Chapter 11


    Jase


    I need get my control back before I do something stupid and try to kiss her. If I do that, I won’t be able


    to stop. Turning away, I adjust myself in the suit pants. “I got you something today.”


    “You did?” I hear the smile in her voice, and I’m at least grateful that things aren’t weird between us


    now. She follows me across the room to my dresser. I pull open the top drawer, then point to the bed.


    “Sit.”


    She does.


    “And close your eyes.”


    Her lips curl into a smile and her eyes drop closed. She makes a grabby motion with her hands.


    “Gimme.”


    I chuckle and ce the small object in her palm and with her eyes still closed, her fingers explore. “A


    whistle.”


    She smiles up at me and the urge to kiss her is so strong, I take a step back. “If you need anything, you


    just blow that, and I’lle find you.”


    Her expression gets soft and she grips the whistle in her hand. “Where were you when I was in high


    school?” she asks, her voice just above a whisper. She looks down at the silver whistle in her hands


    and I can tell her thoughts are far away.


    What happened to turn her into this sad, broken girl? Not kissing her was the right move. “Trust me,


    you wouldn’t have liked me then.”


    The air hangs heavily around us, the music faintly audible from the party below, and Avery remains


    sitting in the center of my bed. But since I know I can’t kiss her, I need to get my thoughts back on


    track.


    I loop the red string over her head so the whistle rests between her breasts. “Should we go back


    downstairs?”


    She gives me a tight nod.


    Avery


    “What’s with the whistle?” Madison asks once I re-join her and Noah in the living room.


    “Don’t ask.” It makes no sense, even to me, and I know it would make even less sense to someone


    else. It’s Jase’s way of showing me he’s looking out for me. Even if it is ridiculous.


    When I finally spot him again, he’s standing across the living room with Stacia. Ugh. She’s in a figure-


    hugging red cocktail dress and they’re in what appears to be in an intense conversation. Their faces


    are just inches apart; her hand rests on his forearm and he’s bent down speaking near her ear, his


    voice low and controlled.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    She looks up at him, bites her lip and nods. Are they making a n to meet upter? I want to blow the


    damn whistle and call interference so bad my entire body is shaking. I want to see if Jase will really


    come running to me. But I do no such thing. I just stand there, numb, watching their way too


    comfortable interaction. Her body angles toward his, and his hand brushes her lower back. They look


    very familiar together.


    When she sees me, a practiced smile graces her features. When Jase notices what caught her


    attention – me gaping at them – he quickly pulls her by the arm around the corner.


    Whoa.


    What the hell was that and why do I feel the need to punch something? We’re just friends, I remind


    myself. He can talk to whomever he wants.


    Noah is dancing with a group of sorority girls, and deciding he won’t miss us, I drag Madison into the


    kitchen. “I need something to drink.” I lift my cup so she understands over the music.


    She nods happily and follows me. I need something stronger than beer tonight. I don’t know if it’s this


    stupid outfit that soo isn’t me, or the fact that I just saw Jase go off with Stacia, but my hands are


    shaking.


    It’s not like he’s mine. Who he goes off with should be none of my concern.


    Jase ventures into the kitchen, alone this time, and watches me and Madison wait at the counter while


    one of his frat brothers pours us each a shot. I lift the ss to my lips and drop my head back, letting


    the liquor burn a path down my throat. Why isn’t he with Stacia?


    “Another,” I tell the guy.


    He grins and dutifully refills my ss while Madison shoots me a surprised look. Jase is watching me


    and I want him to feel the same confusion and helplessness I just felt watching him with Stacia. I down


    the second shot and m the ss down on the counter. My eyes tear up and I’m not sure if it’s from


    the liquor or the strange emotions flooding my system. It’s been so long since I let myself be interested


    in a guy, and he’s the absolute worst choice I could have made. I should walk away from him right now.


    That would be the smart thing to do.


    “Enough,” Jase growls beside me, his fingers clutching the exposed skin of my hip, pulling me back


    from the counter.


    I nce around, making a show of it. “Where’s Stacia?”


    His eyebrows pull together. “She left. Wasn’t feeling well.”


