Spending this time alone with Clover is everything I hoped it would be and more. I’m not trying to be the life of the party or the captain who leads the hockey team or the playboy manwhore. I’m being the truest version of myself I can be. I’ve never allowed anyone else to see the real me. But I care too much for Clover to hold back. I’ve waited and watched from the background for years, and this is my chance to make her as crazy about me as I am about her.
When I leave the bathroom, I find Clover sound asleep in my bed. Pausing before I climb in, I take in her serene expression. Maybe she’s enjoying our time together too. I hope that’s the case, because I can’t imagine another girl measuring up to the standard she’s set. And I don’t just mean sexually. She’s intelligent and kind, and I love her sense of humor. Spending time with her gives me a pleasant ache in my chest, if that even makes sense to anyone besides me. It’s like I’m full of emotions I’ve never experienced before, and they reside in my chest, centered around my heart. I’m reminded they’re there every time I look at Clover, think about Clover, touch Clover… okay, you get the idea. Sometimes the emotions present themselves as a squeezing sensation. Sometimes it’s a shaky one. Sometimes it’s a flowing warmth. The only thing I’m certain of is they’re all directly related to Clover, and I never want it to end.
Chapter Twelve
Clover
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.” Marshall tears the covers from me.
“What the hell, Marshall?” I grumble.
“It’s time to get up, Lucky. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”
“I wanna sleep.” I pull his pillow over my head to block him out.
A stinging slap lands on my bare ass, jolting my torso off the bed. The pillow falls, and I scowl at Marshall. “That was fucked up.”
“Sorry. I didn’t see any other way of waking you. And your ass looks mighty fine with my handprint.” He leaves the room, and I roll to my back, pulling the covers back up.
Stretching my limbs, I wince at the ache between my legs. Round three lasted a long time and I’m feeling the aftereffects. Closing my eyes, I let my mind wander to some of the highlights. I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to lie here savoring the memories.
Marshall returns. “Here.” He drops clothes on the bed. “I grabbed you some stuff from Maddie’s room.”
“You’re so mean,” I whine. “Why do I have to get up? You can go do whatever it is by yourself. I’ll stay here and sleep in.”
“Lucky, come on. You’re on vacation. Let’s make the most of today. I have something really fun planned for us.” His expression is pleading.
I sit up, emitting a growl. “Fine. This better be fun, or you’re in big trouble.” I glare and point a finger at him.
* * *
We get out of his Jeep and meet in front of the bumper. “Zip lining? That’s your great idea?” I shriek, my heart slamming against my chest like a battering ram against a door.
He smiles and nods. “Isn’t it awesome?”
“No, it’s not. I’m not going on that… that thing.”
His smile falls. “Why not?”
“I hate heights.”
“It’s not that high.”
I grip both sides of my head. “Are you crazy?”
“It’s perfectly safe. Have you ever heard of anyone dying while zip lining?”
“I don’t want to break a leg either.”
“Why would you? You’ll be strapped into a harness. There’s no way you can fall.”
My hands slide down to cup my cheeks. “What if the line snaps?”
“It won’t. Look how thick it is,” he points out.
“You can go and I’ll just sit here watching. I’ll cheer you on.”
“Nope. We do this together or not at all.”
“Okay, let’s go. We can grab breakfast at that cute little diner we saw on the way.” I take a step, and he catches my hand, pulling me until my back is against his chest. His arms slip around my waist, and his lips land close to my ear.
“Clover, I want us to do this together.” His voice is soft and soothing. “It would mean a lot if you’d entrust your safety to me. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.” He squeezes me tightly, which isn’t fair. He’s playing dirty. I can’t think straight when he’s touching me. He presses a tender kiss on my cheek. “Please.” Oh, man. He’s being all sweet. How am I supposed to say no to him?
Spinning in his arms, I look up at him. “Fine. But if I die, I’m gonna haunt you for the rest of your life.” I poke his chest.
He beams. “I’ll take that deal.” He lifts me off my feet, spinning in a circle, and sets me down. “Thank you for trusting me. I promise this is going to be a lot of fun.”
* * *
After we checked in, I made sure to use the ladies’ room. I can’t take a chance on peeing my pants. If I did, and Marshall saw, I’d die of embarrassment. I’d rather plunge to my death. No joke.
Marshall and I are directed into a van with a few other people. The driver takes us to the base of the mountain, and at this point, we switch to a six-wheeled vehicle with the top open like a convertible. “What is this thing?” I ask Marshall, strapping on the lap belt. I’ve never seen anything like this before.
He pats my knee. “It’s a Pinzgauer.”
“Oh, yeah, how did I not know that?” My sarcasm can’t be missed.
He grins. “It’s a high-mobility, all-terrain vehicle that was used to transport Austrian troops, and it’s gonna get us where we need to go with no problem.” How does he know this? Is he really that knowledgeable?
“How did you know what it is?”
“I read about it on the website when I booked our time.” I jab the point of my elbow into his side, and he chuckles.
