Page 27 of No One But Us

“Because he has good qualities too. And to be honest, I kind of understood what he was saying about the tour. When he’s on stage, he’s irresistible—even to me, probably even now. He has these beautiful girls throwing themselves at him after his shows. He was just being realistic, more than anything else. But I don’t want the pressure of being with someone who always has a dozen other offersanyway.”

James’ eyes hold mine. “Any guy who’s with you should be able to get a hundred offers and not think twice.” A shiver runs up my spine at the intensity in his voice. Goosebumps spread over the backs of myarms.

I stretch out my legs, ostensibly to survey the state of my pedicure. Actually, it’s a small test of Ryan’s theory. I want to know if James will check out my legsagain.

He does, so quickly I wouldn’t have caught it if I weren’twatching.

“I’m going to bed,” I tell him. There’s something shifting and restless in him. “You’re going for a run, aren’tyou?”

“Yep,” he says, tension creeping into his voice. “How’d youknow?”

I shrug. “I just did. You get this look on yourface.”

I bend over to pick up my heels, with a sudden certainty that he’s going to look at my ass. God knows he’ll see more than he planned on with the length of this dress. I hear it then, just the tiniest strangled noise from histhroat.

I go to my room, and he leaves, and it’s not until I’m lying in bed that I realize the most telling thing of all: he wasn’t waiting up for Ginny. He was waiting up forme.

Chapter 17

ELLE

All the goodwillI felt toward James is eradicated the next morning by a single text from Brian, informing me that I’m closing tonight, something that has never happened before. Irritation sets my stomach burning, because this is undoubtedly James’ fault. Fucking with my work schedule to keep me away from guys is taking his protector bullshit ten steps toofar.

Ginny blinks at me in confusion as I throw on my clothes. “What time is it?” she whispers. She sounds a littlerough.

“9:30. Did you havefun?”

She nods slightly, and then grabs at her head. “Shit. It hurts tonod.”

“It wasthatfun,huh?”

She opens her eyes warily andswallows.

“I hooked up with someone,Elle.”

“Are youokay?”

“I can’t believe I did that,” she says quietly, pushing her face into her pillow. “I mean, not once in three years have I cheated onAlex.”

“How wasit?”

“Kinda good,” she sighs, but this fact only seems to trouble hermore.

“Whowas it?” I ask, wondering for a moment if it’s Ryan. Wondering if it would botherme.

“Paul,” she says. “Thedrummer.”

Of anyone she could have chosen, Paul is the most unlike Alex of any of them. He gets a new tattoo every week, smokes a ton of weed, and appears to have no intention of ever graduating. I guarantee he’s never been to a Young Democrats meeting on campus. And he’s certainly not theirpresident.

I think Ginny has some wild oats to sow before she settlesdown.

* * *

Ryan drags himself off the couch when I come downstairs and wraps his arms around me from behind, kissing my cheek. “Hey there,” he says. It feels so natural, as if we never broke up. As if this is the kitchen in his apartment like any otherday.

He also has morning wood, just like a regularday.

“I’m not sleeping with you,” Ilaugh.

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