Read Online Spin the Bottle by Rhian Cahill - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rhian Cahill
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“There’s no blood and I don’t think you’ve broken anything but I can’t be sure…”
“Jarred.” Lil breathed through her words. “Hit the floor. Hard. Aaron fell. On me.”
“What were you doing?”
Lillian could hear the strained anger in Mac’s words and sort to reassure him. “He’s drunk.”
“I can smell that. Besides, I saw him staggering towards the kitchen and followed.” He eased her off the floor and into his arms, his hands running down her spine. “I’d have gotten here quicker without all these people filling the place. Of course, the dickhead wouldn’t be here then either.”
She couldn’t argue with that, but Aaron hadn’t meant any harm and really, it was her own fault for trying to help the drunken idiot when he outweighed her by at least forty kilos. Although Lil was fairly sure Mac would blame him, and she didn’t want to be around for that.
“Can you see my denim jacket?” she asked. Her head was tucked under Mac’s chin and she felt his stubbled jaw catch in her hair as he looked around.
“Yeah, it’s on a hanger over the tub.”
“Help me up. I need to change out of this dress, but I can’t walk through the house with the side split open.” Now that her lungs were supplying oxygen to her brain and body, Lil realised her injuries weren’t that bad. Jarred and winded was as severe as it got.
“You’re not walking.” Mac stood and scooped her into his arms. “I’ll carry you to your room.”
“No. Put me down.” Lil squirmed against him. “I don’t want to draw attention to myself or the situation, and being carted around the house by you will guarantee phones will be pulled out and pictures will hit Twitter and Facebook within seconds. Now. Put. Me. Down.”
“Lillian.”
“Mackenzie.”
They stared at each other, neither willing to give an inch. It was Aaron’s moan that broke their deadlock. Lil and Mac turned to look at the grumbling man—Mac with a snarl of disgust and Lil with a heavy ball of disappointment and sadness in her stomach. She had no illusions though. Aaron was one of many in her life who were only after what they could get from being Lillian McDermott’s friend. But that was her old life. The one she would walk away from without a backward glance after tonight.
“Please put me down, Mac.”
Mac let her legs drop, but he held on to her when her feet touched the floor. With his arm around her back, he ushered her deeper into the room. He steadied her against the counter before reaching to retrieve her jacket.
“Here. Can you put this on by yourself?”
“Yeah.” Lil took the still-damp denim from his outstretched hand. She’d only need to make it up to her room, so thankfully the clammy fabric wouldn’t be on for long.
Mac walked back to where Aaron lay muttering. He wrapped his hands around the other man’s wrists and pulled.
“What are you doing?” Lil slid one arm into her jacket and cringed at the clingy sensation.
“Moving him out of the doorway so we can shut the door.” Mac dragged a now spluttering Aaron across the floor.
“Why would we shut it?” Her other arm disappeared into the sleeve and she noticed the pain had almost gone. Lil reached for the zip.
“So he doesn’t go out there and cause more havoc. Or come looking for you again.” Mac glanced at her. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”
Lil closed the zipper halfway. She shivered. Her dress was no barrier to the moisture the material still held. “Not now. I need to get out of this dress.”
“Come on then.” Mac stepped forward with his hand out. “Stay close and I’ll get you through the crowd without stopping.”
She hesitated. It would probably be simpler if she ducked upstairs on her own.
“Don’t even think of saying no, Lilli.”
“But…”
Mac’s gaze told her there’d be no arguing with him.
With a sigh, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her from the room. He guided her through the door
“Jarred.” Lil breathed through her words. “Hit the floor. Hard. Aaron fell. On me.”
“What were you doing?”
Lillian could hear the strained anger in Mac’s words and sort to reassure him. “He’s drunk.”
“I can smell that. Besides, I saw him staggering towards the kitchen and followed.” He eased her off the floor and into his arms, his hands running down her spine. “I’d have gotten here quicker without all these people filling the place. Of course, the dickhead wouldn’t be here then either.”
She couldn’t argue with that, but Aaron hadn’t meant any harm and really, it was her own fault for trying to help the drunken idiot when he outweighed her by at least forty kilos. Although Lil was fairly sure Mac would blame him, and she didn’t want to be around for that.
“Can you see my denim jacket?” she asked. Her head was tucked under Mac’s chin and she felt his stubbled jaw catch in her hair as he looked around.
“Yeah, it’s on a hanger over the tub.”
“Help me up. I need to change out of this dress, but I can’t walk through the house with the side split open.” Now that her lungs were supplying oxygen to her brain and body, Lil realised her injuries weren’t that bad. Jarred and winded was as severe as it got.
“You’re not walking.” Mac stood and scooped her into his arms. “I’ll carry you to your room.”
“No. Put me down.” Lil squirmed against him. “I don’t want to draw attention to myself or the situation, and being carted around the house by you will guarantee phones will be pulled out and pictures will hit Twitter and Facebook within seconds. Now. Put. Me. Down.”
“Lillian.”
“Mackenzie.”
They stared at each other, neither willing to give an inch. It was Aaron’s moan that broke their deadlock. Lil and Mac turned to look at the grumbling man—Mac with a snarl of disgust and Lil with a heavy ball of disappointment and sadness in her stomach. She had no illusions though. Aaron was one of many in her life who were only after what they could get from being Lillian McDermott’s friend. But that was her old life. The one she would walk away from without a backward glance after tonight.
“Please put me down, Mac.”
Mac let her legs drop, but he held on to her when her feet touched the floor. With his arm around her back, he ushered her deeper into the room. He steadied her against the counter before reaching to retrieve her jacket.
“Here. Can you put this on by yourself?”
“Yeah.” Lil took the still-damp denim from his outstretched hand. She’d only need to make it up to her room, so thankfully the clammy fabric wouldn’t be on for long.
Mac walked back to where Aaron lay muttering. He wrapped his hands around the other man’s wrists and pulled.
“What are you doing?” Lil slid one arm into her jacket and cringed at the clingy sensation.
“Moving him out of the doorway so we can shut the door.” Mac dragged a now spluttering Aaron across the floor.
“Why would we shut it?” Her other arm disappeared into the sleeve and she noticed the pain had almost gone. Lil reached for the zip.
“So he doesn’t go out there and cause more havoc. Or come looking for you again.” Mac glanced at her. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”
Lil closed the zipper halfway. She shivered. Her dress was no barrier to the moisture the material still held. “Not now. I need to get out of this dress.”
“Come on then.” Mac stepped forward with his hand out. “Stay close and I’ll get you through the crowd without stopping.”
She hesitated. It would probably be simpler if she ducked upstairs on her own.
“Don’t even think of saying no, Lilli.”
“But…”
Mac’s gaze told her there’d be no arguing with him.
With a sigh, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her from the room. He guided her through the door
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