“Ava, that’s crazy.”
“No, it’s not. It’s perfect. Everything else we were thinking about before was so haphazard—you showing up all over campus with different guys hoping to make him jealous, even writing about him on the blog—all of that felt sloppy. But this, this is exactly right.”
She wrinkled her forehead, and her lips tightened. “It’s not fair to you. Ave, you don’t need to do this.”
“Oh, I think I do. And it’s fair to me. He decided to include me in his games. He wants to mess with me? Good. Now it’s time for him to get a big old tablespoon of his own medicine.”
“The last thing I want to do is plan another birthday party.” Jules groaned. “You know what people are going to be saying. It’ll bring up everything from December again.”
“Exactly. So it’ll be fresh in people’s minds. And when Liam walks in, every eye will be on him.”
“Ava, are you sure ...?”
I squeezed her arm. “Stop it, Jules. I’m positive. Get the girls on the floor to help you with the decorations. You can handle the food. We can have it in the main lounge here. And don’t worry about Liam. I’ll deliver a special invitation to him.”
Julia shook her head. “God, Ave, you scare me. Remember you’re supposed to use your powers for good, not evil.”
I laughed. “This is for the good. Liam Bailey is going to learn what happens when you screw with the wrong women.”
***
THE MAIN LOUNGE in our dorm was wall-to-wall crepe paper and balloons. Letting fifty freshman girls loose with decorations and a helium tank might not have been a good idea, but at least the room looked ... festive.
Julia stood in the middle of the chaos, pointing at people, yelling directions and ogling her boyfriend as he carried in an ice chest. It made me smile; the last few weeks had been rough on the two of them. As I had predicted, the original revenge plan had turned around to bite Jules in the ass when Jesse heard rumors that his new girlfriend was dating every guy on campus. It had taken a lot of explanation on her part and understanding on his before they settled everything.
In the process, Julia had promised that she wouldn’t try for payback against Liam anymore. So as far as she and Jesse knew, tonight was just my birthday party, pure and simple. I didn’t want to make it any different, although neither of them knew I hadn’t abandoned my own, more subtle plans for finally getting Liam out of my system.
He hadn’t given up on me, even when I refused to answer his calls. So it wasn’t hard to send him a quick text at the last minute, inviting him to the party Julia was throwing. He’d answered right away.
I’ll be there.
“Ava, you looked beautiful.” Julia hugged me and then held me out at arms’ length. She inspected me head to toe. We’d spent hours taming my black hair into manageable fat curls without a hint of frizz. It fell perfectly over my shoulders, which were bared in the flirty little black dress I’d found at the thrift shop.
“Everything in here looks so pretty. Thank you so much for all of this.” I smiled up into the dimpled face of her boyfriend. “I’m glad you’re here, Jesse. It’s going to be fun tonight.”
Jules leaned back against Jesse’s chest. “I hope so. As long as you’re happy, so am I. You deserve a kick-ass party.”
“That’s just what this is going to be.” Jesse threaded his fingers through Julia’s and leaned to kiss her neck. I looked away to hide my sudden stab of envy. I was happy for my friend; Jesse was a keeper. And I wasn’t looking for a relationship, I reminded myself. I just wanted my boring old life back. Tonight was the first step in making that happen.
“Jules! Everything looks perfect.” Giff came up behind me and reached around to hug Jules. “You’re getting to be a pro. Parties by Julia. Nah, that’s too plain. I’ll have to come up with something better.”
“Yeah, no thanks. I think I’ll keep my day job.” Julia smiled. “At least no one’s going to be surprised at this one. I hope.”
Giff laughed, and Julia introduced him to Jesse. When a freshman came up in a panic about missing napkins, Jules excused herself to help. Giff turned to me.
“There’s the birthday girl. Looking gorgeous as always, peaches.” He leaned down to kiss my cheek. “Ava, when are you going to give in and let me set you up with the perfect guy? All you have to do is say yes, and I can make it happen.”
I laughed. “Thanks, but no. You know my rules. Graduate with honors, get the degree, get the job ... and then maybe I’ll have time for men.”
