Rush: Part One & Two (The Pitstop Series Book 3)

For the second time today, I’m getting ready in the hotel bathroom. Adrian told me to put on something I can party in. Some tight jeans and a see-through glitter shirt will do the trick. I’m only wearing a black bralette underneath, and I feel incredibly sexy. The dark eyeshadow I applied fits my outfit very well, and so does the red lipstick. I walk out of the bathroom to face the men who are yet again sitting on my bed. Adrian is still in his room. James’ mouth falls open when he looks at me, and I smirk at him. I move over to the chair on the other side of the room where my purse is and feel three pairs of eyes on me. When I look up, they all have the same expression of shock on their faces.

“What?” I ask them, and Cameron and James look away. Gabriel’s eyes stay on me, and I get nervous.

“You look gorgeous,” he compliments me, and I see James shoot him a glare. I thank him and go back to packing my small purse with everything I need.

“No, no, no, no, no. No,” is all I hear when Adrian walks into the room. “No,” he repeats, and I laugh. “Look at them. If they’re already drooling, what do you think other men are going to do?” Gabriel and James start to blush and immediately get up. Cameron simply smiles. He would be more interested in Adrian, which is why I can’t help but smile either. However, Adrian is very insensitive when it comes to pointing out things like that, and I don’t appreciate how uncomfortable he’s making our friends. “What do you think you’re doing, wearing something like that?”

“I think for the first time in my life, I feel smoking hot,” I simply reply and throw my purse across my chest. “So, I’m going to wear this and feel this way the whole night. And I’m not worried about other men. James is going to be with me the entire time anyway.” James nods and runs his hand through his hair.

“That’s true. I would never leave her alone,” he says, and I hold out my hand as if to say ‘see’. “Especially not when she looks like pure sex.” My eyes go wide, and he shrugs.

“Fine, but I am not leaving your side either,” Adrian tells me, and I roll my eyes.

“That’s fine by me.” I make my way over to Adrian and squeeze his arm. “Now, let’s have an awesome evening.” He nods, and I walk past him to my door.

All of them put on something casual yet still attractive. James is wearing jeans and a dress shirt, Cameron has a similar outfit on, Gabriel is dressed in black jeans and a green shirt, and Adrian is in shorts and a polo. I feel overdressed with them around me, but it’s also my birthday, and I’m only going to turn eighteen once.

The bar is filled with people, it is loud, and I am excited. It’s my first time at one, and it is not like I imagined it. It’s much better and worse at the same time. The music is decent, and the people seem to be having a lot of fun, but it is also hot and loud. When we walk into a more crowded space of the bar, people push against me, and I struggle to move forward with the rest of my friends. I feel a hand in mine, and sparks ignite on my skin. I don’t even have to check to know it’s Gabriel’s. We find a table close to the dance floor, and he drops my hand as soon as we reach it.

James suddenly appears with four shots and places them on the small, round table in front of me. I’ve never had alcohol before, but I’m curious about it. Adrian sips on the water James brought him, and I reach for the shot glass.

“Ready?” James asks me, and I nod. He hands me a lemon and some salt. I put a little bit of salt on the back of my hand like James is showing me and lick it off before I pour the burning liquid down my throat. I quickly put the slice of lemon into my mouth and suck on it. It’s such a weird feeling. The drink is warm as it burns like fire in my throat, and the sour of the lemon contrasts the bitter tequila. It’s worse than I thought it would be, but I also really enjoy it.

“How was that?” Cameron asks me, and I smile.

“Incredible,” I admit, and he grins at me. Adrian rolls his eyes, but I ignore him. “Come on, James, let’s dance.” The English man stares at me for a few seconds without moving. I know he doesn’t care for dancing. “You said you wouldn’t leave me alone,” I remind him and hear him sigh. I hold out my hand, and he takes it. He spins me around once, making me laugh softly. I run my hands through my hair, and my hips move to the music. James is standing awkwardly next to me, so I take his hips in my hands and move them for him. “It’s not that hard. Come on,” I complain, and he sighs for the second time.

“Fine, but remember you asked for this,” he says and grabs my hand before pulling me close to him. He spins me around, so my butt faces his front, and he starts moving my hips for me in rhythm with the music. His lips move to my ear. “I’ve been with girls who dance in all kinds of ways. I picked up a few things,” he admits and spins me around again. His feet move with the beat of the song, and I can’t believe how good he is at this. After a few more minutes, I feel the alcohol settling and a little lightheaded. It’s not bad at all. I still have control over everything but also seem to enjoy things the slightest bit more. James and I go back to the group, and Cameron comes with another round of shots. I repeat the process from earlier, and so do James, Gabriel, and Cameron.

“May I have this dance?” Gabriel asks and holds out his hand for me. I look at him, confused by his offer.

