The Bucket List (20 page)

By family, he meant his family. And by friends he probably meant John's and his. As she'd pointed out before, she could count her friends on two fingers.
Three now, with Alyssa. Everyone else was just a mere acquaintance. Or a conquest.

There was music blasting away from the system, and she heard voices, lots of them, just laughing and talking from somewhere in the house. Was that
Irving's voice? Fucking hell! Her friends were breaking her heart and they didn't even know it.

"Well, you can just go on in there and uninvited them," she hissed again as she tried to push him out of the way.

"Rae, what the fuck is the matter with you? These people are here for you."

Yes, they were. And she'd look into all their faces and think of leaving them behind. Even the ones she'd already screwed. Even the ones she couldn't stand. It would break her heart.

"I can't do it, Corey," she whispered, struggling in his arms.

"Do what? What's wrong?"

She stopped struggling and looked up into his eyes. She could actually see the wheels in his head turning. Fuck! She needed to pull herself together before he made her talk. She wasn't ready. But as she held his gaze, she saw the fear in her own eyes mirrored in his. It was too late.

"
All right, fine! I'll go to your little party," she said as she turned away from him, hoping to get away as quick as she could.

But he didn't let her go. He pulled her back and turned her so he had her trapped against the door, one of his hands holding both of hers captive above her head.

"What's wrong?" he demanded again.

"
Corey, chill. I just wanted a quiet birthday with just you and a few drinks, but we can do that any other day," she lied.

"Bullshit!" he hissed. "You're hiding something from me."

"Really? Just like you're hiding something from me?" she hissed back.

She saw the look of panic in his eyes and frowned. He had been acting weird all day. Like when John had told them he had stuff to do after her birthday lunch in town and
Corey had practically begged him not to leave them. Then when she had suggested underwear shopping, which he loved doing anyway because of all the women he got to chat up, he had run a mile in the opposite direction. And his taste in clothes had been totally warped. She'd modeled the hottest little dress for him and he'd told her to take it off, that it didn't suit her at all. The whole afternoon had gone like that. She had let him get away with it because she had planned on getting it out of him over a few quiet drinks and some music that night, but obviously, with the party and all, it would have to wait.

"Don't turn this round on me. You've been keeping secrets from me from the minute you joined us in Orlando," he hissed. "I let it go because I thought it was because of your list, but now I'm sure it isn't. I gave you one whole freaking week to tell me but you still haven't said shit."

"That's because there's nothing to tell," she lied.

"Again with the bullshit!" he snapped. "Just tell me, Rae. Are you in trouble? Has someone hurt you? What is it? Maybe I could help you."

She held his gaze again. Poor Corey. His world was about to fall apart and he didn't even know it. He wouldn't either until the very last minute if she could help it.

"Next time we get to be alone, we'll talk," she told him. "You're keeping something from me, too. I want to know what it is."

She saw the panic again. She freed one hand and gently put her palm on his cheek. What the fuck was wrong with him?

"Tell me, sweetheart."

He closed his eyes and leaned his head into her palm. For a second, she felt some sort of desperation in him. And frustration. Had someone hurt him? He only had to say the word and she'd be all up in that bitch.

"About time!"

John walked into the entrance hall at that moment, a huge goofy smile on his face as he walked to his friends and broke the moment. Corey quickly released her and looked away, earning a little frown from her.

"A few people dropped by to wish you a happy birthday and I just asked them in to wait for you. I couldn't be rude and tell them to fuck off," he started. "It was a complete surprise."

"Save it, John. Corey's already told me you guys planned it," she told him as she let him lead her away from Corey to the lounge.

"I do not know what you are talking about," he answered in an exaggerated voice, as if he was reading from cue cards.

The first person she saw was Irving. He was standing alone right by the door with a drink in his hand. She really hadn't expected to see him again so soon.

"Hey," he smiled when he saw her. "Surprise!"

She walked into his open arms for a much needed boost of strength before she turned to the rest of the people in the room.

They were all there.
The Steeles, Tammy, Alyssa. The idiots had even invited quite a few of their friends from work. They were probably only there for the free booze. She walked further into the room, plastered a fake smile on her lips and dropped kisses on her nearest and dearest as she accepted their birthday wishes.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Elizabeth
Steele said with a smile.

"Yeah," Ethan put in as he took her into his arms. "It's just a shame that the one time you've actually allowed me to one of your parties, you've rated it PG."

Alyssa stood with them as well. As Corey's good friend, she had already met the family a few times. It made her see how much of a selfish bitch she had been before for not seeing how close Alyssa had become to them. She gave the brunette a kiss on the cheek and made her promise her a birthday dance before the night was out. John was standing next to her and his little cough told her he didn't like that at all. Well, payback was a bitch. She'd flirt the socks off Alyssa's pretty little feet just to piss him off. But not just yet. She needed a few strong drinks in her system first if she was to get through this night.

She smiled at the rest of the guests in turn, pretending she was happy to see them all as she walked towards the adjoining bar/game room. She wasn't being a bitch but she just really couldn't handle them all there all at once. This wasn't like a club where she could just ignore them all.

The bar/game room was their pride with a well equipped fully fledged bar at one end, complete with bar stools, tables and chairs and of course, a couple of pool tables and an ancient duke box. On the other end was where they did the serious business of gaming. It held every games console and accessories known to man, complete with a few well placed comfortable gaming chairs. She and Corey practically lived in this room when they were home.

But as she walked in, she had to stop in her tracks. The first person she saw in this room was Dave. What the fuck?

