He doesn’t answer. Instead, he waves over a distraction. She’s blonde and beautiful. Striking. A wide and friendly smile lights up her face and she winks. My chest tightens. She takes her time walking over to us, letting me appreciate the curvy body that goes along with that beautiful face. She’s on the conservative side for this party, jeans and a T-shirt, but with a body like hers she doesn’t need to show skin to be sexy as hell. I resist the urge to shift in my seat.

“Hey, Austin. Who’s your friend?” she asks him, but her eyes are locked on mine. They’re a cool, deep green with a mischievous glint that matches the playful lift of her rosy lips. I take a long drag of my beer, not bothering to answer.

“This is Devin. Rhymes with heaven, but he’s closer to the devil,” Austin quips. I hate his smart ass. I level him with a glare and the fucker just laughs.

The girl’s soft voice drags my attention back to her. “I’m Jessica. Jessie.” She smiles at me and small dimples appear on each cheek. I swallow hard. “Are you a transfer? I don’t think I’ve seen you on campus before.”

“Not a student.” I stare through her.

She keeps right on smiling. “Just visiting? It’s an awesome campus. I can show you around sometime if you want. How long are you going to be here for?”

I ignore her, waiting for her to get bored.

“Devin’s a local boy. But I’m sure he’d love to be shown around some of your sights,” Austin pipes in.

I debate punching my best friend in the face when a loud crash draws our attention to the other side of the room, where some guy just took a swan dive off the pool table. In the packed space, it causes a chain reaction of people falling like dominoes. Limbs are flailing, followed by the sounds of bodies hitting the floor with grunts and groans. Jessie’s smile drops as she takes in the chaos. Just before the human wreckage reaches us, I wrap an arm around her and pull her against me. Her hands land on my chest and she lets out a quick gasp at my manhandling. The guy next to her tumbles over, spilling a drink on the carpet where she was just standing.

I sweep my eyes over Jessie, looking for any damage. She looks unscathed. Those dimples are back in her pink cheeks. “Thanks,” she purrs, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. My pulse kicks up.

I purse my lips and give a quick nod. I should let her go, but I don’t. She doesn’t pull away either.

Chapter Three

Jessie

Devin’s heartbeat is fast but steady under my palm. My own heart is racing at the sensation of being held against his hard body. He looks disinterested and annoyed, surveying the crowd around us. Even with that scowl affixed to his face, he’s devastatingly handsome. Despite sitting next to Austin Jacobs, considered one of the hottest guys on campus, Devin stands out. I couldn’t take my eyes off him from across the room. He’s tall and broad. Muscular in an everyday sort of way, not in the I-work-out-can-you-tell kind of way. His deep olive skin, black hair and dark eyes give him a mysterious appearance. Wearing weathered work boots, dark jeans and a long-sleeved black Henley pushed up to his elbows, he looks like he’d be more comfortable on a construction site than at this party.