Sighing, I uncrossed my arms from across my chest and unbuckled my seatbelt, pulling a face as I looked up at the house in front of me. I could think of better ways to spend my weekend than being dragged along to some stupid family reunion – I didn't even go to my own family reunions, what had been going through Luke's mind when he'd agreed to drag me to his family's home?
It kept my parents happy, I guess.
"Oh, c'mon…" Luke sighed, squeezing my knee as he turned to look at me. "How about we turn that frown upside down and go inside, hmm? I promise it will be alright once we're in there and you have a nice glass of wine in your hands."
"How about you stop talking to me like I'm three years old?" I raised my eyebrows, pushing his hand off my leg and opening the car door. "This just isn't exactly how I wanted to meet your parents for the first time, Lucas."
"We'll get our bags later, when everyone is leaving."
"But I want my-"
"Darling, there are people inside alright, it's impolite for us to traipse in with our luggage…" Lucas interrupted me, throwing an arm around my shoulders and guiding me into the house. I shook him off me, crossing my arms again and chewing the inside of my cheek as I looked around. "Fix your hair, pull it out from behind your ears."
"Excuse me?" I frowned at him.
"You look a little like a pixie when you wear your hair like that."
"Are you serious? Jesus Christ, Luke," I rolled my eyes, but did as he asked.
"Much better!" he smiled, pecking me on the lips. I huffed, letting him lead me further into the house – which, honestly, was a little more like a palace compared to what I used to. I hadn't known Luke's parents were so… well off. Obviously, my mother had, and I was betting that's why she'd set me up with him.
He pushed open a door and I paused, the chatter from inside becoming louder and I looked around, feeling self-conscious at the amount of people in there.
"When can I get that glass of wine?" I mumbled.
"Soon," he chuckled, pressing his lips to the top of my head "Look, the bar is over there, why don't you go get a drink? My parents have paid for everything."
Oh, of course. A bar. In someone's house. That was normal.
I nodded at him and turned towards the bar, smiling nervously at the guy stood behind it.
"Uh… Can I have a large red wine, please? Like, as large as you can manage? And- wait, can I have a whiskey, too? Thanks," I nodded, watching as he turned around and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. I chewed on my bottom lip as I looked around, jumping when I saw a man sat leaning on the bar next to me. He looked as out of place as I did, his ratty jeans with his shirt hanging out of them matching my own clothes. "I take it you've been dragged here against your will too, huh?" I asked him. He eyed me curiously, looking me up and down as his lips curled up into a smirk.
"I fuckin' wish," he shook his head. "Ain't one for all this family shit but they insist on invitin' me to these damn parties."
"You- you're related to them?" I pursed my lips. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend, this just isn't really my thing. Oh, thank you," I looked up with a smile as my drinks were placed in front of me and I went to take hold of the small glass of whiskey, but the strangers hand reached out and swiped it away, lifting it up and downing it in one. "Well, that's rude," I frowned.
"You don't look like a whiskey kinda girl," he shrugged his shoulders, pushing his sleeves up his arms.
Oh.
He had pretty nice arms.
Big. Kind of tanned.
Not like Luke's scrawny arms which hardly ever saw daylight because he was always shut away in his damn office.
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "And what does a 'whiskey girl' look like?"
"Kinda slutty. More skin on show. Looks like she'd drop to her knees soon as I unzipped my jeans."
"…Huh," I paused, swirling my wine around in the glass before taking a sip. "Should have seen me this time last year. You definitely would have classed me as a whiskey girl."
"Fancy takin' a trip down memory lane?" he grinned, his tongue snaking out over his lips as he took a step away from the bar, his finger fiddling with his belt buckle as I smirked at him.
"In the middle of a crowded room? Please, I have a little more class than that. I'm practically a lady now. Hey, can I have another whiskey seeing as this guy stole it?" I pointed a thumb at him as I spoke to the bartender, who nodded with a chuckled and grabbed two glasses. "What's your name, anyway?"
"Why? Wanna know what you'll be screamin' later?"
"Presumptuous," I scoffed. "Wanna know who I need to file a restraining order against."
"Mac," Luke's voice came from behind me as he slipped an arm around my waist. "I do hope you're not bothering my girlfriend?"
"She's botherin' me," he – Mac – grunted. "Ain't my fault you can't keep your bitch in line."
"Excuse me?" I frowned.
"Offerin' to suck me off when she don't even know my name."
