This Is Falling(87)

“Rowe Stanton,” Tucker says a few feet away from me. My heart skips a beat, and not the excited kind. More of the nervous kind—of a girl who doesn’t want her boyfriend seeing her talk to Tucker while she’s dressed like…well, like a sporty hooker.

“Tucker. Hey…” I trail off.

“You look…” he doesn’t finish his statement either, but his eyes can’t seem to make their way all the way up my body to my face.

“Like a women’s baseball player from the forties?” I try to steer clear of any compliments, but Tucker wants none of that.

“Rowe, if that’s what the girls looked like back in the women’s league days, then I’d run home right now and build myself a time machine.”

Well damn. I have to admit, that made me feel pretty nice. “Thanks,” I say, my smile tight and my face blushing.

“So, where’s that boyfriend of yours? Not sure I’m in the mood to get punched tonight,” he says, only half kidding.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. We were sort of working through some things. We weren’t really official yet, if that makes sense,” I say, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach having this conversation.

“I’m guessing you figured things out?” he says.

“Yeah,” I laugh lightly. “Speaking of, I should go tell him I’m here. He was waiting for me.”

“Right. Well, I’m going to head inside for a refill,” he says, tipping over his empty red cup. “I’ll see you in class? I hope you’re thinking about that art history thing.”

“I am. And you will. Have a good night, Tucker,” I say, finally breathing right, now that we were separating. Unfortunately, we didn’t part quickly enough.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I hate that guy,” Nate says, walking a little past me and letting his gaze completely follow Tucker into the house. Nate finally turns to face me when Tucker’s totally out of sight. “So, what’d you end up pick—”

And now, I feel…hot.

“You like it?” I say, spinning around once slowly, but knowing fully well that it’s the four missing buttons on the front of the shirt that have him stammering for words. When he holds his hand up against his face and rubs his temple, his eyes almost bulging from his head, I start to heat up significantly.

“You are going to get a lot of attention tonight wearing that,” he says, a guilty smirk starting to spread across his lips.

“Well, I was kind of hoping one certain southern gentleman might notice me tonight,” I say, slinking up to him so the only places he has to look are my eyes and the expensive black bra.

“I think you’re pushing the limits of the word gentleman,” Nate says, not even hiding his arousal, pulling me in close to his body, dropping his helmet on the ground so he can almost touch me places he shouldn’t in public.

“That’s exactly the reaction I was hoping for,” I tease, stepping up on the tips of my toes to kiss him lightly. “I hear I’m easy when I’m drunk,” I breathe against his lips. Nate just tilts his head to the side and looks at me for a few seconds, one eyebrow raised.

“You…ever been drunk?”

“Well, not technically,” I say, my seductress side starting to fade, foolishness moving into its place. “Okay, no. Not at all.” Hanging my head, I start to back away from him, but he’s quick to pull me close again.

“It’s okay. I’m actually glad that I’m here for this. It’s one of those firsts, you know? And frankly, I wouldn’t trust you getting tipsy in an outfit like that around a bunch of assholes like the kind taking up at this party,” he says.

“But you’re at this party,” I tease.

“Yes. But Tucker the Fucker’s here, too.”

“Nate! Stop that,” I say, pushing him lightly. I’m slightly serious, but I’m also careful not to make Nate jealous, because I know how that feels—I had the same feelings when he was talking about Sadie, and I would never want to do that to him. “I’m sorry that’s how you had to meet him. He’s actually a nice guy.”

“Yeah, probably,” he says, grabbing my hand in his and pulling me up the front steps into the house. “But that doesn’t mean he has good intentions when he looks at you. Especially in that.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m a man, too, Rowe. And my intentions? They’re nowhere near good right now. They’re not even in the same language as the word good.”

“Oh yeah? What are they, Mister Preeter?” The sexy coed once again taking over my brain and body, I take a large stride and step in front of his path, stopping him in a room full of people. Nate pushes his forehead to mine and walks us backward a few steps, his arm around my body, keeping me close.