“I have a feeling those two are going to be married by the end of the semester, and we’re going to be one roommate short,” Pacey said dryly.
“I hope not,” Tanner grumbled, and I looked up at him.
“Really? I didn’t think you liked Sanders.”
Tanner shrugged. “It’s not that. I don’t mind him. I don’t mind any of you guys,” he added, and we all laughed. “It’s more that I don’t know if you need to get married when you’re twenty years old. And I’m pretty sure the only people they’ve ever slept with are each other.”
“That could be something they like, though. If you find the right person, why do you need to keep searching?” I asked.
“I never took you as a romantic,” Pacey said, studying my face.
I quirked a lip. “I’ve watched my brothers fall in love, one after another, and in spectacular fashion. I can’t help it.” I looked down at my beer and took a sip.
“Well, that’s nice to know,” Miles said. “And I’m sorry that Mandy wasn’t it for you.” Tanner slapped Miles upside the back of the head, and Miles just grinned. “What?”
I laughed. “Mandy was never going to be forever. Remember? She told me flat-out that I wasn’t her forever and that she wanted fun. I like fun.” I guess.
“I have a feeling you’re going to like a whole lot of fun,” Tanner said as he looked over my shoulder.
I followed his gaze and narrowed my eyes at the girl across the room. There was something familiar about her that I couldn’t quite place. “Why do I feel like I know her?” I asked.
“Oh, you don’t know her, but she and her roommate know you.”
I gave Tanner a look. “What?”
Tanner grinned, looking as if he were having more fun than he had in years, and leaned forward. “Quick, that one right there? She’s on her way over here to talk to you. I have a feeling you’re going to like what she has to say.”
I looked over at Tanner. “Why are you acting so weird? Like the man behind the curtain.”
He shook his head. “Don’t look at the man behind the curtain.” He laughed. “But they seemed interesting when I met them a few weeks ago at the coffee shop. You should talk to her.”
Coffee shop? And why did that sound familiar? “Talk to who?” I asked but looked over at the girl with the light eyes, the pointed chin, and the soft face. I swallowed hard.
Suddenly, the guys were gone as if shadows and ghosts had swallowed them up.
The girl in front of me couldn’t be taller than my chin, even in heels, and she had her shoulders hunched forward for a moment. She met my gaze, but nearly tripped over her feet as she rolled her shoulders back.
“Hi,” she squeaked and held out a hand. She blushed and nearly lowered her proffered palm, but I quickly reached out and took it. Her hand was warm, a little clammy, but I squeezed it before letting go.
“Hi,” I said, confused yet intrigued by this girl with her wide eyes and pouty lips.
“I didn’t mean to try to shake your hand just then. I’m not very good at this.”
I looked around, wondering if anyone was paying attention. I couldn’t see my roommates, but her friend was watching us, warmth in her eyes—not abject terror or snarkiness so I had to count that as a win.
“Well, hi. I’m Dillon.”
“Oh, I know,” she blurted before groaning. “At least, that’s what my roommate said. Anyway, I’m here for a reason.”
“And that reason would be?” I couldn’t keep my gaze off her.
“I am on a dare. I’m not good at them, but I’m going to do my best on this one.”
My brows shot up. “What on Earth could I have to do with your dare?” I asked, fascinated.
“I need you to kiss me,” she said quickly. “Preferably without everybody watching. Is that okay?” she asked. I looked down at her and then up at her friend, only to see that she wasn’t alone anymore. No, Tanner was there with her, along with Pacey, all three of them smiling and raising their drinks in cheers.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“My friend thinks I need to get out more. And she dared me to kiss you. I thought I would ask first because…hello, consent.”
“Yeah, consent is good,” I said, truly confused.
