chapter four

~ T H E N ~

“Hey, do you know where Sarah is?” I shouted over the music before Ben, a mutual friend of ours, shook his head and then tipped his head back to swallow the rest of his alcohol.

“Nah, sorry dude,” he called back before handing me a bottle of unopened beer that had been in his other hand. He sends me a wink that made me roll my eyes and walk off, shoulders shaking slightly in quiet laughter.

“Shit, sorry!” I yelped after practically face planting someone’s chest, only to look up to find golden brown eyes staring back at me – the eyes I’ve been all but fantasising about ever since I left him at Tom’s party, half naked and disappointed.

“Hey, you,” he smirked not taking his hand away from my waist, something he did without me realising after I had stumbled backward. Instead, he pulls me closer until his arm wound around me and his hand was instead on my lower back.

"Hey, yourself,” I smiled, willing the heat that crawled up my neck to leave as I went to step out of his hold only to find that, just like when I first met him, he wouldn’t let me go.

I raised an eyebrow and he sent me an innocent, heart-stopping smile.

“What?” I asked, a bottle still in one hand whilst the other was flat against his chest.

He leaned in until his lips brushed past my cheek and hovered near my ear; the small, split second contact suddenly electrifying my nerves. “You kind of owe me something,” he murmured, warm breath brushing my ear which caused my spine to tingle from top to bottom.

“Oh I do; do I?” I asked as I leaned back so I could hold his gaze again, doing my best to keep my voice even. I couldn’t help but notice that his lips were so close to mine, that if I leaned up just the slightest bit we could be kissing.

“Mhmm,” he hummed, amusement flashing behind his eyes as he fought back a cheeky grin. Despite the fact that it had been almost three weeks now since I last saw him, it was an obvious hint that he hadn’t at all forgotten about what had happened.

Smiling even wider as I untangled myself from his hold, I couldn’t help but grin as someone came out of nowhere and yanked Gold Eyes away from me, the suddenness causing him to jerk back and turn so I was facing the side of him and some stranger who looked a little familiar.

“There you are!” the girl shouted over the music, her voice grating on my ears even more than the terrible Techno music that was on. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, dummy!” and then she seemed to notice that his gaze wasn’t even on her, but rather, on me. “Who are you?” she snapped all of a sudden, eyes narrowed.

My eyebrows shot up and her blatant rudeness and the fact that Storm looked like he wished he could be anywhere but near her right now.

“Mia, and you are?”

“Storm’s girlfriend,” she growled.

“Storm?” I repeated, turning the odd name over in my head as I shifted my gaze over to the boy who stood looking rather exasperated at the silver haired girl wrapped around his arm – quite literally, by the way.

“Gemma, I told you, we’re over. You’re not mine anymore and I am no longer yours,” Storm said, voice almost comforting and soft, yet tinged with annoyance as he tried to peel himself away from the girl wearing nothing but a tight tube dress that had slits in it; something that almost covered nothing that clothing should be covering.

Ah, so this is the ex.

“But Storm,” she whined, dragging his name out in a way that almost made me cringe. She turned towards him with a pout and seemed to totally forget all about me.

My cue to leave.

“Mia!” I think I heard him call after me almost hopelessly, but I only glanced back to shoot him an innocent smile, my feet carrying me into the backyard where I eventually found Sarah, drunk out of her mind and passed out on one of the couches outside.

Ew, gross; a sex couch.

After wondering what to do with her I eventually decided to sit down with her head on my lap, one hand stroking her naturally black wavy hair whilst the other guided the large bottle of beer towards my lips continuously until I felt my head start to grow heavy and for things to start spinning.

Okay. I should stop. I should definitely stop now. What the hell did Ben give me? I brought the bottle up to my face and then groaned, realising that it was Japanese alcohol that he always brought to parties purely because it was so cheap for something that could get a person so damn drunk. It was like straight vodka with a hint of flavour, except instead of vodka it was basically pure methanol.

“Mia! You okay?” a voice asked from out of nowhere, causing me to jerk and blink stupidly at a familiar face.

“Oh, hey Tom,” I grinned, setting the glass bottle down carefully only to hear it shatter.

I winced.

“Sarah passed out again?” he asked obviously, already leaning down to scoop her up and off from me before I could say another word.

“Yeah, um. I’m gonna go find someone.”

