“You’re disgusting,” I tossed over my shoulder, herding Dana and Caleb up the stairs.
“That’s not what the ladies say!” he called.
Slamming the door, I slumped onto the bed. “Sorry, you’ve met my older brother, Sir Pervertius.”
Dana fluttered her lashes. “One sexy broody brother, and one hot man-slut. Ugh, I envy you so bad.”
She thought it over for a minute. “Never mind. If I were you, I wouldn’t be able to tap that. Technically, I can’t breach the girl code and tap that anyway since I’m your bestie, but I can have some rated R daydreams without ending up on Dr. Phil.”
Caleb and I just stared at her for a few minutes. She squirmed. “What?”
Caleb ignored her. “So this is what happens if a girl goes to the bathroom alone? A full-fledged war?”
“Funny,” I drawled, sticking my tongue out at him. “She ambushed me and pushed me too far.”
“Well…” Caleb prompted when I wouldn’t continue. “Did she say your jeans were totes out of style?” Caleb did a poor imitation of a mean girl’s voice, sending me and Dana into peals of laughter.
“No,” I sobered quickly. Inhaling, I rubbed my neck. “She talked about my relationship with Jared.”
The amusement evaporated from Dana and Caleb’s expressions. “How does she know anything to do with that?” Caleb sputtered. He knew the bare bones of Jared and my past, but even the little he knew was enough to enrage him.
“Her Dad’s a big-shot attorney,” I said bitterly. “He pulled the files.”
“Your Dad is in law too! Can’t he, like, sue him?” Dana questioned angrily.
I sighed, hugging my knees to my chest. “Probably, but the case would be public, and it might be easy for a reporter to dig around and get my files.”
“I’ll kill her,” Dana announced with utter conviction. “Your Dad can spring me from jail, and your Mom can make the murder look like an accident.”
I wanted desperately to tell my friends that Jared had visited me, but his warning was clear. Harm would come anyone who knew he was here, and he’d know. I wasn’t sure how, but he would. Asher could take care of himself, but my friends were two ordinary high school seniors. They already had to deal with my messed up life once, and I wasn’t going to ruin their senior year.
They stayed until nightfall, when their parents called and demanded they return. I robotically ate dinner, ignoring Spencer’s jabs at me, like “I heard one in two teenagers ditch school at least once” or “Ditching is a more common problem than society thinks.”
It wasn’t until I pointed at the china cabinet that he shut his trap. My mood was still in the dumps, and I knew why.
A part of me was afraid everything Brenda had accused me of was true.
It had plagued me for years, the thought that it was my fault Jared had gone off the deep end. He hadn’t been abnormal when I met him. He’d been friendly, popular, well-liked. What had I done to so drastically change him?
It sent me spiraling to a place I didn’t want to return, and I curled on my bed, staring at my bedroom wall blankly long after my parents and brother had gone to bed. Tears I hadn’t noticed fell on my pillow, and the dull thrum of a headache warned.
Ding. Ding.
What the heck? Sitting up, I cocked my head, listening for the mysterious noise.
Ding. Ding.
It was coming from the window. Pulling a robe over my flannel bunny pajamas, I edged towards the window, majorly wigging out. What if it was a serial killer? What if it was Tristan or Brett, bent on restoring their masculine pride by killing me?
Gingerly, I opened the window and peered out into the darkness only to have something clip me in the forehead. “Ow!”
“Ivy?” a familiar deep voice stilled the hand rubbing my forehead.
My lower lip jutted forward in a stubborn pout, even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “Go away.”
“Not until you get down here and talk to me.”
“Buzz off, Grayson!” I hissed.
“If you’re not standing in front of me in ten seconds, I’m going to pound on your front door and wake up your parents,” he threatened.
Argh! I tried to get downstairs without stomping. Slipping through the door, I tightened my robe around me against the chill. I spotted Asher standing under my window, still looking up. Thanking the pink panther for any ninja skills I had, I crept forward and smacked the back of his head.
Asher had me pinned against the side of the house in a nanosecond. “Let me go!” I demanded.
He released me with a scowl. Note to self: Do not sneak up on gun-toting bad boys.
“Care to tell me what the fuck that stunt you pulled at school was?” Asher demanded without premise, in a hard voice.
