by Claire Adams
Yeah, right.
"Do you think he has friends that look like him?" Dedra stood up and looked around, showing her lack of shame.
"Sit down. Jeez." I tugged her back down and picked up my burger. "What's wrong with you guys? You know that type of guy is everywhere. Are you seriously interested in a one-night stand?"
Cindy smirked. "With him? Yes."
"Me, too." Emily popped a french fry into her mouth as she wagged her eyebrows.
I turned to look at Dedra, pleading with her with my expression. "Come on, D."
"Oh, hell no." She shook her head.
"Finally. Someone with sense in their heads." I took a deep bite of my burger as she continued.
"No, I meant oh hell no to that look you were giving me. I'd be one hundred percent in on this guy. I'd spread these legs open wide and give it all up to him." She awarded me with a cheeky grin as I groaned and chewed my mouthful.
The waitress appeared a few minutes later and started to clean the table off.
"Hey, I know this is weird," I reached out and touched her arm, "but, do you know that really good-looking guy in the center of the room? Dark blue shirt, blond hair, impossibly hot?"
"Now she says he's hot." Emily scoffed.
I ignored her, keeping my attention on the waitress as she glanced around.
"I think you're talking about Brody." She smiled down at me.
"Yes, that's him." I glanced around at my friends like 'see I told you so'. "Is he by chance the town whore?"
"Cora. Shit." Dedra laughed and leaned back in her chair.
"Town whore? No. He's the son of a senator. He doesn't live here from what I understand." She shrugged. "Those guys with him are his bodyguards."
I stood up, not willing to believe the line of shit this girl was giving us. "Really?"
He glanced up and smiled, waving at me like we were old friends. I lifted my eyebrow and shook my head before sitting back down. What an asshole. Lying to this poor girl.
"That's what he said." She shrugged. "Can I get you anything else before you go?"
"Just our check." I picked up a pickle off my plate and popped it in my mouth as my friends started to talk about how hot Brody was again.
"You guys should have seen him this morning with his shirt off." Emily giggled. "I pulled my shirt off in hopes of getting his attention."
I gave her a quick glare and hated how badly I wanted to reach out and smack her. What was wrong with me? Why was I trying to protect everyone from this handsome playboy? Half the reason we decided on one last trip before starting our jobs in various places across the country was to have one last fling.
Someone needed a fling with Brody. All of my friends wanted it to be them, but I couldn't see them surviving him.
"What are you thinking about?" Emily poked me.
"Nothing," I grumbled and glanced back up at the server.
"Sorry, girls. Your tab has been picked up by Brody." She smiled and shrugged. "Enjoy your night."
"What? No." I stood back up and turned toward him as him and his bodyguards stood up. I mouthed, “no,” but he ignored me, blew me a kiss and turned to walk out.
"Hey. It's okay." Cindy stood up and touched my arm. "What's up with you? Did something happen that you're not telling us about?"
"What? No." I pushed her hand away and grabbed my purse. "I don't want him paying for our dinner."
"Oh, fuck," Emily muttered, moving up beside me as I moved through the crowd.
"Hey." I caught up with them about the time we got outside. The three guys with him turned before he did, giving me a quick visual on what had to be his closest friends. We had the brain, the brawn, and the cowboy. Of course, Brody would need to be the cocky playboy. Typical. "Hey, Brody."
He turned and slipped his hands into his pockets as my friends moved up around me. "Ladies. You want a ride to the party? We got Clay's truck. It would be fun to pile in the back and get to know each other, no?"
"No," I barked as my friends all yelled yes.
They started toward the truck, leaving me standing there. I wasn't getting in the truck with him. It wasn't happening.
"Come on, Cora. Don't be odd man out." Brody turned to me as he helped my friends climb in the truck. "You can ride shotgun. Sit in my lap?"
"Fuck that." I shrugged and turned to walk toward town. I was fine not having a ride. It was a short walk, and it would prove a point.
What? That you're being a prick?
