Fusion (Explosive #5) (19 page)

I frowned. “Is everything okay?”

She nodded and waved me off. “Oh, I’m fine. Just a little warm. I’m going to go splash some water on my face.”

Before I could protest, she practically sprinted to the bathrooms.

“What’d you do this time?”

I turned to see Jenna eyeing me suspiciously. Her hand was placed firmly on her hip.

“Me? I didn’t do anything,” I protested. At least, I hoped I hadn’t.

“Are you finally going to tell her?” she asked.

My eyebrows drew together.

She rolled her eyes at me. “Don’t play dumb with me, Jeremy Banks. You and Sierra have been sniffing around each other ever since she got back from Ohio. It’s time to shit or get off the pot. If you’re not going to date her, there are plenty of other boys here who will and who want to.”

“You think I don’t know that?” I hissed. “I’m telling her tonight!”

“I knew it!” A smile broke out on her face as she threw her arms around me. “It’s about freaking time! Chris and I will disappear so you won’t even have to worry about us at the after party,” she squealed. Then she clapped her hands and ran away before I could make her promise not to tell anyone until I had the chance to.

Just as I was about to follow and warn her, the DJ’s voice came over the speakers.

“All right, Raiders. We’ve had a special request tonight. This one comes from Sierra Sullivan to Jeremy Banks.”

My eyes widened as my heart hammered. I spun around, searching the room for her. I raised an eyebrow when I found her by the punch table, sipping innocently, and rimming the edge of the cup with her tongue. She shrugged her shoulders, struggling not to laugh.

What the hell?

As soon as the first notes played, I shook my head. Whoops and hollers sounded all around me, and a small clearing opened up. I beckoned for her to join me, but it was her turn to shake her head. Apparently, I was doing this one on my own.

“Hell yes! Let’s go, Banks!” Chris jumped in beside me.

I couldn’t say no. So I loosened my tie, rolled up my sleeves, and broke it down, Backstreet Boys style.

Was it original? Nah.

Was I the only one? Thank God no.

Was I sexual? Not at the moment, but after watching the way Sierra’s eyes were locked in on mine as I danced, I wanted to be.

Was I everything she needed to rock her body? I sure as shit wanted to be.

Thanks, Backstreet Boys. I was definitely glad you were back.

The moment the song was over, Sierra launched herself at me. “That. Was. Amazing.” She was breathless and giggling, which made the whole thing more than worth it. “Jenna told me she made you guys learn all the moves this summer while I was gone, and I didn’t believe it. But that was… God, that was so much more than I expected. Nick Carter who? He’s got nothing on you, Jeremy Banks. You’re the only boy-bander I’ll ever need,” She beamed at me for a moment before Chris whisked her away to do the Macarena.

I hoped she felt that way for the rest of her life. Then it hit me—I’d almost missed this chance. She’d been so close to coming to the dance with Danny. I’d almost lost her. I couldn’t—no, I wouldn’t—let that happen again.

Just as I was about to ask Sierra if she wanted to get out of there, the DJ announced it was time for the last dance. Talk about perfect timing.

Sierra was across the gym, and she looked up, searching for me. Our eyes instantly locked. My head cocked to the side, and she smiled hesitantly then beamed when I lifted my hand and beckoned to her. We both moved at the same time, meeting in the middle of the room just as Kenny Chesney’s “You Had Me From Hello” started playing.

I couldn’t have picked a more perfect song. Because it was true. Sierra had had me at hello, and she’d had me ever since. It had taken me a long damn time to realize it though. Which was why I was fixing that tonight. All I needed to do was get her out of there and alone. Because she deserved that. She deserved everything.

My arms slipped around Sierra’s slender frame, and my hands rested on the small of her back. She fit in my embrace perfectly, as if she were meant to be there. As her head rested against my chest, I wondered if she could feel my heart pounding.

This was it. I couldn’t wait any longer. The urge to lay it all out on the line for her was so powerful, I thought I'd burst if I didn't get it out soon. I just had to tell her how I felt and wish like hell she felt the same way. My lips brushed the top of her ear, lingering for a moment. She shivered underneath my touch. A good sign, I'd hoped.

“Sierra,” I whispered.

Her head lifted, her eyes wide with expectation. “Jeremy,” she breathed.

My name had never sounded sweeter. If I could record her saying it, I’d listen to it on repeat every night before I went to bed. Who needs the sound of a babbling brook when you have the girl of your dreams whispering your name with astounding affection?

I swallowed hard. “I have to tell you something.” I paused as her chest rose when she inhaled deeply. “I—”

Right when I was about to spill it, someone tapped on my shoulder. Once again, our moment was interrupted. My head fell to the crook of her shoulder, and her annoyed sigh filled my ear as she dropped her hands from my back. That made two of us.

When I looked back up, Danny Moyer was watching us curiously.

“Mind if I cut in?” he asked, a cocky grin forming on his face, which was begging to be punched.

I glanced from him to Sierra, whose eyes were pleading with mine. Pride because she didn’t want him swelled in me. If I had my way, she’d never want anyone else but me ever again.

“Yes,” I answered. “I do mind.” Without another word, I whirled her away from him.

“Thank you,” she said, flashing me a smile before wrinkling her nose in disgust. “He’s such an asshole. Now, you were saying?” she asked as she slid her hands up until she linked them around my neck.

I grinned down at her. “Yes, what was I saying?”

“Something about a sexy blonde in a super-hot, green dress?” she teased.

Just as I was about to respond, the last notes of the song played and the lights in the gym turned all the way up. Mr. Turoff was talking into the microphone, something about having a good night, being safe, blah blah blah. All I knew was I’d waited too long, and I couldn’t tell her at that moment.

