In The Dark

by Monica Murphy

  “Have fun. Don’t get yourself all twisted up in knots over this girl. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.” Shep lowers his voice. “Hell, I hope Jade didn’t hear me. Gotta go. See ya G.” He ends the call before I can say anything else.

  Deciding I need to face the world sometime, I crawl out of bed and head to the bathroom, take care of business and then shuffle downstairs to find my sister sitting at the kitchen counter, eating potato chips she dunks in thick ranch dip.

  “Breakfast?” I ask as I swipe a chip out of her fingers, dip it in the ranch and then pop it in my mouth.

  Sydney glares at me, but she looks more like a fluffy kitten trying to bear her claws. Her hair is piled on top of her head in this messy topknot and she has no makeup on. She has on a tank top and black leggings and looks more than a little sweaty.

  “More like lunch, considering what time it is.” She reaches into the chip bag and pulls out a giant one, which she points at me. “Did you really just get up?”

  “Yeah.” I go to the fridge and pull out a cold can of Coke. “What’s the big deal? It’s summer.”

  “I’ve been up since eight.”

  I turn to look at her, chugging down half the soda before I speak. “So? You want a medal for that or what?” Swear to God we revert to ages seven and ten when we start bickering.

  “I went down to the beach.” She smirks. “Saw your crush there.”

  I have the can up to my mouth when she says that and nearly spit out the mouthful of soda I just took in. “You saw Lucy?”

  Sydney raises both brows. “You know her name?”

  “Well. Yeah.” I didn’t tell Sydney I was going over to Lucy’s house last night for fear she could mention it to our parents. But now the jig might be up. “We, uh, talked yesterday.”

  “Really? Well, we talked today.” Sydney shrugs and starts munching on chips again, which is really fucking annoying. As in, it’s all I can hear. And she doesn’t say another word, knowing that her silence is driving me crazy.

  I finally can’t stand it anymore. “What did you two talk about?” I’m trying for nonchalant but the look Sydney sends me says she doesn’t believe a freaking word I say.

  “Definitely not you.” Sydney rolls her eyes and sits up straight. “I don’t know, we chatted about—stuff. Nothing major. Just small talk. We walked along the beach together and then all the way back here.”

  I’m blown away. She’s making nice with my baby sister, all the while growing a real hate on for me?

  Life just isn’t fair.

  “You like her?”

  “She’s really nice.” I want to squirm under my sister’s scrutiny. “Do you like her?”

  “She’s all right.” I shrug.

  “Right. After the way you’ve been stalking her, now she’s just all right.” Sydney laughs. “You’re full of shit, Gabe.”

  “Language, Sydney.” I sound just like our Mom, which makes Sydney laugh harder.

  I smile in return. “Seriously. She never mentioned me?”

  Sydney shakes her head slowly. “Not even once.”

  The disappointment that stabs me in the heart is almost polarizing. I’m turning into a complete wuss.

  I dug and dug for information about Gabe when I talked to his little sister, making her swear on a giant imaginary stack of holy bibles that she would never, ever repeat to him what I asked. That I even asked in the first place. I don’t want him thinking I’m interested, because I shouldn’t be. Oh no, I absolutely should not be because he is a complete jackass who falls asleep on women when he should be kissing them.

  But I can’t help it. I’m still interested. I tossed and turned last night, unable to fall asleep. He was all I could think about. Gabe and his pretty—and very skilled—mouth. Gabe and his big, wandering hands. Gabe admitting that he wanted to fuck me—I have never had a guy say something like that to me before and I should’ve been offended. That’s offensive, right?

  No, it wasn’t. It was hot. Hot as fuck.

  See, and he’s making me think differently too. I don’t think things are “hot as fuck.” I just don’t. That’s not my style. I work hard, I study hard, I sleep hard. My life is boring but I have an end goal. Get through college, graduate and get a good job. A well-paying respectable job. Then the rest of my life can start.

