Frostbite (Touch of Frost) (33 page)
The little zinger in my back shot a jolt of pain up to the base of my neck. Yeah, didn’t feel so good, but at least it didn’t feel like a tranq dart. I’d had enough of those for sure.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?” a deep voice asked.
I righted myself and whirled around to see my assailant. I stood eye level to a massive set of pecs testing the stretch limits on the fabric of a dark blue t-shirt.
I looked up. Two amber-flecked brown eyes stared down at me. Bushy, dark eyebrows puckered together, crinkling the skin around his eyes. The stranger’s strong fingers curled around my bicep to help steady me.
“Ahh…” was all I could manage for words since my lungs emptied of all my air.
“Dude, what are you doing?” Georgia said.
She’d definitely inherited my surly attitude over the summer.
“I’m sorry. I was—”
“I’m fine. No biggie,” I said, finally managing to catch my breath and find my voice.
“I’m sorry. I was dancing my way to the keg, and I didn’t see you.”
“You have a lethal weapon there.” I pointed to his elbow. “And—um—you can let go of me now.”
Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome’s fingers loosened around my arm, and I shook it out. Man, he was strong. But then again, his biceps were as big as my thighs. His eyes fixed on mine and for the second time, the stranger stole my breath.
“Can I get you a beer or something?” he asked.
“No. I’m good.”
“I’ll take one,” Georgia said.
I snapped my head to the side, eyeing my sister. “You will?”
She nodded. “I’ll have what you’re having.”
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move.” The stranger cast me a quick look, then wove through the bodies with cat-like grace toward the kitchen.
He stood about a head taller than most at the party so I watched him make his way through the crowd. He glanced back at me, then disappeared around the corner into the kitchen. My cheeks flamed. Not only my cheeks, but other body parts, too. What the hell? I totally had a boyfriend.
“Hello?” Georgia asked, her eyes wide.
I knew she caught me gawking, so I quick changed the subject. “Georgia, what are you doing?”
“What do you mean what am I doing?” She flicked some of her bangs from her forehead. They’d grown so fast over the summer they almost tucked behind her ear. Just couldn’t quite stay there very long.
I planted my hands on my hips. “Don’t give me that crap, G. You don’t drink.”
“Maybe I started.” Her gaze drifted over my left shoulder, and I turned.
A group of three guys, all sporting shaggy hair, baggy cargo shorts, and flip-flops stood a few feet away, leaning against a wall. Looked like the clone-brothers. And of course, all three held sweating plastic cups of amber-colored, foaming liquid.
One guy nodded his head in our direction, flipping his brick-red hair onto his forehead.
“I think he’s watching me.” Georgia jumped.
“So that’s why you’re ordering beers now?” I sent her a cool glare. Not literally, but close. “What’s goin’ on with you, sis?”
“Nothing.” She faced me, jaw tense.
“Liar. I’ve got the whole twin-vibe-thing going on here.”
“Can’t I just enjoy the college scene? I turn nineteen this weekend, at least that’s what my
false
birth certificate says, and Lois is hopefully going tell me everything about what was in the safe. Our powers are wicked-strong. We’re starting college in, like, two weeks. And, I’m newly single. Why can’t I have fun?”
All this tiny, very combustible room needed was a drunk fire-thrower on the loose. “I’m all for fun. But drinking? When’d that start?”
“About three minutes ago.” She slugged my shoulder. “Shhh, I think one of them is coming over here.”
“And you are
not
single. Dan did
not
break up with you.”
“No call is pretty much breaking up.” She straightened. “Hi!”
I looked to the side, and there stood one of the clones. Light brown hair, dimples in both cheeks, and a thin layer of perspiration glistening on his forehead. So, it hadn’t been the redhead scoping my sis out after all.
“What’s up?” the guy asked.
“Nothin’. You?” Georgia stepped to the side, closer to the clone.
I bit my blue fingernails, not that they’d chip or anything. Just a nervous habit I’d really honed lately. Zach was starting to flake more and more on me. Always working or having family things to deal with. He had to work tonight—
again
—and couldn’t come with me.
I dug my phone out from my back pocket and clicked it to life. Zach might be on his way home from work. One tap had a text message box open to him. Yeah. Just a quick message. Maybe if I left now I could—
“Here you go,” Mr. Dreamy Eyed Back-Stabber said and stood next to me.
“Thanks.” Georgia snatched the cup of beer from his hand, then faced her new friend more intently, leaving me with this stranger. I cooled my hand down a smidge and grabbed her fingers.
She gasped and looked at me. I winked.
“So, what’s your name?” my new friend asked.
Georgia shrugged from my grasp and stepped out of arm’s length. I faced the guy towering over me.
“It’s—um—Amanda.”
“I think I saw you in orientation today.”
I clicked my phone off and slid it back to its resting place. “You a newbie, too?”
He nodded, then brought the plastic cup to his lips. His eyes never strayed from mine, which, of course, made me look down. My heart did a back flip. If I didn’t calm down soon, my heart would shoot out my mouth and slap right against that ripped chest of his.
Wait. Heart pattering?
Oh crap, I was in big trouble.
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Acknowledgements
This book wouldn’t exist without the help of so many people. So a big thank you to the following people: My editors, Rhonda Richardson and Kendall Grey, thank you for your support and eagle eyes; Michele Trent, my best friend and marketing wizard; Jeannie Ruesch, an amazing and talented cover artist.
I wanted to make a special shout out to the readers. Thank you for your support and encouragement. You are why I write. I treasure every comment, email, Facebook & Twitter post you send.
A special thanks to Brittany Hiester for coming up with the title for this frosty trilogy: Touch of Frost; Courtney Krueger for helping brainstorm this story; Lisa Hamilton for your attention to detail; Tim at Absolute Lock and Safe for helping me with the freezing of the safe scene.
Thank you to my street team for helping spread the word, beta reading and being all around rock stars: Jennifer, Katrina, Courtney, Tawney, Irayda, Erin, Riki, Christina, Lisa
About the Author
Driven to write, Lynn Rush often sees her characters by closing her eyes, watching their story unfold in her mind. Lynn Rush is a pen name that is a combination of two sources – Lynn, the first name of her mother-in-law, who passed away and Rush – since the author is a former inline speed skater and mountain biker. All of Rush’s books are dedicated to Lynn, her namesake.
Lynn loves to hear from readers!
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LynnRushWrites
Violet Night Trilogy
Violet Midnight
(Violet Night #1)
Violet Dawn
(Violet Night # 2)
Violet Storm
(Violet Night #3)
Wasteland Trilogy
Wasteland
(Wasteland #1)
Awaited
(Wasteland #2)
Tainted
(Wasteland #3)
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by Lynn Rush. All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Ebooks/Books are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Mustang, Barney Rubble, Facetime, M&Ms, Jeep Cherokee, Skechers, Honda, Colgate, Doritos, Cherry Coke, Irish Spring, Ninja, Thriller, Michael Jackson, Skechers
Cover Art: Jeannie Ruesch
Copy Editor: Rhonda Richardson
Author Photo: Bonnie Adams