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  “Would that make me Cinderella? If so, I’m missing the wicked stepmother and sisters.”

  “Ah, yes, but wouldn’t my brother make a perfect Prince Charming?” Drea giggled, and her eyes twinkled with laughter. I could definitely see the resemblance to her brother. Her parents had passed along very good genes to their children.

  “I’m not sure that I’d use the word charming to describe your brother. He hasn’t lived up to the title with me yet.”

  “Darn! Maybe you’ll change your mind when I tell you that he let me know that you didn’t know about the party when you flew up here with him. He’s so bad like that, never remembers to tell me anything. Anyway, he asked if I could find you a few things so you would feel more comfortable joining us tonight.”

  “There wasn’t any reason for me to know about the party, so Drake didn’t forget to tell me.” I spoke quickly, trying to get a word in edgewise while Drea took a breath.

  “No reason? You don’t need a reason to come to my mom’s party. You’re Drake’s friend from school. That’s enough. I’d be absolutely crushed thinking of you stuck in the pool house while we’re all having fun. Besides, I’d love to show you off to everyone. Nobody will believe me for a second if I say that Drake has a girlfriend here with him from school.”

  “I am not his girlfriend! I hardly even know your brother. We just met last night,” I disagreed.

  “Really? Interesting. My brother isn’t exactly known for going out of his way for girls. He met you last night and brought you here today? And he had me find you an outfit for mom’s party. Lucky for him he thought we were about the same size. And one of my friends is your shoe size, so I didn’t have to work too hard on the outfit. Anyway, big bro is smitten! I cannot wait to get to know you better.”

  Drake strolled up the sidewalk and rested his hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Don’t give away all of my secrets at once, Drea. Alexa is bound to keep me on my toes without any help from you.” He reached around her to take the garment bag and shoes away from her. “I thought I asked you to bring these to me? How did you end up with Alexa instead?”

  Drea let her brother take the items from her hands. “Like you didn’t know that I would try to deliver them myself? You know me better than that. Now you’d better talk Alexa into coming to the party—or else. I will be very disappointed if you can’t work your legendary charm on her.” Drea grinned and waved at me and headed back towards the house.

  “I thought we agreed that you and I would catch up with each other tomorrow, Drake.”

  “No, you told me to find you in the morning. I never agreed to anything. I decided that plan doesn’t really work for me. Come to the party tonight.” Drake’s eyes drilled into mine as though he could glare me into accepting his invitation.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea. We barely know each other. You still have some explaining to do, and everyone is going to get the wrong idea about us. Look at your sister. She seems to think that I am your girlfriend. We’ve barely even spoken to each other! And how the heck does your sister know what size shoe I wear?”

  Drake’s eyes turn even darker in color, glinting with humor, as he shook his head at me. “No can do, babe. I don’t care if anyone thinks you’re my girlfriend because you’re going to be. I told Drea your shoe size. I asked your dad in the car while you were zoned out. Take this stuff and go get ready. I’ll be back for you in an hour. We can talk before the party starts.”

  “But—” I shook my head in denial, and Drake didn’t even let me continue.

  “Nope.” He reached over and placed his index finger over my lips, instantly quieting my argument. “You can deny it all you want, but I know that you can feel the chemistry between us. When I saw you at the Sig Chi party with Jackson, I wanted you right away. I thought I couldn’t have you, and it pissed me off. I was wrong. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong about something. ‘Cause believe me when I say that I’m going to have you, and I’m not sure I’m going to want to let you go again.”

  I didn’t know what to say. His confession shocked the hell out of me! I felt like he was steamrolling over me, and I really wanted to cave. His finger caressed my lips as he waited for my response. I’d felt this thing between us, but I just didn’t know if I could trust him.

  “I’ll come to the party with you. We’ll talk, but that’s all that’s going to happen tonight. Understand?”

