The Impact of You

Jase

I need get my control back before I do something stupid and try to kiss her. If I do that, I won’t be able to stop. Turning away, I adjust myself in the suit pants. “I got you something today.”

“You did?” I hear the smile in her voice, and I’m at least grateful that things aren’t weird between us now. She follows me across the room to my dresser. I pull open the top drawer, then point to the bed. “Sit.”

She does.

“And close your eyes.”

Her lips curl into a smile and her eyes drop closed. She makes a grabby motion with her hands. “Gimme.”

I chuckle and place the small object in her palm and with her eyes still closed, her fingers explore. “A whistle.”

She smiles up at me and the urge to kiss her is so strong, I take a step back. “If you need anything, you just blow that, and I’ll come find you.”

Her expression gets soft and she grips the whistle in her hand. “Where were you when I was in high school?” she asks, her voice just above a whisper. She looks down at the silver whistle in her hands and I can tell her thoughts are far away.

What happened to turn her into this sad, broken girl? Not kissing her was the right move. “Trust me, you wouldn’t have liked me then.”

The air hangs heavily around us, the music faintly audible from the party below, and Avery remains sitting in the center of my bed. But since I know I can’t kiss her, I need to get my thoughts back on track.

I loop the red string over her head so the whistle rests between her breasts. “Should we go back downstairs?”

She gives me a tight nod.

Avery

asks once I re-join her and Noah

sense, even to me, and I know it would make even less sense to someone else. It’s Jase’s way of showing me he’s looking out for

She’s in a figure-hugging red cocktail dress and they’re in what appears to be in an intense conversation. Their faces are just inches apart; her hand rests on his forearm and he’s bent down speaking near her ear, his

Jase will really come running to me. But I do no such thing. I just stand there, numb, watching

Jase notices what caught her attention – me gaping at them

Whoa.

do I feel the need to punch something? We’re just friends, I remind myself. He

us, I drag Madison into the kitchen. “I need something

I need something stronger than beer tonight. I don’t know if it’s this stupid outfit that soo isn’t me,

not like he’s mine. Who he goes off with should be none of

me and Madison wait at the counter while one of his frat brothers pours us each a shot. I lift the glass to my lips and drop my head back, letting the liquor burn a path down my throat.

tell the guy.

Stacia. I down the second shot and slam the glass down on the counter. My eyes tear up and I’m not sure if it’s from the liquor or the strange emotions flooding my system. It’s been so long since I let myself be interested in a guy, and he’s the

the exposed skin

a show

together. “She left. Wasn’t feeling

I’ll give him that. He stands over me; his presence alone sending chills of awareness through my body. I wave him off. “Give me another,” I say to the cute blond guy holding the

him in waves. “What are

glares at him. She doesn’t trust him any farther than she could throw him. His good deed of getting Noah inside

get outside my comfort zone. What’s the problem?” I tap the shot glass against the counter, waiting

unleashed. If I was him, I wouldn’t pour me one either. “Fuck, Avery.” He grips my hand, towing

door and the cool night air is a

any pretenses, Jase stalks forward. He cups the nape of my neck and angles my mouth to his, before leaning in to kiss me. His mouth is soft at first, but when I kiss him back, he groans low in his throat and coaxes my lips apart to deepen the kiss. His tongue touches mine and all sense of right and wrong is lost. This is heaven. His other hand finds my butt cheek, and gives it a none-too-gentle squeeze. I can feel everything in this one kiss…how much Jase wants me, how badly I wish I could do this… My brain is screaming at me to stop, but my body begs me to continue.

Jase

mine makes me instantly hard again. Her tongue glides along mine and she balls my shirt in her fists. Her ass fits perfectly in my hand and I grip it, holding her firmly against me so she can feel exactly what she does to me.

hand against my chest and breaks the kiss. “Jase.” Her eyes are alight with passion, her voice breathless…but her tone is all

reluctantly pull away and meet her eyes. They’re blazing green and swimming with emotion. Shit. I don’t know what I did wrong – and whether to apologize or hush her fears with more kisses. This is why I didn’t kiss her earlier. I shouldn’t have taken it that far. But Avery