Fall

by Rachel Van Dyken

  Another step.

  I was paralyzed as I watched him move smoothly toward me, every plane of muscle tightening, keeping perfect cadence with my chest.

  His hand reached out to touch my cheek. “You’re not the first female — Nanna gets that honor — but you will be the last.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Jaymeson

  I couldn’t read her. I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I’d just stripped naked in front of her — but to me, it was the only way I could actually be fully vulnerable — stripped down to nothing, both emotionally and physically, and pray she understood that what I was doing was for her—

  I’d never done for anyone else in my life, nor would I ever. Because as far as I was concerned, Pris was it.

  Tense silence blanketed the room. And then, Pris pressed her cheek against my hand, closing her eyes.

  Drained, I pulled her into my arms and held her.

  With a sudden jerk, she pulled back — only to press her hot mouth against mine.

  My legs almost gave way as she kissed me, kissed away the pain I’d just sliced open, kissed away the embarrassment at being so insecure about the man that I was —her kiss healed.

  It didn’t take.

  It gave.

  Shaking, I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the couch, laying her flat on her back so I could lie next to her and just… kiss her, play with her hair, touch her — as long as it involved her I was all in.

  Our mouths nipped and sucked, alternating between pushing and teasing. Every kiss was new, exciting, as if I’d never actually kissed a girl until this moment in my life.

  My hands instinctively went to her hips, dragging her body closer to mine as I hovered over her.

  “You’re not going to disappear on me again, are you?” Pris asked, briefly pulling her mouth from mine.

  “Not a chance in hell,” I muttered, taking her lips between my teeth. “You’d have to kill me.”

  “I almost did earlier.”

  “All you had to do was ask and I would have jumped off a cliff for you.” I slid my tongue into her mouth then pulled it back out. “I would do anything for you.”

  “Good.” Her back arched as my hand slid up her side. “Because I’ve been dying to get an autographed poster for months.”

  Our teeth hit from both of us laughing. I gave the side of her ass a firm slap and shook my head. “I’ll sign every damn poster in your room if you promise to let me sleep on the left.”

  “What is it with you and the left?” She tried to get up, but I pushed her down, nipping her lips with small kisses then doing the same to her cheeks, her eyelids. I tugged her shirt over her shoulders. My mouth met creamy smooth skin and I almost died.

  “I just like the left. Besides you sleep on your right and I sleep on my left, meaning when I wake up…” I licked the spot I’d just kissed. “…I wake up to you.”

  She let out a sigh as my mouth moved to her neck and then blew in her ear.

  “I love waking up to you.”

  “Funny, I thought whores couldn’t go out in the sunlight.”

  “Vampires.” I tugged her ear with my teeth. “But I understand why you’d be confused since I’m a badass.”

  “Werewovles,” she blurted. “More of a werewolf fan.”

  “Remind me to take that werewolf script.” I laughed into her hair, breathing hard from exerting myself so much. I’d never carried on a conversation with a girl while kissing her.

  I was in uncharted territory.

  And I was so damn nervous I was shaking.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m nervous,” I said honestly, then pulled back to look into her eyes. “I’ve never done this before.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “Isn’t that my line?”

  “No.” I tilted her chin so I could kiss her mouth again. Her lips would be the death of me. “I’ve never kissed a girl without it leading anywhere. I’ve never, um…” Shit, my face felt red. “Made out.”

  Her grin widened as she wrapped her arms around my neck and jerked me against her. My entire body went rigid with pent-up frustration — with want.

  “Well, allow me to demonstrate.” Her voice was husky. “First you kiss me, and then…” her hands inched down my naked chest. “You may or may not touch me.”

  “Touching.” I gripped her hips. “Right.”

  “And there’s always tongue.” She licked my lips, the minx.

  “God, I love your tongue.”

  “And sometimes there’s more. Clothing may come off… Then again, you’re already in nothing but boxer briefs.”