"That guy? Really?" she said dryly to John, who was right behind her.

"It was
Corey's idea," he shrugged.

Trust
Corey! Rolling her eyes, she put the fake smile back on and walked to the bar so she could pour herself that drink.

"Happy birthday, Rae," Dave said when he saw her.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"I bought you something."

She stopped in the middle of pouring her drink to look at the little box he put in front of her. It looked really expensive. What? He thought if he just flashed his money about she'd jump right back into his bed?

"You really shouldn't have," she said without even picking it up.

"I wanted to. It's your birthday, plus it's my way of apologizing for being a dick," he smiled. "I won't bother you again."

Like she would buy that shit!

"Okay," she said, just so she could get him off her back.

"I'll say this though. If you ever get tired of
Nate, come and find me. You and I together were explosive. Maybe you'll think about it and feel the same way."

"Dave
... It's done. I told you before I'll never be with you like that again. Just get over it, already! It's been a whole week!"

"Just think about it, Rae. Didn't you feel what I felt? I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," Dave whispered. "I could easily fall in love with you."

She chuckled at that. Before she'd been with Nate, that statement would have had her thinking she'd found her 'someone'. But she had no time for his bullshit.

"Honestly, Dave, right now I couldn't give a shit even if you paid me," she said as she swallowed her drink in one gulp and poured herself another. "Excuse me."

"Why am I here again?"

"Because you're my brother and you want to get to know my girlfriend,"
Nate snapped as he rang the doorbell. "I'm serious, Matt. You've judged her without even knowing her. Just give her a chance."

"Just last week you were telling
Ricky and I how you would never go out with a woman like Rae. I believe your exact words were she's trash," Matt muttered, moving the packages he had from one hand to the other.

"Well, that was last week. A lot has happened since then."

"What? She passed out and poor little Jeffrey rushed in to play hero? Then she thanked you by fucking you and it somehow got your head so twisted you think she'll be faithful to you? Grow up, Nate."

"You either go in there with me and play nice or you go home right now,"
Nate snapped as he turned to face his brother. "I can't deal with that right now. I don't know where Rae and I will be next week but I know for now she's mine and I'm happier than I've been in a long time. If you're not even going to give her a chance, then I don't want you here."

Matt lifted his hand and backed off. He was there to watch
Nate's back. He couldn't do it stuck in their hotel room while that ho sunk her teeth deeper into Nate.

"Did she explain why she does those drugs? And why she passed out on us?"

"Yes, actually, but you can't say anything about that to anyone."

"Why?"

"It's complicated."

Matt let out a sigh as they waited for someone to get the door. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want
Nate to be here. His brother was getting too caught up in this woman and he didn't see it ending well. And Rae wasn't the sort of woman Nate could take home to Dad, either.

The door was opened and the spell casting witch stood at the other end, dressed in shortest skirt he had ever seen.
And the highest heels. And the skankiest top. Nate's woman or not, bitch or not, she was hot.

"
Nate!" she screamed as she threw herself into his arms.

Matt watched them and thought how, for
people who had only been together a few days, that was a bit too much. He watched the way his brother's eyes lit up as he dropped a kiss on her waiting lips. Then the chemistry that emerged was enough to even knock him over.

"I missed you, too,"
Nate chuckled when he finally released her lips.

But he didn't let her go. Matt watched the way his brother's hand gently pushed back a lock of her golden hair as the other held her closely against her body. He watched the silly little smile on his lips as his eyes continued to look into hers. He knew his brother well, knew his body language. The boy was pussy whipped! And very soon he would think he was in love.

He couldn't let that happen. It was a good thing he had a plan.

He cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Sorry," Nate said. "Rae, you know my brother, Matt. Matt, this is the beautiful woman I've been telling you about."

"Nice to meet you, Rae," he lied as he took her hand and placed a kiss on it.

"Likewise," she smiled.

Wasn't the girl a bitch? Wasn't she supposed to have eaten him up with her eyes or something, anything to justify what he was going to do to his brother?

She led them into the house, but at the foot of the stairs, paused.

"I was going up to change," she said to
Nate. "Wanna give me a hand?"

She saw the wicked smile on her face and for a minute thought how he would have loved to be the one to 'help her change'.

"Don't worry about me," he said before Nate could answer. "I'll see you guys later."

He'd used the shopping bags as an excuse to get away from everyone, and the moment he'd dropped them on the floor in Rae's walk-in wardrobe he'd closed the door and sat
himself down on the chair in front of her dressing table.

What the fuck
?! What the hell was he doing thinking about Rae like that? The whole day had been torture but pressing himself up on her against the door had been the stupidest thing he could have done. The second he had done that, he had been reminded of how soft her skin had been to his touch; how incredibly good she had felt underneath him. Not that he had forgotten to start off with.

It was just that last night had brought it all back
... The two weeks when he had hit that shit had probably been the best two weeks of his life. At the age of eighteen, when he was still innocent, he had believed himself firmly in love with her. He'd been a sentimental prick then, believing in love and fairy tale endings. But he hadn't been enough for her so he'd had to move on. The only reason he'd slept with that new girl was because he'd known of her plans to meet with that idiot, Ben from her class. He'd been heartbroken. It was to date the worst thing he'd ever had to go through. That had been when he had started drowning himself in woman after woman to try and forget her and that shit had been hard because, as his best friend, she had always been right there. It was only by chance that he had discovered he actually preferred those meaningless dalliances. The prick known as the Lady Thriller had been born and he hadn't looked back since. Until now.