Combust Read online

  “Oh, come on, Andi. Please tell me you’re not wearing that? To your first college party?” she asked, wrinkling her nose as she looked me up and down.

  I glanced down at myself, not sure what the problem was. Being a frat party, I knew I’d probably be drinking quite a bit of beer, doing some dancing that would lead to some sweating, and there was no way in hell I was going to get dressed up for it. Unfortunately for Reese, I wasn’t going there to impress anyone, so I’d thrown on my favorite Elton John concert T-shirt, skinny jeans, and black flip-flops.

  “What? We’re just going to a frat house. I want to be comfortable. This,” I told her, my hands sweeping down my body, “is comfortable.”

  “You’re wearing the T-shirt of a seventy-year-old British singer. Like you said, we’re going to a frat house, not a nursing home. Hey!” she exclaimed as I leaned across the bed to pinch her arm.

  “He’s in his sixties, and he still puts on the best shows. You’d have known that if you’d come to the concert with us last spring.”

  Seeing as how there wasn’t much to do in Bethel, road-tripping to Nashville for concerts was something we all did during our high school years. When Elton John and Billy Joel came to town, Dad scored tickets for us, and even after having been to a dozen or so concerts of all genres, there was nothing like watching him overtake the stage and belt out the lyrics from forty-plus years of hits. Not to mention, it was a fun time being able to enjoy music with my parents for once.

  “No, thank you. Maroon 5 and Adam Levine? Hell yes. Elton John? Not so much,” she said, shaking her head. “But if you’re going to insist on wearing that, at least please let me do your eye makeup.”

  I relented and even let her go as far as to curling my usually straight, auburn-colored hair that’s currently a little redder than usual thanks to a summer spent mostly in the sun.

  “Okay, perfect! This new shadow makes your green eyes pop. You’ll have your pick of men tonight, Andi. I just know it,” she told me, squeezing my shoulders. “Now, remember…an open mind. Speaking of, here. I have this to start off our first official weekend as college students.”

  I watched as she rummaged around in her purse before pulling out two large flasks and two shot glasses.

  “Cy got it for us as a welcome to college gift. Just to take the edge off, of course,” she said as she gave me a knowing smile. “More for you than for me.” She poured a clear liquid in each glass then handed me one before she clinked hers with mine. “To college,” she proposed, which I echoed as I lifted it to my lips and quickly downed the shot without a second thought.

  A burning sensation began to scorch my throat as it flowed down. My chest felt tight and I couldn’t help but cough. “Oh, Jesus, I thought it was vodka. I wasn’t expecting tequila,” I admitted.

  Reese gave me a sheepish grin. “I wanted to loosen you up. Let’s go. We’ve got to find you a man.”

  I rolled my eyes but steeled my nerves as I let the tequila course through my veins. One measly shot was not going to give me the courage to end up in someone’s bed, but it was a damn good start.

  CY GREETED us when we got to the frat house and took the time to introduce us around to his fraternity brothers. I could feel Reese sizing each guy up. If I didn’t know what she was doing, I’d feel bad for her boyfriend, but he just shook his head and gave me a shrug. My guess was that she’d filled him in on Operation Get Andi Laid, so he didn’t care about her wandering eyes.

  I was slightly mortified as she introduced me around to his frat brothers as her “very single friend, Andi.” As she told them my age and interests, I barely resisted the urge to throw my hand over her mouth to shut her up. She sounded like a walking, talking Match.com ad, and I was afraid she was beginning to make me look desperate. Apparently, the guys didn’t think so, or they just didn’t care. A few looks of piqued interest helped calm my nerves, but I was more than grateful for the red Solo cup Cy handed me, and when all I did was give them a wave, the guys all turned back to their own conversations. Sipping my beer, I pretended to get lost in a conversation about how the football team would fare in the SEC this year. Not caring about that stuff, I kind of zoned out.

