TAINTED

Prologue

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IVY

Three years ago...

"Girls as sweet as you should be kept locked up from guys like me."

Just hearing his smooth voice made my legs buckle. I slammed my palm against the wall to steady myself, afraid of crumbling to the floor. His warm breath tickled against my neck and made me tremble. I had never been this close to him in all my life. I always felt more in control watching him from a distance, flirting with cheerleaders, throwing a football, or driving around town in his pickup truck.

He let out a low chuckle and twirled a piece of my golden curls between his fingers, "Does your brother know you're down here?"

All I could do was shake my head. I hated nothing more than my voice choosing to betray me right now. I waited too long for this moment to finally speak to the hottest guy I had ever seen.

"I didn't think so." His deep, sexy whisper made the tiny hairs on my neck stand up.

We both knew my older brother Eddie would be furious if he found me down here. He made it clear that my junior self was unwelcome at the Dalton High senior class graduation party. He had spent countless hours begging our parents to let him host the party in our basement. It was a minor miracle when they finally agreed.

Despite my better judgment to not piss off my burly brother, somehow, my hormones got the better of me. I couldn't resist a chance to see the one guy I could never seem to get out of my mind. Mainly because I knew tonight may be my last chance before he left our small hometown of Moose Creek, Montana, on a college football scholarship at the University of Southern California.

Once I could speak, I turned around to face the unbelievably gorgeous Rhys Wyatt. His piercing blue eyes flickered intensely, and his lips curled in amusement. He was as beautiful as he was arrogant, but he enthralled me. Rhys was the kind of guy girls knew they should stay away from, especially if they didn't want their hearts smashed all over the floor. But when push came to shove, every girl in this town would drop her panties if it meant spending one night with him, including myself. Everything about him made me dizzy, and the closer he got, the more my body felt like it was about to collapse.

"I'm only down here because I need something from inside my dad's office," I lied, staring at his perfectly plump lips. They were so close I could force them onto my mouth and taste them if I wanted to.

"Is that so?" Rhys said, inching closer. I swear, the burning hunger in his eyes made it seem like he almost dared me to make a move. "What are you looking for, exactly?"

You. I thought and wished he could somehow read my mind.

"A pencil," I nervously swallowed. "I'm studying for a final exam and realized I didn't have one." I lied again and bit my lower lip. "Please don't tell Eddie I was down here. I will be in my room when I get what I need."

Rhys straightened up a bit but still held a playful grin. He was perfect and too pretty for his good. Even his damn teeth were flawless: straight and pearly white. He ran his thick, strong fingers through his dark brown hair, leaning close enough to fill the tiny space between us.

"You're always studying. Every time I see you, your pretty little face is stuck in a book." He grazed his index finger along my collarbone. I felt my breathing stop, and I quickly reminded myself to exhale.

I wasn't always studying; that was only half-true. I was studious, sure, and overly cautious, but I wasn't academically obsessed. Of course, I was the complete opposite of what Rhys Wyatt looked for in a girl; he preferred tits for brains.