Really? I look towards the bar and find that Xander is right. Tag is watching me. I quickly look away and grab one of Summer’s shots.
“I’m going to need this,” I mumble, tipping back and letting the tequila roll down my throat. Xander quickly pushes Summer’s other shot away and out of my reach. Probably a smart move.
“I haven’t seen Tag show any real interest in anyone since Kaley,” I hear him say to his sister.
Summer shrugs. “He likes Clara.”
“He doesn’t. We’re friends, and I’ve accepted that.”
Kind of.
“If he wants to hook up with someone, then I’m going to have to deal with it because,” I lower my voice, “Men have needs.”
Xander and Summer share a look.
“Men have needs,” I say louder. “He’s going to take someone home sooner or later. Maybe even tonight.”
I glance at Tag to see a woman talking to him. I point in his direction. “See.”
Xander cups my face, turning it in his direction, a mischievous look on his own. “Stop taking about men and their needs. How drunk are you?”
“Not drunk enough that I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Good,” he murmurs, his throat working as he swallows. “I’m going to prove to you that Tag wants you.”
“And how are you going to do that?” I ask, wide-eyed.
When his lips come down on mine, I have to admit, I didn’t see it coming. His lips were soft, and he tasted amazing. But he wasn’t Tag.
Xander pulls back after a few of the longest seconds of my life and flashes me a boyish grin. He lets go of me and turns just in time to have Tag pull him up by the shirt.
“What the fuck?” Tag barks, looking like he wants to kill his friend. I look at Summer who is staring at the two men with wide eyes.
“She said she was single,” Xander replies, trying to sound innocent. “And that you didn’t want her.”
Tag’s eyes find mine, and I suddenly wished I had the power to turn invisible. He and Xander disappear outside, and Summer and I decide to head to the dance floor. I try and push Tag away from my thoughts.
It is harder than I thought.
The ride home is tense. Tag is silent¸ the air thick between us. When the silence becomes too much, I open my mouth to speak.
“Tag—”
“Did you like it?” he asks, his voice emotionless. I see his fingers tighten on the steering wheel as he waits for my response.
“Like what?” I ask, my gaze still on his hands.
“The kiss.”
I swallow. “Tag, you know that I—”
“Did you like it?” he asks again.
“I didn’t know he was going to—”
“Fuck,” he grits out, cutting me off once more. How rude.
“Will you just listen for a second?” I yell, losing my temper. A muscle ticks in his jaw as he stares straight ahead at the road, but he stays quiet.
“Why are you angry right now?” I ask in a low tone. “No, I didn’t want or expect the kiss, and Xander was only doing it to piss you off anyway, but Tag, you don’t want me. You can’t not want me but not want anyone else to have me either. It doesn’t work like that.”
Tag sucks in a breath. “It isn’t that I don’t want you Clara. I just can’t give you what you need.”
“I’ve never made any demands of you,” I find myself saying. “I just wanted you, no matter how you came. I didn’t ask for anything.”
“So what,” he replies. “You would be interested in something casual?”
Would I?
I lick my lips, gathering my thoughts before I answer. “I would be.”
I would rather that than nothing at all. I was desperate for him, any part of him that he would give. How sad was that? I’d take anything he gave me and be grateful for it.
He curses and darts his gaze to me. “You sure about this, Clara? I don’t want to hurt you, and I’m telling you right now that I don’t want a commitment. I’m not looking to be tied down, and that isn’t a reflection of you, because you’re amazing. Perfect. It’s all me.”
I nod. “Okay, I get it.”
“Do you?” he asks, reaching his arm over and taking my hand in his. “I’m going to be honest with you. I wanted you the second I saw you. You were so fuckin’ beautiful and innocent looking. With that red hair, holy fuck. I was hard within seconds. Still, with wanting you so much since the second you stepped into my life, I still fucked another woman that one night. That’s who I am, and you can’t change me, so if you want to, then we’re both going to be wasting our time.”
Ouch, that hurt. But then again, the truth usually does. I didn’t like thinking about him with another woman. It made my chest hurt.
“Are you saying that you’re still going to fuck around if we’re together?” I ask, eyebrows furrowing.
“That’s the thing, Sweetheart. We won’t be together. Casual is casual.”
So he wanted me to be his fuck buddy? Disappointment fills me, but I try and hide my reaction. If he sees it, he will retract his offer and put me back in the friend zone, which was the last thing I wanted.
“I see,” I murmur. “What about the age thing? I thought that was an issue for you.”
He sighs. “It was. It is. But I want you more than I care about your age anymore. You’re not a virgin, are you?”