Twisted Love Read online

  I’d been a total bookworm back in high school. I probably would still qualify as one since I usually averaged about two or three books a week. I hadn’t changed much in the looks category since high school, though. The main difference being that I cared a lot more about what I wore now. In high school, even though I had a pretty face and a nice body, I tended to hide it underneath plain clothes with no makeup. I was always scared of boys back then and tried not to attract too much attention.

  But romance was still a scary prospect for me. In the years since I’d left school I’d been involved with a few guys, but just one serious relationship. Of course, because it was such a huge fear of mine, he cheated on me and I was humiliated. I swore off men after that and I certainly wasn’t planning on finding anyone at a silly high school reunion.

  But my mind kept wandering to Damon. I had to admit I’d wondered on more than one occasion what became of him. When Christie begged me to come with her, he was the only person I thought it would be nice to see, even though that thought also terrified me.

  Getting involved with a man was the last thing I wanted or needed at this point in my life, though. I had a decent job, plenty of hobbies, and for once in my life, I felt satisfied. The one thing that was missing was passion and excitement, but I did a good job of convincing myself that I didn’t really need it. I got enough from the books I read with their tall, dark, and handsome men whisking women off to a secluded castle in the countryside. Especially if the woman’s dress was somehow ripped off of her in the process. As far as I was concerned, that was all I needed to keep me company.

  Christie peered around at the crowd. It was still astounding to me that I’d wound up best friends with the prom queen. No one in the entire school could believe it was true. Actually, none of them knew who I was, so whenever Christie would mention my name, the common response was ‘Amber who?’ It never bothered me, though. I mostly hung out with Christie in her parents’ basement, watching horror movies and listening to her dad’s old records. When we were at school it was like we existed in different dimensions.

  Christie was obviously much more outgoing than I was. While she scanned the room for people to get reacquainted with, I kept my eyes lowered and tried to make myself as invisible as possible.

  “Where’s the bar? I really need a drink,” I said, my voice sounding more sullen than I’d intended.

  "Shh...I'm cock-gazing," Christie said, her eyes scanning the room.

  “Oh brother. You’re seriously cruising our old senior class? There’s nothing here you haven’t seen before, Christie. It’s all the same boring people telling the same lies to make themselves feel better about the bad choices they’ve made.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Christie said, falling back down onto her heels with a sigh. “I guess I was just hoping for some hot high school reunion sex. Maybe in the gym? Under the bleachers?” she said with a laugh.

  “You’ll probably wind up in the men’s room bent over the toilet.”

  “Actually, that doesn’t sound half bad.” Christie smiled and grabbed my arm, then gave me a playful shake. "You need to relax, Amber. This could be fun. Get rid of that scrunched up forehead and the scowl you’ve got on your face and at least pretend like you want to talk to someone. Do you think they have wine here?"

  “Oh, they better." If I didn’t get a drink in me soon, I was going to sneak outside and sit in the car for the rest of the night.

  Christie stood on her toes again, peering off into the crowd.

  "See anything?"

  “No …” she said, holding onto my wrist to keep from falling over. "It looks like maybe … oh wait! There’s Jessica and Kent! Let’s go see them first.” Christie pulled on my hand but my legs wouldn’t move. I looked up in the direction she was pulling me and I saw Jessica and Kent, but I also saw someone else. Damon Andrews.

  “Is that Damon with them?” she asked. “Damon Andrews? I always had a crush on him.”

  “Really?” I asked. “You never told me that.”

  “Well, he was a little different. Not really the football team types I would normally date. But I always thought he was so hot. You know, that strong, silent type. The type that would throw you around a little once they got you into bed. Plus, I knew you had a major thing for him and I never wanted to hone in on your big crush.”

  I glared at Christie, but what she said was true. I’d always had a thing for Damon Andrews. Especially after the night of the graduation party. The way he towered over me in that dark parking lot, pressing me up against the wall and taking control.

  He had always been so shy and reserved. All throughout high school I would see him sitting on top of a cafeteria table with his back against the wall reading some deep, philosophical book while everyone in the room kept their distance. He was always the odd guy out.

  But that night, when he pulled my body up against his and his mouth pressed into mine, he turned my world on its side. I can still remember exactly how he tasted, and some nights when I’m lying in bed, alone in the dark, that kiss still haunts me.

  It had been so long, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel if I actually did see him here. But when Christie said his name, all the feelings from that night outside the bowling alley came flooding back.

  “Good Lord, what happened to him? He looks amazing.” I couldn’t stop Christie from dragging me across the room anymore so I just gave up and walked with her. I kept turning and looking behind me, though, because I didn’t want to see those eyes of Damon’s. I was afraid of what they’d do to me. Even after all these year.

  From all the way across the room it was obvious how much he’d changed. Damon had been tall and quiet and good-looking in high school. A little goofy too, which I’d always liked. But now … now he was gorgeous.

  “Are you sure that's him?" I asked, still trying futilely to hide myself and pretend I wasn’t interested.

  “It has to be. He and Kent were best friends. Wow, that lanky body of his really filled out.”

