Fair Game (The Rules #1)(22)

“Your cousin’s party, right before winter break.” She glares, her eyes like icy lasers. “Tell Tristan he can go to hell.”

Relief sweeps over me, making my legs weak. Thank God this is all about Tristan. “Will do,” I tell her cheerily, earning a pissed off look for my efforts.

I turn and get the hell out of there, heading down the narrowed hall that leads to the promise land.

Otherwise known as Jade’s room. Jade’s bed. Why that gives me a thrill I have no clue. Again, the twelve year old is rearing his immature head.

I hope to hell she doesn’t have a bunk bed or I’m screwed.

I find her room and stop just in front of it, my arm raised, hand curled into a fist to rap my knuckles on the thick, old wood. The door swings open before I get a chance to knock, another girl standing in front of me. The girl Jade was with the night of the poker game.

She smiles at me, the look in her eyes full of pure evil. Not the, I will slice off your head variety. More like, you have no idea what you’re in for. She pulls the door close to her, so I can’t see inside.

Swallowing hard, I smile at her, deciding to put on the charm. “You must be the roommate.”

“And you’re the * who’s trying to collect on a bet.” She sticks her hand out, her smile serene. “I’m Kelli.”

“Shep.” I take her hand and don’t feel a thing. Not a zing, not a zip, nothing. I figured I’d feel something. She’s cute, this girl. Not kick me in the balls gorgeous like Jade but she’d do. Normally.

But again, there’s no reaction. My body is keyed up all right, full of anticipation over the fact that Jade is mere feet away from me. Mere inches.

“Shepard Prescott, in the flesh.” Kelli makes a tsking noise, like I’ve already disappointed her. “Are you as bad as they say?”

I give her my very best, most wolfish grin. “Worse.”

Her eyes sparkle. “Good. That’s just what our Jade needs.” She holds the door open a little wider and calls over her shoulder, “You ready sugar plum?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, sweet cheeks.” My mouth goes dry at hearing Jade say the words sweet cheeks, which is the stupidest thing ever because how cheesy can we get?

But then she appears and it’s like my mouth turns into the Sahara Desert. What in the holy hell is she wearing?

Black skirt that hits her about mid thigh—maybe higher, good God—and black stilettos with thin straps that crisscross over the top of her feet. A tight white shirt that accentuates her chest and nipped in at the waist and ah, shit, she just grabbed a black sweater and is pulling it on, ruining the entire affect.

This is probably for the best.

“Hi,” I say, my voice cracking like I’m going through puberty and I clear my throat, pissed that my thoughts are constantly straying to my general immaturity. How the hell am I ever going to impress this girl if my mental state is set back in my middle school days?

She smiles, pushes her wavy hair back so it falls behind her shoulder, exposing her neck and I’m hit with the overwhelming need to kiss her in that exact spot where her pulse throbs. Breathe in the scent of her skin, let my lips linger, maybe even lick her to see if she tastes as good as I think she will…

“Hi.” Her voice shakes the slightest bit, as does her smile and I realize she’s nervous. Cute. I’d like to put her at ease but hell.

I’m a little nervous too.

“You ready to go?” I ask as she exits her room, coming to stand closer to me. I can smell her now, sweet and clean and I clamp my lips shut, breathing through my nose, trying my best not to inhale her.

I really want to f*cking inhale her.

She casts a wary glance over her shoulder at her roommate before returning her attention to me. “Yes, I am.”

“You kids be safe,” Kelli calls as we start down the hall. “Use protection. Make good choices!”

“She’s seen Pitch Perfect way too many times,” Jade mumbles, making me laugh. Her cheeks flush pink. “And ignore her use of protection line.”

“Why? I always use protection.” I shove my hands in my pockets so I won’t make a grab for her because having her this close is doing something to me. Making me want to grab her and do inappropriate things to her.

“Right. Of course you do.” She glances at me, her cheeks still flushed, her eyes full of fire. “Not that there’ll be any need for protection tonight, considering we’re not going to have sex.”

Disappointment crashes over me and I push it aside. She just threw down the first challenge of the evening. “You’ve already got the entire night all figured out, huh?”

She nods as we make our way down the hall toward the front entrance. Swear to God the doors swing open as we pass, girls peeking their heads out, mouths agape. As if they knew I was going to make an appearance tonight and all my adoring fans showed up to see me. It’s annoying. It’s freaking nerve wracking because if one of them is someone I’ve been with before, and she opens her mouth and says something…I’m screwed.

Jade will leave me in the dust. And I haven’t even kissed her yet.

I really, really want to kiss her. Those lips…are the stuff of fantasies. Plump and full, her upper lip a little puffier than the bottom one, and slicked in a flattering pink color that isn’t too glossy. When their lips are covered with that sparkly shiny shit, it’s not pleasant to kiss. At all.