Fusion (Explosive #5)

by Tessa Teevan

  She gave me a knowing smile. “Sweetheart, I can’t tell you how the boy feels. That’s something he has to do for himself. I only know what I see, and let me say, I like it. As a mom, there’s nothing I love more than seeing the way Jeremy looks at you. And don’t think I haven’t noticed those same looks coming from you, too.”

  A blush formed on my cheeks.

  “From the very beginning, I’ve known that the two of you had something special. It’s up to you to decide what happens next. Now, let’s not keep that boy waiting.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  After a few deep breaths, I steeled my nerves. Even though I didn’t feel ready for this, I was as ready as I’d ever be. Mom left the room, and I followed after her, taking each step slowly and deliberately. I heard his rumbling laughter before I saw him. The sound sent those butterflies into overdrive.

  This was it.

  If Jeremy ever saw me as anything more than just his best friend, this would be the time.

  Mom rounded the corner into the living room, and I gathered up what courage I could find and then stepped in right behind her.

  The moment my eyes locked with Jeremy’s, I knew Mom and Lexi had been right. Everything else around us faded into the background. His laughter ceased as he took in the sight of me. And I did the same to him. He was dressed in black slacks that appeared as if they had been made for him. Memories of the night I’d walked in on him flashed in my mind, and I took a glance at his groin.

  Yep, those slacks had been made for him.

  Aware that we weren’t alone, I tore my eyes away from his package and trailed them up over the rest of his body. A slim-fitting hunter-green dress shirt molded to his firm torso, just tight enough to give me a peek at his muscles. I made a vow never to complain about all the time he spent lifting weights in the field house anymore, because holy hell, the results were more than worth the effort. A light-green tie that adorned his muscular chest somehow accentuated the brown irises of his eyes, which were wide as his eyes raked over me.

  His copper-colored hair was its usual messy self. I loved that he hadn’t given in to Jenna’s prompting and gotten it cut and styled. I wanted to run my fingers through his soft hair as we danced the night away in each other’s arms, and gel would’ve ruined the experience.

  As he studied me, a slow, easygoing smile spread across his lips, showcasing those dimples.

  Not gonna lie.

  I swooned.

  My heart melted.

  And I went a little weak in the knees, which I later blamed on the heels. Stupid death traps.

  Jeremy had never looked more handsome than he did right then, and I’d never wanted him more. Heck, I’d never wanted anything more in my life than for Jeremy to cross the room, take me into his arms, dip me back, and gaze longingly into my eyes before capturing my lips with his.

  This wasn’t Copper anymore. This wasn’t Dawson. This wasn’t my Michelangelo-loving, ninja-warrior-fighting, scared-of-sharks best friend.

  This was Jeremy Banks, star football player, object of ninety percent of the affections of the sophomore class female population—and probably the rest of the school’s, too—sexiest man I’d ever seen. I no longer wanted to swap spit shakes. I simply wanted to swap spit.

  And by the look on his face? I was pretty sure he wanted the same thing.

  “Wow,” he whispered as he took a step towards me. He paused briefly then continued across the room until he was standing directly in front of me. He lifted a hand then ran it through his hair as he repeated his sentiment. “Wow.”

  I beamed. “Wow yourself,” I replied, suddenly feeling more confident than before. Actually, I was more confident than ever.

  The hand that had raked through his hair came down and he placed it on my cheek. Jeremy’s earnest eyes bored into mine. “Sierra, I… You… I…” he stammered, and my heart started beating so wildly that I was scared it was going to break out of my chest, hop onto him, and pound against his own chest until he let it in.

  “Yes?” I prompted after seconds had ticked by without him saying a word.

  “You look… You are absolutely beautiful,” he breathed. “You’re… You take my breath away, Sierra.”

  At that moment, with Jeremy cupping my face, our gazes fused with searching eyes, our entire relationship shifted.

  I could’ve said the same to him. He absolutely took my breath away, too. While staring at him, I held my breath and waited for what would come next. All too soon, however, a throat cleared, breaking the wonderful, magical spell we’d placed ourselves under. It was agonizing to tear my gaze from his, but when I did, I saw both sets of our parents watching us with curious expressions.

