Ryan Hunter

buddy, but she distracted me when her nose brushed against my neck and she inhaled deeply. “You smell good,” she said in her lovely jag, and I knew that without the strawberries I would have never heard this from her lips.
    It made me happy and made me laugh, and though I would have loved to get her into a conversation where she could tell me all the other things she might like about me, I knew it was wrong, because she would hate me for it tomorrow. If she even remembered it then. “Time to go to bed, Matthews.”
    Opening the door to my room with Liza in my arms wasn’t an easy thing, but I managed it with my elbow and carried her over to my wide bed underneath the window. Before I laid her down, I pressed her a little tighter with the intention that whatever else happened, I’d always remember this wonderful moment where I held the girl I had loved for years for the very first time.
    When she snuggled up in my pillow and sniffed like she couldn’t get enough of the scent on it, I smiled to myself. I pulled her shoes off, covered her bare legs with the quilt, then squatted down beside her, staring at her sweet, pale face. “You comfortable?”
    Her eyes were closed as she made a made a whiny face. “I’m not sure. But can you check if my head sprouted rotor blades?”
    I stroked her soft straight hair, brushing the long bangs from her forehead. “No rotor blades, baby,” I whispered so low that she couldn’t hear. A little louder I said, “That will go away when you sleep. If you need anything, the light switch is right in front of your nose and the bathroom is next door on the left.”
    She didn’t reply or move. I was afraid she’d already fallen asleep without hearing the most important information when one was drunk and sick. As much as I adored this girl, I’d rather she didn’t puke in my bed. “Did you hear me?”
    Her mouth curved into a strained grin. “Light, nose. Toilet, left. Gotcha.” She even gave me a thumbs-up, which reassured me.
    I rose from the floor, but just when I wanted to walk away, she said my name. “Hunter?”
    Hunkering down again, I leaned my forearms on the mattress. “Hm?”
    She dragged a deep sigh. “Sorry about the pool game.”
    Yeah, I know you are. But I am not. The way our gazes had met across that table was special. Way too intimate to be brushed off as harmless flirting. I let my glance move around me, scanning the familiar things in my room, then I looked back at her, the one thing that was totally unfamiliar in here. She made everything complete for me.
    Gently, so as not to wake her up again, I stroked her warm cheek with the back of my fingers. “Sleep tight, princess.”

Chapter 6
     
    WITH MY THOUGHTS continuously drifting back to my room and the one person who lay in there right now, I went back down to the party. If only it was possible to kick everyone out right now, end the night early, and return to Liza. I wouldn’t take advantage of her drunkenness. I wouldn’t put any moves on her. The only thing I would do was sit by her side all night and look at her beautiful face.
    But then I’d gotten so much out of this night already. We’d flirted and she had hugged me when I carried her upstairs. She’d told me that I smelled good. Gee, I was a seriously lucky guy tonight.
    When I sauntered back into the poolroom without any drinks, the boys wanted to know where I had been so long. I told them I had to take care of a drunken guest, but I didn’t let slip who it was or where I had taken her. Justin was the only exception. I filled him in on everything when the two of us hung out in front of the house to cool off after a couple more beers.
    Tony came out with Cloey tucked under his arm. “Cool party, Hunter,” he told me. “We’re off. Do you think I should take Liza home with me?”
    “Nah, let her sleep. She’s all right up there. I don’t think being woken up now and riding in a car is what she needs or wants.”
    He nodded, and Cloey seemed more than relieved about his decision to leave Liza with me. And so was I. When the two left, Justin clinked his bottle against mine and flashed a grin so typical of the Andrews boys. “Seems like this is your lucky night. Why are you not upstairs?”
    I took a swig, wondering the same thing. “Because I’m a gentleman.”
    Justin laughed at that, and I swallowed the rest of the beer in one go. The truth was that I must be an idiot. And I hated not being with Liza right now.
    The party