“Aw, my knight in shining armor,” I tease, feigning as if I’m passing out.

He rolls his eyes. “Fine, drink with them, then.”

“No, thank you,” I say with all seriousness. “Really, you rock.”

Giving me a suggestive grin, his eyes travel down my body. “You look hot, babe.”

Knocking my shoulder into his, my face burns as I look around. “Shh, Jay, people are around.”

“So? I don’t care,” he says, rolling his eyes. “If I want to tell you you’re hot, I’m gonna do it.”

When his unruly gaze burns into mine, I shake my head. “You rebel, you.”

Licking his lips, he holds my gaze before leaning closer. “You have two hours to hang before I steal you away and tear that toga off,” he says in a rough, sexy way. “With my teeth.”

Breathless, I look away. “You’re gonna make me wait two hours? That’s rude.”

“Okay, maybe one.”

“Better,” I decide, and then I look over his back as he turns to say hi to a friend. The detail is insane on his back, and I don’t know why I’ve never really asked him about his tattoos before.

Oh. Probably because when he has his shirt off, we are doing it.

When he turns back to me, I ask, “Does the tattoo on your back mean anything?”

He nods, taking a pull of his beer. “I’m the ship, and no matter what, nothing can take me down.”

“That’s sick as hell. I got the front one, supercool, by the way. I need something badass like that. Maybe a tiger ripping the head off a gazelle, and above it, it says don’t mess with the tiger,” I say very dramatically, making hand gestures.

Jayden laughs as he says, “How very 80s of you, but um, no.”

I giggle as I take a pull of my beer. “I need to get something. I’m itching for one.”

“We’ll go then, and you can talk to my dude.”

“Sounds good to me. Date night,” I say with a grin.

Grinning at me, he says, “I like the whole notion of date night outside of the bedroom.”

I nod. “The mere thought of it is very stimulating, but by the end of it, we’ll be in the bedroom.”

“So you mean I’ll get laid?” he asks, very silly-like, a huge grin on his face.

I nod. “For sure, Sinclair.”

I doubt anyone hears our goofy banter, but I love it so much. It’s us. When he stands erect before downing his beer and then grabbing another one, he looks over at me. “Gotta piss, I’ll find you.”

He hands me his beer and off he goes. Turning, I lean against the counter just as Markus stops in front of me.

“I need you.”

“Okay?”

“Beer pong, let’s go,” he says, and he doesn’t give me a chance to answer before he’s dragging me to the table. Handing me a ball, he says, “Shoot.”

Looking across the table at McMinn and Archer, I shrug. “Okay.”

But I wish I hadn’t because then I’m in such an intense game of beer pong, and I’m beyond obsessed with winning that I don’t notice what’s going on around me. All that matters is that McMinn and Archer are going down. Usually I’d be looking for Jayden, or even just hanging out with him, but at this moment, it’s time to kick ass with my main boy, Markus.

The party is loud, but I don’t let anything distract me as I throw my ball in their last cup.

“Attagirl!” Markus yells as he lines up, but he misses, which means they get the balls back. As they drink their cup of beer and, I guess, talk strategy, Markus leans over to me. “So, um, truth,” he says, and I glance over at him. I’ll admit, I’m a little drunk. These two have been really good competition.

“Truth? Huh?”

“Tell me the truth.”

“Okay?”

Leaning in, his lips at my ear, he says, “Are you and Jayden like, really together, together?”

He then leans back to look at me, and I just look at him. Do I admit it? I know Markus won’t say anything. We are friends; he cares for me. So I nod and he nods back. Which is not what I expected. I honestly expected him to jump up and down and say I knew it or something along those lines. But his face is as hard as stone as he looks over my shoulder.

“Okay, well, I’m giving him five more minutes before I go over there and whoop his ass then.”

“Say what?” I almost shriek, and he looks from over my shoulder to me.

“He’s over there talking to Skylar, and they are too close for comfort.”

Whipping around to where he was looking, I find Jayden standing in front of Skylar, his arm up on the wall above her as he nurses his beer. Now from here, it does look very suggestive, and I know if I move out a bit it wouldn’t, but that would be the rational, sober Baylor response. Ah, who am I kidding? I wouldn’t do that, I’d do what I am doing now.

Glaring.

“Son of a trucker,” I growl, but then I stop myself.

They are just talking, no big deal.

But then she wraps her arm around his neck, and all I see is red as he hugs her tightly.

“Whoa, Baylor,” Markus says.

“Damn, Baylor, who you… Oh shit,” McMinn says. “Why is Jayden talking to her?”

“He’s a dumbass, that’s why,” Archer says. “Moore, erase your face. I’ve seen that chick fight, she’s insane.”

Glaring over at Archer, I say, “Oh look, there went the fucks I had to give.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare as they laugh, except for Markus. He’s glaring with me. It’s taking everything out of me not to go over there, and I’m trying really hard to trust what he said, that he only sees me. But how can he when this bitch is basically humping his leg?

“I’m gonna kick her ass,” I sneer.

“Why? It isn’t like you guys are together,” Jace says out of nowhere, and I glower over at him, causing his eyes to go wide. Hiding behind Markus, he pleads, “Protect me, she’s a rabid bear.”

“Shut up, Jace,” we both say, and when I look back over to where Jayden and Skylar are standing, she glances over at me and makes a face. A bitch face.

“Aw shit, she’s looking over here,” Archer complains. “God, I hope you guys fight.”