Loch (The Powers That Be Book 3)

by Harper Bentley

  Then I felt him grin against my lips and I pushed him away.

  “I-I’m so sorry,” I stammered, my eyes looking anywhere but at him, shocked that I’d practically molested him right there on my front porch.

  He grabbed my hand and bent to get me to look in his eyes. “Baby, you have nothing to be sorry for except the fact that we stopped.” And he smirked.

  I closed my eyes for a second, once again angry that I’d let him get the best of me. I had a plan to follow, darn it! It took me a moment, but when I opened my eyes, it was settled. That would not be happening again. I was going to be in charge from now on come hell or high water; I just needed to display a little confidence, whether it be feigned or real, to keep him off balance. And the displaying of the confidence had to start now. So with a little “humph” and a flip of my hair behind my shoulder I turned and walked to the blue pickup truck that was in the driveway, putting a little extra swing in my hips to tease him, maybe addle his brain a bit, which I didn’t know if it worked or not but it was worth a shot. When I was almost to the truck, I looked over my shoulder at him and said flippantly, “You coming?” As I continued walking, I thought I was being so cool until I heard him mumble from behind me, “Not yet, gorgeous,” which made me stumble on my heels. Darn it.

  I reached for the handle of the pickup but he was there faster, opening it and helping me inside then closing the door. I kept my eyes on him as he walked around the front, all Tony Stark cool himself, and I envied the fact that he just exuded an amazing amount of aplomb while I had to work at it. But I could do it. I mean, I was smart. I should be able to master sangfroid even if I had to fake my way through, right?

  And watching him, I knew I was positively going to have to fake it because he looked freaking hot in the white Hallervan tank top he wore over his navy board shorts. He also had a little scruff that just enhanced his already beautiful face. Lord.

  “Buckle up, buttercup,” he remarked when he got in the truck giving me a wink. I did as he said as he turned the key in the ignition then backed out of the drive, asking, “That your Jeep?” when we passed it.

  “Yes.”

  “Nice,” he replied with a nod, now putting the truck in gear and heading to the frat house. “I thought of getting a Jeep but got Roadie instead.” He rubbed the dash of his truck then patted it like it was his dog or something.

  “Roadie?” I asked.

  He turned his head toward me and grinned then he looked back at the road. “You know, Road House?”

  I stared at him and blinked.

  At my silence, he gave me a quick glance. “Road House? Swayze? Elliot?” He gave me another look and I shook my head and you’d have thought I’d broken a major law or something at the expression on his face. “You know, ‘Pain don’t hurt’?” He glanced at the road before turning my way again. When I blinked again still not sure what he was talking about, his head turned toward the front but he continued. “’I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead’? How about, ‘I thought you’d be bigger’?”

  I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped seeing how frustrated he’d become and I bit my lips to keep from full-on laughing.

  “Babe.” The look of disappointment on his face made me snort now. “Seriously? You’ve never seen Road House?” When I shook my head again, he gave me a side eye then shook his too. “Gotta remedy that. That movie’s like a piece of Americana!” He reached over and took my hand, sliding his fingers through mine then rested the back of his on the console.

  “Is it a, uh, guy movie?” I ventured.

  He now regarded me with utter disbelief and I finally did laugh. “It’s a movie for everyone. Nothing short of iconic.” He shook his head again as he watched the road but I saw his lips twitch so I knew he was mostly teasing.

  “Guess I’ll have to check it out.”

  “Damn straight,” he muttered as he gave my hand a squeeze then started smoothing his thumb slowly over the top of mine.

  Oh my.

  Amidst my shivering at just his touch, I suddenly sobered at the thought that I was in Loch Powers’ truck wearing a bikini and going to a party after having just made out with him. After watching him treat his vehicle like it was a canine which was ridiculous, and seeing him almost getting upset because I didn’t know what movie he was talking about. Loch Powers who I hated, no, loathed, and at the end of the night I was going to call him out on the way he’d treated me and I felt my stomach drop.

