She laughed. “For most people, a few dates are all it takes.”
“You should know better than anyone that I’m not like most people,” I stated.
“I know, Little One. You’ve been through hell and back. But I’m glad that you’re finally coming out of your shell a little bit. I’ll swing by your place at seven. How does that sound?”
“Okay,” I agreed.
The cast party was being held at my sister’s friend, Robyn’s house. His parents were loaded and they bought him a small house off campus to live in while he was in school. Like my sister, he had been in school a little longer that the traditional four-year plan. It made me wonder if that was common for theater majors, or maybe it was just my sister’s friends.
When Robyn greeted us at the door, he was wearing harem pants, a wife beater and a sweatband on his forehead. He looked like an odd cross between a 1990s rap star and fitness guru from the 1980s. He gave my sister a rather risqué hug that included significant groping of her butt.
When I looked at what my sister was wearing, a flowing pink flowered gown that made her look like a hippie straight out of the Haight-Ashbury 1967 Summer of Love, I wondered if I was even dressed appropriately in my black jeans and salmon V-neck sweater.
“You didn’t tell me this was a costume party,” I whispered to my sister.
She laughed then whispered back, “It’s not. I think Robyn went to work out but was probably too lazy to get changed. Or maybe he just forgot.” Okay, but that didn’t explain her outfit. She dressed outrageously but usually not that outrageously.
I was starting to remember why I didn’t like going to cast parties with my sister. I didn’t fit in at all. I was like a little blue jay amongst a room filled with proud peacocks.
When we entered, the place smelled like pot although I didn’t see anyone actually smoking it. My sister inhaled a deep breath. “Hmm,” she said. “I wonder who’s got the ganga.”
My sister hugged several guys, who I vaguely recognized as some of her previous lovers. I think she’d been with nearly every straight guy in the theater department at one time or another, including several of the professors.
I glanced around the room at the drama queens and theater geeks, who were all drinking and socializing. It kind of made me sad that I never really had the full college experience of going to parties and enjoying the comradeship of a clique. I’d heard some of the other psychology majors talking about going out to grab beers together on Friday nights but I never got close enough to any of them to be included.
As I continued to scan the large living room teaming with theater majors, my eyes fell on a gorgeous guy with dark hair and dark eyes. He was tall and his muscular chest was accentuated by the tight black shirt he was wearing. He had on tight black pants and black loafers. The one word I would use to describe him was intimidating. When his eyes caught mine, a shiver ran through me that turned my blood cold. The guy completely scared the hell out of me. I didn’t want to label him evil but he certainly had a menacing quality that made my skin break out in goose bumps.
I was frozen in place when I saw he was headed in my direction. I had the desire to flee but my body wouldn’t obey. When he got so close to me that I could smell his expensive cologne, I swallowed. Hard.
“I’m Blake,” he said as he stared down at me. I felt like he was undressing me with his eyes and it made me very uncomfortable.
“Taylor,” I managed to squeak out. I didn’t want to be rude but the last place on earth I wanted to be was standing near this guy. He completely creeped me out.
“You’re not a theater major,” he said as he gave me a little grin. He was definitely gorgeous, no doubt about that, but he also knew it. I got the feeling he was used to getting everything he wanted, especially with women.
Before I could excuse myself, my sister rushed over to us and put her arm around me. “Taylor, I see you’ve met the newest addition to our little theater family.”
So Blake was the Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome she had mentioned on the phone. The one she thought would find me attractive. She wasn’t wrong but I had zero interest in the guy. Not just because I was falling for Kian but the guy made my skin crawl.
Then Zelda said to Blake, “I see you’ve met my little sister.”
Blake eyed the two of us like we were both fresh meat and he was a hungry lion. It completely freaked me out. My instinct was to get away from the guy but I couldn’t move with my sister’s arm around me.
“Why haven’t I seen you around campus?” Blake asked.
“I’m usually around the psychology building or in the library studying.”
“A smart girl. I like that.” He moved in so close to me, I could feel his breath on my neck. “Smart girls are usually freaks in bed,” he whispered in my ear.
I couldn’t swallow hard enough to keep the bile from traveling up my throat.
“I need a drink,” I said quickly as I pulled away from my sister’s embrace.
“I can get you one,” Blake offered.
“That’s okay. I need to go to the bathroom, too. So I’ll just get it after that.”
Blake didn’t look deterred in the least, which I found disturbing. I guess he couldn’t take a hint or he just didn’t believe a girl would actually blow him off.
“Gotta go,” I said as I high-tailed it toward the other end of the room.
My sister was on my heels moments later. “Do you even know where the bathroom is?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Do you really have to go?”
I shook my head again. “No, Blake was just creeping me out.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Was he really creeping you out or did you just panic because he was coming on a bit strong?”
“Maybe a little of both,” I admitted. “I don’t know. It’s not like I have a lot of experience with guys.”
“I know,” my sister said as she gave me a quick hug. “And you’ve got it bad for the Hockey Hunk, don’t you?”
