by Claire Adams
"Come on, Cora. Don't be odd man out." Brody turned to me as he helped my friends climb in the truck. "You can ride shotgun. Sit in my lap?"
"Fuck that." I shrugged and turned to walk toward town. I was fine not having a ride. It was a short walk, and it would prove a point.
What? That you're being a prick?
A deep growl resounded behind me followed by shoes hitting the pavement.
"Come on. Don't be like that." Brody moved up beside me. "I'm not going to bite."
"Really? You look like a piranha to me." I glanced over at him, hating how insanely good looking he was. That I couldn't be attracted to someone for their personality first and then their looks were aggravating.
"Do I really?" He nipped at the air rapidly, looking ridiculous as we walked up a steep hill side by side.
I couldn't help but smile.
"Stop it." I swatted at him, hitting him in the chest, and realizing how firm he was. Great.
"Come on, Cora. You don't even know me. Stop acting like you do." He reached out and grabbed my hand, jerking me back before I walked into oncoming traffic.
I pulled my hand from his and let out a soft sigh. "I know plenty of guys like you. You get used to recognizing them when they're all you've dated."
"Awww, come on now. I'm a new face and a new opportunity to have a little bit of fun." He started across the road, keeping his hands to himself, which surprised me.
"Your definition of fun doesn't match up to mine, at all." I kept my eyes on the people in front of us, not willing to give him an inch.
"I highly doubt that." He touched the small of my back as we hopped up on onto the sidewalk across the street. It felt silly to slap him away, and within a second, his hand was off of me.
The wind picked up and blew my hair about as his cologne drove into me, leaving my heart racing.
No. He's a total asshole. A user. Just like Brandon.
That thought alone doused any desire I had completely.
He cleared his throat. "I can see you're not going to make this easy."
We stopped across the street from the mansion, waiting on the light to turn.
"Make what easy?" I glanced over at him. "Please do explain yourself."
He smirked. "Make getting to know you easy."
"You don't need to know me, Brody. I'm not your type of girl, nor are any of my friends. We respect ourselves more than that." I shrugged and darted out through the traffic, hoping to lose him. I wasn't interested in conversing with him for another minute. I was strong in my resolve, but even I had a breaking point. If he batted his damn eyelashes at me once, I would melt like butter.
He was far too sexy to chance it. I just prayed that my friends would find his friends complete duds. The last thing I needed was my girls wanting to hang out with his guys. That would leave me with one thing to do: get to know him.
*
"What the fuck was that all about?" Emily got in my face as I stood by the drink table in the center of the large living room as the party raged around me.
"I don't want anything to do with him, Emily. Is there some reason that you guys don't understand just how much Brandon hurt me? He was a slut and a half, and this guy is no different." I tried to keep my tone even, calm. There was no reason to feed into her anger.
"I get that, but leaving and walking over here by yourself was dangerous. I tried to find you, but didn't see you after you took off. You scared me." Her eyes filled with tears. "Don't do that again. Got it?"
"Okay. I'm sorry." I reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Don't be mad at me. I just don't need this guy in my life. Not even for a summer fling."
She pulled back and wiped at her tears. I needed to be more cognizant of her feelings. They'd lost her little sister a few years back in a sporting event and never found her.
"Alright. I get it. Just don't run off again. You're the only family I really claim." She gave me a tight smile and glanced around. "Brody might be a player, but I'm not so sure the rest of his friends are. They seem really nice. I'd let Clay take me out sometime, but I'm not sure he's the kind to ask. He's quiet."
"I thought you liked Brody, that you were the woman to teach him a lesson or two?" I chuckled, forcing myself to relax a little. The party was supposed to be fun. Brody wanting my attention wasn't going to change that. He was like every other man in the world: ignore him long enough and he would simply go away.
"He's got eyes only for you, sister." She poured herself a glass of punch. "We sure this stuff isn't spiked with drugs?"
