They quietly descended the stairs. Tiffany went first, leaning her head around the corner to see if Bridget’s dad was in the living room. She mouthed, “Hurry!”
Bridget’s father didn’t bother lifting his head from his newspaper when they passed by him. When she reached the front door, Bridget yelled, “I’m going out with Tiffany. I’ll be back by curfew.” Bridget heard him grunt in response, but he didn’t say a word. Once she was seated in Tiffany’s car, she sighed with relief.
“You had nothing to worry about.” Pointing to Bridget’s sundress, Tiffany lifted her nose in disgust. “Now take that off,” she demanded and stepped on the gas, making the tires squeal.
“TIFFANY! If my dad hears, he’ll never let me go anywhere with you.”
“Relax! He barely notices you’re alive,” she said carelessly.
Tiffany excitedly chattered away as if she’d said, “The sky is blue,” or another random fact. Bridget nodded and smiled, but the only thing she heard was, “He barely notices you’re alive.” The truth of the statement shot straight to Bridget’s heart, reopening the wound the death of her mother had left. She closed her eyes and tried to control the sting of her friend’s thoughtless words. It was the truth, but Bridget desperately wished it wasn’t.
Bridget’s parents had divorced when she was three. For the next eleven years, she’d only seen her dad for two weeks during the summer and talked on the phone once a month...if he remembered. She didn’t mind. He didn’t know her well enough to ask about her life. But then her mom had gotten sick and died soon after her diagnosis. That was nearly a year ago.
He wasn’t unkind, but he was strict and liked his life a certain way. She was an excellent student, took care of the house, and made dinner every night she wasn’t working. When he had a bad day, she tiptoed around him, but he still treated her like an unwanted guest.
Her mother had told Bridget she loved her every day. But her dad...the harder she tried, the further he pulled away.
Once again, Tiffany pulled her out of her thoughts. “This is it,” she whispered as if they had reached The Holy Grail instead of a fraternity party celebrating the last day of finals. She parked behind a long line of cars in front of what the students called “Fraternity Way.” They were blocks away from the party, but they heard the thump of the bass when they stepped out of the car.
Bridget readjusted her clothing for the umpteenth time. Her hands shook, and she swore she could hear her knees knock. Tiffany rounded the car at a jog and took her hand, pulling her in the direction of the music. She was still talking. Bridget wasn’t sure she had stopped since they’d left the house. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if Bridget heard a word Tiffany said. Bridget was too worried that she’d get kicked out or worse that they wouldn’t let her in.
“Oh my God, Bridge. Your hands are sweaty. Gross.” Tiffany let go of her hand and wiped off her sweat.
“Sorry. I’m nervous.”
Tiffany’s eyes rolled. Again. “They aren’t going to figure it out.” She pointed to two girls heading in the same direction. “You look as old as them, except way hotter. Well, you do when you aren’t panicking.”
Bridget looked over at her friend. With Tiffany’s confidence, she could get away with dating older guys. Unlike Bridget, who’d never been on a date.
Tiffany grinned and screamed, “Shawn! No! No! No!” But she didn’t put up a fight when he charged her. He lifted her over his shoulder and swatted her butt.
“Hey! You made it.” She slid down until their mouths met and her legs wrapped around his waist.
Their kisses looked more like an attack on each other’s faces than anything that could be perceived as enjoyable. But then again Bridget had only been kissed once by a boy whose lips were dry and stiff and his breath smelled of sour cream and onion chips. Luckily, it only lasted a second.
Not wanting to watch her friend make out, Bridget turned away, only to run into a hard, naked chest. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she stepped back, avoiding eye contact. This was a bad idea! Being a third wheel didn’t sound any better than being left alone.
“I don’t belong here,” Bridget muttered to herself, but the naked chest heard her.
A mass of butterflies took off in her stomach the moment a deep voice said, “Oh, you belong.”
