“Oh,” she says, biting her lip as she takes the game from the counter and heads to the kitchen table pulling the cellophane off the box. Sitting down, she flashes her irresistibly sexy smile and winks at me as she sets up to play our first game of Strip Monopoly.

Dahlia decided not to move back into her house. She packed up the rest of her things and has contractors making repairs so she can put it back on the market. We haven’t talked about her long-term living arrangements since the day of the break-in, but she knows I want her to stay here with me. She’s here most of the time anyway but hasn’t said anything about wanting to move in with me on a more permanent basis.

She’s so determined to stay with Grace; she makes it a point to go back there at least every other night. Even last night, after we’d finished our little game of Strip Monopoly, she insisted on going back home to Laguna Beach. I’m not sure why she feels the need to do this, but I go with it because it works for her and it’s not like I’m unhappy. I’d just be happier if she moved in with me.

We’ve spent almost every day over the past three weeks together having a blast. Since Dahlia isn’t working right now, and I’m waiting for Xander to iron out the band's signing contract, we've just been roaming around town and having fun with each other. At first, we picked up a few essentials for the house including a kitchen table and pots and pans, but lately we spend our days running, hiking, going to The Grove to watch movies, to the arcade to play around, or to different restaurants for lunch. Sometimes we walk along Hollywood Boulevard and other times we just hang out here at home. Most nights, she comes with me to rehearsals and then we go out with Aerie or meet up with the guys.

Regardless of what we do, Dahlia and I usually end up leaving early because I just can’t keep my hands off her sexy little body. I can tell she feels the same, and it’s become a game to see who can hold out the longest before we have to leave. Regardless of who wins, making it all the way home has become a challenge and we’ve found some fun and interesting things to do on the way.

Tomorrow is Dahlia's birthday. I’m so stoked to celebrate the day with her, so when Bell asked if she could pull together a small party tonight, I told her yes.

Dahlia is on her way here from Laguna Beach with Aerie, and I just walked in the door. I ran out to pick up her present and was hoping Bell would wrap it for me, but as I look around at the chaos that is my house, I think it might have to stay in the brown paper wrapping.

Bell’s entourage is following her into the house with loads of party items as she’s barking orders. Shaking my head, all I can do is grin. I should have known better. She points to the table as Garrett trails behind her. “Watch out!” she yells as he sets a bag full of cups and plates on the table. “If you so much as smear a speck of icing on that cake, your ass will be banned from this party!”

“Dude, your sister is so bossy,” he says, looking at me.

She’s unloading box after box as platters of food fill the kitchen counters, alcohol bottles line the bar where the stools are, and a giant purple cake in the shape of a flower sits on the kitchen table.

Leaning over the bar, I’m watching the craziness unfold. Bell walks through the kitchen gripping dozens of purple balloons by their white strings.

“Bell, you’ve got to be kidding me!”

She’s smiling, looking very pleased with herself as she ties the balloons to the kitchen cabinet handles. “What? She loves purple!”

“No not the color, Bell. This,” I wave my hand around the room. “A huge blowout party isn’t what I agreed to. It wasn’t part of the deal.”

She swings her head around to look at me. “Deal? What deal? You said I could throw a party, and that’s what I’m doing. Now don’t be such a party-pooper!”

She’s got an annoying smirk on her face, and I’m losing patience fast. “Do you ever even listen to what you say? You said a small, get-to-know-each-other’s-friends kind of a party, and this isn’t that!”

I should’ve known better than to think she could ever plan anything on a small scale. Everything she does is over the top.

“River! Don’t yell at me! Got it? I’m doing this for you. For your new girlfriend, my new friend, and you should be appreciative about it. Not an asshole!”

Then pointing her finger at me she continues, “And yell at me again, I’m so telling Mom.”

Shaking my head, I just apologize so we can move on. “I’m sorry Bell, darling,” I say in a drawn out mock tone. “Really, we’re a little old to threaten to tell Mom, aren’t we?” Then I remember I wanted to ask her something.

