Pride

arms.

“Happy New Year,” he whispered, his breath hot against her cheek, and then kissed her, sucking deeply on her lower lip, digging his hands into her flesh. She tore at him with urgency, at first, and then something shifted-the rough and raw energy between them softened, deepened. As his hands cupped her face, she opened her eyes, and he was watching her, his bottomless brown eyes only centimeters away. She could see herself reflected in them. She closed her eyes again and shut in the darkness, her world narrowed to the taste of his lips, the touch of his fingers, the sound of his breathing.

Happy New Year? She mused. Just maybe.

Chapter 13

“You’re the only one I want, the only one I need…”

Adam let the lyrics wash over him and pulled Harper in tighter as they swayed slowly back and forth to the music. She leaned her head on his shoulder, her auburn waves cascading down his chest.

Kaia’s house, even more impressive than he’d remembered, was filled with people-some lounging in the hot tub, some picking their way through the gourmet spread, and a few couples off on the fringes, lost in their own world, like Harper and Adam.

A cool, bluish light lit the oversize room, giving the stark white furniture and walls an icy sheen.

“I could never live here,” Harper murmured, voicing his thoughts. “It’s too…”

“Cold,” he finished for her. And it was true. Living like this, like Kaia, you could freeze to death.

“But its a great party,” she continued. “Don’t you think?”

“Definitely.” Also true. “But any party would be great-with you.” Adam had already had a couple drinks, and, with a little alcohol poured into him, his cheesiness factor skyrocketed.

Harper raised her head from his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Ad, you don’t need to butter me up. You’ve already got me,” she pointed out, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“What?” he asked defensively. “It’s true!”

She laughed and shook her head, her hair whipping across his face. “You’re a little drunk, my friend. But you’re also pretty damn sweet, so I guess it’s okay.”

“Well, as long as I have your permission,” he blustered.

She laid her head back against his shoulder. “I love this song,” she said softly.

“All I ever needed, here in your arms…”

More couples had joined them on the impromptu dance floor-but only one of them caught Adam’s eye.

Kane had his back turned, but Adam could see her face, peeking over Kane’s shoulder. Her blond hair was down, falling across her cheek like a golden curtain. And her clear blue eyes met his.

“… the only one I want, the only one I need…”

He closed his eyes-but he still saw her face.

Beth jerked her head away.

Stop watching him, she instructed herself sternly, knowing it was no use. She’d been following him with her eyes all night, catching a glimpse of him embracing Harper by the doorway, holding hands on the stairs, kissing on the back deck. They were everywhere-and Beth couldn’t force herself to stay away.

“What’s wrong?” Kane asked, peering down at her in concern.

“Nothing,” she said quietly, thinking fast. “I was just looking… at all these couples dancing. It’s kind of sad, isn’t it, how no one really dances anymore?”

“We’re dancing,” he pointed out.

“No, that’s not what I mean. We’re just standing in one place, rocking back and forth. That’s not dancing-not really. In the old days…”

“Let me guess: women in fancy ball gowns, men in tuxedos sweeping them around the dance floor?” he suggested.

“Waltzing the night away,” she added, with a dreamy, faraway smile.

“Don’t forget the ‘forbidden dance,’” he put in with a smirk.

She gave him a teasing push. “Kane, I’m serious!”

“And like I always say, your wish is my command.” He grabbed her hand in his, placing her other hand firmly at his waist. “Let’s go.”

“Go where-?”

Without answering, he swept her feet off the floor and, in classic ballroom form, began leading her around the room, weaving through couples and crowds of people, twirling her out and then reeling her back in.

“People are staring at us!” she gasped through her laughter.

“Let them stare,” he crowed. “They’re just jealous.”

The whole room had, indeed, gradually stopped talking and turned to gape at the couple whirling through the room as if clumsy extras in a remake of Cinderella. But for once, Beth didn’t care. She was having too much fun, breathless with laughter, flying in Kane’s arms, feeling suddenly, wildly alive. He was right: Who cared what anyone thought?

Finally the song ended, and he dipped her with an exaggerated flourish and then swept her back up into a deep kiss. “Happy New Year,” he whispered.

“I’ve never-that was unbelievable,” she babbled, still flushed and giggling.

“I promised you I’d show you a good time,” he reminded her. “You just have to trust me.”

“I guess I’ve learned my lesson,” she agreed, unable to stop smiling. She kissed him again. “So, what’s next on the agenda?”

“Funny you should ask.” He pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her. “I’ve got a little surprise for you-Merry belated Christmas.”

“What is it?” she asked in delight, tearing off the wrapping paper. Her smile faded as she opened the box and saw what lay inside.

Two small yellow tablets. And that was it.

“Kane, what is this?” she asked in a dull, flat voice.

“Just something to make our New Year’s extra special,” he explained, putting an arm around her.

She shrugged it off.

“I don’t do drugs,” she snapped. “You know that.”

“It’s not like this would make you a junkie,” he wheedled. “It’s just something special, a one-time deal. And you won’t believe how it will make you feel.”

Beth suddenly felt like she was in the middle of one of those horrible after-school specials they forced on you in junior high health class, where the heroine almost bows to peer pressure but, in the end, wises up and decides to “just say no!” Or maybe this was one of those where the heroine decides to throw caution to the wind… and ends up living in a cardboard box with needle tracks tracing across her arms.

No, I don’t do drugs, she’d assured her parents the one time they’d gotten up the nerve to ask. Trust me, even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t know where to find them.

It had been true-for seventeen years-and now, suddenly, it wasn’t.

Beth looked at the small open box, the innocuous-looking tablets. How much harm could they do, just this one time? What about all her talk about trying new things, taking risks-was it just that? Talk? She was always so predictable, so good, always doing the right thing. She looked across the room and there he was again, Adam-her gaze drawn to him no matter how hard she tried to avoid it. He kissed Harper, and Beth shivered. She’d done the right thing with him, and where had it gotten her? He still thought she was a cheater. A traitor. Everyone did. So why not actually do something, for once? It’s not like she had a reputation to protect, not anymore. Was she going to go through her life too afraid of consequences to ever really live?

She picked up one of the pills between her thumb and index finger and looked at it thoughtfully.

“You said you wanted some excitement in your life, a thrill,” Kane pointed out. “This is it-it’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before.”