“Where are the guys?”
“In the game room.” He swats my butt and walks away.
I look at my girlfriends. “Oh, yeah. He’ll definitely be in my bed before the end of the day. If there was a seduction 101 class, I’d get an A in it after watching groupies throw themselves at rock stars over the years.” All of us bust out laughing.
Paybacks
Dylan
Does she honestly think I don’t know what she’s up to? Damn, I just want to take her up to my room and fuck her after seeing her in that outfit, but then I picture her daddy and my dick goes soft. This sucks.
“Listen to that damn laughter. They’re talking about me. I guarantee it,” I say as I walk into the game room. Matt chuckles. I guess he’s not going to waste any time to start shit. “Hey, Dylan, you broke Taylor yet?”
“Well, she likes me, so I guess so.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“And sex is not what I meant when I made that remark at the hospital. Why are you hung up on this?”
“I just find it humorous that you haven’t fucked her yet.”
“How do you know that?” I ask.
“I overheard Taylor tell the girls.”
“What are you waiting for, buddy?” Cody asks.
“She had to go and be Vincent Page’s daughter. How the hell am I supposed to have sex with her now?”
“Yeah, Dylan. What are you waiting for? That’s all the more reason to have sex with her,” Brett says, cackling.
“Oh fuck you, Brett.”
“Paybacks are a bitch. I have to say though that you’re probably going to come out pretty good if you two get serious. You’ll finally get to meet your idol, but do you see now what I was going through when I got with Hannah?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it now.”
“All of you are going to shit when you see Taylor. She looks hot today, but you better not tell Morgan I said that.” Matt takes a drink of his water as the other guys play pool, and I can’t believe that just came out of his mouth.
“Don’t you look at her, asshole.” I glare at him good.
“Oh this is awesome. I’ve been waiting so long for this. Do you all remember how many times I had to hear Dylan say that shit about Hannah? I think I need to go see if what Matt’s sayin’ is true.”
“I swear if you all stare at her today, we’re going to fight.” I point at each of them.
“You’d fight me over a girl, Dylan? This gets better every minute,” Brett says.
They just keep laughing. I should at least be getting laid if I have to take this crap.
Chelsea walks into the room. “We’re going to put all the stuff to make sandwiches back in the fridge if you all don’t come eat soon.”
Austin walks over and kisses her. “OK, we’ll be there in a minute.”
I’m behind the guys as they follow each other into the kitchen, glancing at Taylor as they go by. I want to punch each of them. I walk over and pull her up from the couch, wrapping my arms around her tight.
“I really wish you weren’t wearing this outfit. The guys are going to check you out all day long.”
“They have girlfriends, remember?”
“That won’t stop them.”
“Oh, really? So having a girlfriend doesn’t even stop a guy from checking out his friends’ girls?”
“Umm ... that’s not what I meant.”
She’s silent for a few seconds before I see the twinkle in her eyes. “I’m screwing with you, Dylan.”
I swear everyone’s stressing me the fuck out today.
“You’re in trouble, chick.”
“I hope so.” She gives me an alluring look, so I let her go and hurry to the kitchen. I cannot give in.
Taylor
When Dylan abruptly lets me go and walks away, I look at my girlfriends. “This might be harder than I thought.”
We sit around until afternoon talking about our favorite TV shows, purses and shoes. I knew I missed my friends while I was in New York, but I didn’t realize how much until I got to spend time with them again.
If I can get Dylan to come around, my world will be pretty close to perfect. I feel so blessed to have this group of friends, guys and girls. I look out the window. “It isn’t snowing. We should get into the hot tub.”
“You’re going to feel like you did when you were trapped in that car on your way to and from the hot tub,” Chelsea says.
“I have a plan. Dylan seeing me in a bikini will be worth feeling the cold again. If I get my way, he’ll be warming me back up.”
Jasmine twirls her hair. “You’re something else, girl.”
“Hey, I’m on a mission. I’ve waited three years to have sex again.”
“It’s so great to see you this way, Taylor. You’re so much happier, and Dylan’s acting like he’s ten years older. It’s nice to have a break from his obnoxious behavior,” Chelsea says.
“I’ve never felt this happy, but I like that side of him, too. I just never wanted to admit it. I’ll go ask the guys.” I get up and hurry to the game room. “We’re getting in the hot tub shortly. Do you guys want to join us?”
“That sounds awesome,” Matt says, smiling.
I see Dylan glance at him and glare. “After what we went through the other night, I don’t know if you going out in thirty degree weather in a bathing suit is the best idea.”
I rest my hand on my hip. “Dylan, I feel perfectly fine now, and we have to walk a whole eight feet. I think we’ll survive, and if I’m freezing, then you can warm me back up.” I give him a sly grin.
“Yeah, Dylan. You can warm her back up. Can’t the girl have some fun?” Brett asks.
Dylan sighs. “OK, let us finish this game.”
I think about how stressed Dylan seems as I leave the game room. He doesn’t want to cave, so I’m going to have to step up my game.
Dylan
I look at my friends when Taylor leaves the room.
“You all are dicks.”
“It’s only fair, dude. Taylor’s the only one we haven’t seen in a bikini,” Matt says.