  Our moms were beaming, both with tissues as they wiped their eyes and lamented on their babies having grown up. In hindsight, I’m sure they were already planning out our wedding. Jeremy’s dad looked like a proud papa, and I blushed when he gave Jeremy a thumbs-up and me a wink. My dad, however, was trying to scowl at my date, who didn’t even notice. In fact, when I returned my gaze to his, he was still staring at me as if he were trying to take it all in. Take me all in.

  “You’d better breathe, Jer,” I teased. “I’d hate to have to give you CPR before we even make it to the dance.”

  His left eyebrow rose. Then he leaned forward, his lips hovering just over my ear. “I’m not so sure that’d be a bad thing,” he whispered.

  My mouth went dry. He winked at me before turning his attention to our parents. And what happened next was a flurry of photo-taking, curfew-giving, and Dad pulling Jeremy aside to give him, no doubt, a warning about messing with his little girl.

  Mom took a picture of me and Lexi, and I gave her an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder when it was done.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, Lexi?” I asked. “I can skip the beach party and just come home after the dance if you want.”

  She gave me an appreciate smile but shook her head. “Absolutely not. I’m fine, Sierra. Go and have fun. Get your man,” she said, giving me a wink. “My time will come. I have no doubt. I just have to be patient, right?”

  “Patient for what?” Jeremy asked, causing me to jump. I hadn’t realized he’d come up to us, and I hoped he hadn’t heard Lexi’s quip about my man.

  “Oh, nothing. Just girl talk,” Lexi informed him.

  He gave a faux grimace and held his hands up. “Say no more.” Then he held his arm out to me. “Time to go, my lady.

  We said our goodbyes, and I giggled when Dad scowled at Jeremy yet again. He took it all in stride and gave him a mock salute then did some weird Boy Scout move.

  By the time we got to his car, Chris and Jenna were already making out in the backseat.

  Jeremy gave me a grin. “They did all of their pictures at my house. To speed up the process, she said, but I think now I know why they were so willing to let us do pictures alone.”

  We watched them through the glass for a moment.

  “When do you think they’ll come up for air?” I asked.

  The truth was I was kind of jealous. There I was, a sophomore in high school, and I hadn’t even gotten my first kiss yet. Jenna, however, had been the queen of kissing since the seventh grade. And, from the looks of it, Chris was definitely reaping the benefits.

  “These two? Probably never. We’ll be lucky if they even make it into the dance.” He grinned and opened the front passenger’s door. The two in the backseat didn’t even notice that we’d arrived. “Ready?” he asked.

  Was that a loaded question or what? Still, I smiled in returned. “You know what, Jeremy? I think I’ve been ready for a really long time.”

  WHEN I WAS EIGHT years old, I met the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. I instantly wanted her to be my best friend. No question about it. It wasn’t just about her looks. No, it was more than that. At the time, I didn’t know what it was, just that it was. We had this instant connection. The whole love-at-first-sight thing? It was like that, but in a friendship kinda way. Like, I too
k one look at that pretty little girl with the blonde ponytail, and Cupid’s friendly brother aimed his arrow in my direction and hit me straight in the gut with a friendship shot.

  Now, over eight years later, that girl had blossomed into a woman. The most beautiful woman I’d ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. One second, I was laughing with my dad, who was trying to give me dancing tips—disco, no less—and Sierra’s dad, who was trying to enforce a three-foot rule for when she and I slow-danced. The next second, I expelled all the air in my lungs, leaving me unable to breathe.

  The moment Sierra walked into the room, I was stunned speechless. Rendered breathless. Nearly knocked on my ass at the sight of her. Gone was the pretty little girl whose freckles I wanted to count. In her place was this gorgeous creature whose body I wanted to explore so I could kiss each freckle and then make my way down to discover where else they were hidden on her skin.

  Simply being best friends with Sierra was no longer an option. I wanted more, and I’d wanted it for a really long time. And, that night, I was finally going to make it happen. No more playing it safe. No more wondering and worrying if she didn’t feel the same. No more pining away next door, wishing she were in my arms, her lips on mine, her hands fisted in my hair. Never again would I lie in her bed with her cuddled up against me as I wished we could be together.

