"Go watch your game."

"What? Now Now?"

"Yes, now."

"But..." I'm as hard as a f.u.c.king two by four. I'm as hard as a f.u.c.king two by four.

"I know you wanna watch it. And from now on, I won't seduce you on game day, at least until the game is over."

He grinned. "Rielle Wetzler, you are the perfect woman."

"You know it."

Gavin slipped on his sweat pants. "You really don't mind?"

"I'll be right here, waiting. I've got some good reading material. Who knows what new things I'll learn when I'm flipping through your s.e.x books?"

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Late January...

Freedom could be spelled one way: C-A-R.

G.o.d. Her life had gotten so much better in the last month since she could drive.

No more begging rides.

No more sitting around doing nothing.

No more waiting for Marin to toss her a few sc.r.a.ps of friendship. She made her own fun and her own friends.

She'd met a lot of people at house parties the last four weekends, when she, a lowly soph.o.m.ore, became the undisputed beer pong champion. She preened at the comments about living up to the McKay reputation.

Sierra Daniels had arrived.

Her transformation had started during Christmas break, when her mom had lifted her curfew, handed her the keys to her Escalade and told her to have fun. Wasn't it proof of how awesome she was that so many people from her old school wanted to hang out with her?

Amazing how many friends you have when you've got wheels and booze, isn't it?

She shoved that bulls.h.i.t thought aside. People liked her. And she liked herself.

Her dad hadn't wanted her to go out tonight, but that was too bad. After all the times she'd sat at home by herself since they'd moved to Wyoming, it served him right to spend a night or two alone. Besides, if Rielle had been around this weekend, he wouldn't have even noticed she was gone.

"Sierra!" Kara yelled from across the room. "Come here, there's someone I want you to meet."

Sierra weaved through the crowd, saying hi to some people, hugging others. She'd heard the buzz around school after she'd started going to parties that she wasn't the stuck-up rich girl that people thought.

"This is the one I was telling you about," Kara said to the guy sitting next to her, who was probably five or six years older than her. "Sierra, Tyler. Tyler goes to Vo-Tech in Gillette."

A college guy. A cute college guy. Although he did appear a little rough around the edges. "Hey."

"You were right, Kara. She is hot." Tyler lifted a bottle and drank.

"Sierra just moved here from Arizona," Kara added.

"No s.h.i.t. A buddy of mine is working construction down there."

"Really? Is that what you're going to school for?"

"Nope. I'm in auto mechanics." He c.o.c.ked his head and his brown-eyed gaze flicked over her, from her boots to her eyes. "I like things that go fast."

Cheesy line, but he was obviously interested. She'd flirt. No harm in that.

Kara mouthed, "Later," and ditched her.

"So, ah, Tyler, how'd you hear about the party?"

"Around." He eyed her cup. "Whatcha drinkin'?"

"Beer. Why?"

He waggled a bottle of Jack Daniels. "I'm willing to share."

"Yeah? What's the catch?"

Tyler grinned. "Smart girl. Why don't you do a couple shots with me and we'll figure something out."

"Sure." Sierra drained her beer and tossed the cup aside. She s.n.a.t.c.hed the bottle from him and drank. Somehow she withheld a shudder. Jesus. That stuff tasted like s.h.i.t. The Crown XR her dad drank was way better.

He laughed and grabbed the bottle back. "Eager. I like that." He tipped the bottle, somehow keeping his gaze on her chest while he guzzled. "I haven't seen you here before."

"Really? I was here last weekend."

"I wasn't. I had to work."

"That sucks. It was a great party. Been a lot of great parties lately."

"And you've been to all of them?"

She grinned. "Yep."

"So you don't got a job?"

"No."

"Must be nice." He knocked back another slug. "So if you ain't workin', what do you do for fun?"

"I've been stuck at home for a few months without wheels, so it's been a long time since I've had any any fun." fun."

"Then you're in luck, 'cause I can think of a whole lotta ways we can have fun together tonight." He pa.s.sed the bottle back to her. "Drink up."

Sierra held her breath and managed to swallow another mouthful. But she didn't stop the shudder this time.

"Gets better by about the fifth shot. After that, you won't know what you're swallowing."