  As more people began to show up, the music slowly increased in volume, and it became harder to hear what they were saying. Cy set up a game of beer pong, and Reese naturally went with him, gesturing for me to follow. I refilled my beer and leaned back against the wall, content to just be a bystander as I watched game after game. Reese was downright awful, and it didn’t take long before she was giggling and missing each cup by a mile, causing Cy to set her in a chair and tap me in so she could sit out for a few rounds. I wasn’t much better, and after three games, I was feeling a pretty damn good buzz going on—feeling light and carefree, although I was nowhere near on Reese’s level.

  “Andi, you need to get laid!” Reese giggled in my ear, apparently unaware—or uncaring—that her drunk whispers were anything but that.

  Four sets of inquiring male eyes rose to meet mine, a couple of them a little too eager, and none of them all that appealing.

  “All right, Peanut. It’s time to switch you to water,” Cy informed her with an amused, almost exasperated chuckle.

  She turned to him, giving him a pout, but she gladly accepted the bottle and downed half its contents before replying. “What? She does. She’s hot. If I was a guy, I’d totally sleep with her! I’ve always been jealous of her boobs,” she admitted, leaning in to give me a smacking kiss on the lips as her hand came up to squeeze said boob. It wasn’t surprising that the act caused hoots and hollers to follow.

  Embarrassment started to seep in, and I could feel my cheeks turning pink with heat, but I laughed, trying to play it off. “Let’s just all be glad you’re not or Cy would be sorely disappointed,” I told her, and she just laughed and nodded. “Okay, it’s getting a little heated in here. I’m going to go get some fresh air.”

  As I started to walk away, I could hear Cy telling her that her chest was perfect, and I couldn’t help but grin and feel happy for my best friend. Leaving them to their drunken game of beer pong, I struggled to make my way through the now packed house before finding the back deck where a second beer keg was. The cool air hit me as soon as I stepped outside, a welcome relief after being inside the stuffy, warm house. After waiting in line, I bent down to top off my cup. Not paying attention, I stood up a little too quickly, turning at the same time, and ended up colliding with a warm, strong chest that had obviously been standing too close for comfort. The beer sloshed over the rim and spilled onto the unsuspecting individual.

  “Shit,” I muttered before looking up to see just who I ran into.

  My heart started to race a little as I looked into the most beautiful pair of green eyes I’d ever seen. We’re talking light emerald green, a perfect hue I’d only ever seen in a jewelry store. I know that sounds extremely corny, but I couldn’t find a better way to describe them. They were seriously that gorgeous, and as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn’t. I was transfixed.

  It wasn’t until I heard a throat clear that I realized I was staring—and he’d caught me. An embarrassed blush sprang on my cheeks, and I could feel them flaming. His eyes were filled with amusement as I realized that his arm had wrapped around my waist to steady me after I’d so clumsily run into him.

  Tearing my eyes away from his face, I looked down to see my hand pressed against his chest. I pretended I was trying to wipe away beer. I could feel his hard body underneath my fingertips, and I found myself wanting to explore it. Since he’d pulled me in close, there was no space between us and a flutter of nerves began to form in my belly. What the hell? I’d never had this kind of instant reaction to a guy, especially without even speaking, so the thought of butterflies was foreign and confusing. I guessed that it must be what they mean by lust at first sight.

  Stepping back, I slid out of his grasp and mumbled a quick apology before allowing myself to run my eyes up and down his frame, shamelessly checki
ng him out. I blamed the beer, but in reality, he was the cutest guy I’d seen at the party. Hell, he was the cutest guy I’d seen since I’d moved on campus. He had a goofy grin on his face, highlighting one lone dimple that deepened on his left cheek. His dark-blond hair was overgrown and ruffled, looking like he’d just gotten out of bed even though it was ten o’clock at night. At my five foot six, he towered over me, but not so much so that I had to crane my neck to look at him.

  As my eyes scanned down his body, I figured he was about six feet tall, and I could tell he was lean, muscular, but not overly so—my favorite type of build. Overdone muscles are a total turnoff. Give me tall, lean, and toned any day. As I continued to check him out, my eyes widened at his Slipknot T-shirt, and I gestured to it, more than excited to have an in with him. That’s one thing I love about music. It’s a total icebreaker. I silently thanked the gods of rock for my Corey Taylor obsession.

  “Favorite song?” I asked, stepping away from the keg.

