ripple and attraction bursts to life in my core. “You shouldn’t be drinking.”
“Excuse me?” My eyes pop wide as laughter tumbles from my mouth. “Are you being serious right now?” I wave a hand toward the drunken mass that surrounds us. It’s not even eleven, and already people are passed out on loungers. “Look around, dude, everyone is shitfaced.” Hopefully, there are a few designated drivers among this group or Uber will make a hell of a lot of money tonight.
As soon as Beck smirks, I know his answer is specifically designed to piss me off.
“That might be so, but everyone knows you’re a good girl. And good girls don’t drink. I wouldn’t want the society to revoke your membership. You’ve worked so damn hard for it.”
My eyes narrow to slits. The attraction that had flared to life so quickly is extinguished by his teasing.
I hate when he calls me that. And he knows it, which is precisely why he continues to do it. Beck loves nothing better than to crawl under my skin. He’s like a rash I can never quite get rid of, no matter how many steroids I use.
It’s irritating.
“I’m not a good girl,” I growl before stabbing a finger at his ridiculously hard chest. “And you are not my keeper. I can drink if I want to.” In a haughty voice, I remind, “I’m the one who was requested to babysit your ass. Not the other way around.”
He crowds into my personal space. Instead of retreating, I stand my ground. I refuse to let him intimidate me.
“Babysitter, you say? Hmmm…I could definitely use one of those tonight.” His fingers trace a path down the center of my chest, lingering in the valley between my breasts. “Should we take this elsewhere and you can demonstrate everything your service entails?”
His nearness does funny things to me and clouds my better judgment. Instead of pushing him away, I’m tempted to pull him closer.
My body wavers before sanity crashes down on me and I bat his hand away. “Go to hell.”
“See?” He laughs as if I’ve proven his point for him. “A good girl through and through.”
“I’m not as good as you think.” The words shoot out of my mouth before I can rein them back in. To be clear, they are a total lie. I am as good as he thinks. Probably better. I have to be.
“Is that so?” He steps closer until the tips of my breasts brush against his bare chest. “Sweetheart, I’d love nothing better than to test that theory but we both know you’ll always be Mia Stanbury, little miss perfect.”
And he’ll always be Beckett Hollingsworth. The guy with little-to-no impulse control who can’t walk down the school hallway without finding trouble. The same one who can’t be left alone in his own house for a night without inviting a hundred of his closest friends over for an impromptu party.
We are opposites in every sense of the word.
“Shut up, Beck.” I’ve never met anyone who has the power to turn me on and piss me off at the same time. If he ever cranked up the charm, I’d be toast. He’s capable of melting the panties right off a girl with one well-aimed look. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes. I refuse to be one of those ridiculous females. I won’t be used and tossed aside like dirty Kleenex.
I don’t realize that I’ve become trapped in my own thoughts until his fingers settle under my chin, lifting it so I’m forced to meet his bright gaze. “What’s the matter? Truth hurt?”
“There’s nothing you can say that will hurt me.” If only that were true.
His face looms closer until it fills my vision, blotting out the party. My world shrinks around us until it only encompasses Beck. My breath gets clogged in my lungs and burns like a fire before spreading to the rest of my body. Any moment I’m going to self-combust.
What am I doing?
I should pull away, but I’m powerless to do anything other than stare into his eyes and fall under his spell.
“Beck, baby!” a loud female voice booms over the rowdiness of the party, “over here!”
Even when she continues to bleat like a sheep, our gazes remain locked for several long heartbeats and I almost wonder if he’ll ignore her. But she’s persistent and continues to repeat his name until he severs the connection between us and swings around.
As soon as I’m released, the air rushes from my lungs and