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Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him push off the wall with leonine grace and head in my direction. The flare of amusement in his eyes promised trouble.
Suddenly I wished I was in quicksand, sinking out of view. He was so perfect, so handsome and put-together, and I was a sweaty, greasy-looking mess. Why the hell was he coming over to me? I didn’t have any food trays on me, and all the glasses nearby were empty. I had literally nothing to offer him.
“Hey,” he said when he reached me, one side of his mouth hooking upward. The faintest hint of a dimple marked his cheek. “Hate to sound like a giant walking cliché, but you’re not from here, are you?”
My pulse quickened, and I felt hot spots of color appearing in my cheeks. “No, I’m not,” I said, wishing it wasn’t so obvious that I was an outsider. But of course it was obvious. I wore a white blouse, black pants and flat black shoes, just like every other staff member here tonight.
“I meant it in a good way,” the guy said, lifting an eyebrow again. Now that he was closer, I could see that he was probably somewhere around my age.
I’d never been so close to a boy before… but he wasn’t exactly a boy. He was already all man.
I swallowed hard. “Oh?”
He raked his hands through his hair as he took me in, eyes sparkling wickedly. “I meant that you don’t look like you have a stick shoved up your ass like everyone else in this room.”
I cracked a smile at that, my edginess fading slightly. “Thanks.”
“Where are you from?”
“Silvercreek,” I said, feeling the spots in my cheeks grow even warmer.
I half-expected him to sneer at that, even though he’d been nice so far, but his face didn’t betray any snobbery whatsoever. He simply nodded and said, “I’ve been there before. There’s a good diner on the end of the main avenue. Kinda tacky-looking, but they have great burgers.”
“I work there!” I said, immediately wishing I didn’t sound so shrill and excited. “When I’m not filling in for my mom at stuff like this, I mean,” I added, schooling my voice into a more neutral tone.
“Maybe I should go there more often,” the guy said, lips curving into a full smile now.
My eyes widened. He was flirting with me, and he wasn’t even trying to be subtle about it.
Before I could muster up a response, he turned his head and cast his eyes around the room. “What do you think of the party, anyway?”
“It’s nice. Amazing decorations,” I said in a small voice.
“You can be honest with me,” he replied, eyes glimmering with mischief as he turned back to look at me. “No one really gives a fuck about party decorations.”
“Some people do.”
He cocked a brow. “Are you one of them?”
I let out a light laugh. “Okay, you’ve made your point.” I paused, bit my bottom lip and looked around. “To be honest, I was expecting something a little different.”
“How so?”
“In my town, a party usually involves a few guys grabbing a keg and inviting everyone else to share it with them in the old quarry or somewhere out in the woods. Or maybe a few beers in someone’s backyard. That’s about it,” I said. “We always hear about Royal Falls parties, though, and how they’re supposedly so wild and crazy compared to ours. But this…” I gestured at some of the nearby guests and lowered my voice. “It’s a little dry and stiff compared to what I imagined it would be.”
The guy chuckled. “Dry and stiff, huh? Bet my father would love to hear that.”
My eyes widened again. “Your father?”
“I’m Hunter Connery,” he said, plush lips twisting into a sinful smirk.
Oh, fuck.
I knew Charles and Tinsley Connery had kids, because my mom had mentioned it a few times over the years, but I’d never heard their names or seen their faces before.
“Sorry,” I said, face blazing with embarrassment. “I wasn’t trying to insult you or your party. I only meant—”
Hunter cut me off. “Don’t apologize. I agree with you,” he said. “Why do you think I’m over here talking to you instead of the guests?”
