Authors: Ellery Rhodes
The brunette was petite, and he had a good couple of feet on her but she looked ready to punch him in the jaw when he took a step in her direction. I caught a flash of her face. Nothing more than a moment. My world stopped turning.
I jerked to my feet, the leggy girls in my lap spilling to the floor. I stepped over them, heart pounding in my chest. Punching my ribcage.
It couldn't be her.
After I was transferred to the alternative school, started working out, and gained muscle and looked nothing like I had at Clint, I'd dreamed about finding her. I’d gone to local parties, always searching for her face in the back of my mind. Soon, I gave up and figured it was for the best anyway. She’d never been the partying type. Nothing at all like the other girls at Clint.
But it was her.
The girl from US History.
The girl who kept my time at Clint High from being a total fucking nightmare.
I maneuvered through the crowd, her face flickering in and out of view. Jesus. She looked just the same. It had been nearly 3 years and it was like I'd stepped into a time machine. Her hair was still long, raven dark with waves that crashed around her face when she moved. Her cheeks were still round and full, giving her this innocence that brought out the devil in me. Her mouth was perfect and mirrored the shape of the heart that stomped in my chest. Even though she was frowning, I remembered how my heart stopped altogether when she smiled.
I hoped I could see her eyes, bright blue, glowing against her milky white skin and dark chocolate locks, but I was denied. Some blonde in a halter top two sizes too small pulled her to the side, armed with paper towels.
The old me would have been cautious, keeping my distance as I had some angst-filled internal debate. Questions like ‘what if she doesn't remember me?’ would keep me from taking the plunge and saying hello. The new me launched forward, determined to do it right this time. If she didn't remember me, I’d skip right to the good part. I'd push her against the wall and kiss her. These days, I knew what I was doing. This time, I wouldn't stop kissing her until she begged me to fuck her.
Victoria’s voice was hot with frustration as she threw up her arms. "What am I supposed to do now?"
I was right behind her, close enough that I could feel the anger radiating off of her. She was so hot when she was angry. Like the time she told off Josh Grayson in US History. Or when she told her mom to all but fuck off when I came over to work on the project. There was something delicious about a girl who spoke her mind.
I was close enough that I realized that she
had
changed. She filled out her lean frame. Her hips were wider and...all the blood in me rushed to my groin. What would her breasts look like without all that pesky clothing? What would they feel like?
I cut to the chase. "You could always take off your shirt."
She stiffened immediately, and the air was ripped from my lungs.
I hadn't seen her face at that moment, but I knew that she wasn't rigid with disgust. She'd only heard my voice, and she remembered me.
She whipped around to face me.
Her eyes. I could drown in those eyes.
I blinked, suddenly not so confident.
Get it together. She's just a girl.
Not exactly true, but no one needed to know that but me.
"Hi."
Her dark eyelashes fluttered, heat stroking her cheeks as she licked her lips. My cock thumped approvingly.
"H-Hi Jace."
She remembered my name.
Everything faded to black except for the delirious explosion of happiness inside me, and I roped my arm around her waist and crushed my mouth against hers. She was stiff, in shock at first, and I caressed her lips, breathing in her familiar scent. She smelled like almonds, sugar, and memories. With a groan, she melted in my arms, kissing me with abandon. Her hands clutched my back, pulling me closer, holding me tight. It was like she was scared if she loosened her grip, I'd float away.
The voice I'd done a pretty good job with keeping on mute whispered a truth that soured the moment.
It would be better for her if you did float away. If you never came over here at all.
Back when I'd broken things off with her, I'd been afraid she'd see me and realize she could do better.
If she saw the real me now, the guy that made his living beating the shit out of people, she'd realize I was a monster.
H
e tasted just like I remembered. Like the cinnamon gum he must still chew. Like something dangerously close to love.
I wanted nothing to dull this feeling, and I was glad that I'd only sipped the beer. From the warmth of his body, I could tell he'd only done some sipping himself. But I knew this moment wouldn't last. Not with the music piercing my ears and his hands doing things that they hadn't before. He gripped me like he possessed me, hands roaming down my back, clutching my ass with a confidence that made me want to whisper more and flee at the same time. When his hands ran up my thigh, bringing my hem up and skirting my underwear, I shoved him backwards.