I frowned. “His name is Kian.”
“I know his name. I just like giving you a hard time. And there’s no denying he’s a hunk.”
“That’s not why I like him. Well, it’s not the only reason. And it’s probably not even in the top five reasons. But you’re right. He is hot.”
My sister gave a quick look around then said, “You know Blake is watching every move you make. You’d better go to the bathroom so he doesn’t think you’re lying.”
“Maybe if he realizes I was lying, he’ll figure out I’m not interested.”
“Let me tell you a few things about Blake.” My sister grabbed my elbow and led me toward the back of the house. “He’s from Scottsdale. His family is super rich. His dad owns a bunch of companies. They hate the fact that he’s going into acting but Blake does what he wants. He’s extremely egotistical and extremely spoiled. I think he’s used to getting everything he wants, if you know what I mean, especially when it comes to girls.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I got that feeling.”
“Well, little one, the way he’s still eyeing you, I’d say you’re something that he wants—desperately.”
“Yeah, well good luck with that because he can’t have me.” The boldness of my words actually took me by surprise.
“You go, Taylor,” my sister said as we got in line for the bathroom. “I figured by the time we got to the front of the line we’d both be ready for a preemptive pee.”
Zelda and I didn’t stay very long at the party. She told me she was getting a little ansty because two of her current lovers were there and even though they both knew about each other and knew she wasn’t monogamous, they still seemed to be itching for a fight. The guys both looked like theater geeks to me and I couldn’t imagine either of them fighting but my sister seemed concerned enough to want to leave. “Out of sight, out of mind,” she said.
I was glad to get away from Blake’s intense gaze. No matter where I ended up in the house, he e
nded up just a few feet away from me, leering at me with his dark black eyes. I was starting to get a stalker vibe from him so I was glad to be out of there and away from his gaze. I was glad that my classes were all on the other side of campus, far away from the theater department.
When I got home, I checked my cell phone for messages. There was a single text from Kian: Looking forward to our date tomorrow.
Me, too, I texted back.
Thirteen
Kian
I looked in my rearview mirror for what could have been the twentieth time to make sure I didn’t have anything on my face like toothpaste or shaving cream. I was fifteen minutes early to pick up Taylor and I didn’t want her to think I was too eager, even though seeing her again was all I thought about. Finally, when I couldn’t stand waiting one more minute to see her, I hopped out of the car.
I decided to bring her a live plant instead of flowers. The older woman running the garden center in the market said the Azaleas would eventually flower. I hoped it would make Taylor’s room smell like a garden again since she said she liked it so much.
When I felt a few butterflies flipping around in my stomach, I couldn’t believe I was nervous again. I was turning into a real pussy.
Taylor looked amazing in her tight little jeans and sexy chest-hugging sweater. Part of me wanted to say: fuck the date, let’s just skip to the part where I tear those clothes off and make you mine.
But that would have to wait. I knew I couldn’t move too quickly with Taylor. I didn’t want to freak her out or scare her away. I couldn’t completely keep my hands off of her, though, so I pulled her close and gave her a kiss.
I could feel a shudder move through her as her body responded to mine. As I parted her lips with my tongue, I could hear her let out a little moan. I pushed my tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss. I felt hungry for Taylor, starved for her. I didn’t feel like I could ever get enough of her.
It took every ounce of willpower I had to pull myself from her, then we both stood looking at each other, breathless.
“We’d better go,” I said. “We’ve got a bit of a drive ahead of us.”
She smiled. “You’re still not going to tell me where we’re going?”
I shook my head. “No, but I think you’ll like it.”
“What if I guess?”
I frowned. “I don’t think you’ll be able to guess and I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”
“What’s that?” Taylor asked as she seemed to finally notice the plant I had brought in with me, which I had placed next to the door.
I picked up the Azaleas and handed them to her. “This is so you’ll continue to have flowers whenever it blooms.”
She gave me a big smile that tugged on my heartstrings a bit. “I love it,” she exclaimed. She carefully placed the plant on her dresser next to the window where it would get some sunlight.
When I took her hand into mine, all of my jitters and anxiety seemed to melt away. When I was with Taylor, when we were joined, I truly felt like I was where I belonged.
The trip took a little over two hours. On the way, Taylor told me about school and how her research was going and all of the places she had applied for graduate school. She was so smart and driven it was a little intimidating but also sexy as hell. There was something about a smart girl finding a dumb jock like me attractive that completely turned me on.
But then when she said, “There’s something I need to tell you,” and her tone turned serious, all of the anxiety I thought I had conquered returned.
“What?” I asked not sure I really wanted to hear what was next. My imagination started running wild as I thought about all the ways she could dump me and break my heart.
“You were right. Kyle’s motives were a little more than just friendly. He wanted more from our relationship than to just be my friend.”
“He didn’t hit on you, did he?” I could feel my entire body tense with jealously and my hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles began to turn white.
