“Then how did you know who I was talkingabout?”
Damn it. Melanie realized hernonchalance had failed when Lucy called her on it. Her friend hadone black eyebrow raised as she stared at Melanie with an innocentlook that was anything but innocent.
Melanie didn’t know how to respond, so shesipped her beer before saying, “Maybe we should go.”
“No way! Things are just getting interesting.Tall, blond, and I’d lick him all over hasn’t taken his eyes offyou.”
Melanie rolled her eyes as a group ofstudents entered the kitchen. A couple of the guys grabbed somechips while the girls poured themselves far too much liquor beforepoking at a bowl filled with nip bottles.
She could feel tall, blond, and handsomestaring at her, but instead of being unnerved, her skin heated inthe most delicious ways. She recalled their brief meeting a coupleof weeks ago, the warmth of his hand in hers, and the smile thatcaused his blue eyes to dance.
During that encounter, he told her his namewas Kyle. She’d blurted her name out to him before practicallyrunning away. He probably considered her a weirdo, but everyone inthe world would think she was a weirdo with her upbringing.
They’d be right.
Kyle studied the two women standing in thedoorway as he pondered how to best approach Melanie again. He’dnever hesitated to talk to a woman before, but he couldn’t stopremembering the way she practically ran from him during their lastconversation.
This was his first real chance to talk to heragain, and he couldn’t blow it.
He was about to say screw it and approach heranyway when the girl who’d invited him spotted him. She smiled asshe waved like he was a ship’s captain returning from a year atsea. Kyle smiled as she broke away from her friends and dancedtoward him.
“Hey!” she greeted too loudly. “You madeit!”
“I made it,” Kyle replied.
“Let’s dance!”
“No, thanks.”
Her smile didn’t waver as she danced closer,and he realized she was one of those people who did not takehearing no well. But, who did?
“Come on,” she cajoled. “Just one dance.”
As she said it, the music switch to a slowersong. Kyle opened his mouth to tell her no again when Melanie andher friend left the doorway.Shit.
No matter how badly he wanted to go afterher, he stopped himself. He couldn’t stalk her through the home. Itwould only scare her away again, and he couldn’t risk that. They’djust arrived and wouldn’t leave yet. He had to give her some timeand space; otherwise, she would think he was a freak who wasstalking her.
And she wouldn’t be completely wrong in herassessment.
With a sigh, Kyle resigned himself to stayingaway from her, for now.
When the woman reached for his hand,revulsion twisted in his stomach. Before he realized what he wasdoing, he stepped away from her.
“I’m going to get some more beer,” hesaid.
He didn’t wait for her to reply before heturned and walked away. Kyle wound his way through the crowd andover to one of the kegs. He lifted the nozzle, topped off his beer,and gulped it down. If he were human, he’d probably end upplastered, but he filtered alcohol out fast.
He filled his cup again before striding backto the dance floor in the hopes Melanie had returned. She hadn’t,but the girl was still there, and when she spotted him again, shehomed in like a missile on its target.
Though he’d prefer not to dance with her, heaccepted her invite. If he was going to stay, he had to appearnormal, and lurking on the outskirts of everything wouldn’t helphim blend in.
***
As Melanie made her way through the house,she ignored most of the people she encountered; she didn’t knowthem.
She was in her senior year of college andattending summer school to graduate after the fall semester, andshe barely knew anyone outside of Lucy. But, to be fair,neitherof them had made a lot of friends.
Lucy was friendly with more people than her,but they weren’t friends with any of them. They didn’t call, text,or hang out with each other. They simply knew each other wellenough to say hi in passing.
