Excerpt of Into the Fire by Amanda Usen

She raised the glass to her lip, trying to act normal while every nerve tightened with awareness of him. It wasn’t easy. Her skin felt taut and tingly, and her mouth watered even after she swallowed. Damn, he was hot—tall, dark, and built like an underwear model. Whereas she was…not. Every time she passed the pub on her way to one of her part-time jobs, he was in there surrounded by an adoring crowd well stocked with beautiful women from neighboring universities. To top off his lucky lot in life, he was rich, too. Could two people be more opposite? For goodness sake, her father had mortgaged the house to pay for her abandoned art degree, but Jack was so loaded there were buildings on campus named after his family.

He smiled, not the charming grin she’d seen him use on the instructors during class when he was being, well, Jack. This smile was real, and it made her heart beat faster. Snap out of it! Her crush on Jack had been instant, epic, and excruciating, but she couldn’t afford to let him distract her tonight. “Oh no, you don’t. You’re not going to throw me off my game tomorrow by playing on my sympathies. You’re not going to get me drunk, either.” She set her glass on the porch railing and crossed her arms, glaring at him. “Unlike you, I do have loans to repay. Big ones. You’ll have to forgive me for kicking your ass tomorrow.”

He didn’t react. Actually, he didn’t appear to have heard a word she said. His eyes roved over her body, finally settling on her breasts.

“Hey! Up here.” She pointed at her eyes. “I’m talking to you.”

His gaze snapped to meet hers, and time stopped. His pale green eyes were mesmerizing, and she saw something in them she had never imagined—desire. She stared at him, feeling dizzy.

He stepped closer. “Sorry, did you say something? I was trying to figure out how we could have been in class together for so long without me noticing how beautiful you are. Have you been hiding from me?”

He didn’t know the half of it. When she saw him coming, she ducked behind whatever was available, no mean feat considering her curves. Better to hide than to face him, flushed with desire and breathless. In class, it was easier to act normal. She was wearing her uniform, had a game plan, and knew all the right answers.

He set his wine glass next to hers. “Now that I think about it, you always seem to be going the other direction every time I see you. I don’t think we’ve ever had a conversation outside of class before tonight. Why is that?”

Because my panties would start fires around campus. “Absolutely nothing in common?”

“I don’t buy it. We’ve traded the top spot back and forth for two years now. We’re both nervous about tomorrow. Obviously, we both love food. We have tons in common. Don’t you like me?”

Was he joking? “Seriously? Everybody likes you.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Their eyes locked, and her heart beat so fast she thought it might lunge out of her chest. Her knees weakened, and she leaned back to brace herself against the railing, feeling her cheeks burn. A triumphant grin spread across his face. “You do like me.”

“It’s not a crime.”

He stepped forward, trapping her. “No, but giving me the impression you didn’t want anything to do with me is.”

“So sue me.” She looked away into the darkness, grateful for the early spring breeze that cooled her fiery cheeks. “I’m not your type, Jack. I never had any illusions about something happening between us.”

He made a dismissive sound. “You gave off the not interested vibe so hard, I didn’t even think about it. Now I’m remembering how much fun it was to square off with you in the kitchen and imagining how we might match up in other ways.”

She jerked her gaze back to his. She’d imagined how they might match up a thousand times but had never thought it would happen. He leaned forward. “Want to find out?”

Heat soared through her, and she was certain she would catch fire when he kissed her.

His lips touched hers.

She melted and then turned into pure flame as he wrapped his arms around her, welcoming the instant and all-consuming fire between them. When she felt the flick of his tongue against her upper lip, she opened her mouth, inviting him deeper. For long moments they explored each other, and she exhilarated in his touch, loving the firm caress of his fingers on her aching breasts and delighting in the impatient grasp of his hands on her ass as he pulled her closer. “A perfect fit. So damn hot, and right under my nose all this time. No more hiding.”

His teeth grazed her throat, and the sharp sting thrilled her. Would any of the other party guests see them making out on the porch? She didn’t care. She had wanted this for so long, and it was actually happening.

“This is silly,” he muttered.

She froze, eyes shut tight. She should have known it was too good to be true. Guys like Jack didn’t need girls like her.

He lifted his head. “I don’t suppose you want to get out of here?”