Designer Genes - The Boyfriend Cut (19 page)

"I should dunk you for sneaking up on me."

I grabbed his thigh, my fingers accidently slipping inside a pant leg. A surprised squeal escaped Jordan's mouth and his leg muscle bucked. Quickly, he turned me right side up and put me on my feet.

"S-Sorry," I stuttered, embarrassed. "And not just about groping your leg. About everything tonight. I've been awful."

He smoothed my hair behind my ears, his palms settling at the nape of neck. A knowing grin curled his mouth and I watched his eyes slide shut before his lips tentatively touched mine.

"I'd say more like 'distracted,'" he whispered on my mouth before staking claim with a breathtaking kiss. "And you can grope my leg anytime."

The heated cravings in my body returned. I molded my body around his and the world disappeared in a rush of lust-filled adrenaline. Our lips barely parted to allow a breath.

"Think I could talk you into taking a walk farther down the beach with a handsome older man?"

"My dad's here?"

Jordan growled and nuzzled my neck. His stubbly chin tickled and I giggled with each nibble until his mouth settled on mine. His lips were warm with a hint of salt clinging to the edges and each time they pressed they remained longer, warming my insides. I tugged him to where our stuff lay spread out on the beach. We'd need the blanket for our impromptu "walk" someplace more secluded.

Suddenly, the beach washed with bright white light. I knew the sound of the motor, the way it raced between gears, the rusty squeal of worn brake pads, and the groan of the axles when the wheels were forced to stop moving. Clouds of dust swirled in the beams of light piercing the darkness. Car doors slammed and voices grew louder as they approached the party.

Time stopped moving and the pulse pounding in my ears drowned out Jordan's voice. When he touched my arm I flinched.

"What?"

"Sam's here."

"Is this why you've been on edge?" I tucked my chin to my chest and tipped against him. His arm came around my shoulders. "Let's ditch out on the other side of the bonfire and take the trail to the parking lot."

Sam's voice echoed loudly on the night air. "Marli! Where the hell are you? I know you're here because I saw lover boy's Porsche!" The party quieted and someone turned the music off. Sam's shadow stretched across the sand, moving closer to the gathering crowd.

"No escaping now. I better talk to him before things get ugly." Memories of the dance flashed behind my eyes, followed by ones of Jesse. I had to keep Jordan away from Sam. "Take our stuff and meet me at the car."

"Marli—"

"Jordan, I've got this, okay? Right now, I'm worried about one his dumbass friends damaging the Porsche," I lied, desperately needing Jordan gone before Sam found me. "I'll take Alex. Sam hates her."

Jordan bundled the beach blanket under his arm and grabbed our cooler of drinks. "Then I adore her." He kissed my cheek. "If you're not at the car in ten minutes, I'm coming back for you."

I watched him jog off into the shadows, puffs of sand blowing off each footstep. Sam yelled again and Alex stepped beside me.

"What a prick. Come on girl, let's do some ass-kicking."

I linked my arm through hers. "I always knew you had a soft spot for Sam."

"Oh there's a spot on Sam I'm sure is soft."

We tripped over each other laughing at our private joke until the crowd parted like the Red Sea and we stood illuminated in the headlights, facing Sam.

"Hello
sweetheart
," he sneered, his calling card of late. "Where's one of your 'knights in shining armor?' Should I worry about being ambushed?"

"Shut up, Sam. I'm the one ambushed here. Why can't you leave me alone?"

Alex stepped between us and snapped her spiky blonde head at Sam. "Jenkins, get the hell out of here. It's over and everybody's tired of the drama. Move on."

"Snarky little bitch. Still fighting Marli's battles, I see. She's going to dump your ass too, Nichols, now that she's got her fairytale life."

A low murmur rippled through the crowd.

I touched Alex's arm, tensed and ready to inflict pain. "Don't. This is my problem." My eyes drifted to Sam's face. A faint smell of beer surrounded him when I moved closer. "You've been drinking."

"Why do you give a shit?"

I tapped my foot on the gravel. "Because I care, okay? Is that what you need to hear?"

Sam spread his arms out. "Big whoop. You
care
. But not enough to want to be with me anymore." He stepped closer. "And your secret?"

I didn't have to turn my head to acknowledge Jordan owned the shadow reaching us from the embankment above. I sensed his presence at the edge before the dribble of pebbles started rolling.

"Look, Sam, I'm sorry I hurt you. It was never my intention, but I'm begging you, if you really love me, please don't say anything. Don't hurt me back."

His thumb brushed my cheek and I felt Jordan's dangerous glare cut through the darkness. "For you, not him." He turned to his sidekicks. "Fuck this. Let's go."

Jordan hummed some song playing on the media center in the kitchen and a spatula scraped against metal in time with the music.
So both Mason boys cooked
.

Before he figured out I'd awakened, I scrambled upstairs to my bathroom. My mouth felt like cotton and my breath could drop a fly in mid flight. I nearly screamed when I caught my reflection in the mirror. A red indentation matched the button on the sofa pillow my cheek pressed all night. We fell asleep sometime around dawn, me on the sofa and Jordan on the floor, holding my hand.

I scrubbed my face, ran the ultrasonic wand over my teeth, and brushed the windswept tangles from my hair before bounding down the stairs. Jordan's back faced me and my gaze wandered over his broad shoulders, the muscles flexing against the fabric of his shirt with each whisk of the spatula; down long legs covered with a dusting of hair, to his manicured bare feet planted firmly in front of the stove. "Morning handsome" came out sounding too husky.

A smile reaching his eyes flashed."Hey gorgeous. You're finally awake."

"Omelets? I may keep you after all." I pressed a quick smack on his cheek before gathering plates to set the table. When I folded back the tablecloth, a certain lavender envelope slipped to the floor. Jordan tucked it under his arm and moved away before I could grab it unnoticed.