  I glanced up again and took a better look. His shoulders were wide and strong under the tailored suit he wore. And he had an air of confidence now that was striking. He was standing back, still keeping to the outskirts of the conversation, just like in high school. But now he looked so much more comfortable, like he’d grown into his own skin. It was almost as if he were commanding that corner of the room without doing or saying a thing.

  The closer I got to the table the more intense the feeling between my legs became. And even as terrified as I was about the feelings inside me, I knew I had to talk to him. But when I looked closer, I saw that Damon was talking to one of the girls at the table.

  “Who’s he talking to?” Christie asked. “Ugh, it looks like Maggie Dayton.”

  I recognized Maggie, too. She’d always been one of the most popular girls in high school. I hated how being back here brought out those ridiculous feelings. We weren’t in high school anymore and there were no ‘popular’ girls in real life, but seeing the way Maggie swooned over Damon made my blood boil. I didn’t want any of these people to be here anymore. I wished it could just be me and Damon, alone.

  "Yeah, it’s her all right,” Christie said with a sigh.

  “Maybe we should go find a drink first,” I said, stopping her in her tracks.

  “Oh, come on. She’s not that bad. Besides, we’re all adults now. None of these people are the same assholes they were in high school.”

  “How do you know that?” I asked.

  “I don’t. I’m just hoping. Look, you know you want to see him.”

  "What?" I said, trying to act like I had no idea what she was talking about, but feeling a tell-tale blush start to creep across my face.

  “Don’t give me that. You’ve had a crush on Damon Andrews since we were in grade school.”

  “No, I have not.”

  Christie folded her arms and laughed. “And who exactly are you trying to convince, with that red face and those big, innocent eyes? Come on, now�
�s your chance. You hardly ever come back to town and you’re never going to be in the same room with these people again … including him. Besides, what do you have to lose?”

  Christie was right. I needed to take a chance. I didn’t know any of these people anymore, so who cared what they thought. Especially Maggie Dayton. I was going to walk right up to that table and I was going to talk to Damon.

  “But what if he doesn’t remember me?”

  “If he doesn’t remember the old you, he’s definitely going to notice the new you. You look fabulous, Amber. You’ve got a body that doesn’t quit, every inch of it defying gravity. And that dress tells no lies. You’re going to knock him dead. Maggie doesn’t stand a chance.”

  I hesitated for just a minute longer, trying to come up with at least one solid argument for why I should disappear with a bottle of cognac, but the feeling inside me propelled me forward. From where we were standing, I could see Damon’s fierce, dark eyes; the darkest eyes I’d ever seen in my life. Back in high school and ever since. And every fiber of my being wanted to look into them while they were on me. The way they burned into me when he looked down at me that night.

  "I'll go say hello after he's done talking to her."

  "No, you’re going now," Christie said. She grabbed my hand again and pulled me toward the table, yelling from halfway across the room at Jessica and Kent.

  I could feel my legs shaking as I approached the table where Damon stood, and it was a full minute before I could make my eyes look up at his. But when I did, the rest of the world fell away. Every single sound and person that surrounded the two of us was gone, and all that was left were those dark eyes of his, and the smile that was slowly spreading across his handsome face.

  Damon

  Chapter 3

  I wasn’t really interested in talking to Maggie Dayton but she kept asking me questions, and although I’d stopped giving a damn about hurting anyone’s feelings a long time ago, I felt a strange compulsion to be polite at this reunion. She kept asking questions about my career and even went so far as to ask how much I made last year. I just fed her one line after the other, though. Sort of a reverse pick-up-artist act, if you will. I told her I was pleased with my earnings, especially after working in the custodial department of a large marketing firm for five years and finally getting a fifty cent an hour raise. She didn’t look too happy after that and I was secretly beaming on the inside.

  When Amber showed up at the table, Maggie might as well have become invisible. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Amber’s hypnotic blue eyes and I could barely breathe as my eyes followed the dark strands of her hair as they curled around each of her breasts. She wasn’t dressed anywhere near as over the top as the woman next to her, but what she had on showed off her incredible body in ways that blew my mind.

  I brushed past Maggie to give Amber a hug, and as I did, I saw in the corner of my eye that she gave Amber a glare. I wondered what that was about for a split second, but when my body came within a few inches of Amber’s, the rest of the world fell away.

  She looked surprised at first, and I didn’t blame her. We hadn’t been very good friends in high school, definitely not good enough to warrant a hug after a ten-year absence. But those feelings that had flooded my body the night we kissed were back in full force and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass me by. This time I was prepared to do anything it took to make Amber mine. I wasn’t going to hide in a corner with headphones drowning out the world or worry if anyone was laughing. After seducing God knows how many women—in the hundreds, at least—I knew I had the confidence now, and was planning on using every ounce of it tonight.

  My hands slipped around Amber’s waist and I heard her breath suck in sharply as I pulled her into me. I felt her hands land gingerly on my shoulders, but within seconds they were wrapped around my neck, her fingers grazing the hair on the back of my head. It was just like we were back in that parking lot and my entire body tingled with anticipation.

