Dragon's Burn Page 6

  One by one, heads turned my way, and by the time Ralph was dragged into the house, I swear the entire party, along with their opinionated stares, were centered on me. Anxiety spikes, sending a shiver down my spine. It’s like my wounds from two years ago were split wide open. I like to think I have thick skin, but that doesn’t stop the doubt and insecurities from creeping in every now and then. Some affecting me more than others.

  “Well, I’m glad he was there to save you. God, girl, I feel like I shouldn’t have left you alone.” Deb pulls me into a hug, but it feels like she’s trying to comfort herself more than me.

  My head is still spinning with everything that’s happened tonight, and in the center of the chaos is Ryu. He stood right in front of me, ignoring everyone around us, his attention only on me. The minute my gaze landed back on his the crowd faded into the background.

  The sparks I’d felt when I first saw him sizzled in the air around us. I wanted to move closer, pull from the strength that seemed to seep out of him. His deep, smoky voice and the scent of his dark spiced cologne grounded me. Knowing what his presence was doing to me scared me as much as it comforted me. I was confused; I wanted to climb him like a tree and hold on tight, reveling in the relief I felt from being in his arms. But at the same time, I was fuming.

  I’m still having a hard time justifying the reasons.

  Did I seriously snap at him for helping me?

  Deb pulls away from me, a smile on her lips.

  “What?”

  “What are you going to do about Ralph?”

  I tilt my head because I know that's not the question she wants to ask me. “Nothing right now. He didn’t touch me, just pissed me off. I kneed him good in his dick again. That makes me feel better.”

  Deb laughs. “He deserves it. Serves him right.” I take a sip of my water and watch her shift back and forth on her feet.

  “Spit it out. I know you want to say something.”

  “Ryu’s hot. Definitely has that whole bad boy biker thing down. And he came to your rescue. That gives him at least fifty additional hot points.”

  I shrug, trying to downplay the whole situation. “Hot or not, he came here with Brittney. Fifty hot points deducted for poor judgment.” I still refuse to acknowledge the twist I felt in my gut when I saw her grab his arm. Nope. I’m going to go with an upset stomach from dinner mixed with the rage I felt because of Ralph.

  Deb looks unconvinced and continues to smile at me. I squint and scrunch my face in return. I don’t want to talk about Ryu or Dragon or whatever the hell his name is. He’s with the FaBs and what a perfect bunch they make.

  Liar.

  Damn that stupid voice to Hell.

  “You’re such a bad liar,” she laughs. “You can talk in circles all day trying to persuade me, but I saw how you looked at each other.”

  “It’s dark out. You can’t see anything. And plus, he’s got a cocky attitude. You didn’t hear our whole conversation.” I take another sip of my water. A flush starts to take over my cheeks; I pray the water will cool me down and she won’t notice. Just because he stood up to Ralph and protected me doesn’t mean I’m weak in the knees for him now.

  “Whatever you say. Just remember, in a few short months, you’ll be at Boston University, living out the beginning of your dreams. Who's to say you can’t have fun in the meantime?”

  I roll my eyes, but our conversation dies when Bobby comes over.

  “Hey, Poppy.” He throws an arm around Deb’s shoulder.

  I shoot Deb a look. Her face widens with the happiest grin I’ve ever seen. It looks like things are working out well for her. It makes my heart happy. She deserves to have good things happen to her.

  “Hey,” I reply.

  “Are you ok? I saw some of what happened.”

  “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for asking. We were on our way to come find you.” I smile though it feels a little forced. God, everyone seriously saw what happened. “Look, you guys go ahead, I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”

  Deb eyeballs me with concern, but I ignore it and widen my smile instead. She needs to spend more time with Bobby, not worry about me.

  “Ok. Cool. Come on, Deb.” He grabs her hand. “I’ve got a couple chairs saved for us.” She gives me one last quizzical look, but I nod, letting her know it’s ok—that I’m ok. With a little reluctance, she walks off with Bobby, disappearing on the other side of the bonfire.

