Skin Deep Page 16

  My mom was dressed as Julia Child, wearing a button up blouse and long, slim skirt with a gravy spattered apron tied around her waist, brown curly wig, and a bottle of wine sitting at her side. She also had a rolling pin and spatula tucked into her waistband.

  Jenna was wearing a long, black trench coat that she kept tightly closed. She looked beautiful with her hair perfectly coiffed, and her makeup flawlessly done. We asked her what she was supposed to be, and we lost it when she simply reached down and tore open the coat (which she had apparently modified with Velcro) to reveal a flesh covered body suit with stuffed pantyhose attached to resemble long, stretched out boobs with pasties on the nipples that hovered around her belly button, and an afro wig attached to her pelvic area.

  Leah was…well, not creative. But I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. She was wearing her red and white high school cheerleading uniform, but she had modified the skirt so it was barely covering her ass, and turned the top into a bra. Instead of wearing sneakers, she had on thigh high red boots with stiletto heels that were at least six inches tall. She looked like a high school hooker. She had installed herself behind the table we had designated as the “bar” and had even put a small jar in front of her that said ‘TIPS’ in heavy black letters.

  Allie looked at me and whispered, “She does realize that we’re throwing a party with an open bar and she’s not really working, right?”

  I shrugged. Ten to one, that jar would be full twice over by midnight.

  People began arriving and Allie and I stood by the door, greeting them as they came in. We kept our hoods pulled low so no one could really see our faces. We had just abandoned our posts to head over to Leah to get drinks when we saw Leah’s jaw drop and heard her gasp, “Oh, holy shit!”

  Allie and I spun around and we grabbed onto each other to keep our knees from buckling at the sight standing just inside the door.

  Luke was standing there in a tight, ribbed black tank that was tucked into camouflage pants. The pants were tucked into black combat boots that laced up his shins, and he had a camouflage ball cap turned backwards on his head. Silver dog tags gleamed against the darkness of his shirt where they lay against his chest. His tattoos stood out in stark relief on his skin and he looked dangerous and sexy and I wanted to jump him where he stood.

  Jackson was standing beside Luke, shirtless, with faded, ripped jeans slung low on his hips. He had steel-toed boots on his feet and a tool belt around his waist. He had a hard hat on his head that had something written on it, but I couldn’t quite make it out. I also saw that he had varied items shoved into the loops and pouches of the tool belt. He smirked and took a couple steps toward us so we could see the details of his costume. His hat said ‘Women’s Tool Kit’ on it and his belt was filled with condoms, flavored lube, and various vibrators. Oh. My. God.

  I heard a choked sound beside me and looked at Allie. I couldn’t tell if she wanted to laugh or drool as she stared at Brandon. He was standing there in nothing but a pair of leather flip flops and black Calvin Klein boxer briefs.

  His costume, or lack thereof, broke us out of our daze, and we smiled as they walked closer to us, moving out of the way as more people came through the door.

  “What the hell are you supposed to be?” Allie asked Brandon.

  “An underwear model, of course,” Brandon replied, striking a pose and flexing his muscles.

  I rolled my eyes and looked back at Luke. He was peering intently at Allie and me, trying to get a good look at our faces. I stepped back away from him and Allie followed. Without a word we walked into the big room. Allie nodded at Jeremy, who we had enlisted to help with our plan to bring the guys to their knees, and he hit a button, filling the room with Kid Rock’s So Hott.

  As the intro played, the guys followed us, attempting to get close enough to see what we were dressed in. On cue (we worked this out earlier), Leah abandoned her bar position and pulled all three of them back from us, pushing them into chairs by the closest table. In the meager light afforded by the lamp on the DJ table and the glowing vases on the tables, we could see the guys look at each other in confusion, but that changed quickly.

  Allie and I dropped the hoods of the cloaks off of our faces as the lyrics began, each of us rolling our hips, our eyes locked on our targets. Well, my target was Luke; I was a little confused as to Allie’s, but I assumed it was a two for one deal tonight, since both Jackson and Brandon were sitting there and, well, she was hot for them both.

