All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination.

Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and all characters represented as 18 or over.

Kindle Edition

CHAPTER ONE

The bass pounds hard enough my chest vibrates in time. Strobe lights flash and multi-colored beams shoot across the crowd, hit a mirror ball, and burst into an array of light around the darkened room. I have no idea what's playing, just that it's loud.

Lace says something into my ear but I can't make out the words. I turn to look at her and she's smiling pointing across the room. I follow her finger since words are absolutely useless. Leaning against the wall next to one of the massive speakers he looks the room over like he owns it. I look at Lace and arch an eyebrow, she elbows me in the ribs.

I give him a closer look. He's hot, I'll give her that. Five o'clock shadow. Sharp, strong jaw line, roguish hair that has that 'I'm too cool to care' messy look that guys spend thirty minutes perfecting. He's wearing a suit jacket and a shirt unbuttoned half way down to show off just enough man chest to draw the eye of any girl with a heartbeat. It's obvious he likes the gym.

Lace's hand pushes me at the small of my back and I stumble forward, my plastic cup of beer I've been nursing for the past hour sloshes onto the carpet. I frown at her but she just laughs and says something else I can't hear. She motions towards the guy with her hands nodding exaggeratedly. I close my eyes and sigh.

Lace is my best friend, my roommate, and while I know she means well she's constantly pushing me towards some guy or another. We're both sophomore’s now and while she has had a dozen or more 'boyfriends' I've not. I broke up with Ken, my high school sweetheart, at the end of my first semester. We'd gone to separate colleges but had thrown around the L word. He'd given me a promise ring in lieu of an engagement one and we'd been planning our wedding. I wanted to surprise him so I showed up early at his dorm for spring break and found him with another girl.

Lace knows my interest in replacing him with any guy is zero. I want to focus on school. Focus on myself, not another guy.

Why am I even here?

She pushes me again and I stumble once more spilling more beer on the already sticky carpet of the frat house. I turn and glare at her but as I do I see he's looking right at me. My cheeks burn and I know I'm blushing. I hope in this crazy light it doesn't show.

A frat boy walks up to him, leans in close saying something in his ear. He doesn't turn to look, his eyes are locked on me as he nods. His hand rises up between them, they shake hands and then the frat boy wanders off smiling. He continues to stare at me and my body responds to his gaze. I wonder what his touch would feel like, wonder what he would taste like, what he would sound like...

Lace pushes against the small of my back again and this time I move forward with it instead of resisting. I feel drawn to him. I want to know more. I want to pierce the air of mystery he exudes leaning against that wall. His lips part in a half smile as I approach welcoming me, pulling me forward.

"Hey!" I yell to be heard over the bass.

His eyes gaze on me with hunger as he looks me up and down. I notice a wad of bills sticking part way out of his pocket just before I see the bulge in his pants. He says something, or at least his lips move, but I can't make out the words. I shake my head to show my lack of comprehension and he frowns. He motions through the door next to us arching an eyebrow. I nod my agreement then he takes my hand and leads the way into the next room. He doesn't stop there going through another door into a large kitchen with a marble island in the middle. As the door closes behind us the throbbing bass drops to a low roar and outside the slight ringing in my ears I can hear again.

He turns into me, intimately close, our lips inches apart. The heat of him is intense warming my skin through my thin dress. He presses against me whispering in my ear.

"You look amazing," hot breath across my neck carry the words to me.

My cheeks burn, he's pressing into my stomach, one hand strokes a stray hair from my face. A shudder runs down my spine, I don't know what to say.

"Thank you," I say at last.

I gasp air desperately my head spinning. I haven't drank much so I can't blame being drunk. His mouth closes on my neck, lips nibbling down to my collar bone as my body responds against rational thought.

