"Perfect." He leans back and looks at the moon. "I'm going to do it."
"Move?"
"Skinny dip."
My face flushes red. Thank God he's not looking at me. "You won't."
"I will if you will."
Not happening. I don't swim and I certainly don't swim naked.
I try to respond but my mouth is not cooperating. Drew naked. Must not picture Drew naked. Must not picture Drew coming out of the pool naked and dripping wet.
I press my knees together. Not helping.
"It's freezing," I say.
"You'll warm up fast."
He stands and grabs the bottom of his t-shirt like he's going to pull it off. He makes eye contact and cocks an eyebrow. A grin spreads across his face.
He pulls the t-shirt up, exposing inches of taut abs. That flutter spreads to my belly and thighs. My body is responding to an attractive body. It's instinct. It's totally out of my control.
"Next time." Drew drops his t-shirt. His offers me his hand. "Let's go inside."
He pulls me to my feet. I stumble—the concrete is wet—and he throws his arms around my waist. He squeezes me for a split second and releases me.
"Thank you." I step to the side and grab my shoes.
There's a sound in the house. More footsteps. Miles and Meg step outside. Fully clothed, thank God.
"Having fun?" Miles asks.
"Not as much fun as you two," Drew says.
Meg blushes. Miles smirks.
"Thanks for inviting me." I shove my foot into my shoe. "But I should get home."
"I'll go with you," Meg says. "If you don't mind."
"Of course not," I say.
"You're supposed to stay the night." Miles slides his arm around her. "I'll drive you home in the morning."
"No," she says. "You'll distract me."
"I'm not staying if I have to hear that again," Drew says.
"I've been with you all week." Meg kisses Miles. "It's time to see my friend now."
"Stay," Miles says. "We'll watch Star Wars."
Drew objects. "Fuck no. I'm never watching Star Wars again." He turns to me. "They watched it a dozen times in four fucking weeks."
"We've tortured them enough," Meg says. "Kara and I are going home and no boys are allowed."
They kiss goodbye. It starts as a peck and slides into some serious necking.
Drew shoots me a can you believe this look. I shrug. They're in love. It's sweet.
Meg pulls from the kiss with a heavy sigh. She's panting like she's about to take Miles upstairs for round two.
Sweet only goes so far.
"That's my cue." I find my keys in my purse and motion come here to Meg. "See you guys later."
"Yeah, later." Miles blows Meg a kiss.
She mimes catching it with a giggle.
Drew stares at me. There's something in his eyes, but I can't place it. I wave goodbye and lead Meg to the car.
***
Meg and I spend the night at her place, eating cereal and watching movies instead of sleeping. She's bursting at the seams with stories about her time on tour. It's nice to see her so happy, even if I was stuck here, taking winter quarter classes, unable to join in the fun.
It's just after ten when I leave. It should give me a few hours in the common area before my roommate, Nadeen, wants the couch.
Only she's sitting on the couch with a concerned look on her face when I arrive at home.
"Listen, Kara." She folds her arms over her chest. "We have to talk."
CHAPTER THREE
I run through a mental checklist of things that may have upset her, but nothing clicks. The bathroom is clean. There are no dishes in the sink. I haven't hogged the common area in weeks. I've mostly been in my room alone.
She watches me lock the door. I suppose I should ask her what it is that's wrong, but it's probably some minor thing from Nadeen's Big Book of Unacceptable Roommate Behavior.
She looks at the ground with a nervous expression. "Alex is moving in."
"There's no room for Alex here."
"I'm glad you agree." Her expression shifts. Not quite so nervous.
"Okay." I press my back against the door. I'm not sure where this is going, but I don't like it. "Well, as long as he's out of the way, it's fine with me."
"It's been fun living together and all, but Alex and I need to take our relationship to the next level."
"I'll wear headphones when I'm home." It's not like I'll be the first college student to contend with her roommate having loud sex.
"See, he needs an extra room for his office."
