We step out onto a raised deck filled with people from school. I lean over the railing, squinting my eyes to see in the darkness. A large lake sits before us, the outdoor lighting reflecting off its smooth surface.
“This place is the shit.”
Ainsley joins me at the railing, handing me a cup filled with slushy liquid. “Wait until you see it in the morning. I love it here.”
I take a drink from my cup. “Damn, this is good. It tastes like a Jolly Rancher.”
“Redneck margaritas, baby.” Ainsley clinks her cup to mine. “I know it doesn’t taste like it, but there’s a shit ton of tequila in there so be careful.”
“Noted.” I nod. “Have you seen the guys yet?”
She shakes her head. “Not yet. They’re probably down below barbequing or in the hot tub.”
I take another sip from my drink. “You wanna head down there and check it out?”
Ainsley holds her index finger up. “Hold on. Let me top these drinks off then we can go.”
She pulls the lanyard holding the house key off her neck and unlocks the door. I follow her inside to the open kitchen and wait as she grabs a pitcher out of the refrigerator and refills our drinks.
“Thanks,” I say as I take the cup from her.
She jerks her head to the fridge. “Make sure you only drink from there. We’re keeping the doors locked but if you want another, just let me know and I’ll take care of you.”
“Got it.”
Ainsley grins widely. “Now, let’s get back out there and enjoy this party!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
JAZZ
Man, you don’t get fresh air like this in the city. I close my eyes and inhale deeply, breathing in the earthy pines. Ainsley’s snuggling by the fire with Reed and Bentley is in the hot tub with a few other people I don’t know. I didn’t feel like joining Bent or being the third wheel, so I’ve been walking along the water, waiting for Kingston to get here. It’s almost one in the morning, and the bastard still hasn’t shown. I’d be worried at this point if Bentley hadn’t already told me Kingston texted, saying he would be here shortly.
Drunken giggles draw my attention to a couple up ahead. They’re walking down the small dock—stumbling, really—before reaching the boathouse and stepping inside. I look behind me and still no sign of Kingston, so I follow them. There’s no way in hell I’m going inside, but I am curious enough to peek through the windows that are only covered by sheer panels.
“Holy shit.”
The interior of the boathouse is made up of one big room with minimal furnishings, so there’s not much blocking my view. The space is filled with two dozen or so naked bodies engaging in one sexual act or another. Moaning and groaning assaults my ears, interspersed with the occasional, “Oh, God!”
It seems no type of coupling is off-limits. I even spot one male-male-female-female train that’s impressively well-coordinated. Jesus, this is insane. It’s also virtually impossible for me to look away. I’m absolutely stunned, but also... excited. I can feel my nipples hardening and the sudden wetness in my panties. My blood thrums, and my pulse spikes as my eyes bounce from one live-action porn to another.
“You wanna go inside?”
I swear I jump a foot off the ground. “Jesusmotherofshit!” I smack Bentley’s chest. “You scared the crap out of me!”
His eyes twinkle. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any hotter, I find out you’re a dirty little voyeur.”
“I am not a dirty little voyeur!” I whisper-shout.
He leans into the window and takes a peek. “No? A regular voyeur then?”
I roll my eyes. “Oh my God, will you just shut up?”
Bentley smiles. “You know, Jazzy Jazz, if you wanted a closer look, I’d be more than happy to accompany you. Kingston would kick my ass, but it’d totally be worth it.”
I start speed walking back toward solid ground. “You’re an idiot.”
He follows me and swings an arm over my shoulders. “And you, my dear, are a dirty birdy. So hot.”
I shrug him off and cross my arms over my chest. “Speaking of Kingston... is he here yet?”
Bentley nods slowly. “Just arrived. I’m supposed to lead you to the little private birthday celebration he has lined up.”
“It’s after midnight, so it’s technically not my birthday anymore.”
He produces a blunt and lights up. “C’mon, baby girl. Take a walk with me.”
“Fine,” I huff. “But you’re sharing that.”
He passes the joint to me. “I wouldn’t dream of it any other way.”
I take a hit and exhale slowly. “Where are we going?”
Bentley tips his chin. “Up that way a bit.”
I’m thankful I had the sense to change into flip-flops instead of trying to navigate the slightly damp terrain in heels.
“You got out of the hot tub just for this, huh?”
His lips turn up at the corners. “Nah. I got out of the hot tub when I saw you heading for the boathouse. You know, the place where you were not spying on people fucking.”
Shit. I didn’t think anyone was paying attention to what I was doing.
I point my finger at him. “If you ever repeat that, I swear to God, I will have your balls.”
He laughs, ruining the smoke rings he was blowing. “Aw, baby girl. You already have me by the balls. But I wouldn’t say no if you’d like to suck on them.”
I smack his arm. “Jesus, do you ever quit?”
Bentley shrugs. “I don’t know. Never had to really work for it before.”
I sigh. “You know that whatever happened in that pool house will never happen again, right?”
“Never say never.” He winks.
“What exactly did happen that night?”
Damn, I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask him before now. Bentley’s way more forthcoming than Kingston.
He bumps his arm into mine. “Nothing. Well, besides the really hot making out you saw on that video.”
I sigh. I knew there was little chance I slept with them that night, but it’s a relief knowing for sure.
My brows furrow. “Then... why? And why do I have such little memory of it?”
“Now those are questions for my dawg. I’m not even touching that.” He passes the joint back to me. “Chill, baby girl. It’s your birthday weekend. You can worry about the heavy shit on Monday.”
I take another drag, really feeling the buzz on that one. “How much farther?”
We’ve been walking for at least twenty minutes now. The sounds and lights from the party faded a while ago. Thankfully, the moon is full, so we have a decent amount of light since we’re walking along the shore and not under the trees.
Bentley stops. “We’re here.”
I look around, but there’s no sign of Kingston. Only another dock with a small speedboat tethered to it and an empty picnic table.
“Uh... this is nice and all, but wasn’t Kingston supposed to meet us here?”
He pulls his phone out of his pocket and runs his thumbs over the screen. “Have a seat, babe. He was grabbing your cake and some drinks. He’ll be right down.”