Price of a Kiss Read online

  “Hmm?” He glanced up, looking innocent. “Oh, I was just blowing the dust off my crystal ball here. It’s obviously been a while since you’ve had a good palm reading.”

  Felt more like palm foreplay to me. But…whatever. I certainly wasn’t going to tell him to stop blowing on me.

  “You are such a dork,” I said with a snort to hide the emotions I was feeling.

  “Hey, don’t insult the fortune teller while he’s working. He might predict something…unpleasant.”

  I couldn’t imagine anything worse than my past relationship, so…bring it.

  But I told him, “Oh, I’m so sorry, wise one.” Leaning in toward him just enough to smell his clean, male scent, I pretended to study my palm too. “So, what’s my love life look like?”

  He turned his attention to my hand and studied it a moment before running his index finger along one creased groove. It sent a delicious shiver down my spine.

  “It looks good. Says here you’ll have a long and happy love life. You’ll meet your soul mate early on and marry straight out of college. The two of you will move to”—he squinted and leaned closer, making waves of lush, oak hair spill across his forehead—“Rhode Island, where you’ll each make at least eighty grand a year, have two point five children, and buy a dog named…Hundley.”

  I lifted my eyebrows. “Is that so? Hundley? As in the dachshund off Curious George?”

  “Yep. Says so right here.” He tapped my palm as if that should convince me completely.

  I shook my head slowly, tickled by this playful side of him. “So what’s the name of my soul mate then?”

  Mason frowned. “How the hell am I supposed to read some guy’s name off a couple of lines on your hand?”

  I scowled right back. “But you know what my dog’s name is going to be?”

  “No.” A mischievous grin lit his face. “I told you I don’t read palms.”

  “Oh, my God.” I shoved at his shoulder. “You’re ridiculous.”

  He didn’t seem to mind that I nearly shoved him off the bench; he was too busy shouting out a laugh. “Ridiculous, huh?” Curling my fingers in to make my hand ball into a fist, he brushed his thumb across my knuckles. “We’ll slot that under charming.”

  “Ridiculous most definitely does not go under charming.”

  He didn’t answer; he was too busy studying my middle finger that bent at a funny angle. “What happened here?” He wiggled it a little, making it lay straight.

  “Hmm? Oh, I jammed it out of place while playing basketball in high school.”

  He looked up. “You played ball?”

  I nodded, trying to ignore the way his thumb kept moving over my suddenly sensitive flesh. “For three years.”

  “Why not all four?”

  Shrugging to cover the tremble of distress that passed through me as I remembered a particularly horrible moment, I distractedly murmured, “I, um…I broke my arm just before the season my senior year. Couldn’t play.”

  His gaze went up my arm and straight to my elbow as if he knew exactly where the bone had shattered. “How’d you break your arm?”

  Glancing away, I watched a group of guys fooling around over by the garden of bronze statues, climbing onto the back of the bucking stallion and pretending to ride it. “I took a tumble down some stairs.” Right after Jeremy shoved me into them.

  Mason studied me as if he could read the horrifying memory from of my brain. Then he grinned. “Well, I guess you are fairly accident prone. My toes are still smarting from those books you dropped on them.”

  “Hey.” Only half offended, I tried to pull my hand out of his grasp, but he tightened his grip so he could kiss my mangled middle finger.

  Yes, yes, I know. He put his mouth on a part of my body. I’m surprised I’m still conscious enough to talk about it.

  Examining my finger, he pulled his lips away. “I wouldn’t have taken you for the athletic type. You don’t move like a jock.”

  I lifted one eyebrow. “Just how do I move?”

  He shrugged before shooting me a wink. “Well, when you’re not tripping all over the place, you move like a girl.” He bunched up the features in his face as if deep in thought before adding, “Maybe like a cheerleader.”

  I grimaced. “I don’t think so, scooter. All the cheerleaders at my school were dirty, vengeful sluts. I only dated one person all through high school, thank you very much.”

  Jeremy had threatened away every other guy who came within twenty feet of me after I’d broken up with him.

