ASHER

THEY SAY KISSING A SMOKER IS LIKE LICKING AN ASHTRAY.

It didn't feel like that when I was kissing Riley. She wasn't smoking before we kissed. Her mouth wasn't ashy or acidic. She doesn't smoke often and I mean going through a pack of cigarettes in one day. Does she? I'm acting like I know. I've only seen an ashtray in the studio when she was painting.

What I'm trying to say is the kiss was fantastic and I'm still thinking about it when she leaves.

Her mouth was minty and her lips were soft. Her tongue is magnetic and her skin? God. Her skin is smooth and velvety. I want to run my fingers over every fiber of her being. I don't know how I make it back to the red couch where everyone is gathered boner free.

She's sitting between Tyler and Cole. Her friends are holding shot glasses in their hands like they all took a shot before I walked out. They're talking about the flavor of the tobacco coming from the pipes. Cole says it's cherry. I'm someplace between Rhett and Eric on another couch on the other side of the table. A party's at our area of the lounge. It's nine of us.

Bottles of alcohol are decked out on the table with cups but I'm not drinking tonight. If I'm going to drink though, I'm having two drinks and nothing more. I have to drive and I have to pick up my son tomorrow and have him torment the guys all weekend before he goes back home. I miss his little face. That's the thing with having a kid. You think about the child all the time.

So I've never found smoking in general attractive until now.

I'm captivated by the smoke swirling around Riley's nose and the air floating in her orbit. The smell dances around all of us and I'm sure it is cherry like Cole said. She's a work of art behind the fog. Her arms are covered with the sleeves of her dress that looks like it was custom made. Her chest area is exposed which is a tease. Her nipples aren't showing or anything. She's small chested but I honestly kinda like it. Attractiveness blossoms from her just showing off that part of skin because she's expressing herself with the clothes she's wearing. I've concluded that she doesn't care about the fact that doesn't have big boobs, she's confident in her own body and that... that is what's fucking hot.

She looks like she's having a good time too. I know she feels my stares, for a moment she ignores it but I think it's overwhelming so she averts her eyes to me. I don't break eye contact so she playfully sticks up her middle finger, swiping it down her cheek. The others can't see what she's doing but I can. It's subtle but I catch it.

I laugh quietly. I can't get over how gorgeous this girl is. I call her pretty girl for a reason. Tyler was right in what he said at the bar that one time. I'm fucked. It's hard not to stare at her. I can't stop thinking about how her lips felt and how her body synced with mine.

I want to kiss her. Again.

"The hell are you laughing about?" asks Eric and my focus tears away from my teammate's sister. But not without Eric noticing because then he questions, "You like her?"

"Yeah." I'm not going to beat around the bush. It's a yes or no question. It's either I like her or I don't. And I like her.

Am I still getting to know her? I am. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far.

"Cole's going to kill you man." Eric chuckles, slapping hand on my shoulder.

Is he? Nothing much happened so there's nothing to tell Cole. It's not like I'm going to walk up to him and say hey man, fantasized about your sister and I finally kissed her. It's not enough information to share. He did sound like he wanted us to stay clear of his sister and I get it. Every brother has that protective mode that on switch when it comes to family.

I personally don't think he'd be mad at it even if he was to find out. At the end of the day, he knows he can't tell anyone how to live their lives. I'm not the worst hockey player on the planet. Cole knows me. Out of all the guys, Cole and I are the closest. This doesn't mean we tell each other everything. Maybe I do owe it to him... telling him that I like his sister but I'm not pushing those surfaces yet when Riley is just having fun. I don't know where her head is at. This isn't that serious right now. Whenever we get to that bridge, we'll cross it. For now, things are relaxed.

Tyler's voice rings out. "So, Riley, you and Cole grew up in Detroit." He states it as a fact. Which it is.

He's trying to start a conversation. She catches his efforts and nods her head. "Yup. On Lodge Drive. It's a cool thirty minutes from here." She breathes out more smoke into the air. I'm jealous of the gray fog that's allowed in her orbit caressing her face.

Tyler stretches his hand behind the couch and punches Cole on the shoulder. "And Cole barely goes home. Do you go home often?"

"Dude." Cole shrugs his hand off.

All eyes turn to Riley. I'm trying to see if her features twist in discomfort but I don't see much when there's fog still floating. "No. Not really." Her answer is short and straight to the point. Voice unwavering.

"How far is Lodge Drive from Northville?"Tyler's asking me the question. I know because looking at me now. Plus I'm the only one who grew up in Northville that I know of. "You guys are the only ones who grew up here. I'd kill to go see my folks."

How should I know how far Lodge Drive is? Tyler's asking me like I walk with a GPS on my forehead. "About forty minutes I think." I estimate, because I really can't give an exact amount. "Dunno."

"The rest of us are from Florida. I'm from a place called Amelia Island. Surf shops, the beach, a cool little place." When I first met Tyler in freshman year, he had tan lines and wore sandals all over campus. He's chill now and fits perfectly into the weather and the type of clothes people wear around here. He still wears the Floridian looks he did back then when summer comes around. It's just his distinguished style and charm nobody can hate on. You'd think Floridans complained about the cold often and couldn't stand a chance here in Michigan but Tyler thrives in it.