“I noticed Morgan’s not bowing at your feet this week, Matt. Are you a little jealous that Vincent Page’s daughter is throwing herself at me?” I’m playing dirty, but the sexual frustration I’m feeling after this many days of sleeping next to her is taking a toll on me, not to mention the shit the guys keep dishing.
“I’m enjoying watching you run from Taylor. Maybe you’re the one that’s been all talk over the years. And don’t you worry about Morgan. I always have her right where I want her.”
I let out a short laugh. “Yeah, that delusions about to blow up in your face.”
“Come on guys. Break it up, and let’s go change,” Brett says.
I leave the game room, trying to get my anger under control. Today sucks, and I have a feeling it’s going to get a whole lot worse if I don’t come to grips with this Vincent Page news.
Matt, Brett, Hannah and Morgan are already in one of the hot tubs when the rest of us walk out. I watch Taylor, Jasmine and Chelsea run in front of me with towels around them. Taylor drops hers, and I see all the guys look her way. She’s wearing a shiny, black bikini, and the damn thing is tiny. They don’t get to look for long since she gets in the warm water as fast as she can.
I get in, and she sits as close to me as possible before resting her hand on my leg. Every time she moves around, I see her twins bobbing up and down out of the water. They’ve been against me, but I haven’t had a good look at them, and I sure haven’t had them in my mouth.
Taylor peers up at me with a mischievous grin, and I feel busted for my dirty thoughts. “Guys, I want to hear about some of the girls Dylan’s brought home over the years.”
My heart rate jumps from sixty to a hundred in a second. “No, you don’t want to hear about that.”
“I think that’s a great idea. There were some damn funny ones,” Austin says.
Now, she’s gazing up at me w
ith amusement and satisfaction.
“The house we live in was built in the fifties. It’s big and looks even older than it is. Dylan convinced a girl that it was the childhood home of Thomas Edison,” Austin says, laughing.
“I think she actually thought you were smarter because of it,” Matt adds. Everyone cracks up at my expense.
This can only get worse. “I think we can stop there.”
Taylor bats her eyes at me. “Oh, no. That just makes me want to hear more.”
Matt throws his head back and laughs like he just thought of a story. “Remember the girl Dylan convinced to litter box train her Chihuahua? He told her if she let it outside, an eagle would carry it off.” Laughter erupts from all the group.
“In those women’s defense, they were drunk. Their intelligence wasn’t exactly at the forefront,” I say, chuckling.
Taylor pats my arm. “Aww, sweetie, that doesn’t make you look any better.”
“Let’s not forget the handful of girls that thought you were still a virgin,” Cody says.
“Hey now, I fulfilled their fantasy and made them feel special. They will forever believe they were my first.” I’m of course dramatic when I say the last sentence.
Taylor rubs my thigh as she looks up at me. “Sounds like you might be a little full of yourself.”
“At least I didn’t take advantage of women that were sober enough to realize it.” Everyone laughs including myself as I smile down at her pretty face.
She gazes back at me with those soulful, chocolate eyes. “It’s sad to say, but somehow that does seem to make it sound better.”
I swear she’s the coolest chick ever. We can’t stay in the hot tub long because of the outside temperature, so after running through the cool air to get back inside the cabin, we begin drying off quickly to warm up.
Taylor is oblivious to the show she’s giving the guys every time she bends over or moves around with her towel. With every passing moment that my feelings grow for her, I’m more understanding to Brett’s behavior with Hannah. I’m completely getting the jealousy component, something I’ve never experienced until Taylor.
I can’t take the guys drooling over her body another second. OK, some of it’s probably paranoia since all my friends seem to really care about their own girls, but I still can’t stand this, so I take Taylor’s hand before she’s finished drying off and lead her to the stairs.
When we get to her room, she turns around and puts her arms around my neck. I barely put my hands on her waist. “You need to put on some clothes.” That came out a little harsher than I meant it to.
“Why?”
“You were practically naked in front of the guys, and trust me, they noticed.”
Whoa, she looks pissed as her arms drop from my neck. “You barely want to touch me, which means there’s a big possibility that we don’t have a future, so you don’t have any right to be angry that I’m barely dressed in front of the guys. What am I supposed to wear in the hot tub, anyway?” She begins waving her arms around.
“I don’t get you, Dylan. All you’ve talked about is how you want to be with me, make me happy and see me smile, yet the second you find out about Vincent all that changed. I’ve been trying all day to be those things for you.”
“Taylor, take a breath. I told you I need time to process this.”
“Then why did I wake up this morning from you kissing on me?”
“I said I was sorry. I thought I could do it, but I couldn’t, so that’s why I ended up getting out of bed and why I’ve been trying to keep some distance.”
“I can tell you have no intentions of touching me. If this is how it’s going to be, then we have a real problem, and you most definitely don’t get to go around acting jealous!”
“I asked for a little time, and you’ve been teasing me all damn day! I’m afraid if I touch you too much, I’m going to cave, and I don’t know if I want to do that.” Shit, now her eyes are bulging out of her head. Nothing is coming out of my mouth right.