The old Jace would have hung his head in guilt. Apologized profusely. The guy in front of me gave no apology. His eyes still burned like coals. Burned with lust.
"What do you think you're doing?"
His smile deepened. "Saying hello."
I stared at him defiantly. He had to stop looking at me that way. I felt stripped down beneath his gaze. His eyes registered nothing but me. Wanted nothing but me.
It was an intensity that made me forfeit our staring contest. My eyes flickered to the right and met Rachel’s. Rachel! I'd completely forgotten about her. She hadn't forgotten about me, though. She looked back and forth between me and Jace, grinning from ear to ear.
She fanned herself dramatically. "Holy crap. Pretty sure I had an orgasm just from watching y'all!"
"Rach!" I hissed, mortified. I didn't look at Jace even though I felt his eyes on my body. I spied my drink on the ledge and picked it up, chugging the room-temperature beer. I needed something in my system, anything but the desire to fall back into his arms. The whispering in my head that said it was okay for him to pick up where he left off.
He wasn't the only one that was different. One kiss and I felt different. I felt sexy, every pore of me wanting more of him. All of him. Upstairs, up against the wall, hell, in the middle of the room suited me just fine.
I shook my head, trying desperately to clear the images of us together again. Douse the fire in my blood.
Rachel was either too drunk to care or notice or she was intent on embarrassing me. She roped her arm back around my shoulders. "Honestly Vix—I didn't even know you had it in you!"
"If memory serves, Victoria is
very
giving."
The mortification I'd felt five seconds ago when my best friend was talking about orgasms in front of the guy who gave me my first tripled. No, quadrupled. But I didn't show it. He'd gone too far. He didn't get to bring up the things we'd done together so flippantly. Like it didn't matter. Like I was one of the girls that straddled his hips. Objects only there for sex. For his pleasure.
"Are we talking about memories, Jace?" His cocky smile floundered. Good. I didn't need to say it out loud. It was a good thing too, because at the moment, I felt like I was drowning in our memories. The good and the bad.
"How about we all make some new memories?" Rachel said, wiggling her pale eyebrows. I had no problem with her bisexuality, but it wasn't my thing. And if I wasn't pissed to the point of seeing red and wanted to make things interesting, I wouldn't be sharing Jace Murrow. Even as alpha male as he was acting, I couldn't believe he'd want to share me either. Not with our history.
I brought my fingers to my lips, a shiver of pleasure rippling over me.
Not with our present.
I stole a look at him and felt sick to my stomach.
He was considering it!
I stormed away from them both. There were plenty of girls here that would take them up on that offer. Not me.
Outside, there was a tense game of beer pong and a redhead was coloring a shrub with vomit. I looked up at the starless night sky. No light. Just darkness.
This was supposed to make me feel better? I felt worse now than I had sitting between my mother and father, the sound of utensils cutting meat filling the awkward silence.
A part of me wished I'd never seen Jace at all.
I stumbled in the direction of the car. Our ditzy designated driver, Cindy, had her tongue down some guy’s throat, one who looked old enough to be her dad.
I cleared mine. Twice.
The guy stepped back, wiping his mouth. He flashed me a peevish smile. The blonde DD wasn't nearly as conciliatory.
Her eyes flung daggers at my head. "Can we help you with something?"
"You're the designated driver, and I'm ready to go home."
She peered at me, a frown curdling her lips. "How many did you have?"
I counted in my head and answered. "One."
The guy had a laugh that would make a hyena wince. "Shit, one drink? You're a lightweight."
I rolled my eyes, biting back a comment that he was exactly as dumb as he looked. "I just want to go home."
She let out a dramatic, pained sigh. "Really?
Now
?"
