by Weil, J. L.
What would that be like? To have a girl not be afraid of him or afraid of his touch?
That wasn’t real. It was a cruel fantasy.
~*~
Emma lay on her bed, earbuds in and tunes cranked. For the life of her she couldn’t figure out why Travis Winters face would not leave her mind. It was not like he had shown any interest in her. Well unless you count all the times she caught him staring at her in study hall. She actually lost count around seventy-three.
When their eyes clashed, she forgot to breath. He stole the oxygen right from her lungs. She knew immediately after spotting him the first day of school that he was a player.
Please, with those dimples and godly boy next door golden looks, how could he be anything else? But for Emma, it was all in the eyes. Those deep turquoise eyes did things to her that should be outlawed.
Especially on school grounds.
She shivered just thinking about him.
Four months. Four months of him turning her inners into mush, and her stomach in turmoil. Four months of him caressing her from head-to-toe with brazen glances. He made her heart sigh.
Recently the steaming gazes weren’t enough, she wanted more. More of Travis. She wanted to know everything about him. What he liked. What he hated. And if those lips would feel as amazing on hers as she imagined.
She was tired of waiting for Travis to make a move.
That bonehead. Seriously already, what was his deal?
Had she not returned some of those steaming glares with ones of her own? Her cheeks hadn’t turned crimson for no reason. What was he waiting for?
A freaking invitation?
Maybe she was to old fashion or naive. Maybe she needed to take matters into her own hands. If she continued waiting on him, things might never go past the eye ogling, let alone to second base.
And she desperately wanted second base with Travis Winters.
Get in line, her subconscious nagged.
Her subconscious was such a downer. She knew he didn’t have a girlfriend (she inquired), so why not take a chance? Emma realized she might not be model worthy like Sierra, but then again she wasn’t a haggard bitch either. That had to count for something.
She really hoped that Travis being a senior wasn’t a problem. He was only one year older for goodness sake. Forget that her parents weren’t going to see it that way.
“Emma!” her mom called from her doorway, startling Emma.
Ripping the earbuds off, she felt her cheeks flushed and smiled apologetically to her mom “Sorry, I’m coming,” she replied. Thank God her mom wasn’t a mind reader.
Burying Travis as far from her thoughts as she could, she skipped down the stairs. Stepping into the kitchen, she popped a grape from the fruit bowl into her mouth. Family dinner at the Deen house was a must. Their household ran on structure and organization. Dinner was always at six o’clock, laundry was done on Thursday and was expected to be folded and hung, and beds were made every morning.
Her mom was strapping a wiggly Abigail into her highchair, who squealed in delight. For Abigail, highchair meant nummies, as she called them. Abi was adorable, with her chubby cherub cheeks, strawberry blonde hair, and large green eyes. You couldn’t help but fall in love with the little monkey.
Setting the table, she snuck a grape to Abi who gave her a toothy grin. “Emmie,” she sung in her giggle voice.
Emma put a finger to her mouth. “Shh monkey. You’ll get me in trouble.” She tickled Abi’s baby fat, loving the sound of her giggle.
“Nummy,” Abi mumbled, smashing the grape between her plump fingers.
“You’re supposed to eat it silly monkey,” she informed a grinning Abi. “Watch me.” Emma snuck another in her mouth. “See?”
Abi just kicked her feet in excitement. She envied her little sister’s ignorance. Blowing a raspberry on Abi’s round pink cheek, she turned to see her mom watching them with a glimmer of a smile.
Her blonde hair sat on her shoulders. Emma had inherited her dancer’s body from her mom who had been a cheerleader in high school. “You’ll spoil her dinner if you keep feeding her grapes,” her mom said, folding her arms over her chest.
Little monkey had a sweet tooth and a finicky diet, like Emma. “Is dad going to be here for dinner?” she asked her mom, avoiding the spoiling dinner topic. Her mom wasn’t Paula Dean, that’s for sure; she was more like Chef Boyardee. At least she tried.
