20. Amber #2
“Great, thank you!” Laney almost skipped inside and ran to the open archway that led below.
Music blared and shook the walls as we descended and I didn’t have the heart to tell Laney that this was not an intimate pre-game.
It was a house party, plain and simple, and it didn’t shock me when we were greeted by a large, already intoxicated crowd.
Laney didn’t let her discomfort show though. Not my confident best friend. She waved at a handsome guy and dragged us toward the couch where she introduced me to Liam. I had never seen her blush like that before and I had to fight a grin. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to find a water.”
“Head to the back room down there. We have a fridge with water,” Liam said, not looking away from Laney. Someone is smitten.
I saluted them and found my way down the hall and had to choose between three doors.
The first was a bathroom and the second was locked.
The third one opened when I pushed it and I gasped when Jeff and a tall brunette stood really close together.
The image of the way her hand rested on his arm and the way his face was tilted toward hers with interest burned into my mind.
Have we defined the relationship?
Is this why he didn’t text back?
Can I even be mad?
Oh my god, say something. It’s been ten seconds. “Uh, I’m sorry? Water. I was looking for water.” I pretended to look around the room and ran into the doorframe on my escape. “Shit.”
Get out. Go to Laney. I’d barely got five steps away from the door when Jeff’s voice sounded right behind me and he wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “Amber, hey, hold on.”
He spun me around to face him with ease, but I focused on his beautiful broad shoulders instead of his face. My adrenaline spiked, making my words come out fast and jammed together. “Hey, what’s up? What’s going on?”
“Jessica is a junior on the volleyball team.” He widened his eyes and gestured to her as she left the room. He smiled at her. “Thanks for talking to me. We won’t use any names.”
“That’s all I ask.” She huffed and gave me a tight smile. “I need a beer.”
She didn’t say more before walking back to the main area of the basement and I turned to follow her when Jeff tightened his grip on my arm. “Henderson, get in that room.”
I felt all sorts of stupid for a variety of reasons and my entire body burned when I walked into the bedroom and faced him. Instead of trying to talk through the wedge in my throat, I smiled goofily at him. He laughed and put both of his hands on my shoulders, an amused expression on his face.
“I didn’t take you for jealous. It was kinda cute.”
“Ugh,” I groaned and placed my head on his chest. “I wasn’t…
I’m not… Maybe. Just, you’re free to do whatever you want.
We aren’t anything, really. We’ve slept together a couple of times.
” I still refused to look him in the eye and the silence made me keep babbling.
“We haven’t DTRed and, according to Laney, that’s a thing people do, but I don’t know that because I don’t do this sort of thing. You probably do, so maybe you know.”
“You’re fucking cute.”
“Me?” I looked up and it felt like the ground shifted beneath me at the tenderness on his face…all directed at me.
“Yes.” He moved his hands up from my shoulders to my face, cupping my cheeks. “Tell me, did you like seeing me with Jessica?”
“Um, no?” I scrunched my nose and hated admitting it. “But you’re allowed…you can do anything…you don’t owe me anything.”
“I sure as hell don’t want to see you with another guy.” His jaw tightened and he ran his thumb over my bottom lip, his gaze heating when he stared at it. “We never talked about it, really, but while we continue our investigation, I’d like to be exclusive, if you’d agree.”
“We only hook up with each other?”
“Yes, Henderson. Just you and me.” He moved his thumb again and moved closer. “I’m having way too much fun exploring you to share.”
I gulped and heated at his words. “Okay.”
“You’re taking up way too many thoughts in my mind for me to get with anyone else. I found Jessica through a mutual friend and got great information from her that will help our case.”
“Yeah?” I lost my train of thought when he dropped his lips to the spot beneath my ear. “Not…here? People are out there.”
“I know,” he hummed, pressing his mouth against mine for a quick, passionate kiss that didn’t last nearly long enough. “Just wanted to remind you that your mouth drives me crazy.”
“Oh.” God, that’s a good line. “Yours too. For me.”
“I know. I love getting you flustered.”
“It’s embarrassing,” I admitted. I fidgeted with my sweater and tried smoothing it down to busy my hands with something, but he stopped me.
“No, it’s not. It’s real and endearing. I’m a fan of it.” He let his gaze drop from my face to eye my outfit and his grin grew. “You look good. I was hoping to convince you to let me stop by tonight, but this is perfect. Are you staying here long?”
“I came with Laney, so I’ll see what she wants to do first.” Ask about the text. Just do it. “Uh, did you get my text earlier? About my uncle?”
“What?” Alarm crossed his face and he searched his pockets, front and back, as the line between his eyebrows grew and his frown deepened. “My phone isn’t on me. What the hell?”
“Did you drop it?” I moved to search where he’d stood earlier but his rigid posture made me nervous. “What is it?”
“I had it at practice…talking to my coach.” His face paled and he slowly shook his head. “We were in his office. What did your text say, Amber?”
“Shit. Shit!” I paced the room. I showed him my phone and he hissed out some cuss words. “What do we do?”
“We hope he doesn’t read it and we head there in the morning.”