Degradation (2 page)

“I shouldn't have given you champagne. I didn't know you'd turn in to Nancy Drew,” he commented.

“Oh my god. You're going to dump Ellie. You've been together for two years. She thinks you're gonna propose. She's gonna die,” Tate gushed, pressing a hand to her chest. His eyes narrowed.

“We haven't even talked about marriage, why would she think that? And I don't know what's going to happen with me and Ellie, we've got a lot to talk about;
do not
talk to her about this,” Jameson commanded, pointing a finger at Tate. She raised her hands.

“I go out of my way to not talk to her, I won't breathe a word. But can I ask why?” Tate pressed, reaching out for the champagne. Jameson didn't even notice, he was so lost in thought, so she poured herself another glass.

“I don't know. It's ..., boring. Not exciting. Like you were saying about Drew. She wants this pre-programmed life, has everything decided for us. She knows what she's having for dinner next Tuesday, where we're going for the fourth of July, what we'll name our first child. She goes to bed at ten, gets up at six – I'm not allowed to touch her between those hours, I'm not even joking. I don't like being told what to do,” his voice got quiet towards the end. Tate nodded, taking a large swig of her champagne.

“Sounds like Ellie. Do you know, one time when she was mad at me, to get back at me, she got in to my room and organized my closet? That was her idea of revenge,” Tate told him.

He burst out laughing, and that set Tate off. They both bent over, unable to breathe for how much they were laughing. It was hilarious, and it was totally true. Ellie was like OCD Barbie. Very pretty, and a little crazy.

“Oh my god, that sounds like her,” he chuckled. Tate nodded.

“I know! I've got a hundred more, she -,” Tate started, but she was gesturing with her glass, and champagne sloshed all over her front.

“Oh jesus, I knew this was going to happen,” Jameson shook his head, but he was laughing. Tate snorted, holding her wet shirt away from her chest.

“Then you shouldn't have given it to me,” she replied. He stood up.

“I tried to take it away. C'mon, I'm sure Ellie has something you can wear,” he said, gesturing for her to follow him. She got out of her chair.

“Oh no, she'll kill me, I'm not allowed to wear her stuff,” Tate told him, following him across the living room and back in to the bedroom.

“Who cares? She owns so much shit, she'll never know. Just grab something, her stuff is in there,” he explained, pointing to a section of the wardrobe before walking back out of the room.

Tate stared in to the wardrobe for a while, letting her eyes wander over the clothes. Everything Ellie owned was expensive; from a designer. From a young age, Tate had been taught not to touch. Jameson had just given her free reign. She snorted and dove in, yanking back the hangers. She laughed and pulled down a silk blouse – it looked
ridiculously
expensive.

Perfect
.

She spun around and threw the shirt on the bed, stumbling as she did so. She didn't think she was drunk, but she was feeling a little light.
Spinny
. She laughed to herself, curling her fingers around the hem of her shirt and pulling the wet material up. She went to yank it over her head, but something happened. The shirt's tag got caught in a string of pearls she was wearing, which then got tangled in her hair, and she was stuck with her arms in the air, struggling to pull the shirt one way or the other.

“
Oh my god,
” Tate laughed, stepping back and forth.

She lost her footing and stumbled clear across the room. She rammed in to something, a dresser, and moved so her butt was against it. She was really laughing now, struggling not to hyperventilate with the shirt covering her mouth. Her elbows were pinned above her head and she tried to reach the back of her neck with her fingers, arching her back. Her fingernails were just brushing the top of her spine when she heard something.

“What are you doing?”

She went stock still, her laughter dying. Jameson was in the room, and pretty close to her, judging by the sound of his voice.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.
With her shirt up over her head, she was standing there in just her bra and khaki skirt.

“Um, I got stuck,” Tate offered in a small voice. He chuckled, and he was even closer than before – right in front of her.

“Obviously. Help?” he asked. She managed to shake her head.

“No, I think I -,” she started, but then felt his fingers at the neck of the shirt. He pushed it up, exposing her mouth and nose, but then left it there. She took deep breaths.

“Are you drunk, Tate?” he asked, talking slowly. She shook her head again.

“No. I mean, I don't think so. I'm just stuck,” she replied. He laughed and she felt him pulling at the neck of the shirt again. A couple tugs, and the strand of pearls broke. She could feel them running down her body, some catching in her bra while the rest clattered to the floor. The shirt came free from her head and Jameson pulled it away, holding it in his right hand. He was staring down at her. She struggled to control her breathing.

“You're very different from Ellie,” he told her in a quiet voice. She rubbed her lips together and nodded.

“I know,” she replied.

Tate knew she should move, should grab her shirt, do something to cover herself. Run for the bathroom. She should not be standing in front of her sister's boyfriend, only wearing a black lace bra. He dropped her shirt as his eyes wandered down her body, and she found that she was frozen to the spot, unable to move a single muscle.

“Family heirloom?” he asked, and then reached out, tracing a finger down her chest. He ran it down her cleavage and she thought she might faint. But then he held his hand up, and he had a pearl pinched between his fingers.

“Present. From Drew,” her voice was just above a whisper. He examined the pearl.

“He's cheap. It's not real,” he commented. She almost laughed.

“What?”

Jameson let the pearl drop and his attention went back to her. Tate still couldn't move. Had even stopped breathing. He was looking at her like she was dinner. She couldn't believe it. Twenty-three year old Jameson Kane was looking at her,
really seeing her
, for the first time ever. It was wrong, so wrong. She tried to think of Ellie, but couldn't make herself. She could only see his eyes.

