Page 20 of Surge of Fire

He turns his attention to me. “Yeah, man.”

“I’m surprised you’re big enough for that,” I tell him casually.

Will does what I expect him to, stand up, looking more than a little pissed. Still, he’s almost a foot shorter than me. Not a tiny guy by anyone’s standard, but smaller than me, which is fun.

“I’m more than big enough,” he says, then turns back to Sam. “In every way.”

Bro Number One and Bro Number Two laugh. Sam’s expression is hard to read when she stands up, too. The guy’s just a little taller than her, although she’s probably one of the tallest women I’ve seen. Still, it should bug him.

What bothersmeis her outfit. She’s wearing a purple tank-top that does a hell of a job of emphasizing her large chest and tiny waist.Waytoo good of a job. The STEM letters across her tank-top are just a little stretched out, and the word gives every guy in the area an excuse to stare at her chest.

And her shorts? They’re criminally short, emphasizing her long legs. Making every guy who sees her picture just what it’dbe like to have those legs wrapped around them. Or maybe that’s just me.

“I wasn’t aware there was a height requirement for Fire Science majors,” Sam says, casting me a warning look, but I don’t care.

Granger is back at my side. “Maybe we should get another drink? Or turn in for the evening?”

I don’t even look his way. I look at Sam. “You ready for bed?”

“I was just about to ask her that,” Will says, in a tone that makes me itch to punch him.

I force a smile. It takes all my strength to keep my gaze on Sam. “Bed?”

Her gaze locks with mine. “I’m fine. I think I’ll hang out a little longer, but you’re welcome to call it a night.”

“I’ll wait for you,” I tell her.

She licks her lips, and my eyes follow the movement. “Fine, we’ll hang out longer.”

Longer ends up being a few more hours. Hours where we finish off the beer. Hours where the vodka comes out. I watch as Sam gets drunker. As we all become more intoxicated, I watch her every movement. The guy touches her, a lot, and she touches him back. It gets under my skin like shards of glass, but I can’t do a thing about it.

Nothing I try works. Not with her. Sam knows me well enough to know just how to bother me without letting things go too far, and she shows how much she knows about teasing and torturing men with every move she makes with Will and the bros.

I’m losing my mind. Granger has been working like the devil to keep me calm and keep the conversation from going in the wrong direction. I’ll have to thank him for that tomorrow.

When the fire starts to burn down, and more and more students leave the clearing, I sense all of this coming to an end,along with the fact that Will thinks he’s spending the night with Sam tonight. Which isnotgoing to happen. Even if I have to start a fight.

Sam rises suddenly and stretches. “I think I’m going to head in.”

I’m on my feet in an instant. “I’ll walk you back.”

Will stands, too. “I can take her back.” His tone is helpful.Jackass.

I move closer to her. “No, thanks.”

“Don’t answer for me,” Sam tells me softly, but there’s an edge to her words.

I grab her arm and pull her closer. “You’ve had a lot to drink.”

“I’m not a child,” she says, jerking her arm out of my touch.

“Will!” Granger calls, then gets the bros' attention. “How about a drinking game?”

The nameless assholes are all for it, spouting off which games they want.

Sam flashes Will and I a beautiful smile I don’t trust, then she focuses on Will. “Yeah, stay here and drink, or come hang out with me.”

Fuck. She’s not going to pull this shit, is she?

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