by Jennifer Ann
These parties are the worst.
“My boyfriend,” I lie, nodding. “He’s head of security for the Vikings. Big guy, about six four and three fifty. He should be here any minute. I’m sure he’d be into talking sports with you if you want to stick around.”
Cal sways on his feet. I can literally see his intelligence shrinking as he tries to think. “Do you have a problem with me?”
Taking a deep breath, I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “I would actually have to know you before I could make such conclusions.”
His eyebrows raise clumsily as he takes a step closer. “Maybe you should take the time to get to know me.” The stench of his breath about knocks me over when he moves in to grab my arm.
“Hey!” I yell, trying to shake him off. “Let go of me!” Quite frankly my new buddy Cal seems too inebriated to have a full understanding of what country he’s in at the moment, but I take a step back anyway, ready to bolt.
Out of nowhere, another guy steps in at my side. Nice build with short, dark hair, casually dressed rather than some of the pretentious guys in sports jackets and pressed button downs. The fragrance of men’s body spray, spearmint gum, and something else musky and manly follows him. I hardly notice anything else once his piercing, steely blue eyes fall on me.
“Hey,” he says, his voice deliciously deep and smooth. A nice row of white teeth appears behind his easygoing smile, slight pucker of dimples popping onto his cheeks.
I throw my own version of a sexy smile back his way, but it probably looks more like a five-year-old meeting her first Disney princess in person. “Hey.”
He tips his head at Cal, his eyes never leaving mine. “Everything okay?”
“She’s fine,” Cal answers, finally dropping my arm. “We were just getting to know each other.”
The two guys study each other with their chests out, chins lifted, gazes hard. My money would go on the baller by freakishly unnatural height alone, but the new guy doesn’t seem threatened. The intensity between them pinches my lungs.
“It’s fine, really. He was just telling me he had to leave,” I finally say, not wanting to see the hot guy get his ass kicked.
Cal glares at me a minute before he finally turns, stumbling as he mutters “bitch”, and disappears into the crowd. There’s nothing like the shunning by someone whose morals are clearly higher than yours, especially when they’re too blitzed to remember it in the morning.
The new guy shakes his head, irritation visible in his expression. His clear eyes are so beautiful, they about take my breath away. “You okay?”
I bray in a nervous giggle. “Guys like that with a shoe size bigger than his IQ? It takes a lot more than that to fluster me.”
He chuckles, scanning the crowd like he’s looking for someone. I take the opportunity to give him a good once over. Broad shoulders, square face, thick eyelashes, strong cheekbones, straight nose. Dark stubble covers his jaw, matching his short hair, the slightly longer stuff on top styled in a precarious ‘do. He looks out of place here in his gray raglan shirt, slightly stretched from the muscle underneath, hole-covered jeans, brown leather bracelet, worn-out Chucks. He’d be better suited in the crowd at a rock concert.
When he turns back to me, I about die as I’m staring intently at him while biting my lip.
“I’m Adam, by the way.”
Underneath his approving gaze, I suddenly feel ten times sexier than normal. “Jewels.”
He raises his thick eyebrows, smirking. “Want to get out of here?”
I sigh. This hottie is probably just another guy looking to hook up—bump uglies, no questions asked. It seems that kind is easier to find than a condom dispenser. A few months ago during my careless stage, I totally would’ve been down for a romp with this gorgeous man. Now that I’m somewhat committed to Levi, however, I can’t let myself go down that path again. “I’m kind of seeing someone.”
Adam glances over my shoulder. “Is he here?”
I grunt to myself. It doesn’t really matter that Levi works all the time, or that he’s way beyond his college years. He still wouldn’t come. “No, these kinds of parties aren’t his scene. They’re not exactly mine either, but yet, here I am.”
Adam shoves his hands in his pockets. “I just meant we should get some fresh air. This place is pretty thick, and you don’t really seem the smoking type.”
“Yeah, sure. I guess my lungs could use a cleansing.”
