Destiny (Waiting for Forever) (16 page)

“Your turn,” he told me and handed me one of the small glasses and a lime as I sat up. I mimicked his actions, applied the lime juice and salt to his neck, and then downed the glass. The hacking cough that seemed to start at my feet took every bit of the sexiness out of my licking his neck, but the lime helped to calm it down.

“It’s burning my throat,” I sputtered at Mike as he handed me the water Tony had also brought from the bar.

“It’s okay; it just takes some getting used to. You don’t have to drink it at all to hang out with us and have a good time. You can be our designated driver,” Mike said, laughing.

“I don’t have a license,” I told him, taking another drink of the water. The burning in my throat had subsided, and a warm, pleasant feeling had settled over me.

“How can you not have a driver’s license?” Mike asked, sounding completely shocked. “Didn’t they teach you to drive tractors down on the farm?” I smacked him on the arm.

“I just never got around to it,” I replied as someone laid me back down on the table. The truth was that I had never wanted to bother Richard and Carolyn with it. Teaching me, taking me for the test, paying for my insurance, it just felt like too much to ask for a foster kid. I always figured I’d get it after I could do it on my own.

A hand on my chest pulled me back into the game we were playing. Tony was next to take a shot off me, but he decided to do his off my stomach. It took all my will power not to moan as he licked my stomach. They sat me up again, and I did the same to Tony, licking the salt off his perfectly sculpted stomach while looking up into his eyes.

Emilio and Carter were next, and they decided to do their shots at the same time, lifting up my shirt and licking salt off my nipples. I felt a little uncomfortable exposing my chest in a bar, but since I took off my shirt almost every day at work, I didn’t worry too much about it. I took a shot off Emilio’s chest, but Kenny pushed me down onto the table before I could take the one off Carter. By then I was on my third shot of tequila, feeling warm all over and a little adventurous.

Pulling down the right side of my loose jeans, Kenny placed the salt along my exposed right hipbone. I heard Mike hiss from where he stood to my left, and then he watched as Kenny took the shot. The feeling of his tongue on my hip, licking the salt slowly and making sure to find every single grain, made me squirm on the table. Kenny laughed as he stood up until I grabbed the belt loop of his jeans, pulling down the right side. He watched in amazement as I applied the lime and salt and then took the shot. His skin was warm and soft as I licked all over his hip, not even bothering with the pretense of the salt. As I ran the point of my tongue across his hipbone, I looked up into his eyes. Resting my forehead against his stomach, I pulled the side of his jeans back into place, accidentally grazing his crotch with my cheek.

The room was starting to spin a little.

“Holy Christ,” Kenny whispered, but before I could apologize, he’d grabbed Enrique’s hand and dragged him off. I looked nervously at Mike and saw he was staring at me.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…,” I started to apologize, but then Mike’s face broke into a smile. “I didn’t mean to make them leave,” I finished a little sheepishly, and he laughed.

“Baby, he just dragged his boy to the john so he could screw him. Believe me; they’ll both thank you for it later.” I looked in the direction Kenny and Enrique had disappeared. Sure enough, there was a sign for the men’s room. It made me feel powerful and sexy that I could have that kind of effect on another man, especially one as beautiful as Kenny.

“I want one more shot,” Mike said as the rest of the guys started to disappear toward the dance floor. I started to lie back on the table, but Mike pulled me up and toward him so I was straddling his lap on the couch. He grinned and put the salt on the opposite side of my neck from where he had before. Only he put the lime between my teeth, with the cut side toward him. Taking the shot, he took his time licking and kissing my neck and then my cheek. Using his mouth, he pulled the lime out of mine and sucked the juice out of it, but before I could move away, he was kissing me.

The kiss started slow and teasing but got deeper as he wrapped his arms around my waist. In the back of my mind, I could hear a kind of voice warning me that I should stop, but the alcohol and the heady arousal muffled the sound. The kiss ended before I could figure out what bothered me about it. I liked the feeling of Mike’s arms around me, the comfort of his kiss. We were just friends; there wasn’t anything wrong with showing affection. The guys in the house were affectionate all the time.

