by Hazel Parker
Soft skin. Creamy skin.
Extremely kissable skin.
Fuck it.
“Hey, McCall! Glad to see you again.”
Hearing my name, I tore my gaze away from her enough to look at the football player. What was his name again?
“Hey, Andy.” I resisted the urge to tear his eyes out as he looked Julie from head to foot with a slight leer. Instead, I shouldered my way in and protected her in my arms, trying not to notice how her tits looked fantastic in her dress—and how they bounced with her every movement.
She wasn’t wearing a goddamn bra.
Fuck. It.
Julie was looking hot as hell tonight, and I wasn’t the only one noticing.
We bypassed the living room, where there was a bunch of already drunk athletes talking in loud voices. Some of them greeted me and gave Julie curious glances, and I knew what they had in mind—that she was my date. Others invited me over to join them on the couch, but I declined. I could tell Julie was nervous based on how stiff her shoulders were, which meant she wasn’t used to huge, rowdy, rich parties like this.
I wanted to put my hand around her shoulder, but my hands were itching too much with the want to touch her. So I placed my palm on her back instead, careful to keep it away from bare skin.
“Hey, relax,” I whispered in her ear as I steered her towards the recreation room. “This is a party, after all.”
She inhaled a breath. Then she nodded. “I know. I’m just…this is it.”
“Like I said, relax. Doug isn’t going to bite.”
She shot me an amused look at that, and I was glad to see her relax. Then she frowned. “So we’re on some pretend date now?”
I nodded. “Not really, but people will speculate. And Doug will notice.”
She looked skeptical. “But wouldn’t that make him back off?”
I shook my head. “Trust me, Jules. Men like the challenge.” I didn’t because I never went after women who were already obviously with others, but I didn’t mention that.
A few seconds later, we got inside the recreation room where some more athletes were found. Doug was there, and a woman was heavily flirting with him and giggling occasionally. She was exactly his type—blonde, slim, and hanging on to his every word. Julie’s back stiffened again, but I patted her there and quietly told her to wait.
She looked up at me, her hazel eyes hopeful.
And I found myself remembering the kiss all over again. Damn it.
I erased it from my mind with thoughts of racing guidelines, club business rules and the likes—boring stuff. It prevented me from acting out on what I was feeling after that kiss, that tingly sensation that seemed to wrap every inch of my skin.
The blonde said something that made Doug laugh. He threw back his head—then glanced in our direction.
I watched the way his eyes immediately noted where my hand was. Then he finally took Julie in, and his eyes widened.
I couldn’t exactly blame him.
Just like that, his attention was now on us as he approached, completely forgetting the blonde who frowned at his back. For some reason, that bothered me—though for the life of me, I couldn’t pinpoint why.
“Hey, man. Happy birthday.”
“Thanks, glad you could make it.” He smiled at me in his usual friendly manner. Then he turned to Julie, his expression warming some more. “Hey.”
“Hi,” Julie smiled at him, her face transforming. “Happy birthday,” she said softly.
“Thank you. I’m really glad you could make it. And wow. You look great.”
And that was my cue to leave. I nudged Julie. “Drinks?”
“Coke?”
“Boring,” I shot back. “I’ll get you something else.” Then I was out of there, leaving them alone—and leaving Doug wondering what was going on between us. It was the perfect bait.
There was a great selection of wine and other alcoholic drinks at Doug’s bar. Color me impressed. He even had a bartender. I went to the back patio where I saw a martini bar and a little pool party going on, with women clad in skimpy bikinis. I ordered one glass and got a Coke for Julie, having only been jesting earlier. She was good at keeping her beer, but I wasn’t sure about hard drinks, and I didn’t want her inebriated before she even started with her moves.
And men taking advantage.
When I got back to the entertainment room, they were no longer there. I wandered around while sipping, keeping polite with the people who tried to start up a conversation but never engaging. It was when I got to Doug’s other entertainment room that I stopped.
Doug and Julie were there, talking animatedly.
I watched as a glow came on her face as she listened to whatever Doug was saying, and how she looked shy and confident at the same time when she answered—it was an extremely charming combination. That charm radiated off her now in spades, and despite Doug already hogging her attention, a few of the men who passed by glanced her way still, as if hoping to catch her interest. Doug’s eyes remained on her face, though he would glance down from time to time whenever she took a sip of her…was that scotch?
Displeasure surged in me at the thought of her getting tipsy with Doug. Then disbelief followed the displeasure because…well, what the hell did I care? She could get tipsy all she wanted.
His hand went to hers, a sort of brushing. Julie’s eyes widened as Doug leaned forward and whispered near her ear. Then she nodded, a smile blooming on her face as she let Doug take her hand…and lead her upstairs.
I stared as they walked up the stairs, then kept staring until they finally disappeared from my sight. Julie didn’t see, like a ‘give it all away at the first chance’ …but again, what did I care? Or know?
It was her life. It was her choice.
But what the hell did she see in Doug?
She was too smart for him. Too feisty. Too…vibrant.
