“You think I don’t know that? But I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
“I’ve been playing with Russo.”
With the mention of the name I knew Dylan was in over his head. “You stole from Dad’s company because you ran up gambling debts? This keeps getting better and better.”
“Can you help me? I’ll pay you back.”
“How much are we talking?”
“How much do you have?”
“Dylan. Don’t.”
“Fine. I need to replace at least fifty or Dad’s going to find out.”
“Fifty grand?” My mouth fell open. “That’s insane even for you.”
“Do you have it or not?”
“I don’t have fifty. I can’t get access to most of my money yet, but I have some.” The trust fund my grandfather had set up for me didn’t kick in until I was twenty-one.
“How much?” He ran a hand over his sweaty forehead. It wasn’t that hot out.
“I can get you twenty, but I want it back.”
“Of course. With interest if you want.”
“I’ll transfer it at the end of the week on a few conditions.”
“What conditions? I owe you, man.”
“Stay the hell away from Jade. Do not mess with her, bother her, or even talk to her any more than is socially necessary. Do we have an understanding?”
“Crystal clear.”
“No more gambling. This is a one-time deal. This happens again and you’re on your own. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and you’re still covering me for the golf.” I turned and headed back toward the hotel.
“Thank you. I owe you.”
“Just do what I asked.” I knew I was never going to see the money again, but I also didn’t want to deal with the fall out when Dad discovered it missing. Somehow I’d end up blamed. That’s how it always worked.
I pushed off those thoughts as I walked up the stairs and down the hallway. When I opened the door to the room I heard the shower running. Maybe my morning wasn’t ruined after all. I slipped the do not disturb sign on the door before locking it and walking into the bathroom.
Chapter Ten
Jade
I stood under the hot water, still in shock over what I’d spent the night before doing. Had I really slept with Kyle? The answer was obviously yes, especially since it had happened more than once. My body warmed as I thought over our night.
I heard the door open. “Kyle?” I wasn’t sure whether I was more terrified or excited about him walking into the bathroom. Was it going to be awkward?
“Mind if I join you?” he called from inside the room.
“In the shower?” Did he want to hook up again? I had no clue if the night before had been a one-time thing.
“Yes.” He pulled open the curtain and stepped in. I guess that answered one question. He wasn’t planning to bring things back to platonic.
My eyes took in his naked body as I continued to stand under the stream of water. His eyes were doing the same thing to my body. “You didn’t wait for me to answer.”
“I decided to go for it.” He grinned. “Very glad I did.” He closed the space between us, his lips meeting mine for a slow and gentle kiss. I closed my eyes, accepting his kiss and pushing away my doubts. I needed to live in the moment, and that moment involved Kyle kissing me in the shower.
“I’m glad you did.” I fought off the urge to cross my arms over my chest. He’d already seen me naked. There was no reason to be embarrassed, yet I still was.
“Mind if I get under there?” He gestured to the shower head.
I nodded, and scooted out of the way. Were we really going to do this? Shower together like two people who were supposed to be showering together?
Before I could think about it long, he eased me back under the water and his lips descended on my neck. He cupped my breast with one hand. I ran my hand down his wet chest, loving the feel of each muscular plane.
“How are you feeling?” he whispered.
“Good.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” His lips ran over my earlobe, sending a chill through me.
“Would you mind helping me with something?” I handed him the bar of soap. If I was taking a shower with Kyle, I was going to enjoy it.
***
“Are you up for a hike?” Kyle cleared away the remnants of our breakfast in bed. He seemed intent on keeping us in bed as long as possible after our shower. I wasn’t sure if it was all about the sex or staying away from his family. Maybe it was a little of both.
“You should have told me to pack my hiking boots.” I jumped on the first non-sexual conversation Kyle had started all morning. I was still in a bit of a haze from everything that had happened. Despite my apprehension about the wisdom of what I was doing, I decided to channel the advice I gave my friends. Now wasn’t the time to overanalyze everything. Sometimes it was better to feel than to think.
“You have hiking boots?” He stepped into a pair of cargo style shorts. Kyle seemed so comfortable being naked in front of me.
“Yes… after how well I pulled off our camping at the festival you shouldn’t be surprised.” We’d camped out with some friends during a music festival a few months earlier.
“But hiking boots mean you hike a lot.”
“I do it with my mom.” I shrugged. “It’s kind of our thing.” For the first time in a while I really missed my mom. Then I thought about what her reaction would be to what I was doing with Kyle. I was lucky she wasn’t anywhere nearby.
“That’s really cool. It means you’re all set for our hike today.”
“But without boots.”
“This is a really gentle hike. Sneakers are good enough.”
“How many miles?”
“Four.”
“Sounds great.” I sorted through my bag for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Unfortunately I didn’t have any long socks with me, but if the hike was as mild as Kyle promised I’d be fine. I did however pull out my bug spray.