He shook his head. “All work and no play ... is a waste of all this beauty.”
“Ah, Giff.” I patted his arm. “You’re good for my ego. Now fill me in on this new guy in your life. Jules says he’s pretty awesome.”
Giff and I chatted until a few people I knew from class came over to say hello. I began to relax and enjoy myself. Julia waved to me with a smile as she headed over to check on the food, which was just being laid out on the long tables.
And then an abrupt silence crashed over the room. I caught the expression on Giff’s face as he looked toward the door, and I knew.
Julia’s face froze. She knew that I had invited Liam, but she hadn’t expected him to show up. Or maybe the overwhelming sense of déjà vu was hitting her. Everyone in the room was watching, waiting to see what they would do.
Liam glanced over the crowd, but he didn’t move until he spotted me. His eyes fastened on my face, and skimmed down my body. I felt a flush of heat, as though he were touching me. He took half a step toward me and then stopped.
Julia came from behind me and threaded her way through groups of people. She held her head high, smiling. She paused in front of him, and then held out her hand.
“I’m so glad you could make it, Liam. Come on, get something to eat.” She looked back at me. “Ava’s over there. I’m sure you want to tell her happy birthday.” She raised her voice to encompass the room, “Let’s eat up, everyone! I’m bringing out the cake in about half an hour.”
The spell of silence broke as guests surged toward the tables. Julia touched my shoulder as she passed by me on her way back to Jesse’s side, but I didn’t move.
“Hey, birthday girl, let’s get you a plate.” Giff came up next to me. “Quick, before the freshman vermin devour it all.”
I forced a smile. “Okay. Good idea.”
He glanced down at me, curiosity in his eyes. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just ...” I whooshed out a breath. “You know. Weird. After last time.” I looked over at Liam, who had turned to join the food line.
“Oh, right. Well, I like to think that maybe our boy is leaning how to behave and play nice. I didn’t know he was coming tonight, by the way. I hope Jules knows I didn’t tell him about it.”
“It’s all good. Let’s eat.”
Everything was delicious, and Giff was right—it was gone in short order. They brought in the cake, and everyone sang to me while I kept a smile pasted on my face. I cut slices until everyone had some and then took my own plate into the corner to sit with Giff.
I was just licking the last bits of frosting off my plastic fork when I felt Liam’s hand on my shoulder.
“Happy birthday, Ava.”
I looked up, intent on keeping my face expressionless. “Thank you, Liam.”
Across the room, someone called for Giff. He hesitated, glancing at me.
“Go ahead, I’m fine.” I watched as he joined a crowd of guys Julia and I had met earlier this year.
Liam dropped into the chair he’d vacated. “So. Nice party.”
“Yes. Julia has a knack for them.”
“Ava ... I’m glad you invited me tonight.” He reached across the table and touched my arm. “Go out with me tonight, after everyone leaves. We’ll go get a drink. Or coffee.”
I sighed. “Don’t ruin this, please.”
“I don’t want to ruin anything. I want to spend time with you.”
“Why? I’ve made it clear how I feel. St
op wasting your time, Liam.” I tossed the words out as a test, wondering how he would respond. I was playing a risky game, and the deeper I got, the more I began to dread how it would end. I kept telling myself that I wanted him to leave me alone, but right now, sitting so close to him ... I wasn’t so sure.
He didn’t answer, but he didn’t move away, either. People were beginning to leave, and a few stopped to hug me and wish me happy birthday again. Most looked at Liam with open curiosity, but he ignored them all.
I followed the direction of his gaze across the room, to where Jesse had Julia wrapped in his arms as she looked up at him. He caught me watching him.
“What are you doing after this is over?” His voice was low and tugged at a yearning low in my center.
“Nothing. Going back to my room, getting ready for bed, I guess.”
“Is Julia going to be there?”
I was torn between telling the truth and protecting myself. What I wanted was becoming less clear by the minute.
“No,” I said finally. “She’s going home with Jesse.” This was going to be their first overnight together, and Jules was both nervous and excited.
