Author's Note: Thanks everyone for your continued support! It means a lot. To one of the awesome guest reviewers, as much as I wish I had half of her writing talent, I'm definitely not Ms. McGuire writing a sneaky version of a sequel. :) It's her world, I just wanted to live in it a little longer! (Obviously that was before she started writing all these awesome Maddox Brothers stories!) Here's your newest chapter, with a splash of "lime". ;)
The week after Christmas flew by much too quickly. When Kathy and I met up for lunch and got to talking about the New Years Eve festivities, it came out that I didn't exactly have a dress fit for the occasion. Normally I would borrow something from Kelsey for things like this, but she was currently across the country so that wasn't an option. Despite my vocal protests, Kathy insisted on taking me out to find a dress and would not let me pay for it. She called it a belated Christmas gift. When I texted Dean for backup, I was told that fighting it was pointless and to spare my own mental health I might as well just smile and say thank you. So I did. Grudgingly.
Now it's the day before the party and I've been staring at the stunning, and overpriced, gown hanging on my closet door for half an hour wondering how I'm going to pull this off. The most complicated thing I know how to do with my hair is curl it, my nails are a chipped mess, and I don't even have a pair of shoes that go with the dress. Mom is out with Aunt Mer picking up their dresses, but I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and ask for their help when they get home. Jamie and Jared are lucky. They just had to go with Dad to pick out some suits which were already nicely coordinated by the people at the store. Why do boys have it so easy?
I'm torn from my thoughts when the doorbell rings. Since everyone else is out, I jog down the stairs and look through the peephole. All I see is a mess of black hair. Confused, I swing the door open and am nearly knocked on my ass when my visitor turns around and barrels through the door.
"Surprise!" Kelsey screeches as she throws her arms around me.
"Kels, what the heck are you doing here?!"
"Thank the boyfriend. He called me and told me about this fancy shindig his family is throwing. Since he knows you so well, he figured you'd feel more comfortable if you had your bestie by your side. My mother has a butt-load of air miles so I used some of them and I'm with you until we fly back to campus on Tuesday. So…are you surprised?!"
Grinning from ear to ear as she rambles on non-stop, I give myself a silent reminder to text Dean and thank him. "Kelsey, I'm beyond surprised. You showed up just in time, too. I was ready to make an excuse so I could stay home curled up under the covers. I have no idea how to accessorize and prep myself for a party like this. This is totally not my forte. I hope you brought your arsenal."
"You know I did. Show me this dress that Mama A bought for you. Your description was seriously lacking."
I grab one of her bags and we go upstairs to get her settled in the guest room, then she marches into my room to inspect my gown.
"Holy crap, Jess. You're gonna look hot in this dress. The lady has great taste. What kind of shoes are you wearing?"
I plop down on the bed and give her a hopeless look. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Twenty minutes later, my closet has been completely ransacked and every pair of shoes I own has been promptly rejected. Kelsey sits back on her heels and glances up at the dress again. "Well, it's settled. We need to go shopping."
"I was so afraid you were going to say that."
Four hours later, I have a gorgeous pair of gold heels with rhinestone accents and thin straps weaving a pattern all the way up to the ankles, a fresh manicure and pedicure with a black and gold ombre design, and some tasteful costume jewelry that matches my dress perfectly. Thank God for Kelsey, and for gift cards to the local mall from my grandfather.
"What would I have done without you?" I ask her as we're lifting our bags out of the trunk of the car.
"Probably ended up with mismatched shoes and nail polish all over your cuticles." She jokes as we make our way to the house.
I open the door and Mom pokes her head into the hall from the kitchen. "Jessica! My God, don't you ever look at your phone? I was so worried, I was about to call Dean. Where have you been?"
Kelsey picks that moment to poke her head around me and my mom squeals and runs to gather her up in her arms. "Kelsey! We had no idea you were coming! Oh, I'm so happy to see you, sweetie!"
"Me too, Mrs. M. I couldn't miss Cinderella's first ball." She returns the hug with equal enthusiasm.
Mom and Kelsey know each other well. When we first met in our freshman year, Kelsey would butt in on my calls and video chats with Mom and Dad, mainly because she thinks my dad is hot. Nope, not creepy at all. Then when we roomed together the following year and mom came to visit, she and Kelsey bonded over their favorite topic, my social life. Mom thinks Kelsey is a good influence on me in the sense that she doesn't let me hole up in my room all year with my head in the books. Kelsey doesn't have the greatest relationship with her own mother, so when Mom offered her cell phone number and told her to keep in touch, it turned into a closer relationship than I think either of them anticipated. I'm not jealous at all, I'm happy to share a little piece of my mom with Kelsey if it makes her happy. Especially if it's the part that wants to talk about clothes and hair.
Mom holds Kelsey at arms length and smiles broadly. "Well go put your things away girls, dinner is almost ready."
"Hey, where's your dad?" Kelsey whispers when we reach the top of the stairs.
I give her a weary look. "Gross, Kels."
"What?! I just wanted to say hi." She laughs and turns into the guest room.
I shake my head and continue to my own room.
Dinner is a real trip with Kelsey making horribly veiled innuendoes, Jamie egging her on, and Mom talking non-stop about the party tomorrow. Jared and Dad, the smart ones, just sat there eating in silence, baffled by the wackos around them.
By the time I fall into bed I realize I haven't spoken to Dean at all. Just as I'm reaching for the phone on my bedside table, it starts buzzing. I smile at the picture flashing on the screen and hit the 'Talk' button. "You must've been reading my mind. I was just reaching for the phone to call you."
"A likely story."
"I swear! I'm sure you're aware that Hurricane Kelsey rolled into town today. Thank you so much for inviting her, by the way. But I've been running around with her all day, and then spent the evening laughing at her attempts to flirt with my dad." I roll onto my back and pull the covers up under my chin. "It's been quite a disturbing night."
