I look over to see a girl wearing a skimpy red dress and strutting up to Kode, putting her hand on his arm. He smiles down at her, and she leans in closer, using her body as a weapon of mass seduction.
Bitch.
Jealousy? No. I can’t be jealous of Kode. That’s beyond crazy.
I have to stop looking at him. I need this jerk who is still talking to me to move on so I can put my back to the party again.
All in all, I really need to get out of here.
***
KODE
“Who’s that guy talking to Tria?” I growl, staring at the shaggy haired idiot who’s practically drooling as Tria’s eyes move to the city once again.
“I dunno,” Maverick says, distracted as he watches the ass on a girl wearing a bikini.
“You and I need to find somewhere a little more private to talk,” the girl hanging on my arm says.
It was funny at first; now it’s annoying. I can only be nice for so long before I act like a dick. I’ve reached my limit.
“Or you could go find someone who wants to talk to you.”
She leans back and gives me a glare that promises she believes I’ve lost my mind. “Excuse me?”
“I have no excuse for you,” I quip, walking away from her and Maverick on my way toward the bar.
I need more to drink. Tria’s ass in her trademark short dress is about to drive me crazy.
“Corona,” I say to the bartender, moving my eyes back over to Tria as she smiles up at the loser who can’t seem to stop looking toward Rain every five seconds.
Surely Tria realizes this guy is a tool.
“Kode Sterling,” a familiar voice purrs.
Fucking Courtney Hughes—Kade Colton’s ex-girlfriend. Should have known she’d crash this party. This girl is always driving someone to the brink of madness, and not in a good way.
“Not now, Court. I’ve got something on my mind.”
Tria starts laughing at whatever the douche has said, and my teeth grind together as his hand slides up to touch her shoulder. It shouldn’t piss me off, but my blood feels like lava as it pumps through my veins at a furious pace.
“Where are you—”
Before Courtney can finish, I walk toward Tria and the jerk, trying to think of something clever to say. I’ll need a good entry line to make this seem... less like I’ve lost my motherfucking mind.
Tria lets him take her hand, moving toward the pool with him, and something inside me finally snaps. Seeing her touching him is the final straw, and reality checks out as fury drives me on.
I don’t stop or even make an attempt to show any rationality. With barely any exerted effort, I shove her into the pool with one hand, while using my other to turn my beer up for a much needed sip.
I hear the gasp, the splash, and the scream, but I don’t turn around as I casually keep striding, pretending as though nothing just happened. I make it two more steps before Rain is pummeling my arm with her fists. She looks like the energizer bunny on cocaine right now. It actually forces a laugh out of me.
But quickly my eyes widen, and I narrowly dodge her attempt to knee my balls. She always goes for the fucking jewels shot. I’m losing my edge, because she almost got me.
“Why the hell did you do that?” she barks.
A few snickers erupt, drawing my attention. I glance over my shoulder, and nausea strikes me in the form of the bitch called… I don’t know what it’s called, but everyone is looking at Tria as she walks out of the pool, her pale blue dress now almost see-through. And it’s really pissing me off to the point my jaw ticks.
No fucking bra.
The thin material clings to her as Dane walks over and hands her his suit jacket, and she takes it quickly before wrapping it around her. Several whistles emerge, and I fight real damn hard not to go put my fist through something—or someone.
I really didn’t think this through. Now everyone has had an eyeful of the girl I didn’t want anyone looking at. It was supposed to make everyone point and laugh, embarrass the hell out of her, and send her to her room to pout. It was not supposed to draw every fucking guy’s attention.
“Are you listening to me?” Rain harps, slapping me on the arm.
Her pathetic assault doesn’t even register pain, but I finally curse as I turn back toward her, barely even managing to tear my eyes away from Tria.
“What?” I growl.
She narrows her eyes threateningly, and points her small little finger at me like it’s supposed to be intimidating. “Go apologize. Tria is already on edge anytime she’s around any of you. I swore to her you’d all start treating her better, and here you are pushing her into the pool for no damn reason. She hasn’t said or done anything to you!”