Page 5 of Risky Little Affair
Piper thinks I care too much about what other people think about me. Which I laugh at every time because my choice in attire normally says otherwise. It’s the little things I like to do for myself that drive me nuts when they’re not perfect. One being my hair. The other being nail polish.
“Hey!” Kendall greets as I approach Declan’s truck. “You ready for a few nights of freedom?”
All I do is nod and give her a weak smile. I’m more nervous than I let on earlier in front of Piper. I know my friends will do everything to make me feel welcome, but at the same time, I don’t want to get in the way of them spending time with their boyfriends. Especially since both relationships are new.
“Let’s get on the road,” K says encouragingly as she wraps her arm around my shoulder. “We have drinks to consume and tents to set up.”
Ugh.
My body stiffens at the thought. I’m the lucky girl that gets to share a tent with the youngest Graham brother. I’m not sure how I drew the short straw, maybe because I wasn’t there when everyone was discussing it.
I only hope he realizes that I’m not like the girls he beds on a regular basis. I’m not a whore.
That’s the last thought I have as I climb in the back of the truck, my eyes locking on the very man I was thinking about.
Short, buzzed hair. Light, hazel eyes with gray specs. Muscled chest, broad shoulders, and bulging arms that are testing the strength of the material of his shirt.
Micah Graham.
He looks up as I take the seat next to him, snapping my seat belt in place. In my peripheral, I can see him assessing me the way I did him when he wasn’t looking. Judging by the way he has to shift slightly in his seat, I’d say he approves of what he sees.
We’ve met a few times before, but we’ve never spoken to each other. I clam up in large groups, at parties, really anywhere I’m not comfortable. Which is why I tend to wear baggy clothes. No one pays me any attention and I like it that way. I can blend into the background, observe.
And I’ve observed him on more than one occasion.
The ride to the campground is filled with sexual tension. You can almost hear it crackling in the air. I’d love to say it’s because Kendall and Declan look like they’re about to jump each other’s bones, but I wouldn’t be having a reaction to what they feel.
Nope.
It’s my attraction to the man sitting silently next to me. The way he keeps glancing in my direction, his eyes dropping to my chest with every deep inhale I take.
How do I know?
I tested my theory.
Not once, or twice, but three times. And every time, his breathing increases.
So does mine.
Because I like the way it feels when his eyes caress my body.
Which spells trouble since we’re sleeping in close quarters. Alone.
Not that anything will happen between us. Nope. I already dismissed that idea. I don’t want to be just another notch on his bedpost... if he even has room for one more. I’ve heard the rumors. Seen him sneak in and out of my dorm. Girls talk, rather loudly, and the dorm walls are paper thin even though they’re made of concrete.
Micah Graham is a manwhore. He’ll bed anyone that is willing but only once. He has no shame. And there is a trail of devastated girls left in the wake of his promiscuous ways.
They may have thought they knew what they were getting into but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been tears shed.
Once we arrive at our destination, I keep my distance the best I can while setting up at the campground. I leave Micah to deal with our tent while I help Kendall and Lo set up the common areas. We move around picnic tables and pop-up chairs. Make sure the coolers are stocked with ice and put up a few tiki torches we’ll light later tonight when we get back.
The guys slowly make their way back to join us after the tents are up. Lo and Finn have their own campsite. So do Declan and Kendall. The rest of us are sharing. Which is a good thing. Maybe I’ll be able to resist my urges knowing other people are sleeping near us.
We don’t have much time before we’re due at the Palmers for their annual Independence Day party. As much as I wasn’t looking forward to it, I am now. There will be more people acting as a buffer between me and Micah. Not to mention the booze I’ll be consuming, hoping to take the edge off a little.
Evie was quick to notice and point out how he was looking at me when she arrived. Ever since she said something I’ve been looking over my shoulder, making sure I’m aware of where he is at all times. It appears he’s been doing the same because any time I look in his direction, our eyes meet for a brief moment.
Or, at first the moments were brief. They seem to last a little longer each time. My heart speeds up. My breathing hitches. It’s the ache in my grointhat it’s stirringthat causes me the most concern.