Breathe Into Me Page 2

  Looking down at my sweats, I actually considered keeping them on for the night. They may be stained, but they were the most comfortable pair I owned and I would never part with them. The stains were actually from when Jessi and I painted the spare bedroom in her house where I’d lived these last six years. For the first couple years I lived in that room, I refused to change anything. Not the wall color, not the pale flowery bedspread that screamed guestroom … nothing. It wasn’t my home. Not to me anyway.

  It wasn’t until my sixteenth birthday that Jessi and her mom surprised me with a trip to the hardware store and Bed Bath and Beyond for all the supplies to make that room my own. I told them it wasn’t necessary. That I wanted them to still be able to lend out the room to family that would come in from out of town, but they insisted that the room was mine and mine alone. That it was time that I started living like a member of their family, and not a guest.

  The bedspread I bought that day was the one I brought with me to college. Being it was only a few years old and finally losing that new bedspread stiffness, I passed when they offered to take me out to buy a new set just for my dorm.

  Jessi was still raddling on and I pulled my eyes away from my sweats and their special memories to look at her.

  “You’re going to have a great time. Just wait ‘til all the hotties there see you walk in. You’re going to be thanking me by the time we leave and you have a nice piece of man candy to play with.”

  “One”—I ticked off on my finger—“I’m not looking for any hotties. Two, I’m just doing my best friend duties and accompanying my promiscuous friend to a bar so that I can be sure she’s not slipped a date rape drug, and carted off to be sold as some sex slave.”

  “Sex slave? Really, Kels?” Jessi said, rolling her eyes at me.

  I shrugged. “I just call ‘em like I see ‘em.” I finally got up and walked over to her closet to help her find me something to wear. I wanted to look good but I didn’t want to look like I was parading my girls for everyone to see. Jessi and I used to be alike in so many ways except when it came to fashion. Where my fashion tastes were more along the lines of leave-them-guessing hers were a little on the stripper side.

  “My God, Kelsey! Would it kill you to actually have a good time?” Jessi huffed and stepped out of my way to pull her long, red locks up into a high ponytail. She had already perfectly curled it so that when she pulled it up it framed her face nicely and stuck out in all the right places making it look all messy chic.

  “I’m sorry, Jess. Just with classes starting tomorrow, and now that I’m going to have to keep my grades up to keep my scholarships. I’m just stressin’ I guess. Plus, you know how long it has been since I have actually gone out. I probably don’t even remember how to have a good time anymore.”

  I hated being the stick in the mud, but it was true. I was so used to keeping to myself that I’d probably lost all the social skills I’d once had. And my scholarships were the only thing keeping me here so I couldn’t go crazy and have too much of a good time like most college kids. Jess didn’t have to worry about anything like that though. Her parents had saved for her brother and her to go to college since they were born. Mine … not so much. I didn’t work my ass off all through high school and take AP classes to get here and flunk out.

  “Kels, if anyone can do this it’s you. You have always been the most driven person I know,” Jessi said as she crossed the small dorm room and wrapped me up in a tight hug. “It will all work out. I promise.” She held up her pinky and I wrapped mine around it. From as far back as I can remember, we had being doing this. It was always our way of letting each other know it was going to be all right.

  “Okay! That’s enough of all this mushy, stressful talk. Bring on the boys and the booze!” And with that, my Jessi was back, and it made me smile. Never too serious for too long.

  I was sure this bar was going to be full of touchy, drunken, frat boys … but what the hell. I could use a drink.

  Jessi had called a cab while I finished getting ready, and it pulled up the minute we stepped out of the dorm. We climbed in, and she proceeded to tell the driver the address to the bar we would be going to. I played with my charms out of habit on the short drive over. We ended up in front of black building with a blue and purple neon sign of the word Shot’s with a shot glass tipping back forth at the end.

  “Classy,” I muttered under my breath as we got out of the cab and went toward the door.