Her warning bells went off. Especially when he wrapped his fingers in the necklace she wore and tugged. "I've been watching you all night."

c.r.a.p.

"Heard some things about you. You've got a nice a.s.s, pretty face too." He kept putting pressure on her necklace chain, giving her no choice but to move closer to him.

Her brain warned her to tell him that he was choking her, even as she feared he was fully aware of what he was doing.

"Now. How about we talk about payment?"

Two shots in a row made her head spin.

Stupid, Sierra. What is wrong with you?

But she couldn't make her legs or arms work.

"Wanna hear your options?"

No. I want you to let me go. "I could just pay you." "I could just pay you."

"Nah. I'm wantin' something else. Your money is no good."

"But mine is. I figure she drank maybe five bucks worth of Jack." A hand waved a five dollar bill between her face and Tyler's. "So consider this payment in full."

Boone.

Oh G.o.d, Boone was here. She didn't know whether to be happy or embarra.s.sed.

Tyler released her necklace. She sucked in a deep breath and snapped back against Boone's chest.

But Tyler didn't notice, he was too busy glaring at Boone. "What the f.u.c.k is your problem, West?"

"Don't have one, Ty. Just watching out for my girl." He tucked the folded bill in Tyler's shirt pocket. "We square?"

Sierra remained frozen.

"You're with her? Bulls.h.i.t," Tyler spat. "Kara didn't say nothin' to me about that."

"That's 'cause Kara doesn't know. No one knows." Boone dropped his arm over Sierra's shoulder. "Our families would have a s.h.i.t fit if they knew we were together." Then Boone's hot mouth teased the skin below her ear. "Right, sugar bear?"

He'd said the words loud enough for Tyler to hear. But her tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of her mouth.

"Don't pull that silent treatment c.r.a.p with me," Boone warned Sierra testily. "Tell you what. You don't get p.i.s.sed off at me for bein' late and I won't get p.i.s.sed off at you for drinking with another guy. 'Cause you know how jealous I get, baby."

Tyler's gaze moved between them. He looked ready to kill Boone. And maim her.

Boone twined his fingers in her hair and pulled her head back in a move that showed his displeasure she hadn't answered him. Then he put his mouth on her ear and whispered, "For Christsake, Sierra, act like we're together or Tyler will f.u.c.k me up, and then he'll f.u.c.k you."

That snapped her out of it. "Sorry, Boone. Don't be mad." Sierra turned her head and buried her face in his neck.

Boone sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. She's a big f.u.c.kin' c.o.c.ktease when she's been drinking." He offered Tyler his hand. "No hard feelings?"

A beat pa.s.sed before Tyler shook Boone's hand. "You're lucky you got here in time. Me'n her were about to have us a private party. You'd better keep a tighter leash on her. Most guys ain't as understanding as me."

"You got that right." Boone curled his hand around her hip and squeezed. "Any bedrooms open so Sierra and I can...talk?"

Tyler laughed. Then he yelled, "Jimbo. Clear out my bedroom so these two can f.u.c.k and make up."

His bedroom? OmiG.o.d. This was his house?

"Thanks, man." Boone dropped his free hand to her a.s.s and kept his arm around her neck, almost in a headlock as he maneuvered her through the crowd.

Sierra felt everyone staring at them, but she kept her gaze on her feet. Even that didn't keep her from stumbling. She heard laughter and Boone's grip tightened.

He steered her into a bedroom and slammed the door behind them.

The shots. .h.i.t her the same time as the reality of the situation. She tripped over something on the floor and Boone caught her before she fell.

He pushed her against the door, bracing her shoulders, and got right in her face. "What the f.u.c.k were you doing?"

"I don't know."

"That is G.o.dd.a.m.n obvious, Sierra."

She closed her eyes.

"Huh-uh. Look at me. Keep those eyes open because the room will start spinning and I don't wanna deal with you being sick as well as being stupid."

Stupid. She hated being called stupid. And it stung hearing it from him. "I'm not that drunk." Sierra put her hands on his chest and shoved him as hard as she could.

Boone wasn't expecting it and he stumbled back two steps.

"Leave me alone. I don't need you to f.u.c.king babysit me, Boone."