Dangerous Crush (Dangerous Noise 2)

Damn, this is difficult to communicate in text. Even if Mal, Ethan, and Violet are already on to a new subject, no longer focusing on me.

I text Kit again.

Piper: Please. Let's do it in private.

Kit: I just got here. I can't leave yet.

Piper: Once the party gets crowded no one will notice.

Kit: Until then.

He goes to slide his phone into his jeans but his eyes stay fixed on the screen.

His brow furrows.

"Excuse me." Kit motions to his phone then to Ethan and Violet. He steps outside, into the hallway, and presses the door closed.

My phone stays silent. It stays text free.

Who is he talking to?

It's not that I'm worried it's another woman.

Not with the look of confusion and hurt that flashes in his eyes.

I take a seat on the couch next to Violet and try to join in on the conversation—Ethan and Mal are debating whether Godzilla or Predator is more threatening and Violet is staring at her boyfriend with starry eyes—but my attention stays on the door.

They're already onto 28 Days Later vs. Shaun of the Dead when the door opens.

Finally.

But it's not Kit.

It's Joel. He's in his usual t-shirt and designer jeans combo and he's wearing a wide smile. "Look who I found making out in the elevator." He winks at me, then steps into the room.

Pete Steele and his wife Jess—I don't know if she took his last name or not— are behind him. And they're gooey affectionate. He's got his hand around her hips and he's holding her body close to his.

I can completely see why I harbored a crush on him at thirteen (okay, twelve through sixteen, AKA until I met Kit). He's tall and handsome with strong shoulders and gorgeous dark eyes (only made hotter by his black eyeliner). He's almost as beautiful as Kit, not that such a thing is possible.

And he has this intensity to him. The way he holds his wife is playful and demanding.

Pete winks at Joel. "He's not mentioning the part about how he invited himself to join."

Ethan laughs.

Mal too.

Joel shakes his head at Pete. "Like you'd ever share."

"Of course I wouldn't." Pete leads his wife inside. "But that wouldn't stop you from asking."

Jess giggles. "No way. You already wear me out." She plants a long, slow kiss on her husband's lips then pulls away with a needy sigh. "It's nice to see you again, Joel." She nods hello to Ethan, Mal, and Violet. Then she's nodding to me. "You too, Piper. How'd finals go? My last one was a month ago, but I still wake up with nightmares about showing up for my test naked."

"Sounds like a nice dream." Pete pulls her closer.

"For you." She presses her lips to his.

"For your classmates." He whispers something in her ear. Then he's not quite whispering. "Baby, if you kiss me like that again, we're going back to the car so you can come on my cock."