“I think I look like fresh meat,” I say, looking down at my feet.
“Same thing. Oh look, there’s Shawn.”
“Shawn,” she says, like they’re old friends. “Julie, remember? I brought my cousin Cami. This is a great party.”
“Hey girls, hell yeah, it is, we know how to turn it up around here. Even the old guys.” He points to another leather clad member doing body shots with a girl younger than me.
“What can I get for ya?”
I order a rum and coke and her a shot of Jim Beam fire.
“Thanks!” she yells to him as she winks, and he walks away, filling some glasses with beer. I turn to hand her the shot, and she grabs my hand. I almost drop my drink, but don't say anything. I don't want to ruin her night with my moods, so I just turn and survey the crowd some more.
She makes a beeline for the two men, sticking her chest out and flipping her hair. I glance at the one sitting at the small bar table, realizing once again, that Jules has excellent taste in men. Before I can catch my thoughts, one of the men greets us. I stammer out a “Hello” and turn to Julie, who’s in her element now. This is who she is, I remind myself, and they love her for it.
“Want to dance?” the man says, and Julie immediately nods. She stands up, giving me a quick look before walking to the dance floor with the handsome stranger. I look up at the other man, who is standing in front of me, and I feel like I should recognize him, but I don't. I see him eyeballing me, and it makes me wonder if I do know him. Something about him is so familiar.
I glance around, trying and failing to find something that catches my interest. I sit down at the nearest table because my feet are already screaming and wait for Julie to finish dancing. The music is loud here, making it impossible to small talk. The silence between us is becoming uncomfortable. He nods his head and looks to the dance floor.
“I can't, I have a boyfriend who would freak out, not to mention my poor feet,” I yell over the music. He looks at me and smiles a panty-soaking smile. His eyes are a hazel color, but they’re hidden beneath dark bangs, and the bar’s lights aren’t forgiving, which means that out in the sun I would barely be able to stand how good looking he is. How stupid of me to let Julie talk me into this.
“What’s your name?” he asks.
?
?Cami,” I reply, feeling the burn in my cheeks. My thoughts begin to wander.
He smiles a knowing smile, and I feel like I’m lost. Like I should know him.
“You’re not wearing a vest?” I ask, unsure of what else to say.
“Nope, I’m still new around here, take a while to get a vest.”
“Oh, I don’t really know what that means.”
“I’m not a member yet. But I will be. These are my brothers.”
“So you’re ex-military?” Army, I think, as the strobe flashes on his eyes. They're a soft hazel hue and so familiar. For a moment, I’m almost able to place him, but then the lights shift again and we’re cast back into darkness. Maybe the combination of the strobe lights and atmosphere is causing my imagination to run wild. He is so familiar—the eyes, the face, the voice. It hits me suddenly: Jett, Jett Stewart, from high school. Holy shit.
“Jett?”
He sets his lips into a thin smile. “So you do remember.”
“How could I forget?” I wrap my arms around him in a tight squeeze. Four years ago, I was slightly obsessed with this guy, but he’s changed. Now my arms don’t reach around him; he’s taller and stockier. With a thick chest and muscles rippling beneath. Damn, he looks good.
“What have you been up to?” he asks, cutting into my thoughts.
“Oh, this and that.”
“You working, live around here?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I work at a local hospital.” I don’t say anything more, because how can I? There’s a chance, a good chance, Ella is his. And I never told him. Hell I never thought I’d see him again.
He moves closer to me. I know he’s just trying to hear me, but it’s not good for us to stand this close. I remember the last time his hands were on me. Touching my flesh, filling me with his seed. There’s so much he doesn’t know.
I feel his breath on my cheek. “It’s good to see you again.” If he thinks he's going to seduce me, he's wrong—not only am I taken, I'm just not that kind of girl. A strange feeling hits me, a desire unlike anything I've ever felt. It causes me to panic.
“I better find Julie,” I say and turn my attention to the dance floor. Creating as much distance as I can between myself and Jett as possible.