“Their connection. I used to hate it, but now, I’m thankful.

I’m glad they love each other. Considering the alternative.”

“What’s the alternative?” I asked, finally looking at him.

He shrugged. “They hate each other and try to kill one another each time we’re in the same room together. That would be worse.”

“Valid point.” Sighing, I shrugged out of my jacket while Nat and Demetri talked a mile a minute.

“Let me take that.” Alec grabbed my jacket and then placed his hand on the small of my back as he walked me into the house.

Around twenty strangers were scattered about, lounging on the couches and sitting outside on the deck. A few were in the hot tub. All in all, it seemed like a normal party. Yes, normal, if normal parties had attendees who looked like they just stepped out of Gossip Girl.

“Hmm…” I said aloud.

“Hmm, is right. Most of these people have to be here in order to gain some type of publicity for new records or shows that are dropping this fall, so for the most part…”

“So no friends?”

“Five, five I would count as a friend.”

How sad. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“Speaking of friends,” he mumbled under his breath just as a guy sauntered over to us.”

“Tell me she’s going to be on the show.” Holy crap, the guy looked like Robert Pattinson. He even had the British accent.

“Undecided,” Alec answered for me. “Alyssa, meet Jaymeson.”

“Oh, the action star who has to master the American accent for all his films. It’s a pleasure.” I held out my hand, but he didn’t take it. Instead he stared at me closely for at least two minutes. Do I pull my hand back? What the heck was I supposed to do?

Finally he took my hand and pulled me forward so I was only inches from his face. “You don’t belong to Alec. I’ve already met Nat. She’s outspoken, like you. Please, I’m begging. Tell me you aren’t taken.”

“By the birthday boy himself,” Demetri said from behind me. “Hands off, Jaymeson.”

“What’s a guy gotta do these days? Hole up in Seaside and wait for a hot woman to walk by?” Jamie released my hand and cursed. “I swear you guys are the luckiest bastards.”

“We know,” Demetri said squeezing my shoulders.

I leaned back into him. He made me feel protected and wanted. I wondered why Alec would throw him a party with perfect strangers when really all he probably wanted to do was spend it with us.

“Friends’ party commences in five,” Demetri said in my ear.

“Friends’ party?” I repeated.

“Yup.” Alec winked.

“Let’s blow this popsicle stand!” Nat said walking up to us with her fingers pointed as guns into the air.

“Excuse her.”Alec pulled Nat into his arms and kissed her hard on the mouth. “She’s had two lattes, and I just caught her taking a straight-up shot of espresso.”

“Why, Nat? Why?” Demetri threw his hands into the air.

“You get Nat patrol tonight. It’s my birthday, so when she wants to hang out at four a.m., it’s your job, dude.” He pointed at Alec who was now having a heck of a time keeping Nat still.

“My job and my curse.” Alec smirked in my direction. I felt my face heat. Geez, how could it not? The guy was beautiful and famous and… It was weird. He made me more nervous than Demetri. With Demetri things felt amazing and comfortable.

“The party is here!” announced Connor and Sam from the door. Surprisingly, Aaron and Holly followed behind. Maybe everything was okay, after all?

“Friends’ party. It’s time.” Nat clapped. “Okay, everyone, Jaymeson included, y’all can follow me!”

Chapter Twenty-eight

Demetri

I seriously needed to buy Nat a present. The entire upstairs rec room had been transformed into party central.

The flat screen was set up with Rock Band. It looked like a taffy piñata threw up in the room. Seriously, I’d never seen so much taffy in my life and I worked at a taffy store.

Funny, usually my birthdays were giant drunken fests that I rarely remembered. I knew I’d remember tonight. It was perfect.

“You know I love you, right?” I pulled Nat into a hug and kissed her temple.

“I know.” Nat squirmed against me. “I’m your favorite.”

“Actually…” I sighed. “I think I may have a new favorite.”

My eyes instantly locked with Alyssa’s as she made her way toward me.

“Happy Birthday, Demetri,” Nat whispered in my ear and walked off. My eyes fell onto Alyssa as she slowly unwrapped a piece of taffy and popped it in her mouth. How did she make eating taffy look so damn sexy?

Before she could say anything, I grabbed her and kissed her.

Plunging my tongue into her mouth so I could taste the flavor of the taffy she just ate.

“Butterscotch,” I said against her lips.

“And I thought I was the only one with the cool party tricks.” Alyssa giggled. Hell, I loved that girl’s laugh. It was already the best birthday of my life just having her there in my arms. I was almost able to forget about all the drama surrounding us. Almost. I just prayed Holly would tell her soon so I wouldn’t have to feel guilty anymore.

“Want to see another party trick?” I winked.

“I don’t know. Do I?”