  I didn’t bargain on taking this summer job. It unexpectedly fell into my lap, the opportunity given to me by one of my mom’s employers. They’d been on a spree selling all of their various homes and needed to travel out of the country to take care of some of the homes they had there. The only one they wanted to keep on the west coast is the very one I’m watching.

  So who wouldn’t want to spend most of their summer in an expensive mansion in a gated community in Santa Barbara mere feet away from the beach? They paid me a criminal amount of money too. I couldn’t pass it up. The housesitting job is so easy it’s almost embarrassing. I’m not in summer school for the first time in forever and I can hardly sleep, my brain is too filled with thoughts of the hot man who kissed me senseless. My life has been turned completely upside down.

  I don’t like it.

  I do like Sydney though. She’s sweet. Certain features on her remind me of her brother. They have the same eye color. The same color hair. Their smiles are similar though when he aims his at me, I want to melt. Sydney doesn’t have that certain melting skill, which is fine. I don’t want her to melt me.

  I want him to melt me.

  Ack, no I don’t. I’m still mad at him. For falling asleep. I’m probably making a big deal out of this but crap. Who does that?

  Vowing I don’t really need lunch, I change into a swimsuit—an old one I brought with me, a nice one piece that covers me up completely—and head out to the pool. I’m totally off schedule in regards to the Gabe watching. I don’t care if he sees me. He can suck it. I’m over him.

  I’m also a liar.

  The wind is strong today, and with it brings a hint of coolness that makes me shiver. I decide to bake in the sun first and then jump into the pool to cool down. I’d already sprayed every inch of my body that’s not covered with SPF—yeah, I’m Mexican and have naturally dark skin, but I can still burn and skin cancer is not on my agenda. Mama laughs at me, claiming how she used to work in the fields when she was a little girl and she’d turn so brown. How could the sun do me any harm, she says time and again.

  No skin cancer for me, thanks. I’m not taking my chances.

  I lay out on the lounger for a while, sunglasses firmly in place, eyes closed…most of the time. I keep checking to see if he’s watching despite my anger toward him. But he never makes an appearance and I fight off the disappointment that latches onto me, telling myself I’m being ridiculous.

  Shivering when the breeze washes over me, I roll over onto my stomach, propped up on my elbows as I reach over toward the table next to the chair and grab the magazine I brought out with me. A gossip mag that’s delivered to the house, I would never pay so much money for such trashy goodness but it sure is a great way to kill a half hour.

  I try to read the articles about the latest celebrity scandals but it’s so hard, what with the way Gabe distracts me. He lingers in my mind and with a sigh I glance up, staring at the ocean in the near distance. White caps top the water, seagulls busy flying in circles and dive bombing for fishy treats. I can’t help but wonder where Gabe’s at. Wonder what he’s doing.

  A shiver steals over me as I remember the way he touched me last night, so confident, so possessive. His mouth had been a hot brand on my skin and when he kissed me, teased my lips with his tongue just before sliding it into the interior of my mouth, God.

  My body lights up just thinking about it.

  I shift around, trying to find a more comfortable position. My fat ass is on blatant display and I can’t find enough energy to care. I ate fruit for breakfast, skipped my usual cup of coffee and drank water instead. Walked my ass down to the beach, hung out with Sydney and then hoofed it
back to the house, my thigh and calf muscles straining by the time I practically collapsed in the foyer.

  I’m desperate to lose weight before I start up school in August. I hear how it is when you go away for college. I’m not a freshman but I could still pack on the freshman fifteen. And I already have an extra twenty on my frame I’d love to get rid of.

  The reverent way Gabe touched me last night hits me full force and I wonder what he thinks about my curves. He seemed to like them. But they make me feel self- conscious most of the time. Really, the only time I felt confident and sexy is when I knew Gabe’s eyes were on me while I pranced around the pool for him.

  I just couldn’t hold his interest while he kissed me. Now that’s embarrassing. I know it’s been a while since I spent one on one time with a guy but this is ridiculous.