  I was such a witch.

  To make myself feel better about this, I inquired, “So what’re you majoring in?” I knew it was something computer-related, of course, but didn’t know the specifics.

  “Not sure. Maybe an IT Manager or security engineer. Or software engineer. Hell, any of them will do. What about you?”

  “Software engineer. My brother, Tris—” Crap. Would he remember Tristan’s name? Crap! “Uh, my brother’s an engineer here in Seattle and he loves it, so that’s influenced me a lot.”

  He nodded just as we pulled onto the street where the party was. “Fuck me,” he muttered because there were people and cars everywhere. “Gonna have to park a couple blocks away, I think.”

  He drove on and I was shocked at how many people there were. Jared and I had gone to a couple parties at Berkeley and it never ceased to amaze me how many students showed up for them, but for some reason, I thought since Hallervan was smaller there’d be fewer people. Color me all kinds of wrong. The most shocking of all, though, was there was an enormous fiberglass waterslide a ways off. I’d seen people working on something when I’d left class earlier but hadn’t realized that’s what it was. Yikes.

  A block down the street, Loch pulled into the drive of a small house and parked. At my questioning look, he replied, “My buddy Nick’s place. I’ll owe him.” Then he winked at me and I felt my heart seize. God!

  When he got out and came around to help me out of my side then took my hand leading me toward the festivities, the guilt I felt was almost crippling because he was being so nice. Man, who was the jerk now?

  “What is this place?” I asked as we walked toward a huge sports complex and a football field with all its lights on.

  “It’s where extracurricular sports are played. Some rich dude from Seattle donated millions for it. Guess he didn’t make varsity for the football team when he went here and now he’s a multimillionaire so building all this was a big fuck you to the coach who didn’t let him play.” He shrugged. “What’s up, Walk?” he asked a guy who was giving a girl a piggyback ride as they went by us.

  The guy turned around with a grin and said, “Not much, man. Ready to get this party started, though!” Then he took off in a gallop making the girl on his back scream with laughter.

  “Hey, Loch,” several girls in a group called as we walked by, the greeting turning into four syllables instead of two with their flirty tone.

  “How’s it going, ladies?” he answered giving them a grin as we went by.

  “It’s going great, handsome!” one seriously pretty girl answered. “Don’t forget to call me and let me know when you’re picking me up tomorrow night!”

  Ergh.

  Loch held his hand up but didn’t look back at her as he said, “Sure, Alyssa, whatever.” Then I heard him snort and he squeezed my hand in his. “Ignore her. She and my brother Gable hooked up, like, once. She’s a bitch who likes to stir shit up.”

  As we walked, I bit my lip and looked down at my strappy sandals wondering why I even cared. “Have you hooked up with her?”

  This got me a chuckle. “Fuck no. Not to be a prick, but I think I’m pretty smart and able to make decent decisions. Gable, on the other hand, when he was here? Liked pussy. A lot. Wasn’t too picky either.”

  “You sure do cuss a lot,” I blurted. Whoops. Giving him a quick glance with my shocked face I looked away with a cringe at the fact that my observation had been vocalized. I mean, his cuss
ing didn’t really bother me because Tristan talked exactly the same way that had just slipped out.

  Now he barked out a laugh, stopped walking, put his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him then leaned down so we were eye-to-eye. “Babe.”

  My eyes went back and forth on his as I saw the golden flecks practically sparkling in them. When he said nothing more, I whispered, “What?”

  “You grew up with my brothers, you’d cuss a lot too. I’ll try to tone it down but can’t promise anything.” He smiled then leaned in and brushed his lips against mine and then we were walking again, my hand in his.

  Did I say the guilt was now about to eat me alive?

  We kept walking getting closer to the field and I started seeing beer kegs everywhere with students mulling around filling their cups to the brim. There were even impromptu ping pong tables around made out of sheets of plywood and sawhorses where kids were playing beer pong. Also? There were assorted swimming pools everywhere that people were splashing in, jumping through and just lounging in. Ah, now I understood why they called it a pool party. Hm.