“Anyway, my name is Elise by the way. It’s nice to meet you. I guess. I sort of saw you around the coffee shop before. Well, not like today before, but before-before.” I felt like I couldn’t catch up, and she kept rambling. “Anyway, this is the most insane—insanest?—thing I’ve ever done in my life. But I came up to you, I told you about my dare, and now I’m going to go home and hide under a blanket. That would probably be good. I’ll be back after the semester’s over.”
She turned on her heel, and I reached out and gripped her hand before she could leave. She froze and then turned to me slowly, looking like a deer in headlights.
“It’s nice to meet you, Elise.”
She blinked. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you, too.”
“So I take it that you consent?” I asked, not knowing why I was doing this but knowing I needed to.
Her eyes widened. “Consent? You mean for the dare?”
“Yes,” I said slowly.
Her mouth parted, her eyes getting even wider, if that were possible. “Oh. Well, yes.”
I didn’t let her say anything else. I simply lowered my head and kissed her, living in the moment for the first time in a long while.
Chapter 2
Elise
* * *
I honestly couldn’t believe I was doing this. But there were lips on mine, and I felt as if I were drowning. Who was this person, and why was he doing this? Why had I been the one to dare him?
No, that wasn’t right. Corinne had dared me. She had said that I needed to have a little fun and see if I could best my nerves and kiss the guy I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about for weeks—not since I had seen him in the coffee shop. And now, here I was, standing next to him, his hand on my cheek, his thumb brushing across my skin, and his mouth on mine. I could hear someone cheering, knew others were looking at me. It wasn’t like I could hear them looking at me, but I could feel their gazes on my skin. And I hated it. I didn’t want to be the center of attention. And yet, I couldn’t stop what I was doing. And so, I parted my lips and let him kiss me harder.
He pulled away, his breath a little choppy. And then he smiled at me. A sweet grin that spread over his entire face and brightened his eyes, making him look like the sexiest guy I had ever seen in my life.
What the hell was I doing?
“Did that satisfy your dare?” Dillon Connolly asked. I blinked before mortification set in. My stomach dropped, and I took a step back.
“Oh. Maybe. Anyway, I should go.”
I turned on my heel again, but Dillon reached out and gently touched my wrist. “Don’t.”
“I really should,” I mumbled.
I looked over at him as he stared at the people staring at us. Suddenly, everyone looked as if they had something else to do.
What would it be like to have that kind of power? To be the big man on campus. The one who didn’t know it.
I saw Dillon around now that I knew to look for him. Everywhere he went, he acted as if he might not have a care in the world, but he also didn’t push people away. Didn’t think he was better than them, even though he was better than most guys on campus. Yet it was still weird because I felt like he didn’t understand the power he wielded, the magnetism that brought people to him like a moth to a flame.
“I really should be going.”
Dillon shook his head, a smile still playing on his lips. “You’re just going to leave me after kissing me like that?”
I raised a brow, doing my best to look my most haughty. “You’re the one who kissed me.”
“Only because you asked.”
Shame crept up my spine, and I lowered my head. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.
Dillon cursed under his breath. “That’s not
what I meant. I was just trying to play along. Come on, let’s meet this friend of yours who dared you. And talk. I don’t usually kiss strangers.”
I looked at him then, raising a brow. “That’s not what I hear.”
“You’re hearing things about me?”
I could have kicked myself. “That’s not what I meant. Forget I said anything.”
Dillon shook his head. “No, we’re going to talk about that. Plus, I just had my mouth on yours. I think that gives me the right to maybe a little conversation.”
“Fine,” I mumbled, aware that others were still staring. I hated when people gawked.
We made our way to where Corinne stood with the guy from the coffee shop and another guy with blond hair. I could feel Dillon behind me, his warmth at my back. He didn’t touch me, didn’t leave me with his hand on the small of my back like sometimes happened in my dreams. It wasn’t necessarily Dillon in my dreams, but you couldn’t always see the other person’s face in those kinds of dreams. Still, you were happy and finding your place. But then you woke up and realized that, once again, you were alone. But that was okay. I didn’t really have time for a relationship or need.
