"I'm Clay. This is Daniel and Derek. Forgive us for being friends with Brody. It's an age-old issue, but we love the guy, nevertheless. He's like the black sheep of the group." Clay chuckled and shrugged as the other guys smirked.
"Nice to meet you." I shook Derek's hand and then Daniels. "I'm uber sensitive to bullshit, so forgive me for running from his lines. I've heard them all before."
"So has half the country, but he's a good guy." Daniel spoke up as he adjusted his glasses. "I'm going to go get some fresh air. You wanna come? We can bash Brody together."
I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."
Daniel was a good foot taller than me and beanpole thin. Not at all the kind of guy I'd have given a second look to, but he was cute in his own way. His messy brown hair and spattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose made him adorable.
"Where are you from?" He smiled as we walked out on the patio and moved to the only corner that wasn't occupied.
I leaned against the railing and smiled over at him. "From just up the road. I just graduated from Arizona State."
"Oh, nice. Me, too." He glanced out at the yard and grew silent. He wasn't at all like his friend, Brody. Looked like I was going to have to carry the conversation if we were going to have one.
"Are you staying here after the summer or heading off to a new adventure?" I lifted my punch to my lips and took a long drink. Maybe coming out on the porch with this guy wasn't a good idea, after all.
"I'll be starting pre-med at Harvard in the fall. I just wanted to get my undergrad near home." He shrugged. "All those guys back there are my buddies from high school. We decided to go to college together, and honestly, it was the best decision I could have made. I'm a better man because of them."
Brody's voice caused my pulse to spike. "That's sweet, buddy. We feel the same about you, too."
The sexy frat boy moved up on the other side of me and leaned against the rails, breathing in deeply.
"You're like a roach." I turned my face toward him. "I just can't get rid of you."
"Awww, come on, Cora. No need to smash my ego." He licked at his lips subtly as his eyes moved around my face. He was almost too close. I could hear him breathing, smell the mint on his breath, see the promise of something wickedly insane in his eyes.
"Smash your ego? Who in the world would have a hammer that large?" I glanced over at Daniel as my body warmed and my nipples tightened thanks to Brody's attention. "Nice to meet you, Daniel. See you around."
I turned and walked back toward the house, shaking my hips just a tad bit more than I would
usually.
Just because I wasn't going to bite the hook didn't mean I didn't want to tug on it a little.
Chapter Nine
Brody
"Goddammit," I grumbled as she walked away. Every cell in my body screamed for me to follow her, force her to see me. To hear me.
"What's up with you tonight, man?" Daniel moved up beside me, his face filled with concern.
"I don't know." I looked over my shoulder as she shook her hips. Her pretty ass jiggled just under her dress, giving me confirmation that the fox had on a G-string. My cock hardened to the point of throbbing, and yet there was nothing to do about it. She wasn't going to relent, and I wasn't going to push.
Or was I?
"Did something happen with you and Cora?" He pushed his shoulder against mine.
"How do you know her name?" I turned and lifted my eyebrow as my voice dropped a little.
"Whoa." He stepped back and lifted his hands. "I'm an innocent by-stander here."
"Yeah, sorry." I patted his chest and rolled my shoulders. "I know it's going to sound crazy, but I haven't had a girl deny me in years."
"First time for everything?" He laughed and took a drink of his beer. "Come on. There are lots of women here tonight. Let's grab a beer for you and get the fun started. No worrying about the one that got away. She wasn't even that attractive."
I laughed loudly. "Is this your way of making me feel better?"