  “Okay, babe. I hear you. Keep in mind that it isn’t tonight yet.” He leaned towards me and his lips crushed against mine. His tongue licked the seam of my mouth, and he nibbled on my lower lip. My brain turned to mush, and my body started to tremble in response. My eyes drifted closed as I enjoyed our first kiss.

  Drake groaned deep in his throat, and I could feel the vibrations through the kiss. He pecked the corner of my lips and pulled away from me. Handing me the bags, he nudged me through the door before I could react. My head was still spinning.

  “One hour. Be ready for me,” he said before turning around and striding away from me. Damn, I was going to be in so much trouble with this guy. There is just no controlling my response to him, I thought as I watched his ass until I couldn’t see him anymore.

  Shutting the door, I heard my dad clear his throat behind me. “Still nothing to say about Drake?” He smirked at me, and I blushed. He had definitely caught us kissing. Drat! “Sounds like you need to go get ready for a party, honey. Aren’t you glad you decided to come with me this trip?”

  I lightly punched him in the arm. “Geesh, Dad. You’re such a smartass sometimes. The normal response would be for you to threaten Drake with bodily harm if he touches me again. Not to taunt me about kissing him and going to a party. And didn’t you think it was odd that he asked you my shoe size? You just told him it without asking any questions?”

  “It’s about time I saw you interested in a boy again, Alexa. I know that everything that happened with Brad scared you off relationships, but you need to learn to let people into your life. Even boys. Go to this party with Drake and have some fun. I’m right here, so nothing bad will happen to you. You’re safe. Live a little already!”

  “All right, Daddy. I’ll go to the party with Drake. But don’t get your hopes up about relationships and stuff. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but Drake has a lot of explaining to do. Maybe we’ll get a chance to talk tonight and work some things out. That doesn’t make him my boyfriend though.”

  My dad laughed and shook his head at me. “I heard him plain as day, honey. If he has his way, he will absolutely be your boyfriend. Mark my words. Good thing I like him.”

  I headed upstairs and opened the bag. Inside was a stunning cocktail dress. The deep purple color was almost an exact match to the dress I’d worn last night. What were the odds that Drake’s sister would pick out something in my favorite color? I held the dress up to my body as I looked in the mirror, stunned at the thought that he might have been specific with his sister in what he wanted me to wear tonight.

  I hadn’t brought many hair products or makeup with me. The downside of packing light and bringing my study materials, I guess. I wasn’t sure that my usual brush of powder across my face and touch of chapstick would do the dress justice, but it wasn’t like I had many options. Better to show the real me now so Drake knew what to expect going forward anyway. If he was expecting a frilly, girlie-girl, then he was going to be very surprised.

  I pulled the shoes out of the box and gasped when I realized they matched the dress perfectly. They weren’t the heels I had been expecting. They were beautiful ballet flats, a deep purple patent leather with a red sole that couldn’t have been worn very much since they looked practically brand new except for a couple scratches on the bottom. They could only mean one thing. He had definitely told his sister what to find, and he’d based his instructions on what he had seen me wearing last night. This meant that he really had seen me and had been as drawn to me as I had been to him. It didn’t make any sense. If he had noticed everything I
’d worn, down to my preference for flats, then why hadn’t he said anything to me?

  6

  An hour had never passed so quickly. Before I knew it, I could hear Drake’s knock on the door downstairs. My dad had made it to the door before I had even reached the top of the stairs. Curious to see what they would say to each other, I paused at the landing so I could eavesdrop.

  “Hello, Mr. Hewitt. Is Alexa almost ready to go?” Drake asked as he stepped into the house.

  “I’m not sure, son. She hasn’t come down yet, but I expect she’ll be ready soon,” my dad responded.

  “I hope so,” Drake offered. “The party will start soon, but I wanted to show her some of the property before we joined everyone. I didn’t think to ask earlier, but you’re more than welcome to come up to the house for the party, too.”