The kiss popped in my head again, eliciting an answering erection. I cursed in my head as I recalled how hot that kiss had been, encumbering us in fire. But obviously, I was the only one who felt that way, considering how she jumped ship eagerly. Something low settled in my belly now—something that felt like jealousy.
I downed the rest of my drink in one huge gulp, shaking my head to forget about it.
Then I went back to the pool party to find myself someone.
Maybe getting laid was the solution to my messed-up thoughts.
Chapter Thirteen
I didn’t know how we got from talking to laughing to here, but yes. Here we were.
I was kissing the hell out of Doug—or rather, he was kissing me.
I’d innocently thought he’d taken me upstairs to get me acquainted with the house—sort of a personal tour that would be charming and slightly romantic at the same time. Instead, Doug had pulled me towards his empty office, where he had a display of books that he thought I’d like the moment I mentioned I loved books. But his collection was a stack of car engine manuals, and they didn’t look worn out at all. That was it.
He then asked me to finish my drink. Then before I knew it, he was backing me against the desk and pressing his mouth against mine.
Anticipation and surprise had mingled at that first touch, and I expected the kiss to be as explosive as the one I had with Scott earlier. Maybe more, considering I liked this guy and didn’t even like Scott that way.
Ten seconds into the kiss, I wasn’t…feeling anything.
The anticipation gave way to frustration. Surely this was just an initial setback. I recalled all the things I did in the kiss with Scott and pressed myself closer against Doug, kissing him for all I was worth. His mouth opened and his tongue sought mine out, a murmuring approval coming out of his throat. It was a sexy, delightful sound, and I braced myself for that jolt of lust to form a ball in my stomach.
Nothing happened.
His tongue caressed the cavern of my mouth and collided with mine, and a raspy groan came out of him, proving to me that he was affected. I sucke
d on his tongue, then brought out a moan of my own when his hands wandered down to my butt.
Why is there no spark of heat or anything remotely tingling?
Frustrated, I pressed my mouth and tongue even closer—and ended up biting on his tongue.
Doug yelped. Then he broke the kiss and stared at me, his darkened eyes turning shocked.
I cringed. Then I groaned. “I’m sorry.”
But instead of getting mad, Doug merely chuckled. I smiled, my gaze shifting down. My eyes widened when I saw the bulge in his pants, which was the most telltale sign that he was really into it.
So, why wasn’t I?
Trying to mask the frustration, I shifted my gaze back up as Doug ran a hand through his hair.
“That was…wow.”
“Yeah,” I lied. He looked even better with his hair mussed up, and I hadn’t realized until now that that had been my doing. Clearly, he also looked impressed as he studied my face, before a spark of lust shot in his gaze as he eyed my mouth.
“You’re a…” He cleared his throat. “You surprised me, Jules.”
I felt my face turning hot at the compliment. In response, I smiled teasingly. “I hope it was a good surprise.”
“Definitely a good surprise.” Doug moved closer. Then he leaned his head down and kissed me again.
I closed my eyes. I gave in to his kiss, which was slower this time and even more sensual than before. Doug explored my mouth expertly, using his skills to tease me and bring me pleasure. But it wasn’t pleasure that rose up, but frustration again as I realized I wasn’t feeling anything at all—again.
Almost immediately, a flash of Scott’s face popped in my mind. All of a sudden, I felt a shot of lust enter my stomach, which made my breath hitch.
Doug stepped back, a satisfied smile on his face as he heard the sound.
Oh, my God.
There was something seriously wrong with me if I was thinking of someone else while kissing the hottest guy on the planet. I shook my head as I tried to concentrate on what he was saying. Why would I be thinking of Scott? He meant nothing to me.
I should be thinking about Doug.
“…maybe we should go out for dinner first? I’d really like to get to know you.”
And here I thought he was only in it for the hook-up.
“You’re…you seem different, Jules,” he continued. “Different than what I expected, and I find I’m liking this side of you. I want to know more about you.”
Suddenly, whatever doubts I had in my mind eased enough for me to forget being bothered by what happened. Maybe he was right, and we needed to start with the first step. It was terribly sweet, and I found that despite my lack of a reaction to the kiss, I still couldn’t help but feel giddy in his presence.
It wasn’t too late yet.
With a warm, sultry smile, I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, letting my breasts press against his chest as I did so. He visibly held his breath, and I knew it worked. When I stepped back, I was still smiling. “I would love that.”
When we went back downstairs, Doug and I tried to keep the camaraderie going. But it was almost impossible for him to stay beside me, considering he was the birthday boy and had lots of people to talk to and mingle with. I let him be, excusing myself to go look for my friends, including Scott. Doug frowned at me, but when I told him I couldn’t wait to have dinner with him soon, the frown eased, and he gave my hand a squeeze.
Then I was off.
I wandered around the party and tried to avoid the huge crowds, my eyes searching for Scott to tell him the news. It was one thing to score a kiss with the man I liked—it was another to get asked out on a date after that make out session, considering he could have just proceeded to have me then and there. It only proved that Doug wasn’t in it just for the sex, and I was relieved. He was the nice guy I initially thought him to be, and I couldn’t wait to discover more about him, too.
