Thin White Line by J.A. Templeton, Julia Templeton Page B

least she doesn’t pull away. I smile, leaning in towards her. “Give the guy a break.”
    She releases me and I walk away. When I glance back, Curtis is holding both of her hands and she’s nodding at something he says.
    When we head inside, the stereo is cranked, playing a slow song. At least a dozen couples dance and I’m stunned when Ryder takes my hand. “Come on.”
    Sliding my arms around Ryder’s neck, I savor the feel of his body pressed flush against mine. The pill I took has a completely different affect on me than the coke I snorted the weekend before. I feel...relaxed.
    “You smell so good,” he whispers against my ear.
    I smile. “So do you.”
    “I love the bra. Nice touch.”
    I see Sadie chatting it up with another group of girls. She gives me a wink and I smile. That is, until I see Deklan dancing with a gorgeous redhead, one of the girls in the group who had followed us outside.
    Her eyes are closed, her head resting flat against Deklan’s wide chest. I don’t think her arms could be any tighter around his shoulders if she tried.
    A strange sense of jealousy washes over me as I watch them and that bothers me. Why should I care what Deklan does? I’m dancing with the guy who caught my attention from the second I saw him. I should be ecstatic.
    However, Deklan has my attention as well. Rather, he’s intrigued me in a way that surprises me. Maybe that’s it. Or maybe it’s because he was so quick to defend me when Sasquatch got too close and Ryder kind of stayed back, watching, waiting to react.
    The girl’s hand moves up and down Deklan’s back.
    Oh my God...is she actually cupping his ass?
    I grit my teeth.
    Deklan must have sensed my gaze because he looks at me. Since I’ve been busted staring at him, my first instinct is to drop my gaze to the floor.
    But I don’t.
    Instead, I stare at him. He really is beautiful; tall, insanely perfect body, intriguing features.
    He smiles then, a lazy grin that makes my heart lurch.
    I try to slow our steps, kind of moving in place and it works for a few seconds, but then Deklan turns. His shoulders are crazy broad, his waist so narrow, and the redhead’s hands are wrapped so tight around those shoulders, her hands linked together like she’s terrified to let go of him.
    When they turn back around, Deklan isn’t looking at me anymore.
    “You coming by the house after the party?” Ryder asks.
    I glance up into his handsome face and those sexy blue eyes. “Whose house?” My voice is husky.
    “Curtis and Deklan’s pad.”
    Of course Curtis and Deklan’s. After all, their house is the party pad.
    My heart lurches when I look over at Deklan and he is watching us once again.
    “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

CHAPTER 10

    I want to strangle the bird that’s chirping like crazy outside the window. I don’t know what is worse, the chirping or the pounding of my head…and I have the worst case of cottonmouth ever.
    I reach for the glass of water that I usually always keep on my nightstand. Problem is...there is no glass of water there. Instead, my fingers entangle in hair.
    Opening my eyes, I half expect Brooke to be beside me, but instead, I’m stunned to find Ryder there.
    What the hell?
    With heart pounding nearly out of my chest, I peek beneath the blanket.
    Oh my God.
    I see in a glimpse that I have on panties, but I’m completely topless.
    A thousand different emotions rush through me—most of all panic. Where are my clothes?
    As I come slowly awake, I recognize my surroundings.
    I’m in the basement of Deklan’s house.
    The couch has been pulled out into a hide-a-bed. A really uncomfortable hide-a-bed with a bar poking into the middle of my back.
    With heart still racing, I start to slide out from under the sheets onto the floor. I recognize Ryder’s jeans and t-shirt tossed over the recliner.
    “Looking for this?”
    I let out a strangled gasp. Ryder’s holding up my bra.
    His laugh is nothing short of wicked. “I’m not sure if I