  “Oh, ho! So the truth comes out.” Mason cocked me an I-got-you-now smirk. “Pray tell, Miss Randall, how do you have such an awful track record when you’ve only had one boyfriend?”

  I straightened my spine. “Sometimes it’s more about the quality than the quantity that counts.”

  His eyes darkened with feeling. “That bad, huh?” His features softened as if he might want to comfort me, which, okay, I wouldn’t mind. Really. “What did he do? Cheat on you?”

  I tried to pull my hand away again. No luck. But I didn’t try too hard. I didn’t really want him to let go, and it warmed me that he initially refused.

  “Among other things.” I kept my voice light, trying to play it down.

  Mason’s face darkened. “What other things?”

  Thank God I was saved from answering, because my mind went blank, trying to concoct a good lie.

  “See, they are dating,” a voice said as a trio of girls passed by our table about twenty feet away. “He’s holding her hand. I told you he couldn’t be a gigolo.”

  Mason jerked his hand from mine and scooted backward to put some space between us. The way he shuttered away his expression, like a house yanking down its blinds, sent a bolt of fury straight through me. I wanted to maim everyone who’d ever hurt him with their barbed gossip.

  I glared at the passing girls. “We can hear you, you know.”

  All three of them snapped their gazes to us and just as quickly looked away again. Hustling into a light jog, they hurried off until their giggling echoed back.

  “Don’t listen to them,” I told Mason. “They’re…ignorant”

  “Doesn’t matter.” He shook his head as he slammed his calculus book shut and shoved it into his bag. Sending me a tight smile, he stood up. “Have a good Labor Day weekend, okay?”

  Before I could respond, he turned and strode off, his shoulders rigid and hands fisted at his sides.

  I sighed.

  Depression hit hard as I remembered it really was going to be Labor Day weekend. Dawn had taken off work at her night job for Friday, and the café where she worked would be closed on Monday, so I wouldn’t be going to the Arnosta house until the next Wednesday. And since school was closed for the holiday, I wouldn’t even have a good reason to see Mason around campus until Tuesday.

  Strangely, I missed him already.

  CHAPTER TEN

  I’d give my cousin this: The girl sure knew how to throw a party.

  As I watched the music-thumping activities around me, my nostril smarted from the diamond stud embedded in the side of my nose. Yes, Eva had finally peer pressured me into it.

  Hey, I’m not perfect.

  My weakness had started as soon as I’d seen how cute the silver hoop she’d gotten for herself looked. Then she’d glanced at me, said, “Jeremy would hate seeing you with a nose ring,” and my resistance had sunk like the Titanic. God forbid I do anything he would approve of.

  Worried how much goo would catch on it whenever I sneezed, however, I had opted for a stud instead of a hoop. The redness and swelling had gone down, and it had never bled the way Eva’s piercing had, so no one could tell it was only a couple of hours old.

  I glanced across Aunt Mads and Uncle Shaw’s living room to watch Alec lift a shot of tequila from Eva’s cleavage with his teeth and tip the jigger up without touching it. E. cheered him on as a trickle of alcohol dribbled down his chin. But she licked it off him as soon as he dropped his shot glass i
nto his hands.

  I shook my head even as my lips quirked with amusement. Crazy kids.

  I’d been worried about her and Alec dating when I’d first met him. He seemed as rich, spoiled, and pretentious as Eva was. Two likes, in that regard, usually didn’t attract. I figured they wouldn’t last a week, each of them expecting the other to pamper them as much as their parents did.

  But they’d been together almost three months now and still seemed content.

  Standing with my back against a wall so I could take it all in without missing anything, I felt like I was supervising instead of joining the fun. Ever since May, though, I’d been a little too leery of diving into a group of complete strangers.

  I’d just taken a sip from my plastic red cup when someone approached me from the side. “Hey. You were looking lonely standing over here all by yourself. Thought I’d keep you company.”

  “Oh!” I almost spilled frothy beer down my shirt, I jumped so hard. Wiping my chin and feeling like a moron, I turned to the stranger. “I didn’t see you there.”

