So this whole Riley thing had left her in shambles. She’d thought a good night’s sleep would cure her, but it didn’t even come close. It didn’t help that she kept waking up, visions of his face in her head. And she still couldn’t believe she’d checked him out from head to toe…while he’d watched! Oh-my-fucking-God. Jackie would have a cow when Erin told her about that.
So she’d spent the whole day going through every single one of her dresses and nothing seemed right. God, she needed Jackie here to give her some perspective and to help her choose something. Midafternoon, she finally picked up her phone and sent a desperate text. Maybe if Jackie and Carl came up for air, Jackie could give her a quick ring. Jax, need your help! Have sudden date & no clue what to wear. Pls help!
No answer after half an hour, so she decided to work out. She pulled out one of her exercises DVDs and put more effort into it than usual, hoping to curb her anxiety. Just as she was doing the cool down, she heard her phone make a beep, letting her know she was receiving a text. She felt relief…finally, Jackie was responding.
But when she read the message, she knew it wasn’t Jackie. Her phone didn’t recognize the number. Pick u up @ 6:30? R
All of a sudden, Erin’s hands started shaking again. Just having him send her a text gave her the jitters. Being nervous meant one thing and one thing only: the night would end in disaster.
And it was probably for the better.
She texted him back. C u then.
Then, considering it was after four, she needed to start getting ready. She decided to shower first, considering she was feeling hot and sticky after her workout. Her phone beeped again and she smiled, wondering what Riley had to say now. Only it wasn’t Riley; it was Jackie. Want me 2 call u?
Yes!
In less than two minutes, Erin’s phone was ringing. “Jackie. I’m so sorry to interrupt your love fest.”
“You kiddin’, girl? I wore the man out. He’s passed out on the bed, so I decided to come out by the pool. I’ve been in the water this whole time, but I got out and read your message. So I leave you alone for just a couple of days and you go and get yourself into some romantic mess.” Jackie laughed. “What’s up? What’s this sudden date?”
“Well, you know I had to do that stupid cheerleader auction thing…”
“Yeah, and before I even left, you knew you were going to be auctioned too.”
“Yeah, but…”
“But…?”
“You’ll never believe who’s taking me out on that date.”
“Ron Gill.”
God, Erin was blind. Well, no more. She’d figured that one out. “No…even though he put out the opening bid.”
“I’m surprised that boy didn’t outbid all your other suitors.”
“My other suitor bid five-hundred dollars.”
“What?!”
“Yeah!”
“Well, obviously, the man doesn’t work for the school. So, cough it up. Who’s the big spender?”
Erin let out a long breath. “Riley Schultz.”
There was silence for a few moments. “That name’s familiar. Where do I know him from?”
“Spawn.”
“What?”
“The band Spawn.”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“No!”
“Oh, yeah…they’re from Winchester, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. So he’s the guy they got to play emcee last night.” She lowered her voice, as though there were people around who might overhear her. “He’s really hot.”
“I know. I might not be a fan, but I’ve still seen pictures.”
“Oh, you have no idea, girlfriend. He’s different in person…more potent.”
“Ah…been hit by the love bug. Bad idea.”
“Believe me, I know. But still. I can’t figure out what to wear. I’ve literally gone through everything in my closet, looked it over twice, and nothing catches my eye.”
“Too late to go buy something too.”
“Yeah.”
“Well…don’t wear anything slutty.”
“Duh.”
“But not too prim either. Well, I guess that depends on the message you want to send. Would you fuck him if it went there?”
“Oh, my God! I haven’t even thought that far…but he almost kissed me last night.” She sighed. “I think.”
“You got it bad, girl. What about that pretty silver dress you wore the first year you were teaching?”
“The one that ends just above the knees?”
“Yeah.”
“Too flashy, don’t you think?”
“No, not if you wear a shawl or jacket with it.”
Erin started walking toward her bedroom and pulled the dress back out of the closet. “Maybe…” She held it up to her body so she could see herself in her full-length mirror. It could work. “I don’t know.”
“Do it. Wear that white shawl with white pumps. You’ll look stunning. And pull your hair up. Hell, see if the salon can do your hair before you go.”
“No time. Besides, I think I can get that.”
“And call me tomorrow.”
Erin nodded and smiled. “I promise.”
“In the meantime, I’m gonna Google that boy as soon as I hang up. I didn’t remember him bein’ that good-lookin’.”
Chapter Seven
RILEY PULLED HIS Mustang into the apartment building’s parking lot. He hadn’t been on this side of town since he’d lived here years ago. One comforting thing about Winchester was that it hadn’t changed much.
He stepped out of the car and ran his hands over the suit jacket. Jesus. He must have lost his mind. He was actually wearing a suit and tie, something he hadn’t done in years. He didn’t even do that for award ceremonies. This girl had really gotten under his skin.
And why not? She wasn’t like Marla. No, Erin seemed to be a genuinely sweet girl. Marla was a slutty ambitious whore who didn’t care about anyone but herself.
And why was he even tormenting himself? Why did he think she’d be interested in someone like him? He was just kidding himself. She was being nice, but come tomorrow, he’d be history.
