“Mine? Um, I…” Things were already changing, crossed line or not, and she hurt inside. Uncertainty was awful and self-doubt even worse. And what he wanted? Not a stinking clue. What—he wanted to kiss her? Screw her? Her heart jumped—hold her? A million thoughts and not one verbalized. Colossal fail.
His half-grin looked almost sad. “Right. Catch ya inside.”
Sadness choked her. Doubt laughed in her head. She looked away. Jacob walked up. He held a bright pink bag with pink tissue paper sticking out the top.
“Housewarming gift. Kinda.” He offered her the explosion of pink.
She took the offered bag. “You didn’t have to do that.”
When she looked inside, she had to laugh. Tums, a ginger ale, and a bottle of Advil.
“I shouldn’t have let you do the Car Bombs. Sorry you felt like shit and had to go on Friday.” He shifted. “There’s a candle in there too. I didn’t know what a good housewarming gift would be, but Google said a candle. So… It’s a candle.”
She giggled. He’d thought about it enough to Google. The whole thing was very thoughtful. Not that it made her the least bit interested in him, but it was seriously sweet. “Thanks, J.”
His eyes drifted toward the house. She followed his gaze. Cash. Arms crossed. Glaring. Great.
Jacob waved hey and turned back to her. “Dude’s been in a seriously bad mood since he’s been back. Maybe you say something to him, see if he calms the eff down.”
Where to even begin?
***
Gut-checked and ready to rumble, Cash walked back inside Nicola’s new place, needing something to do. Now. Before he physically removed her from the reach of any guy, anywhere, but most particularly Jacob. The territorial-possessive thing drove Cash mad, and his patience was dangerously close to making him pull a couple big asshole moves.
Jacob and Nic walked through the door. Her eyes searched Cash’s out, but he wouldn’t hold her gaze. He couldn’t. One wrong move from either of them, and he’d lose control. She dropped a pink bag by the door. It sat there, obtrusive and obnoxious. Seriously, Jacob brought her a present? What. The. Hell? A present? For what? Fuckin’ douchebag.
Hannah lounged on the couch and pointed with her foot. “What’s in there?”
“Nothing.” Nic shrugged, looked at Jacob, and back tracked. “I mean, it’s a candle. A housewarming candle.”
Cash ground his molars. A candle? “Smooth move, Double-deuce.”
“Figured the girls needed something… girly.”
“Must be a big candle.” The bag and all the pink crap paper falling out of it was a little overkill.
Nicola smiled at him, catching his eyes, and this time, he couldn’t look away. “Advil, Tums, and an apology for letting me drink too many Car Bombs Friday night when I didn’t feel well.”
Roman walked in the room, and Cash could only hope that his boy also gave Jacob a hard time. Because, a candle and Tums? Really? “What happened to you that night, Nic?”
Hannah’s brows furrowed. “Yeah, no kidding. You came back to the dorms after me.”
One of Brandy’s eyebrows arched slowly until the girl looked like a comic book character. “Really?”
Nicola’s eyes darted around the room. “I was worried I was going to get sick. So I made Cash wait for a little before he drove me home.”
Roman and Hannah nodded like that made sense. Brandy’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. And Jacob stood by the door, oblivious to the anger pouring off Cash and way too caught up in Nicola’s short-shorts. Shit, that guy—
Knock. Knock.
Roman clapped his hands together. “Pizza.”
“Thank God.” Brandy popped off the couch and walked by, keeping her eye on Cash. As she passed, she whispered, “I’m on to you, Garrison Boy.”
He shook his head and had nothing to say, nothing to share, because Nicola hadn’t said a damn word since he suggested a serious redefinition of their quality time together.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Five days had passed since Nicola had seen Cash.
No calls.
No texts.
Nothing.