Storm Storm Storm Storm.

“Oh yeah? And who may that be? Anyone I’ll need to bash up afterward?” He asked as he helped me off the couch somehow, even with Sarah carried bridal style in his arms, head lolled backward. Despite the fact that she looked dead, of course Sarah was still able look absolutely gorgeous.

I giggled.

“Nope! Take care of her Tommy, bye-bye!” I grinned before I turned around and walked back to the house and back to where I left Storm with his crazy obsessed ex-girlfriend.

He’s so hot. I can’t believe he knows me I can’t believe we almost had sex oh my oh my naughty naughty Mia, I giggled to myself softly before I suddenly grew tired of walking around and past all these faces that didn’t belong to Storm or any of my friends.

Storm, what a strange name. Come out come out wherever you are.

Getting up onto a random table I ignored the protests of the people who were sitting around playing a card game and the cat calls of the random people; the guys in the room grinning as if they were waiting for me to do something totally crazy… like strip.

My eyes narrowed as I swept my gaze over the dark dance floor, the only source of light coming from the coloured strobe beams that flashed around me which succeeded in giving me a headache, but the second I thought about how absurd stripping would be the more I wanted to do it.

Hot. It’s so damn hot in here how can anyone possibly be fully clothed and rubbing up against other hot and sweaty people?

So I sat down on the table right leg crossed over my left, accepted a shot of vodka by some giggling girl, and shimmied out of my shirt which left me in a tight black skirt and a white boob tube.

“Mia, what are you doing?” a smooth voice asked as a body came out of nowhere and stood in front of me, arms on either side of my hips as if to shield the hot and sweaty people away – or maybe shield me away from them.

“I’m hot,” I shouted over the blasting music, pausing after each word for some unknown reason and causing him to chuckle, honey eyes meeting mine before he pushed the shirt I had taken off back over my head.

“Hey-”

“C’mon, let’s go somewhere quieter,” he said already lifting me up and off the table and all but dragging me away from the staring people and the flashing lights and the music that made me want to dance.

“I’m not having sex with you!” I shouted over the music and the throbbing of my head as he led me up some stairs, hands careful and steady around my waist – the complete opposite of how I felt inside.

“I’m not asking you to,” he replied, already opening a door and pulling me inside.

I want to I want to, oh my you’re so hot.

“So why did you bring me into a room?” I queried as I watched him stride over to the windows and open the blinds slightly so the lights, moon and stars from outside lit the room up enough that I could make out his face.

“Okay, so maybe I didn’t think this through, but you looked like you could do with some help,” he smirked as I walked over to the bed and jumped so that I was smack-bang in the middle.

"I did not need help. I was perfectly fine sitting on the table-”

"Stripping?” he asked amusedly, “in front of a room full of people – not to mention horny guys who are so wasted they wouldn’t know the difference between yes and no?”

I blushed madly and sat up to glare at him.

“If you brought me in here to scold me like a child, I think I’d rather leave,” I snapped.

I stood up only to have him suddenly appear in front of me, his hands suddenly wrapped around my elbows as he sighed and tugged me slowly back to the bed.

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that,” he murmured looking genuinely sorry about what he had said – or rather, how he said it.

I couldn’t help it.

I kissed him.

Ugh, why did he have to be so attractive and sweet, I couldn’t help but think as I suddenly found myself back on the bed, Storm hovered above me and his lips moving with mine. Lips so soft, body so hard, movements so graceful and he’s kissing me. Storm, of all people.

And then I was giggling as I realised something.

His name was Storm.

“What?” he questioned, shifting back slightly as he watched me fall into a fit of laughter beneath him.

“Your name,” I giggled, “is Storm.”

For a moment he just stared at me, confused as I continued to giggle quietly, a hand against my mouth to try and stifle it, before he suddenly realised what I was saying. He rolled his eyes and got off me, “Yeah, yeah, it’s a weird name I know; I get it,” he muttered as he got off the bed as well, his voice so sharp and slightly aggravated that it was enough to make my laugh slowly come to a stop.

I grabbed his wrist to stop him from moving any further away.

“No, it’s not weird,” I said, frowning as he turned towards me and drilled me with those damn golden eyes of his. I sat up and slid my fingers lower until they were holding his before I muttered, “It’s just… it’s strange… different.”

