Gina from the neighborhood, doing the coed thing. But some of the others on our floor make me crazy. One’s trying to destroy my brain with round-the-clock Mariah Carey.”
“Insidious.”
“I think it was starting to work.”
“You look great. I’m glad you came. I was about to head out when I heard you were here.”
“Oh.” Pleasure fizzled. “You’re leaving.”
He smiled again, and took a hand out of his pocket to take one of hers. “Not anymore.”
B o Goodnight wasn’t sure what he was doing in a strange house with a bunch of college types he didn’t know. Still, a party was a party, and he’d let Brad rope him into it.
The music was okay, and there were plenty of girls. Tall ones, short ones, round ones, thin ones. It was like a smorgasbord of females.
Including the one Brad was currently crazy about, and the reason they were here.
She was a friend of a friend of one of the girls who lived in the house. And Bo liked her fine—in fact, he might have gone for her himself if Brad hadn’t seen her first.
Rules of friendship meant he had to hang back there.
At least Brad had lost the toss and had to serve as designated driver.Maybe neither of them should’ve been drinking as they were still shy of the legal age. But a party was a party, Bo thought again as he sipped his beer.
Besides, he was earning his own living, paying his own rent, cooking his own meals—such as they were. He was as much, hell more of an adult than a lot of the college boys knocking them back.
Considering his options, he scanned the room. He was a long, lanky boy of twenty with a wavy mop of black hair and eyes that were green and somewhat dreamy. His face was on the narrow side, like his build, but he thought he’d built up some pretty good biceps swinging a hammer and hauling lumber.
He felt a bit out of place with the snippets of conversation he made out—bitching about finals, comments about poli sci and female studies. College hadn’t been for him. He’d never been happier than on the last day of high school. He’d been working summers up until then. First as a laborer, then an apprentice, and now, at twenty, he was a carpenter who made a decent wage.
He loved making things out of wood, and he was good at it. Maybe he was good at it because he loved it. He’d gotten his education on the job, with the smell of sawdust and sweat.
That’s how he liked it.
And he made his own way. He didn’t have Daddy paying the bills like most of the people here.
The kernel of resentment surprised him, even embarrassed him a little. Flicking it aside, he made a deliberate attempt to loosen his shoulders. And taking a long, slow sweep of the room, he homed in on a couple of girls huddled together on a couch, chattering at each other.
The redhead looked very promising and if not, the brunette was a strong backup.
He took a step toward them, and Brad blocked him. “Out of my way, I’m about to brighten a couple of female hearts.”
“Told you you’d have a good time. Listen, I’m about to have a better one. Cammie and I are heading out, to her place. And I believe it’s not presumptuous to say, Score.”
Bo looked at his pal, noted the about-to-get-laid gleam behind thelenses of Brad’s glasses. “You’re ditching me in a houseful of strangers so you can go get naked with a girl?”
“Absolutely.”
“Well, that’s reasonable. She kicks your ass out though, don’t call me. Find your own way home.”
“Won’t be a problem. She’s just gone to get her purse, so—”
“Wait.” Bo’s hand curled hard around Brad’s arm as he saw the blonde—just a glimpse at first—through the crowd. A sexy tumble of wild curls the color of good, natural oak. She was laughing, and her skin—it looked like porcelain—was flushed along the high curve of her cheekbones.
He could see the shape of her lips and the little mole above them. It was as if his vision had sharpened, had telescoped, and he could see the details
“Insidious.”
“I think it was starting to work.”
“You look great. I’m glad you came. I was about to head out when I heard you were here.”
“Oh.” Pleasure fizzled. “You’re leaving.”
He smiled again, and took a hand out of his pocket to take one of hers. “Not anymore.”
B o Goodnight wasn’t sure what he was doing in a strange house with a bunch of college types he didn’t know. Still, a party was a party, and he’d let Brad rope him into it.
The music was okay, and there were plenty of girls. Tall ones, short ones, round ones, thin ones. It was like a smorgasbord of females.
Including the one Brad was currently crazy about, and the reason they were here.
She was a friend of a friend of one of the girls who lived in the house. And Bo liked her fine—in fact, he might have gone for her himself if Brad hadn’t seen her first.
Rules of friendship meant he had to hang back there.
At least Brad had lost the toss and had to serve as designated driver.Maybe neither of them should’ve been drinking as they were still shy of the legal age. But a party was a party, Bo thought again as he sipped his beer.
Besides, he was earning his own living, paying his own rent, cooking his own meals—such as they were. He was as much, hell more of an adult than a lot of the college boys knocking them back.
Considering his options, he scanned the room. He was a long, lanky boy of twenty with a wavy mop of black hair and eyes that were green and somewhat dreamy. His face was on the narrow side, like his build, but he thought he’d built up some pretty good biceps swinging a hammer and hauling lumber.
He felt a bit out of place with the snippets of conversation he made out—bitching about finals, comments about poli sci and female studies. College hadn’t been for him. He’d never been happier than on the last day of high school. He’d been working summers up until then. First as a laborer, then an apprentice, and now, at twenty, he was a carpenter who made a decent wage.
He loved making things out of wood, and he was good at it. Maybe he was good at it because he loved it. He’d gotten his education on the job, with the smell of sawdust and sweat.
That’s how he liked it.
And he made his own way. He didn’t have Daddy paying the bills like most of the people here.
The kernel of resentment surprised him, even embarrassed him a little. Flicking it aside, he made a deliberate attempt to loosen his shoulders. And taking a long, slow sweep of the room, he homed in on a couple of girls huddled together on a couch, chattering at each other.
The redhead looked very promising and if not, the brunette was a strong backup.
He took a step toward them, and Brad blocked him. “Out of my way, I’m about to brighten a couple of female hearts.”
“Told you you’d have a good time. Listen, I’m about to have a better one. Cammie and I are heading out, to her place. And I believe it’s not presumptuous to say, Score.”
Bo looked at his pal, noted the about-to-get-laid gleam behind thelenses of Brad’s glasses. “You’re ditching me in a houseful of strangers so you can go get naked with a girl?”
“Absolutely.”
“Well, that’s reasonable. She kicks your ass out though, don’t call me. Find your own way home.”
“Won’t be a problem. She’s just gone to get her purse, so—”
“Wait.” Bo’s hand curled hard around Brad’s arm as he saw the blonde—just a glimpse at first—through the crowd. A sexy tumble of wild curls the color of good, natural oak. She was laughing, and her skin—it looked like porcelain—was flushed along the high curve of her cheekbones.
He could see the shape of her lips and the little mole above them. It was as if his vision had sharpened, had telescoped, and he could see the details
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