"There are a lot of nice co-working spaces in Santa Monica."
"No. He wants to work from home."
She stares at me blankly. She wants me to put the pieces together. Nadeen's boyfriend needs an extra room. There are two rooms in this apartment. She's not about to give up her bedroom.
Shit.
Nadeen sighs. "We need you to leave by the end of the month."
"That's five days away."
"You can have your security deposit back."
"Gee, thanks so much." I press my palm flat against the door. Nadeen is kicking me out of my own apartment. Where the hell does she get the nerve? My breath kicks up. My heart races. I try to will myself to object, but it's not happening.
I'll only start a fight.
Her mind is made up. I'm screwed.
"Alex will help you move. His brother has a truck." She looks around the main room like she's taking inventory. "It's not like you have much stuff. Everything was here when you moved in. It was supposed to be temporary."
No. It was supposed to be this year. I was doing Nadeen a favor when her roommate bailed on her the week before classes started. I gave up a single in the dorms to live here. It made sense. The apartment was cheaper. Bigger. It came with two parking spaces.
"You could have told me earlier," I say.
"I'm sorry." Nadeen frowns. "I really feel bad. We're friends and you... you deserved more notice. Forgive me?"
Hell no. I run my hand through my hair. I step away from the door. "Yeah. Of course."
"Hey. Why don't you live with your boyfriend?" She asks.
"I don't have a boyfriend."
"No? But that guy is always over here. Um... what's his name? Does he have a job?"
"Drew. And he's in a band."
She scoffs. "Yeah. I see why that could be an issue. Maybe Meg has room in her place."
No. Meg has a tiny, tiny studio. She stays up until three a.m. studying every night. And her whole building smells like sushi.
Not that Nadeen cares. As long as she gets what she wants with as little friction as possible, she's happy.
As long as my wishes don't impose on hers, she's happy.
I fight the anger rising in my gut. "We agreed I would live her until school ended."
Nadeen frowns. "I'm so sorry, Kara. It was Alex's idea, but I really do want to live with him. And you'll be okay. I can help you find a new place."
"No thanks."
It's ten steps to my room and I'm away from Nadeen's desperate need to feel less guilty. I take them like it's no big deal. There really is no sense in starting a fight.
I step into my room and press the door closed. Finally, I can breathe properly.
This room isn't much, but it's been mine for the last six months. It's nice. It's comfortable.
This is a hassle, but it's not the end of the world.
I can figure it out.
Music. I need something to calm me down. I put my iTunes on shuffle and blast the volume. A rock song kicks on. It drowns out every bit of conscious thought in my brain.
I throw myself onto my bed and pull the covers over my head. It's calmer here. I'm alone. No one expects me to be their bubbly, supportive friend. No one expects me to take bad news without batting an eye. No one expects me to accept their bullshit half-hearted apologies.
The song changes. A familiar guitar riff fills the air. Damn
. It's something off the last Sinful Serenade album.
That's Drew playing the guitar.
My stomach twists. I skip to the next track. I don't have time to deal with moving. Finance test tomorrow. Internship all day Tuesday. Essay due Wednesday.
My cell phone ring grabs my attention. I glance at the screen. Speak of the devil.
It's Drew.
I turn my music off and answer the call. Deep breath. Drew cannot, under any circumstance, know I'm upset.
"Hello." My voice is steady.
"You up for looking at apartments Tuesday around eight?" he asks.
"Yeah, sure. As long as I finish my essay." My voice cracks. Shit.
"Kara—"
"I have to study. I'll see you Tuesday. Just text me the address where we should meet."
"There's something in your voice."
"Remember how we talked about you minding your own business?" I ask.
"I'm afraid I don't recall."
A laugh breaks up the tension in my throat. He makes me feel so mixed up, but I have to keep up my everything is okay routine. Drew is so overprotective. He'll butt in and try to help, and I want to handle this on my own.
