It’s one thing to admire my hot neighbor when we pass each other in the hall. It’s another when he’s got his attention locked on me when there are about a million and one women he should be watching, like the kind I see going in and out of his apartment at all hours. I don’t have the big boobs, big hair, or even the big attitude. I’m just Kayla Riggs, voted most likely to be forgotten before the conversation ends. I’ve been compared to a librarian—not the hot kind.
Ian may have been right about one thing. I do need to loosen up. Not spontaneous? Ha! I’ll show the Ians of the world just how spontaneous I can be.
I wink at Jake and then spike an eyebrow. Is that how it works? I’ve never been very good at flirting. Maybe I should flip my hair. That should do it. He doesn’t respond and even turns his back to me.
Disappointment consumes me as I slump my shoulders. Wow. Talk about an epic fail. Am I really that bad at flirting? So much for being spontaneous. What was I thinking? Girls like me don’t attract the attention of guys like Jake. I steal one more glance at him as my parting gift. Maybe he’ll pay me some attention in my dreams tonight.
To my shock, he’s making his way over. What do I do? Stand here? Smile? I roll my shoulders and stick out what boobs I have. He didn’t complain when had his face buried in them. Then again, that was one hundred forty-two days ago, the last time I had sex worthy of a memory, but who’s keeping track?
“Hey, beautiful.” His velvety voice strums over my nerves. It could also be the fact he’s so close I smell him. “Looks like you could use a drink.” Without more than a quick nod at the bartender, Jake has a fresh drink in my hand. “Should we toast?”
Holy shit. Jake Swanson is paying attention to me. Me! And in public, which is a first. I struggle to keep my breathing under control, let alone the pounding of my heart. Don’t blow this, Kayla. “To what?”
“To the super running the rats out of our building.” He clinks our glasses together and I can’t help but smile. The way his eyes dance has me staring, unable to pull away. I love those eyes, love getting lost in them.
I finally snap out of it with a few blinks. “There’re no rats in our building.” I take a drink and add, “There’d better not be or I’m moving out tonight.”
“Wow. He’s good.” Jake winks and I lose my ability to speak. Okay, so he’s cute. Gorgeous, even. That doesn’t mean he should have the power to render me mute. I’m about to graduate BU with honors. I didn’t have time for Ian’s bullshit and definitely don’t have time for Jake’s.
Damn but how I want to have time, just for one night before we say good-bye forever. I try to appear nonchalant as I regard him. Holy hell, the way his eyes dance when he grins. Even his teeth are sexy.
I snap out of my Jake-induced lust-coma once again. “If he can fix my balcony before it falls off, I’d be impressed.”
“You and I both know he’s not about to lift a finger unless it’s to fix his comb-over.” He leans his elbow on the bar as he captures me in that mesmerizing gaze. His shoulders appear even more sculpted than I remember. I can’t stop staring. “I could look at it. I’ve been told I’m pretty good with my hands.”
You can say that again.
I swallow hard. That would mean he’d be inside my apartment. Again. The only other time he paid me any attention was to come in to borrow a movie, which turned into us watching it together. A few too many beers later, we attacked each other and had an all-out fuckfest on my loveseat.
See, Ian? I can be spontaneous, you prick.
To hell with Ian Hornsby. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, no one has the right to make me feel inferior. I need to get over it and know exactly how to do that—rebound sex with someone not looking for anything more than a one-night stand. Jake is the biggest player I know. He’s definitely the no-strings-attached kind of guy I’d never go for on a more permanent basis. He’s perfect.
I pound my drink and face him as I slam my empty on the bar. I only have one chance at this. It’s now or never. Time to apply a little extra liquid-courage. “Let’s do a shot.”
Jake grins and catches the bartender’s attention. “Two shots, Mike.”
Mike wipes off the bar in front of us. “Of?”
“Tequila,” I answer before I chicken out.
“Be careful with this stuff.” Jake grabs the shots Mike places on the bar and hands one to me before positioning the salt and lime wedges between us. “I hear tequila makes a person’s clothes fall off.”