“Now I did remember that.”
“You conveniently remember the way mosquitos eat me alive?” Luckily the music had been great at the festival, so it had all been worth it.
“That’s hard to forget.” He pulled on a t-shirt. “I felt bad for you.”
“You laughed at me.” I’d been annoyed at the time, but eventually I forgave him.
He walked over and put his hands on my hips. “I only laughed because you were so cute.”
“I was cute because I was covered in bug bites?”
“No, it was your reaction.”
“No laughing at me if it happens again.”
“I won’t. Instead I’m going to kiss each and every one of them to make them feel better.”
“No hoping I get more bites just so you have more to kiss.”
He laughed. “Would I ever do that?”
“I’d hope not.”
“Nope. I’d prefer blood sucking creatures not steal your blood. So that also means stay away from vampires.”
“Couldn’t you just kiss those bites and make them better too?” Teasing and playing around seemed like the best way to handle any potential awkwardness. Kyle seemed to have the same idea.
He ran his lips down my neck. “The only one biting you is me.”
“I’m guessing that’s supposed to sound hot?”
He laughed. “In theory.”
“Stick to what your lips are doing. That’s hot.”
“In other words keep my mouth shut.”
“Not always. Sometimes your words are pretty darn sexy.”
“Like when I tell you all the sordid things I want to do to you?”
“Sordid? Let’s stick with dirty.”
“I can do dirty.”
“If you want me hiking keep those dirty thoughts to literal dirt right now.” I stepped out of his embrace. “I need to get changed.”
“You mean you don’t want to go hiking in that?” He
gestured to my pajamas. I’d gotten dressed while he ordered breakfast. There was no way I’d have eaten while naked.
“Oh, you’re so funny.” I headed toward the bathroom.
“Nuh uh. You don’t need to change in there.”
“Why does it matter?”
“Because you’re not supposed to be afraid to change in front of the guy you’re sleeping with. I’ve seen you naked plenty now.” He stopped. “Ok, not plenty. I could use a lot more of it.”
I smiled. “It seems different at those kind of times.”
“I know a quick solution to that problem.”
“What?”
He slipped the strap of my pajama top off my arm. “I can just undress you right now. Clearly it makes you more comfortable when I do it.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“It’s what I mean.” He slipped the other strap down my arm and tugged down on the top, fully exposing my breasts. He quickly covered my breasts with his mouth and hand.
“Kyle, that’s not the kind of getting dressed I meant.”
He grazed my nipple with his teeth, and I stopped caring about getting dressed. “But if I’m getting undressed, so are you.” I unbuttoned the shorts he’d just put on.
“I have no problem with that.”
***
I pulled myself off the bed and slipped on my panties and a bra. “So much for an earlier hike.”
“It was a very worthwhile reason to delay.”
“Remember that when we get hot halfway through.”
“It’s not that hot here, besides, now you won’t get bug bites.” He buttoned his shorts.
“Oh yeah? Why is that?”
“Haven’t you heard? Bugs prefer their blood more virginal. They don’t like biting after the victim has had sex.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Then I shouldn’t get any bug bites.”
“If you do that means we’re not doing it enough.”
“Once again no hoping I get lots of bug bites.” I tied my tennis shoes.
“Like I said before, I don’t want anyone or anything biting you except me.”
“I’m going to pretend you don’t sound creepy.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “We better get out of here before I ravish you again.”
“Sordid? Ravish?”
“You’re dating an English major, get used to it.”
“Actually I’m sleeping with one, but close enough.” I headed to the bathroom. “I assume it’s okay if I go in there to brush my hair.”
“Hey, you know I wasn’t saying you couldn’t change in there. I just didn’t want you doing it because you were nervous or anything.”
“I know.”
A few minutes later I was dressed, and we finally managed to leave the room. Kyle had already talked to his mom about borrowing her car, so we drove a little ways from the hotel before Kyle pulled over to the side of the road. “This is my favorite hike up here.”
“Your favorite? Now you’re setting the expectations high.”
He laughed. “I said my favorite here. I won’t claim it’s the best hike anywhere.”
“Sure, sure.” I got out and waited for Kyle on the dirt shoulder.
We started up the path through the trees, and I took in deep breaths of the crisp air. There’s nothing like getting away from it all in nature. The sun was bright, but the tree cover helped protect us as we continued up the trail. An hour later we finally reached the first lookout.
“I thought the lake was beautiful, but this. This is unreal.” I gazed all around me to make sure I didn’t miss any of the views.
“Now I know the trick.”
“What trick?” I gulped down some water from the canteen Kyle had packed for us.
“To impressing you. I need to get you out into the great outdoors.”
“I love that movie.”
He laughed. “I should have known you’d share my love for 1980s comedies.”
“You can thank my mom for that too.”
“I really need to meet her one day.”