  He grinned, his teeth perfect enough to tell me he must’ve worn braces at some point. “Sorry. I guess all my secret ninja training is paying off after all.”

  I smiled but couldn’t manage a laugh.

  He held out his hand. “I’m Ty.”

  “Reese.” I shook with him, pulling back immediately.

  I swear I didn’t throw off any flirty signals. But he still leaned against the wall beside me as if I’d invited him and took a drink from the longneck bottle he held. Surveying the crowd with me, he asked, “So, do you know Eva or did you just hear about the party?”

  “I know Eva.” I turned to watch him instead of everyone else, since he seemed like the bigger threat. “She’s my cousin.”

  “Hmm.” He stopped people watching to twist to me as well. “She’s never mentioned you before.”

  I shrugged. Eva and I may have grown up halfway across the country from each other, but every holiday our families had gotten together; we’d always been inseparable. Facebook had helped keep us tight too. But I had no idea why this stranger thought she ever should’ve mentioned me to him.

  His dark brown eyes were direct and told me they appreciated what they saw. I wasn’t sure what to think of that. I mean, he wasn’t ugly. He wasn’t gigolo status hot, but he wasn’t repulsive by any means. I had simply been totally honest with E. when I’d told her I wasn’t looking for any kind of relationship.

  If my history with Jeremy had taught me anything, it was to be very cautious of anyone putting out the kind of signals Ty currently was. He was looking to get laid tonight, which made me nervous. Actually, every guy lately, except Mason, made me nervous. Okay, I definitely had a fit of nerves around Mason too, but a totally different kind. With Ty, I kept wondering how mad he got if a girl didn’t kiss him the right way. How soon after he became serious did he nix girls’ night out? How many weapons did he own?

  Maybe thoughts like that never crossed my mind when I was around Mason because there was an element of security between us. He was forbidden. Ergo, I was safe from experiencing any relationship horrors with him. We could both be ourselves without reservation.

  “Are you always so quiet?” Ty asked, looking amused by how intensely I was staring at him.

  I blushed and waved my hand. “You caught me. I just stand here and look pretty.”

  He laughed and his eyes glittered hungrily. “Yes, you do.”

  Yikes. I cleared my throat and winced, wishing he hadn’t thought I’d been fishing for a compliment. Needing a change of subject, I was opening my mouth to ask if he attended Waterford too when Eva appeared in front of us. Thank God.

  “Ty! You made it.” She hugged him and then bumped her cheeks against his in a pretend kiss.

  As she pulled back, Ty inspected her from head to foot, still holding both her hands in his. “Eva. You’re as lovely as ever. New nose ring, I see. It looks sexy.”

  “Why, thank you.” Gracefully severing her contact with him, Eva continued to smile her hostess smile as she linked her arm through mine. “ReeRee and I got both of ours done just today. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to borrow this lady right here.”

  He nodded, his eyes simmering with barely repressed heat as he glanced at me. “Only if you bring her back when you’re done with her.”

  Eva laughed and turned us away from him to march me through a crowd of people toward the kitchen. I was about to thank her for saving me when she muttered, “Not on your life, pal.”

  “E!” I hissed, glancing back to make sure he hadn’t overheard. “What was that about?”

  “Oh, Reese, honey. You must have a serious bad boy fetish. I swear, you are the queen of impossible relationships.”

  “Am not,” I muttered peevishly and jerked my elbow free. She always found a way to make me feel naïve in the relationship department.

  “Just…stay away from Ty, okay? Trust me on this one.”

  I hadn’t been planning on staying near him, but I grew alert at Eva’s serious tone and pulled her to a halt in the middle of the empty hallway. “Why? Did he take a knife to his last girlfriend?”

  She rolled her eyes. “No.”

  “Is he a gigolo?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  “No, but—”

  “Then he already has two brownie points in his favor.”

  Why I was defending him, I had no idea. I think I just wanted to argue with Eva because she was pissing me off. Did she think I had no head on my shoulders at all when it came to guys, just because I’d been so awfully wrong about Jeremy?

  Hell, did everyone who knew me think I was a complete ninny now?

