“I will. Just like you’ll choose to follow Natalia when we restartFallout.” With a smirk, I picked up my game controller and hoped my gambit worked.
I never should have asked my friend for advice, especially when I knew in advance her advice would be spot-on and I wouldn’t like it.
The following Thursday I walked out of Reed Hall with Josh. Soon he was going to ask me out on a real date, and I was going to have to turn him down. But for now it was only flirty fun that gave me a tiny boost of confidence. We were kind of bumping shoulders as we walked along the sidewalk talking about nothing when suddenly Danny was standing in front of us.
“Need to talk to you, T.” He dismissed Josh with a nod. “Now.”
I glared at him. How dare he be so rude? “What’s so important it can’t wait?”
“It’s private, T.”
His use of his nickname for me in front someone he didn’t know sent its own kind of message. He shot another glance at Josh who seemed to be picking up a signal only guys could read or something because he put his hands up in surrender and backed away.
“Got it, man. See you around, Taryn.”
My hand missed connecting with his arm as Josh started walking away. “Josh. Wait.”
Though he turned, he continued walking backward. “Nah. Seems you have some unfinished business. When you finish it, let me know.” He turned on his heel and headed toward the middle of campus.
“What the hell, Danny?”
He could flirt outrageously with whoever, wherever, whenever he felt like it, but I met someone who made me feel seen, and he had to run the guy off? Even though nothing was ever going to happen with Josh, Danny had no right to stick his nose in and scare him off before I was ready. I was so angry, I guess I didn’t pay attention to the way Danny was bristling until he grabbed my hand and all but dragged me as I stumbled along beside him to a quiet spot behind Reed Hall.
“Why were you with that guy? We aredating, T.”
I blinked, all the anger and indignation whooshing out of me as I tried to make sense of his words. What had gotten into him? Opting for humor, I smiled indulgently. “We hang out. We don’t date. That’s never been us. From the moment we met, we’ve only been friends. You’re my best friend, but—”
Planting a finger against my lips, he stopped my words. He raked his other hand through his hair, which was now curling over the collar of his shirt—so sexy—and I think he growled before he said, “What do you call spending every weekend together doing things like shooting pool and bowling and going to movies, huh?”
“Hanging out.” I sucked in a breath at the intensity of his glare. Let it out. “People who hang out have an emotional relationship. You have that with your Air Force buddies, your football teammates... me. People who date have an emotional relationship deepened with aphysicalone.” Gesturing between us, I stated the obvious. “We aren’t nor have we ever been physical.” Pacing a few steps, I put some distance between us. “You friend-zoned me the second we met over five years ago, and nothing in all that time has changed.” I chuckled as a memory flashed in my head. “Remember that one slow dance we danced at my junior prom? You could have driven your car between us and not gotten a shine.”
A weird expression played over his face, and then somehow he was right in my space as his hand found its way beneath the hair on my neck, firmly holding my nape while he leaned in and took my mouth. Time stopped as he pressed his lips to mine. Blood pounded in my ears, my hands went numb, and my belly bottomed out. When at last he moved, it was to press his thumb to a spot behind my ear, angling my head how he wanted it as he nibbled at my mouth.
Still in shock at what was happening, I remained still until his thumb began stroking that sensitive spot. On the ghost of a sigh, my lips barely parted, but it was all the invitation he needed. When our tongues touched, fireworks exploded behind my eyelids. From some faraway place I heard groans and whimpers as we took our time exploring each other in the best first kiss of my life. Lightning skittered over and under my skin, electrifying my body with excitement. My nipples turned to hard, achy pebbles inside my bra while my heart pounded simultaneously in my chest and my clit—a heavy rhythm that left me raw with need. It was only when he pulled back to press another closed-mouth caress to my lips that I figured out those groans and whimpers were coming from the two of us. The shock of that realization jerked me right out of the trance his kisses wove over me.
“What the fuck, Danny?” I’d intended for that to come out forcefully not as a pathetic whisper. Somewhere along the line, my palms had found their way to his muscled chest, so I pushed him away and fought for air. “You don’t want me—have never wanted me—this way. Now someone else shows an interest, and you kiss me? Like that?”
“T.” He took one step toward me.
I took one step back. “Friends don’t play head games with their friends, Danny.” I let that sink in. “Maybe we need a break from spending so much time together.”
“No, T.”
I thought he sounded a touch desperate, but after what had just happened between us, I couldn’t trust myself to read him correctly.
“Yes, Danny.”
Without another word I tossed away my dignity and blew past him. In two steps I was in a full-out sprint. I was still running when I raced through the door some guy had just opened as he was about to enter the Union.
In the back stall of the restroom nearest that door, I dropped my backpack to the floor and sat down on the covered toilet seat. Hard. Only then did I let the tears flow.
Why would he do that? Wasn’t it enough that he’d run off only the second guy who’d shown any real interest in me since I’d arrived at Mountain State? I was a senior in college who’d had exactly one—one—boyfriend ever, thanks to that asshole Derek Watson in high school and my own awkwardness with guys since. Derek’s interference meant I hadn’t had much experience with men. And after what I’d discovered about myself with that one boyfriend, it wasn’t like I’d ever have another—especially not Danny.
But couldn’t I at least let myself entertain the idea with Josh for a little while? Enjoy a man’s attentions for a minute? Danny had never once made a pass at me in high school, not even when he’d taken pity on me after Derek blacklisted me with every other guy in an attempt to make me miss my junior prom. Danny had eventually asked me to go with him. As friends.
The closest we’d come to touching each other was that one utterly middle-school-style slow dance and when he’d stood behind me with his hand sort of hovering over the side of my waist as the photographer shot our official prom pic.
Then he’d come home from the Air Force to attend Mountain State and started acting strange.
