“First, she’s fourteen, so I don’t know what kind of shit she has told you.”

My mouth falls open as I’m sure shock sprawls over my face.

“Second”—he slams my door closed so she can’t hear—“why the fuck didn’t you run this past me before taking her?” His chest is a whisper from mine and the goose bumps that prickle on my arms have nothing to do with the temperature of the air.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know she was young. I thought she was my age.” I fold my arms in front of me and his eyes fall down to the movement before following down past my thighs and back up to my face. I feel his eyes move over my exposed flesh like hot laser beams.

His head tilts to the side and the moonlight bounces off his sharp jaw. “Did she tell you anything?”

I run my tongue over my bottom lip, tucking my hair behind my ear. Doing all of the things I do when I’m trying to distract myself or—well, it has never happened yet—find someone attractive. Which I do. I think Wicked is the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. “A little bit.”

“And have you told her anything?”

My eyes come to his, and the way he looks at me is as though he can see right through my soul. “A little bit…”

“Yo!”

I quickly spin around and fall back slightly against Wicked’s chest. He doesn’t shift his weight. “What’s up?” I yell out to Jackson Paul as he trots his way down to my car.

He flings his shirt over his shoulder, his eyes drifting over mine and landing on Wicked. His smile disappears. “You good?”

“I’m fine, Jackson…” Jackson has had a crush on me all his life, but he’s respectful in a way that he’s allowed us to maintain a friendship.

“Who’s this?” He flicks his finger toward Wicked. “He coming in, or is he the reason little Miss Ruby La Rosa is leaving the party early…” Jackson hooks his arm around my neck to pull me into his chest, only Wicked catches my dress and yanks me back carefully.

I remove Jackson’s arm. “He’s a friend of my father’s, Jackson…”

His face instantly falls. His eyes widen before he flashes Wicked a wide smile. “Oh, hey, man. You wanna come in?”

Wicked grabs me by the hand and turns me back to face him. Everywhere he touches burns like a memory I’ve tried to forget.

I tilt my head up to look at him, only my eyes fall to his lips. The corner twitches.

“We’ll finish this at home.”