I grab his hand, lick the web of skin between his thumb and finger, sprinkle the salt, lick it off, toss the tequila back, and quickly suck the lime to kill the burn. Jake stands there, darting his shocked gaze from his hand to my mouth and back. He grins and throws back his shot before jerking me to him, then literally bites the lime wedge right out of my mouth.
Holy shit, that’s hot. I stare at the lime between those beautiful lips and lick mine in return. I’m so screwed.
I hope.
3
{Kayla}
“I’ve missed you,” Jake declares.
How I wish I could believe him, but I know better. Tools like Jake Swanson don’t miss anything but a good time. I breathe out to calm my racing heart. It does nothing to calm my libido, now throbbing. “We live next door to each other.”
“And yet it takes us both being at a bar to see each other.” He shakes his head, a glimmer of wicked amusement in his eyes. “How is it you’ve successfully avoided me for, what, five months now?”
“I’m not avoiding you. I’m just not going out of my way to chase you down.” As soon as I admit it, I roll my eyes to hide my embarrassment. Smooth comeback, Riggs. Why not tell him about the dreams you’ve had about him as well?
“Did I, or did I not, catch you peeking out of your apartment the other day when I was leaving. I tried to say hi, but you slammed your door.”
Heat slaps my cheeks as the mortification sinks into me. I would have said hi had he not been with a beautiful blonde. That memory kills my confidence. No way am I going through the regret of sleeping with him and watching him walk away, not again. Clearly, I’m still not over it after almost six months. “Forget it. Go pick up someone else.”
“Is that what I’m doing? If I recall, you winked at me, baby.”
Now I’m pissed. I hate how he can take me from calm and cool to ready to kill him in seconds. This is why I avoid him. His arrogance is epic. “Don’t call me that. I’m not your baby. Or your sweetheart. Honey. Or even babe. I have a name.”
“I know. Kayla is a sexy name, just like you. And—” he goes on, cutting off my attempt to protest. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I bite my tongue as I slam my mouth shut from shock. “You are?”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about your boyfriend. When he vapes on your balcony, the smell comes right into my place. You know we aren’t allowed to smoke in the building. That includes vaping. Not only is it not healthy, it’s also a fire hazard.”
“How is vaping a fire hazard? There’s no open heat source.” I’m irritated he uses now of all times to give me one of his many lectures on fire safety. It’s like living next door to Smokey the Bear. I’m also irritated how I know exactly what is considered a fire hazard, thanks to living next to Smokey.
“Smoking is smoking.”
“First of all, he wasn’t in the building. He was on my balcony, which you’ve already pointed out. Second of all, he’s out of the picture, so that won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t look so proud of yourself. It had nothing to do with you.” Despite me mentally comparing everything he did to Jake. The way he kissed me. The way he touched me. Nothing felt right.
“You seem tense. How about we do another shot?”
I open my mouth to say something witty. He uses the opportunity to sneak in and brush his lips across mine, lingering long enough for his taste to soak into me. When he pulls back, he smiles. “Better?”
Better? I can�
��t even breathe now. “I, uh… What was that?”
“That was me saying I’m sorry.”
I really like the way he apologizes. For what, I don’t care. I just want him to do it again. “Why are you sorry?”
“Breakups suck.”
“It was his fault.” Why I feel the need to tell him that I have no idea.
“Then you’re better off without him.” He grabs the shots Mike sets on the bar and lifts one to me. “Come on, Kayla. Have another shot with me. We’ll toast to being single. Please?”
I don’t like the fact I’m single. That was never part of the plan. I’m supposed to be in a long-term relationship by now. I’m supposed to have a list of dream jobs to choose from, my future husband by my side, helping me decide. After our long and carefully timed engagement, we’d be married at sunset on a sugary beach. Once we had a nice, fat savings, we’d start our family. It’s so perfect, just the way it’s supposed to be. Just the way I’d planned it since I was in the second grade.
