Megan Hart: Switch

swiped at her hair.

"I'l wait with you until he comes."

"Don't do me any favors," Kira said, then slung her arm

around my shoulder. "Paige. Don't forget what happened."

As if I ever could. "I'l be fine!"

"Don't let your pussy get you into trouble," she continued, warning me off what she'd falen prey to many times

herself. "He made you cry."

"Yeah." I let Austin's gaze catch mine when it turned

toward me and didn't look away. "Wel, he won't make

me cry anymore."

"He'l always make you cry," Kira said. "But go.

Whatever. He's got a magic cock. I get it."

Remembering the times she'd left me stranded so she

could go home with someone she met in a bar, I didn't feel

nearly as bad as she wanted me to. "I'l wait until Tony

gets here."

I could do that, at least.

I could do that, at least.

Going to Austin's place was one thing, driving with him

another. I wasn't going to get in the car with him after he'd

been drinking, for one, and for another, I wasn't going to

be stuck at his house without knowing for sure I'd be able

to get home.

He grinned when I went over to him, but I fended off his

kiss. "I have to wait for Kira to get picked up. I'l meet you

there."

Austin puled me close and nuzzled my neck exactly how

he knew I liked it best. "Just come with me."

"No." I pushed him slightly away. Drunker, I'd have given

in. More sober, I'm sure I'd have gone home alone. Stuck

in this midway point where I wanted to taste him again and

knowing lust is never as pretty the morning after, I shook

my head. "I'l meet you there. Give me the address."

Maybe things were different, after al.

Austin kissed me again, harder, and this time I let him. He

knew just how to do it, where to put his hands and his

tongue and how to bump me with his groin to make my

breath catch in my throat. My nipples throbbed, poking

breath catch in my throat. My nipples throbbed, poking

the silk of my shirt.

"Don't take too long." He stepped back, steady on his feet and not slurring his words. He reached as I turned and at

the last moment, captured my wrist with his fingers. I let

him tug me closer. "You're not going to bail on me, are

you? Like last time?"

Last time I hadn't had Kira to remind me that I'd vowed

never to go to bed with Austin again. Not that it was

stopping me. Last time I'd caled him just after two in the

morning and told him I wanted to come over, but when I

hung up the phone, good reason had won over the desire

for his hands on me. That had been months ago, before I

moved here.

"Are you stil angry about that?"

"I wasn't mad. Just disappointed. Do it again, I'l be mad."

He grinned and dipped his head to kiss me but stopped

short of my lips, just brushing them. "And disappointed."

His blue eyes bore deep into mine, and for half a minute

nothing else mattered. I felt Kira at my elbow, but I didn't

turn to look at her. I looked right into Austin's eyes when I

turn to look at her. I looked right into Austin's eyes when I

replied. "You won't be."

He let me go with another kiss and a nuzzle that sent

shivers marching along every nerve. I found Kira waiting

for me by the door. Oblivious to the crowd buffeting her,

she held her place instead of stepping aside until I showed

up to pul her by the elbow onto the sidewalk.

"You sure you'l be al right?" The chily night air had done a pretty good job of sobering me up, but I wasn't

reconsidering my rendezvous with Austin. At least not yet.

Kira nodded. "Fine."

She didn't look fine, she looked pissed off. I glanced out

onto the street. Lots of cops. No cabs. I'd only turned

away for a few seconds, but when I turned back to face

her, Kira's expression had turned stormy.

"You asshole!" She took a couple of steps forward, her

heel catching on a crack in the sidewalk, and stumbled.

Jack.

With an inward sigh, I went after her. Jack was with the

same woman from earlier and he did his best to ignore

same woman from earlier and he did his best to ignore

Kira. I saw him give his date a pained glance she

answered with a shrug, and they started walking.

"Hey, Jack! Jackass! Don't you walk away from me!"

"C'mon, Kira, don't." I didn't blame him for ignoring her. I was a little less pleased he was also actively ignoring me,

even though I knew it was realy for the best, al around.

"He's not worth it!"

"Fuck you, Jack!" Kira couldn't let it go, apparently.

Jack grimaced and puled his cap from his back pocket.

He put it on, but didn't look at her. We hadn't gone more

than another few steps down the sidewalk when Kira

launched herself at his back.

Jack stumbled forward as she slammed into him, her legs

and arms flying. She didn't actualy manage to hit him more

than once or twice, but the spectators leaped out of the

way of her drunken tornado performance. She was

shrieking insults, mostly stupid and incoherent ones.

Jack gave me an angry look that pissed me off. It wasn't

like I'd told Kira he and I had hooked up or anything. Her

issues with him were his own problem and had nothing to

issues with him were his own problem and had nothing to

do with me. He pushed her off him firmly and grabbed her

arm at the same time so she wouldn't fal. She kept trying

to hit him and missing.

"Stop it," Jack told her and gave her arm a little shake

before letting her go. When she flew at him again she

managed to knock his cap off. I stepped forward, wishing

I'd gone with Austin and left Kira to her theatrics alone.

This was a scene I realy didn't want to see.

"I hope your Prince Albert fucking rips out and you have

to piss through three holes!" Kira screamed.

"Kira, c'mon." I reached for her.

Kira alowed herself to be led away, stil shouting insults.

By the time we got to the parking garage the crowd had

thinned and we had a better shot at hailing a cab. I rubbed

my bare arms and shivered, but Kira had anger as her

cloak and she danced back and forth on the nubbly

pavement, waving her hands and muttering curses.

"He's not worth it," I repeated. "Jesus, Kira. What's wrong with you?"

"He's a jackass," she said sulenly. Her makeup had

smeared, her hair tangled. She needed to be in bed.

Fuck. I wanted to be in bed, and not alone. Yet here I

was, instead, babysitting her while she had a tantrum about

some guy she'd had a crush on a milion years ago but had

never even dated.

I didn't correct her, even though I didn't agree. "You're

drunk. Cal Tony. Go home."

She sniffed and crossed her arms. "Oh, you don't care!

You're going to screw Austin. What difference does it

make to you if my heart is broken?"

I laughed and knew I'd made a mistake by the way her

brows puled low over her smeared eyes. "Your heart's

not broken. You didn't even go out with him. He doesn't

even have the Prince Albert anymore."

She glared at me. I thought suddenly she was maybe way

less wasted than I'd thought. "Did you fuck Jack?"

"It was ages ago."

"You fucked Jack?" Kira's fist clenched at her sides, then

"You fucked Jack?" Kira's fist clenched at her sides, then opened as her shoulders slumped. "I thought you were my

friend!"

"Kira, it was years ago, and you weren't—"

"That doesn't matter!" she cried, and I knew she was right.

"You knew how I felt about him! I loved him!"

I'd never loved him. At least there was that. "I'm sorry."