Crossing The Line (A Taboo Love series Book 3) (6 page)

He sighs heavily and heaves to his feet. "Whatever.  Let me grab a shirt and shoes," he mutters before heading toward his closet in the opposite corner from where we were sitting. 

I stare at his bare back and his nicely rounded ass...oh good god, now I'm checking out the man's ass! I roll my lips in to try to stop them from tingling. What the hell is going on with me? This is really freaking me out. This - attraction - for lack of a better word, to Chance. This week is going to be the death of me, for sure.

Chapter Four

Chance

We started our punishment a few days ago and it feels like I haven’t had a minute alone. If I take a dump, the guy knows about it.  We’ve been hitting the gym every day, eating every meal together, and we have watched more shows on Netflix than I care to admit. Although, that has been my favorite part – hanging out, being lazy, and getting to know Parker a little better. He’s actually not as much as a douche when he is relaxed at home.  Surprisingly, we have been getting along pretty well.

Now Parker is dragging me to his friend's dinner party and I'm not sure if I'm entirely comfortable with the idea. He tells me that his one friend owns a nightclub while the other is fucking Nick Santino. I don't know the guy personally, but I've heard of him. Anyone who's ever been in the prison system, or knows someone who’s been in the prison system, has heard of him. The guy is one of the top criminal defense attorneys in New York City. And honestly, he kinda scares the shit out of me. I know I've left that life behind, but it doesn't stop my stomach from churning nervously.

Parker is oblivious to my unease as we walk up the stairs to the front door of his friend, Charlie's, house. I rub my sweaty hands on the front of my jeans. Jesus, why am I so freaking nervous? I'm Chance Steele, academy award winner and multi-millionaire for Christ's sake. But these are Parker's people - his best friends, his extended family. What if I don't fit in? And why the hell do I care whether or not I fit in? We're barely on speaking terms. I was hoping that the kiss would have brought us closer, not cause a bigger rift.  At this point, I'm only here because I'm forced to be; I have no other choice.

He knocks on the door then just walks in. I follow, entering the house and closing the door behind me. I hesitantly follow him through the house and into the kitchen where everyone is hanging out around the island counter.

A very gorgeous and very pregnant blonde is the first to greet us. She waddles over to Parker and gives him a kiss and a hug. She then turns to me as Parker moves on to say ‘hi’ to the others. She beams at me, and I instantly relax.

"Hi, Chance! I'm Charlie!" she smiles warmly and extends her hand.

I grin lopsidedly at how stinkin' cute she is and shake her hand. "Hi, Charlie, nice to meet you."

Next to greet me is the other woman. She is also extremely beautiful. "I'm Delilah."

I shake her hand. "Hey there, Delilah." I smirk.

She snorts and rolls her eyes.

"Hey! That's my line!" says Nick Santino as he comes up next to Delilah and slips his arm around her shoulder.

He holds out his hand. "Chance Steele, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm..."

"Nick Santino, yes, I know," I reply as I shake his hand.

Nick's eyebrows shoot up. "You've heard of me?"

I nod.

"Well, shit, that's pretty awesome," Nick says in awe. "A famous actor has heard of me!"

"What the fuck am I?" Parker huffs.

"Oh, you don't count," Nick says dismissively. "I knew you before you were famous."

Parker scowls at his friend. Nick just chuckles and gives him a shove. The last person to greet me is the only black man of the group. He eyes me warily as he reaches out to shake my hand.

"Calvin King," he says.

"Hey, man," I reply.

I don't understand why he is looking at me like that. I brush it off for now.

"Chance, would you like a drink? We have beer, wine, hard liquor?" Charlie asks sweetly.

"I...uh...I don't drink, water is fine," I tell her.

I glance at Parker who is looking at me as if I have two heads. "What?" I sigh.

"Nothing," he says quickly and shakes his head.