I swallowed before I pulled him towards me until he was standing right between my legs. “I like different,” I murmured boldly, my heart racing so fast he probably could have heard it.

He stared at me for so long and for so hard that I almost thought he hadn’t heard me; almost stopped breathing as I thought he’d turn around and leave me there. Before I could open my mouth and take it all back, say something completely stupid that might’ve made him hate me more, he suddenly leant forward and pressed his lips against mine, his hands letting go of mine before he grabbed me by the thighs and lifted me up until my legs were wrapped around his waist. By the time he turned around and sat down on the bed, with me straddling his waist as his fingers slid under the back of my shirt, I was smiling like a fool against his mouth whilst he kissed down my jaw and neck and collarbones.

“Someone has quick mood swings,” I teased as I tilted my head back so he had better access, a moan slipping out of my mouth as he sucked and nibbled against the spot where my neck met my shoulder. In response, my legs tightened around his waist in a need to get closer – to be closer.

“Oh shut up and kiss me,” he growled, mirroring my words from the first time we met which caused me to laugh and pull off his shirt, moments before he suddenly turned and flipped us so I was once again on my back on the middle of the bed and he was hovering right above me, my legs still around his waist and his lips now back on mine.

One shot two shot three shot four! my brain sang as I kicked away my skirt just as he started to kiss down my neck again so we could catch our breaths. My fingers fumbled with his button in a need to get all offending clothing out of the way, but still my mind continued to wander.

Probably shouldn’t be doing this but my, oh my, he’s just such a good kisser and his body – oh sweet goodness. Where in the world did Tom end up taking Sarah? Sarah. I can’t believe I just left her.

“Hey, are you okay?” Storm asked, catching me off guard and making me realise I had stilled, hands tangled in his hair and my mouth zipped closed.

"Um, yeah,” I muttered as I blinked myself back to life even though I could feel the world spinning around and my head throb terribly. “Why is the bedroom moving?” I asked frowning and no longer holding his gaze as I stared past his shoulder toward the spinning bedroom lightbulb.

He raised an eyebrow, an amused smile on his face, “it’s not… How much have you had to drink?” he asked still hovered above me so that I had no choice but to hold his gaze again. The longer I stared at him the more I became aware of just how slow my blinking was as my eyelids suddenly felt heavy.

“I – uh – not much…”

He stared.

“Okay, maybe a little too much,” I mumbled, cheeks heated as he chuckled, kissed me once, and then rolled off leaving me feeling cold and bare and oh so empty. He slid the blanket over me before settling down beside me, an arm under his head and his body facing my way even though I was still on my back and staring stupidly at the spinning ceiling. “I can’t believe I left Sarah to find you,” I groaned, slapping my hand over my eyes as I wriggled lower into the blankets and at the same time closer against Storm’s warmth.

“You what?” he asked, surprise in his tone as my eyes shifted over to meet his amused ones.

“Oh shut up, don’t look so smug. I felt bad for leaving you with your weird ex.”

He chuckled and brushed hair out of my eyes and then leaned in a little closer, my body practically buzzing in the want to pull him even closer. “I’m a big boy, Mia, I can handle myself,” he smirked as his fingers trailed down my cheek and then down my neck, eyes holding mine almost daringly.

“Are you really talking about yourself, or are you insinuating something else?” I asked, pointedly glancing down at the tent in his boxer-briefs. He laughed so loud and genuinely that I smiled and watched as he fell onto his back, a hand covering his stomach as the other was still behind his head.

“Holy shit, that was too good,” he grinned still lying on his back, but his head now turned toward me to hold my gaze, “You should get drunk more often, Mia.”

“Hey,” I said indignantly as I turned and faced him, a hand under my head and propping it up so I was the one who was looking down at him. “I can be funny when I’m sober too.”

He smirked and leaned over until we were breaths away, his lips brushing mine with every word, “oh, I don’t doubt that.”

“Why did you stop kissing me, Storm?” I asked, not once looking away from his half-closed eyes, the light coming from outside enough so I could see the flecks of gold sparkling back at me teasingly.

“Because,” he murmured tucking hair behind my ears and keeping his hand there, fingers below my earlobe and palm against my jaw line and cheek, “you are very drunk right now and I am more sober than I’d like to be.”

“Why, how very thoughtful of you,” I murmured against his lips, my fingers sliding up his abdomen before shifting my body closer toward his.