Her mom nodded her head. “He should be here any minute.”
Oh goodie gumdrops. A nice family dinner.
Not.
She wondered what her mom would say if she told her she was thinking about asking out a boy. Like she would ever have the nerve, her mom was likely to faint from shock. And her dad? She shuddered to think what her dad would say.
It wasn’t that she didn’t love her parents, ‘cuz they could be really great, but when it came to boys and dating there was a stern policy. No dating until college.
Was that even feasible for a teenager?
Certainly not for Emma. How was she supposed to enjoy high school, go to dances if she couldn’t date?
Sometimes her parents were so unreasonable.
She heard the shuffling at the front followed by the arrival of her dad. He shook white snowflakes from his red hair. Kissing her mom on the cheek and ruffling monkey’s hair, he smiled warmly at Emma. “What’s smells so good?” he asked, winking at her and monkey.
The corners of her mouth upturned and Abi screamed, “Dada,” in delight. An inside joke about her mom’s cooking, which wasn’t wasted on her mom. Eyes twinkling, she brought over a steaming dish. Then set her apron on the counter before joining them at the table.
What her parents had was a calm quiet love. She admired all they had together and the loving family they had built. Her dad always said it was not the house that made a home, but a family that made the house.
Emma wanted more than quiet love, she wanted something explosive.
Chapter 3
The snow had finally stopped in the middle of the night, but the roads were still a little wet this morning on her way into school. Shaking off the cold, she grabbed her books from her locker and walked excitedly to homeroom. Normally on Monday’s she dragged ass, but today was going to be different.
Emma had a plan.
A horrible and ridiculous plan.
She finally made the conscious decision to get Travis to notice her. Now all she had to do was get through the first three periods and implement the plan.
Sliding into her desk butterflies swarmed in her stomach, the good kind.
“Hey girlie.” Kailyn Hanner greeted, slipping into the seat next to her. “When are you going to join the cheerleading squad?” Kailyn asked, her chocolate eyes twinkling on her heart-shaped face.
Emma rolled her eyes. Kailyn was one of the first girls she met at Hall High, and she didn’t take no easily either. Since she found out that Emma could dance, she had been badgering her to join. Unlike her mom, cheerleading just wasn’t her thing.
“Not in this century,” she replied.
Kailyn flipped her dark hair unfazed by her refusal. “You are one stubborn bitch, but I am not giving up.” She tapped her hot pink nail on the desk grinning.
Emma returned her grin.
“God do I need another latte this morning,” Kailyn said, yawning. “Why do you look so bright eyed and bushy tailed? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing,” Emma protested, smirking to herself. That was the lamest attempt at indifference and totally raised Kailyn’s radar.
“No way. Not buying it. Dish.” She scooted up in her seat, leaning over the desk.
Mrs. Rosen walked in hushing the class and looking pointedly at Kailyn. Giving Mrs. Rosen an exasperation expression, she mouth lunch at Emma before shifting toward the blackboard.
Sinking in her seat, Emma felt like she was floating on cloud nine. Maybe by lunch she might actually have something worthy of sharing with the few friends she had
made. Not that she was a gossipier, but this might be the single greatest day of her junior year.
Or so she hoped.
The next two periods were like a blur. When fourth period hit, she was a bundle of bouncing nerves and jacked up butterflies. Taking a deep breath, she entered the theatre room that dubbed as their study hall. Most of her peers used this class to sleep, doodle, or pass love notes. She used the class to study Travis and daydream.
Sort of creepy.
Plugging in her earbuds, she turned on some beats and waited. The moment he walked into the class, every nerve ending in her body was like a live wire. Electric. That was how he made her feel. Their eyes collided from across the room. She swore she saw specks of gold in them.
Holy hot prince charming.
She could drown in those pools of turquoise.
