show up late.
“Just relax and enjoy this moment,” he whispered as he nuzzled her ear.
She nodded against his shoulder, deciding to let herself disappear into the dance and his embrace. Who cared about friends anyway, when she had Brad Fuller to trod the measure with and whisper sweet nothings in her ear?
As she moved across the dance floor, in sync with Brad’s steps, her body pressed up against his, she started experiencing the familiar stirrings of heat in the pit of her stomach.
Later tonight she hoped to lure Brad into her bed, invite him to make love to her for the first time in her own space… Suddenly, though, she wasn’t so sure that was such a good idea after all.
“Brad? Do you want to see more of me in the future?” she asked, a pang of concern flitting through her mind. “I mean, after school is out?”
“Finally out,” he groaned comically. “Couldn’t last another day. You?”
She bit her lip. “But…” She decided to plunge ahead. “What about us? What will happen to you and me?”
He eyed her curiously, and she felt her heart sink. She should never have voiced the question. Not now, at least. She was ruining everything!
He trailed a loving finger down her cheek. “You and I,” he murmured, “are going to be fine, Amy. Just fine.”
Fine didn’t cut it, and his answer disappointed her on more than one level. She couldn’t resist pressing the matter. “Don’t… you want us to stay together?”
A look of concern appeared in his eyes, and she gulped. This was the end she thought as panic shot through her being. He hadn’t wanted to say it, hadn’t wanted to ruin their big night, but she’d provoked him and now he was going to lay it all out. Clean break. The words popped into her mind. He was going to make a clean break and leave her behind. Leave her to rot in Buford while he went out into the world.
“I’ll never leave you again if that’s what you want, Amy.” He spoke with a seriousness she’d never thought he was capable of, and for the first time she thought he looked… different. Older, perhaps. Had he always had those wrinkles around his eyes? They made him look sexy as hell, she decided. “Is that what you want?”
“What… I want?” she echoed, suddenly not feeling too well.
The lights—the stares of the people—it was as if something was throbbing in the back of her head. Her eyes were growing misty, as if she had trouble focusing on things. Brad looked different, yes. Suddenly a horrific thought entered her mind. Who was this man? Who was the man holding her? He wasn’t Brad—he wasn’t the Brad she knew!
She frowned at him and pushed herself away. “Who are you?” she demanded. She searched around the room but everything was a blur now, of lights and sounds and stares—eyes everywhere. “Who are you!” she screeched to Brad, fighting off his arms as they tried to grab hold of her. “What’s going on here? No, leave me alone! Don’t touch me!”
She fought loose from his grip and raced to the exit, only to falter and come crashing down to the floor mere meters further. My head, she thought. What’s happening to my head? It was pounding, and not just with the music and the sounds of the evening. “Daddy,” she wailed, trying to push herself up from the floor. “Daddy, where are you?”
Strong hands enveloped her, then, and as she tried to fight them off, she blacked out, the last thing she saw a pair of dark eyes boring into hers. Brad. It was Brad. But it wasn’t, really.
Who was this man?
Chapter 16
When she came to, the first thought that entered her mind was that she’d died and gone to heaven. Gazing up at a clear blue sky convinced her that she had, the fleecy clouds drifting before her mind’s eye enhancing the illusion. Her daddy was here, she knew. Her daddy was waiting for her up here—had been for a long time, in fact, and when the familiar stocky figure came walking up to her, she wasn’t the least bit
“Just relax and enjoy this moment,” he whispered as he nuzzled her ear.
She nodded against his shoulder, deciding to let herself disappear into the dance and his embrace. Who cared about friends anyway, when she had Brad Fuller to trod the measure with and whisper sweet nothings in her ear?
As she moved across the dance floor, in sync with Brad’s steps, her body pressed up against his, she started experiencing the familiar stirrings of heat in the pit of her stomach.
Later tonight she hoped to lure Brad into her bed, invite him to make love to her for the first time in her own space… Suddenly, though, she wasn’t so sure that was such a good idea after all.
“Brad? Do you want to see more of me in the future?” she asked, a pang of concern flitting through her mind. “I mean, after school is out?”
“Finally out,” he groaned comically. “Couldn’t last another day. You?”
She bit her lip. “But…” She decided to plunge ahead. “What about us? What will happen to you and me?”
He eyed her curiously, and she felt her heart sink. She should never have voiced the question. Not now, at least. She was ruining everything!
He trailed a loving finger down her cheek. “You and I,” he murmured, “are going to be fine, Amy. Just fine.”
Fine didn’t cut it, and his answer disappointed her on more than one level. She couldn’t resist pressing the matter. “Don’t… you want us to stay together?”
A look of concern appeared in his eyes, and she gulped. This was the end she thought as panic shot through her being. He hadn’t wanted to say it, hadn’t wanted to ruin their big night, but she’d provoked him and now he was going to lay it all out. Clean break. The words popped into her mind. He was going to make a clean break and leave her behind. Leave her to rot in Buford while he went out into the world.
“I’ll never leave you again if that’s what you want, Amy.” He spoke with a seriousness she’d never thought he was capable of, and for the first time she thought he looked… different. Older, perhaps. Had he always had those wrinkles around his eyes? They made him look sexy as hell, she decided. “Is that what you want?”
“What… I want?” she echoed, suddenly not feeling too well.
The lights—the stares of the people—it was as if something was throbbing in the back of her head. Her eyes were growing misty, as if she had trouble focusing on things. Brad looked different, yes. Suddenly a horrific thought entered her mind. Who was this man? Who was the man holding her? He wasn’t Brad—he wasn’t the Brad she knew!
She frowned at him and pushed herself away. “Who are you?” she demanded. She searched around the room but everything was a blur now, of lights and sounds and stares—eyes everywhere. “Who are you!” she screeched to Brad, fighting off his arms as they tried to grab hold of her. “What’s going on here? No, leave me alone! Don’t touch me!”
She fought loose from his grip and raced to the exit, only to falter and come crashing down to the floor mere meters further. My head, she thought. What’s happening to my head? It was pounding, and not just with the music and the sounds of the evening. “Daddy,” she wailed, trying to push herself up from the floor. “Daddy, where are you?”
Strong hands enveloped her, then, and as she tried to fight them off, she blacked out, the last thing she saw a pair of dark eyes boring into hers. Brad. It was Brad. But it wasn’t, really.
Who was this man?
Chapter 16
When she came to, the first thought that entered her mind was that she’d died and gone to heaven. Gazing up at a clear blue sky convinced her that she had, the fleecy clouds drifting before her mind’s eye enhancing the illusion. Her daddy was here, she knew. Her daddy was waiting for her up here—had been for a long time, in fact, and when the familiar stocky figure came walking up to her, she wasn’t the least bit
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