Shuffle (Ruby Riot #2)

by Lisa Swallow

  Fleur’s unbuttons the top button of my jeans and slides a hand downwards, towards where my cock strains against my jeans.

  Yes. No. Yes. Shit.

  I pull my mouth away and swallow hard. “Fleur, I –”

  “Whoa! Is this some kind of private biology study group too?” Sam’s voice comes from behind and I close my eyes, picturing him in the doorway.

  Shock crosses Fleur’s face and then she giggles at me as I readjust her clothes. If he sees me fastening my belt, Sam will have the wrong impression and I don’t want to embarrass Fleur again.

  “Go away, man,” I say without looking around.

  “Not staying. No way! Jesus, man. I knew you two want to rip each other’s clothes off, but here?”

  I stand back and fasten my jeans before turning. Sam’s gaze drops to my unbuckled belt and he shakes his head.

  “Don’t tell anybody,” I say in a low voice.

  “Not my business; but if you don’t want anybody finding out, maybe choose somewhere more private.” He heads to a nearby table, the one we congregate around as a group, and grabs a book. “I came back for this. Wish I hadn’t. Some things can never be unseen.”

  “Funny, man.”

  He tips his fingers from his head in a salute. “Have fun!”

  Sam closes the door on his way out and his footsteps echo along the quiet corridor.

  “Shit.” I look back to Fleur whose face has switched back to unimpressed again. “Sorry.”

  She stands and straightens her clothes. “Bastard.”

  What the…? “Me or him?”

  “You!”

  “I would’ve stopped! You seemed okay with what we were doing.”

  “Not that.” She takes a deep breath and narrows her eyes. “Don’t tell anybody, huh?”

  “What? You want Sam to tell everybody he caught us at it in a study room? Seriously?”

  “No, you don’t want people to know you were caught with me.”

  “Jesus, Fleur! No! I’m trying to stop people talking about you! You’ve been pissed off in the past about me humiliating you; I don’t want that to happen again.”

  Her shoulders and expression relax. “Not because you’re too cool to be seen with me?”

  “What the fuck is your complex about this?” I fasten my belt and Fleur watches, smoothing her hair. “Right. You. Come with me.”

  I pick up her bag, and she catches as I throw it at her. Then I grab her hand and drag her out of the room.

  FLEUR

  What the hell did I just do? I allow Will to lead me out of the building and across campus. The cold wind cools my heated cheeks, but my body throbs with the desire that spilled out for Will. How did he trip the switch, which unleashed a lust I’ve never experienced before, one which almost led me to sex with a member of Ruby Riot on a desk in the history department? My cheeks flare again at the thought. Holding Will’s hand maintains the desire to drag him somewhere and finish what we started.

  I have clearly gone insane.

  Will wraps and arm around my shoulders. “You’re amazing.”

  Dazed, I continue alongside him aware of little but Will’s closeness. “Where are we going?”

  “Out.”

  “Out where?”

  “Out.” Will kisses the top of my head.

  A group of people hang together outside the student union and Will marches us over. In the dark evening, they’re hard to make out, but the tall guy in the centre of the group matches the height and build of the one holding me. Nate looks over in surprise, and a couple of girls wearing leather jackets over short dresses scrutinise me.

  “Hey guys, this is Fleur,” Will says.

  The silent staring continues.

  “You not coming tonight?” asks Nate.

  “Yeah, we are,” replies Will.

  He arches a brow. “Fleur wants to go?”

  “Go where?” I ask.

  Will looks at me. “Blue Room.”

  I blink. “Blue Room?”

  Nate laughs. “See. Not her scene, are we?”

  “I don’t think I want to, Will.”

  “You sure?” he asks.

  “Nate’s right, not my thing. I’d feel uncomfortable there.”

  An awkward silence between the brothers isn’t noticed by the girls chatting, but I’m aware of a tension between them.

  “C’mon, man. Please tell me you’re not gonna bail. We’ve planned this for weeks.”

