No Kissing Allowed (No Kissing Allowed #1)(2)
Squeezing my eyes shut, I tapped my shot glass. “I need another. Scratch that. I need five more. Make them all doubles or triples or whatever. Just strong.” I peeked back up at Lauren and Grace. “What sort of kiss are we talking about here? Because I’ve already been kissed tonight, so technically I—”
Lauren shook her head and pointed at the list. “Nice try, but yeah, no. That chick kissing you doesn’t count.”
I started to argue just as a soft chuckle hit my ears, and instead of pleading my case, I whipped my head to the left to find a guy seated on the stool beside me, a white baseball cap with a giant, orange T pulled low over his eyes. University of Tennessee, hmm. I rarely saw guys in the city supporting teams from the south. It was usually the Yankees or Mets or Giants or whatever. He wore a button-down shirt rolled to his elbows, giving off a definite frat-boy vibe that me and my buzz had no patience for.
“This is a private conversation.”
The guy grinned. “Well, then you might want to tell your voice that. Pretty sure the whole bar heard you.”
My eyes widened before narrowing in on him. “Let me guess—fall retreat in New York City? Oh, how big and bad you all must feel.”
This time he spun around to face me, leaning in so his scent hit me full force. And dear. Heaven. Above. I drew a breath, fighting the urge to sigh. Mild cologne, with a hint of soap. Entirely man. Entirely sexy.
Chocolate-brown eyes, framed in full, dark lashes, stared at me from below the bill of his hat, hints of dirty-blond hair peeking out at random—at his temples, tickling his neck. Suddenly, I wanted to take back all my words and begin again with, “Hi, I’m Cameron,” though I feared it would come out, “Holy hell, you’re hot.” I drew a breath to calm myself down, and he edged still closer.
“Look, I get it. You’re the good girl to their bad. Every group’s got one, and now they’re trying to force you over to the dark side. One night, right?” His gaze raked over me, no hint of subtlety, and though a part of me wanted to tell him to take those roaming eyes elsewhere, another part was curious. “And I bet you’re tempted,” he said, reading my thoughts. “I bet you told yourself you needed this, and you’d be right. You do.”
“What do you know about me? With your UT hat and starched shirt. I mean, who the hell dresses like that?”
He laughed, the sound so damn sexy my insides screamed for me to shut up and go along with whatever he had to say. “Not a Tennessee fan, huh?” He cocked his head. “Let me guess—Georgia girl goes to NYU to prove she’s bigger than her small town?”
I swallowed hard, my insides boiling at his suggestion—and at how very close he was. Switch out Alabama for Georgia and he’d have pegged me perfectly. Somehow, being read so easily made me want to get away from him. Fast. “Think whatever you like. I should get back to my friends.” But when I turned, both Lauren and Grace were out in the bar, talking it up with different guys, well on their way to winning the final task.
“Looks like the bad girls are going to win this round.”
My stomach tightened as I peered back over at him. How could someone so hot be so infuriating? “Listen, I don’t really need or want your opinion.”
“Perhaps. But I’m guessing you could use my lips right about now.” He nodded toward the back of the bar, where Lauren sat beside a tall guy with dark hair, her hand on his chest, readying for the kiss. She leaned toward him, just as UT Guy flipped around his baseball cap. “Ready whenever you are, good girl.”
I spun back to tell him he could take his lips elsewhere, but then my eyes found his, all wicked fire and sex, his legs slightly open, room for me to step between them. He took my hand and tugged me closer. “Don’t think. Just do.” And then his mouth found mine, first soft and warm, testing the feel of my lips, the way we moved together. But then the alcohol in my veins seemed to spike, attraction taking over, and I parted my lips, inviting him in, our tongues tangling as he secured me to him. Warmth spread all through me, pooling lower and lower until I felt sure I would lose myself right there in his arms. I’d never been kissed like this, like nothing else mattered, like time stood still. I didn’t want it to end.
Finally, I pulled away, unsure of what expression I’d find on his face, and was pleased to see the same heat in his eyes that I felt in my chest. My thoughts jumbled together, rational thinking giving way to temptation. Four years with the same guy, just to watch him leave. Then date after date, all trying to find a spark. Something, anything, only to end up alone. My entire life, I thought I would leave college and move in with my boyfriend, then later get married. But no, I was alone. Well, I didn’t want to be alone.
Maybe for one night, I didn’t have to be.
Biting my lip, I leaned into him, allowing my attraction to him to replace reason, and pressed my lips to his, testing the kiss again, unsure of where this was going. And for once, I didn’t care.
Chapter Two
My phone rang from my nightstand, interrupting what had to be the best dream of my life. I scrambled to shut off the loud-pitch sound that drove the knife working through my brain still deeper. Ugh…how much did I drink?
“Hello?” I asked foggily.
“Cammie? Are you sick? Why does it sound like you just woke up?”
I closed my eyes, drawing a long, patience-filled breath, and then opened my mouth to say hello to my mom, when instead a deep voice from beside me said, “Good morning.”