After grabbing my wallet and cell, then checking on a sleeping Bailey, I went to my mom’s room. She was watching TV from bed.
“Hey, I’m going out for a bit. That okay? Bailey’s asleep.”
“Yeah, I’m getting ready to fall asleep too.”
“’Night.” I ran down the stairs and out the front door, locking it in lightning speed. Locking the door wasn’t necessary out in the country—it was an old city habit. Cole and Hu were in the truck waiting for me. They threw their hands in the air when I ran right past them to Jaz’s car. I rested my arms in her window. “Hey.”
Delilah grinned. “Hey. Glad you can come out and play.”
I stared into those brown eyes. “Me too.”
“Hey, lover boy,” Viola smarted off from the back seat. “Get in the truck so we can go!” I reached in to manhandle her, but she screamed and moved out of reach. Cole’s horn started going off, so I took off running toward them. “Don’t wake Bailey!”
Houston yelled out the passenger window, “Then get your ass in the truck.”
As I got in the backseat of Cole’s crew-cab dually, I begged, “Please don’t speak of ass. Having recent flashbacks.”
“You flirting with my woman again?” Bryce was in the back with me, giving out his version of stank eye. He looked as if he had eye tremors from a lemon-juice accident.
“You know it,” I answered with confidence.
Wheels threw dirt as we pulled onto the road. “Where we headed?” I asked.
Cole answered, “A party on the river, but it’s a bigger one—”
“So we waited till Bailey would be down,” Houston finished.
What great friends.
“You guys never ask why I have her all the time.”
“Ain’t our business,” said Bryce.
I inhaled. “Thanks for working around it.”
Hu turned in his seat. “Boo, want a hug?” Then he came at me with his lanky arms spread wide. I pushed him backward. “Fuck off. I’ve had enough man love for the night.”
“Looking for other love, new guy?” Bryce joked.
I knew what he was saying. I grabbed my chest. “Please, don’t let me get drunk and tell Delilah she owns my world. I’m supposed to—”
“Be her friend!” they all yelled. “We know!”
From behind the steering wheel, Cole said to me, “Sorry, bubba, that is one ho that comes before bros, so we ain’t holding you back, drunk or not.”
I couldn’t help but respect that. Fuck!
When we were going around the bend on Highway 94, Cole slowed his truck down to a crawl. I looked at his dash. Twenty miles an hour? Everyone went quiet. The car with the girls behind us didn’t honk or egg us on about this snail crawl.
“Umm, am I missing something?”
Bryce held his finger to his mouth, telling me to be quiet and wait.
Once around the whole bend, Cole picked up speed, and everyone started breathing again. I hadn’t realized they had stopped until exhalations were released. Bryce looked sad. “It’s where we lost Kenny… the haunted road.”
Of course, the road wasn’t truly haunted, but I could definitely feel a sadness lingering.
We pulled up to an open field, where cars and trucks were parked everywhere. “Where the hell did all these people come from?” I asked in astonishment.
“Two high schools and one local college,” Bryce said.
After we all piled out of the truck, we waited for the girls to unload from Jaz’s car. “Oh shit,” I mumbled as Jaz’s passenger door opened and long, tan legs unfolded to do nothing but tease me. “That should be illegal.” My groin screamed at me. What I would give for one touch…
“Mav, put your tongue back in your mouth,” Viola teased.
Delilah came and hugged me. “Don’t listen to them.”
I wrapped my arms around her, inhaling her scent. “Damn, girl, you smell good.” I had just asked my friends to help me with my self-control and was already losing the battle all on my own.
Delilah pulled back just enough to see my face. “Will you dance with me later?”
I don’t dance. “Anything you want.”
“I might take you up on that, Maverick.”
If there’s a God, you will. I was hopeful that now was the time for taking whatever she wanted. She looked at my mouth, but at the last minute, she kissed my cheek instead then released me.
I’ll take what I can get. All I could do was watch as those legs walked away, little jean shorts tantalizing me.
