Red: Burning Desire (Spectrum Series Book 7)

by Allison White

  Sighing as another song ends, I turn to her in my rolling chair. She hasn’t moved an inch since the last time I glanced at her, face staring down the blinking cursor. I want to pull her away from the screen and make her smile somehow. Relax her a little. But a noise in my ear clearly screams that doing so would most likely end with me sporting a nasty black eye.

  So, instead of getting punched, I decide to cue up another song. A random rock-and-roll band I’ve never heard of. She seems to know who they are, though, because she turns to me, thumb under her top teeth. Her nail clips her teeth as she squints her eyes.

  “Didn’t know you listened to rock,” she accuses.

  “What? How can you not? I have a tattoo of this lead singer’s face.”

  Her eyes narrow even further.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, seriously.”

  Of course I don’t, but she doesn’t have to know that.

  “Okay.” She crosses her arms. She doesn’t believe me. Hell, I don’t believe me. “Then show me,” she demands in a monotone voice. Geez, is she always this serious? Where’s the girl that called me slow when she first met me? Sure, she was insulting me, but she seemed genuinely lighter then. It bugs me to wonder what happened since then.

  “Fine.” I stand up and unbutton my khaki pants. She lifts her pierced eyebrow, then scrunches it when I slowly undo the zipper. I begin to tug my pants down, praying she’s going to stop me.

  “You can stop now. I don’t need to see your pale ass,” she says and gets up and sits on the table. I sit next to her and, to my surprise, she doesn’t move.

  I chuckle. “My ass is not pale.” She looks up at me, and I playfully bump my shoulder into hers. I elicit a small smile on her lips. And I want to do anything to make it stay there. “Hey. Why don’t we take a break? Recuperate for a bit, then come back with a fresh perspective?”

  She doesn’t respond, seemingly deep in thought. “Why not? I swear, if I think about this freaking story for another second, my head might explode.”

  I hop down and hold out my hand, smiling. “I wouldn’t want that.”

  She ignores my hand and hops down herself. I just laugh and follow her out of the building. We end up strolling mindlessly in town. It’s a bit chilly but not so cold it bites my skin. It ruffles her golden hair and makes the tip of her ears red. The sun is beginning to set, and the soft orange and vibrant pink against her creamy skin is close to illegal. So beautiful. And seemingly, so unaware. She stares straight ahead, unknowing of my admiration of her beauty that’s kind of heart-stopping.

  Suddenly, she stops walking. Her face is scrunched up, and she’s staring at the ground. I look down, expecting to find a dead rodent or something, but come up empty. When she doesn’t say anything for a while, I walk over to her.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  She snaps her head up and smiles like a light bulb went off in her head. I focus on the brightness of her cheeks and her lip ring pinching her full pink lip. “I just figured it out.”

  “What?” I’m smiling from ear to ear, enjoying the new look on her, her full-fledged smile. My heart stutters and stammers and becomes incoherent. The wind picks up, and it takes every fiber in my bones to not push her flying hairs behind her ears.

  “We’re writing a story about a badass girl, but you’re more of an ass than bad,” she says.

  “Um, offended, much?” I chuckle, but I’m really fine with it, as long as she’s all lit up like a Christmas tree wearing a leather jacket.

  She waves a hand and steps forward. “How can we write a story where you don’t understand one of the MCs like that?” I can see the wheels of her writer brain churning. It must be the reason for her sudden perkiness.

  “I understand, Magenta,” I joke.

  She pauses. “Shut up.” Then she’s turning on her combat boots and briskly walking back to the library. I’m stunned and grinning, then chasing after her. My long strides make it kind of hard to keep up, but with a side-eye, she does and picks up her pace, her hair flowing behind her, cheeks flushed from the wind.

  “So how am I supposed to ‘understand’ her better?”

  “By doing shit she would do,” she says.

  “And what would she do?”

  “Dunno.” She shrugs. “I’ll figure it out.”

  “How would you know?”

  “Because we’re connected.”

  “How does that work—”

  “Shut up, she’s my muse,” she argues. When we’re at the library, we hop onto our bike, then we’re off into the night. I quickly wrap my arms around her, and I swear I hear a sound from her. But a few minutes later, we’re slowing to a stop before I can decipher if that sound was real or my imagination.

