Page 16 of Let the Light Shine Through

Nope, there’s only two.

I think.

T.J. breaks from his crew, rubbing his hands together while eyeing Gia with a sick gleam.

Gia’s gaze flies to mine as I make my way over, but I give her a subtle nod, reassuring her. He’s not touching her.

Before Titus Jennings can even get within reach of either girl, I yank his ass back, shoving him toward his slobbery friends. His shoe catches on the pavement, causing him to face-plant, and I crack a smile a mile wide, asking him, “Was that worth it, bitch?”

As the song changes to “Basic” by N!GHTS, two sets of feminine hands snake around to my chest and my smile falls along with my gaze. What’s this?

Using Gia’s bird associations, the dancing pair resemble a couple of Vultures circling their next meal and, goddamn, devour me now. Never have I been this fucking ready.

The duo takes turns teasing along my back, chest, and abs as they sway to the music, drawing it out. I do my best to focus on every featherlight touch, but it’s getting harder and harder to concentrate with each pass of their fingertips over my skin, giving me goose bumps. I never get goose bumps because I never get cold. But this, this isn’t cold at all. It’s straight fire.

One on each of my sides, they latch on to a hand, then arch backward, nearly touching the ground with the tips of their hair. I let them hang for a beat, then with equal tugs, I bring them crashing back into my torso simultaneously. I wrap an arm around each of them, noting how good it feels to be stretching my muscles again.

Gia blinks up at me through heavy lashes before twisting to park her ass against my dick while her friend uses the distraction to skate out of my reach. Boomeranging right back to us though, Gia becomes the filling in a sexy-as-fuck sandwich, but the other girl isn’t satisfied with only being a sidepiece. I see it in her eyes as she leans into Gia’s space, aiming for her lips, but in a split-second decision, I cup Gia’s cheek myself and pull her face to mine, sealing my lips over hers. I eat up her moans, releasing one of my own when I feel her friend’s hands twist into my hair, holding me to Gia, then my lips become her playmates while I give her free rein to do whatever the fuck she wants. Nips, bites, groans—they’re all here. Gia’s rough and has no qualms showing me what she likes.

Well before I’m ready for it to end, the hands on my scalp disappear and Gia pulls away. With the spot in front of us now empty, I glance around, finding her friend back in the crowd, already dancing with somebody else.

Gia faces T.J., grinning confidently at him, and everything finally falls into place. The dancing, the wind-up, the kiss. It was all for show. To teach T.J. a lesson. That Gia can, and will, get anyone she wants, which unfortunately for him, isn’t T.J.

The rub though? I’m not fucking playing.

So, spinning Gia around, I snatch her lips up all over again, this time showing her what I like.

I hear T.J. mutter something under his breath as he passes by us but I couldn’t care less. I’m not stopping for him. I’m not stopping for anything.

My tongue dives deep, swirling and licking followed by more licking and swirling.

This kiss is different than the first. There’s no audience to cater to. No point to prove. There’s no other reason besides us both wanting to kiss each other. And fuck, do I want to. Judging by the way Gia’s nails are digging into the back of my skull, I’d say she does to.

Fuck, I can’t get enough of her flavor.

Gia laughs and I taste that, too.

I break away to graze down her neck, needing to taste even more, when something…fishy maybe…has me involuntarily rearing back for some fresh air.

Noticing we’re near the pool’s edge, I pretend to take stock of our surroundings, but the pucker in Gia’s eyebrows tells me I didn’t school my features in time.

Not a moment later, I feel a hand slip from my front pocket, the space lighter than usual.

“What—”

The ice-cold water cuts off my words as my back hits the glassy surface. With my feet under me the next second, I’m able to stand in the pool, growling as water runs down my face. What the fuck was that? My eyes instantly search Gia out but she’s still in the same spot as before. She simply stares down her nose at me, not even remotely sorry for pushing my ass in here. I may not have a shirt on, but I’m wearing my regular shorts with all my shit in the—

Wait.

I reach in my front pockets, palming my wallet still tucked safely inside.

Gia steps closer to the ledge, my phone clutched in her hand. At the same time my stomach bottoms out, she has the nerve to calmly smirk down at me.

My back filled with tension, I lurch forward, freezing when she twists to toss the device, along with something else, onto the grass. Eyes on mine, she…steps off. She fucking steps off into the water, joining me in the pool. Fully clothed.

Stunned, I can only flinch from the splash, but seeing her fully submerged, I snap out of it to help her to standing.

Every piece of Gia’s outfit, including her shoes, is soaked through and weighing her down, yet she’s grinning from ear to ear as she throws her arms around my neck, acting like we’re going for a regular ol’ swim.