  “Thanks, but I’m fine down here. Got some football to watch and snacks to eat. Not much for big parties anyway,” I heard my dad say. “Besides, you’ll be lucky to get Lex up to the party after your walk. She’s hard to rile, but once you get her going, you’d better watch out.”

  “She has every right to be mad at me right now. I wasn’t very nice to her when we met, and I know that I owe her an explanation. I promise—”

  My dad put his hand up to stop Drake mid-sentence. “Make your explanations and promises to her first. If she accepts what you’ve got to say and wants to date you, just understand that you’ll answer to me if you hurt her in any way. And that’s a big if, boy. She deserves someone good in her life, and you’ll be damn lucky if she gives you the chance to be that person.”

  On that note, I stepped out of the shadows and started down the stairs. I was happy that Drake had thought to include my dad in the invitation for the party, and I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t want to go. I was surprised to hear my dad open up about me though. He must have been more concerned about my lack of a dating life than I’d realized. The experience with Brad hadn’t just affected me. It had hurt my dad, too.

  Drake and my father heard me as I moved down the stairs and turned their heads toward me. My dad’s face was filled with pride as he looked at me with such love. I had no doubt that he would always have my back, supporting me through anything that might come my way. I reached for him as soon as I got near and hugged him tight. “Love you, Daddy,” I whispered into his ear.

  I glanced towards Drake as my dad kissed my cheek, his arms tightening around me. He was staring at me, a look of hunger flashing across his face. As my dad let me go, Drake’s expression cleared and he smiled at both of us.

  “Alexa.” He reached his hand out to me. “Ready? You look great.”

  “It’s the outfit that’s great. Thanks for thinking of me.”

  “No, it’s definitely you. Trust me on that at least.” He tugged me closer to him. “We’ve got some time before the party kicks off, and I’d like to show you around a bit. You up for a walk?”

  “As long as talking is included with the walking, I’m fine with that. Bye, Dad.” I let Drake lead me out the door.

  “Night, Alexa. I’ll be here if you need anything. Don’t forget, this might not be my roof, but I still expect you back at a decent hour. We have the flight back tomorrow, and you need your wits about you if you’re going to take the controls again.”

  “Geesh, Dad. I know—” I started to respond. Drake’s hand tightened around mine, and he shook his head.

  “No, Alexa. Your dad is only looking out for you. I understand where he’s coming from. I need to earn his trust as much as I do yours.” He looked my dad straight in the eyes with a determined look. “I swear she’ll come to no harm with me. Not now, not ever. I’ll have her back to you with plenty of time for a good night’s sleep tonight.”

  “Glad to know you hear what I’m saying, Drake.” My dad stretched his hand out and offered it to Drake. As they shook hands, I could feel Drake relax beside me, as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

  Drake grabbed my hand again after their handshake ended. “C’mon, Alexa. We’d better head out so we have enough time to talk before my mom sends out a search party.”

  We wandered past the stables and towards a gazebo surrounded by flowers. Drake explained that his mom loved gardening as much as his sister loved horses. By all appearances, what his dad must love is to indulge both his wife and daughter. Drake settled me onto a bench in the gazebo. With the garden around us and strings of lights twinkling above, the setting was terribly romantic. He sat down next to me and turned so he could look me in the eyes.

  “I know I’ve been a bit of a jerk to you, Alexa. I’ve already apologized, but I haven’t had a chance to explain.” He leaned in towards me and wrapped his hands around mine.

  “A bit? I think I have whiplash from your mood shifts. You seemed interested in the store this morning until I told you we’d met at the party. Then you flirted hard before you recognized me on the plane after that. What could I have possibly done to deserve that treatment?”

  He lifted my hands to his lips and kissed them. I could feel his breath on them as he sighed. “Nothing. You didn’t do anything, and I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on you. I’ve noticed you around campus the last couple weeks. Couldn’t get you out of my head. There was just something about you that pulled me in. You stood out among all the other girls at school. It wasn’t just that you’re hot because there are plenty of hot girls at school. I hadn’t even talked to you, and I was already comparing chicks to you when they flirted with me. Couldn’t work up any interest for anyone else, so I decided to talk to you the next time I saw you. Ended up that it was at the party last night instead of on campus at lunch or in the quad. And then I saw Jackson with you, and I was pissed that he got to you first.”

