Safe & Sound

18

Amena sipped on her drink. Emma was drunk again, and she loved to dance.

The boys were sitting around the table playing cards. The dining room was a shared space with the living area, so there was no separation.

Emma had been telling Amena all kinds of gossip stories before Emma finally just couldn't sit still.

The music on her phone wasn't nearly as loud as it was at the club, making the whole scene way more amusing.

And judging by the growing chaos of the boys, the night was only beginning.

"I should've brought my speaker," Emma yelled. She gestured Amena closer.

Amena did not want to dance with her, not when they were literally right in the line of sight of the guys.

"Come on," Emma huffed, taking her hands and trying to pull her off of the comfy couch. "Have you heard of this song before?"

Amena stood so Emma didn't fall backwards. She began to sing, and she twirled Amena who laughed helplessly.

"Put your hips into it," Emma said, pulling away to wiggle her hips.

Xavier gave a booming laugh, slamming his drink down loudly. "That's right, honey. You put your hips into it."

"You're sloshing your beer everywhere," James griped.

"You're just mad because you lost," Xavier said, throwing his cards down and revealing his winning hand.

Cyfrin groaned. "Damn it. I'm tired of this."

Cyfrin's eyes met Amena's, and he stood up, making his way over.

"Look at you," Cyfrin said. "You're so beautiful. Why don't you dance for me?"

Amena shook her head no, feeling the heat rush up her neck.

"Please," he said, offering her a smile. Her heart fluttered happily. "I've seen you dance with Emma before. It's so hot."

"Hot," she repeated with a giggle. "Cyfrin, I think you're drunk."

"I'm not that drunk," he insisted, taking her hands. He made her sway with him.

He pulled her close to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her, treating her like she was some kind of teddy bear.

She tried to protest, but all she could manage was laughter.

"We're going to play Heads Up," Xavier announced, turning the music down.

Cyfrin and Amena and Emma took a seat on the couch while James took the plush rocking chair.

"It's a game on my phone. I'm going to hold it where I can't see it, but you can. You have to describe or act out the word so I can guess it as quick as possible."

Xavier swallowed the last of his beer. He picked a category, and the timer on his phone count down.

"Black and white bear," James shouted.

"A panda," Xavier guessed, flipping to the next one.

It was a fun game, and very fun to watch. Even Emma had settled to let the boys mostly take over.

"It lives in the ocean," Cyfrin said, the loudest Amena had ever seen him. "Why the hell would a tarantula be in the ocean?"

"You didn't say ocean," Xavier accused. "You said it could swim."

"Can tarantulas even swim?" Emma whispered to Amena who shrugged.

The time was up and James gave an exasperated sigh. "It was an octopus, you idiot."

James switched places with Xavier.

Cyfrin placed his hand on Amena's thigh. She had been wearing shorts because it was hot, especially upstairs in the bedroom. While it wasn't her first time wearing them this summer, it didn't make her feel any less exposed.

Cyfrin skimmed his thumb gently across her skin. The motion may have been innocent, but certainly didn't feel that way to her. It felt intimate and sent a gentle rush of heat throughout her body.

She made it through James' turn before she had enough.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she finally told Cyfrin. He nodded, leaning down for a kiss.

"Okay, baby. I'll be up in a little bit."

She wished everyone else a good night before going upstairs.

She was digging around in her bag for pajamas when the bedroom door shut gently, startling her. She hadn't expected Cyfrin to follow her up.

He took three large strides to reach her, backing her against the wall.

He cupped her cheeks, mashing his lips eagerly against hers. She didn't really know what to do with her hands in this position, but he took them and wrapped them around his upper back. He kissed her hard, until she had to breathe.

She couldn't help but giggle at his persistent kisses.

"You're so pretty," he whispered, his lips turning up. "And smart, and brave. I'm really proud of you, of how resilient you are. You've overcome so much."

Amena felt a sudden rush of emotions. That meant a lot to her, especially coming from him. She loved him deeply.

"It's because of you," she said back. This time she cupped his face, feeling the scruff beneath her fingertips. He was so handsome. His eyes gleamed as they looked at her. "You take such good care of me."

He gave her another deep kiss, one that returned the heat she had previously faced.

"I'll let you shower now," he said, pulling back.