And yet, my hormones seemed to have other ideas.
“Hi, Corinne,” I grumbled. My best friend and roommate grinned, her hair piled on the top of her head.
I loved her so much, even though I hated her a little right then.
“Hi. I didn’t expect you to kiss him in the middle of the party, but good going.” She gave me a thumbs-up, and Tanner laughed from beside her.
“I do believe you two are my favorite people ever,” Tanner said, and the other guy just shook his head.
“I think we need an introduction,” the blond interjected, his British accent startling me. It was sexy. In fact, the whole package was. As was Tanner. But for some reason, it was Dillon who had been on my mind recently—and I hated it.
Or maybe I hated myself for liking it too much.
“Corinne, this is Dillon. Dillon, this is Corinne. And I don’t know these guys.”
Dillon snorted. “It’s nice to meet you, Corinne. I don’t know whether I should thank you or run away from you.”
Corinne beamed.
“That’s usually the case when it comes to people these days.”
Dillon just shook his head, smiling. “Tanner, Pacey, what are you guys doing over here?”
“I have no idea, but I’m quite enjoying myself. Hello, I’m Pacey,” the blond man said as he stared at me.
“I’m Elise,” I said, confused. “How do you guys know each other?”
This time, Tanner spoke. “We’re roommates. Along with a couple of other guys around here. This is our home.”
I swallowed hard. “Oh. Small world.”
“Well, this has been interesting. Where did you guys meet?” Pacey asked, and I could still feel the heat of Dillon behind me. I didn’t look up at him. I didn’t move slightly back so I could lean against him. All I wanted to do was hide, and I wasn’t sure I could do that.
But then I met Corinne’s gaze and remembered my promise.
Tonight was about fun. About remembering that this was college, and I was allowed to be who I wanted to be—or who I wasn’t.
I could be anyone. I could do anything. I was allowed to have fun.
I wasn’t an innocent virgin who’d never even touched a guy before. But I wasn’t good at the whole human-interaction thing.
Maybe if I let myself, though, I could have fun tonight. And I saw all of those promises and memories in Corinne’s gaze as she looked at me.
Treasure every moment, I thought to myself.
Our motto.
Something I needed to do better about remembering.
“I met the girls at a coffee shop,” Tanner said. “They were having a lovely conversation behind me, and I just had to invite them to our party. I didn’t know there would be this dare involved, but this is the most exciting thing that’s happened recently. Anyway, I’m delighted that I met up with them at that coffee shop.”
I looked up at Dillon as he frowned at Tanner’s words.
“When was this?” Dillon asked as if trying to remember something.
“That would be the day that you and Mandy broke up,” Tanner said, clearing his throat.
“Mandy?” Corinne asked.
I moved to the side a bit so I could face Dillon and the others. I wasn’t really happy with him behind me where I couldn’t see his reactions. Not that I could read him even if I could see him. He usually had a smile on his face, and I felt like I couldn’t get a bead on him. Not that I wanted to. It wasn’t like I wanted to be with him or anything. Right?
And now I was losing my mind. Half a beer, and I had lost all sensibility.
“Oh,” Dillon said and then cleared his throat again. “That was an eventful day,” he said. Then he looked at me, narrowing his eyes. “I think I saw you. You guys were a few people behind me in line. Right?”
I blushed, feeling like a stalker for some reason, even though we had been invited to this party.
“Yes, we were there,” I said, my voice trailing off.
“I know that, but I think I saw you there, didn’t I?”
“Yes. And you were a topic of conversation, hence why Tanner invited us tonight,” Corinne said, smiling at him.
I could have hit my friend just then, but I didn’t.
Mostly because I wasn’t the violent sort, and it would have only made me a spectacle I wasn’t ready for. At least, not yet.
“Anyway, we came tonight because we wanted to see what all the fuss was about,” Corinne said, rolling her shoulders back as she looked at the guys.