  I shook my head in confusion. It seemed like he and Jackson were friendly last night. This didn’t make any sense to me. “Why would it matter that I know Jackson? I don’t understand.”

  “It’s like this. There’s a guy code that I follow. Bros before hos—not that I am saying you are a ho or anything like that. I like Jackson. He seems like a cool guy from the time we’ve hung out together. I thought you were with him at the party. That he’d gotten to you before me, and if he had then I would have to respect that.”

  “You thought that Jackson and I were a couple?”

  Drake shook his head at me and glared. “Let me finish, babe. I need to get this out and on the table. For the first time ever, I didn’t want to follow the rule. I wanted you with me and not him. I had to watch you walk away with him, up the stairs to his room. I spent the rest of the night pissed the fuck off, imagining what you guys were doing in his room. I left the party and stayed away so that I wouldn’t knock his door down to get to you.”

  His hands had clenched around mine, squeezing hard. He looked so angry with his eyes blazing into mine.

  “Never been knocked off my feet like that before. I hadn’t planned to come home this weekend because I had too much going on at school. Seeing you at the party fucked with my head so much that I needed to get away so I had my dad book the charter out here. Wanted some distance to get my head on straight before I saw Jackson again at the frat house. Wasn’t sure I could see him without smashing my fist into his face.”

  He chuckled darkly and looked at the ground as he admitted the anger he felt. “Then I bumped into you at the store this morning. You looked so different, but I still felt the chemistry. When I realized it was you again, I felt like karma really was a bitch. Grabbed my mom’s card and headed back to my apartment to pack my stuff up. Only there you were again when I got on the plane. I was trying to run from you, and I just couldn’t get the fuck away.”

  He looked back up at me, and his hands gentled on mine. He lips turned up in a grin. “Hearing you say that you’ve known his mom as long as you’ve known him was probably the best news I’ve heard in a long time. I realized that what I’d seen between you wasn’t what I’d thought it was. Meant that you were free for me to p
ursue.”

  He looked at me expectantly after his announcement. “Oh, is it my turn to speak now?” I asked with sarcasm, masking the whirl of thoughts flying through my mind.

  His eyes flared with heat at my show of irritation. “Yeah, I’m done for now. Go ahead, babe.”

  “Not so sure I like you calling me babe, babe.”

  Drake leaned closer to me, our noses brushing against each other. His lips were as close to mine as they could be without us kissing. “Oh, you’re going to like me calling you babe. Trust me on that.”

  I shook my head, hoping to clear my thoughts as my skin broke out in goosebumps. “You did get it wrong. Jackson is like a big brother to me. His sister is my best friend, and we’ve known each other since kindergarten.”

  “Glad to hear confirmation that there isn’t anything going on between you two. Not sure I’d be able to back off at this point anyway. You’d be worth the risk,” Drake replied. “Doesn’t explain why Jackson didn’t introduce us or why he bailed on the party to hang out with you in his room though.”

  His eyes had hardened again. Clearly the thought of me spending time in Jackson’s room wasn’t a pleasant thought for Drake. “Jackson’s a little protective of me with guys. I’m not sure if that’s why he didn’t introduce us. You’d have to ask him. And he knew that the party wasn’t really my scene so he helped me make my escape for a little while. We hung out and watched a movie in his room so that I didn’t bail so early that Aubrey would be pissed at me.”

  “Is that a normal thing for you two, hanging out in his room and watching movies?” Drake didn’t look very happy with my explanation.

  “Every day normal? No. Happens from time to time? Yes.” I knew my tone was getting snippy, but I didn’t feel like he had any right to question my perfectly innocent friendship with Jackson.