"Squeamish much?" she huffs under her breath.

I snicker a little too loudly, surprised by my accidental outburst. I wasn't expecting her to be funny. I quickly try to recover, and she lets a genuine smile creep across her face.

"Wren hasn't ever been able to handle blood. One sight of it, and he's out like a light."

"I can really walk just fine. My blood is going to be dripping."

"That's why he told me to wrap it up."

She blushes fiercely, further proving her earlier thoughts were scandalous when he said that. She thinks like me. Oh, I'd love to take a peek inside her pretty little dirty mind right now.

"Ah. Well, how are you going to wrap it up while you're carrying me?"

she asks when we reach the backdoor.

I set her down on the bench, and then I slip through the door and rush to a nearby bathroom. After grabbing the first hand-towel I can find, I nearly sprint back outside to see another guy has already squatted before her and started examining the wound.

d.a.m.n it. Does she have some pheromone secreting from her that calls men from miles away?

I almost growl under my breath when I see it's Keith, Melanie's sister's son.

"Hey, Tag," he chirps while rubbing his hand up her leg, just above her calf. "I thought I'd check for a sprain."

Right. I'm sure that's what you're doing.

"I've got it, Keith. Just do me a favor and go tell Melanie we'll be a while," I mutter, deliberately sounding misleading.

Ash laughs lightly while shaking her head, and then she pats Keith on the shoulder.

"It was nice meeting you, Keith."

Good. She's dismissing him.

"I should probably help you out. I'm a trainer, after all. I deal with stuff like this all the time," he says while flashing her a flirty grin.

"I think Tag has it under control. It's just a scratch. Will you tell Billy where I am?" she says sweetly.

s.h.i.t. Bity.

"Yeah. Sure. Let me know if you need anything," he drawls while standing, and I make sure to step in between them quickly to tie the towel around her foot.

"You can spray the sidewalk off if you want to be helpful, Keith," I degradingly release. "You know Wren can't handle blood, and she's left a few small drops here."

He narrows his eyes at me, and then he offers her a conniving, sweet smile as I scoop her up.

"I'll take care of it."

Before she can thank him, I whisk her away and head inside toward the stairs.

"There are a lot of really nice people in Billy's family. I can't believe I haven't met any of them before," she says while resting her head against me.

She smells too good for me to think straight.

"I'm surprised I've never met you before. I come to every Christmas, birthday... well, everything. How have the two of you been friends for so long and yet I've never even heard of you?"

Amus.e.m.e.nt darkens her eyes.

"Well, I'm not sure how you haven't heard of me, but I've heard of you."

d.a.m.n you, Bity.

"Care to elaborate?" I ask while arching an eyebrow.

"Not really. Just carry me onward," she says with a exaggerated breath and a secretive laugh.

"Tell me."

She giggles more as I start heading up the steps, and my eyes narrow.

"Fine. He just isn't your biggest fan," she says while snickering more, possibly making fun of me.

Great.

Bity has probably told her every indiscretion of mine, but I'm sure all of his skeletons are still buried behind a locked vault.

"Really?" I mumble through gritted teeth.

"Well, you did show up with two dates, so I think he's pretty spot-on with his characterization."

Why did I bring two d.a.m.n dates?

"I think I might have made the wrong impression," I mutter, slowly trying to dig myself out of the hole I'm in.

She tosses her head back and laughs harder, and despite my anger toward Bity, her beautiful, carefree smile makes mine etch up involuntarily. She's unbelievably beautiful like this.

"How so?" she snickers as I top the stairs and head down the hallway.

"I'm a.s.suming you're staying in the princess room, considering Melanie has always put her favorite girls in there."

She smiles and nods.

"You're very right. I always stay in the princess room."

I see the cracked door, and then I turn around to nudge it open with my back.

"I didn't mean to make you think I'm some sort of playboy. I actually don't get around quite as much as you think," I lie.

Why am I lying? She already knows the truth - and then some.

She laughs even harder as I gently place her on the bed and head to the bathroom. I'm so glad my desperate attempt to redeem my name has amused her.

f.u.c.king c.o.c.k-blocking Bity.

Ashiara It's almost cute how eager he is to prove he's not a complete jerk. Unfortunately for him, I know the truth. Billy hasn't held back on the details of the promiscuity Tag throws around.