  I spun toward the kitchen to refill my cup and get rip-roaring drunk over this new insight, but Eva pulled me around to face her. “I dated him for three months last year,” she explained on a sigh.

  Oh.

  I wrinkled my nose. “Eww.” Dating one of Eva’s exes had to be just as bad as dating one of my sister’s ex-boyfriends. “Why didn’t he mention that? I even told him we were related.”

  “Welcome to Ty Lasher,” Eva said. “He doesn’t have a moral bone in his body. The bastard cheated on me, twice, in the three months we were together.”

  “Yeesh. Thanks for the warning.” I would not be returning to a conversation with that douche. “So, wait. If you two have such a bad past, why is he at one of your parties?” And why had she been so cordial about greeting him?

  “Because anyone who’s anyone comes to my parties. They are the bomb, baby.”

  “Unfortunately, she’s right,” a voice said, tingling my spine, as someone stepped into the hallway behind me. “Mercer does know how to throw a hell of a party.”

  “Mason,” Eva hissed, her eyes narrowing. “What a surprise. I rarely see you at these. And I don’t recall inviting you to this one, either.”

  I thought that was a strange observation. Eva probably hadn’t invited most the people here.

  “No,” Mason agreed. When I dared to turn around, I saw his sneer was just as hard as my cousin’s. “But your boyfriend did.”

  Eva’s lips tightened. “And I will be having a few words with Alec about that. Trust me.”

  “Okay, hold on.” I adjusted my stance so I could see both Eva and Mason. I lifted my hands and shook them. “I don’t get this. Mason didn’t take advantage of you when you were drunk, and you don’t want him here. Yet that Ty guy cheated on you twice and you just hugged him in welcome. That makes no sense.”

  Eva blinked as if she didn’t understand my confusion. “ReeRee, Ty is the son of a judge. This…person is nothing but a holier-than-thou male prostitute.”

  “A prostitute who turned you down,” Mason taunted. “Pride stung much?”

  She glared at him. “You are such a smug—”

  “—bastard,” he finished for her, his voice pleasant. “Yeah, I remember.”

  “You don’t belong here.” She balled her hands into fists, damn near vibrating wi
th fury. “How dare you crash my party? You’re a nobody from nowhere who—”

  “Hey!” I jumped in front of him, facing off with my cousin. “Back off. You invited everyone and their dog to this party tonight. Stop being such a stuck-up snob. I want Mason to stay. He’s fun to talk to.”

  E. stared at me hard, as if searching for something before glancing over my shoulder. Eyes narrowing, she clutched my arm. Keeping a censorious gaze on him, she spoke quietly in my ear. “Remember what I told you, ReeRee. Don’t do it.” Then she plowed past us, shoulder checking Mason as she left.

  I stared after her, confused as ever with the burning need to apologize for her.

  “Don’t do what?” Mason asked from behind me.

  I whirled to face him and my breath caught. God, it was too late; I had totally disregarded Eva’s warning already and fallen big time. Into what, I wasn’t exactly sure. But Mason Lowe definitely had a hold on my emotions.

  “I think she’s worried I’ll follow in her footsteps and try to throw myself at you like she did.”

  “You think?” His eyes scanned my face. “Well, you do tend to act like her little lemming.”

  I gasped, appalled and hurt he saw that in me. “I do not.”

  His eyes gleamed with amusement before he tapped the end of my nose. “New nose ring,” he noticed, sealing his point.

  I covered my diamond stud with my hand, hiding the evidence. “Okay, but I don’t follow her over the cliff every time.”

  “No,” he agreed amicably. “But I’m glad you did this time. That ring makes you look incredibly…hot.”

  He sounded surprised by that fact.

  I was surprised he thought so. Clearing my throat, I glanced away, knowing I should respond somehow, but I just couldn’t.

  Mason blew out a breath. “I knew you’d be here tonight.”

  Whirling back, I gawked badly. “You…you’re here because of me?”

  He shifted, glancing away briefly, looking uncomfortable before he turned back and suddenly thrust something at me that I hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. “Here. I wanted to return this.”