  Kid was singing, ‘You got a body like the devil and you smell like sex, I can tell you’re trouble but I’m still obsessed’ and our audience had grown. Everyone at the party had crowded in to watch what we were doing. I was getting extremely nervous because, honestly, I hadn’t thought much about other people seeing us do this. It was too late to back out now, so I took a deep breath and continued.

  The chorus of the song hit and we started releasing the toggle buttons holding the sides of the cloaks together, making sure we didn’t wiggle too much and reveal it all too soon. It was hard to hold back because the beat and the words, ‘So hot, I don’t wanna be your friend, I want to fuck you like I’m never gonna see you again’ made me want to dance my clothes off.

  Kid Rock’s voice trailed off and the beat changed. We started moving a little bit more, both of us getting lost in the music as Halestorm’s I Get Off started in. As soon as she started singing the lyrics of the chorus, Allie and I threw off the cloaks completely and started really dancing, rolling and dipping our hips, our hands running up our bodies into our hair as we moved slowly towards the guys.

  Their eyes about popped out of their heads as they took in what we were wearing. Allie was dressed in a black leather strapless sheath. The hem of the dress hit the top of her thighs, barely covering her ass, and she wore torn fishnet stockings with spike-heeled, knee high black leather boots. Her hands were covered with fingerless black leather gloves, and she’d found a spiked collar to wear as a choker around her neck. She’d spiked her hair out all over her head, and the purple streaks were now fire engine red.

  We’d both gone heavy on the makeup, rocker chick style, and both had painted our lips blood red and glossed them with my favorite MAC Lipglass (that shit is the bomb!). I’d left my hair down but had pinned the sides back from my face. I left my bang area down since they’re sideswept anyway, and let the hair curve down over my eye a bit. It looked pretty damn sexy in the mirror but was driving me nuts. I felt like I was blind in one eye.

  I’d gone all out on my outfit, and it had set my savings back a bit. By the looks on their faces, though, it was worth it. I was wearing a black satin corset that plumped my girls up dangerously. I mean, they’re pretty good size anyway, but the corset made them scandalous! It had red lace insets down the front and laced in the back with red satin ribbon. I paired it with tiny little pair of black leather shorts over red fishnet hose, and thigh-high black leather boots. The heels on my boots weren’t spike heeled, but were a little thicker and stacked. I picked them because we all know how graceful I am, and I would probably have broken an ankle in spike heels. I was still a little worried about these boots, though, because they had a four inch heel.

  I’d left my arms and hands bare, and painted my nails blood red to match my lips. I’d also wrapped a silver choker chain around my neck, and attached a thin, silver-studded, black leather leash to it. I was currently running the end of the leash down my body between my breasts while swaying, rolling, and dipping my hips to the beat.

  Allie and I looked at each other and she gave me a small nod; then we turned our backs to the guys to continue dancing. We had kind of choreographed our costume reveal, and it wasn’t anything spectacular, just something to get a rise. We miscalculated just what kind of rise we would get, though.

  I squealed as my cloak was wrapped around me from behind before I was lifted in the air and thrown over a hard shoulder. I realized that it wasn’t too bad of a position to be in when I came face to face with Luke’s l
ower back, just above his deliciously tight, camo-covered ass. So I did what any sane woman would do and reached down to yank his shirt out of his pants and kiss the skin I bared.

  I yelped as he smacked my ass, and then bit him when he growled at me to behave. I started hollering for Allie, trying to see where she was. A light came on and Luke set me on my feet. I looked around and realized that we were in the men’s bathroom.

  I didn’t have time to see much more or to say anything, because Luke pressed me back against the wall and slammed his lips down on mine, pushing his tongue past my lips as he kneed my thighs apart to press his thigh between them. I gasped into his mouth as his leg pressed against my clit, and I thrust my hips forward to increase the friction.

  He pulled back from me and whispered in my ear, “Can we leave now?”

  I giggled. I couldn’t help it. “No, we have to stay for the party! Umm…Luke, where’s Allie?”

