Page 11 of Stay With Me

“Well, perfect! Because we’re partyin’ hard tonight! C’mon, Travis is makin’ drinks!” I grab her hand, then pull her behind me toward the kitchen.

Tripp and Landen stand behind us while Travis makes Noah a cocktail.

“You two want a beer?” Travis asks them once Noah has her drink.

“Nah, we’re drivin’,” Tripp explains.

“Oh, c’mon. One won’t kill ya. Take it.” Travis holds out a bottle but neither reaches for it.

“I saidno.” Tripp’s harsh tone sends a shiver down my spine. “I don’t drink and drive, man.”

They have a stare-off before Travis shrugs and takes it for himself. “C’mon, doll. Let’s dance.”

When I turn, I find Tripp’s icy glare on me as I take Travis’s hand. His hot-and-cold attitude confuses the fuck out of me because one minute he’d give me a sign he likes me, but then a minute later, he acts like he can’t get away from me fast enough.

It’s why I gave up trying and decided to give Travis another chance. I’m a goddamn catch. I shouldn’t have to convince a man to be with me.

Travis and I dance in the middle of the makeshift dance floor and halfway through the second song, I feel a hole burning in the back of my head. Noah’s next to us, dancing with our friends from high school, so I spin in Travis’s arms to see what else is going on in the room.

Tripp’s drinking out of a water bottle and Landen whispers something to him. Tripp’s brows are furrowed, his eyes locked on Noah and me. I sip more of my fruity drink and get lost in the music while keeping my gaze on him.

Arching my back, I rub my ass against Travis’s groin, and he tightens his hold on me. “You keep doing that, and I’m fuckin’ that tonight.”

I playfully elbow him, but he squeezes my arm.

“I’m serious, Maggie. Trust me, you’ll like it.” He spins me around to face him, and I scowl.

He knows I hate being calledMaggieand even more when he doesn’t respect my boundaries.

“I thought we had this discussion already.” One where I told himno freaking way.

“I’ll get ya nice and prepped, dollface. By the time I’m done edgin’ you, you’ll be beggin’ me for mythickcock in your ass.” He winks, and it makes my skin crawl.

Thick? If a number two pencil was thick, then yeah, he’s thick. But I have a low pain tolerance, and nothing sounds worse than giving him the green light to touch me there.

It’d be one thing if he were talking about rough sex or even role-playing. We’ve experimented in the past, and it was hot as hell, but this is one thing I won’t budge on. It makes me uncomfortable, and he seems to think me sayingnois foreplay to him getting what he wants.

Knowing he’s been drinking and not wanting to have this conversation at the moment, I brush him off. It’s not worth fighting about when tonight’s about celebrating and having fun.

“I’m ready to go to the Twisted Bull. Noah?” I look at her, and she nods eagerly.

“We’ll ride with her brothers since you’re drunk,” I tell Travis.

“The hell we will. I’m drivin’ you.” He squeezes my arm again, but this time it’s hard enough to leave a bruise.

“You’ve been drinkin’,” I remind him, keeping my voice steady so he doesn’t blow up in front of everyone. “Tripp and Landen can drive us there and then we’ll Uber home.”

He pinches his lips together and scowls in the direction of Noah’s brothers before finally looking at me. “Fine. But I want you close to me all night.”

Normally, I’d think his possessiveness was hot, but he’s acting more like a dick than a loving, protective boyfriend.

“You will be, I promise.” I wrap my arms around his neck so he calms down.

I finish the last of my drink before we get into Tripp’s truck. We can’t all fit in the front and back seats, so the rest of my friends pile in the bed and sing loudly to the music on our way there.

Noah nudges me, grabbing my attention, then tilts her chin toward the phone in my hand. When I unlock the screen, I find a text.

Noah