"I'll see you Tuesday." I hang up before he can respond.
My heart sinks. But that doesn't make any sense. It's not like I want to talk to Drew about this.
I turn my attention to my finance homework, but the uneasy feeling in my gut remains.
***
A knock on my bedroom door cuts through the music.
"Kara," Nadeen says. "Your boyfriend is here."
"I don't have a boyfriend," I yell back to her.
"Then what is he doing here?"
I push out of my chair and open the door. Nadeen is staring at me with an irritated look on her face. Almost like I'm the one trying to kick her out of her apartment.
I follow her into the main room.
Drew is here.
A lightness returns to my body.
"So, you know," Nadeen says. "You could ask him about moving in."
"He's not my boyfriend!"
Drew shoots me that are you okay look. I motion to my room. I'm not discussing anything in front of her.
He pushes past Nadeen like she isn't even there. "Come on." He grabs my hand, pulls me into the bedroom, and presses the door shut behind us.
"What's with her?" he asks.
I shrug like I don't know.
"You're so full of shit."
"Some people would consider that allegation rude," I say.
"Lucky for me you're not some people." He takes a few steps toward me. "You want to tell me why you're upset?"
"I'm not."
His eyes narrow. Not angry. Just serious. "You keep bullshitting me and I'll be the one who is upset."
"Good for you." On my computer, I pull up a PowerPoint presentation. It's Thursday's finance lecture.
I'm turned away from Drew, but I can feel him staring at me. His gaze is penetrating. It exposes something in me. Something I'd rather keep hidden.
I keep my eyes on the screen, like this is no big deal. "How can you care so much about other people minding their own business and be so willing to get in my business?"
"That's different."
"How?"
"I care about you. The guys are just creating gossip."
"They care about you too." Deep breath. My body is trying to react to this whole I care about you thing. It overreacts.
"It's not the same."
Okay. Body going into overdrive. My heart beat picks up. My mouth goes sticky. Does Drew even realize what he's doing to me? He must not. If he does, he's pure evil.
"I'm going to start guessing," he says.
"Okay. Fine. I'm going to keep studying. I have a test tomorrow."
"The second week of classes?" His voice is packed with doubt.
"It's a quiz. Does that settle things?"
"No." He takes another step toward me. "Something with Meg?"
"No." I drop my hands into my lap. "I'm not talking about it."
"Did you eat dinner?"
"I'm not hungry."
"It's almost eight. Don't make me drag you."
"You can't drag me. I'm too heavy."
He laughs. "You want to bet?"
My cheeks flush. Thank God he can't see them. I clear my throat. "No."
"You asked for this, Kendrick."
That flutter in my belly goes turbo. I'm melting over him calling me by my last name. I'm hopeless.
He leans over. His arms slide around my back. One slides all the way under my ass. It hooks around my thigh. I can feel the heat of his touch, even through my jeans.
His hand is so, so close.
Too close.
He lifts me from the chair with barely a grunt. He holds me against his chest like I'm a damsel in distress. There's no sign of tension on his face. He's not even strained.
Drew's lips curl into a smile and he tosses me on the bed. I land with the tiniest impact. He flops next to me. Right next to me.
"I bet you're still ticklish," he says.
Okay. Blush in full effect. Drew is trying to kill me. There is no other possible explanation.
I shake my head.
His smile widens. "You have two choices: tell me or suffer."
I shake my head again.
His eyes pass over my body. His hands hover over my stomach. Closer. Closer. Closer.
He tickles me. Oh God. Laughter rises from my belly to my throat. I kick my legs to contain the sensation. He was right. I am still ticklish. I'm unbearably ticklish.
Drew slides his hand under the edge of my top so it's on the skin of my stomach. I can't do anything to contain the sensation. I kick and thrash and laugh until I can't take it anymore.
"Okay, okay. Mercy."
He doesn't relent. "Not until you admit you were upset."
"Okay, okay. I was upset."
