Part 2 (1/2)

He blocks my path when I go to walk by him, and he smirks as he stares down at me. He thinks he's cute. He is, but he's so smug and sure of himself.

”Any chance we can start over? I didn't mean to come off as such a jerk. I'm actually quite charming, usually.”

I tilt my head, and using my sweetest vixen's voice, I speak while taking a step toward him.

”I'm sure you can be, Tag.” My finger begins trailing up his chest, and his breath hitches in response. ”But... I don't forget that easily. Now move out of my d.a.m.n way.”

The ice I just doused his sizzle with is enough to make his brow scrunch as he steps aside and lets me by. I hold back a triumphant smile, though it's hard as h.e.l.l to do.

I can feel him watching me as I leave, so I add a little s.e.xiness to my strut as I head out to find Billy.

The biggest reason he wants me is to screw with Billy. That's certainly obvious. What a d.i.c.k.

I see Billy and Rene talking, her hand on his arm as she giggles at whatever corny joke he just told her. A smile invades my face, and then I feel chills covering my body as heat presses against my back.

”Oh, I forgot to mention... he's talking to an old flame,” Tag murmurs, his breath finding my ear and traveling down my neck, creating a delicious crawl of contradicting and competing emotions.

A medley of divine cologne and shampoo invade my nose. d.a.m.n, he smells so, so, so good.

”He can talk to Rene all he wants. I'm not a crazy b.i.t.c.h,” I say through a laugh, my nerves hiding in the octaves of my off-pitch chuckles as I step away from his grasp.

”Not the jealous type?” he muses suspiciously.

I can't help but smile at his agitation. Apparently he expected me to blow a fuse.

”No, not jealous. I happen to like Rene. If Billy wants to talk to her, then he can. Don't you have two dates to attend to? I'm sure they'd be jealous if they found out you're stalking me.”

I can't believe how confident I sound right now, despite my throbbing... everything.

He grins daringly as his body towers over mine. He backs me against the side of the house, and then his arm props up over my head as he leans down.

”They can manage to work a party without me. You, however... You'll need someone looking out for you out there. You're too... you know what? I'll just lead you around until Bity gets done catching up with Rene. What do you think?”

”I think it's driving you crazy that Billy is all grown up and women find him more interesting than you.”

That'll shut him up.

He bursts out laughing, and then he leans back away from me while gasping for air as he heaves his laughter out all the louder.

What an arrogant a.s.s.

”That's priceless. Billy Prize more interesting than me,” he roars out through his chuckles.

I roll my eyes at the obnoxious jerk, and then I head away from the house to meet the eyes of everyone staring at me.

Too much cleavage, s.l.u.t.

I should have chosen a more conservative dress.

I look down to Billy, and though he's waving me over, his eyes tell me to give him more time alone with Rene.

I blow him a kiss, and he offers a lopsided grin before giving me a wink. Within seconds, Rene's hand finds his arm, instantly begging for his attention to return to her.

Well I'll be d.a.m.ned. He's right. Stupid, crazy girl.

If she likes him, then she should just admit it. Billy deserves to have her after all the years he has spent pining over her.

I head over to the bar, and I huff in distaste as the Twin Bombsh.e.l.l Wonders draw the attention from the hungry eyes of all the men. I have no idea why Tag is wasting his time chasing me around just because he has beef with Billy, when he has s.e.xy Thing One and s.e.xy Thing Two hot and waiting for him.

They giggle as they delight in their drunken dancing, and I prop up to laugh at the humiliating display.

”I swear. Tag is far too refined and handsome to be escorting such trashy girls around,” Melanie gripes while shooing the girls away from the picture table.

Maybe he's the one who hired escorts.

I hear a throat clearing, as Tag reappears, his humor gone when he stares at his foolish betties.

”s.h.i.+t,” he murmurs under his breath while walking toward Melanie. ”I'll take care of it.”

”You better, or I will,” she says, almost as if she's scolding one of her own children.

I grin as his cheeks redden, and I watch as he starts tangling with them to remove their drunken bodies from the eyes of the disapproving.

”They're too skinny for tequila,” I say with a mocking tone as I raise my gla.s.s toward him in a triumphant gloating sort of toast.

He scowls at me and then shrugs.

”Could you give me a hand?”

”Me?” I laugh. ”Not my problem.”

”As.h.i.+ara, please help him,” Melanie whines while turning toward me.

c.r.a.p. Should've kept my mouth shut.

He gives me a childish ha-in-your-face smile, and I narrow my eyes at him while going to relieve him of s.e.xy Thing One.

She collapses almost instantly, her legs giving out, and she laughs hysterically as I wrap her arm around my shoulders, trying to distribute her weight.

”I hate you right now,” I grumble as Tag scoops up s.e.xy Thing Two with effortless ease.

He lets a laugh escape as I struggle with the girl who looks a lot skinnier than she feels. I follow him, cursing under my breath, as he makes his way around back for our discreet departure.

”Thanks for this,” he murmurs softly as we find the array of parked vehicles.

”Thank Melanie. She's the one making me do this.”

”Oh, I'll be avoiding Melanie for a while. She'll be wanting to kick my a.s.s for this.”