“Why didn’t you come say hi?”

“You were busy and I didn’t want to bother you.”

She had been staring at my lips, which was entirely distracting up until those last words left her mouth. I bent my head, my lips brushing her ear as I spoke. I didn’t miss the way she shivered. “You are never a bother to me.”

When I lifted my head, our gazes collided and held. The hue of her eyes deepened, almost blending in with her pupils. There was a connection there between us. No mistaking the electricity shimmering in the tiny space between our lips. And when hers parted, I lowered my head, wholly intent on kissing her.

“Yo, Cam!” Jase yelled, obliterating the moment. “You’re up.”

I smiled tightly. “Don’t go too far.”

“Okay,” she said, her hands slipping away.

Stalking back over to the table, I shot Jase a dirty look. “Perfect timing.”

“What?” He watched me pick up the Ping Pong ball. “Did I interrupt Avery turning you down?”

“Funny.” I bounced the ball, missing my target. Cursing, I picked up the cup. “Fuck you all.”

Jase let out a loud laugh and said something, but my narrowed gaze found Avery. I could barely see her. Her friends flanked either side and a red cup had ended up in her hands. She really wasn’t drinking and, for some reason, I was glad to see that. Their group grew and every so often, she disappeared from view, reappearing a few minutes later. Once this stupid game was over, it was her and me, and no interruptions. And, dammit, tonight she would tell me yes when I asked her out.

“Incoming,” Jase warned.

I didn’t realize what he was talking about at first, but arms went around me from behind. I knew immediately it wasn’t Avery. I couldn’t get that lucky.

“What are you dressed as?” Steph asked.

“Myself,” I told her, turning around. She was dressed as if Little Red Riding Hood had wandered onto a porn set.

She smiled, twirling the edge of one of her pigtails. “That’s not really a costume.”

“We are too awesome to wear costumes,” Jase said, eyeing Steph’s friend.

I gently untangled Steph’s arms. “You guys look hot.”

“I know.” Steph giggled. “Can we join?” she asked, nodding at the game.

Jase stepped aside, and I knew by the way he was paying attention to Steph’s friend, he wouldn’t be spending the night alone.

My attention immediately sought out Shortcake. I was surprised for a second time that night when I saw what she was doing.

She was dancing.

It shouldn’t be such a big deal, but I had the suspicion that whatever caused her to stop dancing professionally hindered her from doing it at all.

God, she was . . . there were no words.

The song was fast, with a lot of beats, and her hips hit them all. Holding on to Brittany’s hand, the two of them danced together. A smile pulled at my lips as Jacob joined them. Her head was tipped back, arms raised, and she was laughing.

In that moment, I realized I was seeing a very different side of Avery. One I’d never seen before, where she was lively and carefree, and fucking perfect.

“I’m going to marry that girl one day,” I heard myself say.

Jase choked on his beer and bent over, dragging in deep breaths. “Holy shit.”

I grinned.

But it immediately began to fade as some guy came up behind her, slapping his hands on her hips. Avery jumped a good half foot off the floor as she looked over her shoulder.

Tony. That was his name. A freshman who was just initiated into Jase’s frat. He’d been a part of the first group we’d beaten at beer pong—the one who’d almost fallen face-first into the table. I didn’t know him, but I didn’t like him. And I sure as fuck didn’t like what he was doing with his hips.

Avery twisted to the side and Tony was attached to her like a fucking octopus. He was obviously plastered and it was also obvious that Avery didn’t want to dance with him. Every time she pulled away, he tugged her back.

Anger exploded in my gut like buckshot. I started forward, ignoring Jase when he called out to me. I was halfway across the garage when Tony slipped his hand across her stomach.

“Let me go!” she yelled.

The hair on the back of my neck rose at the real fear in her voice. I tripped—fucking tripped—and then I shot forward, plowing through those in the way. I didn’t even see them.

Fury tasted like blood in my mouth as I grabbed ahold of Avery’s arm, pulling her away. Her startled gasp was like thunder in my ears as I shoved Tony back. The fucker stumbled as he backpedaled, hitting the wall.

I was on him in a heartbeat.

Fourteen

I was going to break this motherfucker’s face. It was as simple as that. He was touching her and it was obvious to anyone with a pea-sized brain that she hadn’t wanted to be touched.

Shoving my hand into his chest, I slammed him back into the wall as my other hand curled into a fist. “What the fuck, man? Do you have a fucking hearing problem?”

“I’m sorry.” Tony raised his hands, shaking. “We were just dancing. Didn’t mean any shit by it.”

“Cam,” Avery cried out.

I shoved Tony back as he started to speak again, and Jase was suddenly at my back, grabbing ahold of me. He wrenched me away, and Tony staggered against the wall.

“You need to chill the fuck out,” Jase said.

I tried to duck Jase’s hold. “Let me the fuck go, Jase.”

“Fuck no.” He was in my face, hands on my chest. “You don’t need this, remember? Getting into a fight is the last thing you fucking need right now. So back down.”

My blood boiled with the need to put my fist through the guy’s face, but Jase . . . dammit, Jase was right. I couldn’t get into a fight. My probation would be revoked, and I couldn’t put my family through that, or Avery.

Avery.

I spun around. A crowd had gathered between us and she stood with Brittany, her face pale and eyes glittering with unshed tears. I started toward her, but Jase blocked me.

“You need to calm down before you do anything.”

Ollie appeared at my side, shoving a beer in my hand. “Jase speaks the truth, man. Avery will be fine, but you . . .” Serious for once in his life, he shook his head. “You need to chill out for a little while.”

I let them push me toward the door and when I looked up, I couldn’t find Avery in the crowd. She was gone.

Sitting on the edge of the bed Jase slept in whenever he stayed in this house, I pulled out my phone, sending Avery a quick text. Jase slammed the door, but I ignored it, waiting for a response. I shouldn’t have let them drag me in here. Right now, Ollie was outside the door, playing guard. I should be with Avery, making sure she was okay.

“What the fuck got into you, man?”

I stared up at Jase. “She used to dance.”

His brows shot up. “What the fuck?” he demanded again. “What in the fuck does that have to do with anything?”

Dropping my head into my hands, I shrugged. I had no idea what the hell that had to do with anything, but I had this feeling that dancing for Avery—for her to do that—was a big deal.

Jase cursed as he spun around and then pivoted right back at me. “What is going on with you, Cam? You don’t get pissed off like this. You don’t get bent out of shape over—”

“Don’t you dare say over nothing.” My chin jerked up, eyes narrowing on Jase as fury roared through me like an out of control freight train. I shot to my feet. “He was touching her, Jase. He was grabbing on her and—” I cut myself off before I said the words I didn’t want to, the ones forming on my tongue.

“So?”

“Are you fucking serious?” I shot forward, but Jase didn’t back down. He went toe to toe with me. “So? You okay with a guy—”

“Fuck no, I’m not, but Jesus H. Christ in a manger, Cam, he was some drunk idiot freshman and you and I have seen much worse go down than that.” His eyes flashed an intense silver, a sure sign he was about to lose his shit. Good. So was I. Again. “And before you say you’ve intervened in those situations, too, I know. We both have, but you’ve never tried to take a guy’s head off.”