The Impact of You (7 page)

I feel Madison’s sudden tug on my hand.
“Jase’s looking at you like he wants to taste your sweet honey.”

I nearly spit out my drink and break into a coughing fit, sputtering and gasping for air
. “God, Madison.”

But when my eyes find his, holy shit, it’s like all the air’s been sucked from the room. Jase
looks incredibly sexy in his black tailored suit and he’s looking at me. Just me. In a crowded room full of people – more than half of which are beautiful sorority girls, wearing next to nothing, clamoring for his attention.

Jase’s hot gaze slips from mine, down my chest, caressing my hips, my bare thighs,
taking in my sky-high black heels before slowly gliding up to meet my eyes once again. My heart jumps inside my chest, breaking into an all-out sprint, as I realize he makes no apology about checking me out.

I’m suddenly thankful for Madison’s intervention an
d making me wear this outfit, and offer up a silent prayer of gratitude for Victoria’s Secret and the corset hoisting the girls up for display. I’ve never felt so wanted in my entire life. So beautiful and desirable.

Noah
leans closer. “Damn, he looks like he’s going to eat you alive. Go talk to him.” He gives me a gentle shove in Jase’s direction and I stumble on shaky legs across the room.

Silently,
I curse my friends as I make my way through the crowd. I thought they were anti-Jase, but now they’re plotting to bring us together. And though I’ve wanted to see him since I first got here, now I suddenly need a minute. It was sweet of him to make sure we got into the party okay, and I realize I should thank him. I think I like his sweet side. But when I finally stop in front of him, sweet Jase is nowhere to be found. His gaze is deep and penetrating, and I can’t help but think he looks angry about something. Really angry.

“Jase?”
I question, my mouth suddenly dry.

“Come with me.” He interlaces our fingers and tugs me toward the stairs. We fight our way through the crowd with Jase leading the way. He keeps my hand tightly locked in his until we reach the door to the stairwell. He produces a set of keys, unlocks it,
then guides me up, keeping his hand at the small of my back as I ascend the stairs in front of him.

What the heck is wrong with him? I came to his stupid party, even dressed the part. Why does he look like someone murdered his puppy?
He doesn’t say a word, but his firm hand curls around my hip as he guides me toward the attic. 

When we reach his bedroom, he firmly closes the door behind us,
before slowly turning to face me. His deep blue eyes radiate intensity, and his expression is nothing like the relaxed, friendly look I’m used to. My blood pumps wildly in my chest, my pulse keeping pace with the beat of the music I can hear faintly from downstairs.

He strips his
jacket from his shoulders, and tosses it on a chair beside the door before yanking the knot of his black tie to loosen it, then works on his shirtsleeves. His once crisp white shirt is now undone at the neck and rolled to his elbows. I stand there, feeling over-exposed and confused.

He
stalks toward me, caging me in against the wall, his hands resting near my head. I can see the veins in his forearms straining against the skin, and his hands are curled into fists. 

“Jase?”

“I was afraid of this.” His voice is low, rough.

“W-what?” I stumble over the simple word with him so close. I can feel his warm breath on my lips, his body heat, and the raw sexiness oozing off him.

“Avery, look at you.” His eyes lower, sending me into a full-body blush.

“What?” It’s apparently the only word in my vocabulary.

He meets my eyes and his expression softens, the
anger I sensed earlier giving way to something else entirely. “You’re stunning. So lovely.” His hand cups my jaw and his thumb softly brushes against my skin. “You look amazing in jeans and a T-shirt. In this, you look downright sinful.”

“Jase…” I whimper.

“You’re going to kill me with that outfit, doll.”

I look down at myself and frown. “I’m sorry…” I tug at the shorts again, as if sheer will make them longer.

“Fuck, babe. Don’t be sorry.” Jase’s eyes search mine, asking for what, I don’t know.

But he can have it. Anything he wants.

God, I hate myself.

His hand leaves my jaw only to trail down my throat with gentle pressure.
The simple contact steals my breath and desire races through my system. Jase is making me feel things I swore I wouldn’t. Shouldn’t. Can’t.

“Where have you been hiding these beaut
ies?” His fingertip glides along the tops of my breasts, brushing along the edge of the lace.

Apparently Jase has discovered my boobs.
“Boobs are icky,” I blurt.
Kill me now.

His mouth twitches at my comment. “I disagree. There’s nothing icky about you, babe.” His voice is thick and I’m wondering where the hell cool, confident Jase has gone because the guy in front of me is all nerves and intensity.

His hand slide
s down my spine, pulling me closer. My body responds as if saying, yes I’m yours. My chin turns up, my tongue dampens my lips, and my pelvis tilts toward his all in a heartbeat’s time. Jase’s head drops so our lips are aligned, but he doesn’t go any farther. His breathing is shallow, too fast, much like mine.

Jase

I need get my control back
before I do something stupid and try to kiss her. If I do that, I won’t be able to stop. Turning away, I adjust myself in the suit pants. “I got you something today.”

“You did?” I hear the smile in her voice, and I’m at least grateful that things aren’t weird between us now.
She follows me across the room to my dresser. I pull open the top drawer, then point to the bed. “Sit.”

She does.

“And close your eyes.”

Her lips curl into a smile and her eyes drop closed.
She makes a grabby motion with her hands. “Gimme.”

I
chuckle and place the small object in her palm and with her eyes still closed, her fingers explore. “A whistle.”

She smiles up at me and the urge to kiss her is so strong, I take a step back. “If you need anything, you just blow that, and I’ll come find you.”

