Undeclared(70)

He rolled his eyes, but didn’t change the station.

Amy and Lana chattered in the backseat, but I felt strangely shy. Noah reached over, picked up my hand and placed it on his thigh. It was rock hard beneath my palm. I absently stroked it until Noah halted my motion by placing his hand firmly on top of mine. He turned to look at me. His dark eyes glittering, and he gave me a slight shake of his head. He pulled my hand higher and pressed it lightly over his hard-on and then released my hand.

I hid a small smile, delighted in my ability to rouse this man’s body. Noah lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it and placed it back on his thigh. A hot ache spread through me, and I clenched my own legs together in anticipation and excitement. I felt feverish, as if all my blood was bubbling right under the surface of my skin, and I wanted to run his hand all over my body. Could he ease me just by a touch? I didn’t know, but I wanted to find out.

“Swoon,” Amy said in the back. This time my smile couldn’t be disguised.

Noah dropped us off with a promise to catch us inside after he found a place to park. Bo and the other guys spilled out of Finn’s car and walked us inside. The house was charging cover but the guy at the door waved us girls in for free.

Away from Noah, my comfort level took a nosedive. Had I just promised to have sex with him? It’s not that I didn’t want him. I did. But what did I know about pleasing a guy like Noah in bed? What if he decided I was so terrible at sex that he would break up with me? Or worse, what if I was terrible, but he didn’t tell me and kept pretending that he enjoyed having sex with me but instead had to fantasize about Emma Stone or something. Actually, I didn’t even know whom he would fantasize about.

I wondered if I could get Lana alone and get some tips from her. What if I needed to pull a Meg Ryan and pretend like I had an orgasm?

Inside, crepe paper streamers were draped along the walls and lit up with Christmas lights. A fake disco ball was strung up in the middle and spun every time someone tall enough went by and slapped it. The place smelled like weed, spilled beer, and sweat.

Either it was too early or the entire crowd was in the back, but the front room was fairly empty except for a few people loitering around the windows.

A table set up at the end blocked the path to the rooms beyond. It was full of small shot glasses filled with amber liquid. A guy wearing a T-shirt that read“ FCK” in big letters waived us over. As I neared, I could see that the small print read“ All that’s missing is ‘U.’”

“$2 a shot for the guys. Free for the girls. Beer’s free back there.” He gestured behind him. I rolled my eyes. The Forest house was apparently a party house where the members tried to make money by charging for liquor. The freebies for the girls were to entice the guys to come and spend generously.

I wanted to wait for Noah out front, and I turned to head back out when Amy grabbed my arm. “Let’s do a shot,” she said. I nodded agreement. I hated whiskey but maybe a little liquid courage would help me in bed. I’d have fewer inhibitions. I wouldn’t be so embarrassed at being naked.

“Is that whiskey?” I asked.

He nodded, “Jack.”

“Please,” Amy pleaded. Maybe she needed some liquid courage to hit on Bo, too.

“You should wait until Noah gets here,” Bo suggested, which set off Lana.

“She needs permission from Noah to drink now?” Lana marched up to the table and laid down a ten-dollar bill. “Three shots. This can be your tip.”

Shot guy wordlessly picked up the $10, stuck it in his pocket, and pushed three shot glasses forward. I took one of the shots and drained it. As the Jack burned down my throat, I coughed and wiped at my watering eyes.

“Come on, ladies, do a shot with us.” Tim and Eric, the guys from Noah’s gym, come forward to do their own shots. Bo looked to protest again, but Lana held up her hand. He remained silent but brooding. We all did another shot while Bo looked on like a discontented father. This one went down far easier, as if the first one burned away any resistance. I felt better already.

Tim and Eric wanted us to do another shot with them, but by that time Noah and Finn had walked in. Noah looked unhappy to see us crowded around the shot table.

“Did you have to park really far away?” I asked him.

He laced his fingers through mine and pulled me close to him, placing a quick kiss against my forehead. “No, why?”

“You look unhappy.”

“I tried to stop them, brother, but no go,” Bo said, clapping a hand on Noah’s shoulder. He turned to the shot man, with sarcasm heavily weighting his words, “Did we pay a sufficient toll?”