She's Mine - Jenika Snow Page 0,5

have her face turn beet-red.

Keira glanced at Lindy, another cheerleader who had a body that should have been displayed on one of those swimsuit or lingerie magazines. Keira didn’t miss how Lindy kept looking at Reese, and that had unjustified jealousy moving through her.

Reese wasn’t hers, and no part belonged to Keira, so getting jealous that Lindy—who could absolutely get him to bone her upstairs no problem—was eye-fucking him was only making Keira miserable. Hell, Lindy had slept with at least three football players this year alone.

She knew how to work it to her advantage.

She was also a bitch.

Keira glanced away, or that had been her intention, but of course her gaze landed on Reese. And then their eyes locked.

He watched her… watched her like he’d been focused on her for some time now and she hadn’t even noticed. And like it happened every time, her face got hot, her cheeks no doubt flaming red.

She looked away, but her gaze landed on Lindy, who glanced between her and Reese.

Great, Lindy had seen the exchange and clearly didn’t like it, if her narrowed eyes and pursed lips were anything to go by.

Keira glanced back at Reese, and it seemed like an eternity of him doing nothing but watching her, and of her staring at him.

She felt something cold touch her fingers and looked down to see the guy who’d been manning the keg hand her a shot. She should have given it back, but as she continued to feel Reese watching her, Keira found herself lifting that glass and tossing it back.

The alcohol tasted like shit and burned as it went down her throat. Her face felt hotter, and she wheezed out and turned so she wasn’t sputtering in front of everyone. Eyes watering and throat on fire, she told herself how stupid she was to have just done that.

She couldn't breathe as she kept coughing, and she quickly headed out of the kitchen and out back, hoping the fresh air would help, but also she needed to get out of there, as Reese no doubt saw her making a fool of herself.

The night was humid and warm, a little off for this time of year, but she welcomed a change from the suffocating atmosphere of the party.

There were so many people outside that it felt suffocating even out in the open. Their loud, drunken voices carried far and made her head pound even worse.

I shouldn't have taken the shot. You idiot.

Alistor’s house was insane, like over the top and dripping with money. The backyard had a large fire pit, a circular patio couch around it. The flames were bright and high, and the people lounging on the white cushions were either tossing back their drinks, smoking weed, or all but fucking.

Then there was the pool, half naked, well-endowed girls splashing around, and the guys, their bodies toned and hard. It was clear they had too much time on their hands to be working out that hard at the gym.

She saw Haden, one of the football players who was known to fuck just about anyone who had a heartbeat, in the hot tub surrounded by three girls. Their bikini tops barely covered their nipples. One girl made out with Haden like she was practicing CPR, and the other two were kissing each other, but their hands were beneath the bubbling water, and Keira could only imagine what was going on down there.

She couldn’t stay out here forever, hiding from Reese and her ridiculous feelings, coupled with the embarrassment that she couldn’t even hold down a shot.

Keira let herself have this small reprieve as she made her way to the side and away from everyone—well, as much as she could, since people seemed to be everywhere. Molly would come searching for her eventually, but right now, she just wanted to get her bearings.

There was a small but gorgeous garden that was about twenty feet away from the patio. Fortunately, most of the people kept close to the house where the food, booze, pool, and hot tub were.

After taking a seat on a small cast iron bench surrounded by flowering trees and shrubs, she stared at the house. Her beer buzz was pretty strong, or maybe it was the shot she guzzled down that made it feel even more intense. She wasn’t used to this feeling.

A good girl.

A prude.

Too smart to be any fun.

Those were some of the bullshit things they called her at school. Not that she cared, but she felt so