  “You’re the one that looks incredible, Amber,” I said in a low voice into her ear. “You don’t look a day older than you did the last time I saw you.” I pulled back, but let my hands linger on her waist. She didn’t move away from me either, and for a long moment we stared into each other’s eyes. “You remember that night, don’t you?” I wasn’t going to hold anything back. I was out for the kill.

  “Yes, of course I remember,” she whispered up to me. But the spell was suddenly broken when Amber looked back at the table and realized that everyone could hear what she was saying. “I … uh … thank you, Damon. I suppose I try to take care of myself.” She pulled her hands down off my shoulders and took a step back. I waited another couple of beats—allowing myself to tower over her for a long moment—before I took my hands off of her waist and stepped back myself. I’d completely forgotten that Maggie Dayton was still sitting at the table behind me and I backed into her.

  When I turned around I saw the glare she was giving Amber again. “Very practical dress, Amber. Something you could wear for work, then out to a club, or to take out the garbage.” I recognized that tone very well. It was the catty side of Maggie leaping out and it was directed right at Amber. Apparently Maggie thought she had a chance with me, although where she got that idea I have no idea.

  “Yeah, I don’t think I’m dressed very well for tonight,” Amber said with a pink tinge on her cheeks. “It was a last minute decision. Christie—“

  “I wouldn’t take no for an answer,” the prom queen piped up. “I couldn’t come back here without my best friend.”

  I watched the way Amber smiled at the floor. She was always so shy and down to earth. She could have been wearing a t-shirt and jeans and those silly athletic sneakers she’d always worn back in the day and I’d still find her irresistible.

  The small talk between Christie and Jessica continued and before long the subject of careers came up again.

  “Damon, you look like you’ve done well for yourself,” Christie purred across the table. “What do you do?”

  I’d completely forgotten the story I’d given Maggie not fifteen minutes before and told the group that I owned a small marketing firm. It wasn’t a complete lie, since I did own one. What I neglected to mention was that it was part of the second largest internet tech conglomerate in the world.

  “Oh really?” said that catty voice just behind me and to my right. “So you own it now?” I turned my head and saw the look on Maggie’s face, and it was not a happy one.

  She stood up quickly and grabbed her purse off the table.

  “Are you leaving so soon?” I asked, in a slightly mocking tone. I was suddenly enjoying myself too much to hold back. “It was great catching up. Don’t be a stranger.”

  Maggie turned that glare on me this time and scowled, her cheeks turning a bright red at being obviously lied to and rejected.

  “Yes, it was nice seeing you all again."

  She huffed away and it took a bit of effort not to laugh out loud. But the second my eyes landed on Amber again, Maggie was forgotten.

  “What’s up with her?” I heard Christie ask, then a flurry of whispers passed back and forth between her and Jessica. But none of that crap interested me in the least. The world slipped away when I heard that sultry voice and saw Amber’s perfect lips move again.

  “The past ten years have been really good to you, Damon.”

  Her voice reminded me of one you’d hear from a classic movie star, like in the black and white movies I would watch late at night after my date for the evening finally left and I was alone. Amber’s was smooth and deep, and incredibly sexy. I’d forgotten until I heard it again how much it used to turn me on.

  “Well, I try,” I said, raising an eyebrow and giving her a playful smirk. I couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes roamed over my jacket, then lower, down the length of my dark pants, pausing on the way back up at my cock. I knew by the tingles I felt that it was still partially erect, and much more visible through the fabri
c of these pants. Her face flushed when she glanced back up into my eyes, realizing she’d been caught checking out my package.

  “Did you come with a husband? Boyfriend? Date?” I asked, cutting to the chase. With that look she’d just given me I was banking on a very early night for the two of us.

  “I’m here with Christie.”

  I paused for a moment as I thought about all of the times I hadn’t seen Amber with a guy. And there were a lot. “You’re with Christie”?

  “Oh, it’s not like that,” she said, laughing. “I’m not with anyone. I’m a happily single woman.”

  “Okay, you had me worried there for a moment. Not that you and Christie wouldn't be a great couple. It's just that I would've never thought …”

  “You can say it, a lot of people back then used to think I was a lesbian. The flannel, the short haircut—“

  "The not being interested in men part as well," Damon added.

  "Hey! I liked men. I didn't like boys."

  "To be honest, when I look around at what there was to pick from in our class, I don't blame you at all. I always respected you for that, you know?"

  “You did?” Amber smiled, then looked a little uncomfortable again, then made a quick change in the conversation back to a lighthearted joke. “Anyway, Christie and I would be a terrible couple. I don't even know how we were friends in high school or how we’ve stayed friends all these years.”

  “They do say that opposites attract."

  “Sometimes they do.” Amber’s big, beautiful eyes stayed on mine for another long moment while she almost swayed in place. She suddenly seemed so shy and mysterious, and those were some of the qualities that had drawn me to her years ago. Underneath her shyness I could always feel that there were some hidden secrets. Secrets that I now had every intention of uncovering.