As I leaned forward in an attempt to get off his lap, my jeans slid down just a little in the back under his fingers, and I heard him groan softly.

“Tell me you’re not freeballin’,” he murmured against my ear over the sound of the music, letting his fingers slide under the waistband on the back of my jeans. At first, I was startled to have him touch me like that. Then I remembered how much Mike loved to mess around with me, and with my newfound liquid courage, I wanted to let him know that I gave as good as I got. I leaned forward so my head rested on his shoulder, and I moaned softly in his ear.

“Mmmmmhmmmm… nothing but the jeans,” I revealed quietly, momentarily distracted by Mike’s heavy breaths on my neck and how he was almost, but not quite, kissing my skin.

“Christ, you make me horny,” Mike admitted and sat back against the couch, turning me around and spreading his legs apart so I could sit between them. I felt him, hard through his jeans against my back. I really liked that I could turn him on. It excited me that I could make his body respond by simply whispering in his ear.

It felt so nice to be wanted.

We sat on the couch for a while, watching the guys dance. I felt comfortable and warm leaning against Mike.

“Come on, kid, let’s go dance,” Mike said, pushing me as Kenny and Enrique emerged from the bathroom looking tousled but happy and relaxed. Kenny winked at me as they passed, and Enrique slapped him on the ass as they both laughed. They were heading in the direction of the dance floor where the rest of our friends were, so Mike and I followed.

There were a lot of people, but it wasn’t packed. It was the first time in a long time I’d been able to be around a crowd of people and not feel panicky. I guessed the alcohol in my system was responsible for that, and I had to admit I kind of liked the feeling. The song changed as we walked over to where Tony, Carter, and Kenny were dancing in a circle with the rest of our friends. Without losing a step, they moved and invited us in.

A new song started, and Emilio, who was shirtless for some reason, squealed like a girl. He moved over to dance in front of me, facing me while Mike pressed against my back. Mike’s hands were on my hips, guiding me to the beat, while Emilio put my hands on his ass and was waving his arms over his head. I giggled. I couldn’t help it. I was sure we looked ridiculous, but it was fun and free, and I finally let loose after holding everything in for so long.

The song changed again to one with a slightly slower, more sensual beat. Emilio turned around but didn’t move away, reaching back to wrap my arms around his waist. He tried to put my hand near his crotch, but when I resisted, he laughed and put it on his abdomen instead. We were all moving in perfect time with the song, and Mike was singing in my ear. He had a nice voice, low and sweet. As Emilio moved in front of me, his ass was grinding lightly against my crotch, just as mine was against Mike’s. The alcohol was making me feel bold, so I slid my fingers along Emilio’s waistband and caressed his hard stomach as we moved. He moaned and laid his head back on my shoulder.

“You know, mijo, we could play like this whenever you want. The three of us in bed,” he murmured loudly against my skin, kissing my neck. Behind me, Mike was not to be outdone. He pulled my earlobe between his lips, humming softly and whispering how sexy I was. I was hard, rubbing freely against my jeans without the barrier briefs would have provided. I reached up and tangled my fingers in the back of Mike’s hair. He responded by moving one of his hands from my belt loop higher to slide under my shirt, stroking my side.

“God, you have no idea how much I want you,” Mike moaned quietly against my ear. That warning voice finally got my attention.

“I think I need another drink.” I panted from how hard I was. Dancing, grinding between those two incredibly hot guys, was intense. Just as I said it, the song ended, and Mike took my hand and led me back to the couch while Emilio stayed out on the floor.

“What would you like, sunshine?” he asked casually, as if grinding against one of his friends on the dance floor was no big deal, something he did all the time. For all I knew, it probably was.

“I don’t know, how about a daiquiri?” I asked, naming the only drink I could think of. Carolyn had made them for a couple of friends one night when they had come over for some kind of party for makeup or bowls or something. My brain just wasn’t working right, so I couldn’t remember.

“No, baby. Rule number one of alcohol is never mix. It will make you sick as a dog. Daiquiris are rum, not tequila. How about a margarita or a tequila sunrise?” Mike asked.