The trip on the way to the zip line trail is rough and bumpy but a lot of fun. Maybe I can get the driver to take me for a ride while Marshall zip-lines.
Marshall places his arm around me to keep me from jostling around so much. “Good thing for the seatbelt or you’d launch out the roof,” he jokes.
“My ass is getting sore,” I reply.
“I’ll kiss it for you later.” He winks.
“You should, seeing how you’ve slapped it enough times.”
He leans closer, his lips close to my cheek. “I don’t need a reason to get my mouth on any part of your body. I think you already know that by now.” Turning my face toward him places us nearly nose to nose. I press my lips to his for a quick fix. Maybe some of his thrill-seeker courage will rub off.
* * *
“I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t do this,” I chant, staring down from the first platform.
“Lucky, look at me,” Marshall urges. Clutching on to the wooden post hard enough to give myself splinters, I glance over at him on the neighboring platform.
He smiles his encouragement. “You’ve got this. I’ll be right beside you all the way. We’ll do it together.”
“I don’t think I can,” I reply.
“Lucky, when have you ever let fear hold you back from doing anything?” He’s not expecting me to reply, is he? My legs are shaking so badly, my knees are practically knocking together. I can barely think, never mind think clearly. “Are we doing this?” His question pulls me out of my thoughts. “Are we?”
“I don’t know.”
“We do it together or we don’t do it at all,” he states.
“No. You can go.”
He shakes his head. “It’s together or not at all.” Damn him for making this so hard for me. I’m frightened to do this, but the fear of letting Marshall down might be even worse than following through.
Gaze sweeping his way, our eyes lock. “Okay.” I nod. “Let’s do this.”
He beams at me proudly and repeats my words, “Let’s do this.”
We both grip the bar above our heads. The zip line workers double check all the fastenings. One of them counts down from three to one, and we make the leap at the same time. Ma
rshall gives a joyful whoop while I scream with fear as we fly like birds across the wire. We travel so fast, everything in my periphery is a blur and the wind whirs in my ears. I can’t see Marshall, but he keeps calling out to me. “Doing great, Lucky.”
“Looking strong, Lucky.”
His encouragement helps me more than I want to admit. He’s managed to worm his way past my defenses, and I’m glad he did. I love spending time with him—even if it means conquering more of my fears. I say more because letting Marshall into my heart used to be one of my greatest fears. And now that I’ve conquered that, I wonder why I waited so long. It seems silly that I was afraid to get to know him better.
We make it through the remainder of the course and all that’s left is the final plunge, which will send us careening down to the ground. I don’t hold back, and I regret it when it feels like I’m a racecar clocking in at two hundred plus miles per hour. I know I’m not moving that fast, but the rapidly approaching ground tries to convince me otherwise.
When my feet are safely planted on soil once more, Marshall catches me in his arms, holding me close. And it’s a good thing he does, because my legs feel like they’re made of rubber. I can barely stand. “You did it, Clover. I’m so proud of you.” He tugs my helmet off and kisses my forehead. “You were awesome, Lucky.”
I shake my head and smile. I couldn’t have done it without his help. “No, you were awesome.”
* * *
Marshall pulls the Jeep into a parking lot and finds a spot before I notice the bright sign that says Ice Cream Retreat. I look over my shoulder at him.
Fidgeting, he tugs on his earlobe. “I figured you deserve a reward for your bravery.”
My lips curve at the sweetness of his gesture. “You’re right. I earned an ice cream.”
“Stay there.” He’s out of the Jeep in a flash and I’m closed in alone. He hurries to open my door and help me out.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He cups my hand with his like we’re on a date, and I wish we were. What would have happened if he and I had never met before this summer? Would it be easier if we had a fresh slate? I can see the answer to that last question being yes and no. Our connection is strong because we’ve been attracted to each other for so long. The only advantage to meeting now would be having no preconceived notions about him.
Marshall leads us to one of the serving windows and we place our order. “Let me get this.” I tug some money from my pocket.
He waves his hand to stop me. “Not happening.”
“You paid for the zip-lining. The least I can do is buy ice cream.”
“Put your money away, Lucky.” His firm tone matches his expression.
“Okay, but I’m paying one of these times,” I relent.
“You can try.”
The server hands over our ice cream cones, and Marshall finally releases my hand to pay. Licking the creamy ice cream, I scan the picnic table area and notice a group of college-age girls looking in our direction. No doubt they’re ogling Marshall—they always do. And it’s something that any girl who dates him will have to deal with.
Am I that girl?
And would I want to be?
I don’t know the answer to the first question. That depends on Marshall and what he wants. He’s professed a lot of things to me, but I’m not certain how many of them he means. As to the second question, I think I might.
We choose to sit at a table away from the girls, with Marshall straddling the bench, facing me. He licks his ice cream with the flat of his tongue, and for a moment, I forget about the cone in my own hand until I feel the cold drip on the back of my fingers. I lick the chocolate from my skin and spin the ice cream across my tongue, catching all the melting parts.
Marshall clears his throat, adjusting himself in his shorts. He shrugs when he notices me watching. “Watching you eat that is like porn.”