  I angle my body away from the group; and when Will notices, he moves in front of me. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t feel comfortable with these people,” I say in a low voice. “Sorry.”

  “Right. Should’ve thought. I wanted to show them you were my girl, prove what you thought back there is wrong.”

  “Your girl?” I fight a smile. “I think you have a bit more work to do before you can give me that title.”

  “Uh.” He drags a hand through his hair. “But we kissed and… stuff.”

  I bury my hands into my coat pockets and grip the rough material, confirming I’m in reality and not a dream. Will is the strangest person. First the lies, but then the bizarre gift and then… well. That. My immunity to his Campbell charms fails; always will.

  “I had planned to talk to you before…um…earlier.” At least in the dark he can’t see how pink my hot cheeks are.

  “Right. Of course. Wanna go out?”

  “I said, I don’t think I suit Blue Room.”

  “No, with me. Us. Alone.”

  “I guess…”

  Will takes my hand, and squeezes cool fingers against mine as he turns back to the group. “Other plans.”

  Nate’s face betrays nothing as he casts a look at us before returning to his attentive friends.

  “You and her?” asks a girl with long blue hair.

  “Me and Fleur.”

  “Weird. Okay.” She turns back to her friend.

  Should I be happy or put out by their dismissal? Will tightens his grip on my shoulders and kisses my nose. “You’re cold.”

  “I’m a lot of things right now,” I murmur.

  “‘Kay, well, we waited, but if you’re not coming…” Nate studies me and a muscle in his cheek twitches. “Nicely played, bro. Give me an update later.”

  The group head off, talking loudly. Nate’s in the centre, girls vying for the positions either side of him while the two other guys hang at the edge. People sidestep the formation as the group approaches them, and they disappear around the corner towards the nearby bus stop.

  “I think I’ll have that drink now,” I mutter. Will looks after the retreating group. “Go with them, it’s okay.”

  “No, I want to spend the evening with you, remember?”

  “Then why drag me here?”

  “Because I wanted to show what happened back there wasn’t something I want to hide.” He turns and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. “I want to fix my fuck up by showing you I’m gonna try hard to make you believe I want you in my life.”

  I stroke Will’s hair from his face. “This is weird. All of it. My head can’t catch up.”

  Will’s mouth closes over mine again. The piercing brushes my lips as he holds the back of my head. The hard of the metal and the softness of his lips reflect the contradiction in Will; the guy with his in your face persona hides a surprising gentleness beneath. I grip the collar of his jacket and throw myself back into the euphoria of before.

  His kiss tugs me to who we are outside of the strange couple we make. Will’s right, for whatever reason there’s a need to spend time with each other that doesn’t add up. Am I a hypocrite? I complained about three men only wanting one thing from me, and now this is precisely what I want from Will.

  He pauses and touches my lips with his index finger. “C’mon. We can’t stay here all night.”

  “Where then?”

  “Wherever you want.”

  I sidestep the passing people. I guess Will and me are public knowledge
now. “There’s a new movie I want to see.”

  His brow puckers for a moment. “Movie. Oh.”

  “You didn’t think I was going to drag you home and finish what we started did you?”

  He laughs. “What you started.”

  “Excuse me! You kissed me.”

  “You kissed me back.”

  “You pinned me to the desk.”

  “You held me so I couldn’t get away.”

  I step closer and brush my lips against his. “You kissed… parts of me.”

  “You tried to get in my pants,” he whispers against my lips.

  The conversation sends a new heat through, warming me against the cold evening. Will’s hot breath strokes my mouth as he gently traces his tongue along my bottom lip. I sink into him, resisting the urge to return my kiss to the frenzy of before. I’m determined to hold onto my lust and not to be overridden by the desire for this guy.

  “I don’t know why I behaved like that,” I say pulling away.

  “Because I’m irresistible to women, haven’t you heard?”

  I shove him in the chest. “Yes. I have. Which is why I’m glad we stopped.”

