19. Jordan
JORDAN
Climbing down from a tree house with a boner is a new experience. Thankfully it deflates at record speed as Violet gives us a weird look.
“Why were you studying up there?” she asks. “It’s freezing out.”
“I like it up there,” Daisy protests. “What’s the surprise?”
“I finished your dress.”
Daisy stares blankly at her cousin as we follow her inside the house.
“For the Wallflower Ball,” Violet adds.
“The what?” I ask, brows raising.
“It’s a formal Violet masterminds and has not-so-lovingly named.” Daisy does a cute little eye roll to accentuate her comment.
“It’s going to be epic,” Violet tells me. “Jocks aren’t allowed.”
“Hey,” Dahlia calls from the living room, where she’s holding up a yellow dress. “I’m a jock.”
“Sorry, most jocks aren’t allowed,” Violet corrects.
“This the thing Liam roped me into helping set up for?” I ask Daisy.
“Yeah.” She nods, then turns back to her cousin. “And what do you mean you finished my dress. I thought it was already done.”
“It was, but I think this one might be more you.” Violet waves to Dahlia. The closer she comes with that dress, the bigger it seems to get. So much lace. I think it might swallow little Daisy right up.
“Wait. Is this…” Her words trail off as she takes the dress from Dahlia and clutches it to her chest. “Violet, you didn’t!”
My gaze pings between them. I’m not sure what’s going on, but it’s obvious Daisy is pleased by the dress. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her so unabashedly happy. Her eyes are fucking twinkling, and her smile is so big. Daisy smiling big like that is really something. And I want to see more of it.
She hugs Violet around the neck. “But you worked so hard on the other one.”
“I know, but every time you put this one on, you look so happy. I hemmed it, and Dahlia helped me add the jewels around the waist. Do you like it?”
“Love,” she says. “I love it.”
I drag my backpack up to my shoulder and squeeze Daisy’s bicep. “I’m gonna go. Thanks for your help.”
Nodding to Violet and Dahlia, I start for the front door. I suck in the cold air and let it fill my lungs. Dammit. I kissed her again.
Actually, she kissed me. Sweet Daisy made a move on me. I never thought I’d utter those words. I thought I’d be good as long as I held myself back, which I was doing a pretty fucking epic job of until she started talking about us kissing.
I’ve barely made it to the end of the driveway when Daisy calls my name and jogs after me.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“It’s okay. I’m good. I studied more for this test than any other in my life.”
“Not about that. That we were interrupted,” she says with a shy smile.
“Oh. Well, I’ve got another ten minutes if you want to make out in your front yard.” Shut the fuck up, man.
She laughs. Damn, that sound shouldn’t get to me the way it does.
“I should get back inside, but, uh, we could meet up tomorrow if you want.” She blushes. “To study, I mean.”
“I have a group project thing tomorrow night.”
“Okay. No problem.” Her smile dims.
“What about tomorrow afternoon? I have a break after practice.”
And there it is again. Her lips curve up. “Sure. I’m done at two.”
“Let’s do it at my place.” Liam is the perfect cock block for this scenario. I can spend time with her, but I definitely won't kiss her again.
“Okay.”
“See you then,” I say, and as I walk away, I realize that being the reason for that smile is the best part of my whole day. I take another step. “Send me some pictures in that dress?”
Her grin widens. “We’ll see.”
When Daisy shows up to study, Liam is in the shower. It’s perfect because it means we can set up in the living room and not my room where there’s a bed. Getting her near a bed would be game over.
Except, even sitting on our couch, shoes kicked off, legs crossed and a laptop resting on her knees, I have images of doing very dirty things to this sweet human.
“How can I help?” she asks. “What don’t you feel like you have down for your test tomorrow?”
I take a seat next to her with my iPad and a notebook. “I feel pretty good. I thought I could work through all the problems in the chapter again.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
She goes to close her laptop, but I stop her. “Don’t you have homework or something you should be working on, too?”
I drop my gaze to her mouth. She’s wearing this pink lipstick that shines. I want to run my finger along her bottom lip to see what it feels like. And glide my tongue along it to see what it tastes like.
“I can work on it later.”
“Nah. I can do this on my own.”
“Then why am I here?”
Because I can’t get enough of you.
I knock my leg against hers. “Moral support. And in case I get stuck.”
She doesn’t look convinced.
“I’ve got this,” I say as Liam walks in. He’s got a freaking towel around his waist and no shirt. Yep, I should have picked the bedroom.
“Daisy!” Liam greets her with his usual smile.
Daisy’s eyes widen a fraction at his half-naked state. “Hi.”
He goes straight to his room but leaves the door open. Is she thinking about him naked? I grimace. Fuck, now I’m imagining him naked.
