Behind the Shadows of Deception-Chapter 6
By the time they actually prepared to play cards a whole hour had passed. In fact, Mya had to go upstairs two times to see what was keeping JC. He’d gotten caught up in making the drinks from scratch with strawberries, pineapples, lots of ice, a burst of rum, and a blender. Once he finished, he joined her in the basement. And to her surprise, it was so delicious that she had seconds and was just starting on her third.
"I guess you like it." JC snickered.
"I do." She sipped the drinks contents greedily. "If your career ever goes down the drain, though I doubt it will, you should become a bartender."
"Really?"
"Mmm hmm...wait, why aren’t you drinking one?" She eyed him suspiciously, setting her glass down on the small card table. "Have you put something in it that I don’t know about?"
"No. I’m..." He tilted the bottle slightly, "I’m fine with regular beer."
"Oh." Mya left her glass where it sat. "Pass me the cards." JC handed her the deck. She shuffled the cards effortlessly, once, twice, rearranging them as if she worked in the casino for a living.
"Mya how many times have you been to Vegas?"
"Lots of times." She slapped the cards on the table to align the deck. "Why?"
"Been to the casino?"
"All the time." Mya flashed a smile before lowering her head to sip her drink. "We gonna play a little different then the casinos though." She bit her lip lower lip, leisurely stirring her straw in the glass.
"Oh how?" JC found himself grinning, and grinning hard. He sensed that she was thinking of something out of the ordinary.
"I don't want your money, I don't need it."
"Then...what are we playing for?"
"My first winning hand you take off ya shirt and so on..."
"What Mya?!" Now he knew she wasn’t lying when she said she liked to shock the hell out of people.
Mya giggled at his wide-eyed expression. "Kidding, kidding. Damn, you can't take a joke. Do you really think I would take off my shirt for you?"
"Well I..." He shook his head, " Give me your drink. You’ve had enough." JC reached for her glass and she leaned away from him.
"Nooo." Mya whined, moving further away from the table despite the fact that her chair was leaning on only two legs instead of four.
"Mya."
"Leave me alone JC. You just mad cuz I won't strip for you." She slurred for his benefit, balancing on the two legs of the chair.
"I admit Mya you’re very cute," He paused, then quickly stood up, "like this but-" JC jumped forward and tried to retrieve the drink from her grasp but she moved back again and he lost his balance, stumbling into her.
"JC!" Mya shrieked, trying to regain her balance as her chair wobbled. She swayed her arms forward helplessly, reaching to grab onto something, anything. Unfortunately, the chair fell back with her in it.
JC watched the chair hit the floor. Mya rolled away from it and stretched out across the floor. A few seconds later he heard a sound and her body was shaking. Strangely enough, she was laughing.
Mya sat up holding her stomach as she laughed heartily. "I had too many drinks JC." At least she was aware.
"Yeah I know." Walking over, he kneeled beside her. "You okay?" He asked softly.
Mya nodded, swaying a little. He figured she was either dizzy or drunk. He chose the latter. The effects of the drinks were finally kicking in.
"You wanna get up?"
Mya glanced over at the chair on the floor. She shook her head, "I don’t feel like it."
"I'll help you." She waved him off. "Mya come on now." JC started to beg. He wanted to do something responsible for once since he had yet to return her journal after reading it on three occasions already.
"You listen to me." Mya grabbed his collar and pulled him to her. "I’m not. Too much energy required." Her bossy edge resurfaced.
"Okay Mya." JC stroked the loose hair away from her face, his hand falling to her cheek. He cradled her smooth face in his hands. Wide brown eyes watched him curiously. His gaze drifted to her parted lips.
Mya giggled. "What are you waiting for?"
"Huh?"
"You wanna kiss me...do it." She smiled teasingly.
How many more times was she going to shock the hell out of him? "No," JC stammered over his obvious lie. "I don’t want to kiss you."
Who the hell are you trying to fool! Do you think she’s actually going to believe that shit if you can’t even look her in the eye without losing it.
"Yes you do." She was still laughing.
"No Mya. I don’t." Lie after lie. JC could hear his mind condemning him but he wasn’t going to give in to it or the temptation. He knew if he kissed her, things would definitely get out of hand and he would feel like he was taking advantage of her. The fact that she downed more drinks than him didn’t help matters either.
JC suddenly realized that he messed himself up. If I hadn’t gotten her tipsy, we could be going at it right now, if she’d let me! Hey that is still a possibility...No, shut up! What am I’m thinking! If she’s not alert then nothing’s happening, He finally decided.
"Yes you do." Mya grinned again.
"No."
"Yes."
JC realized she was willing to play this game forever. "No."
He knew she wasn’t going to continue when she finally stopped and a frown graced her face. She was staring at him now, intensely, and it seemed all traces of intoxication had disappeared. What was she thinking?
Mya grabbed him by the face and initiated the kiss herself. She moved her lips over his, adding pressure to the kiss and intensity to the moment. She only kissed him to prove a point: He was lying.
JC, however, attempted to absorb as much of her as possible before it was over. His hands began a journey through her locks, stroking the nape of her neck a bit, before traveling to her back. His arms surrounded her in a close hug until they rested low on her hips. His fingers returned to her soft mane as he deepened the kiss. Wherever his hands went, it didn't matter, he was never disappointed.
He loved the feeling of her fingers massaging the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. And the sweet taste of pineapple and strawberry with a hint of rum on her slightly trembling lips as he increased the pressure of the kiss. But the question if she was enjoying it as much as he was still hung in the air. Yet, when she pushed herself up to get closer to him he got his answer and had to break away, resting his face against her neck, where his lips slightly grazed.
A breath of air rushed from Mya as her chest heaved. "I told you," She paused, gasping for air. "...you wanted to kiss me." She grinned, biting down on her lower lip, slightly swollen from the pressure.
The word seduction was written repeatedly across her face. JC wondered if she was just playing a game on him. Sure she was tipsy, but she was not stupid. She didn’t allow four drinks to take advantage of her mind completely, did she? Did she not know she was kissing him and he was gladly kissing her back? If so, was he taking advantage of her too?
JC pushed the roaming thoughts to the back of his mind, secured them there, and grabbed for her again before she or he had time to fully catch their breath.
Mya giggled, now sitting in his lap. "Now JC, don't be greedy." She smiled against his lips. "You can’t take advantage of me like this."
JC sighed. Why did she have to be right? "I know Ms. Harrison." His voice was filled with disappointment as he pecked her on the forehead.
Mya yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "I’m tired now."
"No you’re not." He didn’t want her to fall asleep on him, not now. They were just beginning to make some progress.
"I am so." Her head fell to his shoulder and he didn’t hear another word out of her, only soft breathing.
JC brushed her long hair away from her face and her eyes were closed now. JC knew then that she had fallen asleep, would probably wake up, and forget what occurred the night before. Damn, I guess it’s for the best. JC decided.
JC stood up with her limp frame in his arms. He wrapped her smooth legs around his waist and carried upstairs, where he would put her in one of the guestroom, preferably one closer to his.