I wanted to say so many things, most of which were filled with profanity and rage and would send her scurrying to the driver’s side. But it wasn't her fault that the guy of my dreams, the guy I'd stacked up every guy since, was nothing like the guy whose tongue screwed me a few minutes ago. The Jace I'd known had a darkness in him, but it didn't compare to the light in his eyes when he smiled. The new Jace smiled and it was...predatory. The old Jace ended things to protect me. This new guy had one thing on his mind: devouring me. Body and soul.
The warmth that tingled between my thighs wasn't sure if that would be such a terrible thing. And that terrified me.
I wanted to yell, to scream at her, but I kept my voice level. "I'm not that far from here. Traffic is non-existent. It's a—"
"Fifteen minute drive," a baritone voice purred behind me.
Jace's voice.
I knew he was close, because the air changed and my skin buzzed. The vibrations rocked me as he draped an arm around my shoulder. I hated how even though he was a stranger to me, he still smelled like citrus and danger. He felt like pulling on my favorite sweater and curling up under the covers. He felt like home.
"How about I take her home?"
Cindy and I both whipped our heads around to face him.
"What?" I hissed.
Cindy extricated herself from her older man, batting her eyes so hard it was almost comical. She held out her hand like it was the olden days and he was supposed to bend at the waist and kiss it. "You're asking to drive my baby, and I don't even know your name."
A flash of jealousy sliced through me when his lips grazed her knuckles. "Jace." He held her hand, the charm flowing off him in waves. "And I'll treat her like she's my own."
I could practically see the lovebirds circling Cindy's head. She was totally under his spell. She had this stupid smile on her face, blushing from temple to neck. I wasn't a violent person, but I was tempted to wipe off her smile with my fist. Let her know that she wasn't going to look at my—
Wait, what?
I gritted my teeth and stomped to the passenger’s side of the car. Jace wasn't my anything. Not anymore.
"Ready to go?" he asked, turning the charm on me.
Unluckily for him, it went over my head as I dropped into the passenger seat and slammed the door.
He slid in beside me, pushing the chair back to accommodate his long, powerful legs. My eyes imagined the corded muscle beneath his dark jeans. My gaze went to his crotch before I caught myself, snatching my eyes away. It was too late because he chuckled knowingly.
"Don't stop looking on my account," he winked, starting the car. "In fact, you can look
and
touch."
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the window. "Don't flatter yourself, Jace." It was pointless, because my cheeks were doing plenty of flattering. Just like my heart. I could say what I wanted, but I couldn't get his lips out of my head. His taste lingered on my tongue.
"Kinda ironic, huh?"
"What?" I grunted, staring at the dark emerald of the trees and the violet-colored night sky. Anything but looking at him. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten to me.
"Once upon a time, I'd break into fucking hives at the very thought of a party like that, but tonight,
you
fled the room like the house was on fire."
I pursed my lips. "It's not really my scene."
"I know." His voice was soft and I looked at my lap. I wanted to look at him, but I still wasn't ready. I wouldn’t be ready until I could look at him and not want to ask him to pull over and kiss me again. Touch me again.
"You never were like them," he said stiffly, rolling his window down.
The spicy night air flowed in the car like a secret, and it knotted my stomach. There had been no secrets between us once, but the guy sitting beside me was an enigma.
"But you fit right in," I said quietly, pulling at my still-wet top. "Never thought I'd see the d—what the hell?!" I squealed as he slammed on the brakes in the middle of the road. My heart leaped to my throat and my body snapped forward, seatbelt holding me back.
I finally looked at him, his caramel skin glowing in the dark. He turned to face me calmly, like he hadn't nearly given me a heart attack with a hefty dose of whiplash.
"What do you think you're doing, Jace?"
Without warning, he leaned over and cupped my cheek. My heart pounded as his intense brown eyes bore into me.
"I may look like you, dress like you, even talk like you, but I'm not like you." His grip tightened, bordering on painful. "And I'm sure as hell not like them."
Fear bubbled in my gut, and I wrenched myself away from him. "J-just take me home, Jace. Now."
He didn't move, the nerve beneath his eye pulsing. After a moment he blinked, slowly, then rapidly. He shrunk backward, his face registering shame. "I'm sorry, Victoria."