Cole put his arms around my shoulders. “Still breathing?” I whimpered while pointing to the beauty with swaying, luscious hips and a plump, rounded ass that was beckoning me. She headed away from the homemade parking lot and into the party of young and wild teenagers.
Coleman laughed. “I know, but there’s her brother.” He pointed to Tucker, who was approaching her, already in the mix of the crowd. “Eyes off her ass if you know what’s good for ya.”
Tucker took Delilah in his arms then introduced her to his college friends, who were all more than willing to meet my future wife. I was in the process of forcing myself to not be an asshole and throw her over my shoulder, pound on my chest like a caveman, and scream “Mine!”
“Uh, yeah. Let’s grab our cooler,” said Cole, offering a much-needed distraction. Apparently, my caveman wants were all over my jealous face.
We were heading for the bed of the truck when I saw Viola lighting up a cigarette. I asked—with much judgment—“What the hell are you doing?”
Bryce rolled his eyes as he grabbed the cooler. “She won’t quit.”
Viola looked at me as she defiantly inhaled smoke and was shocked as shit when I grabbed the cigarette from her mouth and threw it to the ground, stomping on it. “That’s disgusting. Knock it off.” Viola crossed her arms and pouted but didn’t light another one. I told her, “Glad we see eye to eye.” I grabbed her pack of cigarettes, crumbled and destroyed it in my palm, and threw it in the back of the truck. “You’re far too hot to look so damn ugly.”
She slowly smiled and nodded. “Smoking ugly. Got it.”
Bryce’s eyes went buggy. “You’re my hero. Damn, I love this kid.” Then he said, “Oh, by the way, V and I are DDs, so live it up a little, huh?”
Beer in hand, we joined everyone else, and I realized how much I needed this—to just be a teenager. Music was loud and headlights were shining. I knew we were in for a good time.
I heard, “Maverick!” and turned to see Tucker with his arm around Delilah’s shoulders, waving me over to him. Approaching, I heard him tell his friends, “And this is her boyfriend, Maverick.”
My jaw—along with Delilah’s—dropped at Tucker’s introduction. I was shaking hands, not knowing what to say to keep Delilah from thinking I was pressuring her. My muscles relaxed as I saw her looking down, shaking her head but with a huge smile glued to her face. Putting his hands on her shoulders, Tucker made her face him. “It’s time to live, baby.” Then he held her cheeks with his palms. “You hear me?”
It felt like a serious moment between the two. She nodded up to him. “Okay, Tucker.”
He kissed her forehead. “I love you.” Then he spun her around, swatted her on the ass, and gave her his final push. Literally. He shoved her into me, saying, “Remember your ‘time wasting’ lecture, Lilah.” Delilah’s eyes were like saucers as she delicately flew into my chest. I caught her and looked at Tucker in disbelief. He pointed at me with a warning: “Don’t make me regret this.”
I held her, shaking my head. “Never.”
Delilah just buried her face in my chest, wrapping her arms around my waist. Damn, it felt so good! My hand caressed the back of her head. I was treasuring her completely. One of Tucker’s friends chuckled at him. “I shouldn’t expect the same treatment, should I?”
I twisted away, blocking the horndog’s view of my girl, and mumbled, “Mine.”
Tucker laughed aloud. “Nope, she’s spoken for.”
Soon, the girls dragged Delilah away, all talking at the same time, seemingly dying for details. Viola had to practically bite my hand. “Let her go, Mavy!”
I whined, “No! I just got her.”
The females won. Delilah was gone.
Cole clinked his beer bottle against mine for a cheer. “We men have reason to celebrate. Hu, here”—he threw his arm around Hu’s neck and yanked him closer—“has tossed his ball ’n chain to the curb. Can I hear a hallelujah?”
We drank more beers with Tucker and his friends until June showed up. Knowing more about her, I could now see the dynamics of the relationship. I could also visibly see his body change and not for the better. He leaned down to kiss her. It was quite a stretch because she was incredibly short, unlike my long-legged girlfriend. I found myself searching for Delilah, to appreciate her chill ways, as June held Tucker’s hands to her face asking, “Have you thought about what I said?”