"I did no such thing!" I spluttered. "Oh my God, what's your problem?"
"Here you go," the bartender whispered, pushing the glass of whiskey towards me and I screwed my eyes shut as Luke's arm tightened around my waist.
"Why are you drinking that disgusting drink again?" he asked me. "We talked about this on the way here, darling."
"I know we did, I-"
"S'mine," Mac shot Lucas a look as he grabbed the glass.
"Well, that doesn't surprise me," Luke sneered at him. "Cheap drink for a cheap guy."
"That why your Momma drinks it? S'in your parents stash, after all," Mac raised his eyebrows and I stifled a laugh as he drank the drink, slamming the glass down on the bar. "That how your daddy likes 'em? Fast and easy?"
"If he liked them fast and easy, Mac," Lucas took a step forward. "He would have gone after your mother instead."
"Lucas," I hissed, yelping as he jumped back when Mac took a quick step forward. "Dammit, watch where you'd going, you stood on me!" I grumbled, reaching down to rub my toe through my shoes.
"Come on, let's go and introduce you to my parents," he plastered a smile on his face as I picked up my glass of mine and he took my free hand in his before pulling me away. I looked at Mac, smiling apologetically and he shrugged his shoulders as he gestured for another whiskey.
"He didn't seem so bad…"
"Stay away from him, beautiful," Lucas mumbled. "He'd bad news, alright?"
"Who is he?"
"He's my cousin, Mac," he sighed. "His… His mother was a whore, she was my mother's sister. She moved to the backend of nowhere and had this bastard kid with no dad in sight. She died and my mother vowed to take care of her Mac, no matter what. That's why he gets invited to these things, my mother feels like it's her duty. He's… He's not a nice guy, okay? He's dangerous. Just stay away from him."
"Okay," I whispered, turning to glance over my shoulder, my eyes connecting with Mac's as I bit my bottom lip.
I'd always liked a little danger.
***
Lucas stuck to my side for the rest of the night, frowning whenever he caught my eyes wandering over to where Mac was still leaning against the bar. His grip tightening on my arm or on my waist whenever he caught me looking over at his cousin and he'd constantly hiss in my ear that he was no good, that he didn't belong in their family, that he was a monster.
I chose to ignore him.
I could decide for myself.
Mac was the kind of guy who I'd be interested in through my own choice – not like Lucas, who had been forced upon me by my parents after a particularly disastrous year which ended with me getting kicked out of college.
Mac seemed like the guys who I'd used to surround myself with and so, when I saw him ducking outside, I excused myself as politely as I could from speaking with more of Luke's boring relatives by telling them I needed the bathroom.
"Excuse me," I hissed at a passing waitress, a tray of vol-au-vents in her hands. "You didn't happen to see where- I mean, I'm looking for someone, he's taller than me and wearing jeans? He's uhm-"
"He slipped out of the side entrance a couple of minutes ago," she smiled politely as she pointed towards a set of doors, shooting me a wink as she stepped away. "Have fun, he's hot!"
"Thanks," I laughed quietly and walked in the direction she'd pointed me in, slipping outside and closing the doors behind me quietly.
"He let you off the leash for a while, then. You followin' me?"
"Well," I shook my head when Mac spoke from behind me and I turned around to face him. "I think you wanted me to follow you. You made sure I was watching before you left."
"Ain't my fault you been watchin' me all night," he growled. "Makin' eyes at me. I see what's goin' through your head, I ain't stupid. Been undressin' me with your eyes since you walked away."
"And you haven't been doing the same to me?"
"Never said that," Mac grinned at me, shaking his head. "Just wonderin' why. I know he told you I'm bad news."
"Lucas thinks everyone is bad news," I rolled my eyes at him.
"Yeah, he's right though, I am bad news."
"Hmm…" I crossed my arms over my chest as I took a step back and looked him up and down. "You don't seem so bad."
"You don't know the half of it, sweetheart."
"What have you done that's so bad, then?" I asked, leaning backwards against the wall and watching as he took a drag of cigarette. "I've done some pretty bad stuff, too."
"Not like me," he shook his head. "Best get back inside before he comes lookin'. Can't promise I'll be nice to him this time."
"I'm sorry for what he said, about your mother," I whispered, frowning alright.
"Don't be. I ain't," he pulled a face. "S'true," he told me and I paused, unsure of how to reply to that. "He doesn't know he's picked up a whiskey girl, does he?"