    He’s smooth, I’ll give him that. He stands over me; his presence alone sending chills of awareness


    through my body. I wave him off. “Give me another,” I say to the cute blond guy holding the bottle.


    Jase steps closer, intensity rolling off him in waves. “What are you doing?”


    Madison res at him. She doesn’t trust him any farther than she could throw him. His good deed of


    getting Noah inside earlier is obviously forgotten.


    “I’m doing what we talked about…little challenges to get outside myfort zone. What’s the


    problem?” I tap the shot ss against the counter, waiting for my next pour.


    Jase’s gaze dares the poor guy to pour me one and see what kind of crazy is unleashed. If I was him, I


    wouldn’t pour me one either. “Fuck, Avery.” He grips my hand, towing me from the kitchen.


    I stumble along behind him through the crowded dining room, the two shots already hitting me. Jase


    pulls open the sliding door and the cool night air is a wee reprieve. It cools my flushed skin and


    clears my head the tiniest bit.


    He slides the door shut behind us, the music causing the ss to vibrate softly. Without any pretenses,


    Jase stalks forward. He cups the nape of my neck and angles my mouth to his, before leaning in to kiss


    me. His mouth is soft at first, but when I kiss him back, he groans low in his throat and coaxes my lips


    apart to deepen the kiss. His tongue touches mine and all sense of right and wrong is lost. This is


    heaven. His other hand finds my butt cheek, and gives it a none-too-gentle squeeze. I can feel


    everything in this one kiss…how much Jase wants me, how badly I wish I could do this… My brain is


    screaming at me to stop, but my body begs me to continue.


    Jase


    Her mouth is soft and damp and the way her tongue flirts with mine makes me instantly hard again. Her


    tongue glides along mine and she balls my shirt in her fists. Her ass fits perfectly in my hand and I grip


    it, holding her firmly against me so she can feel exactly what she does to me.


    Avery nts her hand against my chest and breaks the kiss. “Jase.” Her eyes are alight with passion,


    her voice breathless…but her tone is all wrong. “We have to stop.”


    I reluctantly pull away and meet her eyes. They’re zing green and swimming with emotion. Shit. I


    don’t know what I did wrong – and whether to apologize or hush her fears with more kisses. This is why


    I didn’t kiss her earlier. I shouldn’t have taken it that far. But Avery arouses in me things I’ve never felt.


    It’s insane. She’s not even mine, and I’m acting like an over-protective alpha male.


    She swallows and pulls in a deep breath, the confusion on her face fading. “I’m sorry.”


    I take another step back. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have rushed you.”


    Avery shakes her head. “I’m not even close to being ready.”


    Shit. I could punch myself. I’ve read the situation between us totally wrong. “On a scale of one to ten,


    ten being you’re ready to rip my clothes off…”


    She bites her lip. “I’m like a negative six.”


    “Shit. That bad, huh?” I take a sniff of my armpit, and sheughs. It’s so good to hear herugh and I


    rx just a bit.


    “It’s not you,” she says, still smiling. “How could it be?”


    I pull her into my arms, and kiss her forehead softly. “I’m not going to rush you. When you’re ready, you


    let me know.” I want her. And I will have her. I just have to figure out what’s going on in that pretty little


    head of hers.


    She nods wordlessly, but returns my hug, bringing her arms around my neck. “Thank you. I just…I like


    what we have.”


    I look down at her. “Me too.”


    “Can we just…focus on being friends?”


    “Friends.” Great. “Of course.” Blue balls, here Ie.


    I release her and she steps away from me. Friends apparently don’t rub their erections against their


    friend’s stomachs. My bad.


    “I…I need to go,” Avery whispers. I watch as she ducks her head and disappears inside.


    Shit fuck.


    Sometimes she seems so innocent….and then other times, not. The way she took those shots like a


    pro, and the way she kissed, that was anything but novice. Her tongue met mine, thrust for thrust, and


    we moved together effortlessly. There was nothing timid about her then. Blood flow is still directed


    south as my body struggles to regte.


    I can’t figure this girl out. And I want to. Hell, I need to. When I’m with Avery I don’t think about the pile


    of crap that is my life. How crazy everything’s be. She’s like the fresh start I didn’t even know how


    badly I needed.