The Girl Next Door
He crowds into my personal space. Instead of retreating, I stand my ground. I refuse to let him intimidate me.
“Babysitter, you say? Hmmm…I could definitely use one of those tonight.” His fingers trace a path down the center of my chest, lingering in the valley between my breasts. “Should we take this elsewhere and you can demonstrate everything your service entails?”
His nearness does funny things to me and clouds my better judgment. Instead of pushing him away, I’m tempted to pull him closer.
My body wavers before sanity crashes down on me and I bat his hand away. “Go to hell.”
“See?” He laughs as if I’ve proven his point for him. “A good girl through and through.”
“I’m not as good as you think.” The words shoot out of my mouth before I can rein them back in. To be clear, they are a total lie. I am as good as he thinks. Probably better. I have to be.
“Is that so?” He steps closer until the tips of my breasts brush against his bare chest. “Sweetheart, I’d love nothing better than to test that theory but we both know you’ll always be Mia Stanbury, little miss perfect.”
And he’ll always be Beckett Hollingsworth. The guy with little-to-no impulse control who can’t walk down the school hallway without finding trouble. The same one who can’t be left alone in his own house for a night without inviting a hundred of his closest friends over for an impromptu party.
We are opposites in every sense of the word.
“Shut up, Beck.” I’ve never met anyone who has the power to turn me on and piss me off at the same time. If he ever cranked up the charm, I’d be toast. He’s capable of melting the panties right off a girl with one well-aimed look. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes. I refuse to be one of those ridiculous females. I won’t be used and tossed aside like dirty Kleenex.
I don’t realize that I’ve become trapped in my own thoughts until his fingers settle under my chin, lifting it so I’m forced to meet his bright gaze. “What’s the matter? Truth hurt?”
“There’s nothing you can say that will hurt me.” If only that were true.
His face looms closer until it fills my vision, blotting out the party. My world shrinks around us until it only encompasses Beck. My breath gets clogged in my lungs and burns like a fire before spreading to the rest of my body. Any moment I’m going to self-combust.
What am I doing?
I should pull away, but I’m powerless to do anything other than stare into his eyes and fall under his spell.
“Beck, baby!” a loud female voice booms over the rowdiness of the party, “over here!”
Even when she continues to bleat like a sheep, our gazes remain locked for several long heartbeats and I almost wonder if he’ll ignore her. But she’s persistent and continues to repeat his name until he severs the connection between us and swings around.
As soon as I’m released, the air rushes from my lungs and my body sags with relief. Or maybe it’s disappointment. I tamp down the emotions so I can’t inspect them too closely.
What would have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted?
Nothing good.
This is exactly why I avoid Beck at all costs. Even though we’re constantly sniping at each other, there’s an undercurrent of attraction that hums beneath the surface. No other guy has ever provoked these kinds of emotions in me. I want to slap him almost as much as I want to kiss him.
Sanity returns with a rush as I focus on the statuesque blond twenty feet away. Ava Simmons is wearing a teeny tiny bikini that leaves very little to the imagination. Once she has Beck’s full attention, she reaches around and unties the strings that hold the tiny triangles in place. The material floats to the cement at her feet. She lets him—and everyone else in the vicinity—ogle her perky breasts before running and jumping into the pool.
People cheer, and more girls ditch their tops, following Ava into the water.
A grin slides across Beck’s face as he glances at me. A challenging light enters his eyes as he jerks his dark head toward the pool. Water sloshes over the edge of the azure-colored tile as more bodies dive in.
Oh, hell no.
My heart pounds as I throw my hands up in a what can you do gesture. “Sorry, didn’t bring a suit.”
His grin turns predatory. “Doesn’t look like you need one.”
Yeah…not going to happen.
“As fun as that seems, I’ll pass,” I wave an arm toward the pool, “but don’t let that stop you from mingling with your guests. Ava’s waiting.” Topless. From the corner of my eye, I see her breasts bobbing like inflatable safety devices.
When his focus is drawn to the people splashing around, I follow suit. It’s so much easier to stare elsewhere than hold the intensity of his gaze. Even when that option includes watching a bunch of topless girls I’ve known since elementary school. I don’t check out the guys loitering in the area, but I’m sure most are sporting wood. Honestly, if it weren’t for Alyssa, I would get the hell out of here before it turns into a raging orgy.