Tucker sounded kind when he answered, “Yes, but I’m sorry, the answer remains the same.”
That was my cue to bow out. “See ya around, Tucker.”
He nodded to me, already looking tired, and went back to conversing with June.
Another one bites the dust.
I didn’t know when the rum shots entered the picture, but they apparently did at some point. Every now and then, Delilah would appear with two in her hands. I would say no, she would pout, and then I would slam another shot down my throat. We had a system worked out.
Then she would take off again, laughing and dancing with different crowds. She looked so happy… so free. I touched my tat while watching Delilah transform from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Fly and enjoy life, baby.
Houston made a face as we watched a group of people. I followed his eyes and saw Adele shamefully flirting with someone else, clearly for Hu’s benefit. She kept glancing over, making sure it was being witnessed. Cole tried to keep his friend from buckling under the pressure. “She’s just trying to make you jealous, man. Don’t cave!”
Hu looked at Cole. “I can do better, right?”
I did another internal shudder. I was sure Adele’s middle name was either Bitch or Complain.
Cole spun his best friend to face another direction while pointing. “The world is an oyster, or some shit like that, so pick your pearl or whatever the fuck it is you do with oysters. What I’m trying to say is, females, alcohol. Great combo! Life is good, my friend.” Just then, two girls headed straight to them with flirty smiles. Cole said, “See? Here comes your oyster now! Hu, get ready to shine your pearl.”
Cole and Hu watched the two girls pass them by and come straight to me. Oops.
“Wanna dance with us?” one girl asked me.
“Uh, no, I can’t. But these two guys are more than willing to—”
The girls were pulling on my hands. “Come on! Let’s dance.”
I leaned back on my heels, not wanting to let them drag me away with them. “No, no, thank you.” I was finally making progress in the relationship department with Delilah. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I wouldn't wait for her. Only one girl was getting me to dance that night.
The talker pulled my arms, while the other girl pushed me from behind. Looking to Cole, Bryce, and Hu for help got me nothing but heckling and rude comments. Assistance was denied. I kept fighting the girls but was eventually forced, by girls I didn’t know, to the spot where people were getting down and dirty. This does not look good. Every escape I attempted was in vain.
Refusing to dance, I stood while the girls danced around me, feeling like an idiot. Other guys were staring, I’m sure they were calling me a selfish dick for hogging two girls. Before I could lean my head back and yell, I don’t want to dance! Delilah came strutting in our direction. With hips swaying, she was on mission: driving me wild.
“Who’s that?” one of the dancing girls asked.
Without missing a beat or looking away from Delilah, I answered, “My one and only.”
Delilah’s shots had kicked in, and she looked to be taking her brother’s advice to heart. My eyes hit hers, and I forgot every other female within a hundred-mile radius. The sea of people in front of me split wide, letting Delilah through. She stared at me as though she’d just made up her mind about what she wanted. Lucky son of a bitch—it was me. Score!
She eyed each girl in warning, staking her claim.
Okay. That was hot.
The girls received the memo and walked away.
“Oh shit,” I grunted, her sex appeal causing a reaction in every part of my body. My chest pounding only got worse as her arms came around my neck. My arm went around her waist in no time, and I began to lose my mind as her hips swayed to the beat, a leg on each side of my thigh. I pulled her closer and mumbled in her ear, “What are you trying to do to me?”
Her tone was seductive. “More claws were showing. I didn’t like it.”
“I didn’t want to dance with them.”
“I know. I saw. Thank you.”
She turned her back to me and bent her knees, moving her phenomenal ass down my legs, as if it came naturally to her. “Jesus, help me,” I said. Delilah had drunk a lot, and I had consumed too much to tell her to stop. Blood pumped through me like a freight train. Get your head straight! “Uh, Delilah.”
When she turned back to me, her arms came around my neck again, flattening her body up against mine, breasts touching my chest. My eyes shut with the sensation of feeling her so close. “Do you want to kiss me?” she asked.