  He shrugged and grinned before saying, “Well, if the two of you dancing around in basically no clothes did anything to my brother like it did me, then I’d say she’s having a good time. But its probably an even better time because Jacks got to her before Brandon.”

  “Oh, God!” I gasped, pushing away from Luke to go try to find Allie. He chuckled and followed me out into the small room.

  He turned to get a drink from the bar as I made a bee line for Allie, who I saw just coming in the door from outside. She looked pissed, and she had leaves in her hair and her lipgloss was missing. Brandon and Jackson ambled in behind her, both looking smug, and I found Allie’s missing lipgloss. It was smeared across their lips. Yes, I said their. As in Brandon’s. AND Jackson’s. Whoa.

  Allie stomped by me, brushing her hands through her hair to dislodge the leaves. I gave her a shocked smile, before whispering, “Yeah, I’m gonna need details later.” She gave me a grim smile back and nodded sharply before disappearing into the bathroom.

  The rest of the night passed in a blur of drinking, dancing, and fending off wandering hands. Every time I turned around, Luke was sliding his hands everywhere he could get them, and I noticed Brandon and Jackson doing the same to Allie, even though she did not look happy about their attention. I felt a little odd about Jackson being all over Allie, but I think it was more just because of…well, you know. That night. Which I hadn’t told Allie about yet.

  But I was also just worried that she was going to get herself into something that she might not be ready for. Even though she was about as wild as they come.

  The party was a success, and after we cleaned up the hall, we all headed out. My mom and Jenna stayed behind to help, but Noah had gone home to relieve the babysitter, and Leah had left with the horse’s ass. No, seriously. There were a couple of guys that dressed in one of those two piece horse costumes, and she took the ass end home. He was pretty cute for an ass, though, so I guess I couldn’t blame her. (And by the way, I was right. She was holding onto the full tip jar and had a wad of ones stuffed in her bra as she headed out the door.)

  Allie was told by Brandon that she was coming home with all of us and surprised me when she didn’t put up a fight about it.

  I woke up the next morning stretched out on top of Luke. I couldn’t remember how I got there, but figured he couldn’t be very comfortable. I slid slowly and carefully off to the side and he shifted, turning onto his side with his back to me. God, he’s so gorgeous.

  Since he was still deep asleep, I took the chance to finally get a close look at his tattoos. I’ve seen him naked so many times now, but I’ve never had the chance to really see what they all were. The first time I had seen him shirtless, I was drawn to the small silver hoops piercing his nipples, but I was still intrigued by the swirls of ink patterning his skin.

  On his back was a sweet ass phoenix. The design was tribal and done in all black with red accents through the wings and tail. The head was situated at the base of his neck, and the wings were slightly spread, spanning the length of his broad shoulders before tapering down as if they were closing or folding in on itself. The tail was angled and curved, and I reached out to let my fingers trace the line of it as it disappeared around his left side that was currently pressed into the mattress. Tribal markings swirled and jutted down his back and around the top curve of his shoulder, blending seamlessly into the phoenix design.

  The right side of his body was mostly unmarked, with the exception of the tribal design swirled down his arm from his shoulder, but there were lines of script spanning his ribcage under his right arm. I sat up gingerly and pulled his arm slowly back to reveal the words beautifully scripted with small precise lettering in five straight lines.

  You’ve got to take the good with the bad

  Smile with the sad

  Love what you’ve got and remember what you had

  Always forgive but never forget

  Learn from mistakes but never regret

  The words touched me with the truth of them. I pulled back from him as he shifted in his sleep again, this time rolling toward me but remaining on his back, his right arm laid over his head on the pillow. The tribal design that flowed out from the phoenix on his back curved up over his shoulder and continued down his chest, stomach and side, before disappearing underneath the sheet draped over his hips. I pulled the sheet down a bit, wanting to see that gorgeous spot where they stopped, which was just shy of his hip bone.