One of his hands falls to my lower back while he uses the other one to keep people from bumping into me as we fight our way through the sweaty bodies. It’s a sweet gesture, one that Levi wouldn’t make in a million years. My imagination kicks into overdrive, picturing Adam’s hand dropping lower to my butt, the other reaching for my—
No. I shake my head. I can’t allow myself to go there.
Jesus, Jewels. Get a grip.
We finally break through the pack of loud drunks and through the front door, letting the cold fresh air of the dark night fill our lungs. The remaining cold leftover from winter chills me to the bone. I suck in a shaky breath. “Yeah, that’s definitely better.”
Leaning against a stone retaining wall at the edge of the stairway, Adam rests his hands behind his back, looking up to the dark sky. I stare at his relaxed posture, realizing he’s probably the type I could get along with. The type I probably should be with. Easygoing. Fun. Relaxed. The way his arms bulge just the right amount and his t-shirt bends around the muscles of his stomach, he definitely works out. Probably not for looks, but to stay in shape. Ex-football player in high school maybe. A flush climbs up my neck when I start to envision him naked. My eyes are trailing from his chest to the surge in his jeans when I catch him watching me.
“Where you from?” he asks.
“Here. I made it a whopping fifteen miles from home. You?”
“I live here too.” He thrusts a hand at the house. “I mean, not in this place, but in La Crosse.”
The intimate way his beautiful eyes peer into me have me even more intrigued, and majorly turned on. “You don’t go to school here?” I ask, looking down at my phone to avoid meeting his gorgeous gaze.
“I dropped out last semester. You?”
Sliding my phone back into my back jeans pocket, I find the courage to face him. Once again, the way his eyes drink me in is toe-curling amazing. “Sophomore. Undecided.”
Chuckling in his deep, succulent voice, a puff of white air falls from his lips. They’re a nice set of lips, dusty-rose colored and as full as you would want lips on a guy. The kind that would be delightful to suck on. “You mean you’re in your twenties and don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life? What’s wrong with you?”
I grin, excited to play along. “Indecision runs in my family. My mom went to college when she was my age to be a teacher. When I was five she went again to get a nursing degree. Any guess what she does now?”
Under the house light, I catch his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Exotic animal wrangler?”
I shake my head with a hiccup of a giggle. “You were this close. She’s manager for a chain of discount clothing stores.”
Adam chuckles loudly, clapping his hands together. I love the sound of it, and want to make him laugh like that again. I suddenly want to know everything about him.
“I’m probably the only one in this school whose parents don’t really care if I ever declare a major,” I tell him. “They’re more concerned that I get as many life experiences as possible.”
Adam tilts his head. “I feel like I’ve seen you before. You work on campus?”
“The library. Work study.”
It was one of the less creative conditions my parents threw at me after they discovered Levi. While I was less than thrilled when I discovered he had a little boy with an ex-girlfriend, I’ve gotten over it. But it totally put my parents over the edge when they discovered through a friend of a friend that I was seeing a much older man who’s also a daddy. They’re always trying to find cr
eative ways to keep us apart, anything short of locking me in a closet.
Adam’s expression lights up. “That’s it. I think I saw you stacking shelves a few times earlier this year.”
“What can I say? It’s cutting-edge work.”
A few giggling girls saunter between us. In matching slutty tops that show half their bras, and jeans so tight their butts contort with unflattering rolls, it’s no surprise when they throw their long hair of various colors over their shoulders and pass Adam sultry looks. The smell of an actual brewery wafts after them.
Adam’s eyes flicker to the sky once they’re gone. “So, cataloging books and drinking keg beer. How’s that life experience thing working out for you so far?”
We pass knowing smirks. “Invigorating. Who knew life could be so vivacious?”
“Your parents sound like mine.” He gazes past me to the darkness. “I always figure they’re just trying to relive their younger days through me.”
“How old are you?” I shimmy my way up to the top of the stone wall across from him, pulling my knees against my chest to keep warm.