“You should leave this room,” Jameson told her, his hands gliding onto her hips. Her skin jumped at his touch and she could feel an electrical current pass between them. She gave a full body shiver and nodded.

“I know,” she breathed. His fingers spread as his hands moved to her back, up to her shoulder blades.

“Ellie's my girlfriend,” he reminded her. As if she needed it.

“I know.” Apparently her impressive vocabulary had deserted her. His hands slid back down, all the way to her butt. She put her hands on the dresser behind her, bracing herself.

“This isn't just me.” He'd said it as a statement, but she knew it was a question. She was feeling it, too.

“
I know,
” she whispered.

“If you want to run, I suggest you do it now,” he told her.

“Why?” she asked, and he leaned in close.

“
Because I eat girls like you for breakfast,
” he hissed in her ear. She shivered again.

“Then stop holding onto me,” she challenged, shocking herself.

Maybe it was the champagne, maybe it was him – Tate wasn't
ever
that bold, not in real life. Maybe that was it, she felt like she was in a dream. Jameson Kane, looking at
her
, not Ellie. Touching
her
, not Ellie. It couldn't be real. He was too ..., much. Everything. Too much for her. He couldn't want her, not in real life.

“Baby girl, this is nothing. If I didn't want you to get away, you wouldn't be able to,” he chuckled. She took a deep breath, preparing to tell him off, to tell him to let her go.

“
Maybe I don't want to get away,
” she whispered.

She hadn't meant to say that, hadn't even thought it. But it was out there, she coudn't take it back. Jameson groaned and his mouth dipped to her neck. She gasped when his lips touched her skin, and then moaned when his lips were followed by his teeth. She closed her eyes and let her head drop back.

This is wrong. WRONG. He belongs to your sister. You're the devil. Evil incarnate.

“Tatum, if you don't get the fuck out of here, I'm going to rip your clothes off, bend you over this dresser, and fuck you like you've never been fucked before,” he growled at her, his voice angry and sharp. His words shocked her. She pushed him away.

“You act like this is my fault!” she snapped at him. His eyebrows went up, but he kept his hands on her hips.

“You're the one who was getting drunk in my kitchen, babbling on and on about hating her sister. You're the one who's half naked in my bedroom,” he pointed out. She gasped.

“I never said I hated her! And
you
got
me
drunk! What does that say about you!?” she yelled. He laughed.

“I don't need to get girls drunk to fuck them, Tate,” he told her, his voice low. She snorted.

“You are such an egotist, I wasn't going to ..., do ...,
that
with you,” she replied, stuttering a little. Jameson threw his head back and laughed, taking a few steps away from her.

“
'
That'?
God, I forget, you
are
just a little girl,” he laughed at her. Flames raced across her face.

“
And you're just a pathetic excuse for a man, trolling his girlfriend's
little sister
, cause he can't get anyone else to
fuck
him!” she yelled, shoving him in the chest before storming out of the room.

God, she was
so
embarrassed
. What had she been thinking!? She had been playing with fire. Really, Tate was lucky. If he hadn't growled at her, she didn't know how far she would have let him go. Drew had never spoken to her, or touched her, the way Jameson had – it set her on fire. But the
things
he had said to her. She did feel like a little girl. She felt stupid. She swiped at the tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks. She grabbed her cardigan out of the kitchen and rushed back towards the front door. Jameson was strolling out of the bedroom.

“
I wasn't trolling for you. I didn't even know you were coming over tonight. Like I said, you were the one bitching about how no one likes you, how everyone likes Ellie, asking about our relationship. Sounds like
you
were trolling for
me,
” he commented, looking down at her. She sniffled, struggling to right the sleeves on her sweater.

“
Then you're an awfully easy mark, I almost had you. Geez, what a great story that would've been to tell Ellie when she came home, '
hey, tricked your boyfriend in to having sex with me – BTW, he's going to dump you.
' Sounds awesome, maybe I'll just call her and say it right now,” Tate threatened. His eyes narrowed.

“Don't play with me, baby girl,” he warned her. She glared right back at him.

“You're the one playing games, and you lost.
Move,
” she ordered, waving her hand at him. He was blocking the door. He folded his arm across his chest and stood his ground.

“I don't lose,” he replied. She rolled her eyes.

“God! Whatever! You tried to seduce me, it didn't work, get over yourself! I just want to -,”

She was shocked when he suddenly grabbed her by the back of the neck, yanking her forward so he could slam his mouth down onto hers. She gave a muffled shriek, pushing against his chest. He moved both of his hands to the back of her head, his tongue forcing its way in to her mouth as he started walking them backwards.

She struggled at first, but it was half hearted at best. Tate knew he was an asshole. She knew it was just a game to him. Just sex. She knew she was doing something very wrong with her sister's boyfriend. She was doing something very wrong with a guy who was not her
own
boyfriend. She was going to burn in a special place in hell.

And she didn't care.

Tatum O'Shea was a good girl. She did the right things. Not because she wanted to, but because people were always telling her she had to, that she must. She dated Drew because her parents had set them up. She started having sex with Drew because he told her that's what couples do. She was going to an Ivy League school, because that's what O'Sheas did. They did not engage in illicit affairs with their relatives' significant others.

She still didn't care.

She moaned in to his mouth, running her hands under his shirt, pushing it up. He broke away from her long enough for it to go over his head, and then his mouth was back on her own. He was demanding, almost punishing, with his kiss. Rough and aggressive. Drew had never been that way with her.