Sweet Alibi by Adriane Leigh Page B

thigh was still wedged in between mine as his body angled over me possessively ― a predator unwilling to relinquish his prey.
    “No. I want Kyle.”
    “Maybe, but you want me too.” He ran his nose up my neck as he pinned me against the wall. My hands locked above my head, my body bowed into his ― trapped between him and a wall ― I’d never felt more vulnerable. Or more turned on.
    “What about you?” I murmured.
    “What about me?”
    “Where's your friend? You seemed into her five minutes ago.”
    “I'm not into her. Not like I'm into you,” he breathed. His words sent delicious chills running down my body.
    “So you won't be bringing her home tonight?” I glared at him.
    “Not if you ask me not to.” He pressed his hips into me more firmly, causing a new wave of delicious arousal to course through my body.
    I gritted my teeth and maintained my glare. “I don't care. I'm with someone, so I don't care what you do,” I spat, tugging my arms from his grasp. His gaze shot up to meet mine, a look of hurt flashing across his beautiful, green eyes. I stared at him for a few breathless moments. Guilt pressed upon me for all the mixed signals I was sending him. I had the urge to apologize, explain how twisted and jumbled my mind was when it came to him. 
    Instead I turned, shame bowing my head, and walked back to our small table. My head swam as I sat down. I'd chugged each of those drinks much too fast for my own good. And I’d lost count. I put my head in my hands and took deep breaths.
    “You okay?” Silas slid an arm around my trembling shoulders.
    “Yeah, I just overdid it,” I said.
    “You want to leave?”
    “Are you okay to leave?”
    “Absolutely.” He gave me a reassuring grin. That was my Silas, always there for me, always concerned, always willing to be my person.
    “Where’s hottie boy?” I asked.
    “Justin left. Got his number though.” Silas wiggled his eyebrows.
    “Justin, nice.” I swatted him on the shoulder.
    “I'll go tell Drew and Gavin we’re leaving and meet you at the door.”
    He headed for the dance floor and I wound my way to the corner by the door, when I spotted Tristan with his long-legged blonde. He was sitting on a bar stool and she had her arm draped around him, her fingers tangled in his hair. 
    The hair my fingers had just been tangled in. 
    My stomach flipped painfully before I turned away. I'd come too close to making a mistake with him. Shame bubbled in my chest when I thought of Kyle at home pouring over law books. I needed to go home and sleep this night off. I needed to forget it ever happened.

Thirteen

    Georgia

    I WOKE THE next morning with a faint headache. I'd called Kyle last night and we'd talked for a long time about everything and nothing. It was the longest we'd talked since I'd gotten here and it felt good to reconnect. I’d realized in the bright light of morning that that had been my problem these last few days; I'd started to feel the emptiness between Kyle and I, and I’d missed him terribly. I craved his arms around my body at night and his warm smile in the morning. 
    I'd asked him to come for a visit the following weekend, and he promised he would do everything he could to make it work. I think he’d been feeling the ache created in my absence too.
    I entered the kitchen to the smell of bacon. Gavin stood in pajama pants with an apron tied around his waist and nothing else. He held a fork in his hand as Silas and Drew sat on bar stools laughing. A smile spread across my lips as I reveled in the warm atmosphere of my closest friends. This is what I'd hoped for when I'd invited them here for the summer. We were a dysfunctional, makeshift family, and I loved it.
    “Didn't anyone ever tell you not to fry bacon naked?” I laughed.
    “I'm man enough.” Gavin gave a small shrug.
    “No coffee? Tristan's off his game this morning.” I scooped grounds into the pot.
    “Tristan didn't come home last night,” Drew said.
    “Really?”