A deep growl resounded behind me followed by shoes hitting the pavement.
"Come on. Don't be like that." Brody moved up beside me. "I'm not going to bite."
"Really? You look like a piranha to me." I glanced over at him, hating how insanely good looking he was. That I couldn't be attracted to someone for their personality first and then their looks was aggravating.
"Do I really?" He nipped at the air rapidly, looking ridiculous as we walked up a steep hill side by side.
I couldn't help but smile.
"Stop it." I swatted at him, hitting him in the chest, and realizing how firm he was. Great.
"Come on, Cora. You don't even know me. Stop acting like you do." He reached out and grabbed my hand, jerking me back before I walked into oncoming traffic.
I pulled my hand from his and let out a soft sigh. "I know plenty of guys like you. You get used to recognizing them when they're all you've dated."
"Awww, come on now. I'm a new face and a new opportunity to have a little bit of fun." He started across the road, keeping his hands to himself, which surprised me.
"Your definition of fun doesn't match up to mine, at all." I kept my eyes on the people in front of us, not willing to give him an inch.
"I highly doubt that." He touched the small of my back as we hopped up on onto the sidewalk across the street. It felt silly to slap him away, and within a second, his hand was off of me.
The wind picked up and blew my hair about as his cologne drove into me, leaving my heart racing.
No. He's a total asshole. A user. Just like Brandon.
That thought alone doused any desire I had completely.
He cleared his throat. "I can see you're not going to make this easy."
We stopped across the street from the mansion, waiting on the light to turn.
"Make what easy?" I glanced over at him. "Please do explain yourself."
He smirked. "Make getting to know you easy."
"You don't need to know me, Brody. I'm not your type of girl, nor are any of my friends. We respect ourselves more than that." I shrugged and darted out through the traffic, hoping to lose him. I wasn't interested in conversing with him for another minute. I was strong in my resolve, but even I had a breaking point. If he batted his damn eyelashes at me once, I would melt like butter.
He was far too sexy to chance it. I just prayed that my friends would find his friends complete duds. The last thing I needed was my girls wanting to hang out with his guys. That would leave me with one thing to do: get to know him.
*
"What the fuck was that all about?" Emily got in my face as I stood by the drink table in the center of the large living room as the party raged around me.
"I don't want anything to do with him, Emily. Is there some reason that you guys don't understand just how much Brandon hurt me? He was a slut and a half, and this guy is no different." I tried to keep my tone even, calm. There was no reason to feed into her anger.
"I get that, but leaving and walking over here by yourself was dangerous. I tried to find you, but didn't see you after you took off. You scared me." Her eyes filled with tears. "Don't do that again. Got it?"
"Okay. I'm sorry." I reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Don't be mad at me. I just don't need this guy in my life. Not even for a summer fling."
She pulled back and wiped at her tears. I needed to be more cognizant of her feelings. They'd lost her little sister a few years back in a sporting event and never found her.
"Alright. I get it. Ju
st don't run off again. You're the only family I really claim." She gave me a tight smile and glanced around. "Brody might be a player, but I'm not so sure the rest of his friends are. They seem really nice. I'd let Clay take me out sometime, but I'm not sure he's the kind to ask. He's quiet."
"I thought you liked Brody, that you were the woman to teach him a lesson or two." I chuckled, forcing myself to relax a little. The party was supposed to be fun. Brody wanting my attention wasn't going to change that. He was like every other man in the world: ignore him long enough and he would simply go away.
"He's got eyes only for you, sister." She poured herself a glass of punch. "We sure this stuff isn't spiked with drugs?"
"Nope." I downed mine and glanced around, spotting Dedra and Cindy talking to Brody's friends. He was nowhere to be seen, and though a little part of me felt guilty for being such a class-A bitch to him, it was better that way. "Come over here and introduce me to Clay. I want to make sure I'm good with him before you let him sweep you off your feet."
I lifted my eyebrow as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. I'm not looking for anything long-term. Life is about to change drastically for most of us."
