R   Y   A   N

HOLDING my breathe, heart beating fast, I suddenly have the urge to admit my feelings towards Nate. Maybe it's just the fantasy of the sex dream I had recently, or a stupid crush I never knew I had, but honestly Nate, is everything I could want in a partner. Even Nico is everything I would want, but Nate and I, I guess make more sense.
   All of those nights I felt like rubbish after being beaten up, Nate was the one who comforted me, he was the one who made me feel better and watch any movie I wanted - even if it was the most girliest film ever like Dirty Dancing or Mannequin. He would eat junk food with me and go on long drives just to get away with me. Nate was boyfriend material and I do... I think I do actually like him like that.

"Am I really admitting this?" I think.

"Last guess, remember what I said."

"Na..." I start to say, but I'm scared to finish his name. I try again, opening and closing my mouth to speak, but there's nothing. No words.

"One word Ryan, Nate.... N....AAAATE. It's not hard, just say it," my mind tells me.

I try again, my mouth opening and closing like a fish. Taking a deep breath I finally answer him, "Na... N-Nick Jonas?" I stammer, chickening out at the last minute. I hear him sigh lowly and feel the disappointment in his body as he relaxes his breathe. He lets go, placing both of his hands on my hips, encouraging me to turn and face him.

"You guessed wrong," he says when I turn around. He has a smile on his face, the corner tipped up a little, but his eyes tell me something else. Disappointment? Frustrated?

"I'm not wrong, you're just not who I said you was," I manage to say playfully, encouraging him to smile wider.

He's wearing black jeans with a crisp white t-shirt, his sleeves are black and the neckline is cut into a V showing off his tanned skin underneath. I blush at how good he looks and stare at him in wonder. I watch as he takes every inch of my appearance in, stopping briefly on my exposed bra through the mesh body suit I'm wearing. Two years ago I never would of wore an outfit like this, definitely not in public. It's definitely more revealing than he's use to seeing me in. He quickly connects our eyes, giving me his devilish side grin, exposing only one of his dangerously cute dimples.

"You look beautiful... beautiful," he smiles with a wink.

"You always say that," I roll my eyes at him.

"Well I always mean it, you've blossomed into a beautiful young women Ryan, I wouldn't lie about that," he smiles and I turn my head cringing at his words. Bringing his lips close to me, I hear him whisper, "even when your blushing like crazy, that's when your most beautiful."

Looking down, my cheeks flamed even more from his compliments, I try to change the subject away from me and how beautiful he thinks I am. "So where's my prize?" I say holding out my hand.

"Oh no... you get the prize when you guess right, so far I'm winning and your losing, beautiful."

"But I knew it was you."

"How?" he smirks. I feel him using the pad of his thumb, drawing circles on the skin of my hand and I look down at our joined hands.

"When did he grab my hand?' I think.

I look up, his blue orbs penetrating my marble greens as his stare intensifies on me, he's looking at every inch of my face then focusing on my lips. He does this several times and I notice his body getting closer to me.

"Damn it Nate. I can't tell you it was because I smelled you near me, that's just plain creepy," I think.

"Let's just say, gut feeling?"

"Well you only get a prize when you guess right," he smiles down at me.

"Not even a little hint of what the prize is?" I say. I lean towards him, pouting at him with the best puppy dog eyes I can do. He looks down at me, hooded eyes with a look I've seen before, but only in the dream I had.

"Am I flirting? Like for real flirting?" I think.

I always flirted with him before, but this is me... actual real flirting, trying to get him to notice me. I never flirt. I didn't even think I knew how to.

"Not till you guess right..." he says whispering in my ear. I'm surprised I even hear a word of what he says over the music and I can't help the butterflies in my stomach from the tone in his voice. He steps away from me towards the bar and holds his hand up, getting the attention of the bartender. Dropping my hand I wince from the lost of connect of our hands, I already miss his warmth, "what're you drinking beautiful?"

"If I say dark rum and coke will you buy me one?" I say stepping next to him, he smiles and turns to the girl who just finished making all those drinks for the guy standing next to me.

"Whiskey on the rocks with a dash of coke, one beer, vodka martini and..." he pauses looking at me with a smirk, "and a coke."

"Meany." I say.

"Sure thing," the tender says.