"What?" I looked up at him.
"My cousin. He doesn't know what you're really like."
"Oh, and you do know what I'm really like?"
"Yeah, guess I do," Mac flicked his cigarette to the ground and stepped closer to me, his voice dropping. "See, a good, nice girl like he thinks you are wouldn't have followed me out here. Wouldn't have been eye-fuckin' me all night and wouldn't have told me she practically used to suck guys off for a livin'."
"I never said that," I frowned at him. "I just implied that I used to do it for fun."
"A nice girl woulda stayed inside and acted like the perfect little girlfriend, made conversation with the parents, had a couple of drinks. By my count, I reckon you've knocked back a couple of bottle of wine by now."
"So you have been watching me then," I grinned up at him, his hand coming to rest on the wall against my head. "And who said I was a nice girl?"
"You're fuckin' dirty, knew it as soon as you walked in," Mac breathed in, his eyes closing as I ran my hand over the front of his jeans.
"So what are you gonna do about it?" I hissed into his ear and he jerked back, his eyes dark as he slammed his lips on to mine, his tongue forcing his way into my mouth and I whimpered when he pressed me against the wall.
He tasted delicious – a mix of whiskey and smoke, the faintest hint of something minty and I could smell the car oil on his clothes. I melted against him, my fingers hooking into his belt loops as I pulled him closer and he growled, his lips leaving mine and travelling down to my neck, his teeth sinking into my skin.
"Mac," I grumbled. "Mac," I put my hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but his hold tightened around my waist and I felt him pressing against my thigh. My eyes rolled back in my head as his fingers dipped into the waistband of my jeans and I moaned quietly, feeling him smirk against my neck.
"I ain't even started yet," he growled in my ear. I took the opportunity to push him away and his face hardened, his fists clenching as he opened his mouth to speak.
"Shut up," I grumbled, shaking my head and dropping to my knees, as I fiddled with his belt. "Let me be one of your whiskey girls, Mac," I looked up at him with a smirk as I dragged his zipper down as slowly as I could.
"Oh, fuck," he hissed, grabbing a fistful of my hair as he hauled me off the ground. "Someone's comin'."
"Yeah, you would have been if you hadn't stopped me," I mumbled.
"No, someone's fuckin' comin' outside. Come with me," Mac held on to my elbow and dragged me towards the front of the house, opening the door of a dusty red pick-up truck and shoving me inside. "Stay the fuck down," he ordered, slamming the door shut after me. I was about to say something when I heard Luke's voice and I clamped a hand over my mouth to stop me from laughing. God, ten minutes with Mac was more excited than all the months I'd been with Lucas for.
"Where is she, what have you done with her?"
"Who?" Mac asked, a trace of mock innocence in his voice as I snorted quietly.
"Don't bullshit me, Mac, where is she?"
"Dunno who you mean, just came out for a smoke," Mac shrugged his shoulders and there was silence, until Lucas sighed loudly.
"Then why are your pants open?"
"Oh," Mac paused. "One of those cute little waitresses. Couldn't keep my hands off her, I'm done with her though if you want your turn? Y'know, if you can't keep yours under control."
"Stay away from her, Mac, I mean it. If anything happens to her-"
"You'll what?" Mac interrupted with a snarl and I bit back a laugh when I saw Lucas jump backwards, his face red. "S'what I thought. Run back to your little party, pretty boy. I'm goin' home," he grumbled, turned round and looking at me through the window of his truck as I raised my eyebrows. "The fuck you still here for, Lucas? Ain't my problem if you can't keep your girl happy. Maybe she's fuckin' one of the waiters. The bar guy was makin' eyes at her, too."
"I-if you see her, tell her I'm looking for her."
"No," Mac huffed in reply and I shook my head with a grin as Lucas turned around to walk away. Mac pulled open the door of his truck and pushed me over to the other side, climbing in himself and turning the keys in the ignition. "Ain't stayin' here. We're goin' back to my place."
"Wh- I can't I don't have any clothes or anything with me," I protested, leaning over him to open the door. He grabbed my wrist, smirking as he placed my hand just above his boxers and looked at me.
"You ain't gonna need any clothes, whiskey girl," he told me. I paused before I let the grin take over my face, my hand slipping into his boxers as he grunted.
"Well in that case," I whispered, my tongue tracing his earlobe. "Take me home, Mac."