Travis felt the floor fall out under him the second their eyes clashed. That had never happened to him before, and he wondered if she was bewitching him. He heard her sharp intake of breath that struck him low in gut. With great reluctance he looked away and took a seat near her.
Close, but not too close.
Through the entire class he felt her mystic green eyes peaking at him under thick black lashes. She was killing him. More so than usual. He didn’t know what had changed but there was a brazen challenge in her stare. She’d never been so obvious before. Dare he say that it was turning him on. Like he needed another reason to give into the lust screaming through his body.
Had he not been using all his control on keeping his distance from her? And here she was chipping it all away. It was a constant internal battle.
Little girl was in over her head.
The bell resounded in the class announcing the end of study hall, and the beginning of the plan. Here goes nothing, Emma thought, time for some razzle dazzle. Travis better watch out ‘cuz he doesn’t have a clue what he was in for.
This wasn’t exactly the most of brilliant of plans, but she had to find some way of getting him to talk to her. Moving with the crowd, she paused outside the door, waiting for his tall frame. He was easy to spot, towering over most other boys. As soon as he cleared the doorway, she faked a stumble and fell into his firm and muscular body.
God. The heat alone was swoon worthy.
Sure it was risky. There was always the possibility that he might not catch her and she would fall flat on her face. Wouldn’t that leave an impression worth remembering? She didn’t want to become the class klutz. Regardless, desperate times call for desperate measures.
And she was past desperate.
Swallowing the knot that formed in her throat, she stared hard into his piercing eyes. It was like he could see into her soul. And his body…She was still pressed up against him in places she only dreamed about.
“Sorry,” she said, smiling sweetly into his turquoise eyes. His fingers were warm and tingly on her arms. “I’m such a klutz.” A total lie, she was extremely graceful.
Silence.
Uh-oh. Not good. This wasn’t the outcome she had hoped.
Travis’s mind went blank, he couldn’t think with her smiling at him like that. His gaze caressed those perfectly pink lips, and his mind went into unchartered territory. He couldn’t help himself, inhaling a gulp of her scent. She smelled like daisies and faerie dust.
This couldn’t be real. She shouldn’t have approached him, that was not how this worked. People were afraid to talk to him, they avoid eye contact, and they don’t touch him. Why wasn’t she shrinking away?
He knew the moment the thought popped in his mind, he would have been hurt if she had. She was waiting for him to say something and he just stood there with his tongue hanging out.
Awkward.
He cleared his throat. “Don’t worry about it,” he said when he finally pulled his voice out of his ass. He could not believe what a fumbling idiot he was acting. What happened to all his smooth lady killer charm? Thank God Chase wasn’t around.
The crowd nearby was moving down the hall, and they followed suit walking side-by-side. She couldn’t help but think how easily it would be to get used to having him beside her, breathing each other’s air.
“I’m glad I bumped into you,” she added, occasionally brushing her arm against his. She loved the feeling that spread through her.
“You are?” He grinned, flashing those kissable dimples.
Emma tripped over her own feet, and he only grinned more.
That was more like, Travis thought.
Holy cow Batman. She never knew a smile could be so powerful. “Umm.” She shook her head. “Would you mind walking me to class?”
He couldn’t fathom her wanting to spend time with him. It blew his mind. “Sure, what class do you have next?” he asked, though he already knew. He knew way more about Emma than she would ever know about him.
She scrunched her freckled nose, the curse of being strawberry blonde and fair skinned. “Gym.”
He noticed her cute disdain. “You don’t like gym?”
“Does anyone?”
“But you dance…”
She eyed him curiously with her Irish eyes.
Busted.
He just let on that he knew more about her, not that it was a secret. Everyone knew she loved dance.
“I do, but that’s fun and gym is torture. I swear Ms. Jenssen gets off on seeing us pass out on the track.”
He laughed, and the sound was intoxicating. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread on her lips. “Look,” she said as they were approaching the gym. It was now or never. “I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime. Maybe get something to eat?” she asked under tentative lashes shielded partly by those faerie eyes.