Surprised by his flirting, she lifted her gaze from his chest until she met the most startling blue eyes she’d ever seen. Bridget bit her lower lip and blushed as her eyes traced a line around his large frame. He was at least a foot taller than she; his arms muscled and bulky. His shoulders were broad; his torso narrowed at his waist, where his swim trunks hung low on his hips.
She blushed, causing him to chuckle at her awkwardness. “Oh, man, I’m going to have to keep an eye on you. You give guys those gorgeous brown doe eyes, and I’ll be beating jerks off of you.”
Bridget’s jaw dropped as she comprehended his meaning. “What?” she asked. Glancing behind her, she made sure he was actually talking to her before she embarrassed herself. When she looked back, he grinned. “That.” He pointed to her face. “That innocent girl look is dangerous around here.”
“Innocent girl look?” Bridget repeated.
A big booming laugh escaped his lips. He took her hand and held it as he introduced himself. “I’m Phillip. I’m a friend of Shawn’s. You must be Tiffany’s friend.”
She looked up at him then at their hands then back to his face. She blinked then blinked again. “Yeah...um—Bridget.”
“Hmmm. Shy and innocent looking. It’s going to be a long night.” His voice was filled with humor and lacked any irritation over being responsible for her.
Bridget glanced around, looking for Tiffany, but she was nowhere in sight. Of course! She ditched her. She should have trusted her gut. Phillip squeezed her hand. “Come with me.” She had no choice, because as he began to walk, he was still holding her hand.
He pulled her through the front door, past groups of people shouting over the music; a few couples were dancing and making out. She searched for Tiffany, but it was too crowded to see beyond what was right in front of her.
“Stay right here,” he yelled over the loud music. They were in the kitchen. She watched as he went to fill two red plastic cups at a keg.
Bridget stood against the wall, her eyes focused on the floor, trying not to draw attention to herself, but it didn’t work. A guy they’d passed in the hallway stood directly in front of her.
“Hey.” He gave her a trying-to-be-sexy smile as his eyes made their way from her lips to her chest. Bridget tried to squirm her way around him, but he stepped in front of her. “Where are you going, gorgeous?”
“Nowhere.” Her voice cracked, and she nervously looked over his shoulder at Phillip. Finally making eye contact with him, she noticed he’d lost his easy going smile.
He was at her side in seconds, shoving a cup into her hand and wrapping an arm around her waist. “Back off, asshole. She’s with me.” He pushed her in front of him, guiding her with his hand out the back door.
Just as she stepped out, Tiffany screamed at Shawn as he picked her up and threw her in the pool, following right behind her.
Phillip grabbed a couple of towels and laid them next to the pool.
“Come here.” He sat, patting the spot next to him.
She slipped off her flip-flops and knelt next to him. Her body was stiff, and her stomach rolled with nerves.
“First party?”
She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and gave him a nervous smile. “That obvious?”
“Yes.” Laughing, Phillip leaned back and stretched his long, muscular legs in front of him. “Why haven’t I seen you here before?”
She didn’t want to tell him the truth but didn’t want to lie either. “I’m not much of a partier.”
He nodded his head with a grin. “That’s a shame.” His eyes left a scorching trail from the top of her curly brown hair to her pink painted toenails. “A real shame.�
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Uncomfortable with his attention, she looked away, trying to hide the blush that was creeping up her face. She’d never thought of herself as more than average looking, but he looked as if he could eat her for dinner.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes to soak up the last of the afternoon sun. “What’s your major?”
“Oh... uh...undecided.”
He looked over at her with a smirk. “I guess you still have at least another year before you need to worry about it.”
She nodded in agreement but wanted to move the discussion away from her. “What’s yours?”
He proudly stated, “Pre-law. I’m here on a football scholarship.”
“Really?” She was impressed but a smart, good-looking, and athletic guy was so out of her league.
“Yup. This was my first year playing college ball. Did you come to any games?”
“I’m sorry, no.” Even though Bridget knew nothing about football, she loved the energy of the games and the crowd. She was genuinely sorry she never went to one.