Was he avoiding her? She might’ve been avoiding him and had decided to concentrate on something simple and positive. There were definite benefits to having a pool in her backyard. Sunday mornings were meant for lounging poolside with her roomies. The sun was out, and the day gorgeous. School started tomorrow, and she wanted back in the swing of things. She needed something to occupy her thoughts other than her internship, which sucked more and more each day, and the two larger-than-life men—Cash and Roman—well, three if she included Jacob. Not that he was really in her life, but he kept trying to edge his way in.
Cash was best avoided. She nodded to herself. If he locked those blue eyes on her again, she was liable to explode into a billion pieces. Plus, Roman’s overprotective big brother act was wearing thin, so it’d been easy enough to not see him either.
Nic repositioned herself on her towel and took a long sip of the sweet wine she’d been nursing. “Margaritas would’ve been better.”
“With salt,” Brandy added.
“Remind me again.” Hannah turned over and grabbed the suntan lotion bottle. “Who volunteered to run to the store?” She rubbed some lotion on her shoulders and traded it for her Solo cup of wine. “Because I don’t recall any takers when I suggested daiquiris.”
“I’m not complaining.” Nic shrugged, a bit of a wino-buzz starting. “Just sayin’.”
Brandy sighed. “I am complaining.”
“Yeah, but you’re everyone’s favorite bitch, Bitch.” Hannah topped off their cups. “You not complaining would be weird.”
“True enough.” Brandy took a sip. “So who wants to guess why it took Nicola so long to get home last week?”
Nicola choked on her drink. “I already said I was sick.”
Brandy laughed. “Oh-kay. I believe that.”
Hannah looked at her. “You do?”
“No!” Brandy scowled. “No way in the world.”
Nicola shrugged. “Fine. You caught me. I ran off with Cash and had crazy cowboy sex with him on the hood of his truck.”
“What?” Hannah’s eyes peeled back. “Well, it’s about time.”
Brandy rolled her eyes. “Fess up, for real.”
“You’re crazy. Nothing is happening there.” Nicola shook her head.
Hannah sat up on her towel. “Oh my God. Something is happening there.”
Nicola took another long sip of her wine. Something was, but hell if she knew what to call it or even if she’d follow through. Her mind was all over the place. “What if something happened?”
“Did it?” Brandy nearly shrieked.
“No. Yes. I don’t know.”
“What does that even mean?” Hannah asked.
“It means… I think we almost kissed. I think…” Actually, I know. “…that he wants something more than what’s happening now.”
Hannah leaned forward, whispering like their secret had to be kept from the rest of the world. And it did, because when Roman found out, if he found out, he’d be pissed. “So what’s happening now?”
“Nothing. He’s my best friend.” That was the truth. More or less.
“Damn.” Brandy shook her head. “Wish I had a hot as hell best friend trying to kiss me.”
Hannah laughed and blew Brandy a kiss. “You do, bitch.”
Nicola rolled her eyes. “I mean, you know, it’s Cash.”
“Super hot man-whore,” Brandy said.
Nic scowled at her. “He’s not a man-whore. He’s just, um, popular.”
Hannah snorted. “In bed.”
“God, there’s such a double standard.” Brandy nodded. “But if it’s true…”
Recalling what Cash had said, Nicola smiled faintly. “I don’t think everything we’ve heard is true.”
“Mira and Jaycee is true.” Brandy scrunched her nose. “Those two are a mess, and I’ve seen that mess a
ll over campus, and all over Cash.”
“That’s a major reason I don’t want to fall for him.” Nicola sipped some of her wine. Her heart would get broken. Shattered, really. Besides, he was out of her league. “He’s way out here.” She lifted her hand in the air, making a slicing move, then dropped it. “And I’m way down here.”
Hannah looked up, down, and then at Nic, copying her hand movements. “What the heck is all this?” To fully make her point, Hannah finished with a karate chop.
“You’ve already fallen for him.” Brandy didn’t bother to look at her after all. Her face scrunched, and she rolled her eyes.
Nicola blew out an annoyed breath. What was she trying to say? “I mean, he probably expects a trapeze act in bed, and I’m…”
“Sweet,” Hannah offered.
Brandy laughed. “Vanilla.”
“Nervous.”