  I was determined to make it happen. I just had to wait for the perfect moment.

  Even though a throat cleared and Sierra looked away from me, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was wearing a dark-green dress that perfectly matched my shirt. The color made her eyes pop, and her tan skin from lazy days at the beach seemed to glow. It fit her perfectly, showing off the curves that had appeared this summer. The memory of her in a bikini had my mouth watering, but that image had nothing on Sierra in this dress. Her hair was in loose curls, not stiff or rigid like Jenna’s was from overuse of hairspray. I loved it, and I’d be able to hold her close and run my fingers through her hair as we danced.

  Finally, my trance was broken and I endured photo after photo before a lecture from her dad, once again, about the three-foot rule. Hello. Had he seen his daughter? If I had my way, we wouldn’t have three millimeters between us, let alone three feet.

  When we finally made our way outside, I had half a mind to put an end to my misery and kiss her senseless on the front porch. But there was no way I was doing that. The first time I kissed Sierra was going to be special. It would be a kiss she’d remember for the rest of her life. It wouldn’t be with our moms peeking out the window, with Lexi giving me an encouraging thumbs-up.

  The ride to the school was short, thankfully, because the sounds of Jenna and Chris’s make-out session were starting to grate on my nerves. After parking the car, I jumped out and rounded it, quick to open Sierra’s door before she could get out on her own. Chris and Jenna stopped sucking face long enough to get out of the car and walk across the parking lot and into the gym, where the dance was being held. No doubt, by the time we made it inside, they’d have found a dark corner to get back to it.

  Before I could help her, Sierra stood, her gaze focused on the building they had disappeared into. Without thinking, I took her hand into mine. Her lips formed a soft O in surprise. I hoped she’d be doing that a lot tonight. Preferably in a good way.

  I laced our fingers together, hoping she’d get that this wasn’t just a friendly handhold. That was phase one in making her mine. I was going to spend the night giving signals in hopes that, at the end of it, I could go in for the kill. Because, by the end of our sophomore homecoming, Sierra Sullivan was going to be my girl.

  By the time we made it inside, my hand was sweaty, but I didn’t pull away. The music was blaring, and students were already dancing in the middle of the room. Sierra spotted Chris and Jenna, who were surprisingly getting down to Will Smith’s “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.”

  “Let’s join them?” she asked.

  I nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way.

  For the next couple of hours, we were lost in the crowd. Song after song played without us coming up for air. Every so often, some douche would tap on my shoulder and try to squeeze in between me and Sierra. And, every time, I scowled and shook my head, sending the offending asshole scampering away. The first couple of times, Sierra lifted her eyebrows in surprise.

  “Really?” she asked after I wouldn’t even let Chris dance with her.

  “Yes, really,” I answered emphatically before twirling her around. “Tonight, you’re my date. All these other clowns had plenty of time to ask you out. They didn’t. I did. So I’m the only one who gets the pleasure of dancing with the beautiful Sierra Sullivan tonight.”

  The truth was I knew what the guys were doing. I’d laid claim to Sierra way back in junior high when Ryan had tried asking her out. It had worked for a while, but as soon as she and Danny had started hanging out, everyone had known I wasn’t her keeper anymore. But they soon would. Not that I could begrudge them for wanting her. I knew what was happening. Everyone else was finally seeing what I was seeing. But they didn’t know how I felt. Hell, no one did—not even Sierra. By Monday morning, everyone would know.

  Her laughter pulled me from my thoughts. “It’s not like you to be possessive, Jeremy,” she said, biting her lower lip. “What’s gotten into you?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” I teased as I held her at arm’s length and slowly raked my gaze over her body. “A sexy little blonde in a green dress, maybe?”

  Her cheeks flushed, and thank God the music changed or I would’ve kissed her right then and there.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said, and my heart stopped as I wondered if I’d said too much.

  I frowned. “Is everything okay?”