  Tossing the magazine aside, I push myself up and swing my legs over so I’m sitting on the edge of the lounger. I reach behind my head to pile my hair into a bun before I secure it with the band I wore around my wrist, getting it off my hot neck.

  “Love it when girls do that.”

  With a gasp I whirl around to find Gabe standing on the other side of the fence, much like he did yesterday. I glare at him, resting my hand over my chest, my heart thumping hard against my palm. “You scared me.”

  “Sorry.” His smile is dim, as is his gaze. “I feel like I’m always saying that to you.”

  I frown. “Saying what?”

  “Sorry. And I am—sorry. For what happened last night. I know I already said that but I had to say it again.” He runs his hand through his hair, messing it all up, which I like. He’s always so perfectly coiffed, dressed, all of it. It’s distracting.

  He’s also not wearing a shirt and that’s a total distraction. He’s one big giant distraction and that’s the last thing I need right now.

  “You love it when girls do what?” I remember what he said in the first place that scared me, and his words made no sense.

  “Oh.” He relaxes the slightest bit and waves a hand at me. “How girls put their hair up like it’s no big deal. You twisted that band around it so effortlessly. It was…sexy.”

  My skin heats despite my irritation with him. Irritation I cling to because otherwise, I’m going to throw everything to the wayside and go to him. “If you think I’m so sexy why did you fall asleep on me last night?”

  His cheeks color a faint red and damn it, it’s adorable. I should not think he’s adorable. “It had nothing to do with you. It was all on me.”

  I rise from the chair and start walking toward where he stands, ignoring the warning bells ringing inside of me. “All on you?” I stop so only the fence separates us. We’re mere inches from each other and I let my gaze wander, drinking in his perfect features, his strong neck, wide shoulders, broad chest…

  He clears his throat so my eyes shoot back up and meet his. “Definitely all on me. Let me make it up to you.”

  I slowly shake my head. There’s a real thrill in torturing him. In making him wait. I bet no one has made this rich boy wait for anything his entire life. “You already made that offer last night.”

  “Everyone deserves a second chance.” His expression is pure innocence. Like he wants nothing more in the world than to prove he’s worthy of that second chance.

  I don’t know if he really is. I’m afraid spending time with Gabe might be more than I can handle.

  And I’m starting to think he might be worth the adventure. Just for a few weeks.

  Just for the summer.

  “You think you deserve one? A second chance?” I cross my arms in front of my chest, plumping up my breasts. I note the way his gaze falls for the slightest moment, distracted by my ample cleavage on display and I can’t deny I did that on purpose.

  But then his gaze is back on mine again, like nothing else matters but me and the crackle of energy that flashes between us is potent.

  Undeniable.

  “Definitely. I want to make this up to you.” He nods, his expression contrite. “I fucked up,” he admits quietly.

  “Can’t deny that.”

  “There’s something between us I want to explore.”

  His words make me go still and slowly, reluctantly I admit, “I agree.”

  The crooked smile he flashes me is nothing short of glorious. “So are you saying I have a chance?”

  “Maybe.” I shrug and start to turn, glancing at him from over my shoulder. For a moment, I forgot I was in the old one piece. I don’t know what’s worse, flaunting all my goods, tummy rolls and all in the bikini or looking haggard in the old, faded suit. “What do you have in mind to make it up to me?”

  His face breaks out into a full grin. “Wait until you see.”

  I’m seriously looking forward to it.

  The doorbell chimes—and chimes and chimes—and I glance up from where I’m lounging on the couch, reading a book on my phone. I’m not expecting anyone to come over because trust me, no one comes over. I live like a hermit in this house. Interacting with Gabe and his sister was the first live action I’ve encountered since I’ve been housesitting.

  Standing, I shove my phone into the pocket of my shorts and take tentative steps toward the front door. The doorbell chimes again, startling me and with a grimace I rush to the front door and peek through the peephole to see who’s standing on the other side.

  Mr. GQ himself.

  My heart tripping over itself, I undo the lock and throw the door open, getting my grip firmly on the door handle so I have something to hang onto. “What are you doing here?”