“Call it a wicked case of PMS,” I snapped.
“Shut up,” he ordered grimly, stepping closer to me. My breathing hitched, but I refused to let him see how he affected me. “You know Brenda isn’t my girlfriend, and how the hell could you throw around two football players like sacks of potatoes?”
“You don’t know everything there is to know about Ivy Robello,” I said sullenly. “I’ve got a few moves under my belts, doesn’t mean I’m going to open a jar of whoop-ass on everyone who pisses me off. That’s your forte.”
He ignored my last jab. “Why did you step in front of Tristan? I was dealing with him.”
I threw my hands in the air. How frustrating could he get? “You body-slammed him! I heard something break! Excuse me for stopping you for getting thrown in jail for assault.”
Asher ran a hand through his hair and paced in front of me a total of three times, muttering something under his breath. “What did Brenda say to you?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why don’t you ask her?”
Asher stalked towards me, his muscles bunching and folding like an agitated tiger. He cornered me against the house, caging me in with his arms. My heart rate soared, and I was glad that the cover of the dark hid my burning cheeks.
“Because I don’t give two shits about Brenda. I do, however, care about you. If I want to know something, I’m going to come to you.” His breath fanned my nose, and the air in my lungs froze when he lifted a hand and brushed his fingers down my cheek.
“Why do you keep pushing me away?” he murmured, and I could have sworn it was laced with frustration. I had a feeling this wasn’t about Brenda anymore.
I said nothing. What could I say? Coherent thought had said sayonara.
Asher gave a deep sigh and lowered his arms, pushing off the wall. He ran another hand through his hair, tousling the dark locks attractively around his face. Cobalt eyes regarded me with sadness, and my heart clenched.
He started to walk away, and I could hear every heartbeat distinctly. If I let him walk away, he wouldn’t flirt with me, or make any advances. Asher wasn’t the type of guy to force himself on anyone.
I stood there in the cold, watching him walk away, and that’s when it finally hit me.
I had fallen for Asher Grayson hard. He’d made me feel more alive, more like me than I’d felt for years. And I was determined to at least make one right choice today.
“Asher!” I shouted, already running. The wet dew on the grass was slippery under my unclothed feet. My robe fell away as I sprinted towards him. He turned around with barely enough time to catch me as I leapt on him.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he tightened his grasp on my waist, keeping me at eye contact level. “I’m not pushing you away. I’m trying to protect myself from getting my heart broken. You annoy me. You’re arrogant, rebellious, determined, and you crush anyone who gets in the way of you want. You’re a huge risk.”
His hands loosened on my waist.
“But for once, this is actually a risk I’m more than happy to take,” I finished. I then did what I’d been wanting to do since I met him.
Knotting my fingers in the silky strands of his dark hair, I pulled his face down and
closed my lips over his. Unlike our last kiss, this one was soft and intimate. Asher crushed me to his chest, melding our bodies together, and I tugged at his bottom lip with my teeth gently, eliciting a moan. He cradled my neck and deepened the kiss, until all I felt, smelt, and thought was Asher. I was drowning in him.
His strong arms kept me to his chest easily, and I’d never felt safer, warmer. We broke apart for air, but he kept me against him and pressed his forehead to mine. “Angel,” he panted. His cobalt eyes finally revealed all the emotion he’d been hiding, or I’d been too naïve to notice. He tucked a wayward tendril of hair behind me ear.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Asher whispered, and I felt like my heart would burst right there. He lowered his head…
“Ivy?” a furious voice intervened.
Asher and I pushed apart, and I spun around. My jaw slackened, and I hurriedly picked up the robe I’d discarded.
“Shit,” Asher cursed softly.
Paul was home.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Blood, Brothers, and Boys-Oh My!
Paul was standing in the driveway, frozen in place. His suitcase lay fallen on the ground.
“You’ve got the worst timing ever,” I groaned quietly. Asher shifted his feet, unsure of the gravity of the situation.
Paul finally animated, making quick strides toward us. I quickly intercepted his path to Asher and glared. “Paul! What is wrong with you?”
He glowered down at me. “Maybe that the first thing I see when I come home is you kissing him!” he gestured behind me. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but the last time I saw you, you said you were only dance partners.”
I refused to let him make me feel guilty for my feelings for