Everything I Shouldn't / Everything I Need (14 page)

The hallway is packed full of people and people are lined up to use both restrooms. It only takes me a moment to spot SB almost at the end of the line. She hasn't noticed me yet, so I have the element of surprise on my side as I walk past and grab her hand, pulling her behind me. The door to the stockroom is at the end of this hallway, thankfully left unlocked, and pulling her inside I slam the door shut before pressing her up against the door. SarahBeth's staring up at me with wide eyes, silently asking what on earth I'm doing. I don't have an answer because quite honestly, I have
no
idea what I'm doing here. I took off after her without even thinking it through.

Releasing the grip I have on her hand I stalk away from her, shoving a hand through my hair. I need to put some distance between us because seeing her in that little white dress and heels makes me want to see what she's wearing underneath it.
Fuck
! I was already half hard just from having her up against me, but thinking about getting under her dress has me hard enough now to pound nails. I'm standing on the other side of the room with my hands linked against the back of my head, trying to calm myself down when I feel the heat of her small hand on my back.

"Jeremy?" she asks, the confusion in her voice evident. When I turn around she's standing behind me and she's biting her bottom lip again. I snap, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her tight against me. Her hands fly up to land on my chest and her head tilts up so she can study me. "What are you doing?"

I walk her backwards until her back meets the cold brick wall. She gasps at the feeling, which presses her chest into mine as she stares up at me wide-eyed. Her mouth is slightly parted and her breathing quickens. I lean down to press my lips to hers, but just before our mouths meet, she pushes against my chest and it's so unexpected it actually works. She looks like she can't quite figure out why she did that at first, but then her eyes harden and she narrows them at me. "I don't think so Jeremy. You can't tell me you're sorry for kissing me and that it can't happen again and then just kiss me whenever you want. I deserve better than that." She sounds so unsure about what she's saying that I know if I pushed it, she'd let me taste her, but she's right. She
does
deserve better...better than me.

Releasing her completely, I gesture towards the door that's next to where we're standing, trying to ignore the fact that my arms feel empty without her in them. "Go on then, before I change my mind." SarahBeth stands frozen for just a second before snapping out of it and practically running out the door. I stay behind, attempting to calm the erection that comes up anytime I'm in the same fucking room as her. Goddammit!

When I step out of the stockroom, SarahBeth is nowhere to be found. Pushing my way through a group of drunk, giggling girls I make my way back to the bar. Grabbing Seth's attention, I order a glass of Jack, slamming it back and savoring the burn in my throat before ordering a second and then a third. I wish he'd just bring me the fucking bottle. Ten seconds after that thought, Candace is back at my side. I only know this because her tits press up against my back while she trails a long red nail down my arm.

She's oblivious to how tense I am when she stretches to whisper in my ear, "Hey handsome, you came back."
Fuck
. Wanting to erase the feel of SarahBeth in my arms, I turn, giving her my undivided attention.

"Why wouldn't I come back when I knew there was a beautiful woman waiting for me?" I'm laying the bullshit on thick, disgusted with my actions tonight toward her and SB.
Candy
doesn't seem to care that it's bullshit because she laughs before sliding her hand up my arm and around my neck and tugging my head down so she can press her red lips to mine. She traces the seam of my lips with her tongue, asking for access to my mouth, which I grant, but I'm not feeling this kiss at all. It's not the mouth I want to be kissing. It doesn't matter that any other red-blooded man would be completely into this woman, I can't find it in myself to even get slightly aroused, no matter how close she gets to me. Thirty seconds into the kiss, she's practically grinding against me and I'm thinking about all the shit I have to do tomorrow.

Determined to push thoughts of
her
out of my head, I push my fingers into Candace's hair, gripping it tight and pulling her head back and down, pushing my tongue forcefully into her mouth. She grips my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin as she whimpers into my mouth. I welcome the pain, having just enough alcohol in my system that I can pretend she's who I want her to be. Love the one you're with and all that, right? Plus, let's face it; I haven't had sex with anyone but my goddamn hand since I ended things with Melanie last summer. Not that I haven't tried, I just haven't been able to go through with it.

The rest of the night is spent taking shots and trying to keep
Candy
- why the fuck would you
choose
to be called that? - And her wandering hands off important parts of my body. Parts she has no business touching. By the time the countdown to midnight starts, I've consumed the majority of a bottle of Jack Daniels and am carrying enough whiskey in my body to think that going to find SarahBeth in her fucking brother's bar while Candace is "visiting the ladies room" is a smart idea. SarahBeth is standing with the douchebag and his arm is around her shoulders, keeping her tucked into his side.

When I come up to the group, his eyes widen and SarahBeth sighs. "What do you want Jeremy?" Her tone is less than welcoming, and narrowing my eyes at her, I want nothing more than to bend her over my knee for her attitude.

"I need to talk to you." Well, fuck. Now I sound like the petulant teenager that she acts like most of the time. My obsession with her is making us both act like immature asses. She doesn't move, doesn't even acknowledge what I said in any way aside from narrowing her eyes and burrowing closer into
his
side. The site of her obviously preferring his touch to mine has me clenching my fists
and
my jaw.

