My mouth waters as I roam his body. He’s wearing those jeans that hug his ass just right and a faded Seether t-shirt, showcasing his strong shoulders and narrow waist. How can he make a simple t-shirt do that? I don’t know. However he does it, you won’t hear me complain.

  They pull out two chairs, Kade taking the one to my right as Gabe takes the one to my left. Kade leans forward, brushing his lips across mine. His uniquely sexy scent has my body springing to life, driving me crazy. He reaches his hand out to mine.

  “Hey, babe,” he rasps. I’ve never heard a voice ooze so much sex into only two simple words. Heat spreads throughout my body as my skin prickles with excitement.

  “Hey,” is all I can squeak out.

  Gabe gives me a small wave and a wink, causing me to flush slightly. I know he can see how Kade affects me. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, especially considering we’re all friends, but still. I’m not used to showing my emotions on my sleeve like this.

  Their attention is brought up to the stage as Quinn sings the last part of the song. The crowd erupts into a deafening roar of cheers and applause. She raises her glass to them before making her way back to the table. The chair thuds loudly against the floor as she unceremoniously falls into it.

  “Damn that’s thirsty work.” She wiggles her glass above her head, hoping to catch the attention of the waitress. “Hey, Kade! You made it.” Quinn turns to her right and crinkles her nose in mock disgust. “Gabe.”

  “Nice to see you too, sweetheart,” he says a little too sweetly.

  “You kicked ass up there,” Kade compliments. His thumb strokes the back of my hand, which he hasn’t let go of since he sat down. The screeching of his chair as he scoots closer to me can barely be heard over the rushing blood coursing through my ears. It’s taking every ounce of resistance I have to not crawl into his lap and let my lips roam his body.

  The waitress, who has now noticed the two hot guys sitting with us, makes her way over. I watch as she pays rapt attention to Kade when he orders his beer. Unfortunately for her, his eyes never leave mine. Gabe orders the same and I watch his face soften at Quinn when she orders another drink.

  “I’m good,” I say, showing her the drink I’m nursing.

  She gives Kade one last glance before turning to leave.

  “So, Quinn,” I say to get her attention. “Since you’ve dragged us here, you know you’ll have to sing more than one song, right?”

  She laughs it off as only she could. “Nope. You know I only sing one song when we come here. Learn to deal, lady.”

  The waitress sets our drinks down, letting her eyes linger on Kade a tad longer than necessary. Something churns inside me, making my stomach knot as she looks him up and down. I have no right to be territorial over him, but the carnal lust in her eyes makes me want to pull the hair out of her neatly placed ponytail and break her perfect little nose.

  Kade is oblivious to her outright ogling. She clears her throat, trying to gain his attention, along with a not-so-subtle brush of her arm against his shoulder. Nothing works. He’s still focusing on me, ignoring everyone around us. She lets out a frustrated huff and leaves, causing Quinn to break out into a fit of giggles.

  “Man, she does not know the meaning of subtle.”

  I grab a binder of songs because I don’t want to think about the waitress anymore, and start absently paging through it. There must be something here I can sing. I start looking for my usual songs, keeping a finger on the page so I can come back to it later.

  Gabe and Kade start talking about his upcoming show at The Warehouse. Lightning Strikes have become a regular appearance there, drawing in larger and larger crowds with each show. It really is perfect for both of them. Gabe gets the business and Kade gets the exposure. Plus, to have a regular gig is always a good thing. And I get to see his sexy ass strut the stage. The extra tips are just an added bonus.

  Quinn watches Gabe out of the corner of her eye while trying to look uninterested in their conversation. Maybe she isn’t as immune to him as I previously thought.

  I continue to thumb through the sticky pages before seeing a song jump out at me. It’s been a while since I’ve sung it, but it’s one of my favorites. I write down the song information, but tuck the slip under my drink. Not sure I’m ready to go up there and make a fool of myself yet. Kade grabs the book from me, flipping the pages and scribbles down his selection with a grin. He leans toward me and places a gentle kiss on my lips. It ends too soon and when I open my eyes, Kade’s walking up to the DJ booth. I glance at the table and notice mine is gone too.

