Reason and Romance (River Valley Book 1) (8 page)

BOOK: Reason and Romance (River Valley Book 1)
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She ended up in a tangled vise with him. Her back was to him, her arm snaking upward and around his neck. His hand glided over her stomach. He was breathing hard against her neck, and reveling in it, she laughed softly.

Confidence thrummed through her blood. This was what she had been born to do. This was what Jason was missing out on.

Still laughing, she half-closed her eyes. As she lowered her eyelashes, she peeked out at the backyard. Oh, she’d attracted attention, and plenty of it. No one was dancing anymore, just her and Justin. People had actually gathered around the edges of the lawn, so they could get their little voyeuristic show. Travis was standing off to a side, absorbing everything with a wide grin.

An unexpected thrill ran through her when she lifted her head—and stared into Alex’s eyes. Yes, this was why she hadn’t wanted to go over to him …

He hadn’t left his position near the pool, but despite his surrounding posse, he raised his water bottle in a salute, acknowledging her presence. Mandy Fitzpatrick was with him, her hand resting possessively on his chest. Quentin Maxwell was in the middle of the semicircle, gesturing with his hands. The more he talked, the more the others laughed, even Grant Darlington.

And yet Alex smiled only at her.

She was dancing with Justin, their bodies winding as one, but Alex was openly watching her, making no pretense of it. Strange, that. It wasn’t the first time she’d been subjected to his attention, but there was something different about him tonight. Or maybe
she
was the different one tonight.

Sparks electrified her skin. Even as she gave into the fevered sensation of music and heat, she couldn’t seem to escape those green eyes.

When the song ended, it was almost a shock. She was suddenly herself again, but even as she freed herself from Justin, she couldn’t be embarrassed. The magic had mostly dissipated, but there was enough left.

Sweat beaded Justin’s forehead. “Damn,” he said, managing a smile. “That was, uh—that was amazing. You like to dance, huh?”

Maybe it was the sight of Bri Latimer’s scowling face that aroused her latent sense of mischief, but Adrian couldn’t help reaching out and trailing a lazy hand over his chest. “Oh, I love to dance,” she said slyly. “Come see me later if you want to.”

“Yeah, I’d like to—ow!”

Bri had stomped over to her twin brother’s side and yanked on his arm before he could even finish the sentence. “I need him,” she growled. Her hazel eyes snapped with barely restrained temper. “Excuse us.”

Then it was Adrian’s turn to be grabbed.

“Dude, that was awesome!” Travis said with such glee that she had to grin. “Everyone is talking about you, Adrian! Bri Latimer totally hates you now. She was talking to her friends about how you were toying with her brother.”

Adrian glanced at the siblings now a few feet away. Bri was talking to Justin, probably giving him hell, but really, he was a big boy.

Travis nodded at someone behind her back. “Maxwell’s heading your way.”

She didn’t know whether to be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised. Quentin had been so damn rude that she still fumed over his stupid “bang her like a screen door” comment. He hadn’t been any better on the first day of school either. Granted, he hadn’t said a word to her after that, but he’d developed a habit of leering at her daily.

When Quentin turned up, he proved he hadn’t changed. His gaze immediately dropped to her cleavage. “Baby, if you wanted an invitation, you only had to let me know,” he said, not even bothering to say hello. “You want to take the party somewhere more private?”

“Oh, I don’t think you can handle me tonight. Let’s go, Travis.”

Quentin caught her arm. “Don’t leave yet. Come with me.”

“Travis goes where I go. We’re friends.”

“Yep,” Travis said. “We’re a package deal, Maxwell.”

Quentin raised an eyebrow. “If that’s the way it is.”

Even so, his amused disdain was clear enough that she bristled. Yeah, Travis was a stoner, but so far he had been true to his word. He’d picked her up at the house, so they could drive to the party together. He hadn’t tried to paw at her, not once.

Quentin herded them over to Alex and his group, and this time she didn’t fight the inevitable. Maybe if she seized the advantage, she could just get it over with.

Adrian sauntered toward Alex until only a few centimeters separated them. “Looking good there, brother dear,” she drawled. She slapped his ass, which she had never, ever done to a guy before. “I’d give you a twenty.”

Dead silence.

Had she wished for a better reaction, she couldn’t have gotten one. Jaws dropped and eyes bulged. People gasped and blushed. In the end, there was really only one reaction that mattered, and everyone glanced his way.