Ian and I breaking up was never part of the plan. Being here with Jake when I should be home stressing about my future is definitely not part of the plan. None of anything happening in my life right now is part of the plan. I’m close to having a full-on meltdown just thinking about it.
But I refuse to panic.
Maybe I do need another shot. I grab the one he’s offering and throw it back. Shit, that burns. The tequila does its job and relaxes me. Maybe one more before I ask Jake to take me home and make me forget why I came to the bar in the first place. “Two more shots, please.”
“And keep them coming,” Jake adds without pulling his attention from me. As soon as Mike moves out of earshot, Jake leans toward me. “I’d like to keep you coming.”
My buzz dies as reality crashes down. I narrow my eyes. He did not just say that. What the hell am I doing? This, right here, is why I avoid guys like Jake Swanson. A couple shots of tequila together and he thinks it’s an open invitation. Granted, that’s exactly what I want to happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s an automatic thing. I’m an idiot to think this was ever a good idea. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
And I can never unhear that. “You’re not serious.”
“What makes you think I’m not serious? I want to make you come, Kayla Riggs. I want you writhing beneath my body, both of us slippery with sweat, as we make sure we didn’t miss anything our first time together. Let’s see if I can break my record on the number of orgasms I can trigger.” He winks.
“Cocky much?” While the image he paints is amazing—and vivid—I’m hesitant to take this any further. Rebound sex is, was, and always will be a terrible idea, especially with a man who clearly thinks he’s the cat’s ass. There are other ways to get over Ian. Ice cream has magical properties when it comes to breakup recovery.
“Thanks, but no thanks.” I turn to leave.
Jake stops me with a hand on my arm. “Where’re you going?”
“I changed my mind.”
“About what?”
I open my mouth and then snap it closed. I can’t just come out and admit I wanted him to take me home. Besides, that ship has sailed. He’s done everything wrong tonight. How does this guy get laid so much? Is he this bad at picking up girls all the time? Or maybe he’s just having an off night. Regardless, it’s knocked enough sense into me to walk away. “Good-bye, Jake.”
“Please, don’t go. I’m sorry. I was just trying to have a little fun.”
No. No way. I recognize that shimmer in his eyes and shake my head. He’s not going to convince me to have sex with him, not now. I’ve already made up my mind. I should have known better than to go out by myself. Tequila messes with my head and kills my usually sound judgment. Then again, so does being in the same airspace as Jake. That explains why the way he’s eyeing me has me ready to agree to anything. Damn it. How does he do that?
“Come on, Kayla. Live a little. We both graduate in a month.”
Don’t remind me. “What does one have to do with the other?”
“The fact you even have to ask me that should answer your question.”
I take a breath to tell him off just as Mike delivers two more shots.
“My turn to shock you. Hold this.” He places the lime wedge between my teeth. He then sprinkles salt into his mouth, tosses back the shot, and slides his lips over mine to capture the lime. When he bites down, releasing tangy juices into my mouth as he kisses me, those around us cheer. He nips at my lower lip before pulling back, the fruit in his mouth. And then he smiles wide, showing off the green rind.
I can’t help but laugh.
Okay, maybe this isn’t such a bad idea. I could use a little more laughter tonight.
Another shot later, Jake’s phone rings. He kills the noise without ever removing his attention from me. “Ready for another one?”
“I’m done.” I should have stopped two shots ago. I can’t even see straight. His phone rings again. And, again, he kills the noise without checking it. “Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Because the only person I want to talk to is right here.” He smiles. I grab the bar before I collapse into a puddle of overactive pheromones. “Whatever it is can wait. Our night together can’t.” He extends his hand.
I swallow. Twice. So that’s how he does it. I don’t just feel like the only girl in his world right now. The way he’s looking at me convinces me I am. “Our night?”
“You said you wanted me to look at your balcony.”
“I never said that. You offered.” I take his hand.
“Lead the way.”
“You know where I live.”