"Not you." I rubbed her back as we walked toward the group.
Dedra turned and put her arm over my shoulders, tugging me against her and smiling down at me.
"Did you let that big bad hottie run you off?" She smirked.
"I sure did." I extended my hand to the shortest guy in the group, assuming he was Clay by the way Emily moved over toward him. "I'm Cora."
"I'm Clay. This is Daniel and Derek. Forgive us for being friends with Brody. It's an age old issue, but we love the guy, nevertheless. He's like the black sheep of the group." Clay chuckled and shrugged as the other guys smirked.
"Nice to meet you." I shook Derek's hand and then Daniels. "I'm uber sensitive to bullshit, so forgive me for running from his lines. I've heard them all before."
"So has half the country, but he's a good guy." Daniel spoke up as he adjusted his glasses. "I'm going to go get some fresh air. You wanna come? We can bash Brody together?"
I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."
Daniel was a good foot taller than me and beanpole thin. Not at all the kind of guy I'd have given a second look to, but he was cute in his own way. His messy brown hair and spattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose made him adorable.
"Where are you from?" He smiled as we walked out on the patio and moved to the only corner that wasn't occupied.
I leaned against the railing and smiled over at him. "From just up the road. I just graduated from Arizona State."
"Oh, nice. Me, too." He glanced out at the yard and grew silent. He wasn't at all like his friend, Brody. Looked like I was going to have to carry the conversation if we were going to have one.
"Are you staying here after the summer or heading off to a new adventure?" I lifted my punch to my lips and took a long drink. Maybe coming out on the porch with this guy wasn't a good idea, after all.
"I'll be starting pre-med at Harvard in the fall. I just wanted to get my undergrad near home." He shrugged. "All those guys back there are my buddies from high school. We decided to go to college together, and honestly, it was the best decision I could have made. I'm a better man because of them."
Brody's voice caused my pulse to spike. "That's sweet, buddy. We feel the same about you, too."
The sexy frat boy moved up on the other side of me and leaned against the rails, breathing in deeply.
"You're like a roach." I turned my face toward him. "I just can't get rid of you."
"Awww, come on, Cora. No need to smash my ego." He licked at his lips subtly as his eyes moved around my face. He was almost too close. I could hear him breathing, smell the mint on his breath, see the promise of something wickedly insane in his eyes.
"Smash your ego? Who in the world would have a hammer that large?" I glanced over at Daniel as my body warmed and my nipples tightened thanks to Brody's attention. "Nice to meet you, Daniel. See you around."
I turned and walked back toward the house, shaking my hips just a tad bit more than I would usually.
Just because I wasn't going to bite the hook didn't mean I didn't want to tug on it a little.
Chapter 9
Brody
"Goddammit," I grumbled as she walked away. Every cell in my body screamed for me to follow her, force her to see me. To hear me.
"What's up with you tonight, man?" Daniel moved up beside me, his face filled with concern.
"I don't know." I looked over my shoulder as she shook her hips. Her pretty ass jiggled just under her dress, giving me confirmation that the fox had on a G-string. My cock hardened to the point of throbbing, and yet there was nothing to do about it. She wasn't going to relent, and I wasn't going to push.
Or was I?
"Did something happen with you and Cora?" He pushed his shoulder against mine.
"How do you know her name?" I turned and lifted my eyebrow as my voice dropped a little.
"Whoa." He stepped back and lifted his hands. "I'm an innocent by-stander here."
"Yeah, sorry." I patted his chest and rolled my shoulders. "I know it's going to sound crazy, but I haven't had a girl deny me in years."
"First time for everything?" He laughed and took a drink of his beer. "Come on. There are lots of women here tonight. Let's grab a beer for you and get the fun started. No worrying about the one that got away. She wasn't even that attractive."
I laughed loudly. "Is this your way of making me feel better?"