My eyes popped open. “You have no idea how bad, but not while drunk.” I caressed her face. “I want to be alone with you… I want privacy so I can focus on every sweep of your tongue.” Her mouth opened to inhale quickly. I almost ate my words and dove in. I closed my eyes again, trying to breathe through my dilemma. “But we have another problem.”
She instantly looked worried. “What?”
Keeping her body flush with mine, I leaned close to her ear, murmuring, “Umm, you kind of got me worked up. I need to find a way out of here for a—uh—breather.” Delilah burst out laughing, lacking the sympathy I was hoping for. I didn’t let her pull away, though. In her ear I said, “This is your fault, and I’m begging for you to help me out of here… Delilah! Would you stop laughing and focus?”
She tried to breathe. “Okay, but it will cost you.”
“Not paying a high enough price here, already?”
More laughter.
“Baby, have mercy on a male, hormonal body!” I said.
She shrugged her sexy shoulders. No pity.
“Okay! What will your rescue cost me?”
She leaned even closer. “A kiss.”
“But—”
She started to pull away.
I pulled her back. “Okay, okay, you win.”
“The girls are gonna love this!”
“You’re gonna tell them?” I shrieked.
“Ab-so-lut-ely!” Delilah put her back to my front—which was only making matters worse in the groin area—pulling my arms around her from behind. “Follow me.” She tugged me with her. Most people watching probably just thought we were going to make out and didn’t know I was trying to avoid a peep show of embarrassing proportions.
I followed her away from the crowd and into some woods. Delilah pulled me behind a big tree where it was darker and the music wasn’t so loud. She leaned her back to the trunk and demanded, “Pay up.”
I slowly pushed her hair from her face and tilted her chin up so I could have unrestricted access to her perfect lips. Delilah watched my every move with a nervous anticipation. Sensing her anxiety, I slowly dropped my lips to her forehead and breathed her in.
I’m falling so hard for you. As I pulled back from her, I saw she had closed her eyes, and she looked as moved as I felt.
Her whisper stole my remaining air. “Thank you.”
Chapter Eight
After my body calmed down, I was heading back to the party with Delilah when I s
aw Jerry and his recruits approaching us before I could exit the woods. Not wanting Delilah to see or be a part of a rumble I could no longer avoid, I lifted a chin to them, gesturing for them to stand by and wait for Delilah to leave my side.
It was easy to convince Delilah to move on without me with so much alcohol flowing through her veins. “Viola is calling you, baby. Find me later?” She kissed my cheek, and I watched her go to find the girls in the crowd.
Once she was safe, I faced my personal Hallmark greeters. “Is there a particular reason why you dislike me so, or do you just want to duke it out for shits and giggles?” Then I looked directly at Jerry. “Is it because of Delilah?”
One guy answered, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
Big-guy syndrome—check.
Another guy grinned. “Shits and giggles.”
Needing entertainment—check.
Jerry grinned. “Delilah.”
My girl. Fucking check.
I nodded, understanding. “So, this is a new, big-kid on the block kinda thing, a boredom thing, and a jealousy thing. Got it.”
Okay, let’s rumble.
I had tried to shut my dad out of so many thoughts because it just hurt too fucking much not to, but this was one of those times that his memory and his teachings were front and center in my mind. The boxing gloves hanging in my room had had a lot of use because of my father’s addiction to the sport.
When Delilah seemed surprised I didn’t get into fights, she didn’t know I had to keep out of them because I could really hurt someone. I was an amateur boxer with almost a hundred fights under my belt, on the fast track to becoming pro, and could’ve lost my license. Street fighting was illegal, period. For an amateur boxer, repercussions were bad.
The other news flash was that this sport my dad had loved had become an addiction of mine, as well. I’d been told I was a natural and showed the talent and balls to be a leading contender in the cruiserweight division. The people who said that were right. That was why my new coach was disappointed I had quit.
Steal Me (Haunted Roads Book 1) Page 9