Tripping through the doorway next to him, Landon sways like a drunk Viking god who already peaked at 6 p.m. His Hawaiian shirt is open, exposing half his chest and all his regrets. Discordant swim trunks clash with the outfit—somehow neon and depressing at the same time.
As he stumbles into the party room, his flip-flops slap against the marble.
Long blond hair hangs stringy and wet, probably from someone’s bathtub or a catastrophe of a keg stand. Who knows?
Still gripping the dregs of a half-crushed red Solo cup,dripping beer down his arm, he grins like a man who can’t get hard anymore but doesn’t care because at least he tried.
The room collectively turns as the two men enter, but I slyly head toward the bar and away from the shifting masses. Not because I’mnot like other girls, but truly, I know that the best way to catch a demon is to let him think you stopped believing in Hell.
Aiden’s statuesque pose matches his stoic countenance, drawing women like a museum exhibit. Something admired, never touched.
First, Elowyn, in black leather lingerie and a tail up her ass. Then Sutton, dressed as Harley Quinn—becauseof courseshe is. Both press a lipstick-stained kiss to his cheek, murmur a few flirting words, then vanish into the crowd like they know their place.
Decorations, not the main attraction.
And that’s when asquealpeals out among the girls on the dance floor.
Hailey sprints through the waves of pink as Aiden makes his way toward the drinks. He doesn’t even seem to notice her. And when they’re near enough, I catch the end of her question, “Didn’t dress like Danny? I thought you said?—”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” Aiden mumbles dismissively, but then halts as he reaches the bar. His eyes scan my bare legs, my knees, my hips disguised by the crinoline under my skirt, then my tits before landing on my face. If I thought that muscle in the back of his jaw couldn’t work harder, I was wrong.
The iceberg on his face melts as his lips curl into a nefarious grin. He tosses his lengthy arm over Hailey’s shoulders, pulling her into his side. She bounces with excitement and plants a kiss on his neck like it’s hers.
I can’t help how rapidly my chest expands with a sharp intake of breath. Sick. I’m fuckingsick. Even worse? He guidesher to the tray of dessert shots and takes one, then taps his moistened lips to her temple.
While he’s still got his eyes on me.
Let him watch.
Without hesitation, I swivel on the stool, jump off, and aim toward the lumbering fool pumping his fist in the air off beat to the pop-y Tyla Silk song. Landon smells like condoms and cinnamon gum. Hopefully, he tastes like the latter.
His dazed eyes can’t even capture my body as I saunter up, turn around, then drop it down, letting my ass slowly climb up his formidable body until I’m bent over in front of him. With a glance toward the bar, I kiss my palm, smack my own behind, and smirk at Aiden, whose eyes have turned a shade of glowing fury behind his mask.
True to form, Landon grips my hips and tugs me into his waist. As suspected, he’s not hard, but he’s easy. He shifts with me in an awkward side-to-side shuffle, and I writhe my hips rhythmically against his large frame.
“Fffuckyeah, darlin’. Where’d you come from?”
“I fell from Heaven,” I say, loud enough for Hell to hear me lying.
Eyes still on the man of the hour, I catch him flipping around to toss Hailey onto the bar top. She giggles as he lays her back, a palm pressing on her abs. The girls nearby hoot as she rolls up the bottom of her shirt and squirms under everyone’s attention. He sprinkles salt around her flat torso. With a brutal glance at me, he lets the tequila bottle drizzle over her alabaster skin.
My sisters and Greek brothers circle the pair, chanting for Aiden to take the shot. Even Landon tries to slink past me, lured by the mob’s hysteria, but I snatch his wrist and pull him back.
A sneer on his upper lip, Aiden leans forward with his gazetransfixed on me. His tongue slips between his lips to lap up whatever he spilled on Hailey.
Blood flashes behind my eyes.
A siren wails in my skull.
I spin, grab Landon by the throat, and crash my mouth against his like I’m silencing a scream. One of his rough palms clamps onto my ass as I force the kiss deeper, until I’m choking on the stale taste of cigarette ash and cheap beer. His limp dick grinds against my belly as he moans, languid and clueless.
When I pull back from him with a smack, he’s so dazed, he almost falls over. But I don’t slow down. No.
Instead, I march straight to the bar, where Aiden’s wiping his chin with the back of his hand. Hailey hops down, a smile still cresting across her face.
I snatch the neck of the bottle he used and hurl it—mainly toward the wall—but near enough it shatters next to Aiden’s head, showering him and Hailey in liquor and shards of glass. People flinch, scream, duck, and scramble out of my warpath.
“Ashlyn!”