by CC Bridges
“On my bike,” Lou clarified, but with the way his eyes sparkled, he knew exactly what he had done. “Let’s leave your car here, and I’ll give you a tour. It’s a perfect day to open up down the highway.”
“Do you have an extra helmet?” Much as his invitation intrigued me, I didn’t want to risk my brain if we wiped out. I was kinda fond of it.
“Of course. It’s my sister’s, but she has a big head. I’m pretty sure it will fit you.”
“I won’t tell her you said that.” I laughed, then sobered and gave him my best sultry look. “All right. Take me for a ride.”
We split the check with only a little grumbling from Lou, who wanted to cover the whole thing. As nice as the gesture was, I had my pride.
The bike felt massive between my legs, and when Lou started the engine, the vibrations flowed through me, setting my skin on fire.
He yelled, “Hold on,” and I barely heard him. But I’d already slid my hands around his waist.
He could have meant hold on to the bike, but at that point, I thought I’d figured out what dance we were doing. Slow burn for now, but when this fire finally lit, it would make an explosion.
Lou guided the bike back onto Route 37 and headed toward the bridge. The wind buffeted us with such force it felt like being caught in a tunnel. He weaved between cars—showing off a little—and opened up as we crossed the span, surrounded on either side by water.
It was fucking incredible.
He took the exit for Seaside and once on Route 35, we hit the empty road, the traffic almost nonexistent this late in the season. The tourists had left, and it was time for the towns to breathe.
Lou skidded into a parking space not far from the boardwalk. He tugged off his helmet and grinned. “Well? What did you think?”
“I think you can take me for a ride anytime.” I yanked off my borrowed helmet and shook my hair out.
He threw his head back and laughed. God, I loved the way he laughed, launching his entire body into it. I loved watching his naked throat, and I wanted to bite the smooth skin there. Desire burned in my belly, and I clenched my hands into fists so I didn’t do something stupid, like touch him.
“C’mon.” He got off the bike and waited for me to scramble off. Luckily I managed without falling, though it was a near thing. My knees were jelly from the ride and from being this close to him.
“Ever been under the boardwalk?”
“What? No.” Despite my misgivings, I followed as Lou took the stairs down to the beach. We weren’t completely alone—it was far too nice a day for that—but as he led me beneath the length of boards above, it was almost like our own private sanctuary.
“Well, this isn’t exactly the sightseeing I had in mind.” It was damp down here, and it smelled a little bit.
And suddenly Lou pressed close against me. “It isn’t?”
His lips touched mine, and it felt like drowning. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. I could only feel as his hands gripped my shoulders. Oh, I’d been right about those hands—his touch burned, his grip tight and strong.
I put my hands around his waist and drew him closer. God, he was all muscle, for the most part—he was a joy to touch, and I itched to explore more. But not here.
I pulled away from his searing lips, unable to keep from giggling. “Are we seriously making out under the boardwalk?”
He smiled back, that sweet grin that made my belly flip-flop. “They call them oldies but goodies for a reason.”
“Nobody calls them that.”
“I’ll have to show you my vinyl collection. You might change your mind.”
I took his hand and squeezed it. “I’m looking forward to whatever you have to show me.”
He brushed our lips together again, a soft promise for more. “I have to get you back to your car before your class.”
“Fuck, I forgot.” It was too easy to forget that time actually passed with him. “Glad one of us is responsible.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t exactly say that.”
I didn’t care. I wanted more.
Chapter 4
THAT NIGHT I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. I’d barely paid attention in class, and Clara gave me a knowing look when we passed in the hall. Or at least, I guessed that was what those narrowed eyes meant.
Fuck, this was a serious crush. I felt like a sixteen-year-old again. Complete with constant boner.
I opened the fridge, looking for something to munch on for dinner. Of course, after all the good food I’d consumed over the past few days, I didn’t exactly feel like toast and cheese slices. Maybe I should make some time to go grocery shopping. The four of us had even managed that once or twice over the summer.
Huh, Devon hadn’t texted in a while. I pulled out my phone to check. They were probably too busy with classes and parties to even think about me. I would have been starting junior year, with all the advanced classes for my major. The thought made me nauseous.
The last thing I wanted was to go back there, even if I did miss my friends.
My phone rang, startling me enough that I nearly dropped it. I did the hand-to-hand juggle, hitting the red button as I held it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Nicholas.”
“Hi, Dad.” I really should have checked the display before answering.
I went and stuck a frozen meal in the microwave. When it dinged, it would give me an excuse to hang up.
“I received a bill for this year’s housing.”
“That’s probably a mistake. I filed the leave of absence papers.” In August, after registering for classes and picking a dorm. The way things moved at RU, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the paperwork never made it to the right office. One of the nice things about the community college was being able to walk in and sign up for classes on the spot. I handed over my dad’s credit card and I was in.
“I’m e-mailing a copy to you now. Fix this.”
“I will.”
“I don’t see why you didn’t retake that class over the summer instead of wasting a semester.”