  I let out a sigh, relieved to have a few minutes to myself to collect my thoughts. I need to figure out a way to forget all about Ryu and how much I still want to run my finger across his lips to see if they are as soft as they look, or run my hands up his chest to feel the hard lines hiding under his shirt, or how badly I wish his hands would touch me, just once.

  “Fuck. Me,” I mumble, skipping the water and pouring myself another half cup of beer. Without thought, I down the contents and pour myself another one. Halfway through drink number three, Scott Tiller makes his way over to where I’m standing.

  Great.

  Can this night get any worse?

  “Sup?”

  He grabs a cup and fills it to the brim only to chug the whole thing in one gulp before going back for another. I can’t help the next words that come out of my mouth. I may not like the guy, but for some reason, I find myself feeling a tad sorry for him and myself. Both of us have had shitty nights so far.

  “Bad night?”

  He downs the second cup instead of answering me, then burps out his success.

  “Cute,” I chide.

  “I can’t believe she brought those guys here.”

  Really? You can’t believe it?

  His whole body is tense, one hand is fisted at his side. I’m not sure if he meant to say that out loud or because he felt it was a safe space to open up. Either way, I can relate, but I keep that to myself.

  “You know them?” My curiosity about the whole Brittney and Ryu pairing, coupled with the alcohol, is causing my interest to pique. Speaking of alcohol, I notice my lips start to tingle, and the same sensation creeps into my fingers and toes. I close my eyes for a second and enjoy the caress over my body.

  “I don’t know them, just stuff Brittney’s told me. Something about her father and that guy with the red hairs’ father doing business together. Fuck! She does this shit just to piss me off.”

  I could keep my mouth shut and not ask any more questions, continue with the whole ‘don’t care and don’t wanna know’ act. Instead, I find my mouth moving before I can stop the words from spilling out. We’ll just blame it on the alcohol.

  “What do you mean their fathers are working together?”

  He shrugs. “His father is like some big shot in a biker club, and I guess they have a mechanic shop outside of town. Brittney’s father doesn’t like having any type of competition, even if they do only work on bikes. My guess is he’s looking to make some sort of a partnership. Mr. Barns is always searching for an angle that will make him money. But who knows, though?” He tosses back his third cup of beer, and I finish off mine, letting the warmth flow through me. These tingles are nice, calming. I smile, feeling quite good now, relaxed even.

  “Yo, Scott,” someone calls, ruining my information gathering.

  “Be right there,” Scott yells back. To me, he says, “Later.”

  Not caring where he goes, I turn and fill my drink again with the wonderful goodness while mulling over the new information. I have more questions, but surprisingly, I’m not in the mood to poke around. Must be the prospect of leaving in a few weeks. My days of being interested in what’s happening around town are coming to an end. No point in getting invested in anything. Not like I have a school paper that needs publishing.

  I take a sip to quiet the probing questions. No such luck.

  What is so interesting about a high school party that he would come willingly? But what if this has nothing to do with the party or their dads and everything to do with Brittney? It’s obvious she likes him. Could they be
dating? A shudder rolls through me at the thought of them together—her hands touching him, his lips pressed against hers.

  I shake the images out of my mind and focus on finding Deb. When I get closer to the bonfire, I notice she’s nowhere in sight. Maybe she went inside. But that’s where Ryu is. The thought of me catching him sucking face with Brittney, or worse things, crosses my mind as my feet carry me in the direction of the back door. My nose wrinkles in disgust.

  The childish side of me wants to say, ‘He’s mine!’—which is fucking crazy because he’s not—but that still doesn’t stop me from getting flustered that this is just another thing Brittney gets to have. God! We aren’t even in high school anymore and she still manages to piss me off. And why does it have to be her? There are so many other girls in this town for him to hang out with. I mean, what are the fucking odds it’s my nemesis?

  I grumble a string of curse words and push deeper into the home. I’m very aware of the whining I’m still doing, but at least no one can hear my inner monologue.

