Andrew relaxed into an easy smirk. “You look so grown-up,” he said with a tinge of sarcasm in his dark, rich baritone. “It’s good to see you.” Before I could reply, Andrew pulled me into a hug, crushing me against his muscular body. The scent of expensive, woody cologne radiated from his skin.
It took all the effort I had not to swoon.
“So,” Andrew said. “What are you doing in Boston?” We’d just sat down at the bar and ordered drinks – I’d gotten something called a Candy Cane Martini and Andrew had ordered a bourbon on the rocks. I couldn’t stop sneaking little glances at him. Every inch of his appearance seemed to radiate confidence and sex. He was wearing a dark button-down shirt that clung to his graceful, brawny torso and his dark pants made his legs seem longer than humanly possible. He was both feline and boyish at the same time.
I wanted to kiss him.
Instead, I sipped my drink. It was sugary sweet – which was the only kind of alcohol I could stand.
“I’m surprised to see you drinking,” Andrew smirked. He sipped his bourbon and rolled the glass around in his sinewy hand. I snuck a look at his hands and shivered when I saw how veiny and thick they were.
“Well, I’m not at home,” I said tightly. “That’s um…that’s kind of the reason why I called you.”
Andrew leaned back in his chair. “Oh, yeah? Thought you’d pay me a visit now that you’re in Boston?”
I nodded. “Sort of.” When Andrew looked at me expectantly, I knew I couldn’t keep silent about my dilemma anymore. “Mom and Dean threw me out,” I said flatly. “I…I came up here with my friend Megan, from school, and I lied because Mom wouldn’t have let me come otherwise.”
“Go on,” Andrew said, taking a sip of his bourbon. His dark eyes flashed mysteriously.
“It’s just…” I sighed, setting my martini glass down on the bar. The alcohol was starting to make me feel warm and relaxed, something I wasn’t used to feeling. “You know how it is,” I said finally. “Mom and Dean are just so strict! It’s like, I never do anything wrong but I get punished anyway! It’s not fair, Andrew. I’m an adult – I’m twenty-two. And I can’t even spend the night away from home without getting the third degree!”
Andrew nodded slowly. “You’re completely right,” he said. He smirked. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you Dad wasn’t always this bad. But something changed, I guess. I mean, I had to get away from them. And now you don’t blame me, do you?”
I shook my head. “I understand,” I said. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.
“So, do you have a place to stay?”
I couldn’t meet Andrew’s eyes. Instead, I just shook my head. “I don’t,” I said flatly. “I can stay with my friend Megan’s relative here for a few days, but not more than a week. She said her landlord is really strict about extended guests.”
“Makes sense,” Andrew replied. “Well, why not stay with me?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”
Andrew smirked again, looking devilishly handsome. “Sure,” he said. “You just have to promise me one thing?”
I frowned. “What’s that?”
“Promise me you’ll learn to lighten up,” Andrew said dryly.
I swallowed nervously. I wasn’t sure what that meant, and I didn’t like the sound of it.
But I didn’t have any choice.
“Okay,” I mumbled. “I promise.”
Andrew’s dark eyes flashed. “Good.”
It was then that I got another sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wondered what exactly Andrew meant, but I didn’t want to seem like a bratty little kid by asking too many questions.
Still, I knew I had to agree to his terms. After all, I didn’t have any other choice.
Andrew paid for two more drinks and then we climbed in a cab and rode to where he lived, in the South End. It was a much posher neighborhood than Jamaica Plain, and I couldn’t help pressing my face against the window and watching as we rolled past gorgeous, antique homes.
“How can you afford this,” I breathed. “This is incredible, Andrew.”
Andrew smirked. Then he did something very strange – he rested his hand on my knee. At first, I squirmed under his touch. But after a few seconds, I began to enjoy the heat radiating from his palm and sinking into my skin. Andrew slid his hand further up my thigh. When I looked over at him, he raised his eyebrow.
“Just remember what I said back in the bar,” Andrew said smoothly.