Chapter One
Jillian
Istared up at theceiling above my bed trying to stop the room from spinning, while focusing on the glow of the dark stars that were stuck above my head. I had returned home yesterday after spending a month at ballet camp and my friends had spared no expense with the party they had thrown for my homecoming. I began to reach for my cell, which I usually kept tucked beneath my pillow, when I heard the faint sound of snoring.
Wait a second. Did I bring someone home with me last night?
I mull over last night’s events in my brain. Bella Black had thrown the party at her parents’ place since they had been gone for the evening. Claire Meyers, Holly Carver, and my sister, Jo, all had been there. Madison hadn’t originally been invited, but because Bella is friendly and kind, she was afraid to tell her Madison wasn’t part of crowd once she ran into her picking up things at the store. Jo had left about an hour into the party to go be with her boyfriend, Pat, which was nothing new, but the party had been strictly a clam jam though. No dick allowed.
The snoring started again so I slowly eased myself to the end of the bed before I realized I was on the top of the bunk beds that Jo and I used to share when we were little. Until she decided that she wanted her own room because we weren’t babies anymore. When the hell was the last time I slept on the top bunk? I usually kept a pile of crap up here that consisted of my gym clothes that I practiced in, useless junk I didn’t know what to do with, and a few other odds and ends. Random dude had begun sounding exactly like a motorcycle now so I peeked my head over the side of the bed to see exactly who was making such a ruckus, and gasped in surprise.
Hutch Kelly snored on the lower bunk before. Older brother to my sister's boyfriend, Patrick, he wasn't exactly a stranger, but not someone I could call a friend either. Not for my lack of trying at least. The way his toned long legs hung off either side of the twin bed might have been comical if I wasn’t curious as to why he was here. Hutch was, well, different. Incredibly quiet, known to be a loner, and quick to anger on occasion when provoked; he hardly spoke unless he needed to. Even then, it was usually a word or two that he grunted out, and it always seemed like he was doing it to please the person speaking to him. I had been on the receiving end of that myself more than once, and it was hella awkward. Hutch was the cuter, more beautiful version of Kelly, with his perfect chiseled jaw, flawless cheekbones, and gorgeous blond hair, but there some something danger lurking behind his brown eyes. Something dark and terrible that he wanted to keep hidden from the rest of Ocean View.
He was eight years older than me, which made him twenty-six. I knew that he worked as a mechanic at Zed’s Automotive, but we didn’t really hang out together despite the fact that he was brothers with Pat. Like I said... a lone wolf. My mother moved us to Ocean View when I was eight, right after Dad died, and according to the gossip mill around town, that was the summer that Hutch started acting the way he is now. No one knew why, and if Patrick did, he never said anything despite the fact that Pat and Jo had been inseparable since the moment we moved here.
I still had no idea why Hutch was in my room right now.
Suddenly his eyes flew open to reveal those deep, milk chocolate browns. They grew wide with surprise when he realized where he was or maybe it was that I was ogling him, before his mouth formed a perfect circle. Hutch tried to jump out of the bed, entangled himself in the sheets, and then simple fell hard on the hardwood floor like a giant sack of potatoes. It might actually have been comical if I wasn’t terrified that he had broken a bone.
“Crap, Hutch, are you alright?” I jumped down from the top and landed gracefully onto my feet.Thank you, years of ballet.The room spun around me, but I tried to ignore that while silently swearing off booze forever. Hutch held up a hand to stop me with terror in his eyes as I attempted to touch him. He quickly removed the sheets and stood up towering over me. He gripped the nape of his neck with his left hand as he stared me down. I watched as his dark eyes searched my face before they dropped down my body, and I couldn’t help but fold my arms over my chest as I felt him take me in. God Almighty, the man was a pure work of art. I was about to speak again when a knock sounded at my door.
“Jillian, are you alright?” Emily Robinson aka my mother asked softly. The woman was always up at the crack of dawn like some sort of bird catching the worm.
I grimaced as I tried to think of something quick. “Uh, sure. Fine, Mom,” I tried to assure her. “Just tripped over my gym bag.” Hutch’s brows dipped at the lie that slipped so easily from my lips.
“You're up early.”
Right, because there was a hot man snoring in my bed; I have no idea why or how he got here; and now he looked terrified of me touching him, but it’s fucking fine. I glanced over at Hutch to find him staring at the pictures I had of me and my friends against the wall. Or maybe he was just trying to avoid looking at me. “I have breakfast plans at the Egg,” I finally answered my mother, hoping she might believe that one. “With Hutch.” I watched the way his head swung around to stare at me with surprise written all over his beautiful face.
“Hutch,” Mom repeated his name as if she had never heard it before.
I rolled my eyes. “Hutch, Mom. You know, Patrick’s older brother. Tall, quiet, and incredibly good-looking.” I watched the way his ears turned pink, but he narrowed his eyes as if I had called him a puppy killer instead. “Ran into him last night on the way to Bell’s so we thought we would catch up, and if you don’t want me to be late, I should really jump in the shower.” I was just digging myself into a bigger and deeper hole, but honestly, I should probably blame Hutch for this, since he was in my room.
I heard the sweep of Mom’s slippers as she took a step away. "Okay, well, have fun." She sounded confused, but then, her retreating feet told me she had moved down the hallway.
I clamped my hand over my mouth as a laugh threatened to escape, only to notice the way Hutch was scowling at me with dark eyes. “Are you mad at me?” I demanded. “Don’t forget you’re the one in my room,” I pointed out, before he could reprimand me.
He shook his head, but didn't comment further. Instead, he started toward the window, unlocked it, and then pushed it open.
"Wait a damn minute! Are you even going to tell me why you’re here?” I placed one hand on his arm, only to have him spin around as he shoved it away. “Shit, I’m sorry. I forgot you don’t like to be touched. Have breakfast with me.”What did I just say?
Hutch simply shook his head as his heated eyes moved over my body again. I guessed he liked what he saw, which made two of us because his biceps were the size of both of my thighs.
“What, don’t you eat breakfast?”
He rolled his eyes, apparently annoyed with me, and avoided answering me by yanking the screen up on my window.
I huffed like a spoiled brat. “You’re going to blow me off? I invited you to breakfast. The least you can do is—” My stomach clenched when he turned back around to cage me in against the wall. This version of Hutch Kelly was scary as all hell. Sexy, but still scary.