"Nope." I downed mine and glanced around, spotting Dedra and Cindy talking to Brody's friends. He was nowhere to be seen, and though a little part of me felt guilty for being such a class-A bitch to him, it was better that way. "Come over here and introduce me to Clay. I want to make sure I'm good with him before you let him sweep you off your feet."
I lifted my eyebrow as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. I'm not looking for anything long-term. Life is about to change drastically for most of us."
"Not you." I rubbed her back as we walked toward the group.
Dedra turned and put her arm over my shoulders, tugging me against her and smiling down at me.
"Did you let that big bad hottie run you off?" She smirked.
"I sure did." I extended my hand to the shortest guy in the group, assuming he was Clay by the way Emily moved over toward him. "I'm Cora."
"I'm Clay. This is Daniel and Derek. Forgive us for being friends with Brody. It's an age-old issue, but we love the guy, nevertheless. He's like the black sheep of the group." Clay chuckled and shrugged as the other guys smirked.
"Nice to meet you." I shook Derek's hand and then Daniels. "I'm uber sensitive to bullshit, so forgive me for running from his lines. I've heard them all before."
"So has half the country, but he's a good guy." Daniel spoke up as he adjusted his glasses. "I'm going to go get some fresh air. You wanna come? We can bash Brody together."
I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."
Daniel was a good foot taller than me and beanpole thin. Not at all the kind of guy I'd have given a second look to, but he was cute in his own way. His messy brown hair and spattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose made him adorable.
"Where are you from?" He smiled as we walked out on the patio and moved to the only corner that wasn't occupied.
I leaned against the railing and smiled over at him. "From just up the road. I just graduated from Arizona State."
"Oh, nice. Me, too." He glanced out at the yard and grew silent. He wasn't at all like his friend, Brody. Looked like I was going to have to carry the conversation if we were going to have one.
"Are you staying here after the summer or heading off to a new adventure?" I lifted my punch to my lips and took a long drink. Maybe coming out on the porch with this guy wasn't a good idea, after all.
"I'll be starting pre-med at Harvard in the fall. I just wanted to get my undergrad near home." He shrugged. "All those guys back there are my buddies from high school. We decided to go to college together, and honestly, it was the best decision I could have made. I'm a better man because of them."
Brody's voice caused my pulse to spike. "That's sweet, buddy. We feel the same about you, too."
The sexy frat boy moved up on the other side of me and leaned against the rails, breathing in deeply.
"You're like a roach." I turned my face toward him. "I just can't get rid of you."
"Awww, come on, Cora. No need to smash my ego." He licked at his lips subtly as his eyes moved around my face. He was almost too close. I could hear him breathing, smell the mint on his breath, see the promise of something wickedly insane in his eyes.
"Smash your ego? Who in the world would have a hammer that large?" I glanced over at Daniel as my body warmed and my nipples tightened thanks to Brody's attention. "Nice to meet you, Daniel. See you around."
I turned and walked back toward the house, shaking my hips just a tad bit more than I would
usually.
Just because I wasn't going to bite the hook didn't mean I didn't want to tug on it a little.
Chapter Nine
Brody
"Goddammit," I grumbled as she walked away. Every cell in my body screamed for me to follow her, force her to see me. To hear me.
"What's up with you tonight, man?" Daniel moved up beside me, his face filled with concern.
"I don't know." I looked over my shoulder as she shook her hips. Her pretty ass jiggled just under her dress, giving me confirmation that the fox had on a G-string. My cock hardened to the point of throbbing, and yet there was nothing to do about it. She wasn't going to relent, and I wasn't going to push.
Or was I?
"Did something happen with you and Cora?" He pushed his shoulder against mine.
"How do you know her name?" I turned and lifted my eyebrow as my voice dropped a little.
"Whoa." He stepped back and lifted his hands. "I'm an innocent by-stander here."
"Yeah, sorry." I patted his chest and rolled my shoulders. "I know it's going to sound crazy, but I haven't had a girl deny me in years."