“I thought you didn’t dance,” I say, recalling the one time he ran away from me when I asked.

“But I want to dance with you on your birthday. So, may I?” He simply takes my hand and leads me back to the dance floor when I don’t respond. “Now, I’m not a good dancer, so you’re going to have to do your best to make me look good.” I laugh harder than necessary, feeling even more lightheaded now. Two shots on a somewhat empty stomach, and for someone who’s never had alcohol, it’s a lot.

“I could dance like this,” I suggest and run my fingers through my hair seductively while my hips move slowly. “Or, like this,” I continue, moving closer to Gabriel, putting my hand on his chest and squatting down in front of him. “Maybe like this?” I turn around and push my bottom against his crotch before I start moving my hips again. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I have an incredible amount of confidence, especially because Gabriel isn’t pushing me off. His hands move to my hips, and he goes along with my movements. By then, the alcohol has got me feeling amazing, and Gabriel’s body pressing against mine is only adding to it. His hand drops lower, and it feels like I’m on fire.

“Fuck, Valentina. You turn me on so quickly, baby,” he whispers into my ear, and I lean my head against his shoulder. I can’t believe he’s saying this to me; I can’t believe this is happening, but my body is throbbing, and I need some kind of release. “No, I’m sorry,” Gabriel blurts out and disappears. Disappointment washes over me, and I walk back to the table where the other guys are standing. James is leaning against it, smiling stupidly, Adrian is on his phone, Cameron is looking around the bar for something, and Gabriel is nowhere to be seen.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“What happened to James?” I ask Adrian, and he shrugs. His water bottle is empty now, and he is rolling it around the table, playing with it absentmindedly.

“You left, and he had two more shots,” Adrian says. James stands up straight and grins.

“Okay, I want two more, too,” I tell James, and his face lights up. He gets them for us, and I don’t bother with the salt or lemon. I’m frustrated because of Gabriel, and I am sick and tired of always getting left… left unsatisfied. My mind is completely clouded by the time the fourth shot settles into my empty stomach. All I realize is I start to laugh at something James is doing, but I can’t quite comprehend what it is. The alcohol is making me giggle, laugh, and choke on my spit. I’m definitely tipsy when I bring the glass to my mouth for the… fifth? sixth? time.

Somehow, James and I make it back to my hotel room in the middle of the night. He stumbles over my backpack, and I start laughing at him.

“Hey, hey,” he complains but also starts to laugh. My eyes drift to the chocolate on my nightstand, and it makes me excited. I stumble over to it, giggle a little, and then eat it. “Can I have some?” James slurs, and I put a piece in his mouth.

“Do you know how damn hard it is to get someone that’ll get you off?” I tell him, unaware of what I’m actually saying. “Luke only cared about himself, and… and Gabriel is just so stupid,” I slur the words, too, but then for some reason, start to giggle. It’s probably the way the words sound coming out of my mouth. “I just wish someone could make me feel really good.” I’m in his face then, trying to communicate my point to him. He needs to understand what I’m saying right now.

“I could make you feel good,” he whispers, and my eyes drop to his lips. I don’t know what’s happening, but all I can think about are his lips. My mind is completely clouded, and I don’t have any control over my body.

“Yeah?” I ask, and he nods eagerly.

“I can make you feel realst good,” he assures me, and I laugh at his words, but James takes my face in his hands and looks into my eyes. “Do you want me to?” he asks, and my heart skips a beat. My body is drawn to him.

“Yes, I do,” I reply firmly and lean toward him until our lips meet. I can’t pull away; I can’t move. All I do is enjoy the way his tongue slips into my mouth when my lips part slightly. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I keep doing it anyway. James moves between my legs, and he pins me down on the bed. “You want this?” he asks me.

“I want you,” I answer before focusing on his erection and how it is pressing against my heat. I wrap my legs around his hips, and James continues to rub against me while his tongue massages mine. It doesn’t make any sense to me, nothing at this moment does, but my mind is also not in the moment with him. It imagines Gabriel between my legs. James’ tongue runs over my hot skin, and I shiver.

“Can I touch you?” he slurs.

“Please, touch me,” I beg, and his eyes focus on mine. We’re both way too drunk, and it’s probably a bad idea, but I need this right now. His fingers drop to my jeans, which he unbuttons when I tell him ‘Yes’. His fingers slip into my panties, and all I can feel is the rubbing and the pressure he’s applying to my throbbing area. I have to bite down on my lip to keep from screaming out a name, which I know isn’t his. James’ lips find mine again, and he cuts me off before I can moan by putting his tongue back into my mouth. His finger continues to rub in a steady movement, and I fall apart under his touch a minute later. He drops down on the bed next to me, and the last thing I see is him smiling as he tugs a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. A deep sleep consumes me as his eyes close too.