He turns back to me, stuffing his hands back in his pockets. “Just turned twenty-one last month.”
“So if you’re not wasting your days away in an institution, preparing for your shiny bright future in the corporate world, what do you do with all your spare time?”
“The past couple weeks I’ve been crashing at a buddy’s, trying to decide what I want to do next.” He raises a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “You know, invigorating stuff.”
“Sounds like hard work.” I giggle in the carefree way I used to before my life went south. It feels good, as if I’ve shed a heavy weight. “So what have you come up with? Sailing the world? Mission trip to Uganda?”
The soft dimples pop back into place with his grin. “Something like that.”
My smile sizzles away. “Wait, you’re not joking.”
“Life can be short.” His beautiful eyes become filled with intension. “I want to do something profound.”
A pang strikes deep in my chest. I once saw that same level of determination in Jason’s eyes when he uttered nearly those exact same words. Our senior year, after we’d been dating for almost two years, he enlisted in the Marines. I always knew he was really heavily into the military stuff because he came from a family who had all served—his mom, dad, grandpa and a couple of uncles—but it still felt like a blow to the stomach when he didn’t choose to go to college with me as planned. My nearly 4.0 average would’ve given me my pick of schools, but I chose to stay local so I’d be close to Jason’s family, and wouldn’t have to rearrange my school schedule whenever he was on leave.
“You okay?” Adam asks, dragging me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah. What do you mean, like join the Army?”
His lips pull off to the side in a crooked smirk. “No, I don’t think I’m cut out for the military. They’d chew me up and spit me out.”
Even though this guy’s still a stranger, his words are comforting. Nervous laughter bubbles out before I can filter it. “Yeah, you don’t really seem the type.”
His smirk grows. “What type do you see me as?”
I rest my chin on my knees, pretending to turn all serious. “Hmmm, I see you as the type who would find your way up to the front row at a concert. Or the type who would feel comfortable zip-lining over the Grand Canyon. Maybe the type to paddle board in the ocean, maybe even braid some bracelets on the beach and save some sea turtles when you’re done.”
“Impressive list.” He casually crosses his arms, amused. “You’re saying you see me as some kind of granola hippie?”
I lift just one eyebrow, a trick I inherited from my dad. “Am I right?”
With a chuckle, he shakes his head. “I haven’t done any of those things.”
Glancing at the thick leather bracelet on his arm, I snort. “Here I thought I had you totally pegged.”
“I’m not saying I’d be opposed to any of them.” His teeth gleam in the darkness behind his flickering smile. “It’s just that my parents kept me pretty sheltered. I haven’t been out much.”
I lift my head from my knees. “It can’t be that bad.”
He glances at the ground before shrugging, as if I’ve hit a sore subject. “We crossed the Minnesota border a few times. Otherwise I’ve never been out of the state.”
“Wow,” I say, thinking of all the vacations I’ve been on with my family. “So no rides on a jet plane?”
“Nope. The most excitement I’ve had involved the public bus.”
“You can file that accomplishment under lame. If you’re attempting to procure a list of more invigorating caliber, I’d definitely add conquering the skies. Once you’ve arrived in a new airport and walked into a city you’ve never seen, one begins to feel pretty invincible. Everything about traveling puts your senses on a new level.” I lock my fingers around my legs and sigh dreamily. “The millions of people, the ever changing scenery and sights to explore, the fluctuation of weather, even the choices of restaurants. I can’t ever get enough. You know the saying: once you’ve flown through the skies, you never want to walk on the ground.”
“Don’t think I’ve heard that one.”
I wink. “That’s because I just made it up.”
His eyes bore into me with heightened interest. Again, I feel as if he’s undressing me with a simple look. And I really wish we could cut to the chase so he actually would. “I take it you travel a lot?”
“My dad’s a pilot for Delta. I’m kind of like the B version of an Army brat. You know, gets to see the world, only we don’t actually ever move.”