The importance of Jesse's mystery card vanished however, when I moved a couple files Rick had brought home and uncovered a
red
envelope. Jordan's eyes followed mine when he moved behind me. He placed Jesse's lavender envelope to the side of his plate and reached for the red package.

I slapped the top. "I'll deal with it later." He opened his mouth and closed it. A thread of apprehension connected us. The red envelope meant another interview request—one that could result in a
choice
.

What if someone else wanted me? Jordan and I hadn't made anything official. As far as The Program knew, I remained available. Someone equal to Jordan had the right to choose me. The idea of dating suddenly wasn't so appealing. Unless Jordan exercised his right to choose me while he had priority, whoever came attached to this red envelope could. Jordan would be lost to me forever.

I moved my food around the plate, no longer hungry.

"Send it back," he suggested around a mouthful of eggs.

Not the reply I'd hoped for. Why didn't he declare his undying love and tell me we should make things permanent? Maybe trapped with high school kids for twenty-four hours, reminded him how young I really was.

Jordan pulled the lavender envelope from under his napkin. "I say we open something we know contains good news."

Good news?
I didn't know whether to scream or laugh hysterically at the irony. Given a choice, the
red
envelope proved the safer option
.

I jumped to my feet. "No!" Jordan froze, puzzled. I held out my hand. "Please, give me the envelope."

He pushed his chair back. "Why? What's inside?"

"I don't know what's in the envelope, but I know who it's from and we should probably talk."

"I'm listening."

My eyes fell to my pink painted toes. "It's from Jesse."

Jordan's lips disappeared and he ripped the envelope open. Three tickets drifted to the floor when he unfolded the enclosed letter.

"Hey! That's private!" I reached for the note, but he held it away. "Please, Jordan, at least hear me out first before passing judgment."

"Go ahead."

My chest tightened. "Jesse came to see me last week—the day of Senior Ball. I didn't know he was coming, I swear."

"When I called, Jesse was here, but you didn't tell me?"

"I was afraid."

"Thanks for the trust, Marli."

"Jordan, be honest. How do you think you'd have taken the news that Jesse was here?"

"Bad."

"Exactly. Besides, he was leaving when Sam came to pick me up, or so I thought."

Jordan's voice heightened, his jaw tight. "
What
?"

"Don't freak out. Sam turned into an ass around his teammates and I stormed out. Jesse came to get me and when I got home, I called you."

Jordan drummed his fingers on the table. I wished I could get inside his head, rearrange his thoughts so he'd see me in glowing white light—pure and innocent, not the total opposite, which he'd find once he forced the truth from my cheating lips.

A deep canyon set between his eyes. "And yet, you still didn't tell me about Jesse. Why?"

I scorched with burning guilt. Tendrils of smoke probably curled off my body. "I don't know."

That's your answer?!

Jordan pushed away from the table and marched into the living room, clenching the note. He dropped into the easy chair, filling the space and offering no invitation for me to join him. His body turned rigid, one knee shaking nervously.

"You. Don't. Know," each word enunciated hard. "Tell me what you
do
know, Marli. When did my brother finally leave my assigned candidate?"

Brutal. Jordan placed me beneath him. Put me in my
assigned
place.

He immediately recanted. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Yes, you did, and worst, I deserved it.

I looked away, the rims of my eyes stinging. Anger simmered with the hurt, but I couldn't hide the truth, or the consequence. "He didn't. Jesse spent the night."

"I don't think I like where this is headed." Jordan stared me down. "Where did
you
spend the night?"

"Are you accusing me of what I think you are?"

"Hey, you're the one keeping secrets. I know Jesse, and I watched you take a DNA test."

I didn't imagine Jordan's face in the window. "You
saw
that?"

"I thought they were running a random test, but now—"

"It
was
random!" I blared over him.

"Marli, you were singled out! Tested alone. And the timing is within the thirty day limit."

One question answered. Carnal sins were quarantined for a month.

Jordan jumped out of the chair when I hesitated. "That son-of-a-bitch! I'll kill him! You're
only
seventeen!"

The pain stabbed instantly—a sharp slice through me. The room seemed to vanish behind tiny dots and the air stilled, no longer coming in or out of me. Jordan's expression remained unreadable, but the way his jaw set, anger dominated.

I leveled a steely glare and forced words through clenched teeth."Oh, I get it.
Seventeen
is old enough for you to claim me as your child bride, but too young for your brother to innocently kiss?"

"Marli, you're twisting things. For one, you can't be with me before you're eighteen and second, nothing with Jesse is innocent. He's a player, Marli—only after one thing. He'll hurt you and walk away."

We moved around each other—a power dance. I raised a brow. "So you think that's all I am to him? An easy
lay.
"

He raked his fingers through his hair and I held my breath, hating that even though we were fighting, the simple action made me want to kiss him.

"Don't demean yourself, please. Jesse wants you because I have you."

My subconscious slipped on boxing gloves.

"Really? So it's all about
you.
And for the record you don't
have
me."

Jordan scrubbed his jaw, covered with enough stubble to tickle my neck. He didn't have a snarky comeback. His eyes grew intense and I wilted under his glower.

My voice all but disappeared. "I see. You haven't made a decision. All this talk about 'dating' isn't for my benefit—it's for yours. Well let me make it simple. You can leave. No strings. No 'commitment issues.' Just walk out the door."

Please, before my heart shatters.

"Apparently it's you, my dear, who's having trouble with
choices.
" Jordan did some stupid prance in a childish jibber. "Oooh, do I want Jordan who's a control freak, but just wants the best for me, or Jesse—the irresponsible 'bad boy' who thinks life's a game, but turns me on."