His laugh is breathy and I can't help but think it's a little sexy. Okay, maybe a lot sexy. It's been a while, sue me. "Poor baby. At least you know tomorrow night will be significantly more entertaining."
"So you say," I mutter.
"It'll be fine. You have me, Jamie, Danny, and now Kelsey. We'll have a great time," he tries to convince me.
"I hope you're right," I shift onto my side and turn the light off.
"What's that noise?" he asks.
"Nothing, I was just turning the light off."
"So, you're in bed right now?" His voice is low and a little husky.
"Yes…" I trail off because his voice is doing really interesting things to me right now.
"Me too." He pauses and I hear a rustling sound. "What are you wearing?"
I can actually feel the heat rush to my cheeks and I let out an involuntary embarrassed giggle. "Are you serious right now?"
"Hey, it's your fault. You've got me picturing you in bed, and we haven't really been together in over two weeks. So are you going to tell me what you're wearing and put me out of my misery, or do I just have to leave it up to my imagination?" I can hear the smile in his voice. I'm silent for a moment, going back and forth in my head. My parents and brothers went to bed over an hour ago. Kelsey and I were the last ones up, and she's probably already passed out. It's not like anyone is going to be able to hear anything…
I clear my throat quietly and move onto my back. I stare at the ceiling for a second then close my eyes and picture him in his bed doing the same. "You first," I say in a low voice.
If it's possible, his already husky voice gets even deeper and raspier. "Just those black boxer briefs you like so much."
I drag my teeth over my bottom lip, suppressing a smile. He knows I love how his butt looks in those boxers. I half wonder if he's just saying that because he knows it'll get to me.
"I'm wearing your Bruins t-shirt," I say, tugging at the hem of the blue shirt with his soccer team's name emblazoned on the chest.
"You little thief, I've been looking everywhere for that shirt."
"Sorry, want me to take it off?" I ask feigning innocence. Might as well go all in, right?
A throaty moan comes through the phone and I can hear him shifting around again. "More than you could imagine."
"Okay then." I put the phone down and quickly, before I can think about it, yank the t-shirt over my head and toss it to the floor next to the bed.
"Jessie?" I hear him say hesitantly when I bring the phone back to my ear.
"Yeah?"
"Did you do what I think you just did?" His voice carries a hint of disbelief. My confidence begins to slip when I realize he may not have meant for things to go any further than playful flirting. "If you laugh at me right now, I'm hanging up on you," I warn.
"Jessie, the last thing I want to do right now is laugh. I just didn't think you would…" He lets his unfinished thought hang in the air and an awkward silence sets in. He finally breaks it a few seconds later. "Hold on."
I hear a lot of rustling and when he returns to the phone, he's a little out of breath. "Doing okay over there?"
"Just had to even things up," he tells me.
He'd said that the only thing he was wearing were boxers. So if he did what I'm almost positive he just did… Jesus, he's naked. My heart is pounding and my chest is rising and falling faster than it was a moment ago. "You know, it's not exactly even. I'm still wearing underwear," I whisper.
"That's okay. We can work around those." Deep breath, in through the nose, don't freak out. A few seconds go by and I let out the air I've been holding hostage in my lungs. He breaks through my thoughts abruptly. "Stop thinking so loud. I'm trying to get a good picture in my head of you laying there wearing nothing from the waist up."
His words give me a brazen idea. Can I really do this? It's not like anyone will ever know. "I think I can help you out with that. Hold on a second."
I scroll to the camera icon on my phone and turn it to 'selfie' mode. Scrambling out from under the blanket I quickly take a picture, careful not to include my face. Can't be too cautious with technology. I attach it to our thread of text messages and hit 'send' then tuck myself back into the warmth of the comforter. "That should do it."
"What do you mean?" he asks. "Wait, hang on a sec." I hear him clicking buttons on the phone and the deep groan of approval when he sees the photo I sent him. "I can't believe you just did that," he says when he comes back on the line.
"Just make sure you delete it before you fall asleep tonight," I demand.
"Oh don't worry, I'm planning on it. There's no way anyone but me is ever going to see you like that. Christ, Jessie, that's hot." I can tell he pulled the phone away so he could look at the screen again. I smile to myself, sort of proud of myself for being so bold.
"So, where were we?" I ask.
"I have no idea, but I know exactly where I'd like to be." His words send little waves of lust through me and I place a hand on my stomach to steady the tremors.
"I wish you were here right now," I say in a deliberately sultry voice.
"Yeah? What would we be doing if I was there?" I clench my thighs together at his question.
"I would—," My words are cut off mid-sentence by the buzzing of my phone. "Ugh, hold on." I tap the incoming message. It's from Kelsey.
Kelsey: Can u at least put him on speaker so I can get the full effect? ;-)
"Shit," I swear aloud.
"What's wrong?" Dean asks, somewhat alarmed.
"Kelsey. She's in the guest room next door. She can hear us, well, me through the wall. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Wow. That's not awkward at all." I can tell he's holding back a laugh. "Guess I'll just have to make do with your picture. See you tomorrow night. I love you."
"I love you too, smart ass." I tap 'End' and type out a quick message to Kelsey.
Me: Thx cock-block. I owe u one!
She replies almost instantly.
Kelsey: U love me. Nighty night!
As I'm plugging my phone into the charger, I get one more message. Thinking it's Kelsey again I roll my eyes and click the message alert. The image that fills my screen is definitely not from Kelsey, and it's one of the hottest things I've ever seen. It takes me a minute to realize there was also a message with the picture.
Dean: Couldn't leave you hanging. Think of me 2nite. Sweet dreams. XXX
So much for sleep.