Fusion (Explosive #5) (25 page)

In short, I loved it, and I couldn’t believe I’d ever been against this idea. He was still frowning at me, so I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around his neck. My fingertips played with the ends of his hair.

“Well?” he asked, sounding nervous.

“John Stamos has nothing on you, Jeremy Banks,” I told him, giving him a wink.

His frown turned into a smile, and he leaned down, smashing his lips against mine. He only pulled back when my dad cleared his throat. His grin was sheepish, and he want to run a hand through his hair, but he stopped at the last second.

“Jeremy, a word?” Dad asked.

I groaned. “Dad, come on.”

“It’s fine, babe,” Jeremy said, giving me a kiss on the forehead. “I can handle it.”

And, handle it, he apparently did, because when he and Dad came back, they were chatting like old chums.

When Nick asked to have a word, I knew exactly what it would entail. He’d done it before every dance I’d taken Sierra to, and I’d never begrudged him for that. Nick Sullivan loved his daughters, and he’d kick any ass he had to if they were hurt. I respected the hell out of him for it, so if I had to sit through another round of “don’t you dare touch my daughter,” I’d do it.

I followed him into the kitchen and stood as he poured himself two fingers of scotch. He held the bottle up to me in a gesture that was asking if I wanted any. Again, he’d done this before.

“No, sir. I’m driving,” I informed him.

“Yes, you are, and I expect you to remember that tonight when you’re driving my daughter to and from the dance. And at the after party. I don’t care what the other kids are doing. You protect her first and foremost. Got it?”

“I’m always careful when Sierra’s in the car. I’ll never let any harm come to her.”

He nodded then sipped his drink. “Look, Jeremy, you’re a good kid. You always have been, and Vicky and I love you as if you’re our own son.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said. “I hope one day that’ll be the case.”

Nick stopped mid-drink. Then he set his glass down on the counter. “Right. About that. When I say you need to protect my daughter, I mean in everything. Not just in the car. Fuck,” he muttered before downing the contents of his glass. He pulled at his tie. “What I mean is…protection, son. Always.

My eyes widened as I realized what he was trying to say. I backed away from the counter and shook my head profusely. “No, no, no. No protection,” I mumbled, which caused his face to turn twelve shades of red.

“Excuse me?” he hissed.

“No! What I meant was it’s not like that. Sierra and I…” Oh, God, was this seriously happening? “We aren’t sleeping together. We haven’t…we haven’t taken that step.”

Nick stood up straight, the color returning to his face. “Oh.
Oooohhh.
” He took a moment to let it sink in. Then he pointed at me. “And don’t you dare start. Got it?”

“Aye aye, sir,” I agreed, giving him a mock salute.

“It’s not that I thought… I mean, no father wants to think about that, but I… Oh hell, can you not tell Sierra about this?” he asked, crosses the kitchen to pour more scotch. This time, I would’ve accepted an offer.

“Well, sir, that leaves me with a dilemma. You’re asking me to keep something from your daughter, but at the same time, I do think she’d be okay not knowing about this conversation. Is this another one of your tests?”

“No, not a test. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep this between us. At the same time, I’ll understand that you and Sierra have no secrets.”

“I think this one can stay between us. No doubt.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “All right, kid. Have fun. No touching, no kissing, no drinking. Got it?” he said with a stern smile.

Again, he got a mock salute. “I don’t like to make promises I can’t keep,” I told him, and he laughed.

“Watch it, Jeremy. Or I’ll lock her away in her room for the rest of her life.”

And, in that moment, I turned serious. “All due respect, Nick, but if you did that, I’d just spend the rest of my life looking for the key, and I wouldn’t care who I’d have to get past in the process.”

He came up beside me and slapped a hand on my shoulder. “I know you would. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll never stand in the way of your happiness with my baby girl. But if you ever hurt her…”

“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself long enough for you to exact your revenge.”

“Good. Now, I believe you have a beautiful girl waiting for you.”

My eyes lit up. “You’re right about that.”

“And one more thing, Jeremy,” he said, stopping me in my tracks. “No more talking about my hot wife. Get your own,” he warned.

“Oh, I plan on it,” I informed him.

“Maybe when she’s thirty. Maybe,” he said, laughing.

I laughed, too. There was no way I’d last that long, and I told him that. His laughter died down, but I had a feeling he was okay with it.

PROM WITH JEREMY WAS
one of the best nights of my life. Everyone, naturally, loved his mullet. He actually considered keeping it, but it was too poofy for his baseball hat. He lasted one practice before he cut it off. I was actually sad to see it go.