“That’s okay. Now that you know me, you’ll have to come to them next year. It’ll be great. I’ll be playing more than this past year.” His sincerity surprised her, but that was nothing compared to what he said next. “Maybe you’ll even wear my jersey.”
With barely contained giddiness, she calmly replied, “That would be cool.” But as she thought of the possibility, guilt squashed any excitement she had over this sweet, gorgeous guy being interested in her. She fidgeted with the bottom of her shorts, nervous about his attention and her growing interest in him.
Her eyes scanned the college kids laughing and having fun, wishing she could calm her nerves and enjoy the party. Between hiding her age and sitting next to the best-looking guy she had ever met, she was too nervous to enjoy any of it. It didn’t help that Tiffany was so focused on Shawn that she hadn’t even looked at Bridget since Shawn picked her up on the front lawn.
A warm hand covered hers, stopping the jitters in their tracks. She sucked in a breath and looked into his face. “Relax. I’m here, and I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. I won’t even drink.” He picked up his plastic cup and dumped it behind him. “You probably shouldn’t either.” She wasn’t planning on it. One sip of the bitter drink was more than enough for her.
His eyes softened as he leaned toward her. “Come here. Get closer.”
She wondered what he meant. They were sitting right next to each other, but she scooted closer until their knees were touching.
“Just relax.”
Easier said than done.
Running away was still an option, she reminded herself.
He lay on his side facing her, and she did the same, mirroring him. She placed one hand in front of her, steadying herself, and laid her head on the other.
“So tell me about yourself,” he said.
Just as Bridget was about to give a short version, a gorgeous blonde stopped right in front of them. Barely giving Bridget a glance the girl kept her eyes on Phillip. “Hey! I wondered where you ran off to. I was hoping we’d finish what we started last night.”
It took Bridget only a second to realize what the girl meant, and how she had been making a fool out of herself. Bridget’s face flamed. What was she thinking? Of course, he was with a gorgeous blonde. Humiliated, Bridget attempted to get up and leave, but he placed a hand on her hip and pulled her closer. “Hey, Mimi.”
With a frown, Mimi’s eyes glanced at his hand on Bridget’s hip. Mimi leaned over, with her breasts barely contained in her itty-bitty bikini, to ask, “You want to go for a swim or...go somewhere private?”
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know Bridget was in way over her head. She made another attempt to leave, but he moved his hand around her waist, making it difficult to move an inch.
“As you can see, I’m with her.” The blonde’s eyes shot daggers as she walked away in a huff.
When the shock wore off, Bridget braved a question she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to. “You were with her last night?” She didn’t want to admit it, but she was extremely jealous of the idea, even though they’d just met. Bridget’s face flushed again, waiting for his reply.
“You’re jealous. I kind of like it.” Phillip chuckled under his breath. Her already-heated body was on the verge of bursting into flames. “Bridget, I’m not interested in her. She came onto me last night, and I told her no. I realize there’s a stigma with frat guys, but I don’t just screw around with any girl who’s interested. I’m a ‘one-girl guy’, but she’s not a ‘one-guy girl’.”
“Okay.” Bridget wasn’t sure what she should say. He didn’t say that he was interested in her either.
“I like you Bridget, and I want to spend more time with you.” She nodded but wondered for how long. Phillip stood up and pulled her with him. “Let’s get in the pool.” He stood next to her and watched as she shed her shirt and shorts. She avoided looking at him as she stripped down to her bikini. When she dared a peek, his eyes were closed, and he was taking a deep breath. He finally opened them only to shake his head. “I thought I was doing Shawn a favor by hanging out with you. Instead, I’m going to owe him…big time.”
“What?” She held her hand up and shoved him away. “You’re only talking to me because of Shawn?” Just when she thought the hot guy was into her, she found out she was making a fool out of herself.
Awesome.
She looked around, trying to figure out the best escape route.
“Whoa. No. I mean, yes, he asked me to talk to you, but he didn’t tell me to hang out with you all night.” He pushed his fingers through his hair and pulled at the ends. “If I didn’t like you, we’d be over there.” Pointing to a large group of kids laughing and joking. “So I wouldn’t have to be alone with you. But, we’re over here,” he smirked, “by ourselves. I want you to myself.”
