“Nah, man. I’ve known Kenny a long time, and I know a dickhead like you has no fucking chance with a sweetheart like that.”

Carter looked affronted, and my gratitude for Reid’s comment was surprising. When I looked back at the dance floor, I found some guy wrapped around Kennedy, pressing his body too close. Before my brain registered what I was doing my feet were moving, and I was pushing my way through the thick crowd to get to her. Jade and Ashley were both too preoccupied to notice Kennedy’s discomfort, and I decided to do what was necessary to get the random guy as far away from Kennedy as possible. I tapped him on the shoulder, and was met with a scowl when he looked back at me.

“Can’t you see we’re dancing?” He asked, his words slightly slurred. He was clearly the kind of drunk that forced himself onto women, whether they were willing or not. The words tumbled from my mouth sooner than what I could prepare for their consequences.

“Too bad, man. I’ve already paid for her services for the night.”

Kennedy’s eyes widened, and the guy looked between us. I stepped closer, sure to get in his face. “Step away. She’s mine for the night.”

With a frown, he stepped away, and resorted to finding another body to cling to instead. Kennedy was glaring at me, and then her hand flew up, making contact with my cheek. For such a little thing she sure packed a punch. My cheek stung, and I tightened my jaw as the pain traveled over my skin and into my bones.

“You asshole!” She shrieked angrily. “You just told that guy I’m a fucking hooker!”

The familiar exhilaration that pulsed through my blood whenever I got a rise out of her made its presence known, and my lips tipped into a dark smirk. “You keep dancing like one, and I’m pretty sure people will come to their own conclusions, baby.”

Her mouth dropped in shock, and her eyes glazed over. She was hurt, and I waited for her to fight back. I needed her to fight back. I needed her to yell at me, tell me she hated me. But it never came.

She spun on her heel, and ran through the throng of drunken college students. Jade noticed, and looked between us before frowning. I shrugged, and turned my back, walking towards the bar to grab a drink. I had no idea why I’d said all that, and I knew I was an asshole for it, but fighting with Kennedy was a drug to me, my own personal brand of cocaine. It was twisted. But it was us.

After my third Corona, I needed to take a leak. On my way out of the men’s room, a small body collided with me from the side, and I flung my arm out to steady it. I looked down, and my eyes collided with pale green orbs that had made my world stand still on more than one occasion. Even red and puffy from crying, Kennedy’s eyes still hypnotized me, pulling me closer with her gravitational pull.

“S-sorry,” she hiccupped. Her voice was small, and a little wobbly. Her lip trembled, catching my attention. I suddenly wanted to know if they were as soft as they looked.

My body responded to the thought without much provocation, and my grip tightened on her arm as I pushed as her against the wall. There were people around us, the music making the walls vibrate, but I didn’t care. Not enough to stop me anyway.

“Dane,” she whispered, her warm breath touching my face. “What are you doing?”

I stared at her, long and hard, hearing nothing but my own heartbeat thumping in my ears. Or maybe it was her heartbeat. I wasn’t sure anymore.

I leaned in closer. “I don’t fucking know, Kennedy. I don’t fucking know.”

I pressed my lips to hers, gently at first, testing. When her initial shock wore off she pressed harder, coaxing me. She sucked in a breath, and I took the chance to sneak my tongue into the hot contours of her mouth. The taste of strawberry’s, and caramel goaded my senses into an uncontrollable frenzy.

I laced my arm around her back, and pushed my other hand into her soft hair. Her response was immediate. Her body aligned with mine, and her hands slid up my arms, her nails digging into my biceps. I swallowed her moan, and sighed into her mouth when her tongue slowly danced with mine.

It was dangerous. She was dangerous. But I couldn’t bring myself to care enough to stop.

It ended too soon though. She pushed me away, breathless and wide-eyed.

“Dane, you…we can’t…you shouldn’t have…”

Her voice dragged me from my lust-induced stupor, and the stupidity of what I’d done hit me square in the chest. I was supposed to hate this girl, and fuck it I did, but the opportunity to taste her, to touch her, was more than I could handle. Hell, it was more than any man could handle when they were anywhere near her.

“Fuck.” I pulled my hands through my hair. “That…I’m…”

I was tongue-tied, unable to find the right words. Explaining myself out of this wasn’t possible.

Remembering what Kennedy meant to me, and how she could interpret what I’d just done, stirred me into action. I left her against the wall, and walked away.

I needed to find that fucking waitress.

Now.

** ** **

“OKAY BOYS, RUN through the play one more time, then you can hit the showers.” The guys in front of me groaned. It was hot out and they were tired, I could see that, but we were two weeks away from a game against Auburn University’s Tigers, and I didn’t want us to be caught unprepared. Our Saturday morning practice had run a little longer, and it didn’t help that most of us were nursing hangovers after a wild night at Kolony.

“Great job Winters. They’re looking good.” Coach Ford clipped me on the shoulder, and I turned to watch him head towards his office.

“Thanks Coach,” I yelled back.

As part of my attempt at ‘cleaning up my act’, my father had arranged an Assistant Coach position with Brighton University’s football team. I was already familiar with Coach Ford and his coaching philosophy, and had things turned out differently for me in my senior year of high school I would’ve been starting quarterback for his team. But a busted knee, and some torn ligaments ended that dream in one night, taking my scholarship with it. If it weren’t for my mother and her need to still take care of me, I’d be working to pay for school myself.

A red Audi A1 pulled into the lot, and I was surprised when Jade hopped out. She turned towards the field, and when her eyes locked on me, she started stomping in my direction. Judging by the tight line of her lips, and the furrow of her perfectly shaped brows she was pissed. Great.

I knew the exact moment her eyes landed on Reid. Her shoulders straightened, and her walk became a little more purposeful. It didn’t matter that there was football team in the middle of practice. She waltzed right into the center of all the chaos, and grabbed Reid by his helmet. The guys all stopped, and took notice.

“What the fuck, Jade?” Reid’s face was contorted in anger, but Jade didn’t flinch.

“We need to talk,” she replied. “Now.”

“That’s not possible,” I said, raising my voice. “We’re in the middle of practice. You can wait until we’re done.”

Jade scowled, folding her arms across her chest in defiance. With a shake of his head, Reid looked back at me, and let out an exasperated grunt as he dragged Jade away from the team. They were out of earshot, and Jade’s lips started moving too fast for me to catch anything comprehensible. It was when she threw her hands in the air, and hit Reid on his chest that I realized she was the angriest I’d ever seen her. Granted, she had always been a hellcat, and I was sure it had everything to do with her Spanish heritage, but this? I’d never seen this side of her. Ever.