by Tay Marley
His heated gaze turned me inside out, and being in such close proximity to his lips reminded me how close we’d been to kissing last night. We hadn’t talked about it. And I didn’t see the need to bring it up if the unspoken agreement was to pretend as if it had never happened.
He leaned back in his seat and got comfortable. For the duration of the flight we talked about his past flights. He told me what it was like in a private jet and in first class. He appreciated it, but he’d done it so much that it no longer held the thrill that it had when he was a child.
He talked about his time in California. Now that I knew about his father’s time in the NFL, he could tell me about the games that he’d attended, watching from the VIP boxes, meeting the teams, and being gifted the game ball if it survived the winning touchdown. I loved listening to him talk. He had a smooth voice and a great smile. When he told a tale, I hung on his every word.
When we arrived at LAX, it was just after five o’clock—just after six back at home. I was glad that Drayton knew his way around because I would have been lost if I was alone. The airport was huge. I had never seen anything like it before. We passed what I would call a mall, right there in the airport, and exited from just one set of electronic doors out of dozens. The sky was clouded, overcast, and it looked as if it might rain. The enormous LAX letters were illuminated, and there was a long line of cabs waiting for passengers.
We stood on the path and Drayton dropped his bag before he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “We’ll order an Uber. It’s cheaper. Where are we going?”
He looked up expectantly, his thumbs paused on the screen.
“Oh—um . . . I don’t know. You’re the one who knows the area.”
“Well, where’s CalArts?”
“Valencia.”
He turned back to his cell phone again and I people watched while he did whatever it was that he was doing. There was a lot going on, but the place was too enormous to feel crowded.
“That’s an hour from here,” he said after a moment. “How about we stay somewhere close tonight and head there in the morning?”
I nodded in agreement and waited once again while he completed ordering the Uber. There were dozens of them close, so it only took about three minutes before we could see it inching through the line of traffic coming and going from the pick-up zone.
We greeted the driver as Drayton pushed our bags to one side of the backseat and we slid in beside them.
“What hotel did you find?” I asked.
“Fairfield Inn,” he said, getting comfortable in the middle seat. “It’s about a mile from here.”
I was relieved because the need to eat and wind down was real. I felt like it had been forever since we were sneaking out of the hotel back in Fort Collins, but in reality it had only been twenty-four hours. In that time, I’d been skinny-dipping, spent the night in a park, been suspended, and let Drayton convince me to board a flight without a single person knowing where I was going or who I was with. It had been a whirlwind, and I could really have used a bed and some down time.
“How was your first time?” Drayton asked, slinging his arm around my shoulders, distracting me from watching the strange urban landscape around the airport.
“It was awesome,” I admitted, and remembered that I needed to call Nathan. Although, it wasn’t really a conversation that I wanted the Uber driver or Drayton to hear.
Taking a plane for the first time was exactly as I’d expected it to be in the best way. Yes, I did get a hell of a fright when the plane took off down the runway before it ascended. Yes, the turbulence was a little bit unsettling, and my ears became sore and blocked. Other than those two things, it was fun. The views of rolling land, green hills, and bodies of water looked so fascinating from the air. The buildings, homes, and cars that became clear as we slowly descended were so miniature, and I absorbed it all.
I did my best to ignore the intoxicating scent of Drayton’s masculine musk and pulled out my cell phone, clearing the home screen of the forty-two missed calls that had accumulated during the flight. I also didn’t bother to check the text messages from Nathan, but I did send him I’m okay! for peace of mind until I could call him. I did read the messages from Gabby.
Where are you?! Why’d Nathan ring me saying that you’ve left the country with Dray?
Oi text back.
Girl your brother is losing his shit.
Never mind. Just talked to Josh. He said you and Dray went to CalArts for a few days. I’m literally gonna hit you for not telling me when you get back. But as your best friend, please utilize this time and get you some Dray. Wanna hear all about it when you get back x
I quietly groaned and locked the phone, sliding it into the front pocket of my bag. I didn’t even want to look at Drayton to find out if he’d seen that message. Although, my guess was, he had. I was saved from the internal pain when the Uber finally pulled up at our destination and I could untangle myself from Drayton’s clutches.
The hotel was nice. It wasn’t a five-star, but it was definitely nicer than anything I’d stayed in before. A light timber and blue theme ran through the foyer, with a few quirky but classy couches set up on the dark carpet. Large potted plants occupied the corners of the room and lights with intricate shades hung from the ceiling. Drayton took care of booking the room while I took a much-needed breather and sat on a couch.
When he was finished making the arrangements, we hopped on the elevator and went up to the fourth floor. We found our room around the bend of the corridor. It was much more spacious than our Fort Collins rooms. A sliding door on the far-left wall led out to a patio. What I assumed was a bathroom was on the far-right wall, and in the middle of the room was one king-sized bed.
“Why didn’t you book a room with two double beds?” I asked as Drayton dropped our bags at the foot of the bed.
“Thought I’d save money where I can.” He grinned as he sat down on the edge of the bed, and I resisted the urge to slap the smug smile off his face. “It’s only for one night.”
