Page 28 of Chasing Xander
Kylie’s jaw dropped. Did he seriously offer to buy her a new phone? What the hell? She closed her mouth, then opened it again to tell him how crazy that was, but Eric returned before she could speak. He set down two shot glasses filled with a cherry-red liquid.
“Sex on the Beach.” Eric smiled.
Xander picked up the shots and handed one to her before lightly tapping his glass to hers. “Also my favorite.” He winked, lifted the glass in salute, and then swallowed the liquid in a single gulp.
She sniffed the drink and scrunched up her face. It had a sweet smell, but it wasn’t sweet enough to mask the liquor. Raising the glass to her lips, she took a deep breath, her heart racing.I can do this.Without a second thought, she downed the shot. She expected a bad aftertaste or a burning sensation when she swallowed, but she was pleasantly surprised by the sweet flavor. “Mm.” She licked her lips.
“Keep ’em coming, Eric,” Xander called without taking his eyes off her. His gaze was intense and filled with an emotion she couldn’t describe. Goose bumps broke out on her arms, and she suppressed a shiver.
Eric set two more in front of them, and she stared at hers. “Those are really good,” she said, nodding at the glasses.
“They are,” he agreed, picking up his shot. That familiar twinkle returned to his eyes, obliterating her good sense. “You going to drink that?”
She shrugged, not wanting to divulge her fears about becoming a raging alcoholic. “I’m pacing myself.”
“Fair enough.” He pushed both the glasses away and rested his arm on the bar. “So, tell me. Who is Kylie?” He scooted closer to her, so close their knees touched, and her stomach jumped. She sat perfectly still, afraid if she moved even an inch, he would, too, and then she’d be left without the heat of his body touching hers.
She shrugged. “I’m just a freshman sitting here having a drink with an upperclassman.”
He chuckled. “Yes, I can see that. But I want to know aboutyou. Where do you come from? What’s your major? Do you have a boyfriend who’s going to show up and beat my ass?”
Kylie shook her head. “I’m from a very small town in Ohio. Celeste and I actually went to school together. We hated each other when we first met.” She laughed at the memory. “But I totally grew on her, and now we’re best friends. I’m majoring in social work and psychology, with a focus on drug dependency.”
“Wow. Smarty pants.” He grabbed the shots he’d pushed away. “Let me guess, you want to save the world?” He downed one in a single gulp.
“Nope. Not the world. Just kids who are unfortunate enough to have shitty-ass parents.” She shifted on the barstool and looked around. Talking about her parents was always unpleasant. The familiar rock that landed in her gut each time she had to think about her father reappeared, dampening her mood. She grabbed the other shot and swallowed it. She wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue. That one didn’t go down so smooth. In fact, there was a horrible bitter taste left in her mouth. “Ew.”
“Oh yeah?” He leaned forward so their faces were inches apart, and then he put his hands on her knees. Heat shot up her thighs and radiated through her body, making her limbs tingle with the need for more. Her heart lodged in her throat, and her gaze darted down to his hands. She waited, hoped he would move his hands farther up her legs or that he’d lean even closer and kiss her. But he didn’t.
“Yeah,” she whispered.
“Then I’ll get you something else. But first…you never answered me about the boyfriend.”
She raised a brow. “You’re asking me about a boyfriend now? Isn’t that something you should’ve asked me a week ago?”
“Probably, but playing in the grass with your panties distracted the hell out of me.” He laughed. “I haven’t really been able to think about anything else since then.”
Well, that was a mental image she wouldn’t be able to get rid of anytime soon. Not that she wanted to. “No boyfriend.”
His face lit up with a gorgeous smile. “Good.”
“What about you? Any girlfriends I should know about?”
“No.” He held her gaze for a moment, and she sucked in a breath. “How about a blow job?” His expression was unflinching.
“What?” Her eyes widened, and she pulled back slightly. “Did you just ask me to give you a blow job?”
“What? No.” He shook his head adamantly, seemingly as shocked as she was. Then he laughed. “It’s a drink that tastes a little like chocolate milk. But hey, if you’re game for an actual blow job, I’m not gonna say no.”
She laughed nervously. “I’m sure you wouldn’t.”
“I’m also partial to Slippery Nipples and Redheaded Sluts, preferably together.”
Her jaw hung open. “Please tell me those are drinks, too.”
He flung his head back and laughed. “Yes, they’re all drinks. I don’t know who comes up with the names, but there are a lot of dirty-sounding drinks out there.”
“Really? Like what?”