“Then I’ll lead.” He tosses money on the bar, gives Mike a nod, and pulls me outside. It’s a nice night for it being May on an island in Washington, a state famous for its rainfall, so we decide to save our money and walk instead of taking the bus or calling for an Uber. I spent the rest of my cash at the bar anyway. Besides, I need the crispness in the air to sober me up a bit before I do something I’ll regret, like attack him here in the open and end up being charged with indecent exposure.
We walk in silence and, of course, my brain goes into overdrive as a nagging voice lists all the reasons this is a bad idea. We’ve already crossed that line once and both wrote it off as an act of desperation. A convenient booty call. Having just come out of a relationship, I don’t want to jump back in to one. Is sleeping together more than once considered a relationship? Or just a double whammy bammy thank you mammy?
It doesn’t take us nearly long enough to get to our building. I smile awkwardly and climb the stairs to the second floor. The elevator has never worked for as long as I’ve lived here, which is now going on a year. With every step, I think of another reason why we shouldn’t do this. By the time I reach our floor I’m ready to call it quits. I turn to face Jake and he takes me—in every sense of the word.
He captures my lips with his and walks me backward down the hall. I should put up a fight. Protest. Something. But I’m too damn horny, especially with the tequila controlling my actions. That and this incredible kiss. My breath quickens. God, I love the dominance in his touch, the hard little kisses he delivers, rendering me helpless but to take them.
Jake Swanson is not the type of guy a girl settles down with, and I know that. At least, not a girl like me. I want forever, the fairy tale. I want someone like Richard Gere to drive up in a limo and fight his fear of heights as he climbs a fire escape to rescue his pretty woman from the tallest tower. Jake wouldn’t even take the express elevator to rescue me, and tonight I’m okay with that. We aren’t exactly soul mates. This is just another default booty call, an early graduation present to us both.
We make it to my door. I fumble with my keys, my hands shake so much. Once I get the door open, we stumble inside, giggling, kissing, and definitely petting. He kicks the door closed and throws his jacket off before untucking his shirt. I h
elp him, which frees up his hands to attack my clothes.
“This doesn’t mean anything,” I tell him as I latch onto his earlobe.
“Why would it?”
“It’s our second time.”
He’s playfully nipping my shoulder but stops and pulls back as he rests his gaze on me. “So?”
“So, this is the last time. We can’t cross the third tap threshold.”
Jake chuckles. “Another one of your arbitrary rules?”
“What do you mean, another one?”
“Kayla, you have too many rules, all made up to keep you from having fun. You need to learn to live a little, sweetheart, while you’re still young enough to enjoy it.”
God, it’s like a broken record. What’s wrong with a little order in a person’s life? He’s gone back to feasting on my shoulder as he slides my shirt off. “As opposed to you?”
This time he retreats a step and narrows his eyes. “Meaning?”
“You’re a total player, Jake. You have no rules.”
“On purpose. We’re in college. Now’s the time to say fuck the rules and do what we want. We’ll have the rest of our lives to follow the rules.” He sighs when I widen my eyes. I’d have a complete meltdown if I didn’t have rules. I couldn’t live in absolute uncertainty. It would be chaos. I’d stroke out. “Do you remember the first words you said to me when I moved in next door?”
“No.” I just remember staring at him whenever I could get away with it. I still do that.
He lifts his fingers one-by-one as he counts off. “No noise after ten. No burning popcorn or the smell will carry into your apartment since the air vents are connected. No drunken orgies.”
I laugh and push at his shoulder. “I never said no drunken orgies.” But he’s made his point. I have a lot of rules. My friends tell me that all the time. I don’t know how to live any other way. My parents are devout followers of every law, regulation, and guideline out there. Neither one of them even go a mile over the speed limit. They’re all about the rules. It’s what I know.
“You didn’t? Damn, you mean I could have had orgies all this time?” He winks and I giggle at how cute he looks.
The Heat Is On (TREX Rookies Book 2) Page 3