Alex’s eyes narrowed and Adrian saw his daredevil smile. “I think I merit more than a twenty, but I’d rather have a kiss instead. You up to it, sister dear?”

She smiled at him. If he thought he could psych her out, he was so sadly mistaken. “Oh, I am. Are
you
up to it?”

Hatred blazed from Mandy Fitzpatrick like a raw, living thing. “That’s Alex you’re talking to! Leave him alone.”

“I feel like being a bitch tonight.”

They were all standing in a loose circle, but from the corner of her eye, Adrian could spot a crowd of people unsubtly drifting closer, so they could eavesdrop. Justin and Bri were now working their way through the crowd, Bri with a sour expression.

Mandy ignored what Adrian had just said. “Leave him alone,” she repeated, her chest heaving with every word. “If you don’t, I’ll make your life at school way more fucking miserable more than it is!”

Adrian’s eyes never left Alex’s. “Insecurity is so unbecoming, Mandy.”

“You can’t have him!”

Alex shook his head and smiled. “Your boyfriend’s pretty insecure from what I recall. What would he say if he knew what you’re doing now?”

It had finally dawned on Mandy that no one was paying her any attention. “Just fuck off!” She grabbed a cup of beer from someone.

There was a screech.

Everyone stared at the liquid dripping down her face. And then everyone stared at the empty cup in Travis’s hand.

“You’re supposed to melt,” he said winsomely, “like that Wicked Witch.”

Screaming curses, Mandy launched herself at Travis. He danced out of her reach with a surprising nimbleness that Adrian wouldn’t have thought he was capable of. He darted behind Quentin and beckoned at her.

“Let’s book it!” he said.

Deprived of him, Mandy turned onto Adrian. “It’s your fault!”

Justin jumped between them. He grabbed Mandy’s arms and spun her around, locking her wrists, so she couldn’t flail anymore. “Calm down!” he shouted. Above her head, he shot Quentin an exasperated glance. “Stop laughing!”

Mandy was Alex’s hookup or girlfriend, or whatever the hell she was, so by all rights, he should be the one comforting her. Or alternately, rushing to beat Travis up for his insolence. And yet he was still looking at Adrian, a smile toying with his lips.

Heat pooled in her stomach at the intensity in his gaze. As she held his eyes, hers roamed over his face. Like that online picture she’d seen, he wasn’t wearing anything special, but as strikingly attractive as he had been in that one, it was just an image.
This
was real life, and if he wasn’t her future stepbrother—

“Alex!” Mandy cried out.

And he was with Mandy tonight. That fact was one that not even Adrian could dispute, so she turned away and left with Travis. As exits went, it was a fairly good one, what with everyone watching them.

“Well, that was interesting,” she said to Travis. “We should do it more often.”

He chortled. “Man, that was some spiffy shit! No one will talk to us on Monday.” His wide grin belied his worried words. “We’ll be, like, the most hated people in school.”

“Maybe,” she said coolly, “but we’ll hate them right back.”

They got some more beer from the awestruck kids manning the kegs. Since she hadn’t touched her first drink, she drained this one.

“You’re now the talk of the party. Impressive.”

The new voice at her elbow made Adrian turn. She wasn’t short, but even with the strappy sandals she had on, the blonde towered above her by a few inches.

A bright pink blossom poked from behind the girl’s ear, but it was no less bright than the avid curiosity shining in the teakwood brown eyes. Her hair was a wavy cascade of blond curls that spilled down her almost naked back. She’d worn a turquoise halter and a floral miniskirt that showed off her long legs. The colors should have clashed, but she pulled them off with a fashionable aplomb.

Dozens of bracelets tinkled around her wrists as she thrust one hand at Adrian. “Vaughn Mackintosh at your service,” she said.

Her face was vaguely familiar. “You’re that girl who pulled her cell phone out when I did my little essay,” Adrian said.

Vaughn dropped her hand. “Guilty as charged.” Instead of being intimidated by Adrian’s lack of enthusiasm, she only grinned. Even her eyes were twinkling. “Fair warning, I’m one of the school gossips.” A demure expression set in. “Some call me
the
school grapevine.”

“And you call me the bitch queen.”

“No, honey, I just call you a good piece of gossip.”

“Oh, I’m not done yet. I’m going to misbehave.”

Vaughn chuckled. “Then, by all means, don’t let me stop you.”

