by Tay Marley
I looked at the winding road that stretched from his wrist to his shoulder with suspicion. You could say the scattered items on either side of the road weren’t such a mysterious concept. Dead flowers and skulls weren’t uncommon in body art. The little boy and girl at the end of the road who were walking off into the sunset, though—there was meaning behind it. I knew there was.
“Really? It means nothing? It’s just something you liked so much that you got it tattooed on your skin forever?”
“Exactly.” His smile was dazzling and he sat up a little taller. “All right, my turn.”
I desperately wanted him to open up to me. I wished he knew that he could trust me.
“Truth or dare?”
I did my best to push the hurt aside and focused on the fun we’d been having before.
“Dare,” I answered.
His smile became devious and full of intent, and I regretted being brave before he’d even opened his mouth.
“I dare you to kiss me.”
“What?”
“You heard.” He leaned forward. “Kiss me.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” He laughed. “Because it’s a dare and if you back out, I win. Which you will.”
He was so smug. Smug smile. I laughed and turned my head toward the window where the rain pelted on the sliding door.
“Fine.” I turned back to him with a sweet smile. “But only if we can do it in the rain.”
“Why in the rain?”
“Because I’ve always wanted to have a cinematic rain kiss,” I confessed with a light laugh. “It’s not the sort of thing that gets planned. And I’m being opportunistic.”
“All right.” He stood up fast and gave me a light slap on the leg. “Come on.”
We stood in front of each other on the patio, eyes narrowed because of the downpour. It was dark but the motel lights shone down on us.
Drayton stepped forward but I took a step back. “We need to get wet first.”
“Cheer, we don’t need the rain for that.”
I scoffed with amusement and pushed my hair back. It was sopping now and clung to my back and neck. Droplets rolled down his firm chest. His hair caught beads and I hated how stupid good he looked in the rain. Another few moments passed, and Drayton’s gaze traveled over me. My shirt and shorts were drenched and clinging to me.
Out of the blue, Drayton started shouting. His expression was etched with pain and passion, and he pointed his finger at the ground while he stared at me and screamed about sending me hundreds of letters. I was confused for a moment until I recognized it as dialogue from The Notebook.
“You’re a clown.” I shoved him in the chest and he started laughing. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the fact that he could quote such a romance classic.
The rain was strong. Our eyes never wavered. He looked out of this world with his wet olive skin and broad shoulders. Water shimmered in the crevices of his sculpted torso and I swallowed, deciding to give up on this weird idea.
I turned to walk inside, but his fingers wrapped around my wrist and his other hand grasped my neck and then our wet bodies were pressed together and his mouth was on mine.
It was unreal.
He pried my lips apart and his fingertips dug into my neck, pulling at the hair behind my ears. My hands slid into his wet hair and he dropped his hold on my wrist, moving his hand to my waist instead.
Rain pelted our cheeks and our lips didn’t detach, but Drayton backed me up against the wall beside the sliding door, and I tugged his hair while he held me tight around the middle with both hands. It was a great kiss. His chest was against mine, and his entire body felt so good that it made me weak.
Too weak. He was quicksand. He was dangerous and I knew that the little niggling of emotion that I felt toward him would be so much stronger if we were to go further. I savored the last moment or two, kissing him while my hands moved down his neck, onto his shoulders, and to his chest, where I gave him a light push.
He stopped and stepped back. Flecks of water showered from his lips with his heavy breaths. When I realized that my hands were still on his chest, I let them drop and they slapped against my wet sides. That was an earth-shattering, cinematic kiss; it felt as if the clouds would clear and the stars would align.
“You’re a good kisser,” he murmured, his gaze lingering on my tender lips for a touch longer than was subtle.
I inhaled and pushed my hair back. It had become matted where Drayton had held it, but it was worth it. I smiled and pulled the sliding door open, peeping over my shoulder as I stepped inside. “I guess I won.”
He laughed, then ran a hand through his hair as rain continued to pitter patter against his firm chest and shoulders. “Game isn’t over, Cheer.”
Chapter 12
I woke up before Drayton. Once again, his sleeping concerned me on a number of levels, and I checked his pulse to make sure he hadn’t died. He lay on his stomach, his tan back on full display because the sheet only just reached the top of his hips.
Last night’s kiss had been playing on repeat in my mind since it happened. We’d continued playing the game, and things had ultimately returned to normal between us, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. My gaze traveled over the dips and crevices of his back, which was rising and falling deeply and slowly.
I figured that I’d use the time while he was asleep to get ready for the day. We’d decided last night that we would go to the college campus and scope out what sort of information or tour would
be available on a Sunday without previous arrangement. The whole trip had been last minute, so I wasn’t going to expect a lot. I got up and showered, changing into a pair of denim high-waisted shorts and a thin long-sleeved cropped shirt. I pulled my wet hair into a bun on the top of my head and put some makeup on.
When I came out of the bathroom refreshed, I found Drayton sitting on the edge of the bed, still in last night’s sweats with his cell phone in hand.