  Sneaky little shit. “Ass,” I say as he retakes his seat.

  “Were you going to turn it in if I hadn’t?” he counters.

  “Yes…eventually.”

  He shakes his head with a laugh. Quinn and Gabe are debating the merits of Netflix over Redbox rentals. A really deep conversation that somehow Kade and I get drug into. Obviously Netflix is far superior. No rental or having to remember to return a disc, even if the selection isn’t great or have any of the newest movies right away. The banter back and forth has us all laughing and clutching our sides. Who knew Gabe was such a die-hard Redbox fan?

  The DJ calls my name, forcing me to perform “Like a Prayer” before I’ve had enough alcohol to sing this — or anything else for that matter.

  The crowd loved it, swaying in their seats, even singing along to the chorus. I cheered them on, playing it up for them. It’s amazing how a good crowd can change your mood when you’re on stage.

  Kade takes the stage after me, singing Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible.” Several girls recognize him, screaming out his name as he plays up the crowd, being the rock god I know he is. His song selection is curious though, since almost everything he sings is alternative rock. This 80’s selection surprises me. He nailed it, of course.

  The waitress swings by as soon as Kade is back to the table. Shocking. Gabe orders water since he has to drive. Kade orders another Coors Light while Quinn orders a Long Island Iced Tea.

  “Really? That’s essentially all alcohol,” Gabe says, raising an eyebrow to her.

  Quinn narrows her eyes. “Hence the appeal.”

  Kade looks over at my empty drink, picking it up and sniffing it before turning his nose up in disgust. “What the shit is this? It smells way too sweet.”

  “It’s a Sex on the Driveway. You’ll thank me later,” Quinn says. I kick her shin under the table, making her yelp. “Bitch.”

  Kade ignores her and turns back to me. “Babe, you want another one of those?”

  The waitress’s smile fades slightly at his pet name for me.

  “No, I think I need something else. Any suggestions?”

  “She needs a Slow Screw Up Against the Wall,” Quinn chirps. “Oh, and the drink, too.”

  Gabe snorts but then quickly covers it up by clearing his throat. Quinn’s nose is still stuck in the song book, acting like she didn’t just say that out loud. If only she could see the glare I’m throwing her way. “Could you possibly get any dirtier with my drink choices?”

  She looks up, a devilish grin spreading across her face. “Add two blow job shots as well.”

  When am I going to keep my big fat fucking mouth shut? I shake my head. “No, no shots. Uh-uh. No way.”

  With a flick of her wrist, Quinn sends the waitress on her way, leaving me to groan in my chair. Kade’s laughing next to me, enjoying Quinn’s little show. Gabe shakes his head, choosing to stay silent for now. Smart man.

  “There’s barely any alcohol in those shots and you know it. It’s not even enough to get a decent buzz.” I hate it when she’s right. It’s just an utterly sweet shot that you can only do so much of without puking everywhere. I grab the book from her hands to keep myself busy.

  When the waitress returns with our drinks, she gives Kade a wink. “Looks like you have an admirer, Mr. Rock God,” I tease. That nagging, raw feeling doesn’t go away in my stomach as I say the words.

  He takes a pull from his beer and shrugs. “Whatever. She’s not my type.”

  I sip my drink, still sweet but more tolerable than the last. “Oh, really? What is your type?”

  Kade grabs the book from me after I finish writing my selection down. “Well, let’s see,” he starts. He takes another pull from his beer and I watch his Adam’s apple bob as he works it down. The stubble along his jaw has my fingers tingling again, aching to touch it, to feel it scratch against my skin.

  “She has to have brains. Must have a deep love of music and be able to sing. She has to have a quiet side, as well as a side that no one else see often, adding to her mystery.” My glass freezes mid-air, just beyond my lips as he continues. “She’s sexy without knowing it or flaunting it. She has this draw I just can’t get away from. A siren’s call.”