"First time for everything?" He laughed and took a drink of his beer. "Come on. There are lots of women here tonight. Let's grab a beer for you and get the fun started. No worrying about the one that got away. She wasn't even that attractive."
I laughed loudly. "Is this your way of making me feel better?"
"Yep. She's the hottest thing I've ever seen in my life." He walked to the door to the house and held it open. "She looks like one of those chicks who would rock a business suit and rule the world, yet turn into a complete whore in the bedroom for the right man."
I popped him in the gut as I walked in and groaned. "Really? Fucker."
"Sorry, dude. You know I have a problem with not being totally honest all the time." He shrugged. "It was a hard life growing up with older brothers."
"I want her, Daniel. I haven't wanted anyone for a long time." I glanced around, not seeing her and feeling a sense of relief over it. She wasn't the prettiest girl I'd ever seen in my life, but combined with her attitude and confidence? I was sold on the idea of trying harder than I had in a long time for a girl.
"Well, it's good to want, right?" He picked up a beer and handed it to me. "It makes us appreciate those things we wanted if we ever get them.”
"Not now, dude. I can't handle an in-depth discussion over the human psyche. I'm hiding a boner and my heart is racing." I gave him a quick glare.
"Over one girl? Seems out of character for you." He shrugged and took another drink of his beer before patting my chest. "I'm thinking you have some repressed women issues, but we'll talk later. Go woo the girl."
I ignored him and looked around for her. She was standing in a group with her friends and some of mine. Perfect.
Walking over, I stopped beside Clay and lifted my beer to my lips, looking away from the group as if searching for someone. She wanted to play hard to get? Fine. I was down for a challenge. It felt good. Having my heart racing and blood pumping was almost addictive. It had been far too long.
"Let's go dance." Dedra moved past me as she tugged on her redheaded friend's hand. Cindy? Candy? Cindy.
"Sounds good to me." Derek tugged at my shirt. "Come on, lover boy. Come show these girls how it's done."
"Can you dance?" Emily asked me, moving up to my left. The girl was cute, but seemed to be hiding behind her over-sized shirt and tights. I'd seen her on the dock earlier that day without her shirt on. There was no need for her to wear something so unattractive, unless she wasn't looking for attention.
"I've been known to steal a few hearts on the dance floor." I turned and reached for Cindy, pulling her toward me and spinning her.
She laughed and pressed her hands to my chest. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like a blond Chris Evans?"
"Nope. Never." I chuckled, lying to the petite thing. I spun her around the floor, taking care to keep her from running into anyone. I could almost feel Cora's eyes on me, but I ignored the need to turn around and show her just how interested I was in gaining her attention. I'd been playing this fucked up game for most of my life. This wasn't the first time a girl had given me the cold shoulder, just the first time in a really long time. I found that after I took the others like her to bed, the excitement died. It would be no different with her.
The thought calmed me a little. I enjoyed the high her denial provided. To push too far, too fast would leave it over before it started.
"Where are you from?" Cindy asked as she pressed herself against the front of me.
"Around." I winked and glanced up to see Derek headed our way. "I'm thinking my cowboy friend wants to spin you around a little. You up for it?"
"Absolutely." She turned and walked toward Derek, surprising the big guy, from what I could tell. I laughed and walked past them, patting him on the back and joining the rest of the group. Clay was gone, and so was Dedra, but Daniel, Emily, and Cora were laughing about something.
"Anyone know anything about this Clint character?" I walked up and stood beside Cora, keeping my attention on Daniel and Emily.
"Nope. He's just the rich guy in town. Word on the street is that his great grandparents helped found the town. Or maybe it was his great-great or maybe great-great-great," Emily responded before giggling.
“It looks like your drink is getting empty." Daniel nodded to Emily's glass. "Let’s go fill you up."
"Hmmm...that sounds...fun?" She laughed again as Daniel's cheeks turned pink.
"Oh Lord," Cora mumbled beside me.