Calvin is the one who grabs me a bottle of water. I thank him and take a sip. Even though I’m used to being stared at, I get this weird vibe rolling off him, then catch him watching me. I raise an eyebrow in question. Calvin basically ignores my silent question and turns to talk quietly to Parker. I'm not sure I like this Calvin guy. He seems shady.

Charlie and Delilah put out some appetizers while Calvin orders some pizza. I chat with the girls until the pizza arrives. We all move into the dining room and sit around a large round table so that we can eat. I end up next to Parker since the couples have all sat down together. Nick, Calvin, and Parker are already on their third beers and I can tell that Parker is starting to get a little buzzed. He seems more relaxed and is smiling more than I've ever seen him smile, which certainly helps to take my edge off. He has a really nice smile. His teeth are perfectly straight and white. He has this little dimple at the corner of his mouth, too. Damn, I am way too attracted to this guy.

"How about a little game of Truth or Dare while we eat?" Charlie asks with a mischievous smile. Oh man, Calvin must have his hands full with this girl.

We all agree to play. Parker offers to go first. He turns to me. I roll my eyes. Here we go.

"Truth or dare?" he asks me.

"Truth," I say. No way in hell would I choose dare with him.

"Why don't you drink?"

"Because I don't like alcohol," I say with a shrug.

"Why not?" Parker asks around a mouthful of pizza.

"That's two questions," I tell him with a pointed look.

"Come on, don't be a dick," he huffs.

"I'm not being a dick; you asked me truth or dare, I picked truth, you asked your question, and I answered. Truthfully. Move on."

Nick chuckles. "I like this guy."

"My turn, right?" I ask to no one specific.

"Yep!" Charlie chirps.

I glance around the table. Who do I want to ask truth or dare to? My gaze lands on Delilah. I grin. "Delilah, truth or dare?"

"Hmm...truth," she answers.

"Have you ever kissed a girl before?" I ask.

"Oh, kinky." She giggles. "No, I haven't." She frowns.

Nick gives her an incredulous look. "You say that like it's something you want to do."

She shrugs. "I'd try it."

I laugh as Nick's mouth falls open.

"Who are you?" He gapes at his wife.

Parker chuckles next to me and I can't help but check him out.

"My turn!" Delilah squeals. "Nick, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he says with a cocky smirk.

Her eyes sparkle naughtily. Oh man, he should not have chosen dare.

"I dare you to kiss Calvin on the lips for ten seconds," she says with triumph.

Parker, being the dumbass that he is, took a sip of his beer right before Delilah spoke. So now, after spewing the beer from his mouth, he is now choking. I clap him on the back a couple of times while laughing at him. I take advantage of the moment by leaning in close to whisper in his ear, “I would love to devour your mouth again.”

Parker visibly shivers, and then shakes it off.  He sends me a look, but instead of anger in his eyes, I see...lust?  I take a gulp of my water and adjust the crotch of my pants, hoping nobody notices my now hard cock.  I nonchalantly look back at him and his eyes are focused on my hands, which are still laying on my lap. He’s going to be the death of me.  It takes Calvin’s bellyaching to pull us out of the trance. 

"Wait a minute! Don't I get a say in this?" Calvin squawks, looking horrified.

"Nope!" Charlie giggles. "Just do it, ya big baby!"

Nick turns to his best friend and shrugs. Calvin sighs heavily.

"Who's counting?" Calvin asks, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'll count," Parker offers.

Calvin sends him a death glare. "Don't you dare drag it out, I will take away your Club M membership," he threatens.

Parker gasps. "You wouldn't dare!" I’ve never been to Club M.  I’ve heard of it, but don’t really know much about it. It must be a kickass place for Parker to be upset about not being able to go. I’m going to have to ask him about it later.

"Try me," Calvin grunts then turns toward Nick. "Let’s do this."

Nick chuckles. "Okay. Annnd...go!" Parker shouts.