  As people walk by, heading towards their evening, we’re lost in what we see in each other’s eyes. Is this what’s happening? A sexual spark ready to ignite fooling both of us into believing this could be more.

  “Me too,” replies Will. “I’d worry you wouldn’t respect me in the morning.”

  “Haha.”

  “Come on. I’ll even watch a chick flick if you want. That’s how much I want to spend time with you.”

  I giggle. “Coming right up.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  FLEUR

  We head out of the plush Gold Class lounge with my half-eaten bucket of popcorn. Will walks close, alongside me.

  “Well, that was a crap idea,” he says.

  “The movie? I didn’t think you’d like Nicholas Sparks films. I warned you.”

  “No. The seats. They were too far apart and had armrests in the way. I had no opportunity to grope you in those!”

  “Charming!”

  He stops and pulls me to him. “I don’t mind watching that shit, but at least we could’ve made out at the back of the theatre.”

  I snort. “Made out?”

  “If you knew what images were going through my head, you’d slap me,” he says with a grin. “I missed half the movie because I was running my own in my imagination. You in the starring role.”

  What happens next? We went way beyond innuendo earlier and we’re about to have the discussion over whether he takes me home. To bed.

  Others leaving the theatre push past us, not paying attention. Will’s phone rings interrupting the trip back in the direction of what we may, or may not, do next. With an apology, he steps aside and answers.

  Will stands beneath a poster for the latest action movie, and I stare at the actor above him. Will isn’t famous yet, more infamous than anything; but will he be as recognisable as the guy on the poster one day? The concept is weird. He’s not an ordinary guy, that’s for sure, but what will happen to him? The man resting against the wall, long legs stretched in front of him could never be average, and my thoughts drift back in the direction of earlier.

  I finally accept he isn’t Nate anymore; this is Will. This is the same guy who I spent those weeks with. The idiot who lied to me but didn’t play games. Do I give him a chance? Compared to the other guys I’ve come across this year, he’s an example over why I shouldn’t judge by appearances.

  But the lies niggle.

  Thirsty from salty popcorn, I indicate to Will I’m heading to the kiosk to grab another drink. The evening’s last showings begin soon, and a smattering of people hang around the lobby. I queue, sandwiched between two groups of loud guys, and wrinkle my nose at the smell of beer. A few minutes later, I reach the front of the line, and as I’m about to step up to the counter, a couple of tall guys push by me.

  I stumble to one side and blink at them in surprise as they place their order. Not somebody to shrink away from these situations, I storm up behind them.

  “Excuse me, I was next,” I say.

  One of them looks around and wipes a hand across his face. “We’re in a hurry.”

  “That’s not my problem. I queued here for five minutes!”

  “Tough.”

  His mate sniggers and my irritation grows. I gesture at the young girl serving, who has an empty box hovering over the vat of popcorn. “I just want a bottle of water, please.”

  “Hey! She’s serving us!” retorts one of the guys.

  Ignoring him, I pull some coins from my purse and hand them to the speechless girl. As she turns to retrieve a bottle from the fridge, the guy begins a loud tirade against me. My hands shake with anger more than fear as I take the bottle, keeping my eyes off his.

  “What’s happening?” Will appears next to me.

  I step away. “Nothing. It’s fine.”

  “Are they talking shit about you?” he asks, his eyes hard.

  The taller guy takes two large cups of Coke and looks back. “Keep your girlfriend under control, mate.”

  The switch in Will’s temper is palpable, as he stiffens and steps forward. “Keep your fucking mouth under control.”

  The other guy turns, two boxes of popcorn in his hands. “Hey, he’s the dude from Ruby Riot.”

  “Who gives a shit? C’mon.” As he walks away, the guy knocks into me again, deliberately.

  All this over a bloody box of popcorn and a bottle of water. “You dick!” I retort.

  “Whatever, you stupid bitch.”

  “What the fuck?” Will’s quiet anger simmers over and he steps in front of the guy before he can move. “Apologise to Fleur!”

