by JB Salsbury
“Such dirty talk.” This time when I take a chair from her I almost grab her wrist and pull her into my chest. Friends give hugs, don’t they? But with Riley’s eyes on us I know it would only upset Bex so I resist.
“My gosh, Bex, you’re such a man.” Riley’s comment has all the humor draining from Bex’s face. “We come from a family of all girls…” Riley acts as though she’s only talking to her surrounding sorority sisters, but she’s speaking loud enough for all of us to hear. “Our family use to say Bex was the closest thing to the son they always wanted.” The girls explode into giggles.
Bex’s spine stiffens and she turns around to fire back. “And Riley was the—whoa!”
Kaipo swoops in and takes Bex off her feet. He grips her thighs so that she has no other option but to wrap her legs around him and hang on to his shoulders. “Lunch break!” He carries her across the patio while she laughs hysterically.
I ball my fists as he takes her through the backdoor and they disappear inside.
“Oh my God, is he taking her away to have sex with her,” Lily asks acting mortified but clearly jealous.
“Doubtful,” Riley, scoffs.
I force myself to stay put for as long as it takes to put out a few more chairs before excusing myself. “I’m going to hit the bathroom,” I say without looking at the women at the table. “I’ll be right back.”
Rather than scout out the guest bathroom downstairs I take three stairs at a time to Bex’s room. I hear Kaipo’s deep voice from the other side of the door and freeze before I turn the knob when I see the Pythong sticker I gave her on the corner of her whiteboard. Written in her handwriting it reads What do snakes do after they fight? Hiss and make up.
I twist the handle and push inside. Kaipo is standing at the terrarium with one of Bex’s snakes wrapped around his massive hands. “Look at this!” He holds up the black and red serpent. “I’m holding a snake.”
I look at Bex who smiles proudly at her slithering friend. When I close the door, I get her eyes. “Are you okay?”
Her jaw clenches as if she’s frustrated by my overprotection. “I’m fine, you guys. Riley’s little jabs don’t bother me.” She drops her gaze back to the snake and I have to wonder if she did that so I won’t see the lie in her eyes.
I don’t care how thick-skinned she is, being repeatedly humiliated in front of other people by your own family has to hurt.
I give in and allow myself to do the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I saw her that day outside the coffee shop. I snag her hand and pull her into my arms. She comes willingly, as if she needs this just as badly as I do. I drop my nose into the top of her fluffy ponytail and breathe in the clean herbal scent of her hair. “It might not bother you, but it pisses the fuck out of me.”
“Me too.” Kaipo rolls his hands around, fixated on the snake. “I’d never hit a woman, but I was tempted, cuz.” He eyes Bex in my arms, her fists bunched into the back of my t-shirt and her cheek pressed against my chest. He grins. “Sorry for over steppin’ but I had to get her out of there.”
I nod into Bex’s hair, press a kiss to the top of her head, and melt into the feeling of her warm body against mine. “Naw, man, I’m glad you did. I owe you.”
He smiles knowingly at me with Bex in my arms.
“You’re a really good hugger,” she says in a way that has me imagining late nights in the dark.
She relaxes deeper against me, enveloping me in a sense of rightness because I want to be the one to bring her comfort, to be her safe place.
“They’re all yours, whenever you need them.”
Kaipo puts the snake back in its habitat. “I’m going to get back to work.” He gives me a chin lift as he passes us to the door. “I’ll hold them off as long as I can, but I don’t think you have much time before they send out the search party.”
The door closes softly behind us. Not ready to let her go, I pull back only enough to get her eyes. “You sure you’re all right?”
“This is wrong.” She turns out of my arms and moves to the terrariums where she secures the lid on the one Kaipo returned. “You’re with Riley—”
“I’m with you. You’re making me pretend to be with Riley, but she is not where my head’s at.”
She turns to me but stays a good distance away. Her arms crossed at her chest, she glares. “How can you say that? You hardly know me.”
“I know you more than I know her.”
“You’ve made out with her.”