  Ryu

  “I’ve always had a thing for bikers,” the drunk girl, Maria—Heather? I don’t know—purrs, running a finger up my chest. “I’d let you take me for a ride.”

  I roll my eyes at the ridiculous sexual innuendo, take a sip of the now warm beer, and bat her hand away. This party is fucking lame compared to the shit that goes down at the club. When you grow up around as much debauchery as I have, you become desensitized to the half-naked women walking around, drugs and guns piled on tables, and people fucking on every surface. Not a single bit of that is going on here, therefore lame, but oddly refreshing at the same time.

  As a teenager, I was in heaven. Lost my virginity at sixteen, thanks to my father having a never-ending line of women coming through his house; some as young as eighteen, some twice my age.

  My dick didn't care what it went into, but I always made sure to wrap it up. I wasn't about to catch or create anything. Didn't need my dick falling off, for one, and no child of mine was going to be raised in the environment I lived in every day.

  I look around for JD. He went off with Brittney a while ago. Most likely to fuck her.

  Well, well, well.

  I lock eyes on Poppy. She’s trying to hide behind a group of people but is clearly watching me. Wonder how long she’s been staring at me? A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth at the notion she’s more interested in me than she’s letting on. I mean, why else would a person stare openly at another with lust clearly readable in her eyes even from here?

  I’m distracted when I feel fingers on my chest again. I look down at the girl I forgot was standing there. Fucking hell.

  Has she been talking the whole time?

  This has to be the most fucked up night I’ve ever had. I’ve already pawned one girl off, and now I need to get rid of another, setting a new record for me. Can’t help it, though, not interested in this one either. I resist looking back up to see if Poppy is still watching me, which is hard considering my dick is making his presence known once again. The girl—with the unmemorable face, standing way too close to me—runs her hand close to my dick, smiling with hunger when she feels the bulge.

  Not for you.

  I lean close to her ear, grimacing when she molds herself against me. “Stephanie,” I start, knowing it’s probably not her name.

  “It’s Becca,” she corrects.

  Whatever. “Remove your hand from my dick before I remove it for you. I don’t fuck with underage high school girls, and your princess attitude is annoying as shit.”

  “Well, it's a good thing I’m eighteen. Plus, I think your dick wants me as much as I want him.” She rubs her hand over my dick again and groans.

  “I promise you,” I say, dropping my voice low and inserting disgust, “it’s not your pussy he’s excited about. Now get your fucking hands off me.”

  I pull back and watch her mouth fall open, but because of how much she’s had to drink, it takes her a second to process everything and come up with a rebuttal, which I’m sure will cut me to the bone. Insert sarcasm.

  “Fuck. You. Asshole.”

  I smile, enjoying the defeat darkening her eyes. I’ve fallen into the role of the asshole and can’t seem to get myself out, so I just go with it. Makes shit easier to deal with, especially in the club. When people think they have a reason to fear you, they generally leave you the hell alone.

  “Run along.” I motion with my hand, shooing her away. She looks like she’s about to toss her drink in my face the way her grip tightens. “Don’t even think about it. You don’t wanna see me mad.”

  It’s an empty threat. But there’s enough emphasis in my voice that makes her hesitate; she makes the smart decision in the end and storms off in a huff.

  I look up through the crowd to catch Poppy still watching me from behind a group of people. The slight narrowing of her eyes is a giveaway that she’s annoyed with something, most likely it has to do with the girl that just stormed off. I don’t know why her jealousy excites me. Whatever it is about her, I find myself wanting more of it, and that should be the biggest sign that I need to stay away. But instead of taking my own advice, I smirk and tip my cup, acknowledging her presence.

  Her eyes widen. My smirk grows into a feral grin. I want to get close to her again and tell myself that there’s no harm in doing so, since I won’t see her after tonight. It’ll be easy to swing through the dining room and sneak up beside where she’s standing in the foyer next to the stairs.

