“I am. You a friend of Donovan’s?”
“I am.” His smile widens, which makes two dimples pop, adding to his all-American boy appeal. “I’m Lawson. And you are...?”
I grin. “Jazz.”
Lawson takes my hand and places a kiss on top. “It’s very nice to meet you, Jazz. So, where are you from?”
“LA. Watts area, to be more specific.”
Lawson lifts his eyebrows in surprise. “Quite the upgrade.”
“Depends who you ask, I suppose.” I shrug. Thinking about home makes me think about my mom, so I quickly change the subject. “Do you go to UCLA?”
He nods. “I do—freshman year. What about you?”
“Uh... I’m at Windsor Academy right now. Senior year.”
“I know Windsor well. Graduated last year.” He scoots a little closer. “How do you like it so far?”
“The school seems all right. Most of the student body, not so much.”
Lawson laughs. “That good, huh? I can’t imagine a pretty girl like you has any trouble fitting in.”
“Well, then you’d be surprised.”
Lawson and I make small talk for a while before he jerks his head to the right. “You interested in taking a dip in the hot tub?”
On the other end of the deck, there’s a huge hot tub sitting under a pergola lined with mini Edison bulbs. There’s only one couple in it, but they’re going at it pretty hot and heavy.
I point to them. “I don’t know if they’d enjoy the company.”
He follows my gaze and laughs. “I’m pretty sure they won’t even notice we’re there.”
I raise my brows when the girl pulls back and I catch a glimpse of their faces. She’s grinding on top of the guy beneath her—God only knows if either one of them are wearing anything under the waterline. Couples having sex at a party wouldn’t normally faze me, but in this case, when the guy is Kingston Davenport and the girl is most definitely not Peyton, it gets my attention. I’m not deluding myself into thinking what happened in my closet the other day meant anything to him, but damn, how many girls does he hook up with?
Right before I’m about to look away, our gazes meet. I can see the muscles in his arms flexing, the same way they did when he had his hand under my towel. The brunette writhing on his lap is moaning loudly now, leaving no question as to what his hand is doing under the water. My face flushes in rage, and maybe a little bit of arousal, as my body remembers exactly how talented his fingers are.
Kingston’s lips form into a wicked grin as my eyes narrow on him. I could swear he’s challenging me right now—that for some reason he’s doing this to make a point. Why the hell would I care who he hooks up with? He’s not my boyfriend nor do I ever want him to be my boyfriend. So, why do I feel like walking over there and dragging her off of him by her hair?
I take the final sip of my drink and set the cup on the bench. Turning to Lawson, I say, “You know what? I think I’d like to get another drink instead. Do you want to head up to the bar with me?”
Lawson stands up and offers his hand. “That’s a great idea, beautiful.”
I go to tell Ainsley where I’m going, but she’s too busy making out with Donovan.
Lawson leads me back inside, still holding onto my hand. Kyle, the bartender’s face falls when he sees us approaching him together.
“Jazz, back so soon. Another screwdriver?”
I smile. “Yes, please.”
Kyle nods to Lawson. “And you, buddy?”
“Another beer would be great.”
I can’t seem to get the image of Kingston and his mystery girl out of my mind. I think I need a quick breather to gather my wits.
I tap Lawson’s shoulder. “Hey, would you mind grabbing my drink when it’s ready? I’m going to find a bathroom.”
“No problem.” He points down the long hallway off to the right. “The closest bathroom is down that hall, second door on your left.”
I nod. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.”
There’re a few people waiting in line, so I stand with my back pressed against the wall, taking deep breaths. Once my turn is finally up, I lock the door behind me and run my wrists under cold water.
I look at my reflection in the mirror. “Don’t let that asshole get to you, Jazz. He’s trying to get a reaction out of you. Don’t let him win.”
Pep talk over, I quickly pee and wash my hands before exiting the room. Lawson is waiting for me right outside the door, two drinks in hand.
“Your drink, milady.” He winks as he hands the cup over.
“Thanks.” I take a small sip. “You wanna head back outside?”