“Mhmm, and what about the other three nights?”
“I’ll probably do the same at the next hotel too.” He laughed as I rolled my eyes. “Oh come on, we’ve shared a bed before. You’ll be fine.”
“You won’t be. I’m going to smother you.”
He got up and walked around to the bedside table, shuffling through the drawer as he spoke.
“Your threats don’t scare me. Here”—he passed me a laminated booklet—“order some room service. I’m going to take a shower. I’ll eat anything.”
“Mhmm.” I flicked the booklet open and said in a teasing tone, “I bet.”
His brows shot up and he shook his head with amusement. “You on the menu?”
“As if.”
He laughed and turned around, pulling his shirt off as he left. The bathroom door closed, and I sat down on the edge of the bed, menu in hand. The tension between us was getting thicker. How was I supposed to get through almost an entire week of hotel rooms and bed sharing with him?
After I’d used the bedside phone to call reception and order more food than was needed, I shuffled through the front pocket of my bag and found my cell phone. There were more missed calls from Nathan, but before I could call him back, the bathroom door opened and Drayton sauntered out in a towel.
His body glistened from steam and water, his tattoo shone from the moisture, and his hair was in a disheveled state. I almost lost my appetite entirely as a craving for something else took over.
“What’d you order?” He wandered across the room toward his bag, seemingly unaware of the effect that he was having on me. It was worse every time I saw him like this.
“Heaps.”
He waited for me to elaborate but my brain had gone on hiatus. He pulled a handful of clothes out of his duffel bag and started back to the bathroom.
“Were you about to call your brother?” he asked, gesturing his head toward the cell phone in my hand. I was reminded of the daunting task that I had been contemplating before Drayton walked out of the bathroom looking like a damn main dish.
“Oh yeah.” I stood up. “I’m going to go outside and call him. You don’t need to hear the inevitable dispute.”
I stood on the patio and slid the glass door closed. I could see the LAX sign from where I stood. Cars moved across the highway, the lights blurring together. Palm trees lined the sidewalk below, and I did my best to soak in the nice breeze without the stress of my impending phone call bringing me down. It was still overcast and was becoming darker with grey clouds, but it wasn’t cold. When I finally dialed Nathan’s number, I barely heard the ringing next to my ear because my senses were flooded with nerves and my heart pounded.
“Dallas!” His voice boomed through the line before the call had rung more than twice. “Tell me that note was a joke and you’re still in Colorado at the very least.”
“Not exactly . . .”
“If you ran off to Vegas to marry that kid, I’ll literally kill you both.”
“Are you out of your mind? I did not run off to Vegas to get married. I’m in California. I’m visiting CalArts. You know I’ve always wanted to, and the opportunity came up, so I took it.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. We both waited for a moment.
“You mean that kid with all of the money just so happened to get you both suspended and then conveniently offered to take you to California. Sounds like a setup.”
“You’re being paranoid. And I already told you, it’s my fault we got suspended. Drayton was going to California to check out some colleges while he’s suspended, so I asked him to bring me.”
“You can’t just take off to California and leave a note. I’ve been worried about you all afternoon.”
“You don’t need to worry. I’m perfectly safe, and I’ll be home on Wednesday. I’ve got to work on Thursday, anyway.”
“In the future, could you at least pretend to respect my authority? I know that I’m not Mom or Dad, but it’s my job to keep you safe. Don’t make it so hard.”
“I’m sorry, I should have talked to you about it before I left.”
“Can you please call me if you need me? And don’t get pregnant.”
“Nathan,” I gasped with embarrassment. “Good-bye.”
When I walked back inside, Drayton was kicking the door shut with his foot, a tray of steaming hot food in each hand. Fried chicken. Fries. Potatoes and gravy, burgers, and more. But the best part of the picture was that he was only wearing a pair of low-hanging
sweats and no shirt. He looked so good. He looked too good.
This is literal torture.
“Hungry?”
He grinned as he sauntered toward the table, and his biceps bulged as he carried the food.
“I am literally so full.” There was a thud when I slid off the chair beside the table and landed on the carpeted floor. “I cannot afford to eat like that.”
“Me neither,” Drayton admitted with amusement. “But it was worth it. That was good.”
“You’re not even bloated. It’s unfair. My shorts definitely need to be undone. Go and put a shirt on. You’re making me feel tubby.”
“You’re not tubby.” He stood up and piled the plates up so that he could put them on the room-service tray outside. I helped him and after we’d left the dishes out in the corridor, we walked back inside, and I frowned at the rain pattering on the sliding door. It wouldn’t last long, though.
“I need water,” I said and headed for the cabinet to retrieve a glass.
“Same,” Drayton said. “How come you didn’t order soda or something with dinner?”
“I have no idea,” I laughed, closing the cabinet behind me. I filled the glass, chugged it down, and left it in the sink.
As Drayton moved behind me to open the cabinet, I turned to walk back to the table, and we bumped into each other. His large firm body pushed me against the countertop, and I put my arms behind me on the lip of the counter to steady myself. I leaned away from him.