  He leaned in and filled his own cup. Then we both promptly moved out of the way for the people behind us, who were already grumbling about the holdup. For a split second, I didn’t think he was going to answer me, but then he nodded towards the end of the deck, indicating for me to follow. Without giving it a second thought, I did, knowing that Reese was inside, having her own good time, and I’d much rather be out here talking music with a cute guy than be unable to have a conversation because of the blaring music and roar of the drunken crowd.

  He sat on the steps of the deck, and I followed suit, taking a sip of my beer as I waited for him to answer. “That’s a loaded question. You can’t possibly expect me to pick just one. It depends on my mood. Spit It Out if I’m really in the mood to rock out. Vermillion for when I’m feeling the need for something somber. And that’s just to start. I could name countless others, but we’d be here all night.” The baritone of his voice was sexy and low, definitely more than worth the wait.

  “I’m guessing you mean Part Two if you like it somber?”

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and I wanted to grin from knowing that he hadn’t been expecting me to say that or probably even know any Slipknot songs. His mouth started to open, but I continued before he could comment.

  “Spit It Out’s a good one. I saw a video that was shot from when they headlined the Download festival in the UK last year. It’s pretty damn mind blowing, especially the guitar riffs. However, my personal favorite is People Equal Shit.”

  Mr. Slipknot choked on his beer, and I grinned into my own cup as I knew he definitely hadn’t been expecting that answer. “Seriously? People Equal Shit coming from a girl wearing an Elton John shirt?”

  “What can I say? I love music in all forms. It probably helps that I have a huge girl crush on Corey Taylor. If I’m honest, I prefer him with Stone Sour, but don’t tell anyone. That’s for your ears only.” It’s not like there was anyone around for him to even tell, nor would I even care. Yet I couldn’t help flirting with him.

  He looked around before he leaned in close. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. If it makes you feel better, I prefer Stone Sour, too, but I live to annoy my parents, so Slipknot blaring on my stereo was always a given. Now how about you? Favorite Elton song?”

  He was still inches from my face, and I wanted to close my eyes as I breathed in the intoxicating smell of his cologne. In my experience, most guys my age had no idea how to wear the proper amount of the stuff, but this one smelled heavenly— in a clean yet masculine sort of way without it being overpowering. In fact, I would’ve leaned in to get an even closer smell if I hadn’t thought it’d freak him out. Somehow I refrained, not wanting to scare him off by trying to sniff him. I pulled myself back and turned to rest my back against the wooden post of the deck as I allowed myself to come back to my senses—even if my olfactory ones were going into overdrive.

  “Like you said, it’s nearly impossible to even choose just one, you know? I’d name one, then another would pop into my mind, and we’d end up sitting here all night as I change my mind over and over again. Would it be totally cliché if I started off with Bennie and the Jets? It’s a classic. Well, most of them are, but you know what I mean.”

  He, too, turned to lean his back against the opposite side of the stairs. This way, we were facing each other with a foot or two of safe distance between us, although our legs were dangerously close to touching. I missed his scent, but I told myself that I needed to calm the hell down. It was crazy that I was so insanely intrigued by the first guy I was attracted to. Even though we’d only been talking for a whole five minutes, something about this guy made me want to get to know him more, and I hoped I’d have the rest of the party to do just that.

  I watched him as he seemed to mull over my response. My eyes rested on his lips, ones that weren’t too full or too thin. No, his lips were just right, and for one split second, I wondered what they’d feel like on mine. The sound of his throat clearing forced me to tear my eyes away from his appetizing mouth. When I looked up, he was eyeing me with a suspicious grin, and I could feel the heat rising on my cheeks yet again.

  “My personal favorite? Can You Feel the Love Tonight? Every time I hear it, I just want to cry as I think about Simba and Nala and all that time they spent apart thanks to Scar. Bastard.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was serious, and I stared at him for a moment until he couldn’t hold it in. He busted out laughing, and I scooted closer to him as I gave him a mocking glare. I shoved his shoulder, and he just laughed even harder.

  “I should’ve expected that coming from a guy wearing a Slipknot tee. You probably don’t even know any other Elton songs.”

