Rush Too Far

CHAPTER TEN

Nan had hired a party planner. I stood at the top of the stairs and watched as the decorating crew hauled in white roses by the truck-load. Did she think this was her wedding? What the hell?

“I don’t want to know what this party is costing you. Here,” Grant said, as he walked up behind me and shoved a glass of what smelled and looked like bourbon into my hand. “Drink it. You’re gonna need it.”

I took a long drink and let the smoothness of the liquor coat my throat. It didn’t make the fact that I was about to be faced with all of Nan’s friends any easier. Normally, when she had parties here, I limited the people she could invite. Tonight I had given her no limits. I was dreading that. All of fucking Rosemary Beach was likely to show up.

“The princess has ordered roses, I see,” Grant said, amused, as he leaned against the banister and watched the activity below.

“It seems that way,” I said. I was still pissed at him for talking to Blaire about me. I knew he wouldn’t tell her anything she didn’t need to know, but it still bothered me.

“Did you invite Blaire?” Grant asked, trying to sound casual.

“Did you expect me to make her hide under the stairs all night?” I replied. Because, honestly, I had thought about it. Inviting her to this damn thing only meant I had to watch her closely. Guys would be all over her, and girls would be vicious. She needed protection from both.

“Well, I wasn’t really sure. This is Nan’s party,” he reminded me, as if I needed reminding.

“It’s at my house,” I said, shooting him an annoyed glare.

Grant chuckled and shook his head. “Damn. Never thought I’d see you put someone else before Nan.”

“Don’t,” I warned him. “Don’t go there. I’m just being nice. Nothing more.”

Grant cocked an eyebrow, which he knew annoyed me. “Really?”

I slammed my glass down on the railing and walked back to my room. I wasn’t in the mood to watch any more of this or listen to Grant. It was going to be a long night.

One would think that Nan was the daughter of royalty, the way my house looked once the decorators were through. I moved through the rooms, keeping my eyes on the kitchen and, when I could, the pantry door. I hadn’t seen Blaire the rest of the day, but I knew she was here. I’d watched her while she’d lain out on the beach long after I’d left. I’d watched her swim in the waves and then take a walk. Hell, I’d even watched her read a book.

When she had finally picked up her towel and headed back to the house, I had stood up from my relaxed position on the sofa facing the wall of windows and went to get ready for tonight. I had wanted to make sure I was down here when she came out of her room for the party.

The party was getting packed, and the music was getting louder. Still no sign of Blaire. I wondered if she was scared to walk out into this. Should I let her stay tucked away in her room safely? Or did I need to go get her?

“I’ll keep my eyes on the pantry door while you go outside and get some blond surfer dude off the damn railing before he falls to his death,” Grant said in my ear, before shoving me toward the balcony.

Damn drunk college kids.

I went outside and found Jace already pulling the guy down off the ledge. “Dude, go drink some coffee,” Jace said with disgust, and slapped him hard on the back.

“You know him?” I asked.

Jace shook his head. “No. Just wasn’t in the mood to watch anyone die tonight,” he replied, before taking a drink of beer.

“Thanks,” I said.

Anya walked up and wrapped her arms around Jace’s waist, smiling at me. Seemed she had moved on. Good for her.

“Anya,” I said, nodding a greeting in her direction.

“Rush,” she replied with a teasing grin.

“And I’m Jace,” he said loudly over the noise. “As much as I love fun and awkwardness, I think we’ll go on out for a little walk on the beach,” he said, before leading Anya toward the stairs that led down to the sand.

I headed back inside and toward the kitchen. I was going to get Blaire out of that damn room. She didn’t need to stay there all night.

“She already came out,” Grant said, walking up beside me. “Woods has her in the foyer.”

“Woods?”

“Yeah, dude. Kerrington. Surely you’ve figured out that by now, he’s spotted her on the course. He plays a shit ton of golf.”

I shoved past the people in front of me and headed for the foyer.

The shy smile on Blaire’s face, looking up at Woods as he led her into the living room, stopped me in my tracks. Someone was talking to me, but I couldn’t focus on what they were saying. The blush on Blaire’s cheeks had my complete attention. Woods’s hand touched her back in a possessive way, which bothered me. How well did she know Woods? Had I missed this completely? Blaire said something to Woods, and he stopped to look down at her. They were discussing something. Then he leaned in close to her, and my annoyance instantly transformed into being pissed off.

Blaire’s eyes shifted and locked with mine. They went wide with surprise, as if she didn’t expect to see me at my own house. Then she moved away from Woods and spoke to him quickly as she put more distance between them. She was saying something to him, but he seemed amused and ready to say whatever he needed to in order to get her to stay.

I knew exactly the kind of guy Woods was, because he was just like me. I wasn’t letting him touch her. He saw her as a conquest, and I would kill him before I let him use her. The idea of Blaire doing anything with Woods made my skin crawl. I started moving. I didn’t stop and think about it, and I didn’t give a shit if my sister saw me.