I picked up my duffel and started shoving things into it. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” he sighed, getting to his feet as he threw the phone onto the bed and fluffed his hair. “My mom’s just flipping out because she saw my credit card statement online saying that I’m in California and not Dallas, where I said I was going.”
“I thought that you were allowed to do what you want?”
“To an extent.” He shrugged with a cavalier attitude. “I did say that I was visiting family friends in Dallas. They’ll get over it.”
I sighed but didn’t comment. His parents, his business. “Checkout is in an hour. Want me to see how long for an Uber while you shower?”
“Sure.” He sauntered toward me with a devious grin. “Unless you want to join me?”
“Ugh.” I shoved his chest so he stepped back. “Go and have a shower.”
The little curl in his lips and the gleam in his gaze made me weak at the knees. He was just too damn attractive for his own good.
“Maybe I should apply to this college.” Drayton watched a leggy, toned girl with caramel-colored skin strut past us in a sports bra and gym shorts. She was one of the many model-looking babes strolling through the campus courtyard.
I scoffed with amusement. “Don’t worry, I’ll get on with looking around so that you can go and pick up all the girls who will fall at your feet.”
“Are you jealous, Cheer?”
We walked toward the administration building on the other side of the quad.
“Get a grip.” Even I noticed the lack of denial.
When we’d arrived in Valencia, the first thing we’d done was book a hotel for the night. It was a lot smaller than where we’d stayed last night, but absolutely gorgeous and resort-like. Drayton had covered most of the costs so far, but I used my account for the Uber and had paid for last night’s room service. I’d tucked into a lit
tle of my savings before we left, knowing that it wouldn’t be right to let Drayton pay for absolutely everything. Even if he did insist.
“This place is amazing.” I glanced around the administration office with awe. There were large blown-up photos all over the walls of performers, dancers, actors. The space was made up of a reception desk in the middle of the room and there were doors leading off, to other offices no doubt. A leather couch and coffee table made up a waiting area and there was an assortment of magazines on a little shelf.
“There’s no one here,” Drayton noted as we glanced around the deserted space.
“Maybe we can come back tomorrow?” I suggested. “There’s no point looking around if I’m not getting to see how things actually operate.”
“We can come back whenever you want. We’ve got until Wednesday.”
“You don’t want to spend the whole time in Valencia, do you?” We headed back out the doors we’d come through and the warm air left me with a craving for the beach—a real Californian beach.
“Not if we don’t have to.” Drayton slipped his sunglasses on and slung an arm over my shoulders as we walked across the quad. I couldn’t help but feel a little elated at the stares that we received from a few scattered girls practicing dance or rehearsing skits in the sunshine. “If we look around tomorrow then we can go to Hollywood? It’s only forty-five minutes from here.”
“Ohh!” I gasped and glanced up at him. “I’ve always wanted to see the Walk of Fame.”
“Done.” He grinned. “Hollywood it is. Guess I’ll have to make sure that I find us a good frat party tonight.”
“Oh geez,” I mumbled, quite content with movies in the hotel room for the evening.
“Think of it as getting some precollege experience in. At least you’ll know what you’re in for.”
“I’ll try anything once. Might as well do it while I have you here as a buffer.”
He laughed and I watched him. How couldn’t I? He had the most beautiful laugh and the crescent shape that his eyes made when his cheeks lifted was perfect.
“But I mean, now that I think about it, I’ve been to house parties before. It won’t exactly be a new experience.”
“You’ve never been to a college party though,” he informed me. “Trust me, they’re in a league of their own. I’ll show you the ropes, Cheer.”
“What would I do without you?”
“Hey, excuse me!”
We stopped and turned around to see a lean guy with chocolate-
brown waves jogging toward us. He was wearing a black tank top that had CalArts written in graffiti font across the front of it and a pair of joggers. “Hey, sorry, are you two new around here?”
“Sort of,” I answered, giving him a subtle once over. He had to be a dancer. His build was incredible, and his deep-brown eyes were mesmerizing. “I’m hoping to come here next year. We’re just looking around. I’m Dallas.”
“Oh, beautiful name. I’m from Dallas, actually.” I thought I’d heard a mild southern twang. “I’m Cooper.”
He offered Drayton his hand, who slowly unwrapped his arm from my shoulders and gave Cooper’s waiting hand a sturdy shake. “Drayton.”
“Nice to meet you, man,” Cooper smiled a wide pearly smile, but when I looked up at Drayton, he was scowling. God, he was so rude. “I stopped you guys after I saw you coming out of administration. I’m a tour guide around here. Sort of a friendly face for the newbies. I’d be happy to show you around?”
“We were actually thinking of coming back tomorrow while the classes are going,” I told him with hesitation. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful. “Just so I can see it in real time.”
“That’s a great idea.” He snapped his fingers and I couldn’t help but smile at his jovial attitude. “Where are you from?”
“Castle Rock, Colorado,” I informed him.
“Oh nice.” He looked at Drayton and didn’t seem bothered at the frown he received in return. “Are you applying too?”
“Nope.”
“Drayton plays football.” I glared at him before I turned back to Cooper and attempted to keep Drayton’s mood from spoiling mine. “He’s holding out to get scouted.”