“No,” she said quickly. “Nothing like that.”
I let out the breath I was holding.
“He just said a few things that were not appropriate or nice and I figured it out.”
“What did he say?” I asked between clenched teeth and I could feel my body growing tense again.
She frowned. “It’s not important. I just wanted you to know that you were right about him and that I’m reconsidering our friendship.”
I was glad she would be seeing less of pie-face but I also didn’t want her to be lonely or feel like I was keeping her from her friends.
“I decided to hang out with my sister a little more. I haven’t been the best little sis since we’ve been in college. She invited me to a cast party last night. It was okay. Theater majors are different. They’re a lot more off-beat and unconventional than I’m used to.”
I wanted to ask her if she was seeing other guys but we hadn’t really talked about being exclusive. I’d never thought about the possibility of having that type of conversation with a girl, so I didn’t even know how to bring up the subject. But the thought of her being with another guy made me outrageously jealous. I knew it was completely irrational because we just started seeing each other but I wanted her to be mine and mine alone and I knew I didn’t want anyone else but her.
When we pulled into parking lot for the Butterfly Wonderland, Taylor’s eyes went wide and she laughed. “You’re right. I never would have guessed you were taking me here. How did you find out about it?”
I didn’t want to tell her I had asked the ladies in the marketing department to recommend romantic locations to me. They gave me a list long enough to last for several months’ worth of dates but this one topped the list.
“Come on,” I said. “I need to get out of the car and stretch my legs.
Butterfly Wonderland was pricey but it was worth every penny to see the look of awe and pure delight on Taylor’s face as we walked through the conservatory. The atrium was about half the size of a hockey arena but it was like being in a tropical rain forest. Watching Taylor’s face as the butterflies flew past us was almost as much fun as watching the butterflies themselves.
“This is amazing,” Taylor exclaimed as she took everything in. “I think I could live here.”
“It is beautiful,” I replied. And I almost had to kick my own ass when I thought: But not half as beautiful as you. Talk about cheesy lines.
But it was the truth.
“Look at the waterfall,” Taylor squealed as she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the cascading water. “Incredible!”
She sat down on a bench and I sat beside her. I watched as she observed everything around her. Then she inhaled a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. As she exhaled, she looked into my eyes. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Then she placed a soft kiss on my cheek and my heart skipped a few beats. I rose and put out my hand, which she grabbed and I pulled her up to join me. “Come on, there’s still lots to see.”
Two hours later, we were both exhausted and hungry as we exited the Butterfly Wonderland and made our way back to my car. “I thought we could try this downtown café that got rave reviews. When I looked at the menu online, it looked like they had all kinds of pitas and wraps and other girlie foods that you like.”
I could see that she was fighting not to laugh. Then she said, “Are you sure you don’t want to go someplace where you can get meat. And not just girlie meat. Real man meat.”
Now she was laughing and I had to admit she was pretty funny. And she was also cute as hell when she laughed. I leaned down and crashed my lips into hers. We both got a little carried away as we devoured each other. When I grabbed her ass and pulled her into my growing erection, she gasped.
“Are you okay?” I whispered. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t hurting her.
“Yeah, why?” she replied softly.
“You gaspe
d.”
“I was a little surprised you’re so—um—hard.” She seemed embarrassed to talk about my erection, which was growing ever more prominent with her hot little body pressed against mine.
I whispered into her ear. “That’s how much you turn me on, Princess.” I could see her face turn slightly red with embarrassment. “It’s not a bad thing, believe me. But we’d better slow down a bit. We are still in public.”
She nodded and we both got into my car.
As we headed toward the café, she asked, “Why do you call me Princess?”
“Because you are,” I replied.
“I can’t believe you still have me on a pedestal, even after you found out about everything that happened with Austin.”
“What happened with Austin wasn’t your fault,” I insisted. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
She tried to discreetly wipe a tear drop that had escaped down her cheek. I could see that her eyes were wet and she was blinking back tears. “You don’t think I’m used up damaged goods.”
“Why would you say that?” I could hear anger rising in my voice. She hesitated for a moment so I repeated the question. “Why would you say that?”
“Just something Kyle said. He implied that no one would truly want me because of what happened.”
“Kyle’s a fucking asshole if that’s what he thinks and he doesn’t even deserve your friendship.”
“I don’t care what Kyle thinks,” she said. “I want to know what you think.”
I gave it a lot of thought before I spoke. I didn’t want to scare her or do anything to hurt her any more than she had already been hurt. I knew I had to choose my words carefully and be completely honest with her.
I cleared my throat then said, “I think I’m starting to have feelings for you. Real feelings. Feelings I’ve never felt before in my life. Feelings I never thought I’d ever feel for another person. I know we haven’t known each other very long and it probably sounds crazy but when I’m with you, everything feels right. It’s like we’re two pieces of some weird cosmic puzzle that somehow fit together.”
Fire on Ice (Fire on Ice Series) Page 12