“And by the way, how do you even know Dahlia likes purple?” I, myself, have no idea if she likes it or not.

She gloats for a few seconds before answering. “River really,” she says in a rather tsk-tsk tone. “She’s named after a flower, and everyone knows Dahlias are purple.”

“Bell, are you drunk?" I have to ask this because that has to be one of the dumbest things she has ever said, and now my annoyance is back.

She frowns, “Nooo River, I’m not. Are you?”

I can’t even answer her, so I just shake my head and inhale deeply.

She starts uncovering plates of food and is setting them on the bar when she notices me glaring at her.

Pointing my finger at her, I say, “I’m blaming you if she’s mad.”

“Why will she be mad? Everyone loves a birthday party!” She gives me her biggest, brightest smile before yelling, “Garrett, where are the other trays of food?”

“I’m getting them. Just wait a second Bell!”

“Well hurry up, stop taking your sweet ass time!”

I’m not finding any of this party prep crap amusing, especially since I’m not sure how Dahlia’s going to take it. Just thinking about it again pisses me off.

“Mother fucker!” I hear coming from behind me as static and a loud piercing sound amplify through the speakers. Turning around, I see Nix has unplugged the sound system and is attempting to connect a mixer board to it.

“What the f**k are you doing?”

Smirking at me, he points his chin at Bell. “She wanted a DJ setup.”

“A DJ? For what? Why? This isn’t a f**king dance club!”

Shrugging his shoulders, Nix rolls his eyes and points to Bell as he continues to mess with the sound system like he knows what he’s doing.

“Bell!” I yell, my patience with her running very low.

She comes around the bar and pulls me by the arm away from Nix.

Something clings to my head as she opens the sliding glass doors. The balloons are in my face and so is Bell.

“You,” she says, handing me the white strings. “Cut the shit and start helping.”

I can tell by her tone she’s had enough, so I decide to cut her some slack and see what sort of great job she has in store for me. It’s cool that she did all of this, but all I really wanted was a small get-together for the evening. I figured we'd sing Happy Birthday, eat some cake, the guests would leave, and then I'd get some alone time with my birthday girl.

Clearly that's not the plan now, so inhaling a deep breath, I look at my sister and raise my hands in surrender. “What do you need me to do?”

Glancing around, I see Xander busy sucking face with some chick he brought with him.

“See all these balloons tied together? They need to be untied and strung around the chairs.”

“Chairs?” I question because I only own the chairs around the outdoor table, and there are way more balloons than chairs.

Pinching my chin, she turns my head down toward the pool. “Those chairs, the ones you’re going to unfold and put around thooooose tables.” She points to a stacked pile of round tables over at the other side of the pool.

“Just how many people did you invite?” I have to ask because there are a lot of f**king tables and chairs down there.

Pacing back and forth between the party that is now in full swing and the empty dining room, I continue to look out the window. She should’ve been here over an hour ago.

Earlier, we exchanged a few texts:

Aerie has issues with my clothing choices and insists we make

a stop on the way. Be there shortly :)

Maybe it should’ve been a clothing optional party ;)

Hopefully later it will be. ;) <3

I haven’t even seen her yet, and I already want to skip the party and go directly to the later.

The music is thumping out all different tunes, so I decide to put in my song requests. There are so many people here; I can’t even see the Hollywood sign that Dahlia loves so much through the glass doors.

Stopping to talk to a few friends I haven’t seen in a while, I finally make my way over to Daniel, at least I think that’s his name. He’s my sister’s new boyfriend and he’s DJ’ing the party. Bell is busy filling the dozens of different types of glasses that she bought with wine, mixed drinks, and who knows what else. Garrett and Phoenix are busy staying far away from her so as not to get roped into being waiters at the party.

I head to the kitchen, grab a bottle of beer from the fully stocked refrigerator, and go sit on the couch next to Xander and some blonde. I can’t remember her name, but I know he’s been out with her before.

