I hate clubbing. The last time I went was Selena's birthday two years ago. And because I don't usually go clubbing, my range of short, sexy dresses is limited. Extremely limited.I hold up two dresses. One, a black halter neck and the other a coral off-the-shoulder cocktail dress. I don't want to wear either of them. I throw both the dresses on the floor and fall onto my bed with a loud sigh. The sun went down a few hours ago and Selena will be here any minute. As the thought passes, the muted pound of an energetic knock sounds on my front door. I groan, rolling onto my side."O?" she shouts. "Open the door.""All right," I mutter as I drag myself to my feet, throw on my white, fluffy robe, and amble lazily through my apartment to answer the door.I pull the heavy, wooden door back and meet Selena's bare face. I smile. Gorgeous. With her thick eyelashes, high cheekbones, plump lips, and flawless complexion, she's one of those genetically blessed women."I'm so excited!" she shrieks, bo
I squeeze my eyes shut and brace for impact when I'm snapped to a halt. My breath hitches as the tips of my fingers barely graze the ground and my eyes flutter open. I rush out an exhale, easing the adrenaline in my veins, and blink at the dirty ground. I'm hyperaware of the strong, thick arm wrapped around my waist and the impossibly large hand splayed against my rib cage. Wow. That could've ended badly...Selena howls with laughter as Seth eases me to standing position, but she's background noise to the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. I turn my head and peer up at him. He stares down at me, his face hard, his full lips pursed. He's irritated, but I don't care. All I care about is the delightful smell emanating from his body. Whatever it is, it's incredible, earthy, and rich.And his arm feels good around me. Too good......it's scrambling my brain. With slow, careful movements, Seth releases me to stand on my own and I thank him in a whisper, looking away from his penetrativ
My eyelids flutter before I blink them on purpose, clearing the blurriness that coats my pupils like Vaseline. When the sharp lines of reality return, I squint into my spacious white room. I'm still on my stomach on my bed, and still wrapped in my pink towel, albeit haphazardly. My stomach churns aggravated by hunger and the fumes of last night's alcohol. Last night. Seth. A zip of excitement zings through my ribcage as I vividly recall his mouth on mine. I groan and turn my head into my mattress, burying my face in the blankets. I wonder if he'll be at the gym this morning? The excitement in my chest melts into mortification. I can't face him after what happened between us. I can't see him again. Not ever. Exhaling, I turn my head to glance at the digital clock on my bedside table. 9:00 A.M. I rub my dry lips together, then run my tongue between them, as I blink at the clock. I hum, too bleary-eyed and disoriented to register the incoherent nagging in the back of my mind. I frown.
I cross the gym's parking lot and pull on the big door, but it doesn't budge. I frown and peer through the glass. No one. Strange. Dad never closes early. I use the spare gym key hanging from my car's keyring and unlock the door. Dad gave me the spare key to come and go whenever I please, even if it's closed. I guess today is one of those days. Stepping inside, I lock the door behind me and make a mental note to call him when I'm finished. I turn around and shout, clasping my hand over my chest as my heart leaps into my throat. At least eight pairs of eyes are on me, curiously watching from beside the big boxing ring. I spot my father at the front of the group as he smiles and waves. I offer a pathetic wave back and my attention immediately sweeps to the man in the center of the ring.Seth. Sweating and panting, his skin glistens like it did in my mind all night. I swallow hard and my knees tremble at the sight. Seth's lips quirk and my cheeks heat up under his amused gaze. He looks
I smooth my palms down the front of my coral cocktail dress."I really wish you wore the black mini," Selena whines as I appraise myself in the floor-length mirror inside Lux's female bathroom.She might not like my dress, but I think it's beautiful- it's understated. It isn't revealing or tight. It's...well, it's boring, I guess. The realization hits me harder than I'd like it to, and I deflate, like a balloon with a pinhole in it. I flick my stare over Selena's risqué ensemble. I've never been one to wear clothes like that. Her pink, tube dress clings to her curves like a second skin and, although the dress would look awful on me, it's gorgeous on her."You work too hard on shaping that ass not to show it off," she adds, turning sideways to check out her butt.I shrug my shoulders and smile at myself. A black mini? Selena's lucky I'm not wearing sweats and a hoodie since picking up a strange man isn't on my agenda tonight. The only reason I decided to come out with Selena was to get
I wake up to the excruciating sensation of shards of glass stabbing at my eyeballs, then the headache kicks in, slamming at my temples like a battering ram. My brain pounds relentlessly in my skull and I wince as it embeds in my eye sockets. I swallow and groan. I'm never drinking again. I smack my lips together and press my dry tongue to my palate. What the hell happened last night? Alcohol. Clubs. Puking.I roll off my bed and lift my heavy body on my tired legs. My knees waver under the pressure, but they don't give out. I've never felt so weak. Exhaling, I straighten my posture, and my stomach quivers. I feel like death, like I should climb back in bed and sleep until next week, but I don't. I need to find Selena. I hobble to the door and unhang my robe from the back of it. Slipping into it, I fasten the belt around my waist and make my way to the kitchen. A soft snore hums through the air, coming from my couch. I cut my eyes in its direction as I saunter into the kitchen and r
After Selena and I collect our green smoothies from the over-priced juice bar on the main street, I receive a text from Dad, urgently asking me to come down to the gym. Selena drags her feet, but we walk the whole seventeen minutes there and drop our empty smoothie cups in the bin right outside the door. Inside, the gym buzzes with life and I marvel at it. I don't think I've ever seen the gym so busy. "Olly!" Dad shouts, and I snap my head to the left, in the direction of his bellow.I frown at the sight of him. He rolls his shoulders inside his hooded jacket and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his black sweatpants. Odd. He hates sweats. "Afternoon, Mr. James," Selena greets him, sliding her sunglasses to the top of her head."Hey, Selly." He grins at her, holding out his arms. She bounces right into them, hugging my dad as if he were her own. "How are ya? How's your dad?""I'm good and he's great, thanks for asking."While they embrace, I notice the subtle dark, gray writing r
I glance at the clock, hating the second hand as it keeps ticking, dragging me closer to six-thirty. I sniffle, rest my head on my fist, and turn the page of a book I'm not paying attention to. Since I got home, I've sat here, in my pastel pink pajamas, my stomach tied in knots at the thought of him showing up to take me to dinner. I lick my parched lips and shake my head, forcing myself to focus on the small words neatly printed onto the cream paper of the book I hold in my hands. I've read Outlander a million times, but this is the first time I find myself not being engrossed by the story.All I can think about is the fact that any second now, Seth's going to bang on my door and-knock knock. I startle, straightening my spine as my heart plummets deep into my abdomen. He's here. Another rap of firm knuckles against the door pulls me off my couch. I toss my book against the cushion, tuck my long brunette hair behind my ears, and stride toward the front door. I've already imagined how