Stepbrother Untouchable(19)

“Sounds great, actually,” I say, glancing at Nate, feeling a bit gratified as he glares at me. It feels good to spite him a little, since he so clearly doesn't want me to go.

“Awesome. Tonight then. We can go together—I'll pick you guys up around ten,” Jackson says, before jumping on top of Nate and trying to wrestle him under the water.

I close my eyes as they disappear. For the first time in a while, I wish I had something cute to wear.





CHAPTER TEN





In the end, I have to go with the same black top I wore to that crew party. It's really my only top suitable for a party, I think. Besides, Nate's the only one who's seen me in it, and I doubt he remembers.

My mom excitedly waves goodbye as Nate and I walk out to Jackson's green SUV. She is so thrilled that I might have a social life that it's embarrassing. Jackson opens up the front passenger door for me and Nate slides in back.

“We picking up Dana?” Jackson asks as we pull away.

“It's Natasha tonight. And she's meeting us there,” Nate answers from the back seat. I guess I'm relieved, because I don't think I could look Dana in the eye after seeing her and Nate having sex by the pool.

“Oh, fuck, Natasha, of course,” Jackson says, laughing and hitting the steering wheel. I frown a little. I guess it's par for the course for my stepbrother.

Jackson picks up most of the slack in the conversation, and the radio does the rest. I'm too nervous and stuck in my head, thinking of what I should say, while Nate mumbles one word responses from the back.

I'm relieved when we find a parking space on the street near the party. As we walk toward the riotous townhouse, I'm surprised the neighbors haven't already called the cops. People are spilling out the front door and I can hear the music halfway down the block. There's a pretty olive-skinned girl standing on the curb who turns her head as Nate calls out, “Natasha!”

She smiles coyly as we walk up. Nate dips her in a jokingly romantic manner and plants a kiss on her lips as she breaks out into giggles.

“Come on,” Jackson says, draping an arm around my shoulders protectively and escorting me inside. He high-fives a few guys as we walk in, and he guides me to a keg in the middle of the living room, which is strung with little white Christmas lights. There's an impenetrable crowd around it but somehow he manages to snag me a beer, and before I know it I'm taking my first sip of the summer. With his hand on the small of my back, we walk into the next room. The dining room table is being used for a beer pong game, and Jackson and I take a seat on a couch nearby.

“You're gorgeous, you know that?” Jackson whispers in my ear. I'm startled and almost spit out my beer.

“No…” I look down, blushing, “I mean, that's sweet of you to say.”

“I'd love to see you again after tonight. Maybe we could get dinner next weekend,” he offers.

“Oh, sure,” I reply, feeling flattered. I mean, it does feel a little…rushed, or something, but I've heard so many stories about guys just wanting to hook up, that it's refreshing to be asked out on an old-fashioned date. I take a few more sips of my beer as I look around, feeling more comfortable now that I know Jackson is really into me.

“Hey, I'm going to get another beer,” I tell Jackson, as I drain mine. He jumps up.

“Don't worry about it. I'll grab 'em,” he says, walking confidently into the other room. I watch the ping pong ball as it's thrown back and forth across the table, and Jackson is soon back with the beers. He launches into a story about this crazy party he went to back at school, but out of the corner of my eye I notice a couple walking up the stairs at the rear of the room, their hands all over each other, and feel a stab of envy in my chest.

I am beyond tired of being a virgin. It's certainly not on purpose that I'm twenty-one and still haven't had sex yet. I guess I just assumed it would happen somehow, without my ever putting any thought into it, and I've never built it up like it's going to be some crazy special thing, either.

I look at Jackson out of the corner of my eye as I make quick work of my second beer. Maybe Nate was right—maybe I am too serious and distant. Maybe it would be better if I just got it out of the way. And I bet Jackson would be good at it. Really, really good at it. Plus, he's a decent guy.

“…Don't you think?” Jackson asks me, leaning in.

“Yes, right,” I reply, even though I spaced out and have no idea what he was talking about. My hair falls in front of my face as I take another sip of beer, and Jackson reaches up and tucks it behind my ear. We make eye contact and he leans forward slowly, brushing a soft kiss across my neck.

“Want to get out of here?” he murmurs into my ear, sending a little shiver down my spine. “My place is pretty close by, and we'll actually be able to hear ourselves think.”