"Gimme two tequila shots too," he says.

"Five drinks huh? Thirsty much?" I giggle.

"Giggling? Really Ryan? Giggling like a school girl? Oh girl you sound so stupid," my mind tells me.

"Nic is upstairs in the VIP section with... a friend."

"Nico's here?" I say.

"Here you go Mr Greyson," the bartender says placing the drinks along with two shot glasses of golden liquid and a slice of lemon on each glass. She reaches down behind the bar and then places a salt shaker down on the bar with a smile.

"Thank you," he says paying for the drinks. "Ever had tequila before?"

"Nope."

"Here... gimme your hand," he says. Placing my hand in hi,  he turns it to the side looking into my eyes as he pulls it towards his mouth and slowly licks the space between my thumb and wrist. His eyes never break eye contact with me as he does. Sucking in a breath, I try to calm myself, closely watching his lips on my skin. When my skin is wet enough he pulls back and picks up the salt, shaking some on the wet patch while grinning. "Don't tell anyone."

"Pinky swear."

"Lick the salt, shoot the shot , suck the lemon," he says.

He watches as I lick the grains of salt, never taking his eyes off me. I quickly pick up the shot glass, taking the lemon off the top then downing the golden liquid in one, making sure not to have it last in my mouth for too long. The burning sensation of the alcohol burns my throat and I wince from the disgusting taste of the tequila, quickly placing the lemon in my mouth. When I pull the lemon from my lips, holding it in my hand, I watch Nate prepare his shot. He licks his hand placing the salt there and then picking up his own shot glass. The lemon that was placed on top of his falls on the floor, but he drinks the contents away in one, grabbing the lemon I just had in my mouth that is between my fingers and sucks on the rest of it.

"That's my lemon," I say, but he grins his devilish smile, showing me his dimples. He really does have cute dimples. Slowly, he pick's the lemon from his mouth, sucks the rest of the juices off the slice and holds it in front of me.

"You can have back."

"Ewww no!" I say swiping his hand away, he smiles and holds up the shot glass waving it at the bartender. She nods and prepares another two shots.

"Round two?" He says.

"Hit me."

Just like before, as she places the shot glasses down, he grabs my hand, slowly licking the corner. My lips part, my breathing quickened as I watch the tip of his tongue trail a line on my skin, he pauses looking up at me, but this time he brings his lips down, closing over my skin. He lightly bites down, sucking it a little, leaving a bigger wet patch then before. I can feel his tongue twirling on my skin and a throb hums between my legs, wondering what his tongue would feel like against mine. When he stops and pulls away, I whimper, grateful for the loud music around us. Nate picks up the salt and shakes the contents, making sure to not stop staring at me while he does.
Once he's done, I lick the salt, grab the shot, holding the lemon in my hand and downing the shot in one, putting the lemon in my mouth again. The second shot was easier to stomach then the first and I all of a sudden feel brave. Like something inside me has taken over. Moving the sour fruit to the side of my mouth, I pull his hand towards my lips, but then I feel that shyness creep up as I quickly lick his skin as quick as I can. I see him grin as I shake the salt on his tanned skin, and he steps closer towards me. He licks off the salt, not breaking eye contact with me, before grabbing the lemon on top of his glass and backing the shot in one. Only, he doesn't place the lemon slice in his mouth. I remove mine from my trapped lips, holding it in place and say.

"You forgot your lemon."

"I'll take yours again," he says with a shrug.

Locking his fingers around my wrist, he cups his lips over my fingers and sucking the juices off my skin, lifting the lemon from my hand completely. He smiles looking down on me licking his lips as he devours the juices from the sour fruit. My eyes are wide like saucers as I watch him curiously. Is this him... us, flirting with each other or am I going crazy?

"There you are!" I hear over the loud music as I turn to see Sophie and Matt walking towards us. I shuffle backwards, creating distance between Nate and I, but I already know I'm blushing from the interactions we've just shared. Not to mention that Matt can always read me like a book and can sense sexual energy from a mile off.

"Nathan!" Sophie says stepping towards him in surprise.

"Sophie. You look good, you changed your hair," Nate says kissing her on the cheek. He takes Matt's hand, shaking it, but Matt is too busy looking at me with a side grin.

"Not too bad yourself, as always. We wondered where our girl was," Sophie says smiling.