“Sorry, Cheer.” His expression was hard to read as it moved over me.
Despite the apology, he remained where he was, his hands coming to rest beside mine on the countertop, leaving me effectively encased between his arms. He leaned over, putting himself at eye level. His breath fanned me. It was muddling me to have him so close.
There was a reason that he got who he wanted into bed, whenever he wanted them. He hadn’t said a word and all I wanted to do was wrap myself around him and come undone under his touch.
“Want to play a game, Cheer?”
“Is this going to be some cheesy ‘I bet I can get you to sleep with me’ game?”
“What? No,” he said. “I just thought that we could kill some time with a game of truth or dare. Unless you want to do something else?”
I knew exactly what he was thinking, and for a moment I was tempted to go along with it. No one would ever know. We could both have some fun in California, go home, and pretend as though nothing had ever happened. But even I knew that wasn’t realistic. This thing between us had gone beyond physical. I could admit that much. Sleeping together would only make it worse.
I smiled with a small shrug. “Truth or dare sounds great.”
“Perfect.”
Our gazes remained on one another for several agonizing moments. I hadn’t realized how breathless he made me. But when there was more than a foot of space between us again, my shoulders relaxed.
We sat on the bed facing each other with legs crossed. We’d searched through the drawers for a coin but had come up with nothing. That was until Drayton found an old Canadian coin from a vacation at the bottom of his duffel bag. I focused
on keeping my gaze above his shoulders. It was a lot harder than it sounded when all that was in front of me was pure muscle.
We flipped the coin and I won, which meant that I got to ask first. I considered daring him to do something immature. Like getting naked on the patio. But I knew that he’d fire back some joke about how if I wanted to see him naked all I had to do was ask.
“Okay, truth or dare?”
“Dare,” he responded without hesitation. Of course. He was so closed off, I would never expect him to willingly walk into potentially opening up to me.
“I dare you to call reception and ask if they have any blow-up dolls, because you’re feeling lonely.”
His eyes widened in surprise as he straightened up. “Dammit.” He ran a hand through his hair as a light laugh escaped him. “You’re good.”
He moved off the bed and picked up the phone, quickly dialing down to reception. “Hello?” I heard a muffled response on the other end before Drayton met my eyes, his glimmering with amusement as he delved into the humiliating request.
“I was just curious as to whether you have any overnight companions that I can hire? Particularly of the plastic variety?
“No, no! Not a Barbie-looking prostitute.” He steadied his voice, which threatened to crack with laughter. I was having a hard time containing mine. “I meant like blow-up dolls. Do you have any? I’m a lonely guy but I detest conversation. I left mine at home.”
I buried my head in the pillow, my body racked with uncontrollable laughter. Hearing that entire sentence come out of his mouth without so much as a smile from his face was by far the funniest thing that I had ever seen. I regretted not taking a video, to be honest. I peeked up at him and saw that he was curled over with the phone held at arm’s length.
“Okay. Thank you. No, that’s fine, I understand.” He adopted his serious demeanor again when he brought the phone back to his ear. “Totally fine, sir. I guess it’s just me and my hand tonight. Okay. You too. Good night.”
He hung up the phone an
d we burst into loud, side-splitting, ugly laughter. The bed bounced as he fell onto it, his gorgeous eyes curled up at the corners as they glistened with tears of laughter. I could feel the moisture in my own eyes as well, and we continued falling victim to the hilarity for quite some time before it died down.
“That was good. I’ll give you that.” Drayton sat back up and crossed his legs again as his laughter subsided and he rubbed his hands together. “Tomorrow is going to be an awkward checkout.”
“For sure, but they’ve probably had weirder requests. Let’s be real.”
“True. My turn. Truth or dare, Cheer?”
“Truth.”
“Playing it safe, huh?” I had to admit, I was a little terrified of what he would come up with for a dare. “Okay. What’s your sexual weakness? What turns you on more than anything else?”
I took a deep breath. “I like being kissed with passion. Like, push me against the wall, hold my neck, tangle your hands in my hair, and crush me kind of kissing. I also kind of love having my hair pulled during actual sex.”
I looked up from the bedspread that I’d been absentmindedly playing with while I spoke to find Drayton staring at me with an intense gaze and wide eyes. He shifted slightly and shook his head as he cleared his throat. The boy looked like an animal staring at his prey and I got the feeling that my description may have got his blood pumping a little.
“Y-Yeah. Sounds good,” he finally mumbled and shifted his hips again. “Your turn.”
I watched him curiously as he shook off the discomfort and fell back into his carefree, smug-looking, shirtless self.
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth,” he responded, much to my surprise. I hadn’t been expecting him to say that, so I took a minute to come up with a question.
“What’s the tattoo mean?” I asked, gesturing my head toward his right arm.
His lazy smile remained set in place but I took note of the brief flinch in his features. I wasn’t entirely sure what it meant—if it was sadness or anger.
“It’s just a tattoo.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t have a meaning.”