My One Night: An On My Own Novel by Carrie Ryan (life books to read .txt) 📕

it. I didn’t want to be the center of attention. And yet, I couldn’t stop what I was doing. And so, I parted my lips and let him kiss me harder.

He pulled away, his breath a little choppy. And then he smiled at me. A sweet grin that spread over his entire face and brightened his eyes, making him look like the sexiest guy I had ever seen in my life.

What the hell was I doing?

“Did that satisfy your dare?” Dillon Connolly asked. I blinked before mortification set in. My stomach dropped, and I took a step back.

“Oh. Maybe. Anyway, I should go.”

I turned on my heel again, but Dillon reached out and gently touched my wrist. “Don’t.”

“I really should,” I mumbled.

I looked over at him as he stared at the people staring at us. Suddenly, everyone looked as if they had something else to do.

What would it be like to have that kind of power? To be the big man on campus. The one who didn’t know it.

I saw Dillon around now that I knew to look for him. Everywhere he went, he acted as if he might not have a care in the world, but he also didn’t push people away. Didn’t think he was better than them, even though he was better than most guys on campus. Yet it was still weird because I felt like he didn’t understand the power he wielded, the magnetism that brought people to him like a moth to a flame.

“I really should be going.”

Dillon shook his head, a smile still playing on his lips. “You’re just going to leave me after kissing me like that?”

I raised a brow, doing my best to look my most haughty. “You’re the one who kissed me.”

“Only because you asked.”

Shame crept up my spine, and I lowered my head. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

Dillon cursed under his breath. “That’s not what I meant. I was just trying to play along. Come on, let’s meet this friend of yours who dared you. And talk. I don’t usually kiss strangers.”

I looked at him then, raising a brow. “That’s not what I hear.”

“You’re hearing things about me?”

I could have kicked myself. “That’s not what I meant. Forget I said anything.”

Dillon shook his head. “No, we’re going to talk about that. Plus, I just had my mouth on yours. I think that gives me the right to maybe a little conversation.”

“Fine,” I mumbled, aware that others were still staring. I hated when people gawked.

We made our way to where Corinne stood with the guy from the coffee shop and another guy with blond hair. I could feel Dillon behind me, his warmth at my back. He didn’t touch me, didn’t leave me with his hand on the small of my back like sometimes happened in my dreams. It wasn’t necessarily Dillon in my dreams, but you couldn’t always see the other person’s face in those kinds of dreams. Still, you were happy and finding your place. But then you woke up and realized that, once again, you were alone. But that was okay. I didn’t really have time for a relationship or need.

And yet, my hormones seemed to have other ideas.

“Hi, Corinne,” I grumbled. My best friend and roommate grinned, her hair piled on the top of her head.

I loved her so much, even though I hated her a little right then.

“Hi. I didn’t expect you to kiss him in the middle of the party, but good going.” She gave me a thumbs-up, and Tanner laughed from beside her.

“I do believe you two are my favorite people ever,” Tanner said, and the other guy just shook his head.

“I think we need an introduction,” the blond interjected, his British accent startling me. It was sexy. In fact, the whole package was. As was Tanner. But for some reason, it was Dillon who had been on my mind recently—and I hated it.

Or maybe I hated myself for liking it too much.

“Corinne, this is Dillon. Dillon, this is Corinne. And I don’t know these guys.”

Dillon snorted. “It’s nice to meet you, Corinne. I don’t know whether I should thank you or run away from you.”

Corinne beamed.

“That’s usually the case when it comes to people these days.”

Dillon just shook his head, smiling. “Tanner, Pacey, what are you guys doing over here?”

“I have no idea, but I’m quite enjoying myself. Hello, I’m Pacey,” the blond man said as he stared at me.

“I’m Elise,” I said, confused. “How do you guys know each other?”

This time, Tanner spoke. “We’re roommates. Along with a couple of other guys around here. This is our home.”

I swallowed hard. “Oh. Small world.”

“Well, this has been interesting. Where did you guys meet?” Pacey asked, and I could still feel the heat of Dillon behind me. I didn’t look up at him. I didn’t move slightly back so I could lean against him. All I wanted to do was hide, and I wasn’t sure I could do that.

But then I met Corinne’s gaze and remembered my promise.

Tonight was about fun. About remembering that this was college, and I was allowed to be who I wanted to be—or who I wasn’t.

I could be anyone. I could do anything. I was allowed to have fun.

I wasn’t an innocent virgin who’d never even touched a guy before. But I wasn’t good at the whole human-interaction thing.

Maybe if I let myself, though, I could have fun tonight. And I saw all of those promises and memories in Corinne’s gaze as she looked at me.

Treasure every moment, I thought to myself.

Our motto.

Something I needed to do better about remembering.

“I met the girls at a coffee shop,” Tanner said. “They were having a lovely conversation behind me, and I just had to invite them to our party. I didn’t know there would be this dare involved, but this is the most exciting thing that’s happened recently. Anyway, I’m delighted that I met up with them at that coffee shop.”

I looked up at Dillon as he frowned at Tanner’s words.

“When was