"Trust her to always find a sex god," Matt says. Nate's eyebrows raise with a puzzled look. With two shots of tequila in me and on a empty stomach, plus the lasting feeling of being brave I tell him what Matt means.

"You and your brothers are sex gods," I smile.

"Shit, did I just drink truth serum?" I think.

"Hey! Our secret!" Matt smiles.

"Then talk quieter, but I just wanna add..." I say pointing my finger, "your nickname for them, not mine."

"What's your nicknames for us then," Nate asks with a nod, leaning in.

"Nate, Nico and Noah... can't really shorten his name though. I mean, I could call him No, or Ah or maybe Oa?" I say rambling on and he nods with a grin. There a slight look of disappointment on his face and after a few passing seconds, he asks Sophie and Matt what they are drinking. He orders Sophie a lemonade and Matt a coke, asking the bartender for a tray before placing the drinks he ordered for him and Nico on it.

"Well..." Matt says turning around pointing with his drink in hand, "we lost our table looking for you."

"Not my fault," I say looking at Nate.

"Not mine either, come on..." he says taking the tray, "come sit with us upstairs."

"We don't want to bother you guys, we can fin-"

"Your never a bother, beautiful. This way," Nate says ignoring my protest.

We follow Nate through the crowd, zigging and zagging through people dancing to the loud music playing. Before we reach the far corner of the room where the stairs are that will take us to the second floor I feel a tug on my arm. When I turn around Matt is pulling me back a little.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"At the bar Ryan, what was you and Nathan doing?" He says with a cheeky grin.

"He bought some shots of tequila and we did them at the bar, no biggie."

"No biggie Ryan? He licked your hand, like, seductively licked and sucked your hand and then, you shared a lemon with him. The same freaking lemon! And you did the same back! I mean I'm horny from just watching the two of you, that was fucking hot as hell Ryan," he says at me with a devilish smirk.

"Get lost Matt," I laugh walking up the stairs.

When we reach the top, I see Nate walking in front of Sophie holding the drinks tray, he places it down in front of a booth and places the glasses off the tray on to the table, taking the beer for himself. Sophie pops her head round the booth and I see Nico stand to hug Sophie. Matt hurry's in front of me and shakes hands with him.
He is wearing black jeans like Nate, but wearing a red t-shirt with black long sleeves rolled up to his elbows, there's buttons near his neck that are undone showing off the tattoos he has on his chest. His muscles are heavenly defined in his top and I bite my lip thinking about the ripples of his abs. I see him introducing them to a brown haired women with caramel skin in a green dress, probably in her late twenties at a guess. She smiles back at them as she shakes their hands and I'm grateful that this women seems friendlier than the blonde from the party Saturday.

"Where's...?" Nico says, but stops when he locks eyes with me. He walks forward, like a lion to a lamb as his legs stride towards me. His eyes travel up and down my body and I notice he licks his lower lip. When he stops in front of me he grabs my hand and makes me spin round once for him, then pulling me in for a hug. "You look..."

"Beautiful... I know, Nate already told me so," I say into his ear.

Pulling away from me, he smiles as his eyes rake over my face, "I was actually going to say, you look fucking gorgeous... your already beautiful princess," he smiles even bigger. When I look over his shoulder Nate stares at the both of us, there's a small smile across his lips, but he looks away when Sophie starts to talk to him.

"Nicky?" The brown haired women says. He turns around, his hand in mine and leads me forward towards her.

"Ryan this is Melanie... this is Ryan."

"Hi," She says as she comes forward with open arms, she hugs me with a warmth, even squeezing me a little and I know she's definitely nicer than the blonde. "Nicholas and Nathan speak about you all the time, I feel like I already know you," she says smiling.

"Wish I could say the same," I smile. Melanie grabs my hand and leads me to the booth where Matthew has already made himself comfortable. I sit down next to him, still holding her hand as she sits next to me smiling.

"Us meeting has been a long time coming," she smiles and I'm not sure how to respond, I don't even know how long they've known this women for. "So Nicolas tells me your at NYU?" She asks.

"Was," Nico says grabbing his tumbler glass.

"Was?"

"I'm taking a gap year, rethinking my options," I tell her.