  He looked at me with mock offense before shaking his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. But it doesn’t mean I still don’t love that song. It’s a classic from my childhood, so don’t judge me. One of my other favorites is Joseph, Better You Than Me.”

  I wrinkled my nose, racking my brain as I tried to place that one. “Umm, are you sure you have the right artist? I’m not familiar with that, and I’m pretty sure I know all of Elton’s songs.”

  “I don’t know if you’re much of a fan if you don’t know his newest song,” he commented, and I gave him a dirty look before he continued. “Okay, well, it’s technically The Killers’ song, but he’s featured on it. So is Neil Tennant. And it’s actually pretty damn good.”

  “I can’t believe I’ve never heard it,” I admitted before pulling my phone out, only to see that it was dead. “Dammit. I’ll have to remember it so I can check it out on YouTube later tonight when I get back to my dorm.”

  He drained the rest of his beer then gave me a curious glance as he set the cup down next to him. I watched him wipe his hands on his jeans before he cleared his throat. Is he nervous? The thought crossed my mind after a brief hesitant look flashed across his face, but he was quick to mask it with a grin that was annoyingly cute, and I knew I must’ve been wrong.

  Clearing his throat, he gestured to somewhere off in the distance. “My dorm’s not far from here. I’ve got the CD if you want a listen. Nothing shady. I promise. ” He paused as I raised my brow at him. He swept his arm out towards the house and continued. “I’m just not much of a frat party kinda guy, but my roommate dragged me here. Hence why I was hiding outside, away from the crowd. When you walked through the back door, I watched you until I was more than ready to get you away from the keg so I could talk to the first girl who looked as out of place as I felt. And who hopefully wasn’t patrolling for her first college hookup.”

  Laughing at his obvious perception, I nodded my head. Warmth flowed through me at the thought that he’d been watching me, and suddenly, I realized that my bumping into him probably hadn’t been my accident. Instead, it had been orchestrated by him. I suppose I could’ve found it creepy—instead, I found it to be sweet, especially since I probably would’ve done the same thing if I had seen him first.

  “I know what you mean. My roommate’s boyfriend is a p
art of this frat, and I was dragged along, too. I appreciate you rescuing me from the fraternity brothers looking for fresh meat. I know they were all so turned on at the sight of a redhead in her favorite Elton John shirt. It was only a matter of time before they started fighting over my affections. You’re my savior,” I gushed sarcastically, but it didn’t faze him.

  He grinned as he stood, holding out his hand for me. I allowed him to pull me up, but then I stopped him as I absentmindedly brushed off my jeans.

  “That being said, this might be my first week in college, but I’m not that naïve. You can’t lure me back to your dorm room with promises of just listening to music. Hell, I don’t even know your name. You could be one of those really weird, kinky guys whose room is full of Slipknot sex masks, and I, for one, would like to at least make it through my first semester of college before becoming a statistic or ending up with nude photos on the Internet.”

  I watched as a slow, goofy grin spread over his face. He caught me off guard when he closed the distance between us. I backed up until I could go no farther as he pressed me up against the back of the deck. I swallowed hard as he placed both hands on the wood so I was locked in. There it was again. That heady scent that I was beginning to become addicted to. What the hell, Andi?

  As I gazed up at the amused look on his face, I felt my heart begin to race, and I wondered why this guy was affecting me so much when I didn’t even know his name or anything else about him other than his musical tastes. Sure, I’d had butterflies when I’d first met Blake, but that had been the crush of a fifteen-year-old girl. This felt different. Right then, I wanted nothing more than for him to lean down and press his lips against mine so I could feel if they were really as soft as they looked. And damn, did they look soft. Soft, inviting, and irresistible.

  Involuntarily, I pulled my lower lip between my teeth, and as the amusement on his face changed to a heated expression, I felt a fire begin to blaze between my legs. His eyes became hooded the longer they stared at my mouth, almost as if he wanted to take a bite himself. My own eyes searched his face, and I swear he was about to fulfill my wish, but then, as if he were shaking the thought out of his head, he brought back his signature grin, effectively ending the moment. I had to fight hard to keep the sigh of disappointment from escaping my lips and even harder to keep from squirming my legs together.