She stepped back from Adrian with a grand, sweeping flourish. Her grin was wide and appreciative, and Adrian passed her without a second glance. She’d known too many people like Vaughn who pretended to be friendly, but once they got the wind of juicy gossip, you were out in the cold. Even now, there were still too many people who remembered Marissa Blake and who recounted her misdeeds with relish.

Just a part of the legacy you left us, Mother …

“I want a drink,” she told one of the guys at the kegs. “Better yet, make it two.”

“You okay?” Travis said when she tossed the drinks back. He’d kept quiet when Vaughn had approached her, but now he was at her side. “You look weird.”

She linked arms with him. “I’m fine. Come on, introduce me to more people.”

The next hour seemed to blur as he took her over to his friends. They greeted her with a chorus of “Dude, that was awesome!” Only earlier that day, they’d avoided her in school.

One of them handed her a drink. Not beer, as she’d initially thought, but the vodka felt good as it burned her throat.

A guy approached her shyly. He had another beer in hand that she took from him. “Hey, you said you wanted me to give you drinks,” he said, and Adrian recognized him as the guy who’d blushed when she’d flirted with him over the kegs. “Um … you want to dance?”

“Why not?” she said.

She slithered over him. Her hands were everywhere as she practically ravaged him on the grass, and every time he tried to pull her close, she twisted out of his grip. He couldn’t have her—she was untouchable tonight. Nothing could hurt her, not even the onlookers’ increasing scrutiny and the whispers. Only Jason could hurt her, and he was gone.

You want to know where I am, Jason? I’m at a party right now. I’m going to screw someone’s brains out, and I’ll enjoy every fucking minute of it.

Another guy cut in, and she went with him. The music worked its magic on her, and she writhed to the beat she felt in her veins. Her fury spiraled out of control as she switched partners. All of a sudden, there seemed to be guys crowding her, trying to get their turn, but whatever, they’d all have to wait because she wasn’t going to pick just one. When she signaled for another drink, someone gave her hard liquor. Good.

Sometime during one of the songs, she realized no one else was dancing, just her and her current partner. She’d vanquished all the other people because they were now on the sidelines and eyeing her. Oh yes, it was
her
show now.

Burn baby burn.

She slammed against Justin Latimer who’d shoved the guy away. “You should take a break, Adrian,” he said, the words echoing in and out of her consciousness. “I think you’ve had enough. Why don’t you go home?”

“What time is it?” she said. “Never mind, I don’t want to leave. Why don’t you keep me company?” She trailed a finger down his chest.

A flush set in his cheeks. “Where’s Travis? He gave you a ride, right?”

She couldn’t help but smile at his discomfort. “Mm. You want to give me a ride?” Just to make sure he didn’t misinterpret her meaning, she leaned against his shoulder.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll drop you off at home. Come on.”

She almost collapsed when she tried to take a step. Such a gentleman. Why hadn’t Jason been one? He’d promised that they wouldn’t break up, just because she was stuck in the desert. No, he’d just dumped her for another girl. What the hell had she ever seen in him anyway? Was her judgment really that flawed? It was a frightening thought. Three years with the same guy, and she’d never suspected he was capable of cheating.

“Whoa!” Justin said, holding her up. “Lean on me.”

He scooped up her shoes and escorted her personally. It was a good thing because her legs were like rubber. It was as if the music had fueled her dancing, but now that someone had changed the tune, it wasn’t the same anymore. She closed her eyes and clung to him as he half-dragged and half-walked her.

Travis materialized out of the crowd. “Dude! I can take her home.”

Justin frowned. “Are you sure? How much have you had to drink?”

“Only a few beers. And maybe some of that hard liquor they were passing out like candy. I can’t remember.”

Justin shook his head and flagged down someone behind Adrian. “Stay right where you are, both of you.” He disengaged himself from her and hurried off.

Grant Darlington closed in, presumably to watch them during Justin’s absence. For such a tall and muscular guy, he could move like a ghost because she hadn’t heard him approach. Come to think of it, she’d never even heard him speak in class.

He was speaking now. “You should be more careful, Adrian.”

It was a speech so surprising that she stared at him. She’d never gotten the impression that he gave a damn about her. He was the quietest of Alex’s lieutenants and, as she stared into those coolly implacable ice blue eyes, perhaps the most intimidating.

BOOK: Reason and Romance (River Valley Book 1)
7.96Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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