  He writes something on the paper before placing the pen down and leans closer to me. I can feel his breath whisper across my cheek. “Her skin smells like coconuts and citrus. She’ll have the most amazing honey-colored eyes that compliment her chocolate-brown hair, which falls in waves down her back.” His hand reaches up to tuck a curl behind my ear, thumb gently brushing against my chin before igniting a trail of fire when his fingers graze down the column of my throat.

  I try to swallow past the newly formed lump. “That’s awfully specific,” I rasp out. “Where are you going to find someone like that?”

  His hand reaches around to the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him. The warmth of his breath tickles my ear. “All she has to do is say the word and I’ll make her mine.”

  I try to pull back, needing to look at his eyes to make sure I’m not imagining what he’s telling me. He doesn’t let me move an inch, just keeps my cheek pressed to his, feeling the rough stubble against my skin. Everything fades away. Quinn and Gabe disappear, along with the drunken idiots surrounding us. All I see is him. All I feel is him, yearning for more of his touch. The whispered promise of more echoes through my head, awakening the deep-rooted urge lying low in my belly.

  This is it. I can’t fight it anymore. The need to be with him is too great, too powerful. Besides, it’s all semantics anyway. We spend most of our time together. How is one little definition going to change us?

  “Okay,” I whisper so only he can hear.

  Kade pulls back, his eyes searching mine. It takes mere seconds for a smile to crawl across his beautiful face. He must have found what he was looking for because he cradles my face in his hands, leans forward, and possesses my lips, branding me as his.

  “Tonight,” he murmurs.

  Holy shit, tonight? Are we ready to take this next step? More importantly, am I? One look in his eyes and I know my answer.

  Yes.

  He tilts my head to the side, tracing my bottom lip with his tongue. I sigh and open for him, eagerly waiting to taste him, show him what’s been building inside me for the past few weeks.

  We consume each other, taking deep licks while gripping the other as if we’ll float away. When he digs his fingers through my hair, I’m light-headed. Background noise slowly filters back in as our urgency slows, pulling us from the lust-filled haze.

  “Get a room,” Quinn yells. Shit! We’re in a very public bar making out like a couple of horny teenagers. Why does he always fry my brain until I forget where I am or what I’m doing?

  Kade releases me, but only slightly. He pulls my chair closer to his, wrapping a hand around my knee and tickling the soft skin behind it. All coherent thought is gone as I attempt to regain control of my body. Pandora’s Box has been opened, something I’ve fought for ten years to keep shut. Emotions are sticky and get in the way. Now, they’re fighting to get to the surface faster than I can contain them. It’s a high, a rush, a foreign but welcome sensation.

  “Earth to Adrienne? Are you still there?” Quinn snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Jesus, Kade, stop making her stupid with your tongue.”

  I shake my head and laugh. “Shut up.”

  She slides a shot in front of me with a smirk. “You better take this the right way.”

  “You’re on,” I say, curling my lips into what I hope is a sultry smile.

  We bend over the shot glasses, filled with the sweet liqueur and topped with whipped cream. I wrap my lips around the rim of the glass, my hands clasped firmly behind my back. Holding onto it with my teeth, I lift the glass off the table, throw my head back and swallow the contents, trying not to let any slip out the side of my mouth.

  Kade pulls the glass from my lips, his thumb brushing against the corner to catch a smidgeon of leftover cream. He brings it to his lips, wrapping them around the pad and humming his pleasure. If there wasn’t already a pulse between my legs from his kiss, watching him suck cream off his thumb has just sent it into overdrive.

  Holy. Fuck.

  When my tongue darts out to catch any remnants of the shot, he adjusts himself in his seat, sparks seemingly shooting from his eyes.

  Gabe tries to help Quinn, but she’s too mesmerized by Kade’s performance to register it. She swats his hands away and orders a round of Washington Apple shots instead.

  The drinks flow freely now. Quinn’s defense system is down as the constant stream of alcohol runs through her system. I keep catching her trying to discreetly place her hands on Gabe’s lap under the table. She plays it off as a joke, but I know better. Quinn may talk a big game, but really she’s like me. Timid until she feels comfortable enough to show her true emotions, not that Gabe minds. However, he is watching her intake, making sure she doesn’t drink so much that it throws her over the edge.