I rub my face and take off my hat to scrub my hair, frustrated, before I pop my hat back on. “I don’t want to say this to you because I want you to like me, but making out with someone doesn’t mean you know them.”
My words have the effect I feared and she cringes.
“If it were up to me, we’d have been making out since the day you came into the surf shop, which means by now we’d have known each other a lot more than I know Riley.” I take a tentative step toward her. “I haven’t touched your cousin since I’ve had feelings for you.”
“She kissed you right in front of me.”
“And I stopped it. I did not kiss her back. And I’m sorry if seeing that upsets you, but you’re doing it to yourself.”
Her golden eyes flicker with annoyance.
I move closer. “I think I know what would make us both feel a lot better.”
“And what’s that?” she whispers.
“Let me kiss you.”
“I don’t know—”
“I don’t want her. I don’t even like her. And if it were possible for me to say no to you, I would, and I’d march down there right now and tell Riley I’m pulling out of the formal tomorrow night—”
“Oh my God, no. That would have devastating consequences for everyone.”
“Okay, so I’ll escort her to the formal in body,” I say and run a finger along her jaw to her chin, then trace the smooth skin of her throat. “But my heart and soul will be right here. With you.”
Her breathing picks up and she grips the dresser top behind her.
“About that kiss?”
She licks her lips.
“Is that a yes?” I’m mesmerized by her heavy breath, the flush of her cheeks, and her quickened pulse that beats furiously under my touch. I lean in and brush my lips against her ear. “Speak up, I can’t hear you.”
“Y-yes.”
I close my eyes and try to reel in the quick shot of lust that surges through me. Have I ever wanted any woman this badly in my life? I run my nose along her hairline, drunk on her scent, and feel my body harden in response. I kiss her forehead, the tip of her nose, and finally I lower my lips to hers.
I groan at the warm, supple contact of her mouth. Her heated breath on my lips is a siren’s call and I’m drunk on the feel of it. I step closer, splay my palm on her lower back and pull her against me. Her form molds to mine and she gasps when she feels how hard I am. The sound sends shivers of ecstasy through me, and needing so much more, I lick at her bottom lip. She responds to my silent request by tilting her head and her tongue brushes hotly against mine. The slick, wet contact ignites me, sends a raging wildfire through my veins that has me delving deeper into our connection.
I fold over her, bending her back while keeping a firm hold on her body. She grasps at my shoulders, her fingers dig into my skin as she fists my t-shirt and rises to the challenge of my demanding kiss. I want to touch her everywhere, lie her down and explore her body. She sucks my tongue into her mouth and I nearly explode. How the hell did she learn to kiss like this?
Who cares! All I know is I need more. Lots more.
I move one hand from her lower back to her front and cup her full breast in my palm. She moans into my mouth when I brush her nipple, ensuring I’ll do it again and again just to hear the tempting sounds she makes. She lifts her knee, and I grab it to hitch it over my hip, opening her up to me more fully while I lick and suck at her mouth. If only there weren’t so many clothes between us, I’d be lined up to slip insid
e her beautiful body and take her deep until she fell apart in my arms. She slides her hand under my shirt at my back and her fingers dip behind the waistband of my boxer briefs, holding me in place, showing me she likes what I’m doing and doesn’t want me to stop.
I can’t get enough of her soft, wet mouth, and I’m desperate to feel the rest of her. Soon. Very soon. But not like this. Not in a hurry while hiding from her cousin. When I finally get Bex to myself, I’ll need hours. Maybe even days.
But none of those thoughts help me to pull myself away. I don’t ever want to stop kissing her. Not now, not tomorrow, not on campus or in front of people. There will never be a moment where I don’t want her mouth on mine.
“You can’t go in there!”
Kaipo’s voice from outside Bex’s room does the job and we rip apart like heavy-duty Velcro.
“I told you, woman. He’s planning something special for tomorrow night and he needed Bex’s help.”
