Just as I broke through the crowd, I spotted her standing with her hand on the wall like she was struggling to stand upright. She swayed and I stepped forward to catch her. My arm wrapped around her and I held her up against me.

"Sorry," she mumbled, slightly slurred as she looked up at me. Her eyes were glazed over. I frowned when I tried to figure out how long it had been since I had last seen her. It hadn't been that long ago.

"You okay?" I asked, searching her eyes.

"Nope...I...," she said before she closed her eyes briefly. "The room...won't stop."

"I think you need to sit," I suggested, steering her to the stairs.

She stumbled on the first step and I tightened my arm around her to hold her steady. Three steps up she was struggling so I lifted her into my arms effortlessly and carried her up the remaining stairs. Inside my bedroom I kicked the door closed and set her down to sit on my bed.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled again, pushing the hair out of her face.

"It's okay," I told her. "We've all been there."

She put her hand to her head. "I can't...didn't drink...that much."

Her words echoed my previous thought.

"I'll get you some water," I said, heading to my bathroom. I got a glass and filled it halfway with some tap water.

When I returned I handed her the glass. She took a couple of sips but struggled to stop some water from tilting over the rim. I took it from her and set it down on the table beside the bed.

"You're hot," she said, looking at me dreamily as I turned to face her. Her statement took me by surprise.

"So are you." I allowed myself to openly appreciate her. I had rules I didn't break but I was tempted to throw them out the window to find out if her lips were as soft as they looked.

"You have a reputation," she revealed. Her tongue swept across her bottom lip and I felt a rush of excitement at the small action. I hadn't been so affected by a girl since I was a young boy. The years of experience had taught me control, which was swiftly evaporating with every second I spent in her company.

Jordan had told her about me. I wasn't surprised. The reputation I had did well to hide my inner turmoil and emotional inability to make a deeper connection with a girl.

"What did you hear?" I asked out of curiosity. I folded my arms.

"That you're kinda a manwhore." It was spot on.

I shrugged my broad shoulders, unapologetic of who I was.

"Would you kiss me?" she asked. Her big blue eyes on mine made me question why I had stupid rules in place at all. Even knowing about my reputation hadn't been enough to scare her off. But most girls still had a belief that they could succeed where no girl had before.

"You've had too much to drink," I reminded her out loud. But it was also for my own benefit to remind myself I couldn't let this get out of hand.

"It's okay...." She shrugged. "I understand."

I frowned, trying to keep my distance so I wouldn't do something I would regret. I dropped my arms to my sides.

"What do you understand?" I found myself asking.

Her eyes lifted to mine and I could see a sadness in them. It wasn't the superficial type that was easily remedied. It reminded me of what I had wrestled with for most of my life. What was haunting her?

"I'm not pretty enough."

I shook my head. "You are...beautiful."

It was the first time I'd ever told a girl that. I'd used the words hot, gorgeous, pretty, but never the word beautiful.

Her eyes looked up hopefully to me. "Really?"

I nodded and found myself taking a step closer to her. I was playing with fire but I couldn't allow her to believe she wasn't good enough for me. The truth was I wasn't good enough for her.

She stood up and I reached for her so she wouldn't fall over. A protectiveness that felt alien to me surfaced. Her hands gripped my shirt as she looked up at me and I fought the urge to cover her lips with mine.

"I want you," she breathed with a sigh. My blood heated at the thought but I shook my head. She was too drunk to understand what she was doing, I kept reminding myself.

I was a lot of things, but I had enough respect for girls to never allow things to happen unless they were able to make the decision without the influence of alcohol.

"We can't," I said, taking hold of her hands. Her skin was soft and I resisted the urge to keep her hands in mine. I guided her back to the bed.

"You can sleep here tonight," I told her as I helped her remove her shoes before tucking her into my bed. I couldn't trust that another guy wouldn't try something with her in the state she was in.

She nodded as she laid her head on the pillow. Her blond hair cascaded around her, making her look even more alluring than before. I was only human and I couldn't take much more. I needed to get away to rebuild my defenses.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Taylor." It was beautiful, just like her.

The only time girls ended up in my bed was for a night of passion, I'd never allowed a girl to just sleep in my bed. Feeling unsettled, I extracted myself from her before walking with determination to the door.

"I'll be back soon, Taylor," I told her with a backward glance. Outside my room I closed the door and leaned back briefly, trying to rein in my hormones.

I didn't want to go back inside but I was concerned she would throw up in her sleep.

Downstairs, I found Slater having tequila shots with some girls. He drank one and grimaced. His eyes connected with mine. Without any words being spoken he nodded.

I didn't want to tell him about the girl I had upstairs. It would be giving insight into something I wasn't sure I understood myself. He would just assume it was some random girl and that was okay with me.

He headed over to the stereo and turned down the music. A few moaned but Slater pointed to the door. "Party is finished."

I headed back upstairs as Slater began to get rid of people. I hesitated for a moment outside my bedroom door before I opened it and stepped inside.

Beside Taylor's side of the bed I noticed clothes that hadn't been there before. I walked to her side to check on her and she was still awake.

"You okay?" I asked, studying her flushed face.

She shook her head and pulled the covers back to reveal she was undressed and was sleeping only in her underwear.

My eyes swept over her and I was unable to pull my gaze away. She was stunning. The flimsy underwear didn't hide much so her soft curves were there for me to see. I tightened my fists, refusing to allow myself to reach for her.

"I want you," she whispered seductively with hooded eyes.

I reached out and pressed my finger to her lips to stop her from saying anything more. I could only resist so much and I feared she would push me to do something I would regret.

"If you feel the same tomorrow when you're sober then I'll give you what you want," I promised her. I wasn't sure I had the strength to turn her down.

Our eyes held for a moment before she nodded. "You have a deal."

That seemed to appease her. She gave me a dreamy look as she closed her eyes and turned in the bed, burrowing into the pillow. I lifted the covers and pulled them up to her shoulders. For a few moments I stood watching her. I stripped down to my boxers and got into the bed beside her.

I'd never been unsettled by a girl as much, and I was wary of how she made me feel. I liked the control I exercised over my life and who I allowed in.

My mother had called earlier but I had avoided it. It had been enough to put me in a bad mood, bringing back all the memories from a childhood I wanted to forget. But there was no erase button and they seemed to seep back when it was the last thing I wanted to think about.

My eyes drifted back to my bed partner who was sleeping soundly beside me with her hands neatly tucked in under the side of her face. She was the reason why I hadn't invited the other girl to stay the night to keep me busy so I wouldn't have time to think about things that I didn't want to think about.

I lay on my back with my arm across my forehead as unwanted thoughts of my mother entered my mind. She had changed but it still didn't erase her past behavior or how it had impacted on me.

Now that she was sober she was able to give me the love and attention she had been unable to give to me as a child but I didn't have the heart to tell her it was too late. What was done was done and there was no way to take it back. It had given me some consolation that it was something she regretted.

Despite everything she was still my mother and it was the reason I looked after her but for my own sanity and well-being I kept her at a distance. I usually visited her once a month and spoke on the phone with her once a week. Anything more than that I couldn't allow.

The soft murmur beside me pulled my mind back to the beautiful girl sharing my bed.

I let my eyes glide over her fine features while I remembered the softness of her hands in mine. I swallowed when I dropped my gaze to her lips.

Like I had promised her, if she still felt the same way in the morning I would give her a night to remember—as long as she agreed to my rules. Only one night and nothing more.