Designer Genes - The Boyfriend Cut

by Brooks, Harley

  "I can make it from here," I said.

  After promising to yell if I needed help, he placed me on my feet, his hands framing my waist, hopefully to steady me, but the grip was too soft to be lifesaving. After an awkward moment, he retreated to the kitchen and I willed my heart to resume beating.

  Not wanting to be away from him any longer than necessary, I carefully wiggled into the closest items of clothing I could find. Quickly, I brushed my hair into a ponytail, scrubbed my face and teeth, and carefully applied some mascara, hoping to make my swollen eye less noticeable. I blew into my palm and popped a bubble gum-flavored mint in my mouth for extra measure.

  My knight-in-shining-armor met me halfway, helping me down the last few steps. Playful eyes appraised my oversized Ohio State sweatshirt and denim shorts.

  "Better. Although I think you could pull off wearing a garbage bag and look great."

  "Yeah, right."

  He held my chair—a gallant gesture not used by any of the boys I knew. We studied each other through the curling wisps of steam off our coffee until Muffy interrupted the spell when she sauntered in and plopped contently at Jordan's feet.

  "You passed her trust test."

  "What about yours?"

  With my guard still high, I answered truthfully. "I haven't decided."

  He sipped his coffee, never lowering his eyes from mine. "Fair and honest."

  Muffy rested her head on Jordan's leg and when I reached to move her, his fingers wrapped my wrist. A surprise sizzle warmed my belly. He let go and started scratching behind Muffy's ears.

  His voice squeaked a nervous pitch and a hint of a blush spread beneath his lashes. "I always wanted a dog, but penthouses barely accommodate children, let alone animals."

  "Your mom acted surprised when I mentioned you liked animals."

  He laughed and a piece of my guard chipped away. "Yes, I heard all about it. Sometimes she's overbearing, but she's just being protective."

  "I doubt she could top Rick."

  "Who's Rick?"

  "My dad."

  Jordan's brows pulled together then relaxed with recognition. "That's right. My mother told me you referred to him by his first name."

  "I could tell she didn't approve. She probably thinks I'm weird."

  "I think she called you 'unique,' which believe it or not, is a compliment. It's cool your dad's okay with it, though. You two must be close."

  "I think so. We've been through a lot together." I swallowed the last gulp of my coffee, waiting for the inevitable subject of my mother or Daniel to be raised.

  "My mom told me about your brother. I'm so sorry."

  I muttered "thanks" and focused on the bottom of my empty mug, not wanting to break down in front of Jordan, although being around him already felt comfortable—safe. Like coming home.

  A slow grin wandered over Jordan's lips. "You're easy to talk to. My life's so full of pretentious people it's nice to be around someone real for a change."

  Aside from his fancy car, nothing about Jordan reflected an ostentatious lifestyle. Faded jeans covered his long legs, a well-worn navy-blue tee, snug enough to reveal he worked out, peeked from beneath his unzipped Cornell sweatshirt, and the toes of his sneakers were scuffed. He could easily blend in a crowd of teen boys, and yet, I knew I'd still pick him out.

  "You do live a charmed life." I gestured aimlessly at the room. "This house is no oceanfront penthouse."

  "You can live in this house. In mine, you exist."

  Muffy reached her paw out for Jordan to shake and I laughed. "It's bizarre how she's taken to you. She doesn't act this way around most people."

  "I can't believe I almost hit her. Can you imagine what a dog her size would do to a Porsche?"

  The memory of the car coming down the street became clear. A white Porsche. "'Sweet Sally?'"

  "You remembered. Impressive. Then you also know I meant what I said about road trips cleaning the cobwebs out of your head and helping you sort things out."

  Jordan placed his hand next to mine, his pinky stretching a tentative stroke over my little finger. I sucked my bottom lip under my top teeth. He rolled his hand over in an open invitation and when I let my fingers glide in over his soft palm and braid into his, the air crackled between us.

  "Marli, I have a confession to make. I knew it wasn't allowed, but I wanted to meet you when you came to interview. A last minute change in my soccer tournament schedule, however, landed me in Arizona—probably to make sure I didn't show up in Florida.

  "You and your brother have a problem with rules."

