“So have you decided on a school? Time is running out.”
Libby grinned. She had great news for Tony.
“Actualy I heard back from Columbia, and I am in!” Libby had been accepted just about every where she had applied.
But she had been wait listed at her first choice—Columbia.
Florida State had realy impressed her the most and offered the best financial aid, but she wanted to be in New York. If she hadn’t made it past the extra interview at Columbia and gotten off their wait list then she had NYU as a backup school. But none of that mattered now. She was going to Columbia with Tony.
“Wow, congrats. That wait list is hard to beat.
But is that where you realy want to be? You sounded so excited about Florida.”
“Wel I want to be in New York, so it was probably going to be NYU if not Columbia.” Libby’s smile dropped a little. In her mind this had gone differently. Tony should have swept her into his arms and proclaimed his joy that they could finaly be together by now.
NYU. With Parker. Tony hoped that Libby wouldn’t be able to see him grimace in the dark. When Libby had first applied to Columbia Tony’s mind had gone into overdrive imagining being with her. But she had realy been excited after she met with the people from Florida, and he only had one year left in New York. He had even been toying with the idea of moving down there after graduation
— assuming Libby amenable to the idea. One more year he told himself. Let Libby spend a little time in colege. A semester or two out of high school, and surely they could be together then. Of course that was before he walked into this god awful party. He had spent hours waiting at the airport, and he had stil missed the graduation. Walking into the party tonight he had no trouble finding Libby.
She looked incredible in her luau costume.
There were plenty of other girls here dressed in similar get ups. Hel, he had even seen someone walking around with a coconut bra! But only Libby could get his heart rate jumping like that—of course she was the first thing he saw.
The second thing he saw was that jackass Parker trailing behind her always with his hand on her back or an arm around her waist. Of course he had known they were seeing each other, but he hadn’t realized Parker would be at the party. Foolishly Tony had been assuming he was going to be Libby’s date and just imagine how it felt when he realized Libby already had a date.
“New York is great Libby; I just remember how excited you were about Florida. You even had me thinking of spending some time down there in the sunshine.” Libby was confused, but undeterred. Tonight was their night she was sure of it. She scooted a little closer to him and moved her hand to his thigh. “I want to come to New York. You are in New York.” Going al out, Libby wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his mouth. She hadn’t kissed Tony in a year and a half. Not since his cousin’s wedding. She was not disappointed.
Any chil she had been feeling earlier in the evening disappeared immediately. Her skin was on fire.
His mouth was insistent and firm on her own, his tongue was sliding against hers, and unlike the kisses of her memory she no longer felt he was holding back. Tony wrapped one arm around her waist and dragged her closer to him. Groaning into her mouth at the feel of her breasts crushed against his chest, he tunneled his other hand into the hair at the nape of chest, he tunneled his other hand into the hair at the nape of her neck tilting her face for a deeper kiss. Encouraged by his reaction Libby dragged her hands between their bodies and with shaking fingers she began to undo his shirt buttons.
Al she could think of was touching him, feeling his skin beneath her fingers, tracing those muscles she had spent years studying. His hands joined hers and for one fleeting moment she thought he was going to help her find that skin she was so desperate to feel. But then he closed his fists over her wrists, and puled out of their kiss so abruptly that Libby was pretty sure she whimpered her protest.
“Libby. Stop. What are you doing?”
“I told you. I want to be with you.” Libby tried to lean in again and resume the kiss, but Tony held her in place.
“We can’t do this Lib. Not now. Not like this.” Tony tried to keep his voice calm; al the while his body was screaming its objections.
Libby recoiled from him. Humiliation settling in her chest. “You don’t want me? You don’t want to be with me?”
“Of course I want you! Where were you three seconds ago? You are so beautiful. You are the most stunning thing I have ever seen. Dressed the way you are tonight every man at this party wants you—I can’t help but want you, but that isn’t to say … we aren’t… together...” Tony stumbled trying to explain. He had a plan. Why was she messing with the plan? Why wouldn’t his brain pul it together so he could make sense out of al this? Only, he knew why— it was because most of his blood had drained southward the moment she had touched his leg.