“Oblivious.”
Nicola turned over. “All right you guys. Jeez.”
“Maybe you just tell him,” Hannah said.
“Tell him what?”
Brandy sipped her drink. “Yeah, tell him what?”
“Oh, I don’t know. That was the wine talking.” Hannah took another sip. “Sounded in my head like the right thing to say. Tell him… tell him that you love him.”
Nicola choked.
Brandy choked.
Hannah shrugged. “I mean, you kinda do. Right?”
“Holy crap, shit just got real. I haven’t had enough to drink for this convo.” Brandy air-cheers-ed and made a big show of taking another swig.
“Shut up, Brandy.”
She smiled. “You’re pissed ’cause it’s true.”
Pissed because… it might be true. Nicola took her cup, staring into it as if it held secret answers. “Enough about him.” Her phone buzzed. She snatched it lightning-quick. Jacob. Blowing out a sigh, she opened it. Grab your roomies, day drinking starts… now. Too late, they beat him to it. “J’s having people over.”
Brandy perked up. “Yeah?”
“Sounds like fun. I’m jumping in the shower.” Hannah pushed up and headed toward the door. “Nic?”
She didn’t want to see Jacob today. “Think I might take a nap or something.”
“Lush.” Brandy stood.
“Yeah, not quite.”
“Nothing wrong with a little lush-ness in your life. Maybe you should give it a try. Loosen it up a little.”
Ha. “Think I’ll just stay out here.”
“Whatever.” Brandy went inside.
Left all alone and to her own devices, Nicola stared at her phone and wished Cash would call, not even to say anything that’d sweep her off her feet, just a normal ‘hey, what’s up?’ She put it down and cleared her mind. Warm summer sun and nothing to think about…
“Hey!”
Startled, Nicola blinked into the sun, realizing she’d dozed off.
Hannah’s head poked out the door. “We’re leaving. You sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“No. Really. I’m good.” Closing her eyes again, Nic tried to fall back asleep on her towel. It wasn’t that comfortable. She turned. Her phone stared at her. She stared back at it. Stop thinking about him. That didn’t work. It just made her a little crazier than normal. Crazier than thinking her phone was looking at her.
So… Another sip of wine to calm the crazy. Her phone still issued a drunk dial challenge. She’d had just enough wine to be invincible, or maybe an idiot. Please ring. She grabbed it. Come on, ring.
Nothing.
Scrolling through her contacts, she found his name, and her fingers itched to hit send. She could call. No reason she shouldn’t. Not like she would profess her lifelong obsession. God, that’d be so stupid. Ruin everything. Her thumb hovered, but instead she typed out a text and stared hard at it as though it would tell her if this was a good idea or not.
Come on over, pool party.
Send.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. What did that even mean anyway? There was no pool party. He was probably with Roman. They’d both show up, and she’d have to come up with some asinine reason she’d sent that text.
Her phone buzzed.
Sounds good. See ya in 10.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ten minutes? Her stomach jumped. Excited. Nervous. This was such a bad idea. She could call Roman to see where he was, what he was doing. If he mentioned the pool party, she could call Brandy and Hannah and get their asses home as quickly as possible. She’d probably have to threaten them, promise to write them each a term paper or something. Anything.
But… what if Cash came alone?
What if it was just her and him, sitting in the pool?
God, she wanted that.
The line—their line—had officially been called into question. Was this the move? Had she just made a move on Cash? Oh my God… No. This was a simple invitation. But why was she freaking out?
Because it was a loaded invitation.
She fidgeted with her bathing suit, with her hair. The passing minutes felt like forever, and she grabbed the wine, went to find her Solo cup—
Knock, knock.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. How did he get here so fast? True, his place was like a block away. But—
Knock, knock.
Bottle of wine in hand, clad only in her green bikini, Nicola walked to the door. Why did it feel like the next few seconds could change everything? She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, cracking the door. “Hey.”
He took a step back, his eyes dropping from her face, sweeping down and working their way back up. Slowly. Maybe she should have put some clothes on because the look on his face made her blood rush.
