I felt my body begin to tighten and my legs shook. “I’m going to come,” I warned, my back arching against the wall. “Oh God,” I moaned. “Ezra!” I cried out his name loud enough that people nearby probably heard.

His tongue swiped against me one last time and he lowered my legs to the ground. He kept ahold of me as he stood, and brushed the dirt and gravel off of his pants with his free hand.

“Fuck you taste amazing,” he growled, turning me on all over again. He swiped his thumb over his bottom lip and sucked it into his mouth. Damn him. My body was coiled tight with the need to sink myself down onto him, but I knew he wouldn’t allow that.

I leaned up and kissed him, the taste of me lingering on his lips. “I think that’s the hottest thing anyone has ever done to me.”

“Go down on you in an alley?” He questioned, raising one dark brow.

“When you put it that way it sounds gross, but it was…incredible.” I grabbed onto his shirt, my body leaning heavily against his. He wrapped an arm around me and started leading me towards the door we’d come through.

“I’m glad you thought so…it was equally as pleasurable for me.”

“But you didn’t get off,” I whispered, like it was some sort of secret.

He grinned down at me. “Giving pleasure can be as good as receiving, and that,” he nodded behind us at the alley, “was fucking amazing.”

I bit my lip, wishing desperately that we were anywhere but here right now so that I could make love to him the way I wanted.

Whoa, no.

Not make love.

We didn’t do that.

We fucked.

Because we were friends with benefits.

And that was it.

Ezra held my hand through the darkened hallway, but once we reached the main room he let go.

We found the table and all our friends, who looked grumpy and irritable.

“Where have you been?” Emma asked, her eyes were filled with worry, but her words were laced with anger. “We’ve been looking for you guys for forever.”

“We were dancing,” Ezra replied. I didn’t know how he appeared so at ease after what we did. My body was still shaking with after shocks.

“We checked the dance floor five times,” she argued.

“Must have missed us.” Ezra shrugged indifferently. “Are you guys ready to go?”

“Dude, what the fuck is on your jeans?” Maddox sputtered, eyeing all the dirt and gravel still stuck to Ezra’s jeans.

Ezra looked down and shrugged again. “Huh? That’s curious.”

“Curious,” Emma shook her head, “y’all think we’re so dumb.” She muttered something to herself and then glared at us both. “Why don’t you both do us all a favor and admit you’re madly in love and fucking like rabbits behind our backs? Okay?”

Before either of us could protest she was out of the booth and hurrying towards the exit.

Maddox smiled apologetically and hurried after her.

Ezra let out a hefty sigh and mused his hair. “Well, I guess that’s our cue to leave.”

Hayes and Arden slid from the booth and we all headed towards the exit.

The ride home was completely silent and I knew Emma was beyond irritated. I hated having my best friend mad at me, especially when I knew it was my fault because I wasn’t being honest with her. But I couldn’t tell her, not yet at least. She’d get her hopes up that things would work out with Ezra and I, and we’d ride off into the sunset on the back of a white horse.

Or worse…

She’d tell me I was crazy and that I’d ruined everything. That by doing this I was not only going to break my own heart, but lose Ezra in the process.

Not just as a lover.

But as my best friend too.

“I DIDN’T EVEN drink that much and I’ve already thrown up three times this morning.” Emma groaned beside me, a book propped on her knees. For now at least, she seemed to have forgotten her irritation with me. “I think this is my first official hangover, though. Does that make me an adult now?” She laughed.

I rolled over onto my stomach so that the sun could tan my back. “You barely had enough to drink to have a real hangover, so no you have not been inducted into adulthood. Secondly, if you’re so hung over how are you reading?”

She sighed, turning the page. “It doesn’t make me as nauseous as looking at the ocean does.” She lowered her book and eyed the ocean, as if testing herself. She gagged and mumbled, “No,” before returning to her book.

I pillowed my head on my arms and closed my eyes. It was our last day at the beach. Tomorrow morning we were flying home, and I knew everything was going to change once we got there. So to say I felt a little melancholy at the thought of leaving was the understatement of the century. I was downright sick and it had nothing to do with the two drinks I had last night.

“Hey, I brought you some water,” Maddox said, sinking down into the sand beside Emma.

“I love you.” She took the bottle of water from him and gulped it greedily.

“Here’s one for you too.”

I lifted my head to see that he was leaning around Emma and offering me a bottle.

“Oh, thanks.” I took it. The cool water soothed my dry throat.

Instead of lying back down I stayed sitting, watching Hayes and Ezra fight over a soccer ball down on the beach.

I couldn’t help smiling at the way they bickered over the ball, pushing each other out of the way—but all the while laughing.

I stood up and slipped my flip-flops on.

“Where are you going?” Emma asked.

“To play.”

I grinned and ran towards the guys. They didn’t see me coming and I jumped on Ezra’s back. He grunted from the surprise attack, but quickly held the back of my knees so I didn’t fall.

I knew Emma would probably try to make something out of this, but I’d been doing things like this with Ezra long before we started having sex, because he was one of my best friends. I’d lost sight of that fact the last few weeks. I knew when our arrangement came to an end it might also destroy our friendship, so selfishly—even if it was only for right now—I wanted to forget all about the sex and remember why it was that we were friends to begin with.

“How do you expect me to play with you hanging off my back?” He jested, glancing over his shoulder with a half smile.

“I don’t. I wanted Hayes to beat you.”

Hayes grinned and pointed a finger at me, while kicking the ball back and forth. “That’s my girl!”

Ezra let out a growl and I poked him in the ribs so he would stop.

“Actually,” I dropped off Ezra’s back, “I wanted to join you.”

“Sure,” Hayes nodded. “As long as you’re okay with losing.”

I grinned widely. “I never lose.”

Before he could blink I stole the ball from him and started running up the beach, kicking the ball as I went.

“Get her!” I heard Hayes bellow, which only made me laugh harder.

I made it a few more feet when an arm collided with my middle and I was jerked against a chest.

I kicked my legs wildly as Hayes dragged me into the ocean.

“Let me go!” I laughed, fighting against his hold.

On the beach Ezra laughed hysterically.

“Nope. Cheaters have to get punished.”

I had a three second warning before he plunged me into the water. Luckily none got up my nose, but he was going to pay for that.

Hayes was a hell of a lot taller than me, but I grabbed onto his arm and pulled, dragging him deeper into the water.

“Westbrook, you’re like a fucking piranha.” He laughed, letting me drag him. I say letting, because we all knew he was strong enough to escape my hold.

“I do have sharp teeth.” I flashed him a menacing smile. Well, as menacing as I could muster.

“I’m terrified.” He pretended to shake.

I let him go and started to swim back to shore. “By the way,” I called to him, “I’m not a piranha, I’m a siren, and you’ve just been led to your death.” I began to cackle as evilly as I could, but I knew it sounded pathetic. I didn’t care though, because this was the most fun I’d had in a long time.