Tanner’s eyes danced with laughter, something that surprised me. I didn’t know him well, but he usually seemed to be glaring off into a corner somewhere when he wasn’t talking with a co-ed. Not that I thought he was a womanizer, but people seemed to be drawn to him. And from the looks that others gave Dillon and now this Pacey, Tanner wasn’t alone in that.
“Anyway, I’m glad you came,” Tanner said after a minute. I blushed. “I’m pretty sure Dillon is happy, too,” he said, and I didn’t duck my head this time. Instead, I met his gaze head-on. He just raised a brow and smiled. Jerk.
“So, I take it there was a dare involved,” Pacey began, and I sighed. “Yes, I was told to ask Dillon to kiss me. And then he proceeded to do so in the middle of the room, rather than in a corner where nobody could see. But it’s fine. It’s done. And now I no longer have to do dares for the rest of the evening.”
Corinne shook her head. “Is that how we’re playing the game, then?”
“You’re my best friend. And yet, I want to hit you right now.”
Corinne just laughed. “I don’t blame you for that. I didn’t think you’d go through with it at all. But I’m glad you did. You need to get out sometimes.”
I let out a sigh. “I am out. Didn’t you see? We are out. At a party. On a school night.”
“You don’t have classes tomorrow,” she said dryly.
“I could,” I said, and the guys laughed.
“You sound just like my brothers and sisters-in-law,” Dillon said, and everybody looked towards him, seeming to want to know more—me included. Why did I want to know more about this man? Why did having a single inkling of who this man could be make me want him more?
What the hell was wrong with me?
It must have been the kiss. Maybe it had altered my brain cells or something. Although it had been good, could it be that good?
“Anyway, I see someone I need to talk to,” Tanner said before looking at all of us. “You guys should stay. Don’t go. Another couple just had a big fight in the back, and I’m sure everybody’s already forgotten about this little rendezvous.”
He shrugged and then moved off into the house, blending in with the crowd as if he had never been there.
Pacey just shook his head and smiled. “I do believe I need another drink and to go meet with Alex
a.”
“Really?” Dillon asked. I had to wonder who Alexa was.
“Maybe. We’ll see.” He turned to Corinne. “Would you like to join me?
Corinne sputtered and then laughed. “You mean to get a beer? Sure. But I’m not getting into bed with you and another girl. Sorry.”
“I promise not to dare you on that. But I should at least dare a kiss, shouldn’t I?” I asked, teasing. Well, it was maybe teasing. I was a little flustered.
Corinne just grinned. “No, you wanted to end the game. So now you don’t get to dare me. Sorry.” She gave me a little finger wave, hooked her arm with Pacey’s, and the two blended seamlessly into the crowd, leaving Dillon and me alone in the corner. Is this what they had wanted? To leave me behind, wondering what the hell I was doing?
“So, should I ask you what your major is? Or your sign? I don’t know, something to start a conversation that doesn’t begin with a dare?” Dillon asked, and I let out a soft laugh.
“I’m usually better at conversation, but I didn’t actually expect you to kiss me. I thought I would just go along with the dare because my friend asked, and then I’d run away and hide and never have this conversation again.”
Dillon tilted his head and looked at me. “Do you do this often? Play Truth or Dare or whatever the hell you guys were doing?”
“I’ve known Corinne since we were five years old. Our mothers joined a Mommy and Me group and we grew up together—only three houses down. But the neighbors we grew up with when we were kids were great, and we were allowed to climb their fences if we wanted. Not that my parents let me too often.” My parents rarely let me do anything I wanted to do, but that wasn’t a subject I would get into with him—or anyone, for that matter.
“Corinne is a daredevil. She went skydiving as soon as she turned eighteen because her parents wouldn’t let her do it before then. She got a tattoo and has gone scuba diving, horseback riding, anything you can possibly imagine. She likes to live life to the fullest because that is our motto. Treasure every moment.”
My One Night: An On My Own Novel Page 2