I leaned against the bar, not paying her a bit of attention. My eyes moved out to the floor to find my friends enjoying themselves. Everyone had a beer in their hand, which wasn't good. Someone was supposed to be the designated driver, but from the look of things, no one remembered who it was.
"Well, damn." I took another sip of my half-drunken beer and tossed it.
"Beer go bad?" Her voice was firm and non-conversational.
"Nope. My friends seemed to have forgotten that it wasn't my night to remain sober." I shrugged and slipped my hands in my pockets before moving up toward the dance floor, letting my eyes scan the room.
"You like to dance?" she asked, moving up beside me.
"Yeah, you bet. Just don't think it means you're taking me to bed, though." I grabbed her hand before she could correct me. Her question could have been easily misconstrued as a request to dance. Good enough.
I slid my hands over her hips, enjoying the feel of her under my fingers. Her dress was thin, and I could feel the elastic that lay over her hips, connecting her panties from the small triangle that covered her to the thin string that ran down her ass. My body hardened to the point of pain, my chest tightening with the knowledge that I could find release just thinking about her.
"What are you doing?" She pressed her hands to my chest, keeping a distance between us.
I leaned down and pressed my mouth to her ear, breathing in the sweet smell of her perfume. "You asked me to dance. I know how to just be friends with someone, so I figured, why not."
"I did not." She lifted her eyebrow as I moved back.
"I can't hear you." I leaned down and turned my face from her as she leaned in, her lips brushing over my ear.
Fuck.
"I didn't ask you to dance. I asked if you liked to dance." She moved back and glanced around.
"Oh, sorry. Shit." I tugged her a little closer. "Our friends are all dancing. Don't leave me out here alone. It wouldn't be very kind of you, and you're already two strikes in."
"Two strikes? For what?" Her large brown eyes moved around my face as she kept a firm press on my chest.
"One for the car situation the other day and then the lake this morning. I could have drowned, and then what?" I moved my hands up a little, trying to keep myself from sliding them any lower. I'd already have most women in a closet on their knees, but not this girl. She wasn't going anywhere. Why did I want her so damn b
ad?
She laughed, and the sound drove a stake of desire through me. I wanted to make her laugh again. Even though it was a sarcastic “suck it” laugh.
"I could care less if I strike out." She glanced around. "You just don't take no for an answer, do you?"
"I'm not sure what I asked you for that has you wanting to say no. I'm pretty sure I asked you for help today and you said no. And you asked me for a dance, and I didn't deny you. Am I missing something?"
I spun her, pulling her back against my chest and rocking against her as she started to relax a little. The music was sensual and fun. A few more beers and I might get her to grind against me.
Might.
"I'm not interested in guys like you, Brody. You're wasting your time." She pulled from me a little, and I spun her again, pulling her flush against me.
"Well, the way I see it, our friends are going to want to hang out. Where you and I have nothing going for us, that doesn't mean we can't be buds." I pulled back a little, giving her space. The light pink on her cheeks and down her neck accompanied with the fast ticking vein in the side of her neck let me know just how little I affected her.
Liar.
"Buds? Like fuck buddies?" She laughed and pulled back completely. "I don't think so, mister."
"Fuck buddies? I have plenty of those. I just meant...aw, never mind." I turned and walked to the center of the dance floor, turning and dancing with a large group of girls. I was done for the night. Being overbearing wasn't my style. Teasing her back into my arms would work out much better.
"Brody?" A feminine voice caught my attention, and I turned to find Dina standing there in a tiny black dress.
"Wow. You look..."
"Fucking hot. I know." She moved toward me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "You messed up yesterday. How about you make it up to me tonight?"
"Whatcha got in mind?" I moved us out to the edge of the floor before sliding my hands over her exposed back. Her skin felt good against my fingers, but she wasn't the girl I wanted beneath me for the night.
"A long night of making each other moan?" She lifted to her toes as if to kiss me, but I spun her away, pulling her back to my chest and pressed my hand to the front of her taunt stomach.
