She nods her head, but doesn’t try to make any excuses to leave. She just watches me. And I watch her.
This might be the only chance you get, Trick.
I take a step closer. She doesn’t move away. “There is one thing I should’ve told you last night,” I say, taking one more step toward her. I reach out and loop one long fiery curl around my finger and bring it to my mouth. It feels like silk and smells like strawberries.
“What’s that?” she asks, her voice a little breathless.
“I don’t mind a little competition”
“You don’t?”
“No, but I hate to lose.”
“Do you lose often?”
I lean down, my face only inches away from hers. I watch those incredible eyes as they flit between my mouth and my eyes over and over again.
“Never,” I whisper.
And then I press my lips to hers. They’re soft and warm and just as lush as they look. I keep expecting her to pull away, but she doesn’t.
Deciding to make the most of my one shot, I slide my fingers into her heavy hair and tilt her head to the side. Her lips part and I slip my tongue right between them.
The inside of her mouth tastes like sugar and mint. I tease the tip of her tongue and it flirts back a little with mine. What really surprises me is when I feel her hand at my waist. Her fingers fist in my shirt. She’s holding on for dear life.
I wind my arm around her tiny waist and pull her body in close to mine. I feel her melt against me. It’s all I can do not to throw her over my shoulder and carry her off into the dark. But a throat being cleared behind me ruins my fantasy.
She tenses in my arms and I know without opening my eyes that it’s her boyfriend. I ease my head back, breaking the contact with her lips, missing it immediately, and I smile down into her eyes.
“That was worth what’s about to happen next.”
I turn slowly around to face my aggressor. His face is red with fury.
I preempt him. “All right, you get one freebie. Make it count.”
I tuck my hands behind my back and I stand there and wait. The guy looks like he has no idea what to do.
Hell, if that was my girl, I’d be on you like stink on shit.
Finally, after looking behind me at Cami, he balls up his fist and makes a passable attempt at a punch. It’s so slow, I turn my head and his knuckles glance off the side of my face. Probably won’t even leave a mark.
“Fair enough. Now, you go your way and I’ll go mine.”
I pull my hands out from behind my back and start to walk off. From the corner of my eye, I see him lunge at me. I sidestep him and he nearly loses his balance and falls on his face. When he turns around, I know it’s more about pride now, which means he’s getting ready to get stupid.
“Look, man, I gave you a free shot for kissing your girlfriend. Don’t push it.”
The guy comes at me swinging this time. I block his first punch, duck his second and then put my fist in the center of his gut. He doubles over and I lean down to speak quietly to him. “Stay down. If you don’t, this won’t end well for you.”
With that, I nod to the guy’s slack-jawed friend, wink at Cami and walk casually away.
Smart guy. He stayed down.
CHAPTER SEVEN - Cami
It takes me a second to recover after Trick winked at me. It doesn’t help when I hear Jenna mumble behind me, “Mother of hell! That was effin’ hot.” Finally, I snap back to my senses and go to Brent.
“Are you all right?”
I put my hand on his arm, but he jerks it back. “What do you think you were doing?”
In the face of the emotional hurricane that’s blowing around inside me—guilt over thinking about Trick, guilt over wanting him to kiss me, pleasure over being in his arms, disappointment that Brent doesn’t make me feel that way, shame for cheating on my boyfriend—I latch on to the one defensive thing I can find—indignation. I would call it righteous indignation, but the way I’m still trembling after Trick’s kiss, I think righteous might be a stretch. Indignation will just have to do.
“You’re mad at me because someone else kissed me? I had absolutely nothing to do with it! It’s not like I sought him out. I suppose it’d be my fault if I got hit by lightning, right?”
And that’s kind of what it felt like, like I’d been struck by lightning. Delicious, toe-curling, hair-raising, belly-stirring lightning.
“Well, it didn’t look like you were fighting very hard.”
“Did you ever consider that it might’ve taken me by surprise? I mean, it’s not like I came expecting some random guy to come up and kiss me.”
But if I’d known Trick would be here, I would’ve wished for it.
“I’m sorry,” Brent said, hanging his head a little. “You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Guilt stabs at my conscience again.
“Can we just forget about all this and enjoy the band?”
Brent sighs. “Yeah. I don’t want this to ruin your whole night.”
“Good,” I say with a smile, winding my arm through his. “Let’s get a drink and go watch the band.”
“Where’s Trevor?” Jenna asks as we turn to make our way to the keg.
“He’s still talking cars with that guy out front. He’ll be here shortly.”
A few minutes later, each of us armed with red Solo cups full of beer, we make our way toward the stage. The band is getting ready to go on.
They’re a local group called Saltwater Creek. I happen to know of them because they played a couple college gigs that I attended. They’re a really good cover band with a few original songs that aren’t half bad.
The lead singer and guitar player, Collin, walks to the microphone. “All right, all right, all right,” he says in his best Matthew McConnaughey drawl. “We’re one man short, but I think we could go ahead and get started if y’all can help me talk our friend, Trick, into coming up and filling in for a song or two. Come on up, Trick.”
Every eye in the crowd turns toward the foot of the stage. Trick is there. He starts shaking his head and backing away from the stage, his hands held up in a STOP sign.
“Aw, come on, man. Do it for the people. They’re here to rock and roll. Let’s give ‘em what they want.”
He’s still shaking his head, even though several guys around him are pushing him toward the stage.
“Let’s hear it for Trick, everybody!” Collin shouts. “Trick! Trick! Trick!”