I know most of the people in this house. Despite my lack of money, I have somehow managed to fool the rich kids on Greek Row. But I’ll never be one of them. My friends are spilt into groups, some of them already paired with a frat bro. Most of the guys in the house are loaded. Some of their families even own yachts and private jets. And here I am, standing in the middle of the living room that’s now a dance floor, pounding the rest of my beer in a borrowed dress and heels.
“You look bored,” a guy whispers into my ear, his breath on my skin sending chills down my arms.
I spin around to face him and smile when I find Jamie O’Connor behind me. He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. Every time I see him at a party, he puts me at ease. I never feel out of place around him. Jamie is so laid back that I could talk to him for hours. But he never makes a move. Maybe that’s the reason I like him. Because he’s not like the other guys in this house who all want something from me.
I smile, and his expression quickly mirrors mine. “Yeah, I guess I’m not that into it,” I admit.
“Wanna dance?” Jamie offers his hand to me, which I gladly accept, and then his other hand falls to my hip, pulling me into his chiseled chest.
Jamie is tall and muscular, towering over me, though that’s not too hard to do when you’re only five feet tall. Almost everyone is taller than me. Even my younger brother, who’s still in middle school, has an inch or two on me.
I run my fingers over his thick biceps, loving the feel of our skin touching. Over the years, I’ve witnessed firsthand why girls flock to Jamie, but my mental connection to him has far outweighed my sexual desire. At least it did, until now. Because being this close to him is killing me.
As he moves his hand from my hip to my back, I suck in a deep breath and peek up at him. His eyes meet mine, and now my throat closes up as I look into his perfect blue irises. He’s gorgeous with shaggy brown hair which sweeps over his forehead. Jamie gives me a dreamy look that stirs need and desire inside me.
Does he feel it too?
I’ve never seen him with a girlfriend. From what I can tell, Jamie doesn’t date. Hockey and school are more important to him.
“Thanks for saving me,” I say.
Jamie smirks. “I like saving damsels in distress.”
“My very own superhero,” I joke, squeezing his biceps. “You found me at just the right moment. I was thinking about leaving.”
“Good thing my spidey sense kicked in before you did,” he quips, laughing.
From what he’s told me in the past, Jamie loves comic books. He has an obsession with Spider-Man, something he’s mentioned quite a few times.
I smile so wide my cheeks hurt.
He stares down at me, his lips parted, and my pulse quickens. I want him to kiss me. I’ve never wanted anything so bad.
We dance to the techno beat, our bodies rubbing against each other. The tension between us builds, hitting its peak before he dips his head to my level.
Is this our moment? It sure as hell feels like it.
He digs his fingers into my side, both of his hands now on my hips. Our lips are so close they almost touch. I lick my bottom lip to give him to the go-ahead. But he stops inching his way to me. Instead, Jamie moves his head to the side, taking me by surprise. Now, his lips are brushing against my ear as he speaks in his deep, manly voice.
“I need another beer. Come with me.” His tone indicates an order, not an option.
With our fingers interlocked, Jamie leads me through the living room and into the kitchen. One of the fraternity brothers stands behind the bar along the right side of the room handing out drinks. We make a beeline toward the bar. Jamie raises his hand to grab the bartender’s attention.
After our beers are poured, Jamie hands me one. “Drink up.” He dips the red plastic cup against mine to toast. “Wanna go outside?”
I sip the foam from the top of my cup, and some of it sticks to my lips. Jamie’s eyes fall to my mouth, and now he’s mimicking me as I lick the foam away. He looks so hot right now I want to scream.
But he’s my friend.
“Yeah, I guess. If it’s not too cold.”
He hooks his arm around my back and smiles. “I’ll keep you warm if it is.”
Jamie has never been so forward with me. He looks pretty sober, or at least not wasted like his friends who are in the backyard playing beer pong on the right side of the lawn. A large group of people gather around the long table where people are throwing ping-pong balls into plastic cups. I tend to avoid playing games with the frat bros. They always seem to win no matter the challenge. I learned my lesson the hard way in my freshman year when my pledge class was forced to play strip poker with them. We lost miserably, of course.