Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) (43 page)

Chapter 2

She'd enjoyed the time with her mother, the older woman a beautiful reminder that hope and love could actually exist.

Bethany climbed into her small, beat-up Honda after kissing her mom goodbye and getting excited about her event. She still hadn't let the fact that she would be graduating with her bachelors in accounting sink in. It was a huge accomplishment and even more so since she was the first in her family to do so.

The rest of the afternoon was to be spent with a few friends, her roommate Krista and the closest thing she had to a boyfriend, Jake. It would be comfortable and mostly uneventful, but she'd grown accustomed to moving through life as quickly as possible, her focus only on the future.

Bethany pulled up to their small apartment as Krista and Jake walked from the door toward Krista's car, a smile on their faces as Bethany got out.

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Just getting some snacks and sodas from Krista's car. Come help us." Jake motioned for her to come over. "You get to see your mom?"

"Yeah, she's doing good. Looking at marrying that rich guy, finally." Bethany laughed, leaving out the parts she felt were less than appropriate to draw attention to.

"Oh, nice. I wish my parents were rich. I mean, they're middle class and all." Krista shrugged, pulling her keys from her pocket and popping the trunk.

Krista’s short blond hair and blue eyes were the exact opposite of Bethany's dark features. Where Bethany was fit and ran most days of the week, Krista was a couch potato and struggled with her weight horribly. Bethany had tried time and time again to get her friend to join her on her runs, but the extra eighty or so pounds on Krista made it hard for her to do anything.

Her roommate was one of the nicest people she knew, Krista always giving to the poor and tutoring at school. Bethany wondered how fate seemed to shine down on the wrong people all the time. Her mother had mentioned Damon, Kent's son at lunch, and it was the perfect example of fate's wayward responses. The guy was probably good looking and rich, but a complete ass.

"What are you thinking about?" Jake's voice brought her from her senses, the lanky boy before her extending a few plastic grocery bags. "Are you already dreaming of your masters? Brainiac."

Bethany smiled and took the bags, the sun starting to set as the afternoon drew to a close. She couldn't wait until Saturday, the week having lasted far too long.

"No. I was thinking about how unfair it is that some people have looks and money. One or the other is enough, don't you think?" Bethany turned to walk with her friend back toward the apartment.

"I'm guessing you're broke, then?" Krista laughed and moved back to let Jake open the door.

"I've always been poor, but I'm just making reference to my soon to be stepbrother. Mom says he's an ass and I'm sure he's good looking and all. Just seems unfair." Bethany shrugged, walking into the coolness of the house and putting the bags on the kitchen counter.

"His good looks would be no concern of yours, then." Jake wagged his eyebrow.

"Jealous, Jake?" Bethany moved to stand in front of him, looking up as he took a tentative step back, his smile dropping.

"No, why would I be? He's your stepbrother. Not like you guys would get together." He laughed and turned to busy himself with putting things up. Bethany turned to Krista and rolled her eyes. She and Jake had known each other for the last year, but they were nothing more than glorified friends.

She'd kissed him a few times, but even drunk he would shake like a leaf when she tried. She’d heard plenty of stories of other girls on campus enjoying long weekends filled with liquor and sex. Somehow she never seemed to get close to the second half of the fun. She wasn't willing to go out with a player, their sexually transmitted diseases of no interest to her. She had been asked out on more than a few occasions, but after so many rejections, the alpha males on campus moved to more susceptible victims.

Bethany walked to her room and closed the door before undressing. She wanted to push Jake a little that night, to see if he’d be willing to go further. She had slept around a little in high school and had a few random one-night-stands during her freshman year, but human anatomy class had killed all of that for her. Dying with crotch rot was out.

She smirked at the thought, reaching for her brush and pulling her hair down to try and tame it. She pulled it into a high ponytail and slipped into a small, cream-colored cotton dress; her waist was thin and her breasts big enough to draw attention, hopefully from Jake.

A little bit of makeup and lip gloss on her lips, and she was ready to make her move. She walked back down the hall, the sound of a few familiar voices reaching out to greet her. They would have enough friends to spill out into the lawn of the apartment by the time nightfall arrived, but for now, a small group gathered in the kitchen.

Bethany walked in and headed for the chips, taking a few and munching on them as she greeted her friends. Jake turned and smiled at her, motioning that she looked pretty.

He wasn't her type at all, his long blond hair always in his face and his body nothing more than bones, but he was safe. She wouldn't be falling in love with him anytime soon, and he wouldn't be falling for her either. Nothing more than a good friendship existed between them, and yet she was ready for something more physical in her life. Jake seemed the perfect candidate. Surely he wanted sex, and friends with benefits seemed fitting.

