body--inadvertently pressing her breasts against him.
She could hear his heart racing, and his breathing came in ragged gasps.
Suddenly Kevin pulled away from her and was on his feet, looking flushed and sweaty, like he’d just run a mile. “How’s that hangover?”
“What’s wrong?” Susan was still trying to straighten herself on the couch--she’d fallen over when he’d jumped away from her.
“Nothing.” But she’d never seen Kevin look so nervous.
“Then why are you acting like that?”
Kevin got this pissed-off look on his face--jaw set, head tilted, hands on his hips--and those hazel eyes of his got all dark and sinister. It made a chill slither up Susan’s spine.
“Last night...” Kevin said, his voice a harsh accusation.
“Last night?” Susan struggled to remember what had happened. There had been the hang gliding, and dinner, and margaritas...and then Liz had called. Something about finding her a rebound fling, and then...
She’d jumped her best friend’s bones.
Susan closed her eyes and groaned. “Oh God!”
“So you do remember,” Kevin said, his eyes narrowing.
“I made a pass at you.”
“I think it went way beyond a pass.” His eyes looked angry, but Susan could tell it was just for show.
And it hit her, and the thought made the red hot anger from before well up inside her, ready to explode. She was sure her hair would burst into flame at any moment.
“And you turned me down,” Susan said.
“As any good friend--”
“You turned me down!” she screamed.
Kevin’s eyes bulged with surprise. “I-I...just--”
Kevin backed away, his hands up as Susan rose from the couch. Good, he should run. I’m about to murder him! Liz’s words were whispering themselves in her ears again. Rebound. The fastest, easiest way to get over the pain of being dumped?
And she was in pain. Every time she thought of Mark, every time she remembered how beautiful she’d felt in that wedding dress. Being there, in paradise, on her honeymoon, with no groom. The pain radiated from her chest, making all her limbs feel like they were withering, dying. Her head had never felt so ready to burst, filled with questions, convoluted thoughts, paranoia. The cure was as simple as sleeping with some hot stud...she had her own hot stud right there with her, and he was her goddamn best friend!
“How could you say no?”
Kevin’s jaw dropped, his eyes turning unreadable.
“I’m in real pain here, and you won’t give me the one little thing I ask you for.”
“Now wait a minute--”
“I mean--” She could hear the hysteria in her own voice, which pissed her off even more. “It’s not like I’m asking for a kidney or something. Or for you to date my two hundred pound ugly sister.”
“Suze, you don’t have a--”
“All I wanted was for you to fuck me!”
Kevin’s jaw dropped again.
“It’s not like you haven’t wanted to!”
The look that fell over Kevin’s face like a malevolent shadow instantaneously zapped the anger right out of Susan’s entire body. Kevin was pissed. And this time, for real.
~*~
Kevin had had enough.
He’d been the good friend, taking Susan away from her problems, bringing her down to Cancun. He’d played nursemaid, psychologist, pizza delivery boy, and bartender. And he’d been so strong--though tequila impaired himself--and hadn’t let her take advantage of him, even though ninety-nine percent of him had so wanted her to.
But now she was calling him out like he was some ungrateful letch. Who the fuck did she think she was?
Susan opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but Kevin snapped at her before she could utter a syllable.
“You have no right to ask me for that!”
Susan stepped back, a fearful look in her eyes.
“Not you, not now, not ever!”
Susan looked up at him as he towered over her. He was clenching his teeth so hard it hurt. Slowly he willed his breathing slower, and when he stepped back he started to walk
She could hear his heart racing, and his breathing came in ragged gasps.
Suddenly Kevin pulled away from her and was on his feet, looking flushed and sweaty, like he’d just run a mile. “How’s that hangover?”
“What’s wrong?” Susan was still trying to straighten herself on the couch--she’d fallen over when he’d jumped away from her.
“Nothing.” But she’d never seen Kevin look so nervous.
“Then why are you acting like that?”
Kevin got this pissed-off look on his face--jaw set, head tilted, hands on his hips--and those hazel eyes of his got all dark and sinister. It made a chill slither up Susan’s spine.
“Last night...” Kevin said, his voice a harsh accusation.
“Last night?” Susan struggled to remember what had happened. There had been the hang gliding, and dinner, and margaritas...and then Liz had called. Something about finding her a rebound fling, and then...
She’d jumped her best friend’s bones.
Susan closed her eyes and groaned. “Oh God!”
“So you do remember,” Kevin said, his eyes narrowing.
“I made a pass at you.”
“I think it went way beyond a pass.” His eyes looked angry, but Susan could tell it was just for show.
And it hit her, and the thought made the red hot anger from before well up inside her, ready to explode. She was sure her hair would burst into flame at any moment.
“And you turned me down,” Susan said.
“As any good friend--”
“You turned me down!” she screamed.
Kevin’s eyes bulged with surprise. “I-I...just--”
Kevin backed away, his hands up as Susan rose from the couch. Good, he should run. I’m about to murder him! Liz’s words were whispering themselves in her ears again. Rebound. The fastest, easiest way to get over the pain of being dumped?
And she was in pain. Every time she thought of Mark, every time she remembered how beautiful she’d felt in that wedding dress. Being there, in paradise, on her honeymoon, with no groom. The pain radiated from her chest, making all her limbs feel like they were withering, dying. Her head had never felt so ready to burst, filled with questions, convoluted thoughts, paranoia. The cure was as simple as sleeping with some hot stud...she had her own hot stud right there with her, and he was her goddamn best friend!
“How could you say no?”
Kevin’s jaw dropped, his eyes turning unreadable.
“I’m in real pain here, and you won’t give me the one little thing I ask you for.”
“Now wait a minute--”
“I mean--” She could hear the hysteria in her own voice, which pissed her off even more. “It’s not like I’m asking for a kidney or something. Or for you to date my two hundred pound ugly sister.”
“Suze, you don’t have a--”
“All I wanted was for you to fuck me!”
Kevin’s jaw dropped again.
“It’s not like you haven’t wanted to!”
The look that fell over Kevin’s face like a malevolent shadow instantaneously zapped the anger right out of Susan’s entire body. Kevin was pissed. And this time, for real.
~*~
Kevin had had enough.
He’d been the good friend, taking Susan away from her problems, bringing her down to Cancun. He’d played nursemaid, psychologist, pizza delivery boy, and bartender. And he’d been so strong--though tequila impaired himself--and hadn’t let her take advantage of him, even though ninety-nine percent of him had so wanted her to.
But now she was calling him out like he was some ungrateful letch. Who the fuck did she think she was?
Susan opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but Kevin snapped at her before she could utter a syllable.
“You have no right to ask me for that!”
Susan stepped back, a fearful look in her eyes.
“Not you, not now, not ever!”
Susan looked up at him as he towered over her. He was clenching his teeth so hard it hurt. Slowly he willed his breathing slower, and when he stepped back he started to walk
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