"I did that after my first year, I started out in screenplay then I realised a passion I had in high school wasn't really for me as I grew up. Changed majors and now I'm a interior designer," she smiles.

"So she's a designer, maybe that's why she's here, a business meeting?" I think.

I know Tuesdays and Fridays they both have their date night, but I guess this is more of a night out kind of Tuesday rather than them both being out on dates. I found it weird they scheduled their dates on the same two nights of the week, but I know how really busy they are at their company so it did make sense.

"So you made the right choice?" I ask.

"Totally! My year off made me realise what I wanted and I would do it all over again if I could," she smiles.

"See! Success story," I say looking at Nico as he scolds at me and takes a sip of his drink. I still don't get why this is such a big deal to the Greyson boys, but it's what I want and way too late to change my mind.

"Doesn't mean the same thing will happen for you?"

"I'm sensing some disappointment?" Melanie asks towards Nico.

"You could say that," I say, sighing. Downing the rest of the coke in my glass, I stand up, walking towards the top of the stairs. "I'm going to go dance."

"I'm coming," Melanie says with Sophie following.

On the dance floor I dance with Sophie and my new favourite person, Melanie. With her beginning close to the brothers, I wondered if she could help them see that I was making the right decision. It was one thing that my Mum didn't like it, but I still wanted the approval of both Nate and Nico that it was okay I wasn't going back next semester.
Out of the both of them, Nico seemed the most disappointed. Probably because he helped me more than anyone when it came to my application and college essay. He was good with those sorts of things, but I just wanted him to understand that I wanted something else, something different, I wanted... something more.
After dancing to a few songs I gesture to the girls I'm getting a drink and head to the bar. I see the male bartender still talking to the girl in the white dress and roll my eyes feeling sorry for the other girl serving everyone else while he tries to get laid. He's been talking to her for at least the last hour or so.

"Ryan?" I hear my name from behind me and I know that I'm about to have a conversation I don't really want.

"Nico," I say, my head cocked to the side and my hands on my hips.

"I only want what's best for you Ryan, dropping out of college is the worse-"

"I'm not dropping out, I told you, I'm going back next year. Now can we drop it, please?" I huff.

"Will you though?" He questions.

"Of course! That's my plan Nico, why would I throw away the chance of going to college? I just haven't made the right choice and want to go in a different direct is all."

"What direction?" He says stepping next to me.

"I don't know Nico that's why I'm taking the year out," I say with too much sarcasm. I feel him next to me up close, he leans down and whispers into my ear.

"You've developed a smart mouth while you've been away Ryan," he says darkly, "and I really don't like it."

"If you don't like it, what are you going to do about it?" I say confidently.

I have never back chatted Nico in his dominate stance before. He has never scared me, never even made me think twice of what he'd do if I challenged him in a disagreement, but the alcohol in my system is egging me on to push his buttons. I'm being a total brat, but I don't know how many more times I can tell these boys that I'm planning on reenrolling to college next year. I promised myself I would go back.

"Wouldn't you like to know what I could do to you and that smart mouth Ryan?" He says. I bite my bottom lip from nerves, what does he mean? Now I kind of want to know what he'll do to me. What was that saying again? "Curiosity killed the cat?" Well I definitely am curious. I turn my head looking at him, my lower lip still trapped between my teeth, he smiles and pulls my lip from the grasps of my teeth tracing the outline with his thumb. The memories of how my first kissed happened in this exact way floods my memory and I turn in embarrassment. "Ryan?" He whispers close to my ear.

"Last time you did that we-" I say but, I stop myself from finishing, I was scared to and even though I only had two shots in my system, the effects of the alcohol is still making me feel brave. But if I looked at him, I was afraid by what I might do, never mind what he might do.

"Kissed... we kissed, princess," he says in my ear, lips brushing my skin.

"Yeah," I whisper. I look down, still not making my eye contact with him. He closes in on me, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. I can't read his blue orbs, but I know the memory of that kiss is burned into my memory like it was yesterday and I crave his lips on me again. His lips hover over mine, dangerously close to devouring me and damn it, I want him too.

"Was an amazing kiss Ryan, haven't had another the same since. I think about it a lot," he grins.

