F O U R

Taking a breath, her brown eyes glanced up at his black ones. For a moment, he looked as surprised as she felt, but soon the conceited smirk returned and Kate realized exactly what she was doing.

Pushing against the firm muscles of his chest, Kate slipped from beneath his grasp. She didn’t want to engage with him any further. She didn’t trust herself. The feeling of him, hard beneath her, made her more aroused than she wanted to admit. She didn’t want to think about how much further it would’ve gotten if his smarmy attitude hadn’t brought her back to reality.

Once inside the bar, she slipped through the crowd, finding Paloma straddling Heath in a back booth. Kate took a deep breath, hoping her friend would see reason. She doubted it though. A few shot glasses littered the table and Kate knew Paloma was more than tipsy.

“Paloma,” she yelled over the noise of the music, tugging at her friend’s arm. “Come on, we need to go. You can crash at my place, Heath can come too.”

Her friend widened her eyes in bewilderment, the alcohol obviously taking effect. “I have my own place.”

“I know, P, but I’d feel better knowing you were safe.”

Paloma glanced back at the man beneath her, who nodded in agreement. He licked his lips, his mouth returning to the red spot on Paloma’s neck. She threw her head back, an exaggerated moan searing into Kate’s mind. “Okay, let’s go.”

Heath allowed Paloma to slide off his lap, adjusting himself before standing. “Give me a minute to find Colton.”

“He’s not coming back to my place.”

“No, he’ll go to his place, next door,” Heath smirked. “It’s why we had to come here.”

Kate furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

Heath laughed, his gelled hair shifting slightly as his head fell back.

She felt there was a joke she was missing. Her cheeks flushed and she shook her head. “I’ll be outside. Hurry up. Come on, P.”

Grabbing her friend’s arm, Kate tugged her through the crowd and out into the fresh air of the night. Paloma resisted, clearly not wanting to leave Heath behind in the bar, but Kate was steadier on her feet and able to drag her to the taxi rank with little effort.

As the cab pulled up, Kate slipped into the back seat, pulling Paloma in with her. Kate’s heart raced. She had to get away from Colton. She had come too close to giving in to her desires. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard his guttural growl, demanding the cab driver to stop. He did so, allowing Heath and Colton to climb inside. There was a small scuffle as Heath made to sit beside Paloma but Colton won, shoving his broad body into the back seat, his hand resting defiantly on Kate’s thigh.

“Get off me,” she said through gritted teeth, pushing his wide palm away from her. The heat lingered for a moment before it ebbed away.

Colton’s dark eyes watched her, his eyebrow cocked. “Were you trying to leave without us?”

Kate stayed silent. She couldn’t stop the heat that spread between her thighs at the soft dampness on his lips. She hated that her body betrayed her this way. Colton was trouble. He was disrespectful, self-centered, completely egotistical, yet the smell of his cologne had her breath hitching in her throat. He licked his lips, and she could sense he knew the effect he had on her. His hand skimmed her thigh once more, slipping closer to the inner seam of her jeans.

The car came to a stop out the front of their apartment building, and Kate wasted no time scrambling from the back. Colton’s hands brushed against her hips as she clambered over him, her ass just sweeping over the hardened lump in his jeans. She could hear the soft groan that escaped him but the cool air snapped her back to reality.

Away from him, her head cleared. She watched Paloma stumble from the back seat, her arms wrapping around Heath who steadied her and began the trek up the staircase. Kate followed behind, trying to keep her distance from Colton. She could feel his eyes on her behind, and she chanced a glance over her shoulder. His gaze dropped, cheeks tinging pink for a moment before he regained his arrogant composure. Kate’s stomach dropped, the lower muscles tugging begging for release. She could feel the dampness in her panties.

Once they reached their floor, Paloma turned to face Kate, giving her a tight squeeze. “Colton’s roommate is away tonight, so Heath and I are going to stay in his bedroom.”

Kate wanted to argue with her, but didn’t see the point. Paloma was headstrong and stubborn and once she had made up her mind, there wasn’t much Kate could say to change it. She didn’t blame her though. A bed sounded better than Kate’s pull-out couch. She nodded, watching as her friend retreated into Colton’s apartment, Heath trailing behind her.

Colton stood in the landing, his dark eyes watching her intently, waiting to see what her next move would be. Kate desperately wanted to continue what they had started at the bar, but she knew better. If she thought Colton was insufferable now, she couldn’t imagine how much worse it would get if she let him into her bed.

“I hope they don’t keep you up all night with their fucking,” Kate smirked, hopeful that he would get a taste of his own damn medicine. She pivoted, unlocking her apartment and disappearing inside, making sure to lock the door before she slipped into her bedroom.