What are you doing! I scream at myself but I move my head over to give him easier access. His hands roam up and down my back, one drops to cup my ass pressing me tighter still, forcing me into being one with him. He nibbles lightly as he kisses across my shoulder, my neck, down the revealing line of my shirt towards my cleavage. I thrust my chest out to invite him in as my hips grind and desire floods through me.

Someone runs into the kitchen and again something in me screams to stop this, to pull back and be the good girl. That part is shouted down by the primal need of wanting to be filled basking in the desire and the burning need he exudes.

"Shit! Run! Cops!" the person running through shouts as someone else bursts into the room and heads for the back door.

I'm pushed away and he holds me at arm’s length for a moment staring into my eyes. He looks around the room quickly then drags me by my arm towards the rear door. Throwing it open he pushes me out.

"Run!" he says. "You're not this, run!"

Bewildered I stand staring at him with my mouth open. "What about you?"

He shakes his head and turns back into the house. I take a step forward, going to go back in, then I realize that the sky is lighter than it should be. Red and blue lights flash all around from the front. The music is starting to be drowned out by the shouting so I turn and run.

I curse at myself. I've done nothing wrong. Barely drank a beer but I don't want to be caught up in a raid. My mother will never forgive me if I'm busted. Looking quickly I'm in an open backyard but one of the people who came out before me is running into the dark so I follow their retreating form. As my eyes adjust I see trees ahead and I head into them.

Stopping to catch my breath I lean back against a tree. I can hear the sirens as suddenly the music in the house stops. People are in the backyard so I peek around the tree and see uniformed officers gathering up some late runners. They're putting people in handcuffs and lining them up along the back side of the house. The man I was just making out with is lead out of the house and placed in the lineup. He sits quietly with his head hanging down.

I want to help but there's nothing I can do. Officers with flashlights shine them towards the woods and I see three of them talking. I slowly make my way deeper into the trees and hope I can find the way back to my dorm before morning.

Chapter two

"Professor Stiles is an ass," Lace complains from her bunk.

"What'd he assign now?" I ask.

"Five chapters! For the weekend, along with a fifteen hundred word essay, you know because we had nothing else to work on but his stupid class."

"That's a lot," I say.

"Ya think? Seriously, what's wrong with that man," Lace grouses flopping over causing the bed to creak loudly.

"Uh-huh," I answer her.

Lace leans over the edge of the bed looking in at me on my bunk. I'm curled up reading my history text for class so I look over the top of the book.

"Spill it," she says.

"Spill what?"

"Well let's start with, how did you get away last night?"

"I, uh, slipped out the back," I say.

"Uh huh," Lace says eyeing me closely.

Blood rushes to my face so I raise the book to try and hide it.

"Oh my God! He did it didn't he!"

"He did what?" I ask from behind my shield.

"He got you out of there!"

"He may have assisted me."

"Were you clothed?" she asks.

"What!" I exclaim dropping the book in my shock revealing my red face.

"Look how red you are! Oh my god, you were totally into him weren't you! Go you, now tell me about it, come on now this is so much better than Stiles' boring ass."

"There's nothing to tell..."

"Said the spider to the fly," Lace replies as she drops from her bunk to the floor then climbs onto my bed.

"We just ... kissed."

"Uh huh, kissed and?"

"That's it Lace, jeez how fast do you think I move anyway?"

"Well I know how fast I'd be moving with a piece of man meat that fine," she laughs.

"We kissed, that's it."

Lace stares at me for a long moment and I see her debating whether I'm telling her everything or not. A devilish grin spreads across her face then she's shaking her head.

"No, that's not all, what are you not telling me?"

I pull the book back up in front of me not wanting to tell her more but she pulls it down and leans in close so that she's staring into my eyes.

"Nothing, okay?" She doesn't move so I fold. "It's just ... I ... I really liked it okay? I mean, like a lot."

"Oh you liked it? That's what it is?" She smiles and continues staring me down.

"Yeah, a lot. I really-"

"You're still dreaming of him aren't you?"

