Stepping into the restaurant, I discovered only old couples and young families ate this early on Saturdays. We slid into a booth and the waiter handed us menus. My thoughts drifted to the water park and at what point an attack would come. Would it be as I ascended the stairs and tumble down three stories, or would I drown in a pool?
His fingers laced through mine, bringing my attention to him. “Are you not talking to me today?”
I realized I hadn’t spoken since we left the house. “I’m sorry. I’m in my own head.”
“Where’s your ring?” Hurt laced his voice, tracing my bare finger. Man, he noticed everything.
I assured him, “I didn’t want to lose it in the water. It’s at home.”
“Today’s going to be fun.”
I didn’t believe him. “Yeah.”
Xander’s eyes locked on mine. “Did you hear me earlier about being fine with me today?”
“Yeah,” I repeated with the same lackluster enthusiasm.
The waiter returned and we both ordered pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
As though we were never interrupted, Xander slumped back in the seat. “We’ll go somewhere else today. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“No. I already had a panic attack over my bikini, I packed a bag, and I am halfway mentally prepared for today. We’re going now.”
He flung himself back over the table. “What kind of bikini?”
“White with pink dots. Why?”
The only movement he made was a bob of his Adam’s apple. “You have it on now?”
I pulled on the string from behind my neck and his face broke out in a wide grin. I smacked his arm. “You are such a guy!”
“What good is having a girlfriend if I can’t ogle her?” he said as though I should have known.
My nose scrunched. “No one says, ogle.”
He studied the light above our table. “Check out?”
I nodded. “Yeah, they say, check out.”
Grinning, Xander settled back in his seat. “Well, be prepared to get checked out.”
I rolled my eyes and he laughed.
Xander slid closer and kissed me. “Happy three weekiversary, beautiful.”
I almost forgot with the impending death and embarrassment of today. “Happy three weekiversary yourself, handsome.” The waiter appeared with our food, and as we ate our breakfast, a thought nagged at me. “When did you see my scar?”
He flinched at my question and stared at me. I was ready to ask again, when his eyes lit up. “Well, before a few minutes ago, I had ogled you quite a few times.” He smiled and I frowned. “Hey, stop that. I meant what I said at the house.”
“You’re being nice,” I muttered.
“No, Abby. I’m not.” His tone was sharp and his brows slammed down.
Okay, I needed to change the direction of this day. Twice now, I’d upset him. I didn’t want to be that couple that bickered every moment they were together like Mel and Tyler did now. We finished breakfast in near silence and he helped me into the cab of the 4Runner.
By the time we reached the water park, my stomach had lodged into my throat. “Do you mind if I change?” I asked.
“Sure, I’ll give you privacy.” Xander stepped out of the SUV with his back to the window.
Slipping my shorts and polo shirt off, I folded them, put them in my bag, and pulled on a T-shirt. It covered my top fine, but revealed my bottoms, which I was totally okay with.
After helping me down, Xander’s eyes roamed up my body and I didn’t mind how long it took him to reach my eyes. Leaning into me, my back hit the SUV. Tipping my head back for him, his mouth sealed over mine, just long enough to make me breathless and forget that I had legs.
“I wanted to do that all morning,” he said against my lips.
His hand linked with mine and we entered the park—more like the Water Park of Death. The slides were unbelievably high and they advertised a wave pool. The strong chlorine odor burned my nostrils and sounds of kids screaming made my heart race. Xander paid for an inner tube and we found beach chairs under an umbrella.
“Do you have sunscreen in your bag of tricks there?” he asked.
I dug it out. “Would you like some?”
“I don’t burn, but if you’re offering to rub your hands all over my body, I sure as hell wouldn’t stop you.”
I shook my head. “Such a guy.”
He tore his shirt off and I marveled at him. Looking at his body gave me goose bumps and I flushed. There was too much skin, muscles, and raw male before me; he could get a dead woman’s heart racing.
