Read Online RECKLESS - Part 1 by Alice Ward - Free Book Online Page A

responded.
    “Maybe not,” Becca said, cleaning her hands off with a napkin. “But you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone on campus that agreed with you.”
    She was right, of course.
    Jace was every girl’s dream and every man’s worst nightmare. You’d have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to not be at least a little attracted to him.

***
    Two more days of not hearing from Sean and I decided to cancel my plane ticket home.
    With no idea where we stood, or even where in the country he was, I refused to spend the money to fly home, especially when I still had a column to write and a test to study for. And I wasn’t about to let his jealousy-infused temper tantrum interfere with my future—the future I owned, regardless of what happened between us.
    Besides, I was still pretty livid with him for creating such a mess.
    He’d insulted and berated the very same person I was writing a feature on. This wasn’t just our personal life that he’d thrown stones at; this was my career, the thing I’d dreamed of doing since I could remember. And he’d crapped all over it, had endangered everything I’d worked so hard for in just a matter of minutes.
    Over what? Jealousy?
    It was bad enough I’d made a mess all my own with my mouth, slutty attire, and bad decision-making. That, at least, had been my own doing. But now I had to apologize to Jace for more than just my behavior; I had to apologize for Sean’s as well. I felt like some pet owner whose dog just crapped in the neighbor’s yard.
    It was beyond embarrassing.
    But I was nothing if not a woman determined to keep her life in order. If that meant dealing with unsavory fiancé behavior and apologizing for something I, myself, hadn’t done, then so be it.
    And that was exactly why I was in a cab, on my way to Jace’s apartment, anxiousness twisting my intestines into ridiculous knots. If the driver didn’t get on with it already, I was going to end up with what was left of my undigested lunch on the back seat of his car.
    But I regress.
    I didn’t really have a reason to be nervous. Jace probably dealt with this sort of thing all the time, what with him being a campus god and all. He was probably just going to smile, say no problem, and then move on with his glorious life. I, on the other hand, knew things had irrevocably changed.
    I wasn’t sure when.
    I wasn’t sure why.
    I wasn’t even really sure how.
    I only knew I felt different, something in me was shifting. I couldn’t put my finger on it right then, so I stuffed it down and decided to deal with the situation at hand: getting out of the cab and making my way to the front door of Jace’s apartment.
    Since I only expected to be a few minutes, I paid the cabby an extra fare and requested he stay until I had finished. The clacking of my heels on the concrete seemed to be the only noise in the upscale complex, which seemed a little strange at a little past noon. Then again, homes like these only belonged to businessmen and rock stars like Jace Richardson. Most of them were likely at work or sleeping.
    When I arrived the front door of his apartment—or the one I hoped was his—I inhaled deeply, straightened my spine and threw my shoulders back. This wasn’t the time to be the delicate flower; I was a professional, and it was high-time I started acting like it.
    Of course, all that changed with a few sharp knocks on the front door.
    Seconds ticked on, stretching out for what felt like minutes. My heart rate accelerated when I heard shuffling on the other side of the door. Then, when it opened, the pounding ceased. Or, I think it did, because my brain and body no longer belonged to me.
    I would never stand there and ogle a half-naked man, tattoos glistening under droplets of water. I wouldn’t stand there like a damn zombie, mindless and speechless as he said hello and then asked me if I was okay when I didn’t answer. And I certainly wouldn’t stumble over my words and make a complete fool of myself, like