"MAN ON THE FLOOR!" echoes through the door from outside our room.

Lace looks aside and I use it as an opportunity to pull the book back up between us. She doesn't stand for it though pushing it down again as soon as she turns back.

"Yes, okay. I liked him, he was nice."

"I don't think he's 'nice' I think he's bad in all the right ways," she laughs.

There's a knock on our door and we both turn to look at it then back at each other. No one comes to our room, like ever. It's an unspoken rule between us we don't bring dates here, well Lace doesn't, and we don't have friends here we always meet them somewhere else. This is our private study space. I shrug and Lace does too then she climbs off the bunk and goes to the door opening it just wide enough to look out. I see her body stiffen but I can't see what she's seeing.

"I'm looking for Sheila," the voice is deep and resonating. I know that voice.

"Oh?" Lace says.

"Uh, yeah. I understand this is her dorm? I'm pretty sure I saw you with her last night," he says.

"Well, that could be, yes could be," Lace says. "But I'll have to ask you, what are your ... intentions if there is a Sheila here?"

Butterflies fill my stomach to fight with the absolute embarrassment of what Lace is saying. I climb out of my bunk and practically run to the door pushing her aside as I pull it open.

It's him.

His hair is still that perfect mess, he's wearing dress slacks, polished shoes, his shirt is open one button too many, and his suit jacket looks slightly wrinkled like he slept in it.

He smiles as soon as he sees me and my heart skips a beat. I look at Lace who stands now with her arms crossed over her chest tapping one foot as she puts on a motherly air.

"Now, young lady, what have I told you about having boys here to your room?" Lace says struggling to hold a straight face as she plays with me.

"Lace, seriously," I say. "Uhm, hey, what can I do for you?" I say turning towards him.

"I'd like to ask you out on a date," he says.

My heart skipped a beat before, now it stops. I can't inhale oxygen and the edges of my vision fade to gray. I blink several times rapidly to keep tears from welling up in my eyes. Lace snorts loudly breaking the moment.

"I don't," I inhale deeply that sounds more like a massive gasp making me want to crawl under a rock.

"She'd be delighted," Lace interjects.

"Know your name," I finish lamely now that Lace has jumped in.

He looks back and forth between Lace and I as a slow smile spreads across his face.

"Jake," he says sticking his hand out in front of me. "Jake Benito."

I reach for his hand feeling like I'm pushing through massive resistance just to close the small distance between us. He grips my hand in return with a firm strength that feels nice.

"I don't usually go out with guys I just met," I say.

"We didn't just meet, we met last night, and we were getting along quite well," he smiles as he finishes.

"Oh did you now?" Lace says from the side.

I glance at her and roll my eyes. "Well still ... I don't date people, really at all right now. School and all I just-"

"Make out and run?" he says chuckling.

"Oh, god, uh no," I stutter.

Lace and Jake both break into laughter as I try to form a coherent thought and then I'm laughing too.

"Look, I understand," Jake says. "I just, well I really felt a connection with you. I'd like to take you out, someplace nice. Some place public. Your mom here can come along if you like."

"Oh I think that's an excellent idea," Lace says wiping away tears.

"That will not be necessary," I say. I look him up and down acknowledging the desire inside. "Yes, I accept."

"Great! How about eight tonight? We'll go for a nice dinner, maybe catch a movie?"

"Yes!" Lace cries.

"That sounds fun," I say.

"Well you best have her home no later than midnight now!" Lace says still laughing.

Jake mocks salutes her coming to attention. "Sir, yes sir!"

I close my eyes and shake my head. "I'll see you tonight."

"I will be counting the minutes," he says turning and heading down the hall. I close the door and then lean against it.

"Wow!" Lace says. "He's hot."

I breathe deeply. I can't believe this is happening. How did he even find me? I never even told him my name! Then it occurs to me.

"I don't know what to wear!"

Lace beams. She grabs my arms and pulls me into our shared closet.

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