  She nodded and waved me off. “Oh, I’m fine. Just a little warm. I’m going to go splash some water on my face.”

  Before I could protest, she practically sprinted to the bathrooms.

  “What’d you do this time?”

  I turned to see Jenna eyeing me suspiciously. Her hand was placed firmly on her hip.

  “Me? I didn’t do anything,” I protested. At least, I hoped I hadn’t.

  “Are you finally going to tell her?” she asked.

  My eyebrows drew together.

  She rolled her eyes at me. “Don’t play dumb with me, Jeremy Banks. You and Sierra have been sniffing around each other ever since she got back from Ohio. It’s time to shit or get off the pot. If you’re not going to date her, there are plenty of other boys here who will and who want to.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” I hissed. “I’m telling her tonight!”

  “I knew it!” A smile broke out on her face as she threw her arms around me. “It’s about freaking time! Chris and I will disappear so you won’t even have to worry about us at the after party,” she squealed. Then she clapped her hands and ran away before I could make her promise not to tell anyone until I had the chance to.

  Just as I was about to follow and warn her, the DJ’s voice came over the speakers.

  “All right, Raiders. We’ve had a special request tonight. This one comes from Sierra Sullivan to Jeremy Banks.”

  My eyes widened as my heart hammered. I spun around, searching the room for her. I raised an eyebrow when I found her by the punch table, sipping innocently, and rimming the edge of the cup with her tongue. She shrugged her shoulders, struggling not to laugh.

  What the hell?

  As soon as the first notes played, I shook my head. Whoops and hollers sounded all around me, and a small clearing opened up. I beckoned for her to join me, but it was her turn to shake her head. Apparently, I was doing this one on my own.

  “Hell yes! Let’s go, Banks!” Chris jumped in beside me.

  I couldn’t say no. So I loosened my tie, rolled up my sleeves, and broke it down, Backstreet Boys style.

  Was it original? Nah.

  Was I the only one? Thank God no.

  Was I sexual? Not at the moment, but after wat
ching the way Sierra’s eyes were locked in on mine as I danced, I wanted to be.

  Was I everything she needed to rock her body? I sure as shit wanted to be.

  Thanks, Backstreet Boys. I was definitely glad you were back.

  The moment the song was over, Sierra launched herself at me. “That. Was. Amazing.” She was breathless and giggling, which made the whole thing more than worth it. “Jenna told me she made you guys learn all the moves this summer while I was gone, and I didn’t believe it. But that was… God, that was so much more than I expected. Nick Carter who? He’s got nothing on you, Jeremy Banks. You’re the only boy-bander I’ll ever need,” She beamed at me for a moment before Chris whisked her away to do the Macarena.

  I hoped she felt that way for the rest of her life. Then it hit me—I’d almost missed this chance. She’d been so close to coming to the dance with Danny. I’d almost lost her. I couldn’t—no, I wouldn’t—let that happen again.

  Just as I was about to ask Sierra if she wanted to get out of there, the DJ announced it was time for the last dance. Talk about perfect timing.

  Sierra was across the gym, and she looked up, searching for me. Our eyes instantly locked. My head cocked to the side, and she smiled hesitantly then beamed when I lifted my hand and beckoned to her. We both moved at the same time, meeting in the middle of the room just as Kenny Chesney’s “You Had Me From Hello” started playing.

  I couldn’t have picked a more perfect song. Because it was true. Sierra had had me at hello, and she’d had me ever since. It had taken me a long damn time to realize it though. Which was why I was fixing that tonight. All I needed to do was get her out of there and alone. Because she deserved that. She deserved everything.

  My arms slipped around Sierra’s slender frame, and my hands rested on the small of her back. She fit in my embrace perfectly, as if she were meant to be there. As her head rested against my chest, I wondered if she could feel my heart pounding.

  This was it. I couldn’t wait any longer. The urge to lay it all out on the line for her was so powerful, I thought I'd burst if I didn't get it out soon. I just had to tell her how I felt and wish like hell she felt the same way. My lips brushed the top of her ear, lingering for a moment. She shivered underneath my touch. A good sign, I'd hoped.