“Take your aim,” he said, settling over my back.
I stretched out my leg, causing some friction between our bodies. He released a hard breath and I focused on the ball as if my life depended on it. All eyes in the room were watching; I couldn’t mess this up!
“Concentrate on the ball. You’re too high. That’s it, honeypie.”
I thrust my arm forward and after the loud crack, the white ball sank the stripe. “I did it!”
An exhilarating rush filled my veins and suddenly pool was a game I wanted to learn more about. I turned around with a broad smile beaming across my face. Denver looked feverish—a look I’d seen on men before. His eyes lingered on my mouth as if memorizing its shape.
“That’s a pretty color of lipstick on you,” he said, licking his lower lip. “What’s it taste like?”
I shoved the pool stick against his chest and frowned. “Thanks for the crash course, but I should get back to the party.”
Disappointment flared in his eyes and he stepped back. When he did, I noticed the empty space where Reno had once stood.
Great going, my inner voice said. Looks like your plan to make him notice you backfired. Or was the goal to make him livid by hitting on his brother?
I mentally gave her the finger. Part of it was to make him jealous so maybe he’d walk over and talk to me, but I guess Dolly Parton had more to offer a man like Reno. I left the room and lingered in the empty hall, feeling uncharacteristically defeated. I hadn’t realized how much I liked Reno until I saw how little he liked me. Only then did the sting of rejection fill me up like venom.
“Hey, prettylicious,” a smooth voice called out. I looked up at a tall man lurking in the hall. He popped open the lid to a plastic container tucked under his arm. “I’m Jericho. I don’t remember seeing your sweet face around here before.”
This was the guy Lexi warned me about? I had imagined a musician with yellow teeth, nose rings, and gaunt features. Not a man with lush lips, razor-cut hair that fell to his shoulders, and an amazingly firm body. It was apparent the Cole brothers had been blessed with the hot and sexy gene, each flaunting it in their own unique way.
“I’m Lexi’s friend, April. We work together at the candy store.”
“Ah,” he said with a brisk nod, a look that indicated he “got” something that I didn’t. I wondered what Lexi had told them about me. “I have a private party going on in my bedroom. Want to join?”
I walked up and peered in the room. A woman was sprawled out on a beanbag chair with her legs open, holding a guitar and plucking the strings. Lying on his bed was a busty blonde in a pair of leather pants and a black top that tied in the back with a little string. She was on her stomach reading a magazine, her legs bent at the knee and crossed at the ankle.
“Um, no thanks. I’m waiting for Ivy to bring me a plate.”
“Here,” he said, offering the plastic container. “Tide yourself over with one of these. They’re abso-fucking-amazing. A friend of mine makes them for a living and I brought over a bunch of containers, but most of these pigs have already cleaned them out. I grabbed these for myself,” he said with an orgasm-inducing grin.
I reached in and politely took one of the cupcakes, licking the mint-cream icing off the top. “Mmm. Not bad. Is that buttercream?”
Jericho’s broad smile had a glimmer of mischief—the kind that could make a woman’s panties damp and give her a feverish glow. He seemed harmless and I didn’t know why Lexi had presented him with all the warning labels like he was some kind of a prescription drug. Jericho looked like a rock star, but he didn’t act cocky or rude.
“So you’re the guy Lexi warned me about.”
“Shit, really?” He shook his head. “I personally think she doesn’t dig my music.”
I peeked in the room again and noticed Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd posters, a black amplifier, and three guitars sitting on stands.
“Anyhow, if you change your mind and want to get away from those jerk-offs, I’ll be in here. Some of those assholes get a little rowdy as the night wears on, so watch yourself.”
He winked and closed the door, abandoning me in the hall to devour my chocolate cupcake. I patiently waited at the top of the stairs because it would have been rude to let Ivy go through all that trouble and then disappear on her. When I licked the last crumb from my finger, I wadded up the wrapper and placed it on the floor beside me. Why didn’t I just talk to Reno like a normal person? Maybe all that stuff he had said to me about saving a dance was just talk.
A door swung open behind me and a cacophony of sound headed my way. A man stormed out, pulling a shirt over his head as if he were getting dressed. I recognized him as the one who’d made all the lewd comments in the game room. A few spatters of bright blood stained his shirt, but his face didn’t appear broken or bruised.