“Oh dude, UCLA is, like, half an hour away.” Cooper slapped the side of Drayton’s arm with excitement. Drayton slowly glanced down at the spot Cooper’s hand had just been and stared at it with boredom. “It’s not a long commute at all. At least you wouldn’t have to do the long-distance thing.”
“Oh. No,” I laughed and glanced at Drayton, who was still seeming entirely unfazed by the conversation. “Drayton and I are just friends.”
“I’ll be going to Baylor,” Drayton said dryly.
“Oh, Baylor. Nice. My cousin went there,” Cooper told an uninterested Drayton before he turned back to me. “Why don’t I get your number and we can meet up tomorrow. I’ll show you around, give you a little tour?”
“That sounds perfect,” Drayton interjected, pulling his phone out of his pocket with a sudden peak of enthusiasm. “You can have my number and if there are any parties happening around here tonight, let me know about those too.”
Cooper cast an uncertain glance between me and Drayton, no doubt hoping that I would interrupt before he actually had to give Drayton his cell phone. I should have interrupted because Drayton’s weird behavior was doing my head in. But I couldn’t. I just stood there and watched the awkward digit exchange. It might have been because I was so enthralled at the prospect of Drayton being jealous that I was rendered stupid.
“Parties, huh?” Cooper cast his gaze down to the pavement with thought as he slid his cell phone back into his pocket. “Oh, perfect.” He snapped his fingers and glanced over at a group of girls doing a series of hip-hop moves. “Carrie! Anything on tonight?”
The entire group looked our way with curiosity and obvious admiration for the quarterback standing beside me. He was sort of hard not to notice. The girl, Carrie, I assumed, nodded her fire-red head before she shouted back, “James is hosting talent week. Starts tonight!”
“What’s talent week?” I asked.
“It’s basically who can drink the most and still be standing at the end of the night.” Cooper rolled his eyes. “Everyone goes to drink but most don’t participate. There are a few guys who do it subtlety among themselves. Beer pong, keg stands, card games. That sort of thing. There’s a winner at the end of the week for whoever was last man standing the most nights of the week.”
“That sounds ideal.” Drayton grinned and nudged me with his elbow. “I’ll text you later for the address, Coop.” He slapped Cooper’s shoulder and then reestablished my spot beneath his arm, giving Cooper a small wave. “See you tonight.”
“O-Okay, yeah,” Cooper mumbled as Drayton all but dragged me in the other direction. “Nice to meet you both!”
“What was all that about?” I removed Drayton’s arm from my shoulders when we hit the path outside of the college campus.
“What do you mean? I was just abiding by friend code.” He lit a cigarette but I didn’t bother commenting on it. I did wonder why he might be anxious. “You know, some creepy guy hits on you, and I step in to save you from the awkwardness of rejecting him. You’re welcome.”
“Who said I wanted to reject him?”
He turned his head toward me with eyes wide, and a large puff of toxic smoke blew directly into my face. “Him? You’re into that? He’s so scrawny.”
“He’s lean, Drayton. There’s a difference.” I waved the smoke away from my face and pressed the pedestrian button when we stopped at an intersection. “And he seemed really nice. It wouldn’t hurt to have some potential lined up before I move here.”
When the cars came to a stop on either side of the intersection and the little man signaled our turn, we crossed the road along with the rest of the foot traffic. “I’ll find you better potentia
l, Cheer. I’ll wingman you tonight. Trust me. You can do better.”
“You’ll have time to find me a guy while you’re busy chatting up all of the hot dancers who will be there tonight?”
“I’m a man of many talents,” he boasted. I didn’t bother to dignify his egotistical nonsense and instead stopped in front of a sandwich shop that smelled incredible.
“Should we get some lunch?”
“I could eat.”
He opened the door for me and gestured that I lead. His occasional moments of chivalry never ceased to surprise me. “We can go back to our room for dessert.”
His smug grin was shit eating. But it didn’t surprise me.
Nor did it disappoint me. His crude sense of humor and inability to filter himself was one of my favorite things about him. It was part of the reason that I would trust him so much later on that evening.
“How do I look?” I walked out of the hotel bathroom wearing a black bandage crop top and a pair of high-waisted champagne-
colored shorts. They were a silky fabric and complimented the summer tan that I’d developed over the recent months.
Drayton glanced up from his cell phone. He was sitting on the edge of the bed in his own nighttime attire. His signature look didn’t differ but even I had to admit that he looked mighty fine in a pair of slim black jeans and a navy-blue V-neck T-shirt that hugged his biceps. The seams stretched as he leaned his elbows on his knees.
His eyes landed on my body and, as I waited for a little bit of shameless validation, they not so subtlety swept my frame from head to toe. A lusty expression filled his face and I felt about two feet tall.
A small grin lifted his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. “Wow,” he chuckled lightly and stood up. The fluttering in my chest became even more erratic and I shifted from foot to foot. “You’ll have no trouble landing a California guy tonight, Cheer.”
The temptation to suggest that the Colorado boy in front of me would do just fine was real, but instead I pushed my hair behind my shoulder and smiled. “Thanks. Do you have the address?”