The Right Guy - Liz Lovelock Page 0,15

being dragged away by Elsie and Paislee. Jimmy stalks off in a huff.

Jerking my thumb in his direction, I say, “What’s up with him?”

All the guys shrug. “That’s who he is. Always angry, it seems,” Dane says.

“Yeah, okay. Well, enjoy your night, and I’m sure I’ll catch up with you all later.” As I walk off, my eyes zero in on the makeshift dance floor where I stop dead, seeing Charity laughing while swaying her body from side to side. The way her hips move casts me under a captivating spell. My hands itch to rest on them and move with her.

I’m not a dancer, and I refuse to get out there with the other girls, no matter how much they beg. For her, though? I’d do it just to feel her warmth pressed against me.

My goodness, I feel like a fool. This atmosphere isn’t something I’m used to. There are so many people here, and the beats vibrate through me from my head to my toes. I’ve never been allowed to have music like this on. Especially not this loud.

“Move your body, girl. You have eyes on you.” Paislee gives me a sly look. When I turn to see who she’s referring to, heat rises in my face. Jase stands there, leaning against the doorframe. Damn, why is he so attractive? He seems to be everywhere I am lately.

“Ah, you’re supposed to keep moving, not stop entirely.” She takes my hands and starts moving them for me. I attempt to ignore the eyes that bore into my back.

It’s not long before Parker and Addison arrive with some plastic cups filled with I-don’t-know-what. My attention goes to Jase. His stare is heated, and without thinking, I lift the cup to my lips and swallow a mouthful. My face screws up. “This is disgusting,” I say. The girls laugh.

“You never had a beer before?” Elsie asks as she throws back her own.

“Nope, never. I was always on a tight leash, you could say.” I take another drink—slowly this time. The taste isn’t so bad. Warmth spreads from my belly through the rest of me.

“Girl, you’re about to live an entirely different life,” Paislee says, bumping my shoulder. “Though we won’t start with the strong drinks just yet.” She laughs.

Suddenly, loud, rowdy voices pull us from our conversation. All heads turn to the doorway. Jase has disappeared. Dane, Parker, and Aiden take off toward the sound. We all follow, our interest piqued.

“We’re not here to cause trouble. We just want to enjoy the night. We heard you guys put on some great parties; we wanted to come.” The guy standing in front of Jase is the same height as him and almost equally as built. His dark hair and chiseled jaw would be enough to have him winning all the girls. A few men stand behind him.

I can’t see Jase’s face to have any idea what’s going through his head. Judging by the commotion, I’d guess they’re not a group people from the college like much. Leaning over to Addison, I ask, “Who are they?”

“They’re the rival team. Obviously, they’re here to cause trouble. I have no doubt about that. The guy standing in front of Jase is Alex, bigwig quarterback for RVU, also known as River View University. We call them the River Rats.” She giggles.

“Oh, okay. He’s cute.” I smile.

“Yeah, he’s cute, but he’s their campus bad boy. He and Jase have been rivals since the beginning of their football careers. I’m betting Jase lets them stay, because that’s the kind of guy he is, but he’ll be sour all night because they’re here.” She pauses and gives me a stern look. “Now remember, they may be hot as sin, but don’t get cozy. I’ve heard stories from other girls.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll be sure to keep my distance.” As I say it, it’s as though Alex heard me. His eyes turn on me, and I can see it—lust fires in his eyes. Damn, he is good. My knees even go weak. He’s bad news.

Addison is right; Jase lets them stay. The crowd disperses, and everyone goes back to what they were doing. Leaving the girls, I go in search of another drink. I’ve been monitoring how many I’ve had, and thankfully, they haven’t gone to my head yet. Although, I have become a little chatty and grown out of my shell a bit.

Turning to enter the kitchen, I almost bump into Alex. I stumble back.

He reaches out and takes my