Xander sat and I happily rubbed sunscreen over his shoulders and back, giving me the opportunity to look at those iridescent lines up close. They were strange but beautiful. I traced the length of the light pearl markings and Xander’s back tensed under my fingers. Ignoring his reaction, I pressed a kiss to both of them.
Xander spun, wrapped an arm around me, and his eyes turned wary. “It’s in the file. Soon, okay?” Well, he admitted it. He had secrets. Once I nodded, he relaxed and breathed out as though he had actually confessed something. “Now you.” A finger motioned for me to take off my shirt.
“I’m good. I put it on already,” I blurted out. I knew how stupid it was to choose an allover third-degree burn rather than show him my scar, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it and see the look on his face.
Frowning, he grabbed the sunscreen from me. “At least let me get the back of your neck.”
“All right.”
Standing behind me, he took his time rubbing the sunscreen along the exposed skin of my neck. My shirt rose, he applied the cream to my lower back, and then fingers drifted over my stomach. I squealed and flew back into him.
His lips brushed my ear. “Ticklish?”
“Very! And that was more than the back of my neck.”
His hard chest rumbled with laughter and arms bound me. “Mmm, I’m not going to say sorry.” Warm lips trailed behind my ear and my eyes rolled back. “Ready?” he murmured.
His kisses must have drugged me. I sighed, “Okay, where to first?”
“Well, no one’s here yet. The lines will be short for the slides.”
Regretfully, I turned. I noticed his shorts had a zipper and I grabbed my waterproof pill bottle. “Can you hold this for me?” I asked, cringing.
Taking the bottle, he examined it. “What is it?”
Okay, so my stupidity needed to end here; I couldn’t put this conversation off any longer. “Nitroglycerin. If I get in trouble, slip one under my tongue and call the paramedics.” The second request may have been a bit premature, but gauging the fact we were somewhere I had no business being, I thought it best.
He put it in his pocket as though it were filled with something off the biology lab floor. Great. Feeling a burn behind my eyes, I spun toward the slides and a hand grabbed my arm to twist me back around so I was flush to a bare, hard chest. “Trust me today, I’ll keep you safe, and it won’t be a pill I slip under your tongue.”
And his mouth was back on mine. His tongue swept over the seal of my lips and they opened to him. Then he flicked the roof of my mouth, exploring, twisting his tongue with mine, and I was pretty sure the large hand on my hip was headed toward my backside because those fingers were farther south than they had ever been. Warmth bloomed in my belly at his touch, kiss, scent, and I was ready to tell him to take me somewhere to make out with me for the rest of the day when he let me go. It took me a second to recover myself. I was so over these teasing mini-practice sessions.
Xander picked the tallest and scariest slide that allowed two riders. Ascending the stairs, he carried the inner tube and his hot hand interlaced with mine, drawing patterns with his thumb over my knuckles. I waited for the inevitable. Walking up this many stairs should have sent my heart into a frenzy, but whatever Xander did for me was working.
He sat in the tube first and I put my feet in, yelping at the cold water, and he laughed at me. Snuggling on
top of him, his entire body was toasty. With a kiss to my forehead, Xander pushed off. The enclosed slide was pitch black. We bounced within the plastic tube over bumps and twists. Encased within Xander’s cocoon, I never touched anything but him and we laughed the entire way down.
When the slide dumped us out, the sunlight blinded me, and the water engulfed us, a shocking contrast to his heated body. Xander held me against him and shot to the surface so I never had to do anything but hang onto him. He was a strong swimmer, just like everything else he excelled at. It didn’t take long for the sun to beat down on us and then I was grateful for the cool water.
We spent most of the late morning to early afternoon on the slides, just those accommodating two riders. At the zoo, there were long pauses between his touches and I had resisted his help, too proud to take it. Today, he made sure we were in contact at all times. I let him help me, and I felt stronger than I did last week.
Xander was starving again, and we ordered lunch from the snack bar. Observing his entire tray of greasy food, I figured he must have an incredible metabolism, not to mention all the weight lifting he must do to keep a body like his.
After eating, I excused myself to the restroom, but I should have held it, because when I came back out to find Xander, all the air rushed from my chest.
