Page 42 of Dirty Liars
I shake my head. “I can’t. I came with Dana.” I turn around in a circle, trying to spot her in the crowd.
She is staring wide-eyed at everything and everyone around us.
Blair just starts tugging me down the hall. “Don’t worry about your friend. I saw her heading out back to see the rest of the place. They turned the pool into a death bog ... but that hasn’t stopped Wills from swimming in it.”
I catch a glimpse of her outside, a cup already in hand, prodding one of the lily pads in the pool to see if it’s real. I can’t help but smile a little.
Blair doesn’t stop moving until he’s pulled me into a dark corner at the back of the house.
“And what are we doing over here?” I ask warily.
He gives me a tender look. It’s an expression I haven’t seen on his face before.
“I just wanted to have you to myself for a few minutes. Everyone’s going to want to see you, but I wanted you first.”
“For what?” I ask hesitantly.
“I want to apologize for what happened with the photos. I didn’t mean for it to go that far. It was just supposed to be a joke … just some fun.” He looks truly sorry, and I can feel the last little bit of indecision in me dissipating.
“It was horrible,” I tell him. “You’ve no idea.”
He nods. “I know. I’m going to make it up to you.”
“Yeah? How are you going to do that?”
Blair slides his hands over the sides of my face and brings his mouth to mine, whispering on my lips before he kisses me. “I’m going to start here.” And then it’s nothing but warmth and softness, sweetness, and electricity moving all through me as our kiss begins to deepen a little.
He’s taking his time, enjoying it, and I like it that he’s not in a passionate rush the way he was the last time when we were on the sofa. This isn’t for show, or photos, or even in hopes of something more. This is just … it. And it’s fucking fantastic.
I’m nearly lost in him when I hear Wills’ voice behind me, and I feel his hands close over my shoulders. He pulls me back gently, out of Blair’s arms and Blair shoots him a dirty look.
“We’re occupying this corner. No interruptions allowed,” he says.
“Sorry. You’re hogging the guest of honor. It’s my turn.” Wills laughs and takes my hand. I can see right away that Blair wasn’t kidding when he said Wills went for a swim. Whatever his costume was, it’s drowned out by the fact that he’s streaked brownish green from head to toe.
I’m sure my dress is already showing signs of our brief interaction.
“Come on, Blondie. I need a partner for beer pong.” He trails me along with him, and I look back over my shoulder to see Blair pouting. He’s not happy.
We pass Astor along the way. He’s holding court with a small group of our classmates; standing in the limelight as he loves to do, the center of attention, regaling them all with his wit and wonder. He glances up and sees me, and for a moment he stops talking and just stares.
There’s some kind of strange connection between us, and I can feel it. It’s a tension I don’t understand, and I think it ties into why he’s so hot and cold with me, but I’ll probably never know.
He breaks the gaze and turns his attention back to his followers. Just before Wills takes me through the next doorway, I see him shoot one more quick glance in my direction and I feel a little sorry that things aren’t good between us. I want to know why he’s kissed me twice, and why in between the kisses he just keeps on ignoring me like I don’t even exist. He’s at war with himself over me and I don’t understand why.
Wills finally stops in front of a table set up for beer pong.
“I think it’s only fair to warn you that I’m only staying for a little while,” I say quickly to Wills as he starts organizing a full-blown pong tournament.
Victoria walks in with an irritated look on her face and she stops short when she sees Wills standing behind me with his arms draped around my neck in a loose embrace. He leans down and kisses my cheek softly, and then says something to the guys he’s standing next to.
I’d like to say I’m surprised, but these three boys have stopped surprising me. There are no boundaries with them, and I’ve kind of learned that if I’m going to be around them, they’re not going to play by any rules that I know.
Victoria stops in front of me and gives me an icy look. “You’ve just got to have them all, don’t you?”
I blink in surprise. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t give me that innocent act. I saw you kissing Blair in the other room, and I was standing right there with Astor when you came through the room and you two couldn’t keep your eyes off each other. Now here you are all wrapped up in Wills’ arms?”