Lexi, however, didn’t have the greatest prom night. Until the end. Long story short, Jace’s date, the ever-bitchy Mallory Buchanan, threw a hissy fit any time Jace so much as looked in Lexi’s direction. And he looked quite a bit. I’d been spot on when I’d said his jaw would hit the floor. When he laid his eyes on her, they grew, and I was pretty sure something in his pants did, too. Mallory, of course, noticed his reaction and did everything she could to create distance between the two.

By the end of the dance, Jace got fed up and said that he was asking Lexi to dance. After all, they were best friends. It wouldn’t be right if they didn’t at least dance once. Mallory stomped her foot and grasped his arm.

“If you so much as touch that girl, we are through, Jace,” she hissed at him.

By then, people were taking notice of the scene Mallory was creating—Lexi included. She was standing fifteen feet away with her boyfriend, Aaron, who was nervously watching it all unfold. His eyes kept darting back and forth between Mallory and Lexi, and I started to become suspicious.

Jace, in turn, did the same. His angry eyes left Mallory’s and landed on Lexi, softening when he saw her standing there. He yanked his arm out of the wench’s grasp and crossed the room. Mallory, in all of her glory, was hot on his tails.

She darted around Jace and was in Lexi’s face before Jace could get there
. Oh, no. That bitch.
I started to move towards them when Jeremy stopped me.

“Let go, Jeremy. No one gets in Lexi’s face.”

“I know, baby, but let it play out first. This is McAllister’s chance. You gotta give it to him.”

As much as I wanted to step in and protect my baby sister, Jeremy was right. Discontent, I settled back against his chest.

“You think you can steal my boyfriend?” Mallory screeched. “Well, you’ve got another thing coming!”

Lexi’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “What are you talking about? I’m not trying to steal anyone. I’m here with Aaron. I get it, Mallory. You’re with Jace. We’re just friends. You know that.”

“Oh, please! You’ve been staring at him all night.”

Jace reached for Mallory’s arm. “Let’s just go, okay?”

“No, Jace. I want you to end this once and for all. It’s not normal for you two to be so close when you’re dating other people.”

“What are you asking me to do, Mallory?”

“It’s her or it’s me, Jace!”

I sucked in a deep breath. The dreaded ultimatum. I prayed to God that Jace could see beyond the big boobs and the blow jobs.

I should’ve known he wouldn’t let me down.

“Alexa is my
best friend
, Mallory.”

“But I’m your girlfriend.”

His eyes flashed, his jaw tightened, and he pulled at the collar of his shirt while his eyes darted around the gym. I knew what was about to happen, and he wasn’t pleased with having to make a scene.

“Not anymore.”

Mallory gasped. “But…Jace…”

“No. I don’t want to hear it. You don’t tell me what to do or who I can be friends with. I should’ve done this a long time ago. We’re over, Mallory.” He turned to look at Lexi, who took a step towards him, more than ready to offer a friendly hug.

Mallory didn’t miss it and was ready to fire the next shot. “That’s fine, Jace. You two can have each other. Aaron’s better in bed than you are, anyway.”

All conversations in the vicinity came to a halt, the silence louder than the music pumping through the speakers.

“What?” Lexi whispered, turning to Aaron, whose face had drained of all its color.

Wicked delight gleamed on Mallory’s face as she hooked her arm through Aaron’s. “Let me teach you a lesson, honey,” she said, smiling at my sister. “When you don’t put out, your boyfriend will find someone who will.”

Lexi’s lower lip trembled. Her eyes darted between Aaron and Mallory. “How long?”

Aaron wrenched out of Mallory’s hold and advanced towards Lexi. Jace and I both took a step towards them. Jeremy, again, held me back while Jace placed a hand on Aaron’s chest, acting as the perfect barrier for my sister. Aaron pushed, then attempted to bypass him. Jace, however, remained steadfast.

“Lexi, please!” Aaron shouted.

“Take a step back,” Jace ordered.

“But—” Aaron started, but Jace used his hand to push him.

Jace’s eyes darkened as he leaned in close until he and Aaron were almost nose to nose. “Take a fucking step back, or we’ll finish this outside.”

Lexi rested her arm on Jace’s. When he peered down at her, she simply shook her head. “It’s not worth it, Jace. He’s not worth it.” Her eyes met Aaron’s, and he’d gone rigid at Jace’s warning. “How long?”

“It only happened one time, baby. I swear! It didn’t mean anything,” he pleaded, as if that would matter.

Lexi’s eyes flicked to Mallory, who smiled in triumph.
One time my ass
.

“That’s one time too many,” she said.

Aaron’s eyes darkened when he realized he wasn’t going to salvage his relationship. So, like the asshole he was, he tried to get in one last word.

“Maybe if you weren’t such a prude—”

And that was the day Aaron learned that Jace McAllister always followed through.