Page 22 of Bad Moon Rising

It’s nothing like what I imagined. There’s no swelling music like there is in movies. There’s just my oldest friend, the boy I trust more than anyone else in the world, the boy who is very much a man now, with hard, broad shoulders that pin me against the wall and demanding lips that tear a moan from my throat.

His hands fist my hair, trapping my face so I’m powerless to do anything but take him in and drown in the taste of him. His tongue tangles with mine, and as his body arches against mine, I can feel his hardness jab against my thigh.

Brooks is hard…for me…

I reach up and wrap my arms around him, pulling him closer, taking everything he gives and demanding more. This is crazy. I’m kissing a boy five years older than me in an alleyway in my prom dress. My mom is right inside, and she’ll only be distracted by the pretty dresses for so long before she comes out and sees us—

I don’t care. Brooks’s tongue is in my mouth, and he tastes like hazelnut and darkness, and I want more, more, more. I wrap my legs around his back, and his hand slides under my butt and pushes me up. He makes a sound low in his throat, and the party between my legs becomes an ache that I need him to—

With a roar, Brooks tears himself from me. He staggers back like he’s drunk. His lips are swollen, flush with color. His eyes are unfathomable.

“Brooks?” Without him holding me up, I grip the wall to stop myself from toppling over. I’m trembling, but is it fear or…or something else?

His face twists, and a cold, ugly cloud settles over his eyes. He backs away from me, heading in the direction of the street. I want to go after him, but I can’t move.

“Stay away from me,” he yells. “And stay away from my brothers. Go to college. Get far, far away from Haddenwood. Live your perfect life, and forget all about us.”

“I can’t do that,” I whisper. How can I forget this kiss? How can I forget the way my whole body is on fire?

“That’s an order, Lily Dean.”

Before I can say another word, he whirls around, picks up an armload of silverware, and leaves me. Again.

9

BROOKS

I fling myself into the Mustang, dropping the silverware at my feet, and gun the engine. I don’t know where I’m going. All I know is that I have to get away.

Far, far away from Lily Dean and that fucking dress.

Before I do anything else I’ll regret.

My fingers on the wheel are lily-white as I tear out of the parking space. I jam my foot on the accelerator, a frown tugging down my lips. I’m probably breaking a dozen road laws right now, but I don’t care.

I kissed her.

I broke the one fucking rule I made for myself when I came back. I didn’t even want Lily to know I was here, but not only did I mess that up by running into her and Orion the very first day, but I kissed Lily.

I let her get under my skin again.

How could I be so fucking weak? So stupid?

How could she think that I hate her?

I can’t hate her. I’m consumed by her.

I’ve thought about the night of her sixteenth birthday every day that I’ve been gone. I’ve wished harder than I’ve wished for anything in my life that she wasn’t her and I wasn’t me and we could have normal lives together. I tried to do the right thing. I tried to push her away. Part of the reason I left is so she could forget about me and be with one of my brothers so that at least they could have one of those sitcom families together filled with love and a future and all the normal, beautiful things she deserves.

But then she runs after me in that dress, still wearing the witch’s mark I gave her, looking like a succubus raised from hell to lead me into ruin. I’m only human. I only have so much self-control.

Fuck, her lips are so soft. And even though I mauled her like a rabid dog, even though I know I was rough with her, she loved it. She wrapped her legs around me and pulled me into that hot body of hers. She didn’t hold back.

And that sound she made. That hot little purr, like a kitten being stroked just right…

I kissed Lily Dean, and she liked it.

Goddammit.

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