Their focus and their mission was me. I was prey being stalked, hunted and cornered. And it was exhilarating!
The loud thumping music and the dark and the heat of so many bodies crammed together further fueled the excitement of the game. Once they set their eyes on me, once they started to make their approach, the adrenaline kicked in and coursed through my body. By the time they’d reached me, I was near the boiling point. I thought I was going to grab them, either to fight or fuck, or both.
I smacked right into Axel. I turned to run, but I was trapped. I did grab him, but only to give him a hug. He must have thought I was crazy. I hardly knew him, but I threw myself in his arms and had him hold me until the mix of fear and panic I’d been toying with ran its course and I could calm down.
Before things got too weird, I pulled myself, reluctantly, out of his arms. ‘How amazing that would be,’ I thought, ‘to be afraid for real then be safe in his strong embrace.’
“What took you so long?” I said to him. But the music was too loud. He said, “What?” I shook my head and waved a hand dismissively.
The ten of us had a drink. We tried to dance, but the place was too packed. We tried to talk, but the place was too loud.
I suggested we leave, find a place more suitable for conversation. Once we were outside, I suggested my place.
I only lived two blocks away, so I convinced myself I wasn’t taking the guys home with me; we were simply leaving the dancefloor to step into the lounge. But as soon as we entered my apartment, the reality was too stark; I couldn’t fool myself any longer. We weren’t in the lounge but at my home. It didn’t help that I asked them to take off their shoes before entering. That pretty much killed the illusion.
“We’re in luck,” I said. “There usually isn’t any alcohol here, but Holly’s client just gave her two bottles of vodka.” I took out ten glasses and lined them up on the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. “She won’t mind.”
“Of course, she won’t,” said Santiago, in case I needed any encouragement, which I didn’t.
“After all,” I said, “it’s for a good cause.” I winked at them then I poured us each a healthily dosed drink.
The men stood in the living room trying to act casual. “Make yourselves at home.” I handed out the drinks.
“Is that another way of saying ‘get undressed’?” said Taylor.
I frowned. “Is that what you do when you’re at home?”
“Actually,” said Elijah, “lately, we’ve been lounging around, talking about you.”
“Fascinating,” I said, and I plopped myself down on the couch between Axel and J.P.
“It’s a bit bright in here, don’t you think?” said Santiago.
I pointed to the wall behind him. “Turn off the lights and turn on the desk lamp over there.”
He didn’t move. “Are you giving me orders?”
“Aren’t you Marines used to that?”
Santiago set his drink down on the coffee table. “Some of us take orders, and some of us give orders.”
“And which one are you?”
He put his hands on his hips. “Tonight, we’re giving orders.”
“In my house?”
Elijah slipped behind him and switched off the lights. Santiago glanced over his shoulder then back at me.
“And the desk lamp,” I said to Elijah.
Elijah didn’t go to the desk. Instead, he joined Santiago in the center of the room. He stood beside him, struck a similar pose and stared at me.
I turned to Axel. I put a hand on his knee. “Should I be afraid?”
He put his arm around me. “You’re safe with me.”
I believed him. I scouched closer to him and laid my head on his shoulder.
“I order you,” said Santiago, “to give Axel a kiss.”
“I’m not taking orders,” I said. I shifted in the couch, put my legs up onto Manny’s lap and laid back so that I was lying across Axel and my head rested on the armrest. “Axel, dear, I think you need to tell your boys to stand down.”
“Your boys?” said Elijah.
I looked at him. “That’s a good point. Who is the leader anyway?”
“We don’t have a leader,” said Santiago. “There’s no hierarchy among us.”
“Hmm. I guess that makes me the leader, then.” I said.
My feet dangled off the side of the couch. But Nolan took a seat on the armrest and put my feet on his lap.
“Thank you, Nolan,” I said. “And while you’re there, you can give me a foot massage.” I looked at Santiago. “That’s not an order but a request.”
“I can do requests,” said Nolan. He worked his strong hands, kneading my feet like hardening clay.
All my muscles, from the tips of my toes to the back of my neck, loosened. I let out a soft murmur. “Mmm, that feels great.”