“I can be nice when I want to be,” he smirked, leaning back enough so we were no longer touching but close enough that we could be if I moved a bit.

“Is it because I’m a pretty hot chick?” I teased pulling his waist closer to mine so the only thing left that wasn’t touching was the tops of our bodies. His heat pressed against me, and his stare alone burned me until I was nothing but a hot mess, incapable of saying no to whatever he wanted.

He chuckled soft and breathily as he placed a hand against my own waist and pushed me backwards until I was lying on my back again. “That,” he murmured teasingly, rolling half on top and kissing the side of my mouth – purposely missing. “And also-” he kisses the other corner of my mouth and chuckled quietly when I tried and failed to turn my head to catch his lips with mine. “-because I was brought up as a gentleman.”

“A gentleman shouldn’t tease their Bedmates,” I pouted, eyeing his lips that refused to meet mine as he kissed me softly on the cheek, the forehead, the nose, the neck – everywhere but where I wanted them to be!

“Bedmates?” he queried amusedly, leaning back even more so he could hold my gaze, “is that what we are?”

I thought about it. Shrugged. “It’s what we will be if we don’t have sex any time soon.”

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk flirting with his slightly swollen and reddened lips. “The last time was your fault, in case you haven’t forgotten.”

“And this time it’s yours, you’re ready and I’m ready so come on!”

He laughed once again and then kissed me carefully on the lips, pulling away before things could get heated again. “I know, but you’re basically blind drunk and slurring.”

"I am not!” I snapped, only to realise that yes, I probably was because the world was still spinning and Storm’s drilling stare was making me want to laugh and the shaking and clamping of my stomach wasn’t because of my want for him but rather because I needed to puke. “Oh god, I am!” I groaned, once again slapping a hand over my eyes as my cheeks heated remarkably and I wondered how many stupid things I had said and done in the past few hours.

They couldn’t have been too bad… could they?

“Yes,” he chuckled again, “you are.”

But then he kissed me for so long and so wonderfully that for once it wasn’t a sudden, needy and hormone-fuelled kiss but rather one to make me forget things.

And forget is exactly what I did that night and the day after because when I woke up the next morning, half-naked body against another much bigger and much warmer half-naked body, I couldn’t help the yelp that slipped out of my throat as I rolled out of the bed and took the blanket with me. My body landed with a thump against the floor and a groan left my lips before I could even stop it.

I heard a laugh and then sat up, my arms tightening around the bed sheets against my bare chest as I realised I had no bra on.

What the hell?

“Who – what the – what are you-” I stuttered as I stared up, wide eyed and completely terrified of the half-naked boy on the bed still laughing.

Him, I thought with narrowed eyes at the familiar guy, he was from Tom’s party!

“Did we… did you…” I stood up and pulled the blankets with me, flustered and embarrassed to be caught in a situation like this. The terrible throbbing of my head didn’t help my mood, either.

“Hey, no – relax, Mia. We didn’t do anything,” he stated as he gets off the bed and reaches for me. I shifted away and notice the hurt look on his face as his hands drop back to his sides. “I knew this would happen,” he sighed shaking his head and bending down to pick his pants up from the floor.

“Wha-what are you talking about?” I asked eyeing him suspiciously as he picked up my skirt and shirt and threw them on the bed, as close to me as possible.

I didn’t touch them.

He held my gaze steadily and told me; “last night you got drunk – very drunk – and uh… sought me out.”

I wrinkled my nose and already didn’t like where this was going.

“I brought you to this room so we could talk-”

“Talk,” I muttered sarcastically, “right.”

His eyes hardened at my tone and he yanked on his shirt.

“We did. We talked. And then we kissed, and things got a bit heated, but we didn’t have sex.”

I was confused and the look on my face must have told him enough as he sighed again.

“Why not?” I had to ask.

“Because,” he snapped as he grabbed his phone and keys from some side table, “I said no.”

“You said no?” I repeated dumbly, watching as he strode over to the door and opened it.

I thought he would leave me hanging and walk straight out, leaving me more confused and embarrassed than ever. But instead he turned to meet my gaze again, shoulder leaning against the door frame and a hand on the doorknob before he told me; “Yeah, because I’m a goddamn gentleman.”

And then he left.

And the shadow of a memory with him saying something like that lingered in the back of my mind.