This is a lost cause. When Demi sets her mind to something not even the force of a hurricane can stop her. I guess one date wouldn’t hurt.

“Ok fine,” I breathe, “But one date and that’s it.” I turn to look at her in time to see her grin.

Before I know it we’re pulling up to the property that surrounds Lake Dixon. It’s a warm evening and the sun set a little while ago. Sun sets are my favorite but I missed it, a little too preoccupied with my chat with Demi on the drive over here. It doesn’t take long before we hear the loud music blaring from several pick-up trucks that come into view. They’re all parked backwards in a circle, surrounding a huge bonfire made of wood. We pull over and park next to a blue Ford F150. What is it with these boys and their trucks I wonder. It must be a country thing.

The boys are all standing around the fire with plastic red cups in their hands, laughing and singing along to a song I’ve never heard of. Tommy spots us walking up to them and yells “Well if isn’t my woman!” drawing everyone’s attention to Demi and I. I stifle a laugh when Demi narrows her eyes at her drunken boyfriend. “Thomas Elliot McKinley, how many times have I told you not to call me that!” she yells back, putting her hands on her hips. Demi is only 5 ft 4 but her size is deceiving. This tiny girl can make grown ass men cower. It’s scary watching such a small thing in action.

“Ah come here baby, you know I’m just teasing,” Tommy coos, stumbling towards us until he envelops Demi in his big arms. They make an odd couple but only because Tommy is just over six feet tall with short black hair. He has the typical build for a college ball player – broad shoulders, muscular arms, a trim waist and leg muscles big enough to kick start a small plane. He’s good looking but so not my type.

Demi kisses him a little too intimately and I have to look away from their public display of affection. I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to be that loved by another human being. I thought I felt it once but as luck would have it, I was wrong.

A few of the other guys start whooping and shouting cat calls, forcing Demi and Tommy to break apart. Demi blushes and tucks her face into Tommy’s chest, hiding her embarrassment. Tommy looks back at his friends and gives them a death glare, forcing all teasing and sound-making to stop. He turns to me and smiles, “Hi Huntley, thanks for coming with my girl.”

I smile back and nod, “Sure. Looks like we came just in time.”

He laughs and simply shakes his head, pulling Demi to where the rest of guys are standing. My eyes start scanning the faces, taking note of the ones I recognize and the ones I don’t. I spot Brody as he hops off the tailgate of a truck and come to a standstill when Grayson wonders out from somewhere, zipping up his pants. I immediately think the worst and wait breathlessly for a girl to prance behind him. If it was socially acceptable to kick myself in public then I would. I’ve met Grayson once and I shouldn’t care whether or not a girl will come out from where ever he was. Demi’s words from earlier pop into my head ‘Not everything is what you see on the outside, he’s good at hiding what he doesn’t want people to see’. The timing couldn’t be worse because as he makes his way around to where Brody was sitting, I finally get a good look at him.

Oh.My.God

The True Religion jeans he has on hug his lean waist and his grey fitted shirt does nothing to hide his well-defined chest. If I had to guess, he’s at least six feet tall. That only draws my attention to his broad shoulders and I see now that he’s a whole lotta muscle. Add all of this to a square jaw and full lips and you’ve found the perfect recipe for one thing…Sex On Legs.

His mouth pulls up in a sexy smirk when he catches me staring and I blush before turning my gaze away. Some people would say I just eye-fucked him and unfortunately, I’m inclined to agree. I may have sworn off all guys but I’m still human and can’t help my physical reaction to such a gorgeous piece of man. The fact that he’s obviously half past drunk should’ve stopped me but nooo I still undressed him with my eyes.

Good Lord, what the hell is wrong with my brain right now?

Demi clears her throat and I’m sure the blush in my cheeks turns a shade darker. Great now she also knows I was checking him out.

Chapter 4

~ Grayson ~

Knowing that Huntley had openly been checking me out had to have been one of the sexiest things ever, next to that red blush that just skimmed over her cheeks. I am surprised to see her here, especially after this morning’s events at the bakery. But definitely not disappointed. Of course seeing her in that little white sundress and those red cowboy boots for the second time today is doing nothing to help the instant attraction I felt earlier. In fact, it only serves to exaggerate my confusion. Even in my slightly drunken state, I think about the possibility of experiencing such an intense pull towards someone you don’t know. I always thought it only happened in those stupid romance films girls are always carrying on about, but from where I’m standing, that theory might not be complete horse shit.

I stand and stare like a kid who’s just been let loose in a candy store only to be told he can’t touch anything. And I’m tempted to touch. Every damn part of her.

One of my team mates, Bryce, walks up to her proudly. He exudes arrogance and thinks it’s his swagger that will get any girls’ attention. “Hey there little darlin’” he says, slapping on his cocky grin. “I’m Bryce.”

I watch her carefully, waiting to see if she’ll ‘drop her panties’ at the sight of his grin and the sound of his strong Southern drawl. I’m suddenly very interested in their exchange. She sticks her tiny hand out to take his, giving it as firm a shake as she can manage. “Huntley,” she says, that sing-song voice tickling my ears. “Huntley Morgan.”

I almost laugh when he chokes on his beer. Bastard thought he’d get lucky until he found out her last name.

“Morgan as in Coach Morgan’s’ niece,” Brody quips from beside me. He jumps back onto the tailgate of his truck and takes a giant gulp of his beer. Huntley looks between Brody and Bryce. “What does that have to with anything?” she asks innocently. Like she doesn’t know? Nobody answers and the guys have the decency to look sheepish. Well hell, if they’re not saying anything then neither will I.

“Y’all are such a buzz kill,” Demi chirps from Tommy’s lap. “Did someone bring a guitar?”

“Demi, you can’t play or sing for shit,” Brody teases. There’s a slight bite to his tone and his expression darkens at the sight of Demi in Tommy’s lap. With that he pulls his acoustic Gibson guitar out from behind him.

“It’s not for me asshole,” she counters, giving Brody a heated glare.

“Then why did you ask for it?” I ask.

“I can’t play,” she replies, “But I know someone who can.” She looks at Huntley with a mile long grin on her face. “Ah hell Demi, are you kidding me right now?” Huntley whines, shaking her blonde head of curls. I have the sudden compulsion to wrap a single curl around my finger and smell it. I bet it smells sweet, like strawberries. She looks like a strawberries kind of girl.

“Play, play, play” Demi chants. She encourages the rest of us to join in and eventually we’re all chanting along for her to play. Since there are fifteen guys and only two girls, she succumbs to the peer pressure, clearly outnumbered.