“No you don’t.” The thought of Kyle meeting my mom terrified me. She’d somehow know what I’d done. She had a sixth sense like that. At least she usually did.
“Why not?”
“First, she’d kill you for what we’re doing, and secondly, she’d ask you so many questions it would make your head spin.”
“I’ll wait to meet her later then.” He took my hand and started walking again.
“Why would later change anything?”
“Time can change many things.” He winked.
“You’re such a dork.” I knocked my shoulder into his.
“So are you, but who cares?”
“How am I a dork?”
“You like my humor which makes you just as dorky.”
“Dorks or not, let’s enjoy this beautiful day.” I ran up ahead. I couldn’t wait to reach the next lookout.
“Yes, the trick really is to get you out into the great outdoors.”
Chapter Eleven
Kyle
I’d never seen Jade so happy and light. Her smile was real. It wasn’t the sarcastic, casual smile she used at school, but a giant, I love life smile that made my heart beat faster.
This was the real Jade. Jade with the pony tail and no makeup, with sneakers and shorts, and a little bit of mud. I wanted to believe it was more than the outdoors bringing it out in her. I wanted to believe it was me. But it probably wasn’t. I generally didn’t have that effect on people, but I could pretend. I could pretend that the night—and morning—we spent together would become something more.
“I could stay out here forever.” Jade pulled on my arm to get me to look out at the view.
“I could too, but it’s going to rain.”
She sighed. “I don’t mind getting wet.”
“Oh, I’m well aware you don’t mind that.” I wriggled an eyebrow.
She pushed me playfully. “Kyle.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
“Yes you could. You can always resist.”
“Not always. Sometimes words slip out.”
“Are we only talking about words?”
I pulled her close. “Are you asking if I can always resist you?”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t you already know the answer to that?”
“Do I?”
“Is there a reason you’re teasing me?”
She ran her teeth over her bottom lip. “I’m not teasing. I’m being me.”
“And being you means teasing me?”
“I’m only asking a question, Kyle.” She bit her nail for a second before quickly dropping her hand to her side.
“Did you have to say my name that way?”
“What way?” she smiled.
“That way. The way that makes me want you again.”
Her face flushed. I loved knowing I had that effect on her. “I thought it was going to rain.”
“It is, but as you reminded me, you don’t mind getting wet.”
“Not if it means kissing you.”
“I have to agree with you there.” I connected my lips with hers right as the sky opened up.
Jade laughed, breaking the kiss. “We probably should start heading back.”
“Changed your mind about getting wet?”
“It sounded better in theory.” She started retracing her steps down the trail. I followed behind, eager to get her back to our room.
The rain picked up, making the ground slick and muddy. Jade started to slip once, but I caught her in time.
She steadied herself against me. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
“You like playing hero.”
I brushed some of her wet hair away from her face. “I like playing it with you.”
She smiled and turned around. We made it the rest of the way down without incident and dashed to my mom’s car.
Jade buckled up as I started the car. “I hope your mom doesn�
�t hate me for getting her car dirty.”
“Why would she hate you? It’s more natural to blame me.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Don’t worry about it. She can get it cleaned.”
“This car might cost more than my parents’ house.”
“I doubt that, but you really don’t need to worry.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“You don’t need to be intimidated by my mom. She didn’t have much money growing up.”
“Until she married your dad…”
“And you don’t need to be intimidated by my dad either. They like you. I can tell.”
“Well, as long as they like me enough for me to get through this week, I’m okay with it.”
I put a hand on her leg. I couldn’t keep my hands off her. “Trust me, you’re going to make it through this week.”
“What’s the plan when we get back to the resort?”
“We’ve got a boat trip.”
“A boat trip? Like the scenic kind?”
“Yes, exactly. You said you liked the water….”
“I do.” She looked out the window.
“No worrying about my family.”
“I don’t want to do or say something stupid.”
“There’s an easy solution to your worries about that.”
“There is?”
“Yeah. Stay with me. No one can grill you if we’re together.”
“I wouldn’t mind staying with you.”
“Good.” I squeezed her leg gently as I turned into the resort. “Want me to drop you off out front?”
“I’m already soaked, so I don’t mind walking.”
“If you’re sure.” I pulled into a spot and grabbed my backpack from the backseat.
We got out and ran to the front door and up the stairs. I opened the door and she walked in first. “I need to get these wet clothes off.”
“By all means.” I gestured for her to start taking them off.
“I didn’t mean it in that way.”
“Oh wait, I forgot the new rules.”
“What rules?”
“That if I want you getting naked, I have to do it myself.” I pulled her sopping wet t-shirt off her.
“If you’re undressing me, I’m undressing you.”
“Go right ahead. I have no problem with that.” I grinned.
She pulled off my shirt and tossed it on the floor on top of hers.
The Hazards of Sleeping With a Friend Page 7