Still…there was nothing wrong with enjoying himself right here, right now. He wasn’t going anywhere for a week, and he sure as hell didn’t want to go to game night at his mom and dad’s church. They’d invited him, but his mother beamed when she found out he’d donated a large sum of money to the school, and she practically fainted when he came home from Colorado Springs with a suit in tow. So he apologized for not going to church game night. He’d rather shove bamboo slivers under his fingernails.
So the suit wasn’t so bad.
He took a deep breath and checked the address he’d saved on his phone. Her apartment was on the top floor and it looked like he would be right on time.
He walked around to the other side of the car and grabbed the bouquet of flowers off the passenger seat. The woman at the floral department in the supermarket had told him most women liked the wildflower bouquet. She said it didn’t send any weird, creepy messages, but what girl didn’t like flowers? He didn’t care what kind of flowers, but for some reason, he felt a deep need to impress her, and the flowers would help. Well, that and he wanted to make amends for upsetting her the night before.
He still hadn’t forgotten the way she’d smelled when he’d pulled her close. She smelled like…vanilla and coconut, almost good enough to eat, but he could also smell her underneath it all, and he liked it.
God…he was so worked up now and so afraid of fucking things up, he was afraid he was going to come off like a teenage kid, acting spazzy like one of her students. He took another deep breath and started walking toward the building, telling himself to chill out. It’s not like he loved her or anything. If it didn’t work out, big fucking deal.
Except he wanted it to.
Gotta stop thinkin’ like that. No more pressure.
He climbed the stairs and shook out his free hand. He found her ap
artment at last and took one final moment to get himself under control. What the hell was his problem? He was literally a famous rock star and women had thrown themselves at him more times than he could remember. He’d performed for stars and demanding crowds, had partied with the best of them, had been overseas and performed in venues large and small, and here he was humbled and freaking out about a high school English teacher.
He smiled and rang the doorbell to her apartment. Here goes nothin’.
He heard the door unlock and then open. A good sign…unless she had a roommate who was going to tell him she left for the weekend. But Erin opened the door and, God, she looked like a dream. She was wearing a strapless black satiny gown that showed off her curves, but she wore a thin white shawl over it. The dress ended mid-calf and she wore black sandals that had a bit of heel. Her hair was up and back like it had been last night, but it was higher somehow. He was awestruck. If he’d thought she was stunning last night, she was out of this world tonight.
And sexy as hell. His mind was trying to push back all the dirty thoughts it had suddenly conjured up. She smiled, her white teeth gleaming, and Riley was pretty sure all was forgiven.
He still didn’t regret the flowers, even if he hadn’t needed them.
She said, “Hi.” He saw it in her eyes—she hadn’t expected him to wear a suit. She smiled. “You clean up nice, as they say.”
“Thanks. You too.” God, that was a stupid thing to say. He cleared his throat. “Oh, uh…these are for you.” He held the flowers out to her.
He didn’t miss the look on her face. He’d surprised her. “Oh…thanks. Uh…why don’t you come in for a minute while I find a vase to put them in?” She stood back, inviting him in.
He stepped just inside, not wanting to push his luck by intruding, but he tried to get out of her way. She closed the door and began walking across the living room. “Come on in,” she said.
He followed her across the room. He liked her place. It wasn’t very big but it was neat. She had hundreds of books…he spotted three large bookshelves in the living room alone. Not surprising that an English teacher would be a book lover. The room was a bit on the dark side, but no lights were on in there. There was a chair and a couch, both in the same beige upholstery, but the couch had a colorful afghan draped over the back, and it also had several pillows tucked in the corners. There were a couple of framed prints, but he didn’t have time to check them out as he followed her into the kitchen. Unlike the living room, it felt light and airy. It was mostly white but had accents of light blue here and there, and her canisters and some potholders on the wall were decorated with brown teddy bears hugging blue hearts. The tablecloth covering the square table in the middle was lacy off-white and topped with blue placemats.
It felt kind of like his mom’s kitchen. It felt homey and inviting. He liked it, but no way was he going to say it. Erin had opened up a cabinet door in the corner. “Hey…I hate to ask you, but can you reach that vase right there?”
Riley liked being asked for help. “Sure.” Reaching the vase off the top shelf was no problem. He handed it to her and shut the cabinet door.
She thanked him and then walked across the room to the sink. She poured in some water and then removed the flowers from the plastic sheet around them. “These smell really nice.”
“Glad you like ‘em.” He felt really stupid, just hovering and saying goofy things, like he was a teenager all over again. But the awkward moment would be over soon.
She placed the vase on the table and smiled. “Thank you.” He nodded. “So…are you ready to go?”
“If you are.” And not only did he hold his elbow out for her to lace her arm through once they got out the door, but he also opened the passenger door for her. He wanted to make sure she was swept off her feet, because he didn’t know how long he could remain on his best behavior. He hoped his good first impression now would carry him all the way through dinner and beyond.
