Page 63 of Learning Curve

“It’s not a big deal. Really.”

Kayla’s narrowing eyes say otherwise.

“It’s fine,” I reassure both of them. “I’m so over Dane’s rainbow, I’m with the leprechaun at the end. He and Nadine can ride off into the drunken sunset together—the sooner, the better.”

Julia nods and Kayla grins.

Arms wrap around me from behind and sway me side to side, and I know who it is immediately. His smell is unmistakable and unlike the rest of the male Dickson population who cover themselves in cologne. Clean soap and deodorant and a little bit of male musk is all Finn Hayes needs.

“Vampire?” he questions, a barely there smile curling the corners of his perfect mouth on the shell of my ear. I shiver at the feel of his lips—lips I’ve kissed before—on my skin.

I shrug my shoulders into his chest. “Julia let me borrow it.”

“So, she’s the one I should blame for all these fuckers staring at you?”

I snort. “People aren’t staring.” I turn to look over my shoulder just as Finn shrugs.

His smile is mischievous and heartbreaking. “I was.”

Finn Hayes is smiling and flirting and outright telling me I’m hot? I swear, in the two months we’ve been in school together, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this unrestrained.

“Lia!” Ace’s voice booms as he and Blake join our group on their way out of the kitchen. “What the hell are you wearing?”

It’s an ironic question, given his snake charmer costume. There’s a cobra sticking out of the front of his pants—literally.

She scrunches up her nose and glances down at her costume before saying, “Uh…a Catwoman costume?”

“I can see that. But why do you have to be so…”

“So…?”

“Hot?” Kayla offers through a laugh.

“Sexy?” I add, making Finn chuckle into my hair.

Ace frowns, stepping toward her so his snake pokes her in the breasts. “I’m not leaving your side tonight.”

“What?” Julia questions on a laugh. “I don’t need a protector.”

He narrows his eyes. Julia narrows her eyes right back at him.

Finn settles his hands on my hips, and my vagina tingles so hard I feel it in my throat.

Holy cow, what is happening tonight?

“I’m going to get a drink,” I announce, even though I’m not thirsty at all. But a little distance from Finn feels like a good plan.

To my surprise, he says, “I’ll go with you,” and grabs my hand.

My head says shit, but the flutter in my chest says something else entirely. This…this is the Finn I’ve been dreaming about since the moment he wiped the tear off my face in the rain.

As he guides us deeper into the party with one hand in mine and the other at the top of my very small vampire shorts, I feel like I’m in seventh grade again, mooning over Tony Gorassi as he held my hand.

When we get to the kitchen, the frat brothers, dressed like western robbers—or bandoleros, as they so helpfully keep yelling at random moments—point us in the direction of drinks. Finn lets go of me to rummage through the coolers on the island counter, and I have to wrap my arms around myself to ebb the feeling of emptiness. “Do you want a drink, drink? Or, like, a soda drink?”

“Soda. Definitely soda.”

There’s so much booze in this house, covering every surface, that I’m surprised he can even find a soda, but after rummaging for what feels like forever, he manages to hand me a Mountain Dew.

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