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 offers anyway.”

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 my arms.

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 legs again.

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

“I’m going to bed,” I tell him. There’s something shifting and restless in him. “You’re going for a run, aren’t you?”

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

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

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 his throat.

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 for me.

Chapter 17

ELLE

All the goodwill I 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 too far.

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

“9:30. Did you have fun?”

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

“It was that fun, huh?”

She opens her eyes warily and swallows.

“I hooked up with someone, Elle.”

“Are you okay?”

“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 on Alex.”

“How was it?”

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

“Who was it?” I ask, wondering for a moment if it’s Ryan. Wondering if it would bother me.

“Paul,” she says. “The drummer.”

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 their president.

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

* * *

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 other day.

He also has morning wood, just like a regular day.

“I’m not sleeping with you,” I laugh.