  I smirked. “Vulnerable, love. It’s called being vulnerable, not naked.”

  “Is that what we‘re calling it?”

  “Yes,” I said seriously. “With you, always.”

  “With anyone else?” Her eyes searched mine.

  I kissed her nose. “Never.”

  Deep brown eyes met my gaze as her hands closed over mine and then slowly slid them underneath her shirt.

  Cursing, I closed my eyes as my fingers memorized every damn curve, every goose bump they came into contact with.

  When my thumbs grazed her bra. I stopped.

  Pris smiled.

  “You shouldn’t tempt the devil.”

  “I don’t see a devil,” she whispered. “I see… you. Only you.”

  My eyes blurred for a moment, as if they were struggling to take in her beauty — my body trembled — unable to accept the compliment for what it was.

  Swallowing against the dryness in my throat, I gently pulled her against me — trembling as my mouth met hers more urgently than before, no longer asking permission but pouring my freaking soul into every touch, every caress.

  She shivered.

  When my tongue touched hers, I lost complete control of my senses. My body demanded that I prove to her what I felt words couldn’t express, but I was torn, because at the same time, I didn’t want a repeat of my past.

  I wanted a new beginning.

  Her hands moved to my boxers.

  My body damn near screamed.

  With a groan, my hand grazed her side, reaching to the back of her bra.

  “HOLY SHIT!” someone screamed.

  With a curse, I fell off the couch and hit my head against the coffee table, while Priscilla covered herself with a pillow, even though she wasn’t naked.

  “Dammit!” Demetri stormed into the room. “Babe, where’s my gun?”

  Alyssa rolled her eyes.

  “Bastard!” Demetri walked around the couch and pulled me off the floor.

  Well, at least I wasn’t so aroused I was embarrassing myself. I had no fight in me, so I simply smiled.

  Even when he punched me across the jaw.

  Pris screamed.

  Alyssa laughed.

  And I smiled. It would hurt like hell in the morning, but I felt buzzed, like I’d just downed an entire six-pack of beer. He could beat the shit out of me and I’d still be smiling. Because I had her.

  “I swear…” Demetri shoved me against the wall. “If you screwed her, I’m going to knife you!”

  “Violent,” I mumbled under my breath.

  “Guys!” Priscilla pushed Demetri away. “Nothing happened.”

  At least she’d had enough sense to right all her clothing. It was distracting enough watching her swollen mouth form words. Pretty sure my own mouth was hanging open still, in shock, in arousal, in… lust?

  “The hell it didn’t!” Demetri spat. “He was on top of you! He was touching!” He waved wildly in the air. “With his hands!” When I laughed, Demetri set his green eyes on me. “She’s eighteen dude, not a one-night stand.”

  “I know,” I said calmly.

  “You can’t just screw her and leave her.”

  “I know,” I repeated.

  “And, and—“ Demetri swore. “Damn I wish I hadn’t given up drinking.” With another curse he went over to the wall and started banging his head softly again
st it while Alyssa came up behind him. “I’m going to have to burn my couch.”

  I burst out laughing.

  “You!” He pointed. “I’m not done with you.” He turned on his heel and pointed at Pris. ”And you! You… go to your room!”

  “It has smoke in it,” she answered smartly.

  “Go to the guest room here. Son of a bitch,” he muttered and walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

  “Can I talk now?” I asked.

  “Can I kill you now?” he replied.

  Alyssa followed after Pris while I just sat and witnessed the rest of Demetri’s nervous breakdown.

  “Tell me,” he said in a low voice. “Tell me you didn’t…”

  “I didn’t,” I said smoothly. “I know my track record proves otherwise, but I actually care too much about her to strip her naked and have my way with her on your couch.”

  “Thanks.” His voice cracked.

  “Anytime.”

  He took a swallow of water then spit it out onto the counter. “Wait, what?”

  I looked at my hands.