  “She brought you here?” I look up at the YMCA building. It looks closed.

  “Yup. Either that or she meant UCLA, but we don’t exactly have time for a trip to Cali, so…” She trails off, swinging her legs off the bike. She unclips my helmet, staring into my awaiting green eyes…then places the helmet on one of the handles. I smirk as she quickly turns away from me, clearing her throat, and jogs up to the definitely closed building.

  “But why would she come here?” I follow behind her, looking around aimlessly. My phone tells me it’s eleven.

  “Dunno,” she says, her voice kind of strained. Like she’s really focused on something…I don’t understand until I finally look at her again. She’s on one knee in front of one of the double doors, picking equipment in the keyhole.

  “Whoa! What are you doing?”

  “Holding a tea party,” she says sarcastically.

  “Funny.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Seriously, what the hell, Red?”

  “Don’t bitch and…” She twists the handle, a low creak emitting. She looks over her shoulder with a smile mixed with excitement and self-accomplishment. “Step inside my muse’s desire.”

  I really shouldn’t be doing this. I should be in my bed, getting sleep for tomorrow’s classes. I’ve already missed today, and I feel guilty enough. Yet here I am, breaking into a YMCA at eleven at night. Well, to be fair, I didn’t break into it, per se—

  “Come on, princess,” she says, standing up, stashing the equipment in her leather jacket pocket. Widening her eyes and grabbing my arm, she hisses, nudging me toward the opened door. “Before someone sees and calls the cops.”

  Huffing out, I give in and enter the cold, desolate building. I look around at the handmade banners, the pamphlets, and the lit-up vending machine.

  “This way.” She tugs at my shirt, toward the right. I follow behind her but run into her when she suddenly stops. “No…” She turns to the left of the branched-out hallway, pointing. “Down here.”

  “This is weird and illegal and—”

  Red cups her small hand on my mouth as we walk, looking around like she’s waiting for something to jump out at us. “Shut up,” is all she says.

  A smile melts onto my face. “Fine…Magenta, you’re insane,” I whisper.

  “She says shut the fuck up too.” Red laughs. Properly laughs. Seriously.

  I smile even more. Following her, Magenta—whoever—to a glass door that reads: Pool Room. “What the—” Red’s hand stops me while the other clamps around the door handle. Slowly, she pushes it open and drags me inside.

  The pool lights are left on, illuminating her half-grin, half-smirk, one hundred percent beautiful face. I look around the spacious room, at the glowing pool without the plastic dividers for training swimmers.

  “What now?” I ask, nearing the pool.

  “This,” I hear behind me.

  I spin on my heels, and my eyes widen. She’s undressing in front of me. “Red!” I’m flustered as she shuffles around, laughing at me. “W-what are you doing?” I sputter.

  “What does it look like?” Her voice is close.

  I peek between my long fingers.

  She’s full-fledged smiling at me, teeth and all. Mocking a
nd all. I fully remove my hands after she huffs, impatient. I swallow thickly. She’s all skin and hips and sexy red underwear and loose blonde hair…I shift and let my eyes seamlessly roam her slim, curvy body.

  “Never seen a half-naked girl before?” Her voice is soft, husky…gorgeous.

  “I…” I try to speak, but I can’t stop staring, soaking in her beauty and shape.

  Her lips curl up before she brushes past me, slowly and sinfully. I watch her, damning her and lusting after her at the same time. Once at the pool’s edge, she casts a dangerous look over her shoulder.

  “See you on the flip side,” she croons, voice like silk.

  And then, in one swift move, she’s gliding through the water. I take a step forward, and she pops up, turns around, swims over to the edge. She pushes up, resting her head on her crossed arms. Eyes strong, lips curvy, and ass raised.

  “Join me…?” Her voice leaks something strong and steamy: sex pops up along my tongue, which I use to wet my lips.

  Fuck…

  And then, in one swift move, I’m taking off my shirt.