I wish he wasn't so d.a.m.n gorgeous. Why are all the hot guys completely full of themselves and total wh.o.r.es?

He walks over, and I swear his cheeks are flushed.

"Blushing?" I tease.

His head bobs with a bit of a laugh as he kneels down in front of me and unravels the towel from my ankle. I wish he didn't have hair that desired to be touched.

My hand reflexively moves down and brushes a stray twig into place. He looks up, and his grin spreads.

"Can't keep your hands off me?" he jokes.

My cheeks burn with their blushing color, and then I shake my head.

"You're smooth; I'll give you that. Too bad I'm already taken and your charm holds no power over me," I mock a little too flirtatiously.

He's that c.o.c.ky sort of hot that gets under my skin. He's so guarded yet sincere. Even though it's all a big show, it seems like there's something so genuine in his tone. I have to stop flirting.

"Well, I'm not trying to be smooth right now. This cut is a little deeper than I was expecting. I need to clean it up a little better than I originally planned, so this might burn a little," he murmurs gently while pressing the dampened swab over my affected area.

I grimace as the fire tingles against the cut, and then his warm yet cool breath finds it as he blows against it. I bite back a smile as he studies my cut very carefully.

It's actually a little endearing to know Mr. Playboy can be this sweet to a girl he hasn't f.u.c.ked. Of course, I'm sure if he screwed me, this wouldn't be happening.

All part of the game, Ashiara.

"Have you done this before?" I ask with a shaky breath as his hand slides down my leg to turn my ankle toward him better.

I groan inwardly at how good his touch feels. I was already falling apart when he was holding me. Now I'm barely fighting off a shiver.

"I'm a guy. Guys tend to get f.u.c.ked up pretty regularly. You have to know your way around gauze, bandages, and rubbing alcohol."

I laugh lightly, amused by his authenticity. He's not trying to impress me right now, but he is.

The door bursts open, ruining the flirty air in the room, as Billy rushes in.

"What the h.e.l.l happened?" he gushes out.

Tag doesn't even acknowledge Billy. His eyes continue their examination as his gentle touch continues to work over me.

I look at Billy, wondering what he's going to say now that he sees Tag's hands on me. That was my only rule - not to get Tagged.

"Two drunk girls, a broken heel, and a gravel mosh pit. You can figure out the rest," I grumble.

His eyes narrow down at Tag, and then he comes to stand closer.

"I'll take care of Ash's cut. You can get back to the party."

Tag smirks, but he doesn't pull away.

"That sounds good, actually," he says mildly. "Since my dates had to be bounced from the weekend festivities, I'll need someone to do the couple activities with. I should probably go talk to Rene, since she's one of the few single girls here that I know."

Oh c.r.a.p. He's figured it out.

I look toward Billy, wondering how he's going to play this out. He's not giving anything away immediately. He looks torn about what to say or do.

Tag I love f.u.c.king with Bity. I might be a little slow to catch on, but it's so obvious now why she's pretending to be his girl. I knew she was too phenomenal for this weasel.

"Actually... I... um... maybe you should finish up with Ash. I need... to... um... I told Rene I would show her the beach this afternoon," he stammers out foolishly.

I don't know how in the h.e.l.l he can obsess over Rene Ballinger when Ash is sitting right here - her short dress showing everything respectably, her perfect legs taunting the wandering eye, and her fruity scent deliciously coating the room.

"Oh?" I add, a hint of mockery in my tone.

Jacka.s.s.

"Yeah, um, Ash... you okay?"

My gaze travels up until I'm deliberately staring her in the eyes. Her face is expressionless, giving nothing away before returning her gaze to him.

"I'm fine. Go show her the beach."

He tightens his lips, and then darts out before I have the chance to make Rene putty.

"You're not jealous?" I ask teasingly once the door shuts.

She rolls her eyes while leaning back to prop up on her elbows, keeping her legs pressed together enough to hide what I might be trying to see, and then she bites back that incredible smile.

"Real cute. You're an a.s.s. When did you figure it out?"

I want to laugh and pout at the same time. It'd be much more fun if she were too oblivious to realize I'd caught on.