The giddy, “everything is awesome” euphoria I’m feeling is also weird, especially since I haven’t had anything except water to drink since I got here, but I can’t seem to bring myself to worry about that as I walk right up to the mystery man I couldn’t take my eyes off.
Thankfully everyone is either too distracted or fucked up to notice me, and no one even glances my way as I do the last thing I should be doing.
There’s a reason I keep my identity secret, and sticking around after a job is over and going out into the crowd, with or without my mask on, is something I swore I’d never do.
But it’s like the euphoria I’m feeling is stripping away all of my inhibitions, and it’s making it way too easy to give in to the recklessness and impulsivity that have been getting me into trouble since I was a toddler.
I’m only about six feet from my mystery man when I can finally see his face, and a strange double-punch sensation hits me right in the chest and stomach.
Holy shit.
I know him.
The guy I’ve been staring at all night is Xavier Hawthorne, a classmate of mine at Silvercrest University. He also happens to be a member of the Rebels, one of the four frats on our campus, and a direct rival of the Keepers, the frat I belong to.
A small part of my brain is screaming “Abort!” and telling me to get the fuck out of there right fucking now, but the bigger part of me is saying “fuck it,” and between my hazy, muddledthoughts and my total lack of inhibitions, I keep walking toward him.
I still have my hood up, and it’s dark enough that I know he can’t see my face, but instead of a rush of fear, the fact that hecouldrecognize me is exciting as hell.
Xavier, or Xave as everyone calls him, is the last person I should be talking to while on a job, and that’s not just because he could ruin the secrecy I’ve managed to maintain for the past four years.
The Hawthorne cousins are infamous on campus, and Xave is no exception. They’re known to be brutal enforcers who will do anything to protect their family and their frat. And they always seem to be involved in some type of trouble or another. Everyone knows that fucking with one of the cousins is the same as fucking with all of them.
He could destroy everything I’ve worked for, but right now, I don’t give a flying fuck about any of that. I’m feeling reckless and euphoric and weirdly invincible, and I want to finally act on all the desires I’ve been fighting since I was thirteen and realized that girls aren’t the only ones who do it for me.
I don’t really keep up with school drama, especially when it involves people outside of my orbit, and I’ve never paid much attention to what goes on with members of the other frats on campus, but Xave’s reputation as a fuck boy is legendary.
So is the fact that, as far as anyone knows, he’s as straight as they come.
Before I can internally panic about the possibility of getting my ass handed to me for flirting with a straight guy, a smirk-smile slides over Xave’s full lips as I stop in front of him.
A strange heat gathers low in my stomach as I check him out, taking my time since my hood is still up and covering my face.
We may have gone to the same school for the past three and a half years and be members of rival frats, but this is the first time I’ve ever been this close to him.
We’ve crossed paths on campus for years because we tend to end up at a lot of the same parties and events, but we don’t interact at them.
I’ve always thought Xave was hot, but up close, he’s one of the most gorgeous people I’ve ever seen. With his sandy blond hair, classically handsome features, and his big, sculpted body, he looks every bit like the rich frat boy he is. But it’s his full lips, incredible green eyes, and strong jaw that’s perpetually covered by a blanket of stubble that elevate him from gorgeous to god tier, and another pulse of heat mixes with the good feels still rolling around inside me.
I have no clue how long we stay like that, but I’m knocked out of my daze when the lights around us dim until the room is almost completely dark, then come back on in a flash of color that’s perfectly timed to the drop in the song.
“Enjoying your night?” I ask like a moron, raising my voice enough so he can hear me over the music.
I need to say something so I don’t just stand there like a creepy statue and stare at him, but between the strange giddiness I can’t seem to shake and my muddy thoughts, that’s the only thing that comes out.
His smirk shifts into a cocky grin. “Parts of it.”
“Which parts?”
“The scavenger hunt to get here was kinda fun, but I’d say you’ve been the highlight of my evening.”
I huff out a throaty laugh as a flurry of tingles explodes deep in my chest and stomach. “Really?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because most people don’t spend their night holding the wall up when they’re enjoying my work.”
“I guess I’m not most people,” he says lightly. “And my date stood me up, so…” He rolls one shoulder in a small shrug.