  After yet another round, I can feel the heating effects of the alcohol on my cheeks. My teeth take on a pleasant tingle and everything moves just a tad slower. Kade wraps his arm around my shoulders, letting me lean into his body for stability. He hasn’t had much to drink tonight, which makes me feel slightly guilty. But this blurry stage between buzzed and drunk feels good, something I haven’t done in a while.

  Quinn slaps her hand against the table. The glasses chatter from the sudden movement. “I have an idea. It’s kamikaze time!”

  “No way. No more shots, Quinn,” I say, concentrating hard to make sure the words don’t come out slurred.

  She rolls her eyes with a smirk. “No, dummy. Karaoke kamikaze.”

  My eyes widen. “Only if you’re involved, Ms. I-Only-Know-One-Song. And you have to sing whatever is picked for you.”

  “Deal.” We shake hands before looking to the guys. “Okay, bitches, let’s do this.”

  We each grab a sheet and agree to pick a song for the person seated to our right. Quinn whispers something into Gabe’s ear, bringing a smile to his face as he nods.

  “Hey! No cheating. He has to pick his own song for me,” I whine.

  Quinn sticks her tongue out and continues searching for a song for Gabe. When all sheets are ready, Kade takes them to the DJ booth and we wait our turns. Luckily the crowd has died down, leaving only a few tables filled with drunken patrons. Thank God. The less people to witness this train wreck, the better.

  Gabe is called as the first victim. Quinn bounces in her chair as he takes the stage, looking nervous while waiting for the screen to show his fate. I’d be nervous too if Quinn was picking a song for me.

  Quinn practically falls off her chair in peals of laughter, along with everyone else, as The Divinyls “I Touch Myself” begins to play. Gabe, in his good sportsmanship, plays along and completely makes himself a fool on stage, running his hands up and down his body during the chorus. He even moans a little like he’s really getting into it. Quinn stops laughing and transforms before my eyes when Gabe comes back to the table. Her normally subdued eyes have lit on fire as she looks at him. Before we know it, her lips are on his, making him gasp in surprise, but not stopping him from grabbing the back of her head as they devour each other.

  Kade dips his head low into the crook of my neck, nuzzling softly for a moment. I close my eyes and squeeze my legs together. He’s really good at this whole seduction thing. Ever since he made that promise about tonight, it’s all I can think about. His hand climbs higher and higher on my leg, sparking a tingle with each inch more he takes.

  Quinn is called next and she pulls away from Gabe, her lips swollen and red. She grabs the mic from the stand and laughs when she sees Kade’s selection. The annoying sounds of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” fill the bar.

  “You couldn’t have picked a better song,” I yell over the high-pitched squealing Quinn is doing on the stage. Unfortunately, it was one of her favorite songs when we were younger. Needless to say, she has the song memorized.

  When Quinn sits down again, it’s Gabe’s turn to devour her, resuming their little make-out session.

  I lean into Kade, my nose touching his cheek. “Alcohol apparently loosened her up. Maybe there’s hope yet,” I whisper.

  He turns and runs a finger down the side of my face. “Hope is all us guys have when it comes to the beautiful women who drive us nuts.”

  I swallow thickly, my mind quickly sobering up. The DJ calls my name, but I barely register it as I stare into Kade’s indigo eyes. He laughs and nudges me toward the stage, smacking my ass for good measure on the way up.

  When the song “Stay the Night” by Zedd, featuring Hayley Williams appears on the screen, I glare at Quinn, who finally pulled herself away from Gabe just long enough to wink at me. She thinks she’s so damn funny.

  Bitch.

  With a deep breath, I lock eyes with Kade’s and sing. I know this was Quinn’s plan all along. Joke’s on her. We had already planned that before this song. As I sing, I can’t help wondering what it’ll be like tonight, feeling him against me, next to me, inside me. Everything will change. We’ll be more than friends, giving in to the feelings we’ve been dancing around. The sudden revelation leaves me breathless. The song ends and I slowly make my way back to the table, Kade watching my every move. Each step kicks up my eagerness to leave, so it’s just us. Alone. Together.

 

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