“Are you okay,” I whisper to Bex as she straightens her shirt and tries, unsuccessfully, to shake off the lust fog we created.
“Yeah, are you?”
I give my jeans a quick adjustment and smirk. “I’m a lot better than okay.”
She blushes and then rubs her cheeks furiously. “Stop it! They’re going to know.”
“Know what? That we just lit each other up with one kiss? Yeah, they’re going to know.”
“No, shut up.” She covers her face and laughs quietly.
“You’re so fucking hot.”
“Shut up.” She races past me to her bathroom and I look in on her snakes. The yellow and white one stares back at me with cold, unfeeling eyes, and the memory of our time together helps to deflate the issue behind my zipper.
The door to Bex’s room opens and Riley storms in with an apologetic looking Kaipo behind her.
She gives Bex the evil eye as she comes out of the bathroom with a freshly washed face. I’d bet my balls it was cold water. I smile.
“What is taking so long?” Riley says, swinging a suspicious gaze back and forth between me and Bex.
“We’re done.” I lift a chin to Bex. “Thanks. For…everything.”
Her cheeks flame but she plays it off with a casual, “No problemo, jock.”
Riley hooks her arm in mine and I resist the urge to shake her off. After being touched by Bex, Riley’s hands on me feel all wrong—foreign and unwanted. “Let Kaipo chill with Bex for a little bit and you can come hang in my room.” The sultry way she looks up at me gives away her intention. Nope. Not happening.
“Can’t. I have to work early.” I look over Riley to Kaipo. “Everything done outside?”
“Yep.” He has his arm thrown over Bex in a way I know is more familial than flirty. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, gorgeous.” He kisses her on the side of her head and a shot of jealousy hits me in the chest. My only comfort is knowing that by this time tomorrow night, I’ll be free to kiss her like that too.
“Are you sure you can’t stay?” Riley presses her modest boob against my arm. “It’ll be fun…”
“No.” I slip my arm free of her hold and back away. “I’ll be here tomorrow afternoon. Four o’clock, right?”
She frowns and her expression is etched in suspicion. I don’t think she suspects that I’m crushing hard on her cousin, but she’s definitely cued into something being up. “Right.”
Kaipo and I say one last goodbye and then get the fuck out of there. With the taste of Bex on my lips, I need to get out before I kiss her again.
Chapter Eleven
Bex
I have butterflies on my way to the surf shop to pick up the surfboards for the formal. I know Loren’s going to be working, and after that kiss in my room last night…I blow out a breath and try to calm my nerves. That kiss.
My skin was buzzing for hours after he left. I couldn’t calm down enough to sleep. All I wanted to do was drive straight to his house, bang on his door, and get another shot at that mouth. He kissed me like I was made of Baccarat crystal—valued, cherished, and adored.
And after tonight, is it possible that he could be mine?
I pull around the back of the surf shop where the storage for all the rentals are. The shop opens at seven am, it’s seven oh-five. I shake out my mass of curls and check my face in the mirror. I don’t typically wear makeup but I brushed on some mascara and clear lip gloss, I also wore a casual sundress that I’m now second guessing as I don’t want it to look like I’m trying too hard. I cut the engine, and open the door only to have it pulled from my grasp and opened for me.
Loren greets me with a big smile and bright eyes. “Whose truck is this? I didn’t know it was you until I saw your hair.”
“Kayla’s. I borrowed it to get ten surfboards back to the house.”
His eyes roam my face, neck, and dip to my dress. “You look hot, Brat.”
I give his body the same treatment, loving the way his t-shirt hugs his broad shoulders and the way his shorts hang off his narrow hips. I know if I pulled up the front of his shirt he’d have that sexy v that all the girls go crazy for. “You too.”
He grips my knee, pulling it, and opening my thighs so he can step between them, while I’m still in the driver's seat. God bless big pickup trucks. His hands run up and down my thighs. “You’re so soft.” His gaze drops to my lips. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss.”
“I haven’t either.”
