Blood's Fury (Deadly Beauties 1)

She chuckles a little and shakes her head. "I wasn't going to ask you to stay over. Some friends of mine are having a little party up the road, and I was wondering if you'd come. Apparently you draw in the right attention."

The praise in her eyes doesn't go unnoticed. She really thinks I've got something special. She'd feel stupid for thinking such a thing if she knew he ran off to be with Amy - while I was naked!

I offer a tight smile, and then I glance around the diner to see if I'm finished for now.

"Sure. I've got nothing better to do."

"Great," she squeals, clapping her hands once after jumping up.

"Kane won't be there, will he?" I worry.

"He's never come to one of their parties before. It's usually just a small gathering of the same old people, but tonight they've got some of the vacationers coming. There're supposed to be some serious hotties."

I smile and then head back behind the counter just as my phone buzzes again.

Kane.

Eventually he'll take a hint. For now, I've just got to dodge and ignore him.

Cindy's arm loops through mine as we head into the house too close to where Kane lives. I hadn't realized how very close we'd be, or I would have said no.

"You're sure he won't be here?" I rattle out nervously.

"Like I said, he's never come before. One of his roommates doesn't get along with Heath, my friend's husband."

"Okay," I murmur with some relief.

"So, what's the deal?" she muses. "With Kane I mean."

He's the bad boy I almost threw my virginity at, only to have him run out in the middle of the night to go be with another girl after she got upset.

"Long, weird, terrible story. Where's the booze?"

She laughs and then grabs me a cup full of a liquid stout enough to raise the dead.

"Whoa," I cough out.

She laughs and then clanks her plastic cup against mine before sucking it back. I cringe as the tart, bitter taste lingers in my mouth after I've forced it down, but at least I should be able to get drunk.

"Hey," a tall, blond, smoking hot guy murmurs far too close to me.

"Hey yourself," I lightly flirt while turning my cup up again.

"Hey," Cindy squeaks, her red curls bouncing with excitement.

He smiles at her briefly, and then he turns his attention back to me.

"I'm Thad. And you?" he asks curiously.

"Alyssa. Are you a vacationer?"

"No, I just moved in a little across the way, close to Midbrook and Holtz."

"Awesome, Alyssa lives around there," Cindy interjects.

He tilts his head to the side, and then he leans up beside me while clanking the side of his cup to mine.

"Here's to new neighbors then," he says with a sexy grin, m