Zaire hadn't lied as the intimate get-together transformed into a crowded party, the numbers increasing as the evening went on.

Music played through the house and out the windows left open to circulate the stuffy air. Bodies swayed and bumped into each other as they fought for space.

Matt disappeared after the doorbell sounded and I stayed for a while on the sofa, waiting for his return. Holding on to my first bottle of beer, I had yet to take another sip, too scared that if I started drinking, I wouldn't stop and would end up doing something I regretted.

I stood up when a few girls tried to squeeze onto the sofa and one of them inadvertently elbowed me in the stomach. The culprit turned upon hearing my grunt and offered up a tight smile.

I walked into the kitchen and rested my hands on the cool counter, glancing around the brightly lit room for any signs of Matt. With no photos on the fridge or clutter on the sides, the space looked barely lived in.

Unlike the packed lounge, only a few people congregated around the fridge and breakfast table. I took in the unfamiliar faces and sighed; I knew no one. I wouldn't break my promise. Zaire would pay for this. He vanished the moment he left to get a drink with CeCe, and I didn't feel like following Matt around. Desperate wasn't in my vocabulary.

Through the kitchen window, I looked out to the compact garden. A vine-covered arbour stood over a dark stained decking, beyond a neatly trimmed grass patch. Fairy lights dangled over the airy shelter.

About to walk outside, I stopped as an energetic man came rushing into the room, claiming he had to catch up with everyone. He scrambled around in a cupboard, pulled out three shot glasses and lined them up, pouring a clear liquid into each one. After emptying his three shots, he filled them back up and handed one of them to me.

"Drink with me so I don't look like a loser. Can't drink alone," he laughed and scrapped his dirty blonde hair off his forehead.

I grinned and took the shot off him. "Only so you don't look sad."

"To not being sad," he said before downing both his shots.

The Tequila burned as it travelled down my throat. I coughed and squeezed my eyes shut; the aftertaste killing my taste buds. "That was horrible. Where was the lemon or salt?" I complained after swilling my now lukewarm beer around my mouth.

"Meh, prefer it that way." He strolled over to the fridge and pulled out a beer for himself and a fresh one for me. "I'm Dan. Freddie and Matt's roommate. Which one do you know?"

So much for not drinking. I grabbed the newly opened ice-cold bottle. "Matt, I guess. I don't really know him. He works with my friend." I shrugged and sipped my drink while giving him a quick once-over. He wasn't as striking as Matt, but even after the few minutes we had spent together, I could tell his attractiveness lay in his personality; his face neutral, an appealing boy next door type. Matt, however, was anything but the boy next door. He was hot, sweaty summer nights and excitement all rolled into one.

Dan stood, his left elbow resting on the counter, and with no prompting from my part, divulged his entire life story and explained how he met Matt and Freddie.

Freddie worked with Dan in construction, and they had been friends for years. They originally had another roommate, but after falling in love, that one chose to move in with his new partner and left them with an empty third bedroom. Instead of looking for someone else, they hit the bars and found themselves in the speakeasy where Matt worked. He overheard how desperate they were to find a new roommate so they wouldn't lose the house, and he asked to move in.

Ballsy move as I couldn't picture moving in with people I just met.

Freddie's girlfriend, Liv, stayed most nights and was practically their fourth roommate. That explained the fairy lights in the garden. I liked Dan. He was easy to talk to and a real chatterbox. If Matt hadn't reappeared, I imagined we would be sat somewhere, chatting about an old third-grade science teacher of his or what football team he supported.

I hadn't taken my eyes off Dan, but sensed the exact moment Matt entered the kitchen. I felt him as if he had some sort of magnetic pull over me. He moved behind me and placed his hand near mine on the kitchen side. The sleeves on my jumper were rolled up, and Matt brushed his fingers over my exposed forearms. The heat radiating off his body sent goosebumps to form on my skin.

He mumbled a 'Hey' to Dan, held my hand, and whispered in my ear to follow him into the small back garden. His breath tickled as he spoke against my skin, and I barely gave Dan another thought as I did exactly as Matt requested.

***

Under a deep navy sky, I wrapped myself tightly into the blanket Matt placed on my lap. A light breeze picked up, cooling the late September night. The last notes of summer lingered in the daytime, but once the sun set, the first signs of Autumn danced in the air. The illuminated kitchen window cast a warm glow onto the grass and the twinkly lights above us flickered over the decking.

Matt stared back to the house, his mind preoccupied, and I wondered if the thoughts that made his lips curve upwards were similar to the ones I was having.

Three weeks of feeling his skin over mine as soon as my eyes closed, stopping me fully from falling into a deep sleep. It made no sense.

He sighed and edged his seat closer to mine.

"So-" we both voiced simultaneously.

Matt glanced round so I could fully admire his handsome face and laughed. "Sorry, you go first." He scratched his nails over the coarse stubble on his jaw, and my gaze followed each movement. I pictured those same fingers slipping under the hem of my top, skimming over the flat plain of my stomach. "Trixie?"