  Thank God there wasn’t a long line, and we’d made it to the doorman within a few minutes. I’m not one hundred percent sure if he couldn’t actually tell our ID’s were fake, or if he just didn’t care. Either way, he gave us a nod to go on in.

  We stepped into a dimly lit hallway that led to the actual bar. With each step we took, the music that was playing grew louder and louder. We finally made it to the end of the dark hall and emerged into a sea or different color flashing lights. The bars back home were nothing like this. They were more along the lines of dive bars … just an old wooden bar with everyone’s uncle sitting around smoking cheap cigars, and drinking cheap beer. Shot’s to me was more along the lines of nightclub rather than a bar, with its huge dance floor and lounge areas.

  “There are a lot of people here,” I shouted into Jessi’s ear so she could hear me over the music.

  “Yeah, Shot’s is the closest bar to the college. Everyone always ends up here. Or so I was told. You want to get a drink before we do some dancing?” She smiled.

  I nodded my head. “Drinks then dancing. Let’s go do this.” If I was going to be cramped around all these people for the next few hours, the sooner I got some alcohol in my system, the better. I had always loved dancing. Losing myself in the music. What I didn’t love was the grabby pervs that thought any female dancing alone was fair game to pretty much sexually assault. There were so many people here tonight that I was sure I was going to end up kneeing someone in the balls before the night was over.

  We walked around the edge of the dance floor and made our way toward a long black bar. Jess waved one of the bartenders over and ordered us a strawberry long island iced tea. After the bartender handed me my drink, I turned around to face the dance floor. It was really hard to tell who was dancing with whom; it just looked like one big, body mass with everyone grinding against each other.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone come up beside Jessi. A quick glance confirmed it was the guy from the café earlier that day. I never did ask her his name. I wonder if she even asked him? He leaned down to say something in her ear, and put his hand on her waist, and I watched as she smiled up at him before saying something back in his ear. The music was so loud I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but he smiled back down at her. When she started running her finger back and forth across his chest, I decided I’d seen enough. I knew all of Jessi’s moves, and knew exactly where this was going. But when I went to turn, I found myself face-to-chest with someone.

  I slowly dragged my eyes up a black v-neck shirt, to a small silver hoop wrapped around a lip, and then up to a set of clear, gray eyes. I remember those eyes. I haven’t been able to get them out of my mind all day. I had been so distracted by them earlier; I’d never even noticed that his lip was pierced. Another thing I never thought I would find attractive but I was beginning to believe this man could make mud look good.

  Now that he wasn’t wearing his ball cap anymore, I could see he had short, dark hair. It was probably black, but I couldn’t be sure in the dim lighting of the bar. All I knew was his dark hair was a nice offset to those light gray eyes.

  “Easy there.” he said as he reached out to steady me by wrapping his large hands around my upper arms.

  “I—I’m so sorry,” I stutter. Stutter? I’ve never stuttered. How can someone who has literally said two words to me have me acting like a complete moron?

  “Not a problem,” he replied with a wide smile causing two deep dimples to sink into each of his cheeks. Oh the dimples. I’ve always
been a sucker for dimples.

  “My name is Kane. Kane Riley.”

  “Kelsey Rien,” I told him as I tried not to stare, but it was proving to be impossible for me to do. He’s probably the best looking guy I’ve seen in a while. Who am I kidding? He’s probably the best looking I’ve seen in all my life. His shirt fit tight on his massive toned arms, and with him standing this close, I could get a better look at the tattoos covering them. I couldn’t really make out what any of them were, but I could see that there wasn’t one bit of color to them. I’m no tattoo expert, but I’m pretty sure that style would be considered black and gray.

  He finally let go of my arms—that I had forgotten he was holding—and as his arm dropped, it caught a flash of light from the dance floor … and I would’ve sworn I caught a face staring back at me from his forearm before it fell to his side. I was still checking out his tattoos when I heard a sultry voice.