“Can I come over, then? I promise, I’ll behave. I won’t push. I’ll sit across the room from you if that’s what you want.”
I played with the edge of the plastic tablecloth as two voices within me warred for supremacy. Liam leaned forward and laid his arm over the table, with his hand palm up near mine.
“Please?” The whisper caressed my ear and slid down my spine. Before I could think about it anymore, I nodded.
THE GOOD THING about living in a freshman dorm was that we had ready labor. Just as the girls had helped organize and set up my birthday party, they also stayed to pitch in on cleaning up.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and supervise?” Julia stood in the hall with Jesse, looking over my shoulder into the lounge. “It’s your birthday, you shouldn’t have to work.”
I gave her a little shove. “Go. My minions are on it. I won’t have to lift a finger. And with any luck, this will tire them all out, and they won’t have the energy to get into trouble and bother me the rest of the weekend. You two ...” I pointed at them. “Shoo, shoo. Take her home with you, Jesse. Force her to relax.”
The slow smile the spread across his face made me blush, and I shook my head and hid my eyes. “I don’t want details. Just go.”
Jules laughed. “Okay, we’re going. I’ll see you around dinner tomorrow, right? Jesse’s sister is coming down for lunch. I get to meet her.” The tone of her voice didn’t match her words. I knew Jesse’s mother and sister, who lived in New York, were less than enthusiastic about him dating someone down in South Jersey, and Julia was nervous about the whole thing.
“She’s going to love you. Why wouldn’t she? Have fun. And thank you again, both of you.” I hugged my roommate and then stood on tiptoe to kiss Jesse’s cheek. “Take care of my girl here.”
It didn’t take long for the freshman to fill several trash bags and carry them down to the dumpster. I did a once-over inspection to make sure everything was back in order before I let them go.
Liam had disappeared at some point during the clean-up process. I wondered if he had changed his mind about coming over tonight, and I tried not to care.
The halls were relatively quiet as I made my way back to my room. A group of girls swung around the corner, still dressed up, heading out. They waved to me.
“Great party, Ava! Happy birthday again.”
I smiled. Sometimes looking at freshman made me feel ancient. They were so enthusiastic and ... young. I caught sight of a familiar face in the crowd of girls. Rachel the freshman was giggling with one of her friends. She glanced over at me and grinned as they chattered. Apparently, her broken heart was healing.
I unlocked my door and flipped on the light, kicking off the heels that had been torturing my poor feet all night. The room was quiet without Julia, and I mused that I had better get used to it. I had a feeling that she was going to be spending most of her time with Mr. Tall, Sweet and Dimpled from now on.
I put away my shoes and had just shut the closet door when I heard a soft knock. My pulse skittered, even as I sternly warned myself that it was probably just a stray freshman girl who needed my wisdom.
I took a deep breath, opened the door and tried not to grin like a fool when I saw Liam standing on the other side, leaning against the jam with his hands behind his back.
“Hey.” His eyes trailed down from my face, running along my body. When he made his way back to my eyes, he smiled. “Can I come in?”
“Oh. Yeah.” I stood back out of the way, and he stepped inside, closing the door. Julia and I had the biggest room on the floor, but strangely, with Liam standing in it with me, it felt much too small.
“Happy birthday.” He brought his hands around, and in one of them was a perfect pink rose.
“Ohhhh.” I took it, careful of the thorns, and brought to my nose, sniffing deep. “It’s beautiful. But you didn’t have to.”
He lifted one shoulder. “I wanted to. I’d like to take you out to dinner to celebrate your birthday, but I have a feeling you’d say no. So ... this is what I did.”
I stood rooted to the floor, staring down at the flower. I’d never gotten a flower from a boy before. Almost involuntarily, I stroked it along my cheek, feeling the velvet softness against my skin.
Liam made a noise in his throat, almost a strangled sound. I glanced up into eyes that were full of fire and an intense want.