  “Yo, Loch!”

  I turned my head to see a Loch clone staring intensely at us standing to our left in a group of hot guys interspersed with hot girls.

  “Hey, Ryke,” Loch replied. He leaned down to my ear as we walked toward the guy. “Ryker’s my brother.”

  Holy crap. Ryker had grown up nicely. He was missing the cuteness and easygoing demeanor that Loch had but he was still very handsome in spite of his aloof manner.

  When we got to him, Ryker questioned, “You talk to Dad?”

  “Not today, why? Oh, this is Celeste. Celeste, my brother Ryker.”

  “Hi,” I said, giving Ryker a smile.

  His eyes narrowed as he looked my way then he jerked his chin up at me, but when he continued staring at me as he talked, I grew uncomfortable. “Shop got vandalized last night. Bunch of thugs got in the back fence and fucked some shit up. Needs us to come by tomorrow and help sort shit out.”

  “I’ve told him he needed lights with motion sensors back there at the very least. Any real damage?”

  Ryker didn’t answer but kept looking at me for a moment before he stated, “I know you.”

  I felt my heart pounding in my chest and I was starting to sweat. Shit! (Yes, this was definitely a time for cussing).

  “Celeste used to live here when she was little. Maybe you saw her in school? What school’d you go to?” Loch asked me.

  “Uh, Stevens Elementary,” I responded, my voice shaky under Ryker’s watchful stare.

  “See, Ryke? That’s probably it. That’s where we went,” Loch suggested.

  “Hm,” Ryker muttered. As he continued to focus on me, I suddenly saw a spark of recognition on his face which was when my eyes got huge and I held my breath because I knew he knew I was the brat who, when Loch and I were seven, had helped hide his video game controller. He remained watching me for a moment, that stone face of his about to make my heart jump out of my chest, then he squinted as if he was trying to figure out my game and I saw him purse his lips. Then it was over and he looked at Loch. “Yeah, well, make sure you’re at the shop tomorrow at eight a.m.”

  “Christ. Dad know we’ve got lives?”

  “Right now Dad doesn’t give a fuck. He needs us, we’re there.” I sucked in my breath when Ryker nodded at me, letting me know he was on to me, then he turned and walked away. When I was in the clear, stupid me then puffed out what was left in my lungs then gulped in so much air I had to cough a couple times.

  “You okay?” Loch asked.

  “Yeah,” I said raspily. “Might need a drink.”

  “On it,” he answered and led us to one of the many kegs, grabbing us a couple cups.

  “Thank you,” I said before guzzling it down. Better. I looked around at the chaos. “Um, how is this party legal when it’s on campus?”

  “It’s not. On campus that is. Technically, the land is owned by the guy who had all this built. Wouldn’t say it’s legal but most of the campus cops turn a blind eye to it every year since it’s so close to the dorms and not many people drink and drive, I guess.” He shrugged then took my hand leading me toward the football field. “This is where shit gets real.”

  Once we got down there, I saw how real things got. There were pools all over the field, some bigger than others and some that didn’t have water in them but other things like mud and Jell-O and girls were wrestling in them. Uh.

  “Loch!” we heard someone holler and turning to see who it was, I heard Loch answer, “Fuck yeah!” and the next thing I knew I was being dragged behind him heading to the monstrous slide.

  Before I could get anything out, you know, like protest maybe, he bent to take off my shoes, put me in front of him at the steps, said, “Climb, baby,” and then we were at the top. What in the effity eff was I doing?

  I turned to him, eyes huge. “Uh, Loch, it’s pretty high. I don’t know—”

  “C’mon! It’ll be fun!” Then I was sitting in front of him, his legs at either side of mine, one arm around my waist, then he pushed off with the other and all I could do was scream. The whole way down.

  We stopped in a pool of water at the bottom where he flipped us to where he was on top of me and he was smiling so big down at me I couldn’t help but smile back.

