The Boss Crush - Penny Wylder Page 0,12

bouncing off the walls. All I want to do is get the hell out of here. That's it.

I can't believe I did that!

I'm such an idiot! How could I be so stupid to think he'd ever want to kiss me?

He's popular, tall, and handsome. He can have any girl he wants. Why would he ever want someone like me?

I read him wrong, so very wrong.

Shoving my way through the crowd of kids in the living room, I squeeze out the front door, and stumble down the steps into the yard. All I want to do is go home. Looking side to side, I check to see if Kira is around, but she's not.

Pulling out my phone, I start to text her that I want to leave, when suddenly I'm grabbed by the arm, and yanked in the opposite direction.

“Dalia Greene, I've nev. . .never seen you out like this before.” I'm spun around and swept into someone's chest. “Damn, girl, yo—you look good.”

It's Justin Smith. Normally, he's a pretty nice guy, but he's not himself right now. He reeks of vodka, his words are slurred. He's swaying on his heels as he uses me to hold him upright.

“You're drunk, Justin.” I push against his chest, trying to pry myself free. “Let me go.”

“Oh come on, we both know how you've looked at me this year. You want this, I can tell.” Lowering his face, he puckers his lips as he tries to kiss me.

“Stop it, Justin. I said let me go.” My voice is louder as I give him another hard shove. But he's got me so tight, his arm hooked around my waist, I can't break free.

“She said let her go.” Lyle's voice spurs my heart and causes it to stand still in my chest. In one quick pull, he yanks Justin off me, and throws him to the ground as if he weighs nothing.

Justin grabs the back of his skull where it hit the ground, rubbing the sore spot. “What the fuck, Lyle. Why you got to be such a douche?”

“If I were you, I'd just stay the fuck down.” He looms over Justin, his fists clenched at his sides as his nostrils flare. “You won't win this one, we both know that.”

Justin doesn't say another word, he simply keeps rubbing his head with one hand. He isn't going to challenge Lyle because he knows he doesn't stand a chance.

Lyle takes me by the hand, and pulls me in, wrapping me in his arms. “Are you okay?” he asks, checking me over for any injuries.

“I'm fine.” Clearing my throat, I try to gather myself. This has been a strange night.

His eyes steady on mine as his fingers dig deeper into the small of my back. “You know, next time you kiss me, you really should give me the chance to kiss you back before you run off.”

Holy shit. What is he doing? What's happening right now?

I'm stuck. My body and mind are fighting, battling each other for the truth. My head can't grasp the thought that this guy, this hot, tall, steel jawed guy, could, or would, ever want anything to do with me.

And my body is telling me to shut the hell up, stop thinking, and just feel the energy between us. Feel him, don’t think. Feel his lips, his chest, his hands. Feel him. Don't let my head win, scaring me into running away from this guy who obviously came back to find me.

Lyle Vox came for me. Me.

The quiet nerd who spends her days with her face in a book, sketching pictures or reading. With fingers covered in silver pencil lead, and no plans but to do anything but draw; this girl is now pressed into the chest of the hottest kid in school.

What universe did I wake up in today?

My eyes drift up to his, connecting for a single breath as he drives his mouth onto mine and kisses me hard and deep. His tongue slips between my lips, tasting and licking me in ways no boy ever has.

Tingles start to form in new and untouched places. They zip down my legs, making my toes curl in my shoes. I need to hold myself down, to ground myself so I don't start to float away.

Clutching the outside of his arms with my fingertips, I hold on tight. I hold on so the wind can't capture me and blow me away. I hold on because I need to feel that this is real. I hold