I could feel my face heat with anger. I’d convinced him it would be easier to pass the class at a community college, which was how I’d talked him into paying for the semester. I still hadn’t told him I wasn’t sure about sticking with accounting.
“I didn’t think about it.”
“That’s your problem, Nicholas. You never think ahead. Long-term planning—”
The microwave beeped loudly. Thank Christ. “I gotta go, Dad. My food’s ready. Don’t worry. I’ll deal with the dorm bill.”
I hung up before he could respond.
Okay, so I was totally playing the avoidance game. Why did I have to deal with this now? I still wasn’t any closer to figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, but I was sure as hell enjoying the fuck out of this break. Maybe that would be enough.
Dad’s phone call kind of killed the buzz I had going all day. I wanted to think about Lou, the way his lips felt on mine, when I would get to see him again.
I removed the plastic film on my micro meal and set it aside to cool. Then I thumbed my phone again and texted Lou.
Hey. I had a great time this morning.
It took a few minutes for him to respond.
Me too. Sry. Busy tonight.
Friday night probably meant pizza night for a lot of people. I pictured Lou rolling out the dough, the muscles flexing in his arms as he worked his fingers into the soft mess.
I was seriously getting hard over pizza.
Didn’t mean to bug you.
Can’t really talk. Wanna meet up tomorrow morning at the entrance to Casino Pier? I’ll bring bagels.
Of course I fucking did. I texted back a simple, Sure, but I did a little dance in the kitchen. What the hell, there was no one to see me do it.
Didn’t realize how lonely this place would get once Devon, John, and Lacey went back to school. I put my phone on charge and threw out the soggy micro meal.
Toast
and cheese time.
I SAT on a wooden bench facing the ocean, letting the wind off the waves blister me. The sun shone, and no clouds dotted the sky, but the wind made it feel cold. Something about it felt ominous, though I was probably still pissed after talking to my dad last night.
Why couldn’t he let me do this?
“Hey.”
I turned at the sound of Lou’s voice. The wind had made it impossible to hear his footsteps. He’d dressed for the weather in a dark hoodie that emphasized the width of his chest. His hair, of course, was blown in all directions, and I had the urge to try to push it down. Best of all, he carried a brown bag and a tray of coffees.
“Hey.” I grinned at him. “You look tired.” He had dark circles under his eyes.
“Long night. Had a crowd that just would not leave.” Lou dropped onto the bench next to me and shared his goodies.
I took a still warm cinnamon raisin bagel that needed no embellishment. He unwrapped a foil packet to reveal a bagel with pork roll, egg, and cheese. It smelled divine. My stomach rumbled in glee. Toast and cheese had been a poor choice of dinner, but at least it left me hungry for this morning.
I licked the last bits of sugar off my lips and looked at Lou only to find him staring at me with hunger in his eyes. This would be the time to say something suave, maybe give a hint about going back to my place. Instead I leaned forward and pressed our lips together, tasting the salt on his and letting it mix with the sweetness on my own tongue.
He pulled away and ducked his head. “Little too public out here.”
“Ah. Okay.” Right. This was Ocean County, and the last thing I wanted was to get lectured by a busybody walking the boardwalk.
“Not that I’m not interested. I need you to understand that.” He got to his feet and started cleaning up the mess we’d made on the bench. “Want to hit the arcade? I brought plenty of quarters.”
“Oh, so that’s what’s in your pocket.”
The sound of his laughter boomed over the bluster of the wind and made me laugh in return.
Lou took me to Lucky Leo’s arcade but led me to the back. Not for any sexy shenanigans, but to show off the classic arcade machines. He really liked old stuff. Vintage, you know? I could kinda get into it. I had my classic comics too, though I wouldn’t call myself a collector. I liked reading them too much for that.
I’d lost my third game of Frogger when I decided it was time for a change. “Hey. Want to play Skee-Ball? High score wins?”
He looked over from Ms. Pac-Man. “What would I win?”
“Whatever you want. Remember that I only live a few blocks from here.” I moved in close as I said the last bit, making sure my hip brushed his ass as I made my way to the Skee-Ball machines.
“Three games for a dollar, so best score out of three?” I dug in my pocket for my quarters.
“You’re on.”
I hadn’t really considered that Lou would have a slight advantage over me, having lived down here his whole life. I’d been wrecking house on this game all summer, and I could score some pretty high points.
I cheered as my ball went into the 50 hole only to watch Lou get two in the 100 slot, one after the other. Shit, he was good at this. And it really showed off his arms. Fuck, this might replace my pizza-dough fantasy. He’d grip the ball gently in one hand, then pull back and wind up, his entire body moving fluidly as he swung his muscular arm and released the ball at the perfect moment.
I could watch him do that all day. Golden tickets were spitting out of our machines, and lights flashed all around us. The arcade wasn’t busy in the morning, but it sure was loud.
Lou stiffened in midthrow and then pulled his phone out of his pocket. He grimaced at the display but answered anyway. “What?”
I palmed my ball but didn’t throw, too busy listening to his conversation.
“Christ, Gloria. Yes, delivery comes Saturday morning. Just open the back for him.”