“Who needs college? Sounds like you’re on your way to becoming a travel agent.”
Giggling, I say, “I could be yours, anyway.”
Our eyes catch with the double meaning of my words. After a strangely comfortable pause, he says, “What else do you think I should add to this list?”
“Well, you have to experience a rock concert from the front row. Nothing too crazy though. You need black belt training to conquer the mosh pit.”
His lips tilt in amusement. “You like the kind of music where there are mosh pits?”
“It all depends on the level of idiots you’re dealing with. The biggest jackholes usually make an appearance at the heavier rock concerts. I’ll only go to those if one of my big guy friends comes as our bouncer. My friend was nearly flattened last summer at Lollapalooza.”
“Sounds like you have no business being in a mosh pit. You must weigh, what, a hundred pounds soaking wet?”
I glance down at my fit frame, blushing. Though I rocked the cheerleader’s uniform in high school, I’ve packed on a lot of muscle. I like to run with Kelly to stay in shape, and even did a few 5k runs freshman year. I was lucky enough to get my mom’s high metabolism and been able to eat whatever I want and still stay in a size 4, except for the time when I packed on the freshman 15.
Looking back up at him, I roll my eyes. “At least we know you can exclude a career in professional weight guessing at the carnival.”
His head tilts back with a deep chuckle. Then he’s pinning me down with his sexy stare again. “So what kind of concert would you recommend?”
“For you? What do you listen to?”
“Whatever’s on the radio.” When my jaw drops, he laughs. “What? My parents listened to a lot of jazz and blues when I was a kid. That’s all the musical influence I ever got.”
“Dude.” I throw my hands out to my sides. “Your parents seriously sheltered you. Child services should’ve been notified of the travesty.”
He gives another easygoing shrug. “I’m open to anything.”
I huff as if he personally offended me by not having any special taste in music. “Fine. I’d start out with some Bastille or Mumford and Sons. Everyone likes that shit.” Grinning, I add, “Or we could take you to New Orleans to hear the kind of music you’re more familiar with.”
“Okay, fine.” He b
ites the inside of his cheek like he’s trying not to smirk, like he’s letting me know he’s taking this seriously. It makes him drop dead sexy. “What about zip-lining? Is that something you’ve tried?”
Laughing, I nod. “I was tricked into going a few years ago when we were visiting Arizona. They told me we were going spelunking when they handed us helmets. I’m scared to death of heights, but I’m telling you, there’s nothing like floating through the air at fifty feet off the ground. I don’t know if it’s the fear of plunging to my death or what, but it’s quite the trip. I’d definitely take you white water rafting, too.”
“So, extremely dangerous activities in Arizona, check.” All dimples. “After that, where would you take me paddle boarding?”
I space out with the memory of Jason trying to paddle board when he came along on my family’s vacation to Oahu our senior year. He was so athletic, even before he buffed up in the Corps and became a surfing addict in San Diego. Those memories seem so far away, as if in a different life. It’s been over a year since I broke up with Jason, but the gaping hole of guilt and regret in my heart makes it feel like just days ago.
“Hawaii,” I answer quietly, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.” A cold breeze flips my blond curls into my face. Shivering, I rub at my prickly legs. “I’m one of those who’s prone to a coma once the booze stops flowing. Give me another hour and I’ll be out for the night.”
He leans away from the wall, his eyes worried. “You want to go somewhere else? I mean somewhere public? You look...cold.”
“As much as I’d love to blow this place, I came with a friend,” I say, motioning to the house. Kelly was totally hammered the last time I saw her. She’s most likely making out with one of the preppy guys who always seem to fall for her wild spirit and large, chocolate brown eyes. She’s like cat-nip for studs.
With his hands still in his pockets, Adam shrugs. It’s so reserved, just like all of his other mannerisms. I can see him hanging out in bed on a Saturday morning, his hair ruffled, no particular plans in mind. “Tell her you’ll come back to get her when she’s ready to go.”
