Ryan Hunter

flushed a delicious pink. She tried to hide behind her can of Coke then as she took another swig, but her gaze returned to me, and the moment we shared looking at each other filled me with a desire for her that topped everything I’d known in the past.
    I was abruptly pulled out of that moment when a girl looped her arm around my neck and pressed a kiss to my cheek. For the time of a heartbeat I froze, scared this was one of my acquaintances coming over to say hello at the utterly wrong moment. Then I looked into familiar brown eyes.
    “Hi, little brother,” Rachel said and shoved her long black hair back over her shoulder.
    “Hey,” I said back and relaxed. I knew she was burning to hear who the girl by my side was, so I waited until she came around, then I told her, “This is the friend of a friend. Her name is Matthews, and she’s on my soccer team. Well was…is…I don’t know.”
    The girls shook hands, and Liza said after a short scowl at me, “My name is Liza.”
    “Don’t mind him. The oaf was never comfortable with firs t names.” Rach sold me out. “I’m lucky—I’m his sister.”
    Yeah, right. “That doesn’t mean a thing, Carter.” I pulled her hair like I used to do when I wanted to annoy her as a child and laughed. Then I popped another soda and clinked cans with my brother in law.
    “So, the friend of a friend, huh?” I heard Rachel say to Liza, and she sounded way to curious. “Where is that friend?”
    “Not here, ” I told her with an evil grin, letting her know that for tonight, Liza was my friend. Liza seemed to enjoy that fact just the same as she met my gaze.
    The only one who didn’t look happy was Rachel. “Just when will you grow up and settle for one ?”
    Luckily, Phil backed me up as he leaned over the bar and kissed my sister. “He’s young, baby. He has time.”
    “I know.” Rachel gave me a wry look. “I’m just waiting for the day that a girl sees through you…and decides to like you anyway.”
    “Yep, me , too.” I really was. And hopefully, Liza would just be the one.
    “That calls for a drink!” Philip announced all of a sudden, and I could have murdered him for that.
    But instead, I froze, and a weird shower skittered down the back of my neck. What the hell—he couldn’t be serious. This wasn’t me bringing a random girl to the club to have some meaningless fun, goddammit. It was Liza . And I would do many things with her right now, but I wouldn’t ruin our first kiss with a stupid game.

Chapter 10
     
    PHIL PLACED TWO small glasses on the counter and shoved one toward me. Immediately, I passed it on to my sister, not intending to play along. “You can have your drink with Rach. I’ll skip tonight.”
    “This game is stupid,” Rach pointed out with a disgusted grunt.
    But Philip ignored her and made a wry face at me. “You pass? With that beautiful drinking partner?”
    She was beautiful, but that was not the point. “I’m not having this drink with her .”
    “Why? Is she shy?”
    Maybe she was, but who gave a damn? Above all, Liza was special. And Phil needed to understand that. “She’s too nice,” I said, determined to put an end to this. At the same time, I noticed Liza’s attention focused on me, and it was anything but pleasant.
    “Ah, she’s a prude then, ” Phil concluded wrongly.
    That seriously pissed Liza off. “I’m not a prude! And I’m standing right beside you, so I would appreciate it if you told me what the hell you two are talking about.”
    Trying to soothe and reassure her, I stroked her cheek with my knuckles. “She’s decent,” I corrected Phil.
    “Yeah, and decent is a shit word for prude,” Liza muttered, dropping her gaze, but then she looked back at me and scowled again. Or maybe it wasn’t a scowl after all? “Why don’t you want to do with me whatever you’re used to doing with others when you come here?”
    Oh , girl, if only you knew how very much I want to do just that with you. With everything I’d found out from yesterday’s diary entry, I could just imagine how the thought of my denying her would hurt her. It made her vulnerable to me, and in that exact moment, I realized with a start how much this appealed to me. I always thought I’d go for the sassy and strong type of girl, which Liza definitely could be if she wanted to. But it was her vulnerability that attracted me the most.
    And yet, I couldn’t take advantage of it. Anybody’s first kiss should be romantic.