A Piece of Heaven (Allendale Four 1)

He grabbed my fingertips with his own. His skin was cold and rough, but flares of heat ran through my body anyway. I wasn’t prepared for what he said next. “I just want to kiss you again.”

Oh, man. My heart dropped to my feet. I wanted to kiss him, too. On his pretty, pink, chapped lips. I forced myself to speak. “Are you going to run away this time?”

He shook his head, slowly. Then he took another step forward so that I could feel his body next to mine. My hand was still wrapped in his, hanging between our bodies.

I tilted my head. “Promise?”

He answered with his lips, a kiss so deep, so intense I felt it in my very core. He grunted when I bit down on his wound, but he didn’t pull away. No, he yanked me closer and damn, it took forever to get Anderson to kiss me, but it was worth it.

Definitely worth it.

*

That night we agreed to meet as a group to make some decisions about how we wanted to proceed publicly with our relationship. Not just because of what people would think but because I had a stalker that just wouldn’t let it go and he was circling like a shark.

“I’m okay with whatever you want to do,” I told the boys. We’d gone straight from school over to Oliver’s house. It was the first time I’d been there but from the sound of things it was the typical hang-out for the guys. I was pretty excited to see it, but when Anderson finally pulled into the curved driveway I couldn’t stop staring.

The house was ridiculous. Massive and historic. The creeping sense of not belonging tickled my neck. I knew the Allendale Four lived in the nicer part of town. That Anderson’s parents were doctors. Oliver’s a professor at the small university nearby. Jackson and Hayden’s parents had jobs at the college as well and that was generally the line around here between the haves and have nots.

I stared at the house with massive white columns and a wide front porch. We definitely lived on different sides of the line and had I known, like really known, I would have been so horrified to have them in my tiny place.

“Oliver really lives here?” I asked Anderson once he’d opened the door and helped me out of the car.

“Technically,” he said, “he lives out back. Above the garage in an apartment.”

He took my hand and I followed him around the side of the house to a not-so-small building that looked like a smaller version of the house out front. He led me up the steps where Jackson stood, smiling down at me. Oliver waited in the doorway.

“Seriously,” I asked. “You parents let you stay out here alone?”

“Let?” Jackson said with a snort. “When his dad got remarried it was heavily suggested Oliver move out here.”

“How heavily?” I asked.

“I came home from school and all my stuff was on the steps.”

“Your dad tossed you out?” I was horrified. Things had been hard for me and my mom since Dad left, but I couldn’t imagine her abandoning me for another guy.

Oliver shrugged and pushed his hair out of his eyes. “My step-mom is a bitch. I like it up here.” He stepped aside, welcoming me inside. “Since my dad felt guilty about it he loaded it up with all the perks. Cable, wifi, stocked fridge…”

“He even has a cleaning lady,” Anderson said.

Hayden stood just inside, offering me a stomach-clenching wink. How does he do that? I step inside. “Wow.”

It was the most impressive apartment I’d ever seen. The main room was filled with giant couches and two leather recliners. A huge flat screen was mounted to the wall. A gaming system sat on the floor. At the back of the room I could see the small kitchen and two doors against the wall.

“Bathroom. Bedroom.” Oliver said, pointing to the doors. Jackson and Hayden made a beeline straight for the kitchen, pulling drinks out of the refrigerator and snacks from the cabinets.

I stood near one of the recliners, unsure what to do. They were all so comfortable here. I couldn’t even remember the last time I went to a friend’s house other than Justin. He’d freak if he saw how amazing this place was.

“Come on,” Anderson said, maybe sensing my self-consciousness. He touched my lower back and directed me to one of the comfy-looking couches. “Hey, let me get you a drink. Coke?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Again, I was alone even though the guys were bustling around the kitchen, talking smack about the day and just doing whatever it is they do. Again, I felt awkward on the couch but a moment later I’m surrounded, Hayden on one side and Anderson on the other. They sat close; their hips pressed against mine.

Bags of chips were opened. A Coke was pressed into my hand. Jackson reached for the game controller but Oliver shot him a look. “Business first.”

He groaned and dropped the controller on the ground. “Fine.”

“Dude!” Oliver said, staring at the ground. “You break it, you buy it.”