“Oh my God, River!” she says, and I instantly regret sitting here. Her tone is like a whiny teenage girl and her giggle sounds like a five year old.

Taking a swig of my beer, I lower my bottle then raise it in her direction. “Hey, great to see you again.”

Xander is grinning at me as he says, “Chloe.”

He really can be an as**ole sometimes. Calling me out that I didn’t remember her name wasn’t necessary. I mean really, he has a rotating set of girlfriends with him almost every time I see him, and this one isn’t one of my favorites.

Her voice is so high pitched it actually makes my skin crawl. “So River, I love your new house. When did you move in? Do you have a decorator because my BFF is one and I could so introduce you!”

Her lips are moving, but I’m not even listening. She lost me when she actually used the letters BFF in a sentence, but I smile nicely at her. “Sure, that sounds great.”

These are the kind of girls I could never stand. The ones who try to be seductive but sound more like a whining toddler. They think they are sexy but they couldn’t be more wrong. I feel like I dated a never-ending slew of them before I reconnected with Dahlia. She is nothing like those girls, and I couldn’t be happier.

My phone starts buzzing in my front pocket, setting my beer on the new coffee table, I stand up and pull it out. It’s a text from Dahlia.

I’m sorry we’re so late. Pulling in the driveway now. :)

Glancing at Xander and his over-bubbly brunette, I indicate with my chin that I’m heading toward the door. “Excuse me a minute, Dahlia’s here and I want to say hi before she hits the door.”

“Dahlia? Who’s Dahlia?” Chloe asks Xander.

Xander looks at me and answers, “The girl that has my brother pussy-whipped.”

I just shake my head and shoot him a dirty look. I’m not going to argue the semantics of pussy-whipped versus love with him, especially in front of the Valley girl.

“Aren’t I right, Loverboy?” he shouts at me as I walk away.

Opening the door, I brace my hands on the frame and watch her get out of Aerie’s car. The driveway reflectors shine upward and highlight her amazing shape. The shameless blaze in my eyes must be apparent, but I don’t care who sees it. She looks hot as hell in that little black number that Aerie must have talked her into buying.

Her dress is short, the neck is open, and her legs look a mile long with those shoes. When she turns to close the door, I have to shift a little to control myself. Her dress has no back and her blonde hair is up in one of those ponytail things so every inch of her bare skin is visible. Images of her and me alone together instantly flood my mind, and I really regret letting Bell throw this party.

Walking down the steps to meet her, I’m overwhelmed by her overall beauty. Saying hi to Aerie, I position myself right in front of Dahlia. She’s almost as tall as me in those shoes and when our eyes meet, she just looks at me, no smile, nothing, I can tell, even before her lips turn up, that she’s feeling seductive.

Her eyes seem to change color depending on her mood, and tonight her hazel eyes are almost brown. They look like a spinning whirlwind of dust clouds, and I love when they’re that color. I also love when her eyes turn goldish-green. There is an almost psychedelic twist to them. It’s as if I can see myself staring at the same raw images she sees. Her mind is like a camera, and just looking into her eyes makes any great view even better. I told once that I notice her eyes change color depending on her mood, she laughed and said, “So if you think my eyes are like a mood ring, what color are they when I’m being bitchy?” I just shook my head.

Leaning in, I inhale the sweet scent of her hair as I kiss the bare skin of her neck all the way up to her ear and softly lower my voice to an intimate level. “Hey birthday girl. You look beautiful, perfect really,” I say, pulling her h*ps to mine.

“Hey there yourself,” she says, placing her hands on my arms. “Sorry we’re late.”

Bending her neck, she allows me full access, and I can’t help but grin when I notice her goosebumps. Not being one to shy away from an invitation, I slowly work my way down her neck to her exposed collarbone. God, everything about her is just so sensual, and I’m so turned-on right now.

“That’s okay. If you’re late because of this dress,” I say, running my hands down the side of her body, “I definitely forgive you. You look so hot.”