"Don't you look lovely?" Marcus, a dark-skinned marketing major reached out and tugged on Bethany's ponytail, his smile wide and welcoming.

"Well, thank you, sir. You don't look too shabby yourself." She reached out and patted his stomach with the back of her hand. His firm abs tightened under her touch. "Dang. You've been working out."

"Swimming actually. Did you know they opened the natatorium at the school finally?"

"I've heard that, but I haven't been over there."

"Too busy making valedictorian?" He laughed and she shook her head as Jake moved up beside her.

She reached over and wrapped an arm around Jake’s lower back, the tall skinny male towering above her by a foot.

"I wish. I'm just trying to get enough in grant money to get through my MBA degree."

"You'll do great. You always do," Jake said, looking down as he wrapped an arm around the back of Bethany’s shoulders.

Marcus pointed at both of them, his eyebrow lifting.

“You two finally get together?”

“No, we’re just good friends. She’s way out of my league.” Jake laughed and released Bethany, much to her dismay. "You guys want a drink."

"Naw … I'm trying out for the soccer team on Saturday. They do drug testing." Marcus held up his hands, shaking his head.

"Alcohol isn't a drug." Jake laughed and looked to Bethany, who almost corrected him, but decided against it. "Beth?"

"Yeah, I'll take a beer and a shot please."

"Getting the party started, I see." Jake laughed and walked off, Bethany's gaze following him. Nothing about his physique turned her on, his lithe figure the opposite of her desires.

Strong muscles and thick arms and legs were at the center of her daydreams, but with those things, it seemed, came an asshole attitude and demanding persona, neither of which she'd be willing to deal with.

"Just friends, huh?" Marcus's question brought her back to the present.

"Me and Jake? Oh, yeah. School will be over next year for us both and we haven’t really been anything but friends."

"Yeah, but I see the way you watch him." Marcus smirked.

Bethany turned to see Jake in the kitchen, laughing and cutting up with a few friends as he poured drinks. He was cute, but not handsome. Kind, but not sexy or masculine at all. She could settle for someone like him, but it seemed like such a detriment to do so.

"He's a great guy. Who knows what will happen." She looked back to Marcus and shrugged.

The night pulled in across the sky, her friends filling up the house and the yard in front of the apartments. Other groups of students had joined the festivities, the music nothing more than a low hum as everyone gathered in small huddles and talked about the excitement of graduation.

Bethany walked back into the house, a light sweat covering her skin from the alcohol she'd enjoyed. She sat her empty beer bottle down on the kitchen table and walked toward the kitchen. Jake was standing with his back to her as he fiddled with something.

She pressed herself to his back, sliding her hands around his waist and up to his chest; his muscles were non-existent, and yet the warmth of another human seemed fitting. She pressed her lips to his t-shirt as he turned a little, looking over his shoulder at her.

"You’ve had too much to drink, silly girl?"

"Mmmhmmm," she mumbled and bit at his t-shirt, pulling back and letting it pop from her teeth.

He turned in her grasp and put his arms around her, holding her tightly to him as he smiled down at her. "You should be careful. Some boy will be looking to take advantage of your current state."

"Like you?" She laughed, reaching up and pulling his head toward her as she pressed her lips to his, the fire in her blood from the liquor beckoning her to push him past his sense of comfort.

He pulled back slowly, the kiss being broken far too quickly for her. He laughed awkwardly and put his hands on her shoulders, turning them and backing up a step.

"You know I would never take advantage of you." He smirked and moved back to finish filling up a small bowl of chips. She leaned against the counter and reached in front of him.

"And why not? What if I wanted you to take advantage of me? Take me in my bedroom and strip me naked before—"

He cut her off, his eyes wide, his face flushed.

"Bethany. You're drunk. Stop talking like that before someone hears you."

She laughed, looking over her shoulder and yelling. "I'm drunk and want to get laid. Who's with me?"

The sound of different voices yelling in agreement caused her to laugh, but her smile fell as she looked back toward Jake. The pensive stare on his face sobered her quickly. He wasn't interested, nor was he approving of her actions.

"This isn't you. It's the liquor. Go take a shower, and I'll shut down the party and lock up in just a bit."

Heat burned her cheeks at his rejection. She wasn't his type, or perhaps he thought she was too far out of his league. She leaned toward him as anger bit at her, her hand siding down his chest to cup his crotch. His arousal told her that it must have been the latter. He jerked back away from her touch and she shrugged.

"Yep. I guess the liquor got you too."

She moved down the hall, pulling her dress over her head and walking languidly toward the shower, her small pink panties matching her bra perfectly. Too bad no one was interested in seeing it … least of all her
good friend.