  In the spikes and swirls of the tribal design weaving down his arm, different sized black and red nautical stars were interspersed. On the inside of his left forearm, inside a spiked, curving swirl, he had more words scripted in even smaller letters, but no less precise. A small black and red star rested at the upper curve of the first line, and a second star was placed just below the last letter of the last line. I pulled his arm closer to me so I could see.

  Lost in darkness, steeped in dreams

  Blackened eyes and silent screams

  Start and wake, now shaken free

  Stand in faith and no more flee

  While the other lines had touched me, these made my heart squeeze painfully as tears sprang to my eyes. I knew without a doubt that they were words that Luke had written himself.

  My eyes jerked to meet Luke’s as his hand came up, his thumb wiping away a tear sliding down my cheek.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice gravelly and low with sleep. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  I shook my head before answering. “Nothing. Just looking…reading your tattoos.” I pointed at his arm. “This one is yours, isn’t it. About your life?”

  He hesitated before answering. “Yeah, but its not meant to be sad. Its more about the strength to stand up for myself and for my brother. That strength got me where I am today. And right now, I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world, Emma. Not if it meant that I wouldn’t have met you.”

  I closed my eyes against the emotions choking me, squeezing my heart. He pulled me to him, laying me across his chest as he kissed the top of my head. Of their own volition, I felt my lips part and the words slipped out.

  “I love you, Luke.” I felt him tense underneath me before his hands resumed their leisurely movement down my back.

  “I know.” Luke replied.

  And then he just laid there stroking me. And saying nothing. Nothing more. Not a word, nor three little ones.

  Chapter 15

  I tried to shake off the fact that Luke hadn’t said anything when I’d blurted that I loved him. I told myself that it didn’t matter, that I didn’t need to hear those words. If only I’d believe my own lies…

  The morning after the party, I had gone downstairs to make some breakfast. I froze on the last stair in surprise when I saw Allie curled up with Doug on the couch. I walked over and sat beside her, shaking her shoulder gently. The last I had saw of her at the party was hanging upside down over the shoulder of one of the guys.

  “Allie…wake up!” I whispered.

  “Hmmm….?” Allie stretched, blinking her eyes at me to clear the sleep from them.
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  “Why are you on the couch? Where’s Jackson?”

  “Um, I think he’s in bed with Brandon,” she said, yawning. “Why?”

  “Just wondering why you were out here and not smushed in between them somewhere. So, the plan worked! Er, well at least for me it did!” I grinned down at her and she smiled sleepily back.

  “Yeah, I heard. You think he’s God or something,” Allie said dryly.

  “No-” I started, but she interrupted me.

  “Yeah, seriously. I think you called him that like two thousand times, screaming at the top of your lungs.” She broke down laughing, and only laughed harder when I yanked the pillow out from under her head and smacked her in the face with it.

  I rolled my eyes at her and asked, “So? Details! Luke said that it was Jackson that carted you off and Brandon was hot on his heels. What happened after they carried us off like cavemen?”

  “Jacks grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder, bouncing me along until we got outside. Then he and Brandon took turns yelling at me. Assholes,” she grumbled.

  “What? Why were they yelling at you?” I asked.

  “They kept saying that no one else needed to see my goods dressed up like that. Of course, I yelled back at them because who the fuck are they to tell me who can see what? If I want to show off my chimichanga to the world, then I fuckin’ will!”

  “Okay, so that explains why you looked so pissed when you came stomping back inside. Now cut the crap and tell me why they were wearing your lipgloss on their lips and you had leaves in your hair. AND why you didn’t put up a fuss about coming here last night.”

  She sighed and then sat up to give me more room to sit down beside her. “I was right in the middle of yelling at them and Jacks just leaned in and kissed me. I heard him mumble something about hot bitches that didn’t know when to shut up and then his lips were on mine, his tongue was in my mouth, and I was completely like…holyshitfuckdamn! And then it turned into a holyshitfuckdamnohmigod when Brandon ripped me out of Jacks’ arms and HE kissed me! We ended up in a pile of leaves on the grass and everything was fan-fuckin’-tastic until they pulled back and both asked me if I was going to come in and change! Ugh!”