“There is nothing about you that is unwanted. Even Rush isn’t that damn blind,” Woods was telling her as he moved closer to her. She was trying to get away from him.

“Come here, Blaire,” I said, reaching out to take her arm and pull her against me. Woods needed to understand that she was with me. I was protecting her. He should look elsewhere. “I didn’t expect you to come tonight,” I said in her ear. If I had known she was going to walk out of that room looking like something good enough to eat, I would have guarded the damn door.

“I’m sorry. I thought you said I could come,” she whispered, her face turning bright red. I hadn’t meant to embarrass her. She misunderstood me.

“I hadn’t expected you to show up dressed like that,” I explained, keeping my eyes locked on Woods. I didn’t want to do this in front of her, but if he pushed me, I would. The little red dress clung to Blaire in ways that should be fucking illegal. Didn’t she have a mirror in that room? Hell, I couldn’t remember.

Blaire suddenly jerked her arm free of me and started moving toward the kitchen.

“What is your fucking problem, man?” Woods asked, glaring at me and making a move to go after her.

“She’s off-limits,” I warned him, stepping in front of him to block his path. “You need to stay the hell away from her.”

Woods’s angry glare heated as he stared at me. “You deciding to claim her now? Making family work at the club is low, even for you, Rush.”

I took a step toward him. “Stay out of this, and stay away from her. That’s your only warning,” I told him, before walking away to find Blaire.

Grant met me in the hallway. “She’s hurt. Go fix it,” he said, shooting me an annoyed look as he walked past me and back to the party.

Why was she hurt? What had I done other than keep Woods from using her? I ignored two people and shook my head at Nan as she made her way toward me. I wasn’t dealing with her right now.

“Are you going in there?” she hissed angrily at me.

“Go enjoy your very expensive party, little sister.” I opened the pantry door and closed it behind me, locking it. I didn’t want someone following me inside.

I didn’t knock on her door. I knew she wouldn’t open it. I opened it instead and stared at her as she stood there, trying to unzip her dress. She let her hands fall back to her sides as she stared at me, then took a step back, bumping into the bed and sitting down. There wasn’t much room to move in here, which made me angry. How was she living in this tiny space? I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.

“How do you know Woods?” I asked. The anger in my voice hadn’t been intentional.

“His dad owns the country club. He golfs. I serve him drinks,” she said nervously.

I knew all that already. I just wanted to make sure that was the only way she knew him. I couldn’t stand the idea of her spending time with him. With anyone. “Why did you wear that?” I asked, looking down at the dress that was going to star in my late-night fantasies of her.

Blaire shot back up, and her eyes turned from nervous to heated fast. “Because my mother bought it for me to wear. I was stood up and never got the chance. Tonight you invited me, and I wanted to fit in. So I wore the nicest thing I had. I’m sorry that it wasn’t quite nice enough. You know what, though? I don’t give a shit. You and your uppity, spoiled friends all need to get over yourselves.” Then she shoved me with her hand as if she wanted to knock me over. I didn’t move, but she’d put some force behind it.

She didn’t get me at all. She didn’t understand, and holy hell, she thought she wasn’t good enough. Was she kidding me? She was so damn near perfect it hurt. I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to look at her. I had to get away from her. This room was so small. She smelled so good . . .

“Fuck!” I swore, before burying my hands in her hair and covering her lips with mine. I had to taste her. I couldn’t control myself. We were alone and too close, and she smelled like heaven.

I had expected Blaire to fight me, but she melted into me so easily. I took what I could while she was still too shocked to slap me. Her mouth moved under mine, and I licked at the swell of her bottom lip. “I’ve been wanting to taste this sweet, plump lip since you walked into my living room,” I told her before taking more. I slid my tongue between her lips, and she opened for me. Each dark corner was better than warm honey. I could get drunk from her taste.

Her small hands grabbed my shoulders and squeezed. I wanted more. I wanted her. She caught on, and her tongue began to move against mine. Then she bit down on my bottom lip. Holy hell.

I grabbed her waist and put her on the bed behind her before covering her body with mine. More. I needed more. More of Blaire. More of her smell. More of her taste. More of the sounds she made. Just fucking more.

When I settled my obvious arousal between the open V of her legs, she moaned and threw her head back. My pulse sped up, and I felt my control slip even further. More.

“Sweet, too sweet,” I whispered against her mouth, and I realized I was almost done. I wouldn’t be able to stop. And she was sweet. Too fucking sweet for this. I tore myself away from her and backed up off the bed and stared down at her. The sexy red dress was up around her waist, and the pink satin of her panties was right there. The wetness that had darkened them made my blood roar in my veins. “Mother fucking shit.” I slammed my hand against the wall to keep from reaching for her. Then I opened the door. I had to breathe air that wasn’t filled with Blaire. Her smell was all over me. I had to break free.

She was too much. The word more kept pounding in my head, reminding me how willing she had been to let me taste her. To touch her. And mother of God, how wet she’d been. I slammed out of the pantry and headed for the door that led outside. Fresh air. Air with no Blaire. Fuck. I wanted her. More. I wanted so much more.