  “You care about her? As in you care about her like a five-year-old cares for his goldfish?”

  I scowled.

  “Holy hell…” Demetri sat on the barstool. “I thought when you said you liked her you meant you had a little crush or obsession because you hadn’t been with anyone in a while. I didn’t think you were…”

  “Don’t say it,” I warned.

  “Fine.” He grinned. “I’ll just think it.”

  “Ass. Why are you even here?”

  “Seven days off tour, man. We wanted to check out the condo, plus our next stop is in Portland, so it works out.”

  “Thanks for the text.”

  “Thanks for the naked surprise.”

  “Touché.”

  “Hey, guys?” Alyssa called from the back room. “Can you order us pizza?”

  “Sure,” we answered in unison, both glaring at one another.

  “I’m not a whore,” I said, feeling the need to clear the air.

  Demetri snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Ten more minutes.” He shook his head. “I was a whore once. I know how it works. You tell yourself you won’t go too far, you tell yourself you’ll stop, and then, you wake up at five a.m. damning yourself to Hell. You really like her? Prove it. Don’t sleep with her.”

  A bucket of cold water would have done less damage to my already pounding blood.

  “But—”

  “Take it or leave it. She’s Alyssa’s cousin, soon to be my cousin by marriage. You want her, that’s fine. Prove you’re man enough not to do what you’ve been doing for the past five years.”

  “I’m not a monk,” I grumbled.

  “Be a monk.” He winked. “For her.”

  “Fine.”

  Demetri burst out laughing. “I can’t wait to call Alec. He’s supposed to meet us down here, but they got a later flight for tomorrow.”

  “Thanks for the heads up.”

  Demetri reached across the counter and punched me in the arm. “Surprise, bitch.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Priscilla

  Pretty sure my face was still as red as a tomato as I sat on the bed and waited for Alyssa to start in on me.

  But instead of yelling, she shut the door, turned, and burst out laughing. “Demetri owes me fifty bucks!”

  “Huh?”

  “I bet him fifty bucks that Jaymeson wouldn’t be able to keep his paws to himself. Demetri, poor soul, took the bet.” She jumped onto the bed. “I win.”

  “Hmm.” I licked my lips. “Does that mean you aren’t going to yell at me?”

  Alyssa shrugged. Her long dark hair cascaded over her shoulder. “You’re eighteen, you can make your own choices, and by the looks of it, you were doing just fine. Jaymeson may have a bad track record, but… I know first hand that whores make the best husbands.”

  “Huh?”

  Smirking, Alyssa grabbed my hands. “Demetri used to be the same way, now look at him. He’s drinking water and acting like a forty-year-old dad. Once men like that fall — they fall hard. It’s like a blind bat trying to fly around with weights around its legs.” She played with a piece of her hair. “The bat falls, but falls into a bowl full of fruit and lives the rest of his days fat and happy.”

  “Your examples need work.”

  She shrugged. “I’ve been hanging out with Demetri too much, blame him.”

  I looked around the room, feeling immediately guilty that I had been caught red-handed in their new condo on their new couch. “Lyss, I’m sorry, I know it’s your condo and—”

  “Please.” She rolled her eyes. “Who cares? Oh and P.S., that shirt looks way better on you, you should keep it.”

  “I’ll leave as soon as I can.”

  “No, you won’t.” She yawned. “You’ll stay. Plus, I think our friend Jaymeson likes having you next door. Just, no sneaking out. Your parents would kill me.”

  “We don’t have to sneak out.” I looked at a spot on the wall and swallowed. “Because he’s kind of been staying here.”

  “On the couch?”

  I shook my head.

  “In the spare bedroom?”

  I shook my head again.

  “In your bed?”

  I gave a slight nod.

  “Well damn, maybe Demetri was right to be worried.”

  “Nothing happens. We sleep.”

  “You have Jamie Jaymeson in your bed, alone, and… you sleep?”