  I start to ease my way over to her. I stay hidden in the shadows of the dimly lit room and watch her scan the area. I take a moment to run my eyes over her body, enjoying the view from her painted toes, to her toned legs, to the small curve of her ass. I keep traveling up to her breasts, which aren't too big or too small, but enough to fill my hands. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, and I get the urge to pull it out so I can suck on it.

  I sneak up on her, catching the feminine scent of her perfume mixed with a hint of berries, and lean close to her ear. “Looking for me?”

  She squeaks and whips around to face me. “Holy shit, you scared me.”

  Her hand goes to her chest and she takes a few deep breaths. I take a sip of my drink, which is disgusting at this point, but I need to keep my mouth occupied—drown out the need to taste her.

  “You seemed interested in what I was doing.”

  “I was not,” she scoffs, taking a step back. The move presses her against the staircase.

  Lie.

  I follow her, like a string is attached to both of us, pulling us together. The string is thin, something I could break easily to sever this connection, but I don’t. Instead, I take it one step further and rest my forearm near her head and bend down, putting myself at eye level.

  “So, then you weren’t watching that other girl grind against me, rubbing her hand over my dick, while imagining it was you instead?”

  Her pupils enlarge, eating up the mesmerizing color of her irises. Whether she did it consciously or not, I track the movement of her tongue flicking out to wet her lips. It’d be so easy for me to take that pretty mouth, give her a taste of what her body is craving, even though she’s fighting it. For a brief second, I see the thought cross her face as she wonders if I’m going to kiss her. And in that second, I almost do. I glance up in time to see her friend make her way up the stairs.

  I look back at Poppy, who crosses her arms under her breasts, which pushes them higher. I do my best not to stare at them but fail, I can’t help it. They’re practically in my face, taunting me with their perfection. What color are her nipples? How hard could I get them if I sucked on them?

  She clears her throat and gives me a pointed look. Oh well. No point in saying sorry, because I’m not.

  “I wasn’t staring at you,” she says with husky breathiness.

  Lie.

  No point in calling her out on it. Indecision is written all over her face. She’s trying hard to convince herself her own lie is real. It
heightens my curiosity, which is the exact opposite of what I want to happen. I lick my lips, not meaning to, but she’s fucking sexy, and seriously, that wrinkle between her eyes only adds to it.

  “Fine.” I move back a step, creating a hole between us that looked better filled. “You weren’t staring at me like you wanted to fuck me.”

  She glances down at the spot I was just inhabiting almost like she wishes I didn’t leave it either, but when she lifts her head back up, I’m met with a fixed determination. “Your narcissism knows no bounds, that’s for sure.” She pushes off the staircase and goes to leave once again.

  “Want to know where your friend is?” I smirk when she stops to face me. She raises a brow, waiting on my answer. I approach her side and bend close to her ear. The sound of her breath hitching has my smirk growing into a full grin.

  “She went upstairs with a guy, and we all know what happens when you cross that threshold. Also, you’re welcome. Again.”

  She flies upstairs like her feet are on fire, like she can’t wait to get away from me. My first reaction is to laugh because I know I got under her skin. I’ve never had a female walk away from me so easily. I don’t mean to sound cocky, but it's the truth.

  My second reaction is to go after her. Is she really going to find her friend, or does she have someone waiting on her? An image of her with another guy has me climbing a few steps. I tell myself it's because of what happened earlier, but that’s not the truth. The last of her blonde waves fade from sight at the same time JD comes down the steps. Brittney trails behind, hair tousled like she just got the fuck of her life; no doubt she did.

  “Enjoy yourself?” I back down the steps and move to the spot I had previously occupied.

  He plasters on a smile. “Wasn’t the worst.”

  I shake my head and watch Brittney bounce over to her friends; Becca looks at me with a scowl. Ten bucks says Brittney starts running her mouth about what she just did, which is probably nothing more than lying there. She seems like the type that’s all take and no give in the sack.