Chapter 3

The morning sun streamed through the small window of her bedroom, the brightness stinging her eyes and pushing her headache to the next level. Why had she let herself drink the night before? She rarely drank, and she blamed that on the morning after. Nothing was worse than being debilitated for a whole day, simply to sate yourself with an evening of fun.

The smell of bacon wafted into her room, her stomach turning at the idea of food. They rarely cooked around the apartment, but the weekend was to be filled with friends, family and good food. Bethany rolled over and groaned, the memory of offending Jake the night before assaulting her.

Why hadn’t she just offered herself to one of the assholes from Kappa Alpha? There had been more than enough of them at the party. Sleeping with Jake had seemed like a good idea before she walked into the kitchen and pushed him a little too far. She covered her eyes with the palms of her hands pressing against the pain a little and groaning.

"Fucking hormones. I swear."

A knock at her door had her reaching for her covers, pulling them up to her chin before whispering, "Come in."

The door opened and Krista stuck her head in. "You decent?"

"Yeah. Come in."

Her friend walked in, closing the door behind her and sitting down on the edge of her bed. The look on her face let Bethany know that something was up. She figured Jake had probably had a breakdown over the situation Bethany had put him in, and now Krista was here to clean up the mess.

"So … last night was fun?" Krista started and Bethany rolled her eyes.

"Stop beating around the bush. I feel like shit. Just tell me if he's okay."

"He's okay, but I need to tell you something."

"Alright, tell me." Bethany sat up slowly, her head hurting so bad that dizziness swam around her. "Ugh. I hate this feeling."

"Jake and I are in love."

"What?" Bethany turned to her friend, horror washing over her. "You and Jake have something going on? Why didn't you tell me? I hit on him last night, for God’s sake."

"It's okay. You didn't know, silly." Krista reached out as Bethany slipped her hands over her face and let out a long sigh. Of course Jake was now dating Krista. That made everything perfectly shitty. It completed the shitastic circle and added the cherry to the shit-sundae.

Bethany let the news sink in, her heart hurting more over her actions than the loss of something she hadn't really wanted. She felt stupid and rather whorish, but other than that … it was what it was. She slid her fingers down her face, her fingertips covered in black mascara.

"I'm glad for you."

"You're not upset, are you? We figured you tried to sleep with Jake last night just because you were drunk, not because you had actual feelings for him. He's been trying to get you to go out with him for the last year, and you've rejected him so many times."

"I what?" She stiffened in the bed. "I've never once rejected him."

"Oh. Does that mean you're interested?"

"No, I'm just saying." Bethany moved past her friend, reaching to grab a t-shirt and pulling it over her head. She pulled on a pair of pink sleeping pants and checked herself in the mirror. "I'm happy for you guys. I don't know what else to say."

"Did you want to sleep with him last night?"

"What? No. Jake's not my type at all. It was the liquor." Bethany turned to Krista, innocence layered in a perfect facade on her face. Jake wasn't her type, but the idea of sex had seemed more than appropriate for her graduation party.

"Oh, good." Krista's shoulders visibly slouched as a smile touched her face. "I kept telling him that it was just the liquor. No way you'd just randomly sleep with someone. We all know how much of a prude you are."

"Prude? I'm not a prude." Bethany put her hands on her hips, the conversation going from bad to worse.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that you're so beautiful and still aren't with anyone. It's not because guys aren’t trying …" She laughed and Bethany realized that the conversation was better left alone.

"Who's cooking breakfast?"

"Oh, hell! I am." Krista jumped up and ran out of the room toward the kitchen.

Bethany walked into the hall and grabbed a towel, her heart hurting and stomach jacked sideways.

No wonder Jake had refused her. He was in love with her roommate.

*

Her mother and Kent had arrived just before she lined up for the graduation march, her mother kissing her cheek. Bethany looked over at Kent, who moved closer and pulled her into an awkward side hug as he smiled down at her.

"Sure am proud of you, kiddo. Your grades and ranking today are something to be incredibly proud of." He squeezed her shoulder before moving back toward her mom.

"Yep. Nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it, I guess." Bethany smiled and waved, moving toward the line of people wearing the same heavy black robes that draped across her body.

She watched her mom and Kent, the older man extremely handsome and more fit than Bethany remembered from the last time they'd met. The kindness in his eyes as he looked down at her mother was also something new.

Her real father was nothing more than a bastard—a user. He only looked at you or spoke to you if he wanted something from you. She hated him more than words could express and was grateful when he left their lives around her twelfth birthday.

A tug on her sleeve had her turning to her left, Jake standing quietly with his eyes averted.