  Yeah, I had to give it to her, it sounded insane.

  “Yup.”

  “Self control, thy name is Jaymeson.” Her head shook slightly. “Words I thought I’d never utter.”

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out and noted my dad’s number flashing. Probably not the right time to talk to him.

  I hit ignore.

  “Parents?” Alyssa guessed.

  “Yeah.”

  “How’s the house?”

  “Getting fixed.” I sighed heavily. “I have no idea who’s behind it, but everything’s been taken care of.”

  “Good.” Alyssa wrapped an arm around my shoulders, “Your family deserves a break. I know it’s been a rough year financially.”

  “Yeah.” It had been hell but I didn’t want to say that out loud. She’d just feel sorry for me.

  “Should we join the guys?”

  Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I opened the door. Both guys shirtless, wrestling on the floor, yelling obscenities.

  Alyssa simply walked over them and went to the fridge. “Water?”

  “Sure!”

  “Tap out! Tap out!” Demetri shouted.

  “Bloody hell, leave my balls out of this!”

  “Wanna watch a movie?” Lyss tossed the water to me. “Or you wanna watch them kill each other?”

  I took a seat.

  She nodded. “Good call.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Jaymeson

  Watching a movie with Demetri and Alyssa was like going on a chaperoned date. Demetri even sat between us, like the ass he was.

  Priscilla laughed it off.

  I elbowed him in the ribs then stretched my arms up and around him so that he’d get uncomfortable.

  Unfortunately, it was Demetri we were talking about, so he took it a step further and laid his head on my shoulder then his damn hands inched up my chest.

  I cursed and threw him off of me.

  Damn him.

  Maybe that was why I was currently risking my life.

  They’d sent me home at ten, as if I had a curfew at twenty-three years old.

  My bed was cold.

  And without Pris it felt uncomfortable.

  I even tried sleeping on the left and putting a pillow on the right so it would face me. I was half tempted to draw a face on it —but once that thought appeared, I realized I
was in too deep — and desperate.

  I threw another rock.

  Then another.

  Finally she opened her window and looked out. I waved from my balcony.

  “What are you doing?” she shrieked.

  “Sneaking in!” I yelled back.

  “Did you suddenly learn how to fly?”

  “No.” Grunting, I placed the board between the balconies.

  “You’re insane!” She shouted in a hoarse whisper.

  “If I die—”

  “—Jaymeson! Get off the board!”

  “Love…” I smiled. “I do all my own stunts. Watch me work.”

  “I can’t look.” She covered her eyes, while I safely walked across the board and jumped onto her balcony.

  “Safe and sound,” I muttered proudly as the sound of the board crashing onto the rocky ledge invaded my ears. Whoops.

  Pris looked through her fingers and swore. I loved it.

  “Open the door.”

  “What if they catch me?”

  “Are you ten?” I smirked. “Just don’t make any sounds or turn on any lights. Come let me in.”

  “Fine.” She shut her window.

  Within minutes she was unlocking the sliding glass door and dragging me silently through the house to the guest room. It was kind of a rush — sneaking in.

  When we made it to her room, she slowly closed the door and locked it.

  “Oh wow, you planning on doing something naughty? Locking the door.” I shook my head in disapproval. “My, my, what a little hussy I’ve created.”

  Her response was to smack me in the chest. “You could have killed yourself!”

  Waving her off, I went and sat on the bed. “I was fine.”

  “Right. And the board you used broke into a million pieces on the rocky cliff.”

  I winced.

  “That’s what I thought.” She sat next to me. “So, was it worth it?”

  I tilted my head, my eyes scanning her white tank top and short black shorts. “Hell yeah, it was worth it.”

  Grumbling, she crawled into bed and went to turn off the light.

  “Wait.” I cleared my throat and pulled out the script Peter had sent me. I’d rolled it up and put it in my back pocket so I had to smooth out the pages before I handed them to her. “I was wondering if you could help me with something.”