Chapter Eight
WELL, ERIN DIDN’T quite know what to think. Not only had Riley so far been a perfect gentleman, he also looked like a dream. Yeah, sure, he still had small hoop earrings in his ears and his hair was still longish, but it was slicked down and combed into submission. And the suit? Holy shit. She hadn’t thought a guy like him getting dressed into less casual clothing could be a turn on, but she’d been wrong. He was even hotter than before.
And she was glad she’d changed her mind about her clothes. She’d chosen a little black number, something she’d last worn in college, and his suit was black, so it was almost as though they’d planned it.
When they got in his Mustang (why didn’t a sports car surprise her?) and he turned on the ignition, the music was a little loud, but it was good stuff. He said, “Oh, sorry,” and turned it down.
“This is a great song.”
“Yeah…it’s pretty good.” It was Drowning Pool’s “Tear Away,” and Erin started singing to it. Riley grinned and started singing along too. When the song was over, he said, “You’ve got a pretty good singing voice.”
She felt herself blush but grinned and said, “You, too.”
He rolled his eyes but he was smiling. He pulled the car onto the main highway, meaning they were just a few more minutes away. “So…is there going to be any dancing at this shindig?”
“God, I hope not.” Oops…she’d said that too abruptly. “I mean…yeah, there’s dancing, but…. It’s no offense to you, but I don’t know how well my feet will hold up in these shoes.”
“Okay, you mentioned it, so I gotta ask. Why do women wear shoes that hurt them? I’ve never understood that.”
“We don’t usually…or, at least, I don’t. I just…wanted to look nice tonight.”
Riley looked over at her and smiled, then pulled his eyes back to the road. “You look beautiful.”
She felt the blush that had threatened to appear earlier begin burning her cheeks. “Thanks,” she said. “You look pretty good yourself.”
When they got to the high school, he asked, “Do you want me to drop you off at the front and then meet you inside? You know, because of your feet?”
She laughed. “No, they’re fine right now. I can walk.”
So he parked the car and she waited for him to open the door. She caught a whiff of whatever cologne he was wearing and she felt her nipples go erect. It was a potent, masculine smell, spicy and tangy. She’d vowed earlier when she’d finally chosen her dress that she would kiss him, nothing more, if it even went that far. Having a rock star escort you on his arm made him feel tempting, made her feel hungry, but damn it. She’d sworn off men. Bad enough she’d been burned by her last two boyfriends; she was not going to set herself up for heartache, and that’s all it would be if she slept with a rock star. She already knew that.
So she forced herself to take her mind off what his chest looked like unclothed and what the rest of him must look like. Hell, she especially needed to quit wondering what he kissed like. And just because he was on his best behavior now didn’t mean he was going to be good all night, no matter how he’d dressed or even the fact that he’d given her flowers. He’d already shown her his true colors last night, both during the show (unbeknownst to most of the audience) and after when he’d been holding her close from behind.
Stop thinking about that.
And yet she found it hard to get the image out of her mind. He’d felt, in that moment, so potent, so irresistible, so virile, and if she’d given in to her basest instincts, she would’ve hiked her skirt and demanded that he fuck her right then and there.
But that wasn’t any way to win a man’s heart.
And why was she teasing herself so much anyway? It was one night, a fun date, nothing she should get her hopes up about.
She knew that, and yet…
She shoved the thoughts down as he held open one of the doors to the front of the school for her. How many times over the past few years had she walked through these doors? How many times had she walked through them
feeling the way she did now? She was mostly happy, partially horny, and quite conflicted.
Probably none.
She’d gone through the doors feeling happy on occasion. She’d never walked through the doors feeling aroused. On occasion, she’d entered the building feeling a little conflicted. And, at this moment, she also felt exhilarated. Why was Riley having that effect on her?
She dared not let him know. At the moment, she preferred humble, well-behaved Riley to the cocky, full-of-himself version.
They walked into the gym, and Erin noticed that about half the squad was already there. There were exactly thirteen small round tables, all topped with fine linen. She wondered where they’d gotten the tables and figured the cheer squad had probably bought them years ago just for the occasion. The lights were dim and she noticed the overhead ones weren’t on. She noticed some stage lights hanging from some metal poles that had been used on the stage the night before. Each table had a candle, but the lighting was soft and romantic.
Erin couldn’t understand why these girls agreed to do this every year. What if they were saddled with a boy they didn’t like? Erin felt like she got lucky. She could’ve wound up with someone less desirable. Truth be told, even if nothing came of it (and she didn’t believe it would), at least she had a good-looking date for an evening…a date other women would kill for.
But, of course, the girls were doing it for their sport, their passion. She supposed had she been that age, she would’ve done something similar. She’d dated some of the boys considered less desirable back when she was in high school and college, simply because she was willing to look deeper than appearance and popularity. She guessed she needed to give the cheerleaders credit as well, considering they didn’t appear to be judging their dates either.
Riley pulled a chair out for her at a table closest to the back, farthest from the others. Erin saw Kortni, one of two sophomores on the team, and a smile spread across the young girl’s face. She shrugged her shoulders and giggled, then waved at Erin. Erin waved back, hoping she wouldn’t be under scrutiny all night.
Tangled Web Series Box Set Page 17