  “There you are, Kane. Long time no see,” the voice cooed. I dragged my eyes away from his tats to find a very pretty, very angry looking, dark-haired girl glaring at me.

  “Katie.” He nodded.

  “Where have you been lately? I haven’t seen you in a while.” She continued her attempt to carry on the conversation as if I wasn’t even standing there.

  Kane didn’t even take his eyes off mine as he replied, “Around. Just out tonight with Landon.”

  He nodded to something behind me, so I turned just in time to see Jessi’s tongue make its way into the mouth of the guy from the café; but at least I finally have a name for this kid. I’d kind of worried I would have to refer to him as Mr. Blue Shirt for the rest of my life.

  When I turned back around and away from my friend’s massive form of PDA, I found Kane still staring at me. I felt a blush creep up my chest and gave him a slight smile. Something that didn’t go over too well with this Katie. Her eyes narrowed at me as she leaned up to Kane’s ear.

  “Well since it’s been a while, why don’t we get out of here and…” I rolled my eyes and suppressed a gag as she went on to tell him her great plans in his ear.

  Kane gave her a little shove but then replied with a smug smile, “Sounds like a plan. I’ll find you a little later. All right?”

  The Katie girl seductively smiled up at him, and then glared at me before she sashayed off through the bar.

  He turned to rest his elbows on bar and sighed. “Definitely not going there again,” he mumbled before taking a swig from a bottle of water.

  I gave him a questioning look. Didn’t he just tell her he would find her later?

  “Sorry about that.” He looked over at me and said, “She can be a bit clingy.”

  “No need to apologize,” I told him. “I’ll let you get back to your girlfriend. I was just going to get another drink anyway.” I twisted around to the bar, ready to flag the bartender over, when I felt a hot body press against my side.

  “Let me get it for you. It can be hard to get the bartenders attention sometimes,” He said, leaning in close to my ear. My body involuntarily shivered, and I prayed to God he didn’t notice.

  When I finally composed myself again, I looked down to the other end of the bar, and, sure enough, I see the bartender playing with a strand of blonde hair that belongs to a girl leaning over the bar, giving him full view of her cleavage.

  “Really, I’m fine. You better go. She seemed to have big plans for you.” I nodded in the direction the little hussy walked off in.

  Hussy? Who am I to call this girl a hussy? I don’t know her from Eve. But I can’t ignore the awful feeling swirling around in my gut that I can only classify as jealousy. Except what do I have to be jealous over? I just met this guy. I don’t even know him. The only thing I know is his name is Kane, and that I am no doubt completely attracted to him … but I can’t for the life of me figure out why. He’s nothing like the type of guys I’m used to swooning over.

  “Really, I insist.”

  I could only stare at him and wonder why he would want to make a girl who was obviously ready and willing to roll around in the sheets—probably dirty sheets at that—wait on him just to get me a drink? But I didn’t linger on that question long, because honestly I didn’t want him to go yet. I wanted him to stay there with me, and stay far away from her.

  “Thanks.” I nodded and he curled two fingers into his mouth and let out a loud whistle.

  “DAVE!” he shouted and threw his arm up in a come-here motion. The bartender raised his head in our direction and gave Kane a smile, before turning back to his lady to tell her what I guessed was goodbye, and made his way to us.

  “So, you’re new? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here before,” Kane asked, obviously trying to make small talk while we waited for the bartender to get to us.

  “Yep. Just got here today actually. I start classes Monday at the U with my friend, Jessi” — I pause—“she would be the one who is currently sucking face with your friend over there.”

  We both looked over to see that they were indeed still going at it. Man, Jess, don’t you ever come up for air?

  “She seems … nice?” he laughed and I couldn’t help but also giggle. Jessi was a nice girl but she was also a spitfire and fiercely loyal to the people she loved most. She was a few inches shorter than me, standing around five foot two, but don’t let her height fool you. Jessi could beat the shit out of girls twice her size. Believe me, I’d seen it. Most of her more recent fights came from defending me in some way—even though she didn’t need to. It wasn’t like I couldn’t fight my own battles. That was just Jessi though. You didn’t mess with the people she cared about.