“I should put this in water,” I whispered and turned to the small cabinet. All we had were our fancy red plastic cups, so I pulled out one of those and filled it with water from the bathroom. Liam didn’t move, but I felt his eyes on me as I set the cup on my desk. When I turned back, he reached one finger to trace down my arm.
“You look so beautiful tonight.” He caught my fingers between his own. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dressed up like this.”
“Thanks.” My tongue darted out to touch my lip. “You look good, too.”
And he did. He wore a long-sleeved button-up dress shirt with his jeans. The collar was open, and the cuffs were turned up so that I could see his forearms.
Liam tugged gently on the hand he held, pulling me closer so that my hip bumped against his leg.
“I thought you were going to stay far away, across the room from me.” I felt I had to say it, even if I knew there was no way it was going to happen.
Liam smirked. “I said I would if you wanted me to. Do you want me to?” Before I could answer, or even think about answering, he dipped his head to kiss along the side of my neck.
I couldn’t help myself. My arms went up around his back, and my head tilted to the side, giving him better access. He moved his hands to my back, fitting me closer to him as my breasts pressed against the hard muscled wall of his chest.
“What do you think, Ava ... should I go stand on the far side of the room?” He made his way to my mouth, and when I opened my lips to answer, he took advantage of the chance to kiss me, moving with knee-buckling slowness.
I was standing on my toes now to get as close as I could. Liam’s right hand spread over my lower back, pressing me into him. His left hand tangled in the back of my hair, fingers caressing my scalp.
It had been so long since I’d given myself to being touched like this, other than my all-too-brief kisses with Liam over the last weeks. But tonight, the guilt and confusion that had clouded those times were gone. I wanted his hands on me. I wanted to kiss him until I couldn’t breathe, until I forgot my own name.
He groaned as he slid his hand from my neck, down my back and around to my side. My heart stuttered as his fingers teased at the bottom of my breast, covered only with the thin black material of the dress. I twisted, wanting more.
“Can we sit down?” He murmured the words against my ear, sending goose-bumps down my spine. I nodded, and he scooped me into his arms, carrying me to my bed.
He sat down, laying me across his lap, as his lips trailed over my face.
I let myself touch his jaw, and then flattened one hand against his broad chest. I could feel the movement of muscle through the cotton of his shirt. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted the warmth of his skin against my palm, so I slid my fingers to the buttons, fumbling to undo them.
“God, Ava, you are so beautiful. So fucking beautiful.” Liam used one teasing finger under the thin string strap of my dress. “Your skin is like ... milk.”
“Really? Milk?” I made a face. “I’m not much of a milk-drinker.”
He kissed my neck, his lips curving into a smile. “Okay. Not milk. Umm ... alabaster?”
“Do you even know what that is?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. But maybe ...” He eased the strap down, lowering just the one side until the top of my breast was bared. “One year my parents took me to Anguilla, in the Carribbean. The sand on the beaches there is amazing. So soft and white, like powder, and warm ... that’s what your skin reminds me of most. I wanted to sink into that sand for the rest of my life.” His eyes captured mine, and I couldn’t speak.
Then, bending his neck over me, with my head still resting in the crook of his other arm, he kissed down the exposed skin of my breast until his tongue met the edge of the fabric that hid my nipple. I lay perfectly still, almost afraid to breathe.
He straightened until he was looking down into my eyes again, replacing his lips with a single finger that drew a sensual circle over the silk, around the already-stiff peak. I arched my back, and the dress fell away. Liam muttered something I didn’t understand and dropped his open mouth to the small pink bud.
The feeling of his tongue stroking the tip of my nipple as his mouth sucked hard drove me crazy. I wriggled in his lap, restless and wanting so much more. My hip jutted against the zipper of his jeans, straining with the proof of his desire.
I hadn’t thought ahead, hadn’t planned how far I was willing to go tonight. Being impulsive was a foreign concept to me, and it made me nervous. Part of me didn’t want to think; it just wanted to feel and experience and touch. But the other side of me, the part that was growing increasingly alarmed, was yelling for me to wait. To consider this, what not stopping might mean. What it had meant before.
Just Desserts Page 6