  "Jesse's doesn't believe they exist. But that's why he stuck around—to spy for me."

  He did a little more than spy.

  "I wanted to deliver your acceptance letter in person, except I haven't had a free weekend until now. My plan was to ask you out to dinner, but I arrived earlier than expected so I decided to find where you lived. Of course, I didn't count on a horse romping out of nowhere and a girl landing in front of my car." He cradled my hand inside both of his. "I was so scared I'd hit her—you. Only I didn't know it was you, because I never checked house numbers. When you rolled on the grass moaning, I just wanted to get you some help."

  "The last thing I remember is the screeching brakes. I thought the car hit Muffy. How did you get in the house?"

  "Muffy. She ran back when I scooped you in my arms. I thought she might eat me, but instead, she led me to the back door. No one answered when I called out. She bolted to the living room and paced until I laid you on the sofa. I was paging an ambulance when your eyes opened."

  "My dad's the only veterinarian in this area and he's on an emergency call. He usually takes Muffy out. I'm sorry I didn't thank you earlier. Maybe running me over was 'divine intervention?'"

  "I did not run over you," he laughed. His eyes swept my face, settling in a serious gaze."Do you believe in fate, Marli?"

  For some reason, undoubtedly madness, I pulled my hand away. Confusion clouded Jordan's expression. He slid his arm on the back of chair, his fingers lightly touching my shoulder creating a light shiver and I tilted his direction.

  "I used to believe in happily-ever-after, but then I grew up." I quickly changed the subject. "Jordan? Your road trip—am I something to be 'sorted out?'"

  He fingered the hair falling from my ponytail before tucking a stray strand, his fingertip lightly brushing the shell of my ear and sending a small ripple up my neck. He leaned on the table in front of me. My heavy gulp echoed.

  "Yes," he replied. "I'm not a fan of this arranged setup."

  "Me either," I said, fighting to not look at his mouth.

  He gave me an odd glance and I sat back, knocking his arm off the edge of the chair. Crap! I insulted him. I tried to cover my blunder, hoping he'd offer his hand again as a gesture of good will. He didn't and I dropped my eyes to the tightly knitted fist in my lap.

  "The Program scares me. I mean, you seem nice…more than nice, but I'm not ready to be permanently attached to someone."

  Jordan eased his hand on my shoulder again, his finger wrapping in the wayward curl and lightly sweeping my neck. I held my breath, hoping the movement was purposely orchestrated and would continue, but his hand moved away and hung casually off the chair once more.

  I lifted my eyes to his. He appeared contemplative, running his index finger slowly over his lower lip. "How would you feel about dating? Taking things slow and deciding for ourselves if this is what we want?"

  "But we're assigned to each other. We don't have a choice."

  "Until I notify The Program I'm accepting you, we're not bound."

  Without hesitating, he reclaimed my hand, his expression serious, "Marli, if we decide to make things permanent, I promise I'll never let anyone, especially The Program, treat you as property. You and I will always be equal."

  For a second, I wondered if I imagined Jordan. Someone this good couldn't be real. "How will The Program handle us dating?"

  His brow wrinkled. "They can't k
now. 'Committed or available' are the only options candidates have. I swear, though, if you don't want to be with me, I'll walk away. I won't put that kind of pressure on you."

  We didn't even know each other, but the thought of a lifetime with Jordan Mason created a massive fluttering in my stomach. I loved his candidness and sincerity. Maybe I'd finally found someone I could trust again. I folded my legs into my arms and studied my wounded knee to avoid his intense eyes.

  Jordan leaned forward, his arm sliding around my shoulders. "Does it hurt?" he asked, genuinely concerned. He blew across the scrape and my stomach tightened.

  "A little," I lied, silently agonizing against the burning sting. But this was my protective position—the one I curled into whenever I felt insecure. "I don't know, Jordan. I'm still in high school. Then there's college—"

  He eased back, a lazy grin curling his mouth. "Whoa, slow down. I'm not rushing you. I have things to work out, too. My second semester ends around Christmas. Let's see how we feel about things at that point."

  Unable to handle another second under his penetrating stare, I hobbled to the sink, taking our empty cups. Too big of a coward to face him with my next question, I kept my back turned.

  "What happens if we don't want to be together in six months?"