“Hey.” He didn’t smile, didn’t come in, just stood there, swimming trunks in hand. But the heat in his gaze almost melted her bikini off.
She took a step back, and he ducked his head, hiding his face with the brim of a cowboy hat. He had on jeans and a t-shirt that made his shoulders look as broad as her new house. Then he looked back up, and she swallowed. Hard. There was lust in his eyes and a fight brewing on his face. Her decision had been made: this was a bad idea.
With a dry mouth and ready to die of embarrassment, she cursed silently. She should never have been left alone with her phone and a bottle of wine.
“Sorry, I meant to call you back. The girls took off to J’s place. Thought it might take you longer to come over.”
He shook his head, still standing on her front porch like she was a pariah, and he should run. This was all wrong. Crap, she’d messed everything up.
“Cash, I’m sorry—”
“Sorry?” His jaw flexed.
“You look like there are a thousand other places you’d rather—”
He shook his head again. “I…”
She went up on her bare toes, then rocked back. Nervous energy made her fidget. His blue eyes and lopsided grin would be her undoing. “You want to come in?”
“Hell yeah.”
But he didn’t move. A little breath of relief pushed past her lips. “Don’t make me feel stupid. Come in already.”
If, at that moment, he said anything with the word ‘Sprout’ in it, she planned to hit him on the head with her wine bottle. He didn’t, so she opened the door wider, using the half-empty bottle as directional guide. It wasn’t like he hadn’t walked in and out a ton on moving day, but now he stared as if this were disaster waiting to happen. The air felt thick and unsure. He made his way into the entryway and pressed up again the wall.
She shrugged. “If you didn’t want to come in, you didn’t have to.” Her voice was quiet and her thoughts scattered.
“It’s not that.”
She blinked, the wine not making anything easier. “Then what is it like?”
He took his hat off and ran his hand through his blond hair. When he looked back at her, his head tilted to the side, eyes narrowing just a hint. “You and me, let’s go for a swim.”
A swim. She could do that. Af
ter all, the pool had been her reason for inviting him over. Kinda. And bathing suit, check, she already had that on. She nodded, relieved when Cash took off to the bathroom without a word. She fell against the same wall that had just propped him up. A minute later, he was walking toward her, all golden tan, perfect chest, and still wearing that cowboy hat.
“Alrighty.” He snagged her arm and started toward the sliding glass door. “You know, that bikini doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”
“You don’t like it?”
“Ha.” He stopped, turned, stared. Cash pinched his eyes shut and turned his head, looking out the door and to the pool. After a long second, a half grin tugged on his face. “I swear…”
He took the wine bottle out of her hand, and in one fast move, had her over his shoulder with her butt sticking up in the air.
“Whoa!” Way. Too. Tipsy for that move. “Cash!”
But he raced through the house, grabbing another bottle of wine off the counter as they passed, and they were outside before she could do anything but giggle and kick her legs.
“Hang tight.” He pulled her to his chest and jumped into the shallow end of the pool.
Cool water splashed all around her, and without thinking she clung to his warm body, arching to avoid the cold and clinging tight to the muscle and mass, hard and hot. Goddamn, his body was insane.
He let her slip down his chest, and her arms hooked around his neck. Breasts pushing against him, legs wrapping around his torso, she swore to God the man groaned as he splashed-walked them toward the stairs.
He had one arm around her and two bottles of wine clanging together in the other hand. Putting the bottles on the ledge, he stopped and looked down. The world melted away. Just her in his arms, and she was dying to know what would happen next… but wary of everything that could go wrong.
Really, she should let go. This was still a game. They were just playing. Flirting. Harmless enough. It was just Cash being Cash, smooth moves and smiles, always looking for a good time. But he let her stay against him. His fingers slid across her wet skin. She didn’t move.
Hot sun warmed her back, and his chest warmed her front. Nicola’s heart beat faster. She could barely breathe.
Sweet Girl (Titan) Page 5