Page 15 of Only Ever Yours

Chapter Fourteen

Jase

Barney’s stag weekend started with a poker night at ours. A low-key, chilled-out evening, not too much booze, a little bit of gambling, and an early night before the main event tomorrow.

Ha, who am I kidding?

A bottle of tequila, already half-empty, sat in the middle of the kitchen table, a result of too many lost bets and dares. The pile of cash next to it had grown into an all-or-nothing situation, given we didn’t really know the rules of the game and were probably too far gone to even care.

Finn, Barney, his brother Liam, and I had been chatting shit and playing cards for several hours, completely losing track of time.

“Always thought you and Ella would be the first to get married,” mused Barney, placing a card on the table.

I’d lost track of whose turn it was and what game we were actually playing. Squinting at the ace of clubs, I wondered if it was any use to me.

Finn grunted. “Can we not? I’ve had enough of Hollis banging on about how Ella and I should get back together. ”

“Why did you two split up anyway?” I asked. “Like, she was here one day and gone the next.”

My best friend glared at me. “What did I just say?”

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. Reaching for the card, I picked it up and placed it amongst the others in my hand before returning a seven of spades to the table. None of my cards matched in either suit or number, so if we were still playing poker, I was nowhere near winning.

“How about you, Jase?” Liam questioned. “Are you still seeing Felicity?”

I made a noncommittal noise. Since Hollis had returned to Maplebrook, I’d had nothing to do with Felicity despite her repeated attempts to get me to come out and ‘accidental’ meetings when we had been to the pub.

Maybe I should have been more specific about what I wanted—or rather, didn’t want—from her, but I hoped she’d get the message.

“Thought you looked pretty tight with Hollis the last time we went out,” commented Barney.

Finn instantly shut him down. “As if, Barn. It’s never happening, right, mate? Not like you’re the relationship type of guy, is it?” He directed the last part of his answer to me.

After all that had happened when we collected her stuff from London, there had been a shift in our relationship.

How she’d confided in me, how we’d ended up in the hotel room, the incident in the kitchen when we’d arrived home.

We’d always been close but had never crossed any kind of line even though I’d been sorely tempted.

After that night, things were different.

I couldn’t be sure she was interested in me although, at the same time, she wasn’t showing any signs that she didn’t like me.

Forcing a laugh, I replied. “Yeah, what a crazy idea.”

Trying to move the subject along, I poured us all another shot. “What the fuck game are we playing here anyway?” I threw my cards on the table.

The others did the same, chiming in with their thoughts.

“God knows.”

“I’m so glad someone else said that.”

“Do we even know who won?”

Finn gestured to the money in the centre of the table. “What are we going to do with this?”

“Might as well save it for tomorrow,” suggested Barney. “Liam, do you want to look after it as best man?”

Liam grinned. “You really want to trust me with all the cash?”

“Yeah, maybe not, unless we only want to get stoned.” Barney pulled all the cash towards him. “I think I’ll take it instead.”

After we decided to put a stop to the card games, we sat there drinking and chatting again, this time about anything except personal stuff and relationships. As I thought the evening was starting to tail off, it took an unexpected turn.

Hollis appeared in the kitchen, wearing a pair of cut-off Daisy Dukes and a cropped T-shirt, showing off her toned stomach. My attention immediately switched from the cards to fix onto her.

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “I need a drink.”

“I thought you were going out with Ella.” Finn frowned.

“Nope. We’re saving ourselves for tomorrow night.” Her gaze roamed across the four of us sitting around the table. “Ugh, you’re not playing strip poker, are you?”

“Ha, in your dreams.” I’d probably had a little too much to drink, and the words slipped out before I could catch them. I glanced over at Finn who seemed to have missed it.

Hollis flipped me the middle finger and went over to the cupboard, reaching up to one of the higher shelves. The T-shirt pulled up, revealing she wasn’t wearing a bra and giving me a glimpse of the gentle curve of her bare breasts.

Swallowing, I tried not to stare. Talk about giving me material for my spank bank.

Be still, my beating cock. Her show seemingly went unnoticed by the others around the table, and I wondered whether she knew what she was doing.

When Hollis spun back around, a glass in her hand, her gaze flitted in my direction.

I watched her fill the glass with water from the tap and then take a long drink, her chin tilting up as she quenched her thirst. Everyone else in the room disappeared, my focus solely on Hollis.

I shifted in my seat, carefully adjusting myself, not wanting to reveal the effect she had on me.

Fuck. I have to get a grip.

Although, I’d much rather Hollis got a grip…

Reaching for my glass, I downed the tequila in it in one go, feeling the burn. I needed something to temper my growing desire.

“Who’s winning?” Hollis placed her empty glass on the draining board, her eyes moving from her brother, to Barney, then Liam, and finally resting on me.

