Page 4 of Devil's Kiss
He held his finger up and dashed into his closet to hunt down the cell.
Shit, shit, shit…Where had he left the damn thing? Flinging several shirts over his shoulder to the floor, he hunted under a pair of shorts, and a bathrobe, then spotted his messenger bag slung over the closet handle.Jackpot.
Racing to it, he got his fingers around the noisemaker just as his mother’s call went to voicemail.Oh great. Just great. She willnotlet me hear the end of that,he thought, as he spotted Rod heading toward the private elevator.
Pocketing the phone, Jordan followed and then leaned around him to press the down button. As the door opened, Rod walked backward inside and raised a brow. “Do you ever visit North Carolina at all?”
Pursing his lips a little, Jordan shook his head. “Hmm, not recently.”
“No problem. Last night was…unexpected. You’re a real firecracker.”
Jordan gave a shrug and winked. “Like lightning in a bottle, baby. I’m hard to capture or contain,” he said as the door slid shut and his guest went down one more time during their acquaintance.
Jordan dashed back into his bedroom, grabbed his car keys and the bag he’d been rifling through a minute ago, then snagged a banana and headed back to the elevator.
First day of college, here I come.It was time to head for class.Huh, he thought with a grin. This felt eerily reminiscent of his teenage years. A boy leaving his bed and his mother calling just in time to ruin the moment, or in this case, save him from an awkward one.
He really was lucky to have such wonderful parents, and he counted his blessings each and every day for that. It had taken him a few years before he’d been comfortable enough to embrace all that he was, but now that he had, he lived by a simple motto.
No excuses.
No apologies.
And not one damn regret.
Chapter 2
THE PEOPLE WHO stand out as special in your life are usually put in your path for a reason.
Camille Finley, Finn’s mom, had said that to him last night as Derek sat at her kitchen nook and ate a “good luck on your first day of college” spaghetti dinner with his best friend. He’d been in the process of trying to work out a way to thank her for being the mother he’d never had. But, as usual, when he’d gotten to the emotional “Thank you. I love you” part, he’d choked the fuck up. That had been when she walked around the counter and gave his large shoulders a squeeze, and whispered those words of wisdom in his ear.
He was starting to think the woman was right, too, because if it hadn’t been for her, he sure as hell wouldn’t be standing on the perfectly manicured lawn of a university with a swollen eye and one hell of a headache, waiting on her late-ass son.
Yeah,today was the first day of the rest of his life. His first day of college. And even though he’d worked damn hard to be there, a part of him already wanted out. The part that was embarrassed to know that he’d have to sit through class with his sunglasses on or look like the kind of dick who got into weekend fistfights.Fucking awesome.
The shitty part of the situation was that hewantedto be there. But now he was stuck with a shiner developing on his face that would no doubt draw attention and questions about himself, and not the good damn kind.
I mean, really, can the day get any worse?
The constant heat that blanketed the small town of Sunset Cove was in full effect as all the students who would be attending college for the upcoming year were trying to find their classes. He glanced at his watch again, and when he saw the time he grimaced. Finn was really late. That was just brilliant. Why not add that to the list of shit that was starting to pile up: late on the first day.
He should’ve known better. During his run he’d noticed the waves were perfect for surfing, and after years of friendship he should’ve clued in to what his buddy would be doing this morning, no matter how late it made him.
That didn’t help him out, though. He didn’t want to get off to a bad start with his professors, so he walked up the path that dissected the lawn and headed toward the front entrance of the History building. After climbing the stairs to the double doors, he heard his name being called from behind and spotted Finn jogging across the lawn toward him.
Daniel Finley—Finn to most, and Danny boy to him on occasion—was his best friend. He understood who Derek was and the situation he came from. That didn’t mean the two of them hadn’t had their fair share of throw-downs, though.
He was too irritated right now to bother acknowledging his friend, who had finally come to a standstill opposite him with a grin so wide it looked like it was about to slide right off his face. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Jesus. Relax, would ya? I got held up. My first class was an hour before yours, remember? And then the rooms got switched, so I totally missed it. By the time I found the damn thing, it was over and I got stuck explaining myself to my law professor. Why are your panties in such a twist?”
Shit, he’d forgotten that. He’d been too busy trying to work out how the hell to hide his mangled face. “Sorry, man. I blanked. But now I’m late. Not exactly how I wanted to start my academic future. With a professor riding my ass.”
Finn opened his mouth and a mischievous light entered his eyes. He was probably about to throw out some jab on how he knew Derek liked to be ridden, but then he caught himself and let whatever comment he’d been about to say go. Derek figured the grim expression he must’ve been sporting had a lot to do with Finn’s silence.
Daniel Finley may have had that easygoing surfer vibe happening, but he was one smart guy. Tall, almost as tall as himself, he was broad-shouldered, with a golden tan, and had shoulder-length blond hair that was currently shoved behind his ears. Most underestimated the guy, and were shocked as hell when this beach boy outsmarted them every damn time.
Wanting to steer the conversation to his own liking, Derek said, “You know, out of all the classes I’m dreading, history has to be top of the list. What the fuck do ancient ruins have to do with a business degree? It makes zero sense to even have it on my syllabus.”