Her expression gets soft and she grips the whistle in her hand. “Where were you when I was in high school?” she asks, her voice just above a whisper. She looks down at the silver whistle in her hands and I can tell her thoughts are far away.

What happened to turn her into this sad, broken girl?
Not kissing her was the right move. “Trust me, you wouldn’t have liked me then.”

The air hangs heavily around us, the music faintly audible from the party below, and Avery remains sitting in the center of my bed. But since
I know I can’t kiss her, I need to get my thoughts back on track.

I loop the red string over her head so
the whistle rests between her breasts. “Should we go back downstairs?”

She gives
me a tight nod.

A
very

“What’s with the whistle?” Madison asks once I re-join her and Noah in the living room.

“Don’t ask.” It mak
es no sense, even to me, and I know it would make even less sense to someone else. It’s Jase’s way of showing me he’s looking out for me. Even if it is ridiculous.

When I finally spot
him again, he’s standing across the living room with Stacia.
Ugh
. She’s in a figure-hugging red cocktail dress and they’re in what appears to be in an intense conversation. Their faces are just inches apart; her hand rests on his forearm and he’s bent down speaking near her ear, his voice low and controlled.

She
looks up at him, bites her lip and nods. Are they making a plan to meet up later? I want to blow the damn whistle and call interference so bad my entire body is shaking. I want to see if Jase will really come running to me. But I do no such thing. I just stand there, numb, watching their way too comfortable interaction. Her body angles toward his, and his hand brushes her lower back. They look very familiar together.

W
hen she sees me, a practiced smile graces her features. When Jase notices what caught her attention – me gaping at them – he quickly pulls her by the arm around the corner.

Whoa.

What the hell was that and why do I feel the need to punch something? We’re just friends, I remind myself. He can talk to whomever he wants.

Noah
is dancing with a group of sorority girls, and deciding he won’t miss us, I drag Madison into the kitchen. “I need something to drink.” I lift my cup so she understands over the music.

She nods happily and follows me. I need something stronger than beer tonight. I don’t know if it’s this stupid outfit that
soo
isn’t me, or the fact that I just saw Jase go off with Stacia, but my hands are shaking.

It’s not like he’s mine. Who he goes off with should be none of my concern.

Jase ventures into the kitchen, alone this time, and watches me and Madison wait at the counter while one of his frat brothers pours us each a shot. I lift the glass to my lips and drop my head back, letting the liquor burn a path down my throat. Why isn’t he with Stacia?

“Another,” I tell the guy.

He grins and dutifully refills my glass while Madison shoots me a surprised look. Jase is watching me and I want him to feel the same confusion and helplessness I just felt watching him with Stacia. I down the second shot and slam the glass down on the counter. My eyes tear up and I’m not sure if it’s from the liquor or the strange emotions flooding my system. It’s been so long since I let myself be interested in a guy, and he’s the absolute worst choice I could have made. I should walk away from him right now. That would be the smart thing to do.

“Enough,” Jase growls beside me, his fingers clutching the exposed skin of my hip
, pulling me back from the counter.

I glance around, making a show of it. “Where’s Stacia?”

His eyebrows pull together. “She left. Wasn’t feeling well.”

He’s smooth, I’ll give him that. He stands over
me; his presence alone sending chills of awareness through my body. I wave him off. “Give me another,” I say to the cute blond guy holding the bottle.

Jase steps closer, intensity rolling off him in waves. “What are you doing?”

Madison glares at him. She doesn’t trust him any farther than she could throw him. His good deed of getting Noah inside earlier is obviously forgotten.

“I’m doing what we talked about…little challenges to get outside my comfort zone. What’s the problem?” I tap the shot glass against the counter, waiting for my next pour.

Jase’s gaze dares the poor guy to pour me one and see what kind of crazy is unleashed. If I was him, I wouldn’t pour me one either. “Fuck, Avery.” He grips my hand, towing me from the kitchen.

I stumble along behind him through the crowded dining room,
the two shots already hitting me. Jase pulls open the sliding door and the cool night air is a welcome reprieve. It cools my flushed skin and clears my head the tiniest bit.

He slides the door shut behind us, the music
causing the glass to vibrate softly. Without any pretenses, Jase stalks forward. He cups the nape of my neck and angles my mouth to his, before leaning in to kiss me. His mouth is soft at first, but when I kiss him back, he groans low in his throat and coaxes my lips apart to deepen the kiss. His tongue touches mine and all sense of right and wrong is lost. This is heaven. His other hand finds my butt cheek, and gives it a none-too-gentle squeeze. I can feel everything in this one kiss…how much Jase wants me, how badly I wish I could do this… My brain is screaming at me to stop, but my body begs me to continue.

Jase

Her mouth is soft and damp and the way her tongue flirts with mine makes me instantly hard again. Her tongue glides along mine and she balls my shirt in her fists. Her ass fits perfectly in my hand and I grip it, holding her firmly against me so she can feel exactly what she does to me.

Avery plants her hand against my chest and
breaks the kiss. “Jase.” Her eyes are alight with passion, her voice breathless…but her tone is all wrong. “We have to stop.”

I reluctantly pull away and meet her eyes. They’re blazing green and swimming with emotion.
Shit. I don’t know what I did wrong – and whether to apologize or hush her fears with more kisses. This is why I didn’t kiss her earlier. I shouldn’t have taken it that far. But Avery arouses in me things I’ve never felt. It’s insane. She’s not even mine, and I’m acting like an over-protective alpha male.

She swallows and pulls in a deep breath, the confusion on her face fading. “I’m sorry.”

I take another step back. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have rushed you.”

Avery shakes her head. “I’m not even close to being ready.”