Her jaw dropped as she caught up to what he said. A smile teased at the corners of her mouth until she had to bite down on her lip to keep from making a fool of herself.
“Don’t do that. Don’t.” He shook his head.
She held back a giggle when she realized the effect she had on him. A guy had never looked at her the way Phillip did. She watched as his chest expanded, taking in a deep breath then slowly letting it out as he took a step closer and stood in stunned silence as he took another. A hand slid around her bare waist, pulling her against his hard chest. Her heart raced as he leaned in, pulling her chin up with one hand. His lips touched hers in a short tender kiss. She became putty in his arms. He pulled away just a moment before he did it again. He smiled when she sighed into his mouth.
Embarrassed by her response, Bridget tried to pull away, but he just tightened his hold. He traced her lips with his tongue until she opened up for him. He explored her mouth until their tongues met. It was better than she imagined. His heart raced, matching her own rapid beat.
When she turned her head to catch her breath, Bridget was only aware of the warm air she drew in and her tender lips.
She leaned her head against his chest, breathing in his masculine scent. His hands hadn’t moved from their original position. She was afraid to see his expression. Could he tell she was inexperienced? She took a deep breath and lifted her head. Their eyes met, and a smile spread across his lips, igniting a flame in her lower belly.
“Wow,” he whispered. Unable to use her voice, she nodded in response. Wow was an understatement. “Bridget...” He didn’t finish his sentence before he kissed her again.
A wave of water hit them, and a familiar voice yelled, “Get a room!”
Tiffany.
Putting space between them, she looked around, realizing how many people were watching. She pushed his hand off her waist, not wanting to draw more attention. He let her go but stood close. “Sorry. I know that was fast. I should have known you aren’t like the regular girls that come to our parties.”
Humiliated by the apparent put-down, Bridget picked up her c
lothes and walked to the house, wanting to escape his intense stare. Her eyes burned as she held back tears. “Just find a bathroom,” she told herself. She was only a step away from the back door when he gripped her upper arm.
“Bridget! Where are you going?” His tone was worried, and when she looked into his eyes, all she saw was concern.
A tear streamed down her cheek. She wiped it away, but it was replaced with another. It had been a year since she last cried; not even her dad’s indifference made her tear up. But holding the tears at bay in the face of such disappointment was impossible. For a moment, she’d been happy, elated even. He made her feel wanted, and it felt good to be wanted. She hadn’t felt that way since her mother died. Bridget hadn’t realized how much she missed it until she was in his arms.
His hand slid down her arm until it reached her hand. “Come with me.” Not waiting for her response, Phillip led them away from the busy back door to the side of the house, where they could hide from the crowd. To avoid looking at him, she leaned against the house and focused on her bare feet. He stood in front of her and placed his hands on either side of her head. “What just happened?”
There was no way she was going to be able to tell him what was bothering her, so she kept quiet, and her eyes focused on the ground.
With a gentle voice, he asked, “Did I hurt you?”
A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and she shook her head no. She should have known. He was too sweet not to ask.
“Then what is it?” He leaned down, trying to meet her eyes.
“You’re right.” He was too sweet and thoughtful to lie to. “I’m not like the other girls. I don’t have... I don’t have much experience. So yes, we were moving too fast, but it doesn’t matter.” Ducking under his arm, she attempted to get away, but he blocked her.
“Bridget, please don’t go. Please.” He lifted her chin, giving her no choice but to look him in his expressive eyes. “I’m glad you aren’t like those other girls. There’s something about you... I can’t explain it, but I like you. I mean really like you, and we just met. Please stay. I’ll keep my hands to myself. We’ll only kiss if you want, but I hope you do.” She let out a small laugh. Who wouldn’t want to kiss him? “We’ll go as slowly as you like, but I don’t want you to leave. There’s something between us. I can feel it.” He pointed back and forth between them. “I want to see where it leads.”
Until Now Page 2