"Mmm." My body throbbed and my heart raced as flashbacks from three weeks ago took over my thoughts; the feel of his tongue as it teased my breasts and the taste of rich Whiskey on his lips. I hooked my foot around the chair leg and shook my head. "Oh, yeah. What did you want to tell me?"

"I think we should fuck again."

I stiffened, and if I was drinking my beer at that moment, I would have spat it all over the place and probably over him. "Sorry, what?"

"I think we should sleep together again. I'm not a fan of one-night stands, and you have to admit the other night was pretty amazing. How about it then?" He stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at his ankles.

My heart pounded against my chest as I stared at Matt with my mouth open. The twinkle of the lights reflected in the blacks of his dilated pupils and lured me in. My eyes then followed his tongue as he licked his lips.

I couldn't even find the words to answer him as my mind blanked. My brain told me to stick to my rule, but my body betrayed me and wanted exactly what he was offering. Sex, nothing but sex. We could keep this physical and away from any emotional bond. After all, that was my key reason for refusing seconds. Being attached to anyone else would break me.

With my gaze locked on his lips, Matt shuffled closer, resting a hand on my knee. I glanced up and my breath caught in my throat as his face came mere millimetres to mine.

The kitchen patio door slid open. "Dude, come back inside. Liv wants to play a game," someone shouted out to Matt.

"In a minute," Matt shouted back, never breaking eye contact. "Think about it. Even if it's just once. Stay with me tonight." His eyes burned with lust.

Barely able to breathe, I cast my gaze to the floor. "Do you honestly think that's a good idea?"

"What do we have to lose? Be honest, do you regret sleeping with me?"

"No. I don't regret it. I just–" I pressed the back of my hands against my cheeks to soothe my ever-growing flush. "Oh, I don't even know, anymore." I shook my hands out and exhaled. "Look, Matt, you are great. Sex was amazing, I'll admit that, but I'm not looking for anything serious. You don't do one-night stands and that's all I am willing to give right now."

Don't panic! My heart was beating a mile a minute as I considered his offer. No, I made the right choice. Don't get close to anyone else and nothing bad will happen.

"We can keep it casual. Just don't rule it out." He took my hand in his. "Think about it and come to me when you are ready. Whenever that is. I see it, you know. You want me, probably just as much as I want you. I know I'm not wrong." He tilted his head to the side, and his mouth curved into a smile.

"Gah, you are so cocky but how can anyone get mad at you for it with that face and accent," I laughed and ruffled his hair out of place.

"It's already working." Matt stood and offered a hand to help me up. He wrapped an arm over my shoulder and pulled me close to his chest. "Come on, let's get in there before Liv is too drunk to play her silly game. This is the best part of the night. Well, unless you're not counting later with me," he chuckled.

"You are terrible." I smiled, but my stomach knotted as we traipsed up to the patio doors.

The kitchen was empty, bar from one guy, laying his head down on their breakfast table. Matt prodded his sweat covered back but only received a grunt in response. "At least, he is breathing."

I pushed Matt aside and placed my hand on his forehead. "Piss off, mate! I'm trying to sleep," the drunk guy yelled, causing me to jump out of my skin. I gripped on to Matt's arm from the shock and we both burst out laughing.

We were still laughing when we pushed the door to the living room open. The remaining guests sat on each piece of furniture or on the floor, forming a circle. The girl Matt introduced as Liv bounced in the middle of the room, her blonde ponytail swaying with each of her movements.

"Right, does everyone have a drink before we start?" Liv pointed at each person as she checked their hands. Her mascara, mixed with sweat, left black trails under her eyes. "Truth, dare, kiss or swear. We all remember how it works. Take a drink if you refuse to go through with anything. Oh, and again if you fail the swear part of the game."

My brows knitted as I watched her hop on the spot. Swear? I'm not sure I understood what that part entailed. I caught sight of Zaire, sitting on a cushion placed on the floor. He shifted over and patted the space to his right. I reluctantly moved away from Matt and leaned against Zaire's side as I sat down.

"Where have you been?" I whispered in his ear as I glanced over to Matt, who took a free spot opposite. He kept all his attention on me as the person next to him spoke. He nodded in response, drinking from his beer bottle, but never broke eye contact. A tingle crept up my neck and I took a sip of my own drink, mirroring his actions.

"I could ask you the same thing." He wriggled his eyebrows and jutted his chin out in Matt's direction. "How is Lover Boy doing?"

I screwed my face up and let out a weak laugh. "Not like that."

"Tell that to your pink cheeks and fluttering eyelashes. They didn't get the memo," Zaire chuckled.

Liv flopped down next to Freddie and scanned the room one last time. "Matt, last one here. Go first."

My heart sank. Please let anyone but him go first. His eyes locked on to mine and I knew I was his target, like a wolf after his prey. Be gentle with me, Matt.

***