But the kiss…
Just as I was trying to overanalyze everything again, I spotted Scott with his head leaning close towards a knockout brunette. I frowned when I saw her outfit—a black lacy tube that practically didn’t cover anything. I bet he loved that. They looked like they were having a good time, and now I was unsure whether I should go bother him or just let him be with his seduction moves—because clearly, with the way she had her hand on his thigh and he wasn’t protesting, he was as into it as she was.
Deciding to back off for now, I made a step backward.
Scott looked up, his gaze accidentally meeting mine. He straightened. He excused himself from the woman and approached me.
The woman frowned at his back, then shot me a glare before slinking off. I wasn’t sure what he said, but it must have been something along the lines of a dismissal because she certainly didn’t look pleased with the interruption.
Then something else happened—something really, really odd.
As Scott walked towards me, I found my eyes wandering towards his body, starting from his feet, to his huge thighs, up to his broad torso and shoulders, then up to that wave of bronze hair that suited him perfectly. Then, those blue eyes that were twinkling now as he met my gaze and didn’t break it.
Then, that sensual mouth curving into a smile that could melt panties off in an instant.
My body tingled.
A spark of heat started up my chest, making my breasts ache before traveling down to my stomach and forming a ball of heat—the same ball of heat that I’d been expecting when I was kissing Doug earlier.
My smile disappeared.
Scott’s did, too.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice low and urgent.
The ball of heat that was in my stomach traveled down between my legs until the ache turned into an insistent throbbing.
Shocked, I staggered back a step.
Scott’s hand snapped out and reached for my arm, as if to steady me. It electrified me.
What was going on?
“Jesus, Jules. You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What the hell is wrong?”
There was serious worry in his tone, and instinct told me not to alert him to what I was feeling…yet. So I gave him a reassuring smile, one he shot down with a bland stare.
Well, drat. Of course. This was Scott, who basically knew almost everything.
“I’m okay,” I promised. “I just…kissed Doug.”
“Oh.” Now his tone was bland. “How was it?”
“He asked me out on a date. A proper date. Instead of taking me then and there. Isn’t that great?”
Scott looked at me for a long time, and at first, I thought he was going to protest or do something weird. I didn’t know what made me think of that, but I braced myself for it for some reason.
Instead, he nodded his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “That means it worked.”
“Worked?”
“He got jealous that I had your attention. Your kiss—the one we practiced—affected him so much. But he obviously really likes you, too. Otherwise he wouldn’t have asked you out on a date.”
The mere mention of our practice kiss had it flashing in my mind again, and my nipples tightened. Oh, God. Scott, for his part, didn’t even blink.
“Right.”
“Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Yeah,” I replied. I was getting a headache from all the questions that were trying to form in my mind. I shook my head. “I’m tired. I’ll go now, okay? You have fun.”
He tilted his head. “I’ll take you home.”
“But you were with—”
“I’ll take you home,” he repeated firmly.
I nodded, accepting the gesture. A look back revealed the brunette was gone from the area, so maybe it wasn’t what I was thinking.
Or maybe Scott really just prioritized friends over hookups. I didn’t know anymore.
He placed his hand on my lower back, steering me out of there. Lust jolted in my belly, and I could have cursed out loud at the suddenness of it. It
took me by surprise.
No, it took me by shock.
I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what this meant: that my physical attraction to Scott from when I accidentally stumbled upon him on our first meeting was still here, lying dormant all the time—and stirred by our practice kiss, then woken up completely by my not-so-explosive kiss with Doug. But it was only physical attraction, because I still couldn’t imagine myself being with Scott, or dating him, or anything like that. We were friends, nothing more.
But dating him does not equate letting him touch—
I shut down the wayward thought before it could fully form. My breath was shaky, and every brush of Scott’s hand on my skin had me on so much fire I could barely think.
Another light bulb seared in my head.
When he got me back in my apartment, I had a plan.
One that would burn this attraction to the ground and give me the chance I needed with Doug.
Chapter Fourteen
SCOTT
There was something seriously wrong with Julie, and I was planning to get her loosened up and relaxed so she could tell me exactly what it was. So I drove her to my apartment instead.
It only cemented my suspicions when she didn’t even say anything to the change of driving direction. The observant Julie usually had a lot to say about all kinds of matters she had an opinion about, but now she was quiet in the passenger’s seat, her brows furrowed in a deep line and a frown marring her face. She looked deep in thought, and whatever she was thinking about was bothering her very much.
I parked in front of my building and looked at her.
“We’re here.”
“Hmm.”
“Wanna have some drinks?” I asked.
“Hmm.”
“We could totally ravish each other later.”
Her head snapped up. I smirked as her eye caught mine, hers widening enough to let me know she was now paying attention. Good. After a few seconds, she finally looked around.
“We’re not…?”
“At your apartment? Why, yes, that’s very observant, Jules.”