The bright orange string bikini attacked my ocular orbits first, then the back of a blonde head of hair that was oddly styled for a water park. Xander wore his sunglasses so I couldn’t tell where his eyes were pointed, but Danielle had all of his attention, and there was less than an inch between their bodies.
Her fingers caressed his bicep and stayed there. Jealousy sparked through me like a flare. It was hot, red, and hella ugly.
I should have run up to her and reminded her he was taken, but I didn’t. Instead, I hung back to watch. A part of me needed to know Xander didn’t find someone like her attractive. Who was I kidding? What straight male over the age of ten wouldn’t be drooling over her? And here I was covered up in a T-shirt while she flaunted herself like a Sports Illustrated model.
Xander tilted his head at her and said something. She tossed perfectly coiffed hair over her tanned shoulder to expose just how skimpy that bikini was. Then her hand landed on Xander’s chest. Something stepped in front of my field of vision. No!
“Hey, Pink Polka Dots.” I shot farther back into the alcove away from the tanned chest, dark sunglasses, and dripping brown hair.
What was this, a class reunion? “Hi, Jake.”
His arm reached across and leaned against the lockers. “I didn’t think you came to these kinda places.”
“I normally don’t. I’m here with Xander.” Even with said boyfriend twenty feet from me, vulnerability surged through my veins.
Jake nodded in Xander’s direction. “Are you sure about that? Seems like he’s here with Danielle.”
“He’s just talking.” My words held no conviction.
Jake laughed. “No guy just talks to Danielle. Look.” Jake angled back so I could see them.
Danielle was pressing against Xander, her chest flush to his. That lump in my throat had grown considerably in the last ten seconds and I couldn’t look at them any longer. “Did you want something, Jake?” It came off sharper than I had intended.
He held up his hands and jerked his head back. “I wanted to say hi. I couldn’t help but notice the situation and thought you could use a friend.”
“I’m sorry.”
He took that as an invitation to step closer and the smell of chlorine on his skin mixed with liquor on his breath. He grabbed a loose hair, tucked it behind my ear, and his finger lingered on my skin. His touch was frigid and the gesture unnerved me. Why did he think he could touch me this way?
“We should go out tonight. I’ll take you dancing like last time. We could leave now.”
Jake’s fingers skimmed down my neck to my collarbone and I shivered at his chilling touch. His head tilted down and the corner of his mouth tipped up. Blood rushed from my face.
“She’s with me, Jake,” Xander’s voice boomed in the tiny space.
Jake took his hands off me. “Oops, sorry!”
No longer wearing his sunglasses, Xander’s eyes anchored down, right where Jake’s head was pointed, and he scowled. He towed me behind him. What was everyone…? Holy crap. I crossed my arms over my chest.
“I figured since you were ignoring Abby, you two broke up,” Jake said.
Xander’s body coiled and leaned over Jake. “No. Abby’s mine,” he snarled. “And she’s not going anywhere with you. Understand?”
“No prob, man. If you learned to keep it in your pants, it’ll make things less confusing for everyone.” Jake strolled away.
What? My heart submerged in ice.
Grumbling, Xander pulled out the cell tucked inside a waterproof bag, and his fingers were fast on the keys. He tucked the phone back into its bag, back inside his pocket without explanation. I would never have guessed he had it on him this whole time. And who was he texting?
35
Cresil
Between body jumping and playtime, my energy was drained. Prince Astaroth summoned me for a private report and I spewed lies to him: I searched but did not find the soul, and he reiterated to tell no one.
After absorbing enough energy from the few drones I was allowed, I returned and found Jake at his house with Tyler and Melanie. The boys were already drinking, so I melded with Jake. From the couch, I admired the girl. Not bad at all. I could have her, it would be easy, and I’d wipe the memories away like ashes of a cigarette. I didn’t want to blow a good thing, though. I had to keep things clean if I wanted to get my Pink Polka Dots. And I did.
“Ty, I’m gonna go.” Melanie gave him a kiss on the cheek.
