Page 11

Chapter eleven

~ AVERY~

I stare down at the shot in my hand, a pulse thrumming low in my stomach. He wants me to pour it into his mouth.

The anticipation buzzes under my skin, setting every nerve alight. I slowly scoot closer, so slowly it feels like moving through water, my heart hammering with each inch. Damien leans back, his head tipping as his lips part, waiting, watching—for me.

Oh, God.

Carefully, I tilt the tiny glass, pouring the amber liquid into his open mouth, and for a moment, everything around me vanishes. My gaze locks on his throat, the muscles and Adam’s apple shifting as he swallows, each movement unbearably seductive. I’m the one who feels like I’ve downed the shot as heat floods me, a heady excitement leaving me breathless. I’ve never experienced this kind of intimacy before.

“Delicious.” Damien sits up, his lips curling into a grin that lights his eyes with mischief. “So,” he murmurs, his voice smooth as silk, “you’ve only kissed one guy?”

My excitement twists instantly into embarrassment, the reality of what I’ve shared rushing back to me.

Why did I say that? Heat floods my cheeks, my heart stammering painfully in my chest.

“Can you forget I said that?” I cringe. The urge to pull away, to hide from his knowing eyes, feels as strong as gravity.

But he’s already moving, his gaze not letting me escape, and when I look up, he’s closer, his presence wrapping around me, dizzying. I try to breathe, but it’s suddenly too shallow, too tight.

“What are you doing?” I ask, barely managing the words.

His lips tilt, the smile transforming, darkening.

“A bonus round,” he whispers, his finger tracing a slow line across my shoulder, leaving goosebumps in its wake. It’s now I realize my cardigan has fallen off my shoulders, bunched up around my waist.

“What else hasn’t been done?” he murmurs, his finger never stopping.

The question lands between us, almost rhetorical, yet charged with a dare that steals my breath.

“Has anyone done this?”

My brain races to process, to keep up, but his hand shifts, tracing down my arm, each touch deliberate, coaxing, pulling me deeper. I give him a little shake of my head.

No, no one’s ever been this close to me like that.

His thumb brushes over my bare skin, so light it feels like a spark, each stroke sending warmth through me in a slow, dangerous burn.

Then he leans in, his lips hovering so close that his breath feathers across my skin, each word a shiver running down my spine.

“No one’s done this?” His fingers trace down my arm again, his thumb gliding in a slow, taunting sweep that makes me feel both on edge and inexplicably alive. “Tell me,” he orders softly.

I can barely think, let alone form an answer, his presence overpowering. Every touch of his hand anchors me to this moment, grounding me and pulling me under. I’m keenly aware of every shift in his expression, the glint in his eye, the way his fingers skim the side of my neck, igniting something deeply, terrifyingly raw within me.

“No,” I breathe, transfixed.

And then, slowly, he leans even closer, his lips an inch away from mine, torturously, tantalizingly close. He smells like the most delicious trouble.

He watches me, his gaze flicking down to my mouth, and I can’t help but part my lips, anticipation and fear swirling together in an intoxicating blend.

“You know, I’ve been teaching you to skate behind Rowan’s back…” His voice trails off, his thumb brushing over my jaw, his fingers trailing in a way that makes it impossible to think straight. “Maybe I could teach you… other things as well.”

My eyes widen at his words. I know exactly what he means.

I’m barely breathing, and my mind is a mess of static and heat. My entire world narrows to the touch of his hand and the sound of his voice. He shifts again, his lips ghosting over my cheek, lingering just close enough to my ear so his breath is hot against my skin.

“All you have to do…” His words are a murmur, just for me. “Is say yes.”

Every rational part of me is screaming to pull away, to tell him to stop, to hold my ground. He’s my brother’s best friend, almost a decade older than me, and completely out of my league.

But I feel my lips move, barely parting, the soft, whispered word slipping out before I can think.

“Yes.”

I don’t recognize my own voice, but Damien hears it. His eyes darken, that unreadable gleam taking on a hunger that’s almost dangerous. His hand moves to the back of my neck, his thumb grazing the sensitive skin at the nape, leaving me caught between nerves and something that feels almost reckless. His fingers tighten slightly, possessive, certain.

His lips tilt up again, and the look in his eyes leaves no question about his intentions. “I’m going to have so much fun with you.” His lips inch closer, so close to mine that I feel his hot breath on them, the promise of the kiss that will destroy me.

Suddenly, the quiet rumble of an engine drifts up from below, and I turn, looking down the winding road. A black SUV rounds the corner, its headlights cutting through the night, illuminating the steep hill that leads to the house.

My heart stops.

I know that car.

Beside me, Damien chuckles low and dark, his mouth brushing against my ear. “Looks like Rowan’s ended his date early.”

Shit!

I turn to him, panic flaring in my eyes, and he just tilts his head, that smirk never leaving his face.

“You’d better hurry home, little liar,” he murmurs.

I snap into motion, my fingers clutching my cardigan tightly around me as I hurry back inside and toward his front door, my pulse a dizzying beat against my ribs. I run out of Damien’s house, my slippers threatening to fall off my feet as I drag them, one packed step after the other.

I reach the front door, slipping inside just as the sound of the SUV pulls up to the driveway. With a last, shaky breath, I press the door shut behind me, careful not to let it slam.

I don’t stop there. I head up the stairs, my legs carrying me quickly, my chest tight with nerves. The moment I reach my room, I grab the book off my nightstand, plop down on the bed, and flip it open in front of me. The words swim on the page, nothing sinking in except for the thunderous beat of my heart.

And then, a few moments later, there’s a knock on my door.

“Avery?” Rowan’s voice is calm and unassuming. But my heart leaps as I answer a little too quickly, my voice just a touch too high-pitched.

“Come in!”

The door slides open, and Rowan steps in. He looks around my room before his gaze settles on me, softening with that familiar warmth. He glances at the book in my lap and smiles.

“Still reading, huh? I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

I swallow, nodding. “I wasn’t that tired. How was your date?”

He sighs, leaning against the doorframe, his mouth quirking into a half-smile. “Awful. She talked about herself the entire night.”

“Oh, yikes.” I force a laugh, clutching my book tighter to keep my hands from trembling. “Sounds annoying.”

“Yeah.” He chuckles, rolling his eyes. “I managed to escape, though.” He shrugs, watching me with that familiar gaze. “Thanks for waiting up. You didn’t have to.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” I smile, hoping it’s convincing.

“I’m just gonna go shower.” He crosses the room, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Don’t stay up too late, okay?” he adds, and I feel a pang of guilt as I smile up at him.

“I won’t.”

The door closes softly behind him, leaving the room in silence, broken only by the hum of the night air filtering through the open window. My heartbeat finally slows, but the weight of what I’ve done tonight settles in, heavy and undeniable.

Immediately, I think back to the way Damien’s fingers grazed my skin, his gaze darkening when he told me he’d have fun with me. And my own whispered, “Yes.” The thrill, the terror, the dizzying excitement—all of it swirls together, leaving me feeling restless and awake, knowing that I’m so deep into this mess that there’s no way I’m climbing back out.