“Sure,” I said, not caring which one he brought since I didn’t know what they were anyway. He looked at me like he was going to try to get a decision and then just shook his head and went up to the bar. Feeling mellow, I sat back on the couch, watching the dance floor. It was nice to spend one night not thinking.

“Here you go,” Mike said, handing me a colorful orange-and-red drink with a long straw buried in its depths. The drink he was carrying for himself was clear and fizzing like a lemon-lime soda. I took several long pulls through the straw, and my mostly empty stomach filled with a pleasant warmth.

“If you start to feel sick, you let me know,” he warned and climbed back on the couch behind me even though we were the only ones on it. It was like being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket early in the morning: warm, happy, and aroused. I decided to enjoy it.

After several more dances and another few rounds of the pretty orange-and-red drinks, I looked at my phone to see what time it was and couldn’t read it. Hitting the button on the side to turn on the backlight, I still couldn’t read it. I was so tired.

“Theresomething wrong wiff my phone,” I told Mike as I lay on the couch with my head in his lap, fighting the urge to sleep. “I can’tsee time itis.” He laughed and took the phone from me. I closed my eyes, letting him have it.

“It’s a little past eleven, and I think it’s time for us to go home, baby boy. You’re loaded,” he said with a chuckle, and I heard him talking to someone else, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying.

When I opened my eyes again, we were in the Jeep.

“Werenyou drunken too?” I asked, trying to put on my seat belt and failing. Mike reached over and pulled the strap across my body, and I heard the elusive click as it snapped into place.

“I’m older, bigger, and more experienced with booze than you,” he informed me, and then I felt his lips against mine as he kissed me slowly. I couldn’t think of anything but how it made my body feel. Moaning into the kiss, it seemed like my heart beat harder, causing me to feel a little dizzy. It had been so long since I’d felt like that.

Mike pulled back and kissed me on the forehead before putting the Jeep in reverse.

The next thing I knew, Mike was helping me out of the Jeep and into the house. It took a long time for us to get up the stairs to the second floor. I just wanted to sleep.

“Baby, where are your keys?” Mike asked when we finally got to the door to my room. I looked at him, feeling confused because I didn’t know why he needed my keys if we were already home. Looking up and down the hall, Mike swore under his breath and muttered that I must have left them in the Jeep. He sighed and pulled me toward his room.

We were gonna have a sleepover like Jamie and I used to have.

I missed being held.

My heart hurt.

Mike held me up with one arm as he unlocked the door to his room with the other.

My throat burned.

I didn’t want to think anymore.

As Mike closed the door behind us, I pushed him back up against it, feeling my whole body pressed against his. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck.

“Smell good,” I told him as I began to kiss and nuzzle his skin.

“Uhm, hi there,” Mike said with a chuckle as he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me from kissing his neck. “I’m buzzin’, too, kid, so you don’t want to be doing that.”

“You don’ want meeether,” I said, finally letting a little of the heartache out. Then my voice dropped to a whisper, and I choked out, “’M so sick of nobody wantin’ me.”

“Baby, I do want you,” Mike soothed, pulling me closer and stroking my hair. “God, you really have no idea. I just don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“So alone, all the time,” I sighed, wrapping my arms tighter around him. “Don’ wanna be alone anymore.”

“Shhhhhh… you’re not alone. We’re all here, angel,” Mike said after a moment, and his voice sounded clogged, stuffy.

“He leff. Never looked to find me. Hurtsso much, Mike,” I told him, and I could feel I was shaking but couldn’t stop it.

“Micah,” Mike whispered. “My name is Micah.”

“Please, Micah. Just tonight. Want to feel…. I can’t…. It hurts,” I begged, and I could hear the desperation even over the haze of the booze fogging my brain. I didn’t even know if what I was saying made any sense, and I knew I should just go to sleep.

His lips were soft and gentle as he kissed me.

“I know what it’s like to feel alone,” Micah whispered against my lips with long, tender kisses as he pulled me into his bed.

Nine