  Chapter Eleven

  The water is lukewarm, but her intense gaze trained on me makes it feel like it’s boiling. Her eyes are bluer and clearer than the water. Oceans of another world that I want so desperately to swim in. She passes by me, taking long, soulful strokes. Her skin is soft and hot to the touch as she brushes against me, foot colliding with my thigh. I quirk a smile and turn around to her teasing smile and batting eyelashes as she flings a seductive look over her shoulder.

  “Sorry, didn’t see you there,” she says in that lazy, raspy voice of hers. Too sexy for me to not smile like an idiot.

  “Sure you didn’t.” I sarcastically nod, swimming backward. I hold eye contact with her as I paddle back, until my back meets the cold hard tiles. She smirks just the slightest, and I smile wider. There’s a silent connection, an energy passing through us. Each second that neither of us acts on it is slowly driving me insane. I want to swim over to her and just take her lips in mine and—

  I’m splashed by her foot.

  Gaping at her, I exclaim, “What was that for?”

  She’s laughing a snort-filled laughter as she says, “You looked constipated. We can’t leave any evidence behind, unless you don’t mind spending two nights in jail for B&E.”

  “B&E?” I ask, and she descends into mocking laughter. “Didn’t know I made a joke.” I splash at her, using my hands like a normal human being.

  She groans and pushes off the wall, swimming toward me. “Right. My fault, I forgot you’re such an innocent little lamb…” She treads in front of me, and my heart slows as she exudes a breath. “You haven’t committed any crimes in your…how old are you?”

  “And help you make fun of me? I don’t think so.”

  She squints her eyes. “I’m going with nineteen. You’ve got a real baby face.” She moves her hand to pinch my cheek. I bite at her finger, and she snaps her hand back, squealing in the cutest way that makes my heart stop and a smile take up my entire face. “Shut up,” she snaps, pinching my bicep.

  “Ouch! That wasn’t very nice.” I squeeze her hip, and she gasps.

  “Oh, you’re going down, prep!” she declares.

  “Bring it.” I pinch her again, and a wonderful snort/laugh bursts out of her mouth. She lunges for me, and we go under. I spin us around, and her stomach vibrates with soundless laughter. I smile widely, gliding my hands up to her lower back as we emerge. We both gasp for air, and she smacks my shoulder. I let her and whip my head around, splashing her with water from my hair.

  “Gross! Don’t do that, you idiot!”

  “Too late.”

  “Noah,” she whines.

  “Red,” I mock her.

  She just rolls her eyes and tries to appear all big and bad, but I see the tiniest hint of a smile curving her full lips. “You’re annoying. You know that, don’t you?”

  I shrug, not letting my grin fall. “Actually, I don’t. I was an only child, so I didn’t have anyone to annoy really.” I pause and clear my throat. “How about you?” This is my subtle way of learning more about her. Right now is the perfect time to do that before we get out and she’s more closed off.

  She tugs on her lip ring, cheeks flushed. “I…have a sister.”

  “Must have a hard life.”

  She gives me a confused look. But also kind of…sad?

  “I mean, not having a name and all.” I run my hand over my hair.

  She cracks a sort of relieved smile. “She does have a name.” She pauses, and I raise an expectant brow. She punches me in the shoulder. Lightly. “Harley.”

  “Cute name,” I comment honestly.

  She punches me again, but a lot harder. “Wipe that grin off your face; she’s fifteen years old.”

  “Okay, I wasn’t…I didn’t mean to smile like that. Geez.” I groan playfully as I rub my shoulder. In reality, I like that she’s so protective over her little sister. Just knowing she has one makes her seem a little more human. A little more fragile, in a way. She’s just always been so hard and badass that it warms my heart to know she really cares about her little sister.

  “Oh…” she says and spins in a slow circle.

  I watch her for a little bit. “Yeah. I’ve got my eyes on another Sylvetti anyway.”

  Did I just say that…for real?

  She stops spinning and looks at me with wide eyes. Her mouth opens, then it falls, and she rolls her eyes. “Shut up,” she huffs out with a scoff.

  “No.” I move toward her. Stalking ever so slightly, one step after the other… “In fact, she’s a few feet away from me. Wearing sexy-as-fuck underwear. And her cheeks are just the right amount of pink.”