  “How fucking fun was that?” he declared looking like a little boy who’d gotten exactly what he’d wanted on Christmas morning. He leaned down and touched his lips to mine then hollered, “Let’s do it again!” pulled me up, and there we went again.

  Three more times later, I’d had enough. “Loch, if we go again, I’m gonna have to have my bottoms surgically removed from the perpetual wedgie I’m getting,” I groaned at which he died laughing watching as I tugged on them.

  “I’d be glad to help,” he responded with a grin and I swear he mumbled, “with my teeth,” but I couldn’t be sure and really didn’t want to ask.

  We stopped by one that had water and ice in it and Loch fished a couple cans of beer out for us, opening mine before handing it to me so I wouldn’t “break a nail.”

  Okay, where was the asshole who’d humiliated me all those years ago? The guy who’d shamed Samantha for getting the free lunch or stood up Mary at the homeless shelter? The jerk who outted Marcy in her quest to have boobs? Nowhere to be seen, that’s where, so I made a decision.

  There were portable toilets (yuck) all over the place and I needed to call Marcy to tell her the jig was up, so I excused myself from Loch and headed to the nearest free potty. It wasn’t so bad inside since the party had just started but I could only imagine its nastiness at night’s end. I shuddered at the thought as I closed the door and locked it then pulled my phone out of my pocket.

  “How’s it going?” Marcy’s voice was full of curiosity when she answered.

  “Not well. I can’t do this anymore, Marce. He’s changed.”

  I heard a pfftt sound come out of her mouth. “Whatever. He’s just being charming because you’re new. Wait until he gets tired of you then he’ll be up to his old tricks again.”

  “Thanks?” I muttered.

  “The guy’s an asshole. You know it. I know it. People don’t change.”

  “But they mature,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah, well, I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “How can you see it if I don’t even give him a chance?”

  “Your call, Sim. But when he pulls his shit, don’t think I won’t tell you I told you so.”

  I sighed. “All right. Are you having fun?”

  “Yes! Isn’t this the craziest thing?”

  I chuckled. “Pretty crazy. Okay, I’ll talk to you tonight?”

  “Pretty sure I’m staying at Adam’s!” I had to pull the phone away from my ear at her squeal.

  “Ah, so I see Operation W… H… S… um… F-T Squared is working out.” />
  “Operation W-H Squared what?”

  “We’re Having Sex for the First Time,” I explained.

  I heard her snort. “Yes! We are! God, you computer majors are so analytical and literal in your thinking.”

  “And Triple C was my idea?”

  Now she laughed. “Touché. All right, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Gotcha. Have fun!”

  We hung up and I left the toilet having made my mind up that I was going to tell Loch who I really was and I’d just have to deal with the consequences.

  And if that meant he wanted me gone, so be it.

  Confession Number Five

  As I made my way back through the crowd I could see the top of Loch’s head since he stood so tall, probably around six-two or so, and when I got closer, I saw that he wasn’t alone and he was having what looked like a very heated discussion with a pretty blond girl and she was crying. Oh no. I stopped and stood-slash-hid behind a humongous guy who was downing the contents of a beer bong and waited for the girl to leave not wanting to intrude (although I was definitely spying but whatever).

  “Like I’ve told you for the past month, Kinzie, no fuckin’ way. I’m done with you. Now leave me the fuck alone,” I heard Loch hiss then I saw the girl turn with a sob and run away.

  Well, crap! He really was still a jerk. I felt the walls I’d just let down move back in place as I stepped out from behind Gigantor and went to where Loch was.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  His head shot around and for just a moment he looked at me like I’d just caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. Then he put his hands on my hips. “Yeah. It’s good. Dated her couple months ago, but she’s a fuckin’ liar. Tried acting like she was someone she wasn’t and I found out. Hate that shit. I ended it but she’s still holdin’ on.”

  I felt all the blood leave my face as I looked at him. Fruckity fruckin’ fruck! The only way the evening could end now was with Loch hating me because I was exactly the girl he’d just described. Damn it!