"Hey, you," she whispered, unsure of what to say.

"Hey. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Krista sooner. I didn't know if you'd be okay with it." He shrugged, his dark gown swallowing him whole.

"I'm fine. I just wish someone would have told me. She said I tried to sleep with you last night. I feel like a total ass." She forced a laugh, the memory of the night before pushing its way across her aching skull. She would never let him know that she remembered every moment of it, but the loneliness at his denial and the hour of crying herself to sleep was still very real as she stared at him.

"It's no big deal. A month ago I would have fallen over myself to get you in bed." He laughed and the goofy sound caused her to smile.

He wasn't at all someone that she'd normally sleep with or try and start a real relationship with. The need to share her celebration with him had pushed her to want something more, but it would have ended as the sun came up. It was for the best.

"Enough of this. Congratulations." She reached up and straightened the lapel of his robe before turning and sliding into line as they were instructed to do.

She waited her turn, her mind wandering to the conversation her mother had hopefully had with Kent and how it might have gone. Would he be thrilled that she'd finally said yes to marriage? How soon would they tie the knot? Would he offer to help her with her master’s? She'd be more than thankful for a loan, if nothing else. A grant from him would be blissful, but anything to keep pushing her forward would be a break in her rather painful cycle of poverty.

She glanced at her mother and hopefully soon-to-be-stepfather and waved, smiling as she slipped onto the stage as the announcers called out her name. The moment was almost surreal, the hope it planted in her blossoming as she took her diploma and shook the Dean's hand.

"Great job, Bethany. Look forward to seeing you in the MBA program." He smiled and she simply nodded, turning her head for the flashing light of the cameras. Her head protested at the attention, the dull ache still remaining from her night of almost fun.

She walked down to join her classmates in the hard-backed chairs, the energy palatable in the air. Their speaker had asked to go after the names were read, which was odd, but she was degreed and couldn't care less about what came next. Sinking down into her seat, her mind numbed at the monotone voice of their valedictorian, the message surely on success and their ability to do anything they wanted to do.

She scoffed internally, wanting nothing more than a cheeseburger, sex and a nap. In that order.

*

"We're so proud of you, sweetheart. Let's go grab some lunch. Kent made us a reservation at a restaurant here in town."

Her mother pulled her into a hug as she stood before Bethany, who was smiling with a sense of relief sitting lightly on her. It was done. The graduation was over and she held her diploma in her hand.

"Quite the accomplishment, Bethany. Your mom tells me that you used grants and a work study to make your way through your bachelors?"

She nodded and moved back, wrapping an arm around her mom's shoulders as they walked to the car. Various friends called out to her, and she responded in between talking with Kent and her mother.

"Yes. I was very lucky not to have to apply for loans during the last four years. A lot of my friends are leaving today with forty to eighty thousand dollars hanging over their heads. I can't imagine."

"Debt is the devil for sure." He smiled and held the car door open for her as she got in the back. He opened the door for her mother as Bethany relaxed against the new-smelling leather of his Lexus. She didn't know much about Kent, but what she had seen, she liked quite a bit.

He was classy and old school, always holding the door open and shaking hands with people. His smile was warm and kind, his eyes dark and full of mystery. He would take some getting used to, as the only man in Bethany's mother’s life had been her weasel of a father. Her mom had just about written off men for good until her older sister, Bethany's aunt Patty, introduced her to Kent.

"Hungry, girls?" Kent turned and looked over at Bethany, his right arm extending to hold hands with her mom.

A smile touched Bethany’s mouth as she nodded. How nice would it be to find someone like him to take care of her mom?

How nice would it be to find someone like him to take care of her? She scoffed internally and engaged in the surface-level conversation they had as they drove to the restaurant.

Bethany sat up as the car pulled to the front of the large building, a valet rushing to open her and her mother's doors. She got out and her mom looked over at her as Kent spoke with another valet.

"Kent's paying, so get whatever you want, baby. This is your day." She smiled and held out her left hand, a large engagement ring on her finger.

"Oh my God, Mom. He had the ring already?”

“He sure did, and I said yes. We'll get married on the beach in Jamaica in three weeks. We just want you and his two boys to come with us. You can each bring someone if you want, and if not, just come and we'll have some family fun."

Bethany stood there, her mouth half hanging open as Kent walked around the car and put an arm around her mother.

"I see your mom told you the good news."

"She sure did. Congratulations! How exciting."

He smiled and moved them toward the restaurant. "It's given me a whole new outlook on life. But today is about you. We'll talk about the wedding next week. We want you to come spend the week with us, meet the boys and such."

"Of course. I'd love to."