Page 39 of Extraction Play
Eva swallowed hard. Fuck, she wasn’t even there yet. “I don’t know. My life’s kind of in shambles right now, if you haven’t noticed. But I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting how welcoming everyone’s been.”
“They’re like that here. They just dragged me in and haven’t let go.” Micah’s eyes crinkled around the edges, and an undeniable fondness lingered in his voice. “Pixie’s been a safety raft amid all of it. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without her.”
“She’s pretty amazing,” Eva said softly. Fuck, what had she said? If Micah wasn’t suspicious before, he would be now. She dared a glance up, and he narrowed his eyes.
“And she’s not the person you want to be looking at right now.” The sharpness in his tone set her on edge, a warning there that made the guilt rise even higher, like a tide about to tug her under.
Eva shook her head. “Nah, not like that. I…I’ve just been needing some friends.”
Liar. Liar. Liar.
She couldn’t stop looking Pixie’s way if she tried. And that made her feel like a shittier sister than before. Eva took pride in her self-control, but she couldn’t seem to summon it right now.
The elevator doors opened onto the top floor, the ding snapping Eva out of the moment.
Eva stepped off first. Arc-En-Ciel lived up to its name in beauty. Black lounge chairs were stationed around firepits in a cozy circles, all throughout the rooftop, and small trees formed lines to separate areas, dangling rainbow glass decking out the branches. The bar on the far left was decorated in the same rainbow glass as if it had been pressed on and lacquered in place, and the backlighting was all soft, lending to a relaxing atmosphere. People filled the seats of the entire bar, and most of the surrounding chairs were occupied as well, but thankfully, the group had gotten here early.
“I see them.” Micah gestured to the right.
Eva followed him to two firepits with chairs that had been taken over by the crew of Whipped. She recognized a lot of familiar faces: Nolan, of course, Meg, and another guy who sat on her lap. Fin and Sloan were there as well, as was Parker. The other couple she didn’t know, but guaranteed she’d have their names by the end of the night.
Meg shoved the guy on her lap up and approached first. A broad grin spread on her face. She squeezed Micah into a hug, but once he scampered off to Parker, Meg turned to Eva. “So, we didn’t scare you away?”
Eva’s lips twitched, threatening a smile. “It takes a little more than that to frighten me.”
“Mmm, good to know because that was one of the hottest scenes I’ve been a part of in a while.”
“And I missed it?” The guy who had sat on her lap slung his arm around her shoulders.
“Sorry, sweetness,” Meg said, kissing the side of his head. This guy was a stunner, tall and slender, his dark hair long enough to tie back, and elegant, angular features. “Tristan, this is Eva. Maybe she’d bewilling to co-top you with me sometime.” Meg offered a wink, and a shiver of pleasure ran through Eva. Holy hell, the idea lit her on fire. While Pixie had claimed her attention completely, she wasn’t shut off to experimentation.
She was new to domming and hungry for experiences.
“I’m so glad you showed up.” Nolan swept in, spreading his arms out wide for a hug.
Eva sank into it, albeit awkwardly, and was crushed against his sturdy chest. She wasn’t used to this much open affection, and while it soothed something inside her that had been ragged, the touch still startled her. “Thank you for the invitation, and happy birthday. Can I buy you a drink?”
Nolan let her go and grinned, his eyes lighting up. “See, I knew I liked you. Anything gin and I’m happy.”
“That I can handle.” She liked to have a task rather than sinking right into socializing. “I’ll be right back.”
“I need to hit the bar too,” Sloan called out, hopping up from his seat. Eva hadn’t made it a few paces before he walked in line with her. “So, are you just visiting or sticking around for good?”
Eva opened her mouth and closed it. Given that her time in San Francisco had offered the first glimmers of hope in a long while, the idea of staying held more weight the longer she thought on it. However, she also didn’t want to tread on Micah’s territory. This was his space, his friends. She was the loser older sister whose life had exploded.
“You don’t have to answer if it’s a loaded question,” Sloan said. “I was curious, that’s all.” He was gorgeous with his finger-length blond hair, tanned skin, and fuckable lips. He also gave off strong bottom vibes, which helped make her feel comfortable. Brat tamer, she was not.
“I wish I had an answer to that question,” Eva said truthfully. “I got a curveball that makes heading back to Reno a slim likelihood, and while I like it here, I’m just a visitor in Micah’s life.”
“You know, I’ve been around for a bit,” Sloan said as they settled next to the bar. “Beyond workers at Whipped, Meg rarely allows outsiders to attend Play Nights.”
Eva leaned against the bar, her forearms pressing against the cool surface. Meg had been welcoming to her from the start, but she had figured the woman did that with everyone. Or that she’d made the exception because she was Micah’s sister.
“Just food for thought,” Sloan said with a wink. She barely knew him—had only really seen him sucking Nolan’s cock at Play Night—but she appreciated his insight.
“What is it you do at Whipped?” she asked.
“Accountant.” His grin was charming, and she could see how he’d be a popular sub to play with.