"It's me, Emily. "Turning around, I recognized Stan's voice calling from behind me.

I closed my eyes, took a big breath, and spun around to face him. Attempting a smile, I extended my cup of coffee. I assured him everything was OK.

"It's now my time to speak. "His grin was wide and youthful. Stan's dark blond hair and green eyes gave him a beautiful, preppy appearance. He wore a blue button-up shirt and boat shoes, giving off an air of casual country club sophistication.

He's not my type, but his charm let me overlook his spoilt brat behavior.

"It's a miracle that I ran into you tonight. "

"I've been meaning to ask you something," he said with that haughty grin on his face.

"Yeah?" My toes wiggled and my fingers entwined in a nervous tic. Even if he did ask me back to his place, I knew I'd have to decline in shame. There was no difference in the amount of time since my previous sexual contact; I still had no interest in engaging in casual sex.

"We are having a party at the Sky Clubhouse this coming weekend. Please agree to go out on a date with me." Pride and arrogance filled him, and he lifted his head high with his chin leaned back.

The Sky was among the most prestigious of Nevada's after-class groups. The fact that Stan was a part of it at all was noteworthy. Moreover, I seldom ventured into such circles. Because of my shy nature and the time-consuming application process, I had given up on joining any final clubs during my time at Stanford.

Although Stan didn't exactly ask me out on a date, I would like the opportunity to see the clubhouse. Instead, he sounded like he was making a solemn proclamation. I didn't give much credence to his attitude, despite the fact that these parties were legendary for their wild excesses.

"Oh." I nearly attended the party despite my dislike of Stan.

A sly smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, and his eyebrows raised. "Oh? What if I interpret it as a yes?"

Inexcusably haughty. Despite my immediate irritation, I saw some doubt in his eyes. When it came to Nicola, neither he nor I wanted to be rejected. At least Stan was brave enough to ask me out on a date while I was having the guts to pursue a romantic relationship with Nicola.

I met his gaze and smiled up at him. "Sure. A date with me is an option."

Even though I wasn't interested in him romantically, dressing up and getting an inside look at the Sky Clubhouse would be fun. I didn't have to marry him, though, as Ella pointed out. It was just a date, not a promise for a long-term relationship.

The only way I'd go was if Ella could come along, so I added that with fake confidence. Not only did I need my bestie as an anxiety buffer, but she would be even more thrilled to attend the party than I was.

Stan gave me back a beaming grin and then looked away from me to try to find Ella. When he first saw her, his eyes darted up and down to take an inventory. Without a doubt. Stannning women are always welcome to join us.

Attempting to hide a frown, I succeeded. The possibility that Ella and I were invited to the party solely because the male hosts wanted to attract as many attractive women as possible bothered me.

Stan's grin narrowed to the point where I felt compelled to take a step back. I tried to push aside the sneaking suspicion that the only reason there were women in attendance was to serve as arm candy. We were the new kids on the block.

It's like this, I told myself, because that's the way things are. Nearly all of the Stundents felt compelled to attend these events. Members were free to be as picky as they liked when deciding who to invite. That Stan asked me to be his date should be a huge honor. And having Ella by my side would be a great relief. Stan's willingness to readily include her was appreciated.

"cheers," he raised his beer and touched it to my cup, sealing our promised date. After being silent for a few seconds, I reflexively tipped my own drink back to show my agreement. He drank half of his beer in one sitting, while I could only manage a sip. I had no intention of drinking and losing control again.

The unsettling vibes from Stun were making me anxious, and it would be too easy to just chug a shot of vodka to calm down.

I wished Ella were here because I knew my worry was unwarranted. When my best friend saw that I was beginning to spiral out of control, she would always talk some sense into me.

Suddenly, my attention was drawn to the packed dance floor, where I hoped to spot her.

In an instant, Stun had my attention again by putting his hand around my iced coffee.

His fingers curled around mine, and I shivered slightly, but not nearly as much as I had when Joseph touched me. The bartender's hand had been steady and calloused, and his body heat had seeped through my clothes and into my bones. Stun's pint glass had frozen over, making his fingers numb and icy.

He grabbed my drink and raised it to his lips before I could flinch away. As he drank without asking, I stared at him in shock. He held on to my hand, squeezing my fingers around the rim of the cup.

