Chapter 7: Portia

When he met my eyes, I relaxed. It was easy to see how he could get a reputation from women who felt slighted after he'd rejected them. I wouldn't say Chet and I were close; we hadn't known each other long. Although, his reputation and perception were important to him. He took pride in his position on the lacrosse team, he made sure to talk to anyone who said hello, and he was part of a handful of clubs and organizations. Chet played an active role on campus. He was a popular guy. It would be easy to mistake his confidence for cockiness if I hadn't spoken to him.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked, as though he'd just realized he had a beverage and had been rude not to offer me one.

"I'm not a fan of beer. Thank you, though."

"I'm pretty sure there's a stash of wine coolers in the back." Charisma oozed from his smile, and I was putty in his hand. "Come on, you can pick whatever flavor you want."

I debated refusing. It wasn't that I wasn't interested in having one. I'd just never done it before, and I wasn't certain this was the best place to let loose. Chet had proven he'd take care of me and would be attentive, but he wasn't Jude. This wasn't a boy I'd known most of my life. He wasn't someone I wouldn't question...yet, here I stood, not opening my mouth to refuse him. Like a sheep to the slaughterhouse, I held his hand, ate up the envious glances in my direction, and took the peach cooler he offered me. Then in an even dumber move, I put it to my lips, and we moved back to the front of the house.

The concoction was as sweet as Kool-Aid without a hint of alcohol. I hadn't realized how hot it was inside with all the people crammed into a space meant for a twentieth of the number it now held. The liquid went down with ease, and before I could blink, Chet held out another bottle with the cap already removed. I wasn't sure where it had come from, but I took it regardless. I liked the peach better, but strawberry wasn't half bad.

"You want to dance?"

I couldn't hear him over the music and people talking. "What?"

Chet snaked his arm around my waist-the one holding his beer-and kept my hand in his. In a move Rico Suave couldn't repeat, he'd brought me flush against his hard chest. Every ripple of well-defined muscle pressed against my breasts and stomach. Heat flooded my core, and I had to fight not to rub against him to alleviate some of the sexual tension rolling through me. Chet's masculine scent overtook my nostrils, and I couldn't inhale him fast enough. But I came close to losing control of my legs and my ability to stand when he spoke close enough to my ear that his breath tickled my skin and sent chills down my spine. My body warred with the hot and cold, back and forth, tension and ease. I hadn't heard a word he had said, even when spoken close enough to my head that I could have licked his cheek if I were so brazen.

I refused to ask him to repeat himself again. Instead, I just nodded while I floated on a cloud of lust...or maybe the early stages of love. I didn't know which, nor did I care. Any hesitation I had when Carolyn snarled at me left at the end of the first bottle. By the time I'd finished the second, he could have taken me just about anywhere, and I wouldn't have refused to go. A warm hum buzzed through my body as he led me to the makeshift dance floor.

It was far too loud to talk, so instead, I found the beat in the music and let go. I didn't have a clue if I could dance, all I could say with any certainty was Chet seemed as into what we were doing as I was. He didn't let me get far, whether the song that played was upbeat or slow. If his front was to my back, his arm held me close. If we stood face to face, he still had an arm securing me to his body, and I rode his thigh like it was a champion bull at the rodeo. If people stared, I missed it. I was too lost in my own pleasure to notice anyone else.

Until Jet tried to politely intervene.

And then not so politely jerked me away.

I felt Chet's loss, although it was quickly replaced by the heat of Jet's wrath.

"What are you doing?" she growled through clenched teeth, and for some reason, I had no problem deciphering her words over the music.

"Dancing."

She grabbed my wrist and headed toward the front porch. Just before we disappeared outside, I turned back and met Chet's eyes. The confusion cleared when I mouthed, "I'll be right back."

If Jet didn't slow down, I was on the verge of stumbling much the way Carolyn had-not that I was drunk, just warm and sated. She finally stopped in the grass on the opposite side of a large tree. It provided a little seclusion, although not much. People were everywhere-as if the entire campus came to frat row to drink tonight.

"Portia, seriously, what are you doing in there?"

I wasn't sure what she misunderstood. Jet wasn't a dumb girl. She'd seen me with Chet...dancing. "Dancing." My brow furrowed with confusion.

"Girl, you're using his leg as a pole. Guys were starting to pull dollar bills from their wallets to stuff into your shirt." She folded her thin arms across her chest and waited.

"Pfft." A raspberry blew past my lips. "I wasn't doing anything every other girl in there with a hot guy wasn't doing." I heard myself dismiss her warning and wondered how I could be so passive about what she'd said. I'd only had two wine coolers, yet still, I couldn't bring myself to be mortified or believe it was as big a deal as Jet made it out to be.

"My guess is they didn't arrive with three guys, either, Portia." She let out a heavy sigh as though it saddened her to have to be the one to inform me.

"You act as if my reputation is at stake." She was making a big deal out of nothing. No one cared that I'd come in with three guys. I'd also come in with another girl. I only held the hand of one of those four people. I'd only touched one of them.

"It is. Do you realize how many people are here? And it's not the nobodies from class. Every major player on campus is roaming this block right now. You're setting the stage for the next four years." She put her hand on my arm, and her posture softened when my eyes filled with tears. "Just be careful. That's all I'm saying."

I swiped at the tears now rolling down my cheeks and nodded. Jet took my hand and squeezed my fingers. Together, we maneuvered our way back through the crowd, and I noticed my roommate was right. It wasn't the same people on the porch that were here a few minutes ago when we walked out. And while I didn't know any of them personally, I recognized most of them. This was the "in" group at the university, and getting a reputation that was less than pristine wasn't what I wanted.

Bart waited for the two of us just inside. He glanced at me, and then his attention darted to Jet. There was no doubt he could see that I was upset, and I giggled when he didn't know what to say. It was the wine coolers relaxing me, but I didn't want him to worry, either. Just as I leaned in to hug his waist and tell him I was all right, Chet met us at the door.