Blame it on the Tequila by Fiona Cole (the reading strategies book txt) 📕

I tried to look to Parker to see his reaction. Brogan’s intensity changed the playful mood. Not enough to stop because along with those serious undertones came a ripple of excitement. Brogan caught me trying to look away, and in the next instant, his large hand delved into my hair, making a tight enough fist to pull my attention to him and tip my head back.

“Look at me,” he ordered in a deeper voice than I’d ever heard him use.

The gravel tone and sting in my scalp sent the first wave of reality through me. These weren’t teenage boys anymore, despite how much they acted like kids. No, they were mature men who probably had women at the ready to let them explore whatever they wanted. I couldn’t help but wonder what Brogan had explored and found he liked.

I knew I had explored and found a whole new world as I grew up. Just not with anyone else. I explored my sexuality through the internet and research.

It made me wonder what Parker had discovered about himself.

Brogan inhaled deeply, brushing his nose along mine, and I struggled to control my breathing, anticipating and waiting for his kiss.

But in the end—they may have been men with experience—but they were still the same guys I knew.

Brogan pressed his lips to mine, and I had less than two seconds to feel the rough scruff of his beard before his free hand pinched at my ribs, making me jerk back and squirm to get free, shouting for help.

When he finally let me go, I plopped back and crossed my arms. “Traitors,” I called, glaring at each of the guys who were wiping tears from their eyes.

Brogan spun the bottle and set Oren up to be the one I kissed. He stood, bowing like a regal prince before standing me up and dipping me back with flair.

“My lady,” he murmured.

“Kiss me, my prince,” I demanded breathlessly, laughing, my hair brushing the floor.

“As you wish.”

I puckered up and immediately screamed when his tongue slid along my cheek.

“Oren, that’s disgusting.”

He set me upright with a shrug and an unrepentant smile. “I’ve never had any complaints.”

When he spun the bottle, it landed on Ash.

Oren rolled his eyes. “All right, I’ll take pity on you and challenge you to kiss Nova. Besides, we know you’ll never admit the truth if your penis is a micro-penis or an extra micro-penis.”

Ash flipped him off, and for the first time all night, when I looked to Parker, he didn’t meet my stare with a lighthearted wink and smile. There was trepidation and maybe something else—something heated.

Ash stood, uncurling his body from the captain’s chair. He watched me, cocking his head to the side like a lion studying his prey before crooking his finger for me to stand.

Other than the music playing in the background, the bus hummed quietly down the highway, everyone else falling silent. With each kiss, the guys had cheered, but not now.

My eyes flicked to Parker, and my heart kicked harder in my chest. He lounged, legs spread, body leaned back without a care in the world—except for the way his fingers almost turned white with the way they dug into the leather of the chair.

Needing to lighten the mood to ease my nerves, I popped up and smiled. “All right, Ash. Lay one on me. And just an FYI, I kind of dug the way Oren dipped me, but maybe leave out the face lick.” With a wink, I closed my eyes and puckered up like a kid in a movie.

“What can I say? I got a good dip,” Oren joked, but it wasn’t enough to loosen the tension of corkscrews twisting down my spine.

Especially when the next thing I knew, heat covered the front of my body and a large palm pressed against the small of my back under my shirt. My eyes shot open, and I was met with Ash’s sharp jaw covered in a light smattering of black stubble so different from Parker’s lighter coloring. His tongue slicked out along his bottom lip, and I wanted to look for Parker for…reassurance, maybe? That maybe the flash of heat I saw matched the embers burning brighter inside me.

I knew the guys watched me. I knew Parker watched me, and the thought of it had other emotions creeping out to mix with my nerves.

Excitement. Confidence. A hint of resentment and revenge.

Just over a month ago, I pictured I’d be like this in Parker’s arms, waiting for this kiss. Instead, he’d locked lips with Sonia, and maybe, just maybe, I wanted to get back at him.

So, with a slight tremor, I rested my hands on Ash’s hips. “You gonna kiss me or tell us about your penis.”

His mouth quirked, and he huffed a laugh. “I’d happily show you my penis if you’d like.”

I pretended to think on it before scrunching my nose. “I’m good.”

He shook his head, his smile growing.

He leaned down, forcing my back to arch over his hand as his other hand came up to brush my hair off my neck, only so he could make a patch to breathe me in. “This is killing him,” he whispered so only I could hear.

My eyes searched for Parker, only catching a glimpse of his tight jaw before Ash filled my view again.

“Let’s make it fun, shall we.”

“I thought we were already having fun,” I responded breathlessly.

He gave me a stare that said I knew better and whipped me around until my back faced Parker. “Sit on his lap,” Ash ordered.

My eyes widened. “What?”

“I said. Sit. On Parker’s. Lap.”

“Why?”

“So, I can kiss you.”

“Oh, hell yes,” Brogan mumbled from his spot.

“I-I don’t—”

“Do you have a problem with that, Parker?”

I jerked around to watch his reaction over my shoulder. His heavy-lidded eyes met mine, and he slowly shook his head. His fingers eased from their death grip on the chair and slid around my hips, tugging me back until I had nowhere