  “Better watch it, prep.” She wags a warning finger my way, but a smile rests on her pink lips. Her chest’s rising and falling faster, her heart most likely accelerating with each quickening step. “I said to watch it—Noah!”

  She takes a leap backward, but I hook an arm around her waist.

  “Not so fast!” I shout before swirling her around.

  “Noah!” She laughs and giggles—I think I faint for a second—and wraps her arms around my neck. I hug her tighter, revel in the light sound falling from her full lips. My chest swells, and I find myself laughing as well. I love the way she laughs, how her eyes crinkle, and the feeling of her black-painted nails pinching my skin as she holds on tightly.

  Why isn’t she like this all the time? She looks so beautiful in this moment. Not that she isn’t drop dead gorgeous 24/7…but she isn’t this open and bubbly and so utterly cute. From the time I’ve known her, I never thought Red and cute would be in the same sentence. But they feel meant to be as I stare at her gleaming blue eyes and wandering fingertips.

  Her laughter softly fades away, the only sound being our breathing. She looks into my eyes, and I stare right back. I don’t notice it, but her legs are on my thighs, her hips touching mine. She’s standing so close. My hands are cupping her curvy hips. Her chest rises and falls in a pattern that matches mine, and I swear I hear her suck in a breath when my thumb finds its way to her cheek. I push back hair behind her small ears, and she rests her chin on the inside curve of my thumb and pointer finger. Warm. So warm. And her eyes close just slightly…

  But they pop open at the last second, lips snarling, eyes glistening with mischief I don’t understand until I’m plunged underwater. We spin as she twists, and I grapple onto her waist. She’s laughing under the water and kicks away from me. I swim after her as she takes big strokes toward the other end of the massive pool. When I swim to the surface, I gasp for air and finally hear her maniacal laughter.

  “Hey! Get back here!” I shout, and my voice ricochets off the tile walls. Our frantic kicking and splashing and her shrieking and laughing and spinning around like a flawless swan slicing through the water is all too much. I dive underwater, stare at her perfectly shaped butt and long legs curving through the water.

  When I p
op back up, she’s still rotating, showing off her impressive swimming, and says, “Never in a million years.” The way she sing-songs it and faces me with a smirk makes my heart leap, and my eyes squint with a mission. Her own widens as I lurch forward, grazing her hip. But she twists and continues splashing around and swimming like a maniac.

  “Come here, Rossa.” I lurch forward again, but with more effort.

  “No way—hey!”

  I grab her hand, spin her around. We’re spinning by the sheer, quick movement and laughing, and she’s pressing her nose into my cheek. I hold my hand out to brace for impact as we near the tile wall. We’re out in the eight feet section. I lean on the wall, one arm propped up on top of the floor, while the other is latched around her slim waist. She’s pressed against me. Nearly bare chest against my naked one.

  It hits me all at once how immensely close she is to me, practically naked. Her breathing is shallow, and I swallow and lick my lips. I watch closely, gawking really, as she licks hers, then slowly tugs on her lip ring. She reaches up and places her hands against my chest. I focus my eyes onto hers, letting my brows fall into a frown. Is she going to push me away? Is she going to revert back to the cold Red, or is she going to remain Red: the girl with the beautiful laugh and even better smile?

  “What are you doing, prep?” she asks softly and gently runs her fingertips up the back of my neck. I shiver and hold her closer. Skin to skin. She is so incredibly warm and soft and…

  “I don’t…” I pause and catch my breath, eyes falling onto her open mouth. “Do you want me to let go?” It hurts to even ask because I do not want to lose the feeling of her body flush against mine. To not have her scream at me because I am touching her. The realization that she’s quiet and accepting and, if I dare say, comfortable, makes my heart swell that my heart skips a beat. Literally.

  Her eyes light with an unknown emotion. They seemingly take a mental image of my face. Of the water dripping off my jaw, to my hair falling over my forehead. I reach up and push it back. She watches with fascinated eyes as I let it slowly fall, landing on her cheek swelling with red. Her eyes flutter closed just the slightest, like butterflies flapping gracefully.