A grimace formed on his face, and he lowered the sugary drink before I could respond angrily. The moment his fingers slid away from mine and he was able to place my cup on the high table beside me, I let out a sigh of relief.

"There's a good reason you're not even drinking that cheap shite: it tastes terrible. " The wrinkles appeared on his nose. "Look, I get that this joint is a dive, but they need to stock more booze. "

He raised his glass and extended his hand to me, urging me to imitate the flavor of his drink.

Before we could make physical contact, I quickly yanked my hand away. Not again did I want to feel his cold fingers pressing against mine. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Come on, Emily. Don't be that way."

I bit my lower lip together and shook my head, showing that I didn't give a hoot about what other people thought.

My attempts to stifle my unease were met with the reassurance that he was, after all, just flirting. My stomach was in knots because of his proprietary touches, but I knew that was silly.

Even as recently as last weekend, I had practically encircled him in passionate kisses. Not some creepy random guy, that one. I had no reason to take his proximity as anything other than assured flirtation.

I'd previously let him get me drunk, but this time I was much soberer. I had no desire to repeat either the experience or the subsequent terrible hangover.

"All right then." The man placed his beer can on the table. His grin persisted, and I mustered a grin of my own.

I didn't want fear to dictate my choices, and I knew I'd be kicking myself if I let my anxiety prevent me from accepting Stun's invitation to the club's farewell party. If I were to tell Ella, she'd be overjoyed. In order to dispel the strange feelings that were making me uneasy, I concentrated on my friend's joy.

Stun barged into my personal space and the stale beer smell washed over my face. my body reflexively retreated, causing me to collide with the barstool behind me. My legs gave out from under me and I staggered, but he caught my upper arms.

"Thanks," I managed to mumble out. I shifted again to get away, but he held on.

He leaned in close enough for his hot breath to fan over my lips and said, "I think you owe me a kiss." He had a smoky, alcoholic aroma.

I retorted, "I don't think so," going for a tone of firm assertiveness. As a result, the denial came out a little haltingly. Despite the fact that we'd shared a kiss before, I felt extremely uneasy with him so close and so insistently holding my arms.

"Don't act so arrogant! If you want it, you'll get it. "

My gut twisted in knots as my worry turned to outright terror. It wasn't just cocky attempts at flirtation. His hands were rough and grabbing as we kissed in a drunken haze, but I wasn't exactly at my best, either. His pawing had been written off by me as drunken clumsiness.

Whether was inebriated at the time, there was no justification for him to refer to me as a cocktease. The places on my upper arms where he kept his grasp made me squirm.

"you're incorrect. Don't give it to me. Please release me. "I twisted in an attempt to free myself from his grip, but he kept holding on. On the contrary, he leaned in closer.

"Put your hands down. "The deep, manly growl sounded threatening, and it made me flinch.

With keen eyes, I peered beyond Stun in quest of my rescuer. Nicola's eyes were a fiery blue, and they seared into the lad who had cornered me. My throat tightened, but his rage wasn't meant at me.

I was released by Stun so that he could confront Nicola. In a matter of seconds, I had placed some space between us, my back eventually colliding with the wall. Stun made a blatant territorial display by positioning his body in front of mine and preventing me from passing.

"Let her go! "A deep, threatening rumble characterized Nicola's tone of speech. Even though the preppy youngster was just over six feet tall, he towered over Stun by several inches. Nicola's rippling, amazing muscles trembled with barely contained anger.

Stun didn't back down because he was either too drunk to realize what he was doing or too stupid to care.

"fuck off"

Nicola was lightning fast, and his hands were wrapped in the front of Stun's shirt. He shoved the youngster against the wall and yanked him away from me, creating an awkward gap of several feet.

"Go!" he said with icy tone.

"You're kicked out. You'll have to answer to me if I see you in here again, or if you come anywhere near Emily. "

For a few more seconds, he looked directly at Stun with his blazing eyes, hoping to exert his influence on the smaller guy. The moment he let go, Stun pushed angrily against his thick chest. Nicola didn't budge more than a fingertip, maintaining his composure. His gaze sharpened as he fixed it on Stun, and the guy gave me one more stare before stomping out in a huff.