"You're giving surfer boy vibes right now,"Riley points out. "You traded the sunshine for snow? No one ever does that."

"Change of scenery. Love of hockey. Gotta get out there, you know?"

The fog vanishes and I see Riley's eyes gleam. "Yeah."

Rhett isn't letting Tyler have it though, so he chimes in. "Speak for yourself Tyler. Some of us grew up in London."

"And lost your accent." Tyler counters.

"Thank God I still have my blond hair." He sweeps a hand through his signature blond hair. "My accent is still there, just not as in your face as it was before. You adapt like a chameleon when you come to America."

I've never thought much about Rhett's accent or focused much on it because the way I see it, we also have an accent whether we know or not. If I jet off somewhere else, I'll be called 'the American' just by the way I speak.

This catches Riley's friend Mattie's attention. "What do they call some foods? I know we have different names. Must've been confusing when you first moved."

I thought he'd go with the pants and trousers one. Instead, Rhett rubs a hand over his face. "For example, we say porridge right? You guys say oatmeal."

Kianna bites back a laugh. "That's America for you."

Sutton leans on the side of the couch, she needs to know more. "What's another one?"

"Let me think. You guys say cilantro and we say coriander. I had to learn everything all over again." Rhett supplies with a sigh as if he's reliving the torture.

"What about zucchini?" Mattie's chirpy voice slices through the air.

"Courgette."

"Oh damn." Riley chuckles and then a cough flies out of her throat. "What's one that you were shocked to find out?"

The girls are fascinated by Rhett. The blond British guy. There's something about being British that attaches Americans and it's happening right in front of me as I'm watching the girls react to Rhett. It makes me think they'd love to hear him say bloody hell or bloody brilliant.

The first step to getting an American girl to fall in love with you is to be British. That's it. Right now Rhett is winning.

"Ice lollies aren't called ice lollies here. I was gutted." Rhett throws a hand to his chest. "Everything is different."

"I know. It's called a popsicle here." Sutton shakes her head. "Isn't ice lolly more fitting? Ice lollipop. I don't know. Sounds better to me."

Riley nods in agreement. "Oh, yup cause you lick it like a lollipop. So ice lolly."

"That's what I said." Rhett begins and doesn't get to say anything else because we all burst out in laughter.

Can't believe we're seeing popsicles as something funny but that's what happens when there's a bunch of college kids at a hookah lounge. We laugh at dumb shit.

When our laughter dies down, Rhett adds. "I'll let you guys get away with cotton candy. We say candy floss."

I'm practically seeing the question marks over Riley's head. "Candy floss?"

"Don't ask how." Cole clears his throat. "None of us know."

The next couple of minutes are spent relaxing and talking about the most random things. I had no idea my friends could blend with Riley's this well. Somehow it feels like all nine of us have known each other for years.

"So, Tyler I wanna know something," Riley throws back a shot and shakes visibly when the liquid climbs down her throat. Her mission is to be high or drunk or both. "Okay. So. When I came to the house because I was babysitting Tommy... you were all like good luck with that. What did you mean?"

Tyler takes a swig. "I've been around the kid long enough. He might've liked you enough to behave is all I'm going to say."

"You remember when he shoved a finger up your nose?" I ask Cole who shudders at the memory.

"I don't wanna relive it man. He did get boogers for sure." Cole says.

Eric throws his head back in laughter.

One of Riley's friends, Mattie hangs her hand out. "We're going to dance."

Riley slips her hand into her friend's and stands up. "Can you guys watch our stuff?"

"Yeah, of course. You don't need to ask." Cole tells her. "You two going?" He asks Sutton and Kianna.

Looks like all four girls are dancing. I watch them shuffle past a few people and find a spot where they're comfortable. There's no dance floor so everyone is just doing their own thing to the music that's blasting. Luckily, the girls aren't out of sight so I'm seeing them perfectly clear.

My heart races in my chest when I see Riley moving her waist to the melody. Her hips have a seductive twist to them as she turns to the vibe of the song. As if I'm not being tortured enough, Pony by Ginuwine comes on. Riley's dark hair flips over her shoulders and her eyes find mine through the crowd. My cock twitches off that alone. I know her friends are dancing too and I'm sure they're great but my eyes are filled with the girl in the black dress and glimmering eyes. I know she's going to put on a show, there's mischief gleaming in her eyes.

Have I mentioned that I'm fucked?

But I can't look away. I watch when she's feeling the music, and how she whips her hair and rolls her right hip. She moves effortlessly and I'm starting to wonder if there's a choreography that she'd learned since the song was old now or she's making this up as she goes. I can't tell. Either way, it's impressive. Each time she goes low, and parts her legs or shakes her ass, it leaves me stunned. She's got incredible knees.

My dick swells in my clothes and I try to cover it with my hands. Instead of watching the rest of her performance, I force myself to look away and catch upon whatever my friends are talking about. If I continued to watch her, it'll kill me. Call me a pussy.

I know she noticed and she knows that she won.