Now it was his turn to stumble.
Smooth Travis.
Of course Chase would just happen to be around for that. He was leaning up against the lockers watching them with his cynical silver eyes. Smirking at Travis, he uplifted that metal studded brow mockingly at him.
Man he was lucky they were at school, otherwise he would have knocked that damn smirk right off his cousin’s bad boy face.
Ignoring Chase he studied her. In his head he knew he should find an excuse to say no without hurting her feelings, but his thumping heart and his mouth were in agreement. “I would like that. How about after school today if you’re not busy?”
She was having an O-M-G moment. He actually agreed. Her plan hadn’t gone past asking him out, now that he had said yes she was feeling tongue-tied. “Great,” she managed. Her smile was so big she should have been embarrassed.
She had a date…a date with the hottest guy in school.
Shit.
What was she going to tell her parents?
Better off not telling them anything and let them think she was at the studio practicing like usual.
“I’ll meet you at your locker afterschool?” he offered.
She nodded and proceeded to float into the gym locker room.
By the time lunch hit, she was still sailing through the clouds. It was the same exhilarated feeling she got while dancing, maybe even better. Getting in the lunch line, she grabbed a banana and bottled water. She was nudged from behind almost causing her to dump her tray.
“Did I see you talking to Travis Winters?” Kailyn asked with Brandy by her side. You could just see their juicy gossip wheels turning. Each of them randomly plucked food from the buffet.
She rolled her eyes. “Why do you make that sound so…dirty? What if I did? It’s not a crime to talk to a senior here is it?” Taking her plate, she sat at their table with the two cheerleaders glued on her tail.
Flipping her dark silky hair, Brandy bounced into the chair across from Emma. “Of course not,” she replied obviously. “But Travis Winters? Don’t get me wrong he is absolutely dreamy. I don’t think there is a girl here that isn’t in love with him, but…”
They sort of reminded her of the Bobbsey twins, mirroring each other’s movements as she watched them each look at her with the same
incredible expression. “But what?” Emma asked, confused by their hesitation.
“I don’t know. He makes me feel uneasy. They all do,” Brandy admitted.
By all she meant Travis, his sister Lexi, their cousin Chase plus a few others. In the corner of the lunchroom sat Lexi, Chase, and Hayden. She could understand that feeling with Chase. He simply oozed danger of the worst kind.
He terrified her.
From across the room she felt Chase’s cold stare, and her hands paused on the banana she was peeling. Those glass silver eyes froze her with disdain. Shivering, she quickly averted her gaze. That one scared the living bejeebies out of her. He was unapproachable and unfriendly, even behind that gorgeous face. She didn’t understand how he could be related to either Travis or Lexi.
Emma shrugged. “Travis doesn’t make me feel like that. It’s not a big deal. We’re just getting something to eat.”
“When it comes to one of them…” Kailyn indicated with her eyes to the group in the corner. “It’s sizzling news around here.”
“And you can bet your ass we want every teeny tiny detail tomorrow. Better yet, put it a report. This shit should be documented,” Brandy razzed.
Wonderful.
She had wanted this date to be memorable, not some kind of book report. Shoving a bite of banana in her mouth she couldn’t help but wish for the final bell.
Chapter 4
He was leaning up against her locker looking like a golden God from mythology. There was something so unreal about him. Shifting her bag higher on her shoulder, she gave him a dazzling smile.
Watching her every movements, he could hardly believe she was right in front of him. The afternoon had moved slower than their internet speed, and for the first time he wished one of his abilities was to fast forward time. Lord he hoped he wasn’t making a mistake. Not after all the energy and restraint he spent on staying away from her.
“You ready?” he asked, when she stopped in front of him, pulling out her earbuds. She moved everywhere with music. It was one of the little things he found adorable about her, and the way she sway her bootie with the beat wasn’t a hardship.