CHAPTER 2 - HANGOVER
1123 Words
CHAPTER 2...
Shawn took her hand, his skin warm and slightly rough, and pressed a lingering kiss to the back of her palm. Billy felt like a block of ice left out in the Sahara. She was melting, and she couldn't stop it.
His voice... she screamed internally. How is his voice sexier than his face?
Kulture gave Billy a frantic "Go girl!" look from the side.
"Well, Shawn," Kulture cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "Walk the birthday girl to her cake. You know the drill: cut, feed, and dance."
Shawn offered his arm, his dark eyes locked onto Billy’s. "Shall we?"
Billy took his arm, her fingers sinking into the expensive wool of his suit. They walked to the centerpiece of the room—a five-tier cake shimmering with edible gold.
"Make a wish, Billy!" Kulture called out.
Billy closed her eyes. She didn't wish for money or power; she had plenty of that. I believe you will make this man mine, she thought fiercely. She opened her eyes and blew out the candles in one sharp breath.
The room erupted in applause, but Billy only saw Shawn. He had a faint, dimpled smirk on his face.
"I want to cut the cake now," Billy whispered.
She gripped the silver knife, and Shawn placed his hand directly over hers. His body heat was a physical weight against her back as he leaned down, his lips inches from her ear.
"You're beautiful," he rumbled.
Billy felt like a giddy teenager. They sliced through the fondant together. Shawn took a small piece on a silver fork and brought it to her lips. Billy took a bite, but a small dollop of white cream lingered on the corner of her mouth.
"You've got something right there," Shawn murmured.
He didn't reach for a napkin. Instead, he used his thumb to swipe the cream away. Then, with agonizing slowness, he brought his thumb to his own mouth and licked it clean, his gaze never leaving hers.
"Delicious," he added.
In that instant, Billy felt a sudden, heavy throb between her legs. For the first time all night—and for the first time in a long time—she was actually dripping.
THE DANCE FLOOR...
Shawn’s phone buzzed in his pocket. "Excuse me," he said smoothly, stepping away to take the call.
Kulture was at Billy’s side in a heartbeat. "Billy! What was that?! He is totally into you. He looks like he’s ready to devour you the second the lights go out!"
Billy let out a shaky laugh. "I think his little magic worked. I don't know how, Kulture, but I am so incredibly horny right now."
"He’s coming back!" Kulture hissed, scurrying back to the stage. "Alright everyone, it's dancing time! DJ, give us something smooth!"
The lights dimmed to a deep, sultry purple. Shawn led Billy to the center of the floor. She placed one hand on his broad shoulder, the other in his palm. His hand slid around her waist, his grip firm and possessive.
They moved in slow motion, a rhythmic rumba that kept their bodies dangerously close. Billy stared into his eyes, trying to find a crack in his armor, but Shawn’s expression was a beautiful, emotionless mask.
"You're new," Billy said, breaking the silence. "Are you from around here?"
"Not really," he replied shortly.
"I don't think I know anyone who knows you," Billy pushed, her CEO instincts kicking in. "Who gave you an invite?"
Shawn tilted his head, his sexy eyes fixed on hers. "Am I not welcome here?"
Billy blinked, her confidence wavering under his intense stare. "You dance very well," she said, pivoting to a safer topic.
Shawn smiled, revealing a flash of perfect white teeth. Billy bit her lower lip, the tension between them becoming unbearable.
"May I have your number?" she asked.
"We'll see," Shawn replied with a teasing smirk.
Billy’s jaw dropped slightly. "We'll see? Now that's mysterious." She tried to mimic his deep voice, laughing it off, but as she looked away for a second, she missed the cold flash in his eyes.
Suddenly, his grip on her waist tightened—hard.
"Argh!" Billy winced, the pressure actually hurting.
"Oh, so sorry," Shawn said immediately, though his smile felt forced, like a mask slipping back into place. "I was a bit too hard on you."
LATER THAT NIGHT...
~ BILLY’S APARTMENT ~
The moon was high when Billy finally stumbled through her front door. She was completely wasted, her head spinning from a cocktail of expensive champagne and the lingering scent of Shawn’s cologne.
Her cousin Samantha had to practically carry her to the bedroom. "B, why are you so trashed? It's your birthday, but you didn't spend a single minute with the family!"
Billy collapsed onto the plush duvet, laughing a messy, drunken laugh. "It was... an amazing day," she slurred, before her eyes fluttered shut and she drifted into a heavy sleep.
Samantha sighed, pulling off Billy’s designer heels. "You certainly had a blast. I wish I was there."
Ten minutes later, just as Samantha reached for the light switch, Billy bolted upright. Her eyes were wide, the haze of alcohol temporarily pierced by a sharp, painful memory.
"What the f**k did I do?!" Billy screamed, clutching her head.
FLASHBACK*
The party was winding down. Billy had cornered Shawn near the exit. She was swaying slightly, her phone held out like an offering.
"Your number," she demanded.
Shawn looked down at the phone, then up at her. He didn't reach for it. Instead, he let out a cold, mocking smirk.
"You've got to try harder than that, girl," he said, his voice stripped of the gentlemanly warmth from earlier. "I don't give out my contact to just anyone."
He turned his back on her and walked out into the night, leaving the birthday girl standing alone in the middle of her own party.
FLASHBACK ENDS*
Samantha rushed back to the bedside. "Billy! Is everything okay? Are you sick?"
Billy turned to her, looking like she’d seen a ghost. Her eyes were glassy with tears and leftover tequila. "Samantha," she whispered, her voice devastated. "I got rejected today."
"You're just drunk, honey," Samantha said, reaching for a glass of water. "Go back to sleep."
Billy fell back against her pillows, letting out a long, tortured scream into the dark room.
"I'm f****d!!"
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