He’s talking about the whole I saw you naked thing.
“I’m good.” I try to make my tone as reassuring as possible. “Jack, this is Sebastian and Riley, my—”
“Friends from Nashville,” he says. He offers Sebastian his hand, and Sebastian is speechless while Riley gets a wink and a smile that I imagine unlocks panties all over the county. “It’s nice to meet you both.”
“No, the pleasure is ours, really,” Sebastian pants out like a small puppy.
Jack’s gaze finds mine. “Can I have a word with you?”
“Sure.”
Scooting out of the booth, I catch Sebastian and Riley’s enthralled faces before I join Jack a few feet away.
“Is it okay that they’re here?” I ask, suddenly realizing that bringing strangers into the clubhouse is a big no-no. “Sorry, I didn’t think.”
Jack waves it off. “Don’t worry about that. Paw and Ares probably already know their social security numbers, who they voted for, and how many times they got detention in high school.” He nods absentmindedly toward the cameras installed secretly in the roof space. “No, this isn’t about them being here. If they’re friends of yours, then they’re welcome. But I wanted to catch you before the party starts and things get crazy in here. About what happened this afternoon—”
“It’s okay. It was an accident,” I reassure him. “These things happen all the time.”
He smiles, but it’s awkward. “I suppose it’s one of those things that happen when you have a roommate.”
Our eyes linger. “I suppose it is.”
Standing opposite him, I want to ask him a million questions.
Like why he didn’t look away?
Like why it took him so long to move?
Did he like what he saw?
But of course, I don’t ask any of them.
“I don’t want things to be weird between us,” he says.
Oh, they are beyond weird.
I shake my head. “I’ve already forgotten it happened.”
I could live a million years and never forget how good it felt having his eyes on my naked body.
“Well, okay… if, you’re sure.”
“Yes. Now stop your fussin’. This is meant to be a party. Go have some fun.”
For a moment, he doesn’t move, but a small smile does play on his lips. “With Faith in charge, I won’t have any other choice. I will enjoy myself, or she’ll kill me trying.”
He leans down and presses his lips to my cheek, and for a moment, I allow his scent to engulf me. I squeeze my eyes closed, my body aching for so much more.
When he walks away, I rejoin Riley and Sebastian at the booth.
Sebastian drops his head to my shoulder as he watches Jack cross the room at the bar. “Wildflower? Girl, I think I just died and went to heaven.”
BRONTE
“So, listen to this… on the way over here, Sebastian and I were talking about The Poet, and we’ve totally solved the case,” Riley says excitedly over her second beer.
“You have?”
“But what Riley isn’t telling you is that we both came to very different conclusions,” Sebastian adds. “I think the police should look into your creepy neighbor.”
“Eamon?”
“While I think the police should look into Officer Johnson,” Riley says.
“The cop?”
“He asked you out on a date while he was attending a crime scene. The guy has serious issues.”
“Sure, but being inappropriate doesn’t mean he’d go as far as leaving me Polaroids pinned to my door.” I look at Sebastian. “And being creepy doesn’t automatically make you a stalker. Eamon’s just a bit—”
“Strange? Crazy obsessed with you?”
I give him a pointed look. “Socially awkward. I’m sure if we got to know him, we’d find out he’s simply a shy guy.”
Riley gives Sebastian a told-you-so look. “See, it’s Officer Johnson all the way.”
“How can you be so sure?” I ask.
“Because my creepazoid radar is totally on point. And it’s positively screaming at me that Officer Johnson is the person following you.”
“You don’t look convinced,” Sebastian says.
I shrug. “I’ve been talking to Wyatt and Paw. They’re two of the bikers here. Wyatt used to work in private security, and Paw used to be an FBI agent.” I explain to my friends what they told me. “Plus, I haven’t heard from The Poet in nearly a week. He doesn’t know where I am, and he’ll probably lose interest. He’s most likely some jerk on campus who’s doing this to a bunch of other co-eds.”
Riley seems to brighten. “Great! Then you can come home now.”
“Yes!” Sebastian agrees excitedly. “We can collect your things and be home in a few hours.”
I think about Jack. If I leave now, I’ll be walking away from unfinished business.
“I’ve got a better idea. How about you guys stick around for Jack’s birthday party tonight, and we’ll talk about this tomorrow.”
This piques Sebastian’s interest. “Did you say party?”
I give him a pointed look. “Dude, look around you. If the balloons don’t scream party, then I don’t know what does.”
“Maybe that giant sex doll that the gorgeous hunk of muscle who looks like one of the Skarsgårds is stuffing into that chair,” Riley says as she watches Ghoul wrestle a sex doll into a booth across the room.