His hands slide higher to my hips where he grabs me and slides me closer until my ass nearly falls off the seat. But he holds me there on the edge with a firm grip, thumbs on the front of my panties, fingers splayed on the back. “I’m about to kiss you again.”
“Not if I kiss you first.” I stretch up and press my lips to his, and just like last night, a million explosions go off at once beneath my skin.
Our lips part immediately and when our tongues slide together in a slow, erotic dance, I grip his ass and pull him deeper to me. He grins against my mouth, but continues to kiss me with a surgeon’s detail and precision. How can there be so much power in his gentleness?
His hands move down my thighs then slip up and underneath the lace at my hips. He’s nowhere near where I want him, and yet I feel like he’s touching me in the most intimate of places. He kisses down my jaw to my neck, sucks softly, and then whispers, “I want to taste you.” He punctuates his heated confession with a squeeze of my hips. “I bet you’re so fucking sweet.”
I tilt my head back while he continues to kiss and suck at my throat, dipping lower to my breasts. I lean back and he follows to fold over me, and run his teeth along my sensitive nipple. I run my fingers through his hair, so soft, as he continues to worship my breasts over my clothes. He’s clearly not new to the workings of the female body as he strings me tight and leaves me unfulfilled.
“You make the hottest sounds when I touch you.” He straightens and frees one of his hands to pull me back to sitting up. “Which is why I need to stop here.”
“No you don’t.” I snag him by the back of the neck and kiss him again, this time with a contagious urgency.
He groans into my mouth and then rips his lips away. “You want me to fuck you in Kayla’s truck?” He’s breathing heavy, cheeks flushed, and his eyes spark with a wicked promise that, if we were in my car, I would’ve liked to test.
“You’re right.” I shuffle my ass backwards and shimmy my skirt back down around my thighs. “She probably wouldn’t appreciate that.”
He turns and seems to adjust his shorts before locking his hands behind his head and pacing the small lot. Cool down. Good idea.
I hop from the truck and allow the breeze to bring down my body temperature.
Eventually he drops his hands and faces me. “Spend the night with me tonight.”
“Tonight? But, the formal—”
“Fuck the formal. Fuck Riley. Stay with me.”
I grin, but it’s more discomfort than happiness. “You can’t be serious. We can’t jump into be
d together two hours after you call things off with her.”
“We can. We just don’t need to advertise it.”
“So…behind her back?”
“It’s none of her business anyway.”
“I don’t know, this feels—”
“Don’t say wrong.” He steps closer. “Because we both know that nothing has ever felt more right.”
“Your roommates will know.”
“And I think Kaipo has proven they’re on our side. Ro and Emery won’t say anything, and the only other person is my brother Levi, who’s hardly ever there. And if he says anything I’ll break both his legs.”
“Wow. All that just to get laid,” I joke, hoping it’ll soften some of the lines in his face.
“I don’t need to have sex with you, Bex. I just want to be near you. This distance is killing me.” He sifts his fingers through my hair to hold the back of my head and bring our foreheads together. “I really fucking like you. A lot. Not being able to show it is torture.”
I swallow hard, close my eyes and brace for his response to what needs to be said. “Are you sure, I mean, do you think it’s possible you only want me with this kind of urgency because you can’t have me?”
He pulls back and looks down at me as if I just told him I eat puppies on Sundays. “Is that what you think?”
I shrug and shrink a little. “It’s crossed my mind.”
“Okay.” He steps back from me and I miss him immediately. It’s on the tip of my tongue to beg him to come back, to tell him I didn’t mean it just to get his hands on me again. “I promised I’d give you until tonight, but as of eight o’clock, I’m done. As of eight o’clock tonight I’m coming after you and I don’t give a fuck who knows. No more depriving us of what we both want.”
“But Riley—”
“She already senses it coming. I could tell by the way she looked at me last night, she knows I’m not into her. She might be surprised when she sees me all over her cousin, but she’ll get over it.”
“She’ll talk shit and spread rumors—”
“Don’t care.”
“She’ll make my life hell—”