I snort. “You’re ridiculous.”
“No, I’m a guy who’s imagining your tongue on my cock and wondering if you’d enjoy it as much.”
“Not unless you taste as good as my ice cream.” I take another long, slow lick.
He adjusts himself again. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Chapter Thirteen
Marshall
When we pull into the cabin’s long driveway, I can see a vehicle in the yard.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Clover asks.
“I wasn’t, but I guess we’re going to have company now.”
“Do you know who it is?”
“Yeah, it’s Shaw and Maddie. That’s his dad’s SUV.” While I’m happy to see my friend and sister, this is going to put a huge kink in my plans. This’ll mean no more alone time with Clover. Fuck me. And just when things were going so well.
Clover remains quiet. She doesn’t seem thrilled about them being here either.
I’ve barely parked when Maddie races out the front door. Clover smiles as she gets out, and Maddie runs down the stairs, grabbing her in a hug. She jumps up and down, squealing, happy to see her best friend, and Clover joins in. Maybe she’s not disappointed after all.
“Hey, sis,” I call out as I pass by.
“Hi, Marshall. I hope you’ve been being nice to my friend.” She plants her hands on her hips, trying to appear intimidating.
Eyes swinging to Clover, I smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve been more than nice. Right, Clover?”
Her lips press together in a tight smile and she nods toward Maddie, avoiding looking my way. “It’s true. He’s been on his best behavior.”
Great. She’s already back to acting awkward around me. What did that take, about sixty seconds? So glad we have company.
“I wouldn’t go that far, Clover, but I appreciate the compliment.” I walk inside the house without looking back. My good mood has deteriorated in a matter of seconds.
Will having Shaw and Maddie here mean losing all the progress I’ve made with Clover?
God, I hope not. School starts soon, and once we’re back, I’ll be busy with my classes and hockey. I won’t be able to pursue her with the same intensity. We’ll both have a million distractions. I should kick my best friend’s ass for this.
Speak of the devil. Stepping into the kitchen, he’s pouring chips into a bowl with Buddy sitting beside him. That dog is always close by. Shaw grins, tipping his chin up at me. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
It was going great before you showed up.
“Good. What are you guys doing here? I thought you were going to be tied up helping your parents for a few days?”
“Dad’s doing well, so my mom said she’s all set. She told me to take his SUV so he wouldn’t be tempted to drive.”
“Nice.” Leaning down, I scratch Buddy behind the ears. “How’s it going, Bud?” He closes his eyes and lets out a snort-like noise, letting me know all is well.
Shaw turns, leaning back against the edge of the counter. His dark brows dip before he asks, “Should we not have come?”
“No, I’m glad to see you. But a little notice might’ve been nice.”
“What’s going on?” Shaw cuts to the point.
I rub my chin, torn between wanting to confide in him and not wanting to put him in a bad position. If I share this, he can’t tell Maddie, and that could potentially cause problems for them. As much as I have a history of being selfish when it comes to what I want, I refuse to be that way with Shaw and Maddie.
“Clover and I have declared a ceasefire and it's been nice. I just don’t want anything screwing it up.” I can reveal this much, at least.
“That’s fantastic. I know it’ll make your sister happy. She’s always wanted the two of you to get along.”
We hear the girls shutting the front door and the sound of their energetic chatter as they approach.
“Hey, Shaw,” Clover says.
He waves. “How’s it going?”
“Better now that her bestie’s here and she’s not alone with my brother,” M
addie jumps in, and everyone laughs, but mine is forced. I’m distracted wondering if Clover complained to Maddie and if there’s some truth to what she said. Christ, playing this game of did she or didn’t she with myself is annoying.
Why am I being so freakin’ insecure? I’ve never had a shortage of female attention. But I also learned the hard way that you can never be sure of where you stand when it comes to women. Look at my mom. I thought my parents' relationship was solid, but it wasn’t enough for my mom. It proves you can never really be sure of what someone else’s actions will be. That’s why I only trust myself, and that’s the way it’ll stay.
“Buddy.” Clover falls to her knees for all the kisses he’ll give her. Buddy and I have a lot in common. She peppers his head with pecks of adoration.
“What are your plans now that you’re here?” I ask Shaw.
“We’re only here until tomorrow. I have my physical the next day.”
“I had mine a few weeks ago. It’s a necessary evil if we want to play hockey,” I reply.
“Did the doc test you for STDs?” Maddie addresses me and smirks. Normally, I wouldn’t care if she gave me shit for my history of casual hookups, but now that Clover and I are involved, it changes everything. I don’t want her to have a change of heart because my sister brought up my past. My eyes skate her way and find her nose buried in Buddy’s neck. With any luck she’s not paying attention.
“Actually, I had him test me and everything’s perfect. I wasn’t worried, I always wrap before I tap.” Except with Clover. We haven’t used condoms, and neither of us has mentioned it, which is irresponsible. I’ll have to remedy that later.
Maddie pats my arm. “Good for you, brother.”
HOOKED: Boston Terries Hockey #4 Page 9