  “Or what?”

  “Apologise,” he growls.

  The two men are the same height, and I can’t be sure Will won’t do anything stupid. I grab his jacket, aware at the growing interest in the situation from people queuing nearby.

  “Will. Forget it.” Testosterone hangs in the air and I take Will’s hand. I’ve witnessed this kind of thing before on nights out with guys, and I’m relieved Will’s sober. “Will!”

  The challenge continues, until Will steps forward, right into the guy’s face. “Talk shit about Fleur again and I’ll fucking punch you!”

  “We’re late for the movie!” complains the guy with the popcorn. “Ignore the fucker.”

  Relief replaces the anxiety as the drunk guy steps back, breaking the standoff. “Jesus, man.”

  Without an apology, the two stride off toward the theatres. Scared Will is about to walk after them, I pull him in the opposite direction.

  “Fucking arseholes,” he mutters and grips my hand. “You okay?”

  “Yes. Don’t do that again! I hate when you make a public display of us, you know that.”

  “I don’t cope well with people who upset somebody important to me.”

  “I was dealing with it. You made the situation worse.”

  “Didn’t you hear what he called you?”

  “Yes! But I don’t care, what does it matter?”

  “It matters because if someone upsets you, they’ll learn it’s a fucking bad idea!”

  This is reminiscent of the Will earlier, ready to hunt down Ethan because he thought the guy was responsible for the mood Shaun put me in. The one who warned Ethan off once before.

  “Seriously, Will, I can look after myself. I stood up for myself and was about to walk away.”

  Will shoves his hands in his pockets and mutters something under his breath. He’s tense, face dark with anger still. I place a hand on his cheek and he takes hold.

  “Sorry. I don’t want anything to upset you, Fleur.”

  “And I don’t want to date a guy who threatens to beat up anybody who looks at me the wrong way.”

  “But –” I silence him with a raised brow. “Fine. I’ll try.”

  “Try?” I lace my fingers through hi
s. “Oh, Will. You’re not what you seem are you?”

  “In a good or bad way?”

  We head towards the exit, through the gathering late night crowds, and he grips my hand. “I haven’t decided yet.”

  “Huh.”

  Change of topic rapidly needed. “What was the phone call about?”

  “Ah. Band stuff. Going away tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. Forgot to say earlier, but I guess we didn’t talk much.” Will’s mouth twitches into a smile. “We’re heading north, and then to Scotland for a few days.”

  “I guess I should give you some homework to do while you’re away.” I nudge him in the ribs and he laughs, letting go of more tension.

  “For you, anything.”

  I walk through the smattering of people still in the venue, my evening catches up.

  Earlier today, I’d decided to give Will a chance and discover if he’s the same guy I spent time with and fell for. I didn’t intend to end the evening on a date to the movies following a lust-induced session with him on a desk in the study room. What would’ve happened if Sam didn’t interrupt? Surely, sanity would’ve tapped me on the shoulder and interrupted.

  Will’s passionate matching of my heated need super-charged my body with desire for him, the same desire following me as I invite a rock star with an impressive reputation back to my house.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  FLEUR

  We step off the bus at the stop nearest my place. Each step closer to my house pushes more excited apprehension into my stomach, the ‘what next’ hanging over our heads. Will’s silence continues, on the bus he brooded for a while. Is this because of the decision we make next or because of the incident at the movies?

  The house is quiet when I step inside. Anne must be having a late night or staying over at Kyle’s; and the tension mounts.

  “Don’t you want to come in?” I ask Will as he hesitates on the doorstep.

  “Yes, but control yourself this time!” he says and grins.

  Confused by his words, I smile back as he walks inside. “Did you want a beer?”

  “Nah. I have to be up early.” He grimaces. “I wish I didn’t have to. Every time we go away I have to be up at some stupid hour…”

  “I feel your struggle, Will. Must be terrible for you following your dreams as they come true.”