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Chapter Five

Sawyer

I still couldn’t figure out why I was here Sure, I’d been to Kayla’s birthday parties every year since seventh grade but that had been because Ash wanted to coer mattered, so why the hell was I here?

Spill Canvas blared through the speakers outside The pool had several different colored strobe lights pointed at it fro the blue water appear pink, purple, green and yellow Teak loungers surrounded the pool along with tiki torches Last year, Jake had buht an uet too out of hand, Beau had picked it up and chunked it into the pool We’d laughed about it for weeks afterward

I ht outside the pool house, which basically consisted of largeto endure tonight, I needed alcohol Lots of it

"Sawyer! The man has arrived," Ryan Mason slurred He was already drunk This was no surprise The Mason boys were the owners of the land that we had our field parties on Ryan’s older brother had started the field parties years back

I nodded his way and reached for a bottle of Corona that was hidden under ice cubes

"That’s it buddy, drink up Ain’t got to ihter anymore, do ya?" Ryan called out froirl I was pretty sure had gone to our school snuggled up beside him

I didn’t respond to his asinine comment Like Ash cared about that Hell, she’d leftit into the recycle bin beside the drinks, I took a long swig The cold liquid didn’t ood

Turning to walk back to the house and maybe find a television so I could turn on ESPN Sports Center, I took only a few steps before the glass doors opened and out stepped Ashton, Beau, and Lana

Ah hell, I should’ve stayed home Ashton waved at Kayla and pulled Lana over to where Kayla was lounging with soraduated with Beau’s eyes met mine and he sauntered over to stand beside me Both his hands were tucked into the front pockets of his jeans

"Didn’t think you’d coing, I held up the Corona in rinned and nodded Free beer was definitely so he understood His eyes didn’t leave Ash as she chatted happily with the other girls The tiny cover-up she earing over her bikini left little to the iination She’d never dressed like that e’d dated Probably another one of her atte perfect forout," Beau warned

I shifted my eyes to Lana and was surprised to see her in a pair of really tiny shorts Her legs weren’t tanned like Ash’s but they were long and shaped exactly like Ashton’s The pale creaaze up her body and took in the way her hips flared just below a very small waist completely visible in the halter-top she wore over her bikini It was odd that she had so many freckles on her face The rest of her body looked so perfectly smooth she appeared almost airbrushed

"I think she likes you," Beau’s words broke into aze off Lana’s head of dark copper curls and looked at my brother

"What?"

"Lana, she asked about you this evening Wondered if you’d be here," Beau sht have a crush on the quarterback"

I shifted my attention back to Lana at the same time she peered over her shoulder and our eyesher way Ashton’s cousin wasn’t hard on the eyes and she was really sweet I took another drink ofmy mind off Ash with Lana

"Told ya," Beau said in an aht Lana’s mouth lifted in a small smile and I remembered how soft her lips had felt under mine It’d been one helluva kiss

"Coer than a beer It’s ti the shit out of each other again"

Beau headed for the pool house and I reluctantly broke the lingering gaze we’d held longer than I expected, to follow my brother

Lana

Beau pressed his hand on the lower part of Ashton’s back in a territorial way as he led her toward the stairs I watched as she fought between the desire to go with her boyfriend and her duty to stay with me

"I can’t leave Lana," Ashton whispered

Beau grabbed her waist and tugged her up against his chest His eyes never once left Ashton’s face "Lana is a big girl and won’t mind if I steal you away for a few rinned at oing to piss off Beau Vincent by ad o do whatever"

Beau turned his gaze back to Ashton, "Please come with me" His voice had dropped and his eyes went all dark and pleading No way Ashton was going to turn hi lance I watched as Beau led her up the stairs Surely, she wasn’t going to have sex with hi my head, I turned to head back outside Maybe Saould be alone and I could work up the nerve to go talk to him

Before I reached the door, Saalked inside His eyes seelassy and his normally perfectly styled hair was messy I stopped and watched him as he scanned the roorin spread across his lips and he sauntered towarda little?

"Hey Lana, what you doin’ all alone?"

I sed the nervous knot inhis "Uh, well, Ash and Beau went," I pointed toward the stairs unable to tell hione to do

His ary snarl as he shifted his focus to the steps leading upstairs like they were repugnant Great, I’d got hiain

A warm hand closed around mine and I squeaked in surprise Sawyer chuckled and slipped his fingers between mine, "Come on, sweet little Lana You can come entertainat those long sexy legs all night You aped at him as he pulled s were sexy? I didn’t have ti me down to sit in his lap

He buried his face in ood," he murmured One of his hands slipped around my waist and his hand spread out across the front of my bare stomach while his other hand wrapped a strand of er

"Feels like silk," he whispered and ran my hair across his lips AfterThis was the closest I’d ever gotten to a boy and the fact it was Sawyer-- terrified and excited me all at once