Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) (147 page)

We swayed
back and forth to the music, slow and close, and I rested my head
in the crook of his neck. I never would have imagined myself
dancing with someone like Jesse, someone so beautiful. I couldn’t
believe
he
was
holding
me
. I felt
I was walking on air. I’d always laughed at that cliché before, but
for the first time, I suddenly knew what it
meant.

Some of the guys I’d been chitchatting
with at the party didn’t seem to be fans of his, and I could feel
the tension like daggers in my back as they shot me glares. As much
as I wanted to be with Jesse, I didn’t want to cause any trouble,
so I thought it was best that we head back to Julie’s house. I had
a nice buzz, but I wasn’t trashed like she was. When I glanced
over, I noticed that she was drinking a second cup of coffee, so I
hoped that would sober her up enough to drive us home in one
piece.

“
I hope she’s okay to
drive,” I said to Jesse.

“
If not, I’m sure you’ll
get her home safe and sound.”

“
Do you live around here?”
I asked.

“
Yes, here in Big Bear
Lake.”

Excitement flooded through me when I
discovered he wasn’t merely a tourist who’d be taking off anytime
soon. I smiled up at him, then glanced down and noticed a bracelet
on his arm, leather woven with silver beads and decorated with
weird symbols. “I love that,” I said, nodding toward it, “but what
do the symbols mean?”

He shot me the most beautiful grin, a
movie star smile. “You’ve gotta get to know me better before I can
tell you all my deep, dark secrets,” he said. He smiled when he
said it, but I got the feeling he wasn’t joking.

I gave him my best flirty smile. “Is
that a promise?”

“
You have my word…and my
word is my bond.”

I smiled again, then nervously
fidgeted with my hands like some silly little middle-schooler. I
really had no idea how to keep up the conversation with such a hot
guy, and every word was a struggle. “How old are you?” I finally
asked, since I couldn’t think of anything else.

“
Seventeen.”

“
Really!? Me
too.”

“
So is this a new school
year for you?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Maybe we’ll be in some of
the same classes.”

“
Nah, I’m homeschooled.
Like I was telling you a while ago, my mom is a bona fide control
freak, and—”

“
Taylor!” Julie called. “I
feel sick. I think I’m gonna pass out.”

When I glanced over, she was
teetering. I rushed over, but before I could reach her, she swayed
to the left and toppled over. She tried to grab a side table on the
way down, but it didn’t help; she crashed to the floor, knocking a
huge vase over in the process.

“
Oh my gosh!
Julie!”

The alcohol was one thing,
but I couldn’t understand why blood was gushing from her neck,
trickling down onto her shirt.

Chapter 4

When I ran over to my friend and
looked down at her wounds, I assumed the shattered vase shards must
have cut her during her fall. I only hoped she wouldn’t need
stitches, because she was bleeding pretty profusely. Someone handed
me a kitchen towel, and I applied pressure to the wound. “She needs
a hospital or a doctor or maybe some stitches and—”

“
No!” said a woman who was
suddenly standing over me, looking down at Julie. “It’s a shallow
cut, nothing a bandage and some peroxide can’t fix.”

I looked up. “Are you sure? I mean,
she’s bleeding really bad, and—”

“
Positive,” she said,
cutting me off. “I’m a medic. Let me go get my medical kit from the
car.”

I squeezed Julie’s hand. “Are you
okay?”

Her eyes fluttered open. “I-I think
so.”

“
Just lie still and hold
on. There’s a medic here, and she’s going to help.”

“
A medic? Wow. Lucky for
me. I drank way too much, huh?”

“
Yeah, that’s putting it
lightly. Do you remember me cutting you off?”

She offered a half-smile. “Yeah, but I
still sneaked drinks behind your back.”

Knowing it was important to keep Julie
awake, I engaged her in conversation until the woman came
back.

“
Can you give me a hand?”
the woman said to Jesse.

“
Sure,” he said.

She then went to work to cleanse the
wound and put a sterile white bandage on it.

Once Julie was all fixed up, Jesse and
I helped her back up to her feet.

“
See? Good as new,” Julie
slurred.

“
It’d be best if she gets
some rest now,” the medic said.

“
But I-I can’t drive,”
Julie stuttered. “I’m toasted…and now wounded from a pissed-off
vase.”

Jesse pulled me to the side. “Can you
get her home?” he whispered.

“
This is so embarrassing,
but her car’s a stick shift, and I’ve got no idea how to drive one.
I probably can’t drive any safer than she can right
now.”

“
Lucky for you, I
can.”

“
But then how will you get
back?” I asked.

“
I can walk.”

“
No, it’s way too far,
Jesse.”

“
I’ll be fine.” He bit his
lip and looked down at Julie as if he was worried. “It’s best we
sneak out of here.”

I furrowed a brow. “Sneak out?
Why?”

“
You see that guy she was
dancing with?”

“
Yeah. She told me his
name, but I forget.”

“
It’s Jonathon, and he’s an
absolute psycho. I’m afraid he might follow her home if he sees her
leaving.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Are you
sure? That’s insane.”

“
I heard him claim her, and
I heard some of the other guys claiming you. They may look like
your average drunken frat boys, but they’re beyond dangerous,
Taylor. The nice guys are outnumbered here. I’ve got a couple of
buddies here, but we’re no match against the others. They’ll jump
us, and I’m not sure I can protect you.”

“
Wait…claiming people? Just
what kind of party did she bring me to?” I muttered to
myself.

“
A dangerous one,” he
retorted, overhearing my conversation with myself. “My buddies will
distract them while I sneak you two out the back door.”

“
Great idea,” I said.
“Maybe they won’t see us leave.”

“
That’s the
plan.”