I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek then pulled back. Her eyes squinted and then she laughed. “Was that the trick?”

I let out a laugh and gave the signal to Alec, the same one I used to give him at clubs that meant watch out I’m about to get down.

Music filtered through the sound system in the room. “Party like it’s the end of the world…” I started singing. “Turn it up, turn it up, it ain’t the end of the world.”

“Demetri, what are you doing?” Alyssa stepped back, her face slightly blushing. I just yelled. “Turn it up!”

The music was loud enough to disturb the peace in the entire neighborhood, but I didn’t care. I pulled Alyssa against me and began to dance like it really was the end of the world, which in my mind if she kept looking at me like that, it sure as hell felt like it.

A guy can only take so much teasing before he dies for lust or want, or whatever the hell I was feeling right then.

She wasn’t a bad dancer, then again she had been a cheerleader, and then she busted out. Yes, busted out. I really didn’t know how else to explain it, but I was kind of shocked into submission as my eyes watched her h*ps sway. Her arms went above her head and then she was doing some crazy thing with her leg where she wrapped it around me flipped around.

People cheered. I barely heard them — all I saw was her, and the smile on her face. The smile that I knew was completely genuine, not hidden, not fake, and not for show. It was all for me.

I joined in dancing. And then Alec and Nat joined us.

Soon every single one of the friends invited to the friends’ party were in the middle of the floor jumping up and down.

“You guys suck!” I heard a male voice yell from the door. I glanced up. Evan walked in with Alesha. We’d met this last school year. They were both super good friends of Nat and consequently were accepted into our tight-knit group almost immediately. It helped that Evan was hilarious. Alesha finally stopped fainting in our presence, and now I think I irritated her as much as she irritated me.

They didn’t even pause. They just jumped into the middle of the dance floor and began going to town.

The song ended and I was already sweaty. I pulled Alyssa against me, she pushed back and laughed. “Was that your party trick? Oh, look at me! I’m Demetri Daniels and I can dance!” I knew she was teasing, but I’m competitive. I think I proved my point back when we did bumper cars, I mean seriously.

“Set it up!” I yelled at Alec.

“No, dude. Remember what happened last time?”

“Do it!” I yelled back.

Alec smirked and began hooking in a new game and game station.

“What’s going on?” Alyssa asked peering around me.

“Dancing competition, no big deal.”

“I’ll win,” she said confidently.

“If you win, you get one favor. If I win…” I licked my lips and allowed my eyes to graze her from head to toe. “I get you… all night.”

“Deal.” She held out her hand. I took it and then yanked her into my arms sealing our deal with a hungry kiss.

“It’s ready!” Alec called. He’d turned the music down, so now the game system was getting filtered through the speakers.

Everyone gathered around.

The first song was one of ours, which Evan said was cheating. Bastard. Of course, the song landed on One Direction. I mean, really? Do these guys know how much they haunt my everyday life? Seriously, someone should tell them. I would vote for Nat, but she’d probably pass out if she met them. I mean, the girl didn’t even care when we moved into her small town. We were even more famous at the time, but did she throw her panties? No.

Did she ask for autographs? No. But the minute anyone mentioned One Direction, she got all flustered and what not.

Dumb.

“Ready?” Alyssa glanced at me.

“I’m always ready, sweetheart.”

The music started and we began to dance in front of the Kinect.

I destroyed her. I felt kind of bad. I mean, she was getting all sweaty in her sexy dress, and then my eyes fell on a bead of sweat as it ran down her back, and I’m pretty sure I just stopped breathing.

“One more!” she shouted. Everyone cheered.

The song that popped on was Justin Bieber. Of course it was, because you couldn’t have One Direction without Justin Bieber. I was cursed. I was freaking cursed.

We started dancing, and then all of a sudden Alyssa froze. I tried to encourage her to keep going. I slightly punched her in the arm as if to get her back into it, but instead of dancing, she shook her head a few times and then ran out the door to the upstairs balcony.

“Uhh…” I scratched my head. “Keep playing, guys. I’ll be right back.”

I chased after her.

She was leaning over the side of the railing as if she was going to throw up. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I just freaked, sorry.”

“Brady?” I asked trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

“It was our song.” She shrugged. “No big deal, honest. I’m fine. I think I was getting a little hot too.”

“You weren’t getting hot, you were already on fire.” I cupped her face and kissed her lightly on the mouth.

“I want to forget him,” she said against my lips. “When I’m with you. I don’t feel him anymore.”

“Is that what you want?” I asked feeling more excited about our relationship than I had in days.

“Yeah.” Alyssa looked down. “Demetri, you said you weren’t going to ask me to choose, but you need to know…” Her lower lip trembled. Bright blue eyes looked back at me. Tears welled at the bottom of her thick black eyelashes. “I choose you.”