I kissed her temple before pulling back and looking down at her. “We’ll talk later, okay?”

Her eyes searched mine. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

As I took her hand and led her out of the gym, I wished later was right then.

THE ENTIRE WAY TO
Ryan’s beach house, I was on edge. Pins and needles. Jeremy had been moments away from telling me something that seemed so important, and right when he’d been about to say it, Danny had interrupted. I wished looks could kill, because I’d shot that jerk my most heated glare, hoping he’d spontaneously combust on the spot. And then Jeremy had told me that we’d talk later.

Later?

I had been two seconds away from freaking out and telling Jeremy that later was now and I couldn’t wait.

Really, Danny? You wanted to cut in? What an asshole.
He’d dumped me before the dance and then expected me to save my last dance for him? No freaking way. If anything, I should’ve thanked him. His being a jerk had gotten Jeremy to ask me. A total win for me.

The house was pumping with music, and the sounds of partying echoed all around us as we walked inside. Jeremy’s firm grasp on my waist electrified all my senses. His lips found my ear, and I shivered at the sensation of his warm breath tickling my skin. I was so in love with that signature move.

“I promise, babe. We’ll talk later.”

Whoa.

Record. Scratch. Stop. Could we rewind? Or perhaps call “time” Zack Morris style? I needed to relive that moment all over again.

Babe.

It was a far cry from Sullivan, and I wanted to turn around and, in my best Meg Ryan move, tell him to take me to bed or lose me forever. Okay, so not quite that dramatic. We could start with maybe a kiss, but the sentiment was all the same. Instead, I nodded as disappointment filled me. I didn’t want to be around all of those people. I wanted to be alone with Jeremy.

Finally, someone—I’m pretty sure it was Chris—suggested Seven Minutes in Heaven. I rolled my eyes at the juvenile game. Weren’t we in high school? Still, I sat in the circle nonetheless. The pairings entered the closet then came back out with red cheeks. I never could tell if they were flushed with embarrassment or heat, but this game was pretty voyeuristic. The same could’ve been said for Spin the Bottle, but at least, in this one, you had some privacy.

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard my name being called. My eyes widened as I shook my head. “Oh, no, I’m not—”

But then the next name was called and my protests were silenced.

“Jeremy. You’re up, too.”

My heart stopped. My eyes raced to meet his, but he was seemingly unaffected. He simply shrugged his shoulders, stood, and wiped his hands on his pants. Whoops, hollers, and catcalls all rang out as he helped me up and led me to the closet where Ryan had claimed all the magic was supposed to happen.

For the first minute or so, we didn’t even look at each other. We just sat on the floor, across from each other, our knees nearly—but not quite—touching. Then Jeremy cleared his throat, causing me to glance up. The seconds were ticking away, and the longer time passed in silence, the more worried I became. Why wasn’t he making a move? I mean, it wasn’t that I wanted our first kiss to be in a closet closed off from thirty other horny teenagers, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. And I was seriously close to begging.

“So,” he finally said, breaking the silence. His jaw was clenched and his brows were knitted together. “This is awkward.” His tone was teasing, and I knew I shouldn’t take offense, but I did.

My heart sank. The butterflies that had been flitting about in my belly since we’d first locked eyes in the living room suddenly ceased to move.

Awkward.

All night, I’d thought he was finally seeing me as more than Tod. More than Joey. More than his female best friend. Had I thought wrong? The idea of kissing me was awkward?

I laughed even though my heart was breaking. “Yeah, awkward.” I shoved off the floor. “Besides, who wants to have their first kiss in a closet with someone who doesn’t even like you?”

A sob was bubbling up. I had to get out of there.

“Sierra,” Jeremy whispered, but I couldn’t look at him. All I had to do was wait for the timer to go off and bolt from the closet, down the hall, and out the door. I’d sprint down the beach as fast as I could to get away from all of this…awkwardness.

Apparently, Jeremy had other plans.

He stood and crossed to me, placing his arms on the wall behind me, blocking me in. “I didn’t mean it’d be awkward kissing you. Just that it’d be awkward here in the closet…all those people listening on the other side.” He exhaled. “We don’t have to do this, you know. It’s just a game,” he told me, seemingly unaware of the way my heart was racing.

I wished he’d acknowledged, just once, the way things had been changing between us, especially since I’d gotten home from Ohio. I saw him differently. I had for a long time. Did he see me differently as well? Should I tell him how I felt? That my stomach always twisted into pretzel-like knots whenever he was around and how my heart missed him when he wasn’t?

“I want to,” I said abruptly.

His eyes widened slightly, and he nodded, bringing his head closer to mine. Suddenly, the space in the closet was restricting—as if the walls were closing in on us—but I didn’t dare try to move.

“I’ve never actually kissed a boy before,” I admitted as my heart hammered in my chest.

His breath tickled my lips as he exhaled a curse. Clearly, he was surprised at my admission. “Neither have I,” he responded, leaning in and closing the distance between us.

I’d like to say our mouths met with a fiery passion that had sparks flying all around us. That the air was electrified and swirling, locking us in a tornadic fury of lust and love.

But the truth is, when his lips met mine, I was laughing at his words, which caused our foreheads to bump together. Instead of slow, sweet, and achingly perfect, his lips kind of mashed against mine, drowning out my laughter. My body went rigid at the contact, and we just stood there, stock-still. The force of his kiss pressed my lips into my teeth, but I couldn’t move. Our eyes were locked in place, and while his kiss might not have been magical, the affectionate look in his eyes certainly was.