"Yep. She's the hottest thing I've ever seen in my life." He walked to the door to the house and held it open. "She looks like one of those chicks who would rock a business suit and rule the world, yet turn into a complete whore in the bedroom for the right man."
I popped him in the gut as I walked in and groaned. "Really? Fucker."
"Sorry, dude. You know I have a problem with not being totally honest all the time." He shrugged. "It was a hard life growing up with older brothers."
"I want her, Daniel. I haven't wanted anyone for a long time." I glanced around, not seeing her and feeling a sense of relief over it. She wasn't the prettiest girl I'd ever seen in my life, but combined with her attitude and confidence? I was sold on the idea of trying harder than I had in a long time for a girl.
"Well, it's good to want, right?" He picked up a beer and handed it to me. "It makes us appreciate those things we wanted if we ever get them.”
"Not now, dude. I can't handle an in-depth discussion over the human psyche. I'm hiding a boner and my heart is racing." I gave him a quick glare.
"Over one girl? Seems out of character for you." He shrugged and took another drink of his beer before patting my chest. "I'm thinking you have some repressed women issues, but we'll talk later. Go woo the girl."
I ignored him and looked around for her. She was standing in a group with her friends and some of mine. Perfect.
Walking over, I stopped beside Clay and lifted my beer to my lips, looking away from the group as if searching for someone. She wanted to play hard to get? Fine. I was down for a challenge. It felt good. Having my heart racing and blood pumping was almost addictive. It had been far too long.
"Let's go dance." Dedra moved past me as she tugged on her redheaded friend's hand. Cindy? Candy? Cindy.
"Sounds good to me." Derek tugged at my shirt. "Come on, lover boy. Come show these girls how it's done."
"Can you dance?" Emily asked me, moving up to my left. The girl was cute, but seemed to be hiding behind her over-sized shirt and tights. I'd seen her on the dock earlier that day without her shirt on. There was no need for her to wear something so unattractive, unless she wasn't looking for attention.
"I've been known to steal a few hearts on the dance floor." I turned and reached for Cindy, pulling her toward me and spinning her.
She laughed and pressed her hands to my chest. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like a blond Chris Evans?"
"Nope. Never." I chuckled, lying to the petite thing. I spun her around the floor, taking care to keep her from running into anyone. I could almost feel Cora's eyes on me, but I ignored the need to turn around and show her just how interested I was in gaining her attention. I'd been playing this fucked up game for most of my life. This wasn't the first time a girl had given me the cold shoulder, just the first time in a really long time. I found that after I took the others like her to bed, the excitement died. It would be no different with her.
The thought calmed me a little. I enjoyed the high her denial provided. To push too far, too fast would leave it over before it started.
"Where are you from?" Cindy asked as she pressed herself against the front of me.
"Around." I winked and glanced up to see Derek headed our way. "I'm thinking my cowboy friend wants to spin you around a little. You up for it?"
"Absolutely." She turned and walked toward Derek, surprising the big guy, from what I could tell. I laughed and walked past them, patting him on the back and joining the rest of the group. Clay was gone, and so was Dedra, but Daniel, Emily, and Cora were laughing about something.
"Anyone know anything about this Clint character?" I walked up and stood beside Cora, keeping my attention on Daniel and Emily.
"Nope. He's just the rich guy in town. Word on the street is that his great grandparents helped found the town. Or maybe it was great-great or maybe great-great-great," Emily responded before giggling.
"You look like your drink is getting empty." Daniel nodded to Emily's glass. "Let’s go fill you up."
"Hmmm...that sounds...fun?" She laughed again as Daniel's cheeks turned pink.
"Oh Lord," Cora mumbled beside me.
I leaned against the bar, not paying her a bit of attention. My eyes moved out to the floor to find my friends enjoying themselves. Everyone had a beer in their hand, which wasn't good. Someone was supposed to be the designated driver, but from the look of things, no one remembered who it was.
"Well, damn." I took another sip of my half-drunken beer and tossed it.
"Beer go bad?" Her voice was firm and non-conversational.