“No fucking clue,” said Barney. “Liam said he’s got some shit-hot tequila for later, so I’d say he is.”

Hollis hopped up onto the kitchen counter and crossed her legs, twisting her long, caramel blonde hair into a ponytail and fixing it with a band she plucked from her wrist. “Maybe I’ll hang around then.”

Finn glared at her. “You’re really crashing a pre-stag party?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I know I said I was saving myself for tomorrow, but if Liam has tequila… ”

“You are not drinking tequila with us.” Finn shook his head at his sister.

Liam pushed his chair back and went to the fridge. “Why not?” He reached inside and pulled out a six-pack, then cracked open a can and passed one to Hollis before opening one himself.

“Thanks, Liam.” Hollis took a swig of beer. “So, what are we going to do now?”

“Nothing because it’s meant to be a boys’ night.” Finn threw his arms up.

“Come on, Finn. It’s not fair that we’re having fun and Hollis isn’t. It’s been ages since we’ve all hung out.” Thankfully, Barney was championing her case. “I don’t mind. What about you guys?” He glanced between me and Liam.

“Fine with me.”

“I don’t have an issue with it.”

“That’s settled, then.” Hollis jumped down from the counter and sat in one of the vacant chairs at the table. She picked up the cards. “What are we playing?”

We all laughed.

“Let’s move on to something else,” Barney suggested. “I’m bored of card games.”

“I know.” Liam grinned. “Fuck, Marry, Kill.”

A general groan went around the room.

“What are we, twelve?” Barney poured us all another shot of tequila. “Plus, I already know who I want to fuck and marry, and that’s Lenora. And I’ll kill any woman who gets between us.”

“Okay, fair enough.” For a second, I thought Liam was about to move on, but then he turned to Finn. “How about you, Finn? Let’s say…Ella, Felicity Andrews, and Hollis.” He leaned back in his chair, a grin crossing his face.

“Clearly, fucking or marrying my sister is utterly disgusting, so I’d have to kill her. Sorry, sis.” Finn raised his glass to her. “And if you’re forcing me to choose, then I’d fuck Felicity and marry Ella.” He lowered his face and took a shot.

“I knew it!” Hollis crowed. “You do want to get back with Ella. Wait until I tell her!”

Finn’s head snapped back up. “You fucking dare, and I really will kill you. It’s a game, Hollis.”

I sipped my beer, a smirk on my face, watching the siblings arguing like a couple of kids.

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes.

“What about you, Jase? Same trio. Ella, Felicity, and Hollis.”

My heart almost stopped. The real answer would get me into all sorts of shit that it would be hard to come back from. I mumbled something unintelligible, trying to buy some time. With the object of my affection sitting across from me, it was difficult.

“Yeah, come on, Jase. What’s your answer?” Hollis’s clear blue-green eyes fixed on me, waiting with anticipation for whatever came out of my mouth.

I swallowed a mouthful of tequila, trying to sound casual as I spoke. “As if I could answer that and not risk Finn punching me. I’d have to marry and fuck Felicity, because I can’t do either of those things to Ella or Hollis. So, they’d both end up dead. Sorry, Princess.”

A flicker of something crossed Hollis’s face. Disappointment or surprise, I wasn’t sure.

The chair scraped on the tiled floor, and Hollis stood up. “I think it was a mistake to crash the party. I’m going to bed. Don’t keep me awake too late with all your music and chat.”

“Wait, who’s the older sibling here?” Finn pointed to himself. “I can do what I want with my friends in the house.”

“And don’t you just. I’ll see you in the morning.” She stalked out of the room.

I watched her exit the kitchen, my eyes fixed firmly on the frayed hem of her shorts, which displayed a tempting amount of skin. After a beat, I stood up. “I need a piss.” I caught up with Hollis as she reached the top of the stairs and grabbed her arm, turning her to face me. “It’s only a game.”

Hollis shook herself free and glared at me. “I don’t know what you mean.”

I raised a brow. “You’re jealous because I wanted to fuck and marry Felicity.”

“As if.” She pouted.

“What if I said I wanted to fuck you?”

My gaze slipped to her top where the sight of her rock-hard nipples pressing against the thin material gave me the answer without her having to say a word.

“I’d say you’re crazy,” she choked out.

“Really?” I let out a chuckle, so desperate to make a move, to reach over and brush her tits with my fingertips and watch her quiver under my touch. But I had to stop myself. Finn’s earlier words came back to me.

It’s never happening, right, mate?

With a shake of my head, I stepped back. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s crazy.”

She blinked as if processing what I’d said.

With a jerk of my chin, I gestured downstairs. “I should get back. Night, Hollis.” And I, once again, walked away from what I really wanted.