  “Well, anyway, they seem to be hitting it off pretty good. If things keep going this way, we may be seeing a lot more of each other.” he said as he bumped my shoulder with his. I couldn’t help the little smile I got at the thought of seeing more of him.

  “Um, I don’t think your girlfriend would like that too much,” I said, remembering the evil glare I’d gotten earlier just from talking to him.

  He scrunched his brow and gave me a truly puzzled look. “What girlfriend?”

  I waved my arm in the direction that she’d strutted off in. “The one who is waiting for you to come find her so she can get you somewhere and get all naked for you.”

  Just thinking about that girl all cozied up to his side made me feel uneasy. I didn’t know what it was about him, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how those tattooed arms would feel wrapped around me. Holding me tight. And how it would feel to pull that lip ring between my teeth and give it a little tug…

  “Who, Katie?” he asked, again jarring me from my train of thought that was headed in a seriously steamy direction. I blushed just at the thought of him knowing what I had been thinking about doing to him.

  “Huh? Oh yeah. That was her name I think.” I so didn’t think. I knew, but I didn’t want him to know I was paying such close attention to anything that involved him.

  He threw his head back and let out a long laugh, taking me by surprise for a minute. Oh shit, could he see my blush? Did he know what I had been thinking about doing to him?

  “Katie is not my girlfriend,” he stated strongly.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Oh, don’t give me that crap. By the way she had her nails dug into you, I would beg to differ,” I argued. If she isn’t his girlfriend now, she must have been at some point. You don’t get fiercely protective over someone you don’t have, or have never had, feelings for. Whether he’d had them for her or not, was not the point. She’d clearly had some claim staked on him, and was not going to let him go without a fight.

  “No really. She’s not. She’s a … close friend that I used to have.” He finished with a chuckle and I rolled my eyes at his attempt to get out of coming right out and saying she was or used to be his fuck buddy.

  “Well still, I don’t get involved with guys who whore around.”

  Which was true. I had never been attracted to the player type. I believed in commit
ment. I believed in love. And I never understood how some people could give their whole body to someone without knowing for a fact, that person was fully committed to them.

  He took a step back and grabbed his chest. “I’m shocked you would make such accusations about me. After all, we did just meet.” He winked. Oh god, did he have to wink? This man oozed enough sex appeal without kicking it up a notch with a sexy-as-hell wink.

  “So are you going to tell me you don’t?” I held firm in my argument. I was going to figure out as much about this man as I could. This crazy attraction had shaken me up, and I didn’t want it leading me down a dead-end road.

  “No, actually, I don’t ‘whore around’ as you so crudely put it.” He bumped my shoulder in a joking manner. I guess letting me know he wasn’t truly offended by my statement. “I simply take enjoyment in the company of beautiful women from time to time, and they take enjoyment in me … I might add.” He finished with a big smile.

  “Ugh. You’re impossible.”

  “Oh, come on. You have to get to know me. You might find out that I’m actually a pretty good time.” He waggled his eyebrows and I felt the need to slap them right off his face. Who did he think he was?

  “I am so NOT having sex with you, perv!” I all but shouted, and then glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to us. I couldn’t believe I had just shouted that out like that. He was downright infuriating.

  He seemed to find my outburst quite amusing and laughed back to me, “I never said anything about sex. Now did I? I just thought we could be friends. You took that to a whole new level.” He paused then cocked his head sideways. “Now who’s the perv?” He finished, taking another long sip from a bottle of water. I could feel my face heat up. Damn he had me there. He never said anything about sleeping together. I had made that assumption on my own. Maybe wishful thinking on my part? Just being around him for five minutes had me dunking my mind in the gutter. Who am I becoming around this stranger?