"Shots?" Nate says appearing from nowhere and standing on the other side of me. I pull away from Nico and take a deep breathe, clearing all thoughts of the kiss away two years ago. But most importantly, the thought of wanting those lips on me again. Thirty minutes ago I wanted Nate's lips in a sheering kiss, but now I want Nico's.

"She's not allowed Nat," Nico says straightening up.

"She's turning twenty one in a few months, she can have one."

"Or three," I smile towards him, he grins and shushes me with his finger over his lips before waving to the bartender to take our order.

"Fine, but just one... one Ryan and that's it," Nico says.

"One. And that's it," I nod and wink at Nate.

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TWO hours later... and about eight shots later behind Nico's back, we head outside to leave, heading home. As soon as I leave the club the air hits me and I stumble to keep myself up. Normally when I drink I stick to a few glasses of wine or beer, even a few glasses of rum and coke or vodka and cranberry juice, but shots are clearly my kryptonite.

"Ryan!" Sophie says giggling, trying to hold me up.

"I'm dine, I'm dine," I say giggling.

"You guys go, we can take her home," Nico says wrapping his arm around my waist, holding me straight so I can walk. "C'mon princess, wrap your arm around me."

"I said I'm dine," I giggle.

"And I say your not, cooperate please," Nico's stern voice echos in my ear.

"Okay... bye Ryan, I'll call you tomorrow," I hear Sophie say and kind of see Matthew wave at me.

"Nah, I go dem," I say.

"Go dem? I don't think so Ryan," Nico says annoyed.

"You drink too, I'm go in car while Nico's drive... I'm going - not go in Nico -" I try to say, but the words come out jumbled and not making sense.

"I've had one drink Ryan, I can drive," his voice stern, "get in the back with Nathan," he says when we reach their car. As I slide in, the door closes behind me and I hear Nico moan to Nate about the state I'm in. "Your in deep fucking shit Nat, getting her like this!" I hear him say through clenched teeth. In the back seat of the car I feel Nate sliding up to my side, making me lay my head on his shoulder, Nico is in front with Melanie and I pass out half way home.

"I wanted never doing drunking again" I say flopping my head forward.

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WAKING up with a splitting headache I look around the room I'm in and a wave of confusion makes me sit up right. Next to the bed is a clock that reads 01:33, it's late but, not too late. I remembered leaving the club and I remember leaning on Nate in the backseat, although, I don't remember anything else. All I know is I'm not in my bed or my house, but I instantly recognise the room.
The room, with a four poster bed with white mesh curtains draped along the banister, a wall mounted TV, a large dresser and fitted wardrobe. It's Nico and Nate's spare room. Looking down my body I see that my skirt and trainers have been removed and I'm still in my black mesh body suit, my bra still on and very uncomfortable to sleep in. I look around the room looking for my skirt and see it sitting on a chair in the far corner.
I pick up the glass of water next to the clock and devour the entire glass in one and getting out of bed once I've set it back down. I hear steps from the room above me and wonder if one of the boys are still up. Grabbing my skirt and sliding my legs through the hole, I pick up my small bag before I exit the bedroom in search of one of them.
I'm not sure why, but maybe to say sorry for getting drunk? Sorry for making a fool of myself? Just anything to take away the embarrassment I felt of tonight's events.
I climb the stairs to the next floor, looking for the owner of the steps I heard. Suddenly I hear moans. Moans of a women and then I remembered that Melanie was in the car with us when we drove home. Are they coming from her? But which of the brothers is with her? Again curiosity is getting the better of me and I continue to climb the stairs, following the sounds of the moans coming from the room above the spare room. There's a crack of light that escapes into the hallway and I tiptoe towards the cracked door, peering inside with wonder.

Nothing could prepare me for what my eyes were about to witness.

*word count - 3828*

💙💙💙💙💙
The sexual tension people!
The... sexual... tension...
😂😂😂

Tequila is actually one drink I stay away from (that & Jack Daniels) even the memory of the taste makes me gag (bad pass experience 😂)
so good on them for stomaching it but it can turn into a bit
of a sexy drink. 😜

What do you think she sees?

Did you like this chapter?
It was difficult to write, I always find club & bar chapters hard to write
but I hope you enjoyed it... plus all the flirting.

Please leave me a comment, letting me know what you think &
don't forget to vote!
Stay safe.
CeeCee
xoxo
💙💙💙💙💙