Nicola's voice startled me, and I immediately looked up. When he threatened Stun, his voice had had an air of dread, but now it was calm.

I became aware of my own trembling. My fingers were trembling and I did my best to control them. While I escaped unscathed, the experience was rather unsettling.

I'm going to drive you back to your place. There was no inquiry implied, yet I found myself nodding in agreement. I didn't want to risk Stun waiting for me outside if I left without an escort.

The whole pub was silent as everyone watched the fight between Stun and Nicola. Needles pricking at my skin from dozens of eyes, I was immediately aching to go back to the privacy of my apartment.

"Come on. I've got you." Nicola extended his hand, signaling to me that I could start the physical contact. Nicola gave me the option of accepting or rejecting Stun's physical contact when he invaded my space.

I had zero fear of him. Because he had just ridden in like a white stallion and rescued me. His promise to take me home was unwavering, but he still needed to get my approval.

Putting my hand in his made me feel more secure and helped calm the anxiety in my tummy. His long fingers wrapped gently around my. After a little moment of relief, I thanked him and followed him out. People scattered to avoid coming into contact with Nicola.

He went ahead of me, his bulk protecting me from harm. I tightened my grip on his hand, and his thumb ran soothingly over my palm.

Just before we left, I caught a glimpse of Ella out of the corner of my eye. She scarcely broke stride to give me the thumbs up as we danced carefreely together.

There was no way she could have witnessed what happened to Stun from where she was in the throng. Had my closest friend been around, she would have helped Nicola come to my aid. If she saw the fight, she'd be even more perplexed by the fact that I left with the stunning bartender so early in the evening.

Ella had no idea that Stun had frightened me; she was just glad to see me and Nicola walking hand in hand. I figured I'd have some quality one-on-one time with the object of my affection because she probably wouldn't be returning to our apartment for a bit.

After weeks of mounting sexual tension, the reality that he was going to take me home felt unbelievable. There had been occasions when I doubted whether or not he was interested in me, but now I knew for sure. The man named Nicola was keen on having me.

Nicola

After this, there was no turning back. And when that spoiled jerk touched her, I couldn't control my aggressive impulses. When she put her hand in mine, believing that I would keep her safe and bring her home, she sealed her own doom.

As we went out into the cool fall air, she said, "Do you want to order an Uber?"

When I finally looked at her, all uncertainty vanished. What obstacles stood between her and me, I couldn't care less.

Until tomorrow, she was mine, only for tonight. Just to be a gentlemen, I'd escort her home, but I'd definitely sneak a goodnight kiss.

After that, I would tell her everything if she welcomed me in. After thinking about her supple body being trapped under mine for weeks, there's no way I could resist.

I hesitated for a split second before responding, "I'll drive."

Her bright red cheeks and blue eyes were a major visual distraction. Before, I'd just seen her in the low light of the pub, but the bright streetlights really brought off her fair complexion. She was so beautiful she seemed to glow, just like the angel I'd always imagined.

She said, "Okay," showing no apprehension about riding shotgun with a virtual stranger. But I didn't want to scare her, so I didn't warn her that her actions may put her in danger with another guy. So I held my tongue and resisted the impulse to set her straight.

Other, more sinister method came to mind. I had fantasized about the feel of her shapely ass bouncing under my palm more times than I like to admit.

She was far too innocent and exquisite to be exposed to such grotesqueries. I was able to rein in my more barbaric tendencies for her sake. I wouldn't give in to my baser animal impulses around her.

But it didn't stop me from touching her in other ways.

After waiting for her to close the gap, I reached out and touched the small of her back. It seems she didn't put up much of a fight. Instead, she felt a little chill go through her.

"Do you feel chilly? "

She stammered, "Y-yes," and I knew she wasn't just a little chilly from the night air. "Um, I haven't gotten acclimated to the weather here yet. It's true; I was born and raised in the Peach State.

"What year are you?"

Try not to refer to them as freshmen. I couldn't fuck her if she was under the age of 18. Not if her age difference from mine was more than five years.

A sophomore, she said. "I'm in my second year at Nevada, and I still can't stand the winter weather."

She invited me to put my arm over her, which I did to keep her warm. She pressed herself up against me, nestled in as if she had always been there.