Nick and Calvin close their eyes and press their lips together. Parker started counting to ten out loud at a somewhat quick pace. Delilah and Charlie are dying laughing, which is making me laugh. Parker yells "Ten!" and they break apart.

"Mmm, Cal, your lips are really soft, my man," Nick says, an amused twinkle in his eye.

The whole table erupts into hysterics. I can barely catch my breath. That is really the best thing I've ever heard.

"Fuck you, asshole." Calvin laughs.

Parker

Everyone is finished eating and the game came to a natural end. We are all sitting around chatting when Charlie suggests that we move to the family room so that we can be more comfortable.  Nick and Delilah snuggle on the love seat, whispering back and forth to each other.  Charlie and Calvin are perpendicular to them, sitting at opposite ends of the sofa with her legs in his lap.  His hands subconsciously find her feet and automatically begin to rub them. Chance and I are sitting in the club seats on the other side of the coffee table, all of us facing each other.

Nick takes a sip of his beer and I see Delilah looking at Charlie, then cocking her head. “Are you allowed to be lying on your back?” she asks Charlie.

“I’m not technically lying on my back. But, yeah, at some point my doctor told me to sleep on my side,” she answers.  I can see on Charlie’s face that her wheels are turning, but she doesn’t say anything else.

“The time frame seems to be different considering which source you are reading,” Delilah retorts, and we are all now looking at her, wondering what’s going on. 

But we are all clueless, except for Charlie, who knows Delilah so well they might as well share a brain.  We are all caught off guard when Charlie suddenly bounces off the couch, stands up and points at Delilah. “Tell me now, sister!” she shouts.

All of us men look at each other as if we are watching a foreign film with no subtitles.  “What the hell is going on?” Calvin barks.

Charlie is still looking at Delilah, but addresses the rest of us morons.  “Would you like to tell everyone, or should I?” she asks mischievously.

Nick lets out a laugh then takes a sip of beer. “She’s got your number, Doll. Might as well share.”

Delilah leans in and gives Nick a kiss then turns to us. “You may or may not have to push your wedding reception back a few more months…”

“I knew it!” Charlie yells then runs – okay, maybe waddles - over to Delilah and tackles – okay, maybe falls on top of – Nick and Delilah then starts kissing her all over her face.

She then leans back and smacks Delilah on the arm. “When were you going to tell me, bitch? How far along are you? When did you find out? Are you drinking a screwdriver?” she starts rapidly firing questions as she attempts to push herself up, but she is unable to, so Calvin and I leap out of our seats to help her up and back to her place on the sofa.

Meanwhile, I hear Chance snickering in the background.  His first experience with my friends, and boy did we give him a show. Then again, anything’s better than my family; that’s one place I will never take him. Doesn’t matter anyway because after this week, I will be nice and civil, but we will not be hanging out socially anymore.

Once everyone settles back down, Delilah fills us in on all of the details.  Apparently, she will be twelve weeks next week, ending her first trimester. She is also, by the way, just drinking orange juice. We all just assumed it was a screwdriver. I guess it kind of is, minus the vodka.

“Do you know the sex?” Chance asks.

“No, you can’t find that out until about twenty weeks,” Delilah answers.

“Oh, okay. Charlie, do you know the sex of your baby?”

“Babies,” Calvin answers for her.

“Well, shit.  I had no idea. Congrats, man. You, too, Charlie. I did think she was kinda big, but...damn.” Chance shakes his head. “You’re gonna have your hands full,” he adds.

“Tell me about it,” Calvin agrees. “But my boys will keep me in shape. Calvin IV and Calvin V,” he announces while rubbing Charlie’s huge belly.

“Like George?” Chance asks out of the blue.

Nick raises his beer in cheers. “Yeah, man,” he agrees with Chance even though nobody else has a clue what he is talking about.  I am starting to feel like every conversation is in code and I don’t have the key to crack it. I mean, I know I am drinking, but I am not stupid drunk.