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His eyes searched her face. “You’re very pretty.”
She had the same thought she’d had a moment ago. Maybe it’s okay that Gabriel hasn’t shown up.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
His mouth found hers again, heavy and warm and wet.
So this was what kissing felt like.
Nice, but she didn’t get the big appeal.
She put a hand against his chest a final time. He lifted his head, barely breaking contact. “What is it?”
“I don’t even know your name.”
He smiled, and she felt his lips move against hers. “It’s Ryan,” he said. “Ryan Stacey.”
Gabriel stared at the dashboard of Hunter’s Jeep and made no move to get out of the vehicle.
“I don’t know what the hell we’re doing here,” he said.
“Well,” said Hunter, “we could always go back to the house and watch Mamma Mia! with my grandparents. Or maybe we could stare at the police scanner for another hour and wait for nothing to happen. Or maybe ”
“I just don’t feel like being at a party.” At this party. Full of guys who’d know he wasn’t allowed on the team. Full of girls who’d tease him about being an idiot.
Hunter’s dog stuck his head between the seats, and Gabriel reached up to scratch him behind his ears. “I’ll just stay here with the dog.”
Hunter sighed and gave him a look. “Come on, baby, don’t be like that. Did you pack your Midol?”
“All right, all right.” Gabriel climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind him. “I don’t even know why I like you.”
Heather’s place was packed but then her parties always drew a crowd. There had to be a dozen kids crammed into the hot tub, though no one was braving the pool. Music blared from a sound system on the far side of the pool deck, loud enough that it was a miracle no one had called the cops already.
Gabriel kept thinking of Layne’s house down the road. She’d dropped that note on his desk this afternoon. I’ll help you.
o;Then you can meet the other girls.”
It actually worked out better than she expected. Taylor and Heather were full of charm at the door, assuring her dad that Heather’s mom was going to be home from the store any minute, and did he want a cup of espresso? Taylor leaned on Layne’s shoulder and whispered loudly about never realizing she had such a sexy dad.
It was probably the first time Layne had ever seen her father blush.
“All right,” he said, jingling his keys in his pocket. “I should probably get back to Simon.”
Yeah, like he could get Simon to come out of his room. Layne stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Daddy.”
When he was out the door, Taylor giggled. “Dads are so easy.”
“Please,” said Heather. “All I have to do is wiggle my ass and my dad hands me his platinum card.”
Layne almost choked. She wiggled her ass for her father?
“Your house is amazing,” Kara breathed.
It was, too. Layne never wanted for anything, but her own house was traditional, all polished wood and marble. The back wall of Heather’s house was entirely glass, looking out over an expansive pool deck, with a view of the Severn River beyond.
Torches were lit along the patio, and the sound system was on low, one of those top-forty songs that sounded like every other.
Heather shrugged. “It’s all right.”