  Gabe flashes me a brilliant smile and I’m thankful for the door handle. Otherwise I probably would’ve slid to the floor in a puddle. “I’m here to take you out.”

  I frown. “But we didn’t make plans.”

  “Do we have to have plans in order for me to take you somewhere?” He cocks his head, his hair falling over his forehead. I have the insane urge to push it off, run my fingers through it. I bet his hair is silky soft. “Have you ever heard of being spontaneous?”

  My frown deepens. No one would ever call me a spontaneous person. Ever. I like plans. Things happening in an orderly fashion. If that makes me sound like an old lady then so be it. I happily embrace my old lady habits. “I’m not one for spontaneity.”

  Gabe shakes his head, shoves his hands into the front pockets of his black cargo shorts. He looks good. Of course. He’s wearing a faded red T-shirt that clings to his muscular shoulders and chest almost lovingly. I wonder if he works out. He has to work out. No one looks that good without putting a little effort into it. Or else he’s just blessed.

  “Nothing wrong with a little spontaneous action now and then, don’t you think?” The sly look he gives me makes me think he’s remembering last night. And while the falling asleep portion of it I’d rather forget, there is that spectacular kiss we shared. I don’t want to forget that.

  I don’t think he wants to forget it either.

  “Maybe,” I say with a shrug.

  He drinks me in, his gaze landing on my bare feet. “Get some shoes on and let’s go.”

  “Um.” I glance down at myself. I’m wearing last night’s white shorts and a dark green tank top. Not exactly dressed for success. “Do I need to change?” I reach up and feel the back of my head. I never took my hair out of that sloppy bun I twisted it into a few hours ago and I bet I look a mess.

  “You’re perfect just as you are,” he says, his tone soft, with just the slightest hint of seduction. Oh, boy. “Now go grab your shoes and let’s get out of here.”

  I leave him standing at the door as I go in search of my flip flops, my mind racing at the possibilities. Where is he taking me? What does he have planned? Am I ready to do any of those things he has planned? Just looking at him makes me think of sex, which is wrong and weird and totally unlike me. I’ve never met a guy who I want to flat out jump. Ever.

  Gabe is the exception to that rule. If he’d pushed his way into the house and demanded t
hat I strip for him, I probably would’ve agreed.

  Wild but true.

  Slipping on my black flip flops, I grab my purse and shuffle back to the door, where I find Gabe leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his stance, everything about him casual. “Ready?” he asks, straightening away from the doorframe.

  “Definitely.” I say with a nod as I walk outside, shutting the door behind me. I turn to it and lock the deadbolt, then smile up at Gabe. “Where to?”

  He returns the smile. “Let me show you. This evening will be broken into a few different parts.”

  I frown at him. “Such as?”

  “It will have to be a surprise.” He offers his arm for me to take. “Ready to go?”

  As ready as I’ll ever be.

  He takes me to an old fashioned drive in, a burger joint with vintage looking neon signs in bright pinks and blues and tons of cars filling the lot. We somehow find a parking space directly in front but this allows us a glimpse inside and every available table is taken, including the ones outside.

  “We can eat in the car,” he suggests, glancing around the pristine black leather interior of his BMW.

  Knowing me I’ll probably spill my soda in here. Or a blob of ketchup will drop out of my burger and land on the seat. “Is this your car? And are you sure?” I ask, wrinkling my nose.

  “Yeah, it’s mine Don’t worry about it.” He nods, rolling down the window as one of the waitresses approaches his side of the car. She’s cute with bright blonde hair pulled into a high, bouncy ponytail and a ton of well applied makeup on her face. Instead of looking caked on, it enhances her features and I feel sort of less than just looking at her. “Hey,” he tells her and she flashes him a winning smile.

  “Hey yourself.” She hands over two menus and he takes them, passing one to me, though his gaze is still glued to Miss Perky. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Extra large vanilla Coke,” he says, turning to look at me. “Whatcha want, Luce?”

  No one calls me Luce. I like it. “I’ll just have water,” I answer.