Jesse wrapped his arm around Julie and
helped her walk out the back door of the cabin. Gripping my purse
tightly, I followed. A cool breeze blew through my hair, and I
shuddered, wishing I’d worn a coat. I couldn’t believe the extreme
temperature change; earlier that day, I’d been sunning on the
beach, and now Mother Nature had invited Jack Frost over for a
nightcap.

“
How much did you have to
drink?” Jesse asked Julie.

“
She’s had way too much,” I
answered for her. “I bet she’ll puke all over the
truck.”

“
Hey!” Julie said. “I can
answer for myself.” Her gaze turned to Jesse. “Mr. Gorgeous,
Handsome Prince, I had lots of beers, a Long Island iced tea,
beers, and some shots,” she answered. “Oh, and there was this one
bubbly purple thing the color of that dinosaur on the kids’ show
and—”

“
Do you remember where the
keys to your truck are?” he said, cutting her off before the
confession could continue.

“
Hmm. Maybe you’ll have to
frisk me, Officer McHottie,” she said in a flirty tone.

I rolled my eyes, mouthed an apology
to Jesse, then reached into her pocket and grabbed them. “They’re
right here.”

“
Hey!”
she said. “I didn’t want
you
to frisk me!”

“
This isn’t the time for
games, Julie,” I said. “We have to get out of here and back
home.”

“
I’m freezing!” she
retorted. “Who turned on the air?”

I reached in the back seat and handed
her a blue sweater. “Wear this.”

She put it on and smiled. “Mmm…so
warm. Gosh, I’m so drunk. Thank you though.”

Jesse helped my intoxicated new best
friend into her pickup. She sat between us and laid her head on his
shoulder, and when he glanced at me questioningly, all I could do
was shrug and apologize again on behalf of my drunken
friend.

“
I guess she had a little
too much to drink,” I whispered.

“
A little?” He
laughed.

Julie tapped him. “Are you Prince
Charming?” she asked.

“
What?” he asked, turning
the key in the ignition. “Because I helped bandage you
up?”

“
Are you the hot guy from
the woods?” she asked. “The hero who saved Little Red Riding Taylor
from the big, bad mountain lion?”

My cheeks blushed. “Julie!” I
said.

Before he could answer, she continued,
“You have black hair and eyes like that crayon. Taylor told me all
about you.”

My cheeks grew even hotter with
embarrassment, and I suddenly wished with all my heart that my life
had a rewind button.

“
And Taylor was right,” she
continued. “Your eyes are gorgeous, like the sky.”

I cleared my throat and glanced at him
awkwardly. “You do have pretty eyes,” I admitted.

He grinned back at me. “And so do
you.”

I couldn’t stop grinning from the
compliment as we sped along the road, until something jerked us
forward.

“
What the heck?” Julie
said, stunned.

“
Feels like we blew a
tire,” I said as we came to a jerky stop.

“
That sucks,” Julie
slurred. “I don’t have a spare.”

“
We can just walk,” I said.
“I don’t think we’re that far away.”

Jesse shook his head. “Absolutely not.
I’ll call somebody.” He flipped his phone open and began talking to
one of his buddies.

“
Julie,” I said, “how are
you feeling? Are you doing okay?”

“
I’m fine. I forgot to tell
you I drank a Long Island iced tea. Do you know how much liquor
they put in those things?”

“
Yeah, you told me already.
How’s your neck?”

“
Fine, but that stupid vase
nailed me real good. Wanna know the worst part though?”

“
What?”

“
I didn’t even get the
blond’s phone number. He was so hot.”

Jesse cut in. “Trust me, you don’t
want that guy’s number.”

“
Yes I do.”

“
He’s way too
dangerous.”

“
A bad boy, huh? I like
that.”

“
Not a bad boy. He’s a bad
man—a real bad man—and like many of the guys back there, he’s
nothing but trouble,” Jesse said. “You two had no business being at
that party out in the middle of the woods with a bunch of older
strangers.”

“
Yeah? Well, I guess we
were lucky you were looking out for us,” Julie said.

He smiled.

“
So what can we do about
the tire?” she asked.

“
My friend’s coming,” Jesse
said. “I’ll wait outside for him. You two stay put.”

“
Why not stay in here with
us?” I asked.

“
Because I have to make
sure the big, bad wolf doesn’t come and eat you.”

“
Ooh. Lions and tigers and
bears, oh my!” Julie slurred.

I laughed as he slammed the door
shut.

“
He’s cute,” Julie said,
“and funny too.”

“
Yeah, but if that party
was so dangerous, what was he doing there?” I asked.

“
Maybe he’s just as dark
and dangerous as they are,” she said in a creepy voice. “Boo!” she
said as she grabbed my arm.

I jumped and screamed, “Julie! Stop
that!”

She began laughing like a crazy
person. “Oh, man! You…Taylor, you shoulda seen your face!
Priceless.”

“
Ha-ha. Very
funny.”

“
I’m sorry the party didn’t
work out, but at least you found Prince Charming. Wasn’t that the
important thing?” She shot me a sly smile as she gave me a
fist-bump.

Grinning, I bumped her
back.

“
Look at you, all lust at
first sight for our bad boy.”

“
There’s definitely a
connection, but I don’t think it’s lust…and I don’t think he’s a
bad boy.”

“
That’s too bad. But
anyway, it’s obvious that you’re attracted to him like there’s no
tomorrow.”

I smiled and couldn’t possibly deny
it.

“
You’ve got it for him big
time, don’t ya?”

“
Yes,” I
admitted.

“
Then why are you sitting
in here talking to me when he’s out there all by himself,
glistening in the moonlight?”

“
I’m sure girls throw
themselves at him all the time. I don’t wanna be like
that.”