Free Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram

soft it made my heart flutter. I looked up without thinking and met his eyes. Big mistake. He managed to trap me in some sort of spell, and when he reached up to brush the backs of his fingers down my face I let him. My eyes flittered shut at his touch. “You’re so innocent.”
    I shivered, and I don’t think it was from being cold.
    “You need me.”
    My eyes snapped open, his words clearing the fog in my brain. “Did you not happen to see what I did to Kowalski?” I asked. “I’m not helpless.”
    Seth pulled his hand back. “I never doubted your ability to throw a punch,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sure you can more than hold your own on a court. But guys like your friend from earlier? They’re playing a whole different kind of game. One you don’t have the slightest clue how to play.”
    I had to turn my face away from Seth even though in the darkness he couldn’t have seen my blush.
    “Trust me,” Seth went on. “Your boy, Travis? He was a pro. He would have taken you on that walk, gotten you alone, and you wouldn’t have been able to do a thing about it. If you think I scared you earlier—”
    “Stop,” I said, still unable to look at him. “Just stop. I get it.” And I did. I hated how much sense he was making. “I may be innocent, but I’m not stupid. I’ll figure it out.”
    “I could help you.”
    “I don’t want your help.”
    “Don’t be mad.”
    “Go away.”
    I turned my body even further from him and we sat in silence until a slight breeze picked up and I shivered again. I felt Seth’s hand come down lightly on my shoulder. He brushed his fingers down the length of my arm, feeling the goose bumps on my skin. “You’re cold,” he said.
    I shrugged away from his touch. “I’m fine.”
    Seth handed me something. After looking down at it I turned to face him. He’d taken off the button up he’d been wearing and was now in nothing but the white tank top he’d had under it.
    “I don’t need your shirt.”
    He thrust it at me again, rolling his eyes. “Just take it.”
    I didn’t want to take it, but I really was kind of cold, and I was really, really tired of feeling naked. The sleeves engulfed my hands and I had to push them back in order to fasten the buttons, but I was grateful to be covered.
    I was about to say thank you when Seth let out a deep breath. “Ellie, Ellie, Ellie.” He sighed, shaking his head slowly. “What am I going to do with you?”
    “What?” I asked, drawing my knees up to my chest self-consciously.
    “Nothing,” he said. “It’s just…” He reached up to fix my collar. His hands lingered longer than necessary. I pulled back a little and he smiled. “As much as I could kill that guy Travis, I really can’t blame him. The sight of you wearing my shirt makes me want to take you for a long walk up a deserted beach myself.”
    I jumped to my feet, ripped the shirt over my head and threw it at Seth. I hoped I kicked up sand in his face as I stalked off.
    “Angela!” I shrieked.
    Angela wasn’t standing far away. “Oh my gosh, Ellie, I saw you talking with Seth. You should have seen the two of you! I don’t care what you say, you guys are meant to be!”
    Rachel and Brooke beside her were nodding vigorously. “You are so lucky,” Brooke said. “He is so gorgeous.”
    “And he gave you his shirt?” Rachel squealed. “So romantic!”
    All I said was, “I’m ready to go.”
    Angela frowned. “We still have half an hour before we have to go. I thought you were having a good time.”
    “Now!”

 
     
     
    My head was pounding when I woke up the next morning. Probably because after the party I dreamt all night long. Some of the dreams were nightmares, but some of them… well… let’s just say I remembered what Seth’s lips felt like against my neck and how his fingers could raise goose bumps on my skin a little too well.
    The nightmares were comforting because they were so straightforward, but the good dreams confused me. I