One

So just tell me what he did to deserve it."

tle back and forth is exactly wha

ring him d

hasn't deterr

s he's after, he'll get bored and w

ated breath, I mumble

mouth sink into a deep frown. "I'm sorry he d

did was wrong." I stab a finger in Alex's direction. "That dude got wha

for touching you." He looks upset that I think he's making excuses for his meathead frie

n with my plan to drive him away. "Actually

you to understand that he drank a few too many and isn't using good judgment. Alex is a harmles

on has gone fro

I say with a shitload of disbelief, "that th

guy fo

heat, "that's not what I meant at all." His expression turns to

those rich, chocolate-colored

's what y

efore-gorgeous guy, total asshole behavior. Guess I'm not as far off the mark as I'd originally suspected. But t

vague feeling of disappointment. I force that t

know that's what I said. All I wanted to do was apologize for Alex pissing you off." He glares at

from here, I shrug. "F

self-preservation skills whatsoever, he'll let me

swing around to search the thick

my former

ld

y c

do is shake

t he tak

t inte

nt to be i

eed the d

finitely a

n so I can get the hell

aking goosebumps ripple across my arms. I grit my teeth,

?" My gaze locks on his. As annoyed as I am right now, I still find him completely dreamy, whi

...

, and even though I don't want him melting t

lowing it out and trying to calm the r

ce of a guy as I'm going find at an ass grabb

and it's kind of...argh

ely gorgeous and adorable. That is such a lethal combination.

t one of t

pen?" His confusion only

cannot catch

ould have known he would smell amazing. Like the ocean on a perfectly sunny day with just a hint of a bree

hi

name," he replies quietly

a tiny part of me

to give him a patronizing look. "Right." I roll my eyes. "Sure, you do." Then I go for

scantily clad gir

there a

s around here than me. Go fi

sudden grip on my upper arm, he swings me to him. His

's a shitty assumption for thinking that's

of adrenaline careens through my veins as sweat pops out across my brow and my chest tight

touched. Or grabb

een nice to Alex and

..this is

l, unable to stop the fine trem

rds. Silently, we stare for a long, painful heartbeat. Or maybe it's twenty. T

as I suck in oxygen bef

as it crashes over me, threatening to drag me under. The slight trembling turn

't br

o get ou

l the familiar tendrils coiling inside me. The last thing I n

brisk night air slaps at my cheeks, and I inhale deep gulps of fresh air before stumbling my way down the sidewalk like a drunken idiot. I need to p

ein in all my out-

d. The only bright side I can find in this mess is that my pile of