He listened for a moment, then threw back his head and rubbed his forehead. “Deal with him, and then you can go back to prep. Where’s Gio?”
Despite the noise of the arcade, I could almost hear the person yelling on the other end. I winced in sympathy for Lou’s ears.
“Fine. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” He stabbed the phone to disconnect before stowing it back in his pocket. “I’m sorry. I have to get back. My little sister’s working prep alone and apparently can’t handle it.”
“It’s okay, man. It happens.”
“Yeah, it happens all the freaking time.”
I saw real irritation on his face. Lou always looked open and happy. This sudden change in expression took me by surprise, leaving me feeling like I’d been splashed with cold water.
“I’m expected to handle things all by myself, but everyone else needs an army before they can chop a fucking onion.”
“Wow.” I handed him one of the Skee-Balls. “Here. Throw that. It’ll make you feel better.”
I felt better when he laughed in response. I didn’t like seeing him angry.
“Rain check?” he asked. “For going back to your place?”
“Count on it.”
Chapter 5
TUESDAY NIGHT rolled around again. I did plan on stopping at Martelli’s on the way home—I’d texted Lou like an actual adult. But first I needed to meet my group in the library. Even though it was still early in the semester, we had a progress report due and needed to show some, you know, progress.
I waved to the library staff at the circulation desk and headed upstairs. Hopefully Clara and Ana had managed to grab one of the good group study rooms before they all filled. But when I got to the top, I found Ana pacing the hallway near the restrooms.
“What’s wrong?” I asked in my exaggerated library whisper.
“Clara’s sick.” Ana faced me, and her words almost sounded like an accusation. “She’s throwing up in the ladies’ room.”
“Gross.” I winced in sympathy. “How long has she been in there?” I knew the girls got out of their Tuesday classes before I got out of mine.
Ana checked her watch. “About an hour.”
Well, that meant it wasn’t a passing thing. “Why doesn’t she go home? We can figure out the project without her.”
Ana gave me a look that I couldn’t interpret. She bit her lip, glanced at the bathroom door, then grabbed my arm and pulled me a ways down the hall. “She doesn’t have a home to go to. You seriously didn’t know she lives out of her car?”
“It hasn’t come up in conversation, no.” I thought back to the one time I saw Clara’s car. It seemed like she did have a crap-load of stuff in there, but so did a lot of people. I didn’t really examine it closely.
But, man, what the fuck happened for her to end up living out of her car? Didn’t she have parents? A family? I didn’t know much about her, since we’d been friends all of three weeks. Still, I wasn’t going to let her ride out a stomach virus on the floor of the library bathroom.
“Cover me,” I told Ana and headed for the ladies room.
“What?”
I pushed open the door and paused long enough to say. “Don’t let anyone in. Tell them somebody’s sick in here.”
Ana gave me a look, crossed her arms over her chest, and stormed to the lobby area in front of the restrooms. I took that to mean she understood. I continued into the bathroom. Huh, this ladies’ room was bigger than the men’s room, but it still only managed to have three stalls. I could see a dark form huddled on the floor of the handicapped stall.
I approached cautiously. It fucking reeked in here. “Clara?”
“Go away, Nick. You’re in the goddamned girls’ room.”
Yep, definitely Clara. “You okay?”
She stuck her head out of the stall to give me the stink-eye. “No. Obviously. Fucking Justin threw up all over the Chem lab yesterday. Of course I caught whatever the hell he has.”
Her face went green. She held up a finger and then went back to commune with the toi
let.
I sat on the floor a few feet away, propping myself up against the gray tiled wall. I waited patiently until she finished, until I could finally say what I came to say.
“You know I got a winter rental, right? And there are three unused bedrooms right now? You’re welcome to one of them.”
Silence for a minute. Then Clara ventured out of the stall again. “Ana fucking told you? That bitch.”
“Why does she get to know and not me?” As far as I could tell, the two weren’t good friends. They didn’t seem to hang out when not at school. But what the hell did I know? I’d only been here for three weeks. I couldn’t know everyone’s secrets before September was even over.
“Not like I told her on purpose. She saw me camping out in the Walmart parking lot.” Clara gestured with her hand. “It’s the only place around where you can actually sleep in your car and nobody will bother you.”
I winced. What a shitty way for that kind of secret to get out. “That sucks. But I still have an extra room.”
She flushed and then stepped out of the stall to go to the sink. I stayed silent as she washed her face and wiped off her cheeks with a paper towel.
“I barely know you. I’m not moving in with you.” She sat next to me on the floor and drew up her knees, curling her arms around them.
“Don’t I seem like a trustworthy guy?” I wagged my eyebrows, but that didn’t even get a laugh out of her. “I’m not actually asking you to move in with me. But if you need a place to recover for a few days, I’m your man.”
“What kind of a girl do you think I am?” Clara grinned at me. By then I knew I had her.
“Seriously, you know I’m safe, right?”
“I’m not worried about my virtue.” She leaned her forehead against her knees.
I risked patting her on the shoulder. “Only your pride?”
“What’s left of it.”