“Oh, don’t you worry. My behavior won’t be misconstrued at teasing ever again! If you honestly don’t know if you want to have sex with me, then that mean we’re only going to be friends, so get out of my room. I don’t want a male friend seeing me dress!”
“Taylor wait.”
“Get—out!” she shouts as she launches her towel at my face. I throw it to the floor and walk out of her room, hearing the door slam behind me. That woman makes me nuts!
All I want to do is throw her on the bed and shut that mouth of hers up with mine, but she had to go and be the daughter of the most legendary guitarist in fucking history!
Time for Change
Hannah
Brett and I are in the kitchen alone when I hear Morgan bark at Matt again in the great room.
“Has Matt mentioned that he and Morgan are having problems?” I ask quietly.
Brett looks at me. “No, but I know what he’s doing. I just don’t understand why.”
“What do you mean?”
“He won’t admit how much he cares for Morgan, and I think he wants to believe he has some kind of control over her. I don’t know what I expected to see exactly, but I guess I thought when he finally found someone he really cared about, he’d treat her good. I’d like to believe the way I treat you.”
“You do treat me good. I don’t expect you to tell me everything your friends share with you, but I asked because I’m worried Morgan’s about to put him on the road, and I really don’t want to see them break up.”
“I’ve been telling Matt since summer to let her go if he isn’t going to treat her right, so unfortunately, there’s not much else I can do, shortcake. He doesn’t want to listen.”
I hear Cody speaking. “Did you all hear Taylor yelling?”
Brett and I walk into the great room where our friends are except for Dylan and Taylor.
“What’s the problem?” Brett asks.
“Taylor was screaming at Dylan, and then I heard a door slam. I was in my room.”
“They’re both stubborn,” Brett says.
Austin looks toward Brett and me.
“Sounds like two other people we know.”
“Hannah and I haven’t been that way since we got together.”
Austin smirks. “Well, maybe there’s hope for Dylan and Taylor yet.”
Brett pulls me close in his arms. “Baby, we have to try out that monstrous grill on the back deck. I don’t care how cold it is, we need to grill those steaks on it.”
“OK. If you like it that much, we’ll get one that big for home.” There are at least a few things he’ll let me buy him. He kisses my forehead.
“Come on guys. Let’s get a beer and get this grill going.”
Dylan
When I head downstairs to get something to drink, I notice the guys on the back deck through the floor to ceiling windows that go across the back of the cabin. I run upstairs to get my coat and join them.
“What’s Taylor pissed about now, Dylan?” Cody asks.
I swear I can’t get any peace this week from anyone.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Cody smirks. “She wants to have sex, and you won’t, right? Never thought I’d see the day.”
“I’m sorry I’m not living up to your expectations of being a total dick to her.”
“Why are you this angry? Do you care about her that much?” Brett asks.
“Yes, and right when I thought Taylor and I had worked out the kinks and weren’t going to fight anymore, she dropped this bomb on me. I pretty much told her I don’t know if I’ll ever touch her again, so she’s majorly pissed.”
“Of course she’s going to be pissed. You basically told her that you don’t know if you’ll date her. What do you expect?” Austin asks.
“I should’ve worded it different. I just need time to think.”
“Yeah, to decide if you want her or not. That’s not going to fly with her when you wanted her before this news,” he
adds.
“I do want her … bad.”
“I’ve spent enough time with Lorna and Todd to see that they’re just everyday people. They’re a singer and a manager, working like everyone else, except they get paid a shit load more money than most people.
“What I’m getting at is I don’t see them as these special people who are better than me, and I wish I’d seen that right away,” Brett says.
“Buddy, she’s not gonna be like Hannah. Jasmine told me Taylor’s been a loner all her life, so she’s not gonna chase after your ass. You’re giving her a reason to put that wall right back up. You better watch it, or you’re going to lose your chance with her,” Cody says.
“I have to find a way to accept this. I don’t want to lose her.”
Brett points to Matt. “I know I’ve said it many times, but you’re going to be in the same situation, bro, if you don’t quit stringing Morgan along.”
“She isn’t going anywhere. She tells me she loves me all the damn time.”
“She’s only going to stick around so long if she’s not hearing it back,” Brett says.
Matt doesn’t respond. He turns around and looks toward the back of the property while taking a drink of his beer. I don’t know what the hell is going on with him. He seemed really happy the first several months he was with Morgan, but he’s changed. Rumor is, he’s about to lose a great girl. I can’t be a dumbass and lose Taylor, too.
Taylor
I get into the shower, fuming over what just transpired with Dylan. I could hardly stay focused as he stood in front of me with that gorgeous body. He’s lean and toned, every muscle contoured just right. I can’t even think about those abs, and there he stood, showing it all off in his swim trunks.
His wet, wavy hair shined, and his green eyes glistened under the longest lashes I’ve ever seen. They’re criminal. Ugh! I notice I’m practically scrubbing my skin off in the shower. He led me to believe I’d grown into this sexy woman. I guess not since all he sees now is a daughter he doesn’t want to touch. I finish getting ready and go downstairs to sit with my girlfriends.
Dylan and Taylor (Soul Mates 101 Series) Page 11