  The warmth of his body standing close swamped me with an unexpected thrill. His hand smoothed over mine when he placed our stirring spoons in the warm water. "Having met you in person, I can honestly say I hope that never happens."

  We shared corners of the dishtowel, drying our hands. I twirled the blue band circling his wrist until the five diamonds flashed.

  "Of all the candidates you could choose from, why me?"

  Jordan's fingers cautiously laced through mine. "This probably won't make sense, but I don't know why. I'm drawn to you. Something deep in those blue eyes of yours…a rare innocence. All I know, Marli, is you give me 'butterflies.'" He let go of my hands and stowed his in his back pockets. He glanced away, a telltale blush coloring his cheeks. "Okay, that sounded stupid."

  I laughed lightly, my own cheeks glowing. "No, more like honest, which to me is wonderful. Personally, I love butterflies. I think they're amazing."

  Jordan caged me against the counter, his eyes leveling to mine. He studied every laugh line, every freckle dotting my face. I stopped breathing when his head dipped and lips lingered close. He touched the corner of my mouth with his finger and I jumped.

  "You, uh, have something right there."

  Food dried in the corner of my mouth? Oh crap! I tasted my lip. Toothpaste? How horrifying…embarrassing…childlike! I would have slinked, no ran somewhere to hide, but Jordan didn't move. His body pressed close, his head still tipped and eyes so deep, intense…intoxicating, holding my own hostage. I licked my lips to ensure no other remnants lingered and those same eyes flashed dark. His thumb slowly wiped my damp bottom lip.

  "I really want to kiss you," he whispered so lightly I wondered if I'd heard a thought instead.

  "Then why don't you?" Did I say it out loud or were our minds communicating? Our noses grazed and an eternity seemed to pass.

  "You scare me," he uttered in a weightless breath over my waiting mouth.

  Inside my chest my heart stilled; my lungs quieted and sealed just enough air to keep me from fainting. Jordan's fingertips tapped my skin delicately as they moved, almost bashful, along my jaw and wrapped the back of my neck. His lips barely brushed mine, but the spark in the kiss was undeniable—a witness to my soul that a crucial shift in my life just happened.

  "Now I'm scared," I whispered, no longer feeling my legs.

  His arm coasted around my waist, pulling me into him. A seductive smile appeared and my heart skipped another beat. "Can I kiss you again?"

  My insides turned mushy, while my body obeyed the gentle command of Jordan's fingers splayed on the small of my back, nestling me against his warm, hulky frame. When I nodded my approval, his fingers braided into my hair, tilted my head back. My lips bloomed against his when they pressed with a second, more confident kiss. My arms circled his neck and held on while I rode an emotional wave of elation, fear, and something new I couldn't describe because I'd never felt it before.

  When the kiss ended, our eyes locked and I worried what thoughts bounced in his brain. Did I kiss okay? My breath? He pecked the end of my nose and I flushed, embarrassed. Crap! He's made a mistake and thinking of a way to escape.

  "Wow, what just happened?" He took a half step back, parked his hands on my hips. "I, uh…sorry, I shouldn't have—"

  Another person suddenly possessed my body and I moved into the few inches separating us. I rose on my tiptoes, tugged his collar and settled my lips on his, hushing his apology. His tongue teased and my lips parted, welcoming the delicious taste of his mouth taking mine.

  Jordan's arms wrapped tighter and I molded into his curves as if my body had done it a million times, familiar with every bend and angle. Heat ripped through my veins like fire chasing a stream of gasoline. No one had ever kissed me like Jordan. I never tingled all over before. It was as if I inhaled air for the first time and my lungs wanted more. Something clicked between us—bolts sliding effortlessly through locks. I never wanted our kiss to end, or Jordan to leave my arms.

  His lips tickled the spot below my earlobe and my bones turned spongy. "Marli Davis—don't break my heart."

  Through my lashes I studied his flushed face, eyes eclipsed to dark moons, his mouth swollen, moist, and I imagined it covering mine one more time. Leaning closer, I anticipated the heat of his lips, but before they touched…the back door slammed.

  5

  BUSTED

  "Marli? What the hell?"

  Company appeared in the doorway, raging mad.