He only tickles me harder. "And you admit why."
"Oh, God, stop."
I'm laughing so hard my stomach is aching and my cheeks are sore. I kick at his legs. I claw at his arms. He grabs one of my hands and pushes it over my head.
"Okay!" I scream. "It's Nadeen." A laugh escapes my throat. "She asked me to move out."
Everything in Drew's mood shifts. The happiness drains from his face. He's not having fun anymore. "Asked?"
I swallow hard. "I'll be okay. I'll find another place to live. It's not like Nadeen is a particularly good roommate." I shift toward the other edge of the bed. "I just have to find the time between class and my internship."
"Fuck that." He grabs my shoulder and turns me so we're face to face. "You're moving in with me."
"I can't."
"Why the hell not?" He doesn't wait for a response. "I'm getting a new place. You need a new place. It's perfect."
I play with the pockets of my jeans. "I don't want to impose."
"You don't."
"But you're so set to live alone."
He shifts toward me. His hand brushes against mine. "I'm set to live with someone who will respect my privacy." His eyes find mine. "I have absolute faith in you."
"Are you staying in LA that long?"
He nods. "It's home base now." His mood lightens. "It's a sweet deal. I'm on tour half the year but I pay my share of the rent every month. Place will be yours for three and a half months starting in April."
I nod. It would be a sweet deal with anyone but Drew.
Drew's hand closes around my right wrist. He looks me in the eyes. "Give me one good reason why not?"
How about the feeling coursing through my body, begging me to get back on that bed with him?
Drew doesn't see me that way. He's never going to see me that way. Being around him constantly...
It will drive me out of my damn mind.
"I have many reasons," I say.
He holds my stare. "So name one."
That's a bit more difficult.
Drew holds out his hand to sh
ake. "We'll pick out a place together. Deal?"
Deal? I can't make a deal like this. Not if I want to live to graduate from college. Not if I want to keep breathing and sleeping and thinking.
I take a step backward. "Let me sleep on it."
"If you come to dinner with me."
"I have to study."
He slides his hand around my waist. "I'll throw you over my shoulder if I have to."
This time, I'm not challenging him.
I nod, and follow him to the car.
Truth is, I want to go to dinner with Drew. I want to live with Drew. I want everything with Drew. I’ve liked him since the day his family moved in to the house down the block and he invited me over to watch Batman cartoons.
I liked him until high school bullshit pushed us apart. He went off and became a guitar God. When I saw him on MTV, I was sure I’d never hear from him again. Why would a rock star get back in touch with his middle school best friend?
But he did. Last year, he called out of nowhere, and we fell right back into the same easy, intimate friendship. He's closer to me than he is to any of the other guys in Sinful Serenade. Hell, I hang out with the band as much as Drew does. It's a little crazy, being an unofficial part of the rock star entourage, but I wouldn't give it up for anything.
Drew is a rock star, yes, but he’s not a narcissistic fame whore.
Sure, he went through a sleeping with groupies phase. He's famous enough that we can't go anywhere in Los Angeles without an oh my God, I love Sinful Serenade. And he's overly obsessed with his riffs. But there's so much more to Drew than temperamental guitar god. He’s the same overprotective guy who sees through me and makes me feel safe.
Yes, I want him more than I want to breathe.
But it’s not worth risking our friendship. Sex will ruin things. It’s better to be around him, even if he’ll never be mine.
Drew is the most important person in my life.
I can't screw that up.
CHAPTER FOUR
I wake up to texts from Drew. The cross streets of a potential apartment and three low-resolution shots of it. He's so sure he'll get his way.
The place looks decent. I can see myself there. I can see us there, on a plush leather couch, watching one of Drew's favorite Batman movies. And I can feel the flutter building in my stomach as his hand skims my thigh. An accident. Means nothing. 'Cause we're only friends and we'll always be only friends.
Strum Your Heart Out (Sinful Serenade #2) Page 2