He comes out in shorts and a T-shirt and sits in the empty chair. “What are you guys working on?”
“Stats,” I say.
We both look at Daisy, who says, “I was just about to start reading for American Lit class.”
“Cool.” Liam drags his backpack from beside the chair to between his feet. “I need to do a little studying myself.”
I turn on some music, and we all get to it. See? I can do this. Studying with Daisy and Liam, and I am absolutely not going to kiss her. Or even think about kissing her.
Daisy leans over. Her hair falls onto my arm, and her pink lips open as she speaks, “Can we listen to something else? Something not so… angry.”
Well, there went not thinking about kissing her. Not that I ever really stopped.
“Got a problem with my music?”
“Not if I’m jamming out in the car, but for reading Thoreau, it’s a bit much.”
I pick up my phone, unlock it, and hand it to her. “You pick.”
She hesitates but eventually does take it.
“What type of music do you listen to?” I ask as she scrolls through my playlists.
“Whatever is on.” She hits me with a shy smile. “I usually just go for the daily top hits.”
She selects a new playlist, and an Ed Sheeran song plays.
“Favorite singer or band?”
She thinks for a second. “Don’t laugh.”
“I would never.”
She doesn’t look like she believes me, but she finally says, “Shawn Mendes. He’s so hot.”
Liam busts up laughing, and she blushes.
“Mendes is great,” he says. “I’m laughing because Jordan got stopped once in the airport on the way to a game and asked if he was Shawn Mendes.”
The girl was maybe fourteen and near hysterics. The guys are never going to let me live it down.
Daisy stares at me, and those pink lips fall open. “You do kind of look like him. I never noticed.”
“He can’t sing for shit,” Liam says.
“Oh, like you can?” I fire back.
Daisy laughs as she hands my phone back. I tap out a text to her, So you think I’m hot? ;)
She checks her phone, smiling when she realizes it’s from me. I don’t think I said that, she replies.
That’s what I heard, I reply.
She looks up and smiles at me. Neither of us looks away for several seconds. I lean forward a fraction and freeze. She’s holding her breath like she’s waiting for me to close the distance between us and isn’t sure if she wants me to or not.
I don’t, but damn, I really, really want to.
Tuesday afternoon lab we’re in our usual setup with Liam sitting between us. They work through the lab with me guiding them, and it’s all just like it’s been every other time, but different too.
I catch Daisy’s stare over her worksheet. She smiles tentatively and presses her lips together like she’s fighting a smile.
This fucking girl. Why are all her little mannerisms so fucking adorable?
At the end of class, Daisy grabs her backpack and comes over to stand next to me.
I bump my elbow against hers. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she replies quietly. “How was your test this morning?”
“Aced it. Thanks to you.”
“I didn’t really do anything.”
“Sure you did.” She did, too. I would have passed on my own, but I did so well the professor is probably wondering who I cheated off of. “Celebrate with me tonight.”
Liam hovers nearby.
“With us,” I correct.
“It’s a Tuesday night.” Light laughter follows her reply.
“Drinking on school nights is allowed,” I whisper playfully. “And, I promise to look out for you just like last time.”
Her gaze darts to my mouth. “Okay.”
I look at Liam. “Are you in?”
He smiles. “Sure, why not.”
I pick up Daisy, and we get to McCallum’s apartment just after ten. Liam hung back at the dorm and said he’d meet up with us, so I have some time with Daisy all to myself.
She doesn’t ask about him, so I put my buddy out of mind, at least for now.
Only a few guys are here already, but the ones that are, are drunk and at the dining room table playing cards. I grab Daisy and me a beer and lead her to one end.
She leans in, her blonde hair tickling my face as she whispers, “What are we playing?”
I pull her chair against mine. “The game is Fuck the Dealer.”
“I know this one!” She laughs. “But it’s been a while.”
“We’ll do a practice round.” I motion for McCallum to give me the deck, and I deal her three cards as practice. “What’s your wager, sweet Daisy?”
She blushes at the nickname. “Three seconds.”
If she were anyone else, I’d call her on such a low wager, but three seconds of chugging her beer, and she’ll be halfway to tipsy land.
I rest my fingers along the edge of the first card. “Suit?”
“Diamonds.”
I flip over a spade, and she frowns.
“Value?” I tap the second card.
“Umm…” She bites the corner of her bottom lip, drawing attention to her pouty mouth. I should have just invited her over to my dorm to celebrate so I could kiss her all night instead of playing games.
“Three.”
A cute groan slips from her lips at the sight of the eight of spades.
“Last chance.” I drop one hand to her knee.
Her breathing picks up. She licks her lips and stares at the last card on the table. “Higher.”
I flip a deuce and smile. “Sorry.”