  "Sam!" I pushed him into the laundry room to talk privately. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you knock?" I asked quietly, hoping to diffuse his anger. It didn't work.

  "School? Remember? And I did knock, but you were too busy sucking face with some strange dude to hear." He punched the doorjamb. "How long has this been going on?"

  "Sam, let me explain."

  He shrugged away from my touch and wrenched the door open. "No! I don't need an explanation. I know what I saw."

  I ran onto the back porch after him, but he'd already jumped in his jeep. The tires squealed backwards, leaving two indelible black streaks on the driveway. Rick would be livid.

  Jordan's calm demeanor shifted when I marched into the kitchen, seething. Angry tears pooled in my eyes. I pushed my hand hard against my nose to stop the floodgates from opening, but it proved useless.

  "I-I'm so embarrassed."

  He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and blotted my cheeks. "Don't worry about it." He pressed a light kiss to my forehead. "Who was he, anyway?"

  "Just my—" My what? Did I dare say "boyfriend?"

  The sound of keys jingling in the lock of the front door rousted Muffy from her sunlit spot on the rug and saved me from answering. My father walked in not noticing Jordan or me, and yelled up the stairwell.

  "Mars?" Is that a Porsche parked out front? And what's with Sam racing down the street?"

  Dad's eyes narrowed when he spied me in Jordan's arms, crying. He moved with lightning speed across the dining room, his glare fixed on Jordan, whose arms fell away instantly. I stepped back, putting weight on my bad leg and hissing against a jolt of pain.

  Feeling a current of jagged heat race through my body when Jordan's arms wrapped me again, I ignored the tyrant marching our direction. Until the tyrant yanked me from Jordan's embrace and plunked me on the nearest chair, rather hard, I thought.

  Rick knelt before me, clicked open his medical bag and proceeded to examine my wound. Jordan stood behind my chair, the light pressure of his fingertips on my shoulders keeping my mind off the stringent searing my scrape.

  "Care to tell me what's going on, Marli? Let's start with the stranger intimately holding you when I walked in. Could this, by chance, be responsib
le for the permanent black marks on my driveway?"

  "Muffy tore off for Mr. Baxter's stupid cat again. When I tried to reel her back, the leash broke and I crashed to the sidewalk. Jordan almost hit us both with his car."

  "Jordan?" Dad glanced from me to the handsome hunk standing behind me. He rose to a guarded stance. "Let me guess—you're Jordan?"

  Jordan extended his hand. "Jordan Mason, sir."

  "Mason? Marli's Jordan Mason?" My father's brusqueness diminished somewhat. "The Porsche—yours?"

  "Yes sir, guilty on both counts." Muffy nuzzled her head under Jordan's arm. "I'm just glad I didn't run over either of your girls, sir."

  "Drop the 'sir.' It's Rick and I owe you an apology." He leaned into the kitchen counter, asking the inevitable. "So what happened with Sam?"

  My face twisted in agony, but before I could confess, Jordan answered. "He walked in on me kissing your daughter, sir—I mean, Rick."

  "What? Marli!" Rick morphed from friendly to warden status, giving Jordan a dark glower. "You were making out with my daughter? In my kitchen?"

  "We weren't making out," I defended. "One kiss Sam saw and then he wouldn't even let me explain. He just stormed out."

  "Do you blame him, Mars? Walking in on your girlfriend kissing someone else would push any boy over the edge."

  "Girlfriend?" Jordan piped in, his brows pulling tight. "Sam's your boyfriend?"

  Technically, dating outside of The Program was forbidden, even if Jesse thought differently. I checked my contract. However I hadn't officially been "activated" until I accepted the interview with Jordan. Up to this point, I considered myself a normal teenager, limiting my future to the day I currently lived and my destiny to the weekend.

  I didn't need this argument with Dad, especially in front of Jordan. "I don't have time to explain Sam to either of you. I need to get ready for school."

  "Marli?" Jordan hesitated, his accusing tone gone. "Can I wait and give you a ride?"

  "No, I can drive myself, but thanks."

  The voices in my head argued immediately. Have you lost your mind? Of course you want him to take you to school. However, if Sam saw me with Jordan again, things could worsen. I feared Jordan might already have second-guessed his decision to find me.