Play With Me

on.
    Ryan ignored his
trainers and shirt, which lay tossed on the floor. Barefoot, he padded from the
room. I followed him down the stairs, gazing at his back. What was it with
naked skin all of a sudden that let me forget the world around me?
    “Hey, Ry,”
someone called from the hall to which we descended.
    “Morning, Chris,”
Hunter replied to the boy lying sprawled on the sofa. He walked on as if it was
the most natural thing for him to come down from his room with a random girl
after a partying night.
    It might be the
usual for him, but it sure as hell wasn’t for me. I felt my face turn a deep
red when the heat shot to my cheeks. God, I should have jumped out of his
window instead of being subject to this embarrassment. I hated giving anyone the
wrong ideas. And there were quite a few leftover guests from last night.
    The front door
called to me, promising freedom. But Hunter had different ideas and pulled me
into the kitchen. When he released my hand, I stood rigid in the middle of the
room with the marble floor, while he headed for the fridge. He grabbed two
bottles of water, unscrewed them, and dropped a tablet in both which he’d
fetched from a cupboard. The tablet was still dissolving as he handed me one
and then leaned against the counter, legs crossed at the ankles, drinking from
the other.
    I didn’t dare
take a sip.
    “Why so skeptic,
Matthews? It will help your headache.”
    After this
innocent looking berry drink that landed me in this situation…yeah, I was. But
since he drank the same stuff, I figured I was safe. Reluctantly, I sniffed the
water then sipped.
    “You don’t trust
me?” He chuckled and drank some more.
    “How could I? I
woke up with a hangover from a soda and with an equally drunk person sleeping
next to me half of the night.”
    “Yeah, sorry about
that.” He gave me a sheepish grin. “I don’t usually get drunk at my own
parties. And believe me I’m going to get a piece of Claudia for messing with
the wine cooler.”
    I really started
to loath that word. And the drink even more so.
    “Look, as long
as you keep hydrated today, you’ll be fine.”
    I winced, not
believing him one second. “It feels like someone installed a construction site
in my head.”
    “Oh yeah, I know
the feeling. If you give me a minute to shower, I’ll drive you home.”
    “No!” Ah hell, panicky
shouting wasn’t a good idea. I grimaced, pressing my temples until the
throbbing eased. “No thanks,” I tried again in a calmer tone, just wanting out
of this house. “I’ll be happy to take the walk and sober up before meeting my
parents. My mom will freak out.”
    “Suit yourself.”
He walked me to the front door. “Want my sunglasses?”
    “Why would I
want your sunglasses?” The moment I pulled open the door I knew why. Like a
vampire, I flinched back into the shade.
    And right into
his firm chest. Which was still naked. And damn enticing.
    He reached around,
holding out his shades to me which he had fetched from where I didn’t know. The
scent of pure Hunter enveloped me. For a millisecond, the screaming in my
aching head stopped, and I was about to faint for a different reason.
    “I know you so
want it.” I could hear the mocking smile in his voice when he said it into my
ear. I swallowed hard, only then realizing he meant his sunglasses.
    Putting on the
shades, I pushed away from him and trudged outside, down the steps.
    “Matthews,” Ryan
called after me, and I turned. “We’ll start your training tomorrow morning. Be
up and ready at five. I’ll pick you up.”
    My jaw hit my
chest as he said it and shut the door.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER
    6
     
     
    BY HALF PAST
ten, I slipped through the door of our house. Mom stood in the threshold to the
kitchen, with her cell phone in her hand. She looked up, and a relieved smile
curved her lips. “Hi, sweetie. Why didn’t you take your phone with you? I was
just about to call Tony to check if everything was okay.”
    Praise the Lord
for the many nights I crashed at Tony’s in the past ten years. Mom was so used
to it, she would never expect anything bad when I didn’t come home after being
out with him. I resisted the urge to cross myself and forced a smile.
    “How was the
party?” she asked in her innocent, motherly way.
    “Good.”
    “When was it
over?”
    “Little after
three?”
    Great, sound
anymore guilty, and she’ll tie you to the kitchen chair and start a nasty
inquisition. Luckily, her frown eased after a