He checked the time on his phone. “Already, why?”
“I have a paper to write for history this weekend and I haven’t even started.” She was lying. Oh, things were getting good. I had learned to embrace their drama; it was like a freaking soap opera with these two.
Tyler complained, “You planned on spending the day with me, though.”
The girl flicked her gaze to me and cringed. “Ty, Jake doesn’t want to hear this.”
“It’s cool, have at it, guys.” I plopped down in the kitchen chair with a drink in hand and my ears wide open.
Melanie said, “Yeah, we were going to spend the day together and I was gonna help you with your party tonight. Then you wanted to come to Jake’s, whom I adore, but not when you both drink. It’s not even eleven!”
“Shit, Mel. I can’t do anything with you. First, you won’t have sex and now I can’t drink? All you are is a cock tease!”
A hand slapped wood. “Ty! I can’t believe you said that!”
“Well, what the hell, Mel? I mean, you said you loved me. What are you waiting for?”
She whispered, “Ty, I wanted to spend the day with you sober. I can’t have this conversation with you drunk and Jake’s in the next room.”
“So don’t. Let me finish my drink, we’ll go back to my house, I can finally get laid, then you can help set up for the damn party. It’s a win-win.”
After a jangle of keys, she huffed. “I’m out, Ty. Let me know when you grow up.”
“Later,” he grumbled.
Melanie said good-bye to me and left.
Tyler came in with his drink, smiling and sat in the other chair. “Mom’s gone! What do you wanna do?”
“Finish my drink.” I threw back another shot of whiskey.
He laughed. “We need hot girls in bikinis for the party tonight. I’m getting laid by the end of this day. I’m pretty sure Mel and I are on a break. That was my interpretation of that anyway.”
Maybe I could learn to like Tyler. Hmm. “Sounds good, man.”
I didn’t realize “hot girls in bikinis” would also include whining kids, beer-bellied men, and women in bikinis minus the hot. Tyler ensured me it would be worth my time. Just as I imagined drowning Tyler in t
he kiddie pool and ditching Jake, I spotted her.
My Pink Polka Dots.
Lucky me. She was hidden in an alcove spying on the rat. He had his hands full with Double-D’s and she was exploding marvelously out of an orange bikini.
My Pink Polka Dots had a shirt on. What a shame to cover a body like hers. I certainly noticed the color of her bathing suit and wondered if she thought of me when she put that on.
When I touched her, little goose bumps erupted on her skin along with another spectacular effect. Catching my eye were those hard, perky tips and I remembered just how sweet she tasted.
Rat boy came over and ruined my fun.
How cute, he thought he would claim her. Hmm, maybe not such an angel after all. Maybe even willing to fall for her. Fool. It was no longer a question of if I’d have her, but when. I’d draw this out and make him suffer. For now, Jake deserved a reward and Double-D’s looked more than willing.
36
Abby
“What are you doing over here by yourself?” Xander looked behind him and saw I had a good vantage point of his encounter with Danielle. “Oh.” His shoulders fell.
“Yeah.” I glanced to my toes. “I’m guessing chemistry wasn’t the topic of discussion.”
He tugged my hand. “Come on. Let’s get back to our day.”
I yanked my hand back. “I want to know what you were talking about, Xander.”
He blew out a deep breath. “Abby, it really doesn’t matter.”
I flinched. “It matters to me.”
“It shouldn’t.”
“I deserve to know.” My voice dropped. “She touched you.” My eyes locked onto his chest. “Jake said—”
He tugged my chin up, eyes narrowed at me. “I don’t care what Jake said because he’s lying,” Xander bit out. “Danielle came onto me and I told her I wasn’t interested. I pushed her hands off me. I didn’t want to talk to her. I walked away from her to find you.” His chin jutted to the alcove. “Did you go looking for Jake?”
I screwed up my face. “No, he found me.”
“Did you want him touching you? Do you want to go on a date with him? Leave with him?”
To Fall (The To Fall Trilogy Book 1) Page 22