Dipshit finally decides to speak up, holding a hand out he says, "Hey man, I'm Wyatt, SarahBeth's date for the night." At the word
date
my eyes dart back to hers and she's staring at me triumphantly, one eyebrow raised in a silent challenge. One that says "that's right asshole. I pushed you away earlier because I'm on a date" and makes me want to smash my fist into the wall. If she's trying to make me jealous, she's doing a fucktastic job because that's one emotion I'm feeling in spades.

"Jeremy Meloni," I finally say, turning back to Wyatt and shaking his hand, my grip is so tight I'm surprised I don't break anything. He gives me an odd look, but doesn't comment. "I'm a friend of her brother's. Her vey overprotective brother," I tell him pointedly, hoping to scare him off.

It doesn't work though. He just nods. "Yeah, I met him earlier." Shit. There goes that intimidation technique.

"Come talk to me, please Little Bit?" I use her nickname, and try my best to give her a pouty face, hoping she'll relent.

Just when I think she's going to continue to ignore me and make me look like the idiot that I am, she relents with a sigh. "Fine," she says, pulling away from Wyatt, which makes me want to do a fist pump like an idiot.

Jeremy

S
he stalks off in front of me, leaving me to catch up with her. I put a hand on the small of her back and lead her down a dark hallway and out into the alley behind the bar. Despite the fact that we're back here with the dumpsters, SarahBeth still tips her head back to look at the clear night sky, stopping right in front of me as we walk outside. She jumps when I shut the door and spins around to face me.

"What was that about?" she snaps, pointing back towards the building we just exited. "Shouldn't you be in there sucking face with boob job barbie?" Her eyes are narrow, and she's tapping her foot. Her posture combined with the set of her mouth, her height and the dress she's wearing kind of turns me on, but then there's nothing the girl does that doesn't turn me on.

Lifting one corner of my mouth in a smirk the way she hates, I fold my arms over my chest and lean back against the door so she can't get away from me. She's stuck out here with me until I decide to let her back inside. Quirking up one eyebrow, I say," Boob job barbie? Mature Little Bit...real mature. You sound just a little jealous...why's that? You were hanging all over that guy...what was his name? Ward? Winslow?"

"Wyatt," she spits out, cutting me off. Yeah, I know his name, but I like getting her all riled up. "And jealous? Of what? You and the tramp hanging all over you? As you pointed out, I'm here with my own
date
. I don't need to cry about you picking up some stranger in a bar Jeremy!" She's the picture of irritation right now, and it's taking everything I have not to laugh at her. She's so indignant and trying so hard to mask her emotions. Unfortunately, I know exactly what she's feeling because I'm suffering from the same thing.

I stalk over, standing toe to toe with her, knowing that the fact that I'm a foot taller than is going to be intimidating and knock her off her game. Dropping my face close to her ear, I murmur, "I know you're jealous, Little Bit. Know how I know?" She shakes her head infinitesimally and I lean in even closer to tell her, "Because I am too."

SarahBeth sucks in a breath, stiffening at my words. Straightening to my full height, I look down at her, waiting for her to look back up at me. When she does, I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Her eyes are wet, and I can't stop myself from cupping her cheeks in my hand and brushing off the single tear that's trailing down her cheek. There's just something about this girl that draws me to her, even though I know I should stay away.

I lower my head, my intent clear, waiting for her to tell me no like she did earlier. Instead, she leans further up on her tiptoes, quite the feat considering how tall her heels already are, and presses her lips to mine.
This
. This is what I've been missing for months. I've kissed a lot of women since I broke up with Melanie, but I've never felt
this
with any of them. If I'm honest, I've never felt
this
with anyone but SarahBeth.

Before I even realize that I'm doing it, my hands run down her throat, then her shoulders and her arms before finally grasping her waist and lifting her so she can put her legs around mine. She immediately does, locking her ankles right above my ass. Turning, push her up against the wall at the same time I push my tongue fully into her mouth. Her hands move up to grip my hair and I press her harder into the wall at the feeling of her small hands tugging on my hair.

I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't be taking advantage of her this way, but in the back of my head I know I'm not. She kissed me, not the other way around. And even though I was going to kiss her, the fact that she went the remaining distance means that she wants it just as much as I do. Letting go of her mouth, I kiss a trail across her jaw and listen to her breathing stutter. When I make it to a spot behind her ear, her entire body shivers and I smile against her skin.

"Do you like that, Little Bit?" I ask, my voice rough with arousal as I lick a trail down to where her throat meets her shoulder and bite down gently.

She gasps out, "Y....y...yes!" before a breathy moan escapes her lips and her entire body shivers.

Pressing her into the wall once more, I can feel the heat of her against my cock and I want nothing more than to sink inside her. Sliding my hands up from her waist to just under her breasts, I wait for her to make a decision. When my thumbs brush the undersides of her breasts she arches her back. I cover each one with my hand, pinching her nipple lightly between two fingers as she presses even further into me. God, I love feeling her against me.

I cover her mouth with mine once more, pushing my tongue forcefully into her mouth and rocking back and forth into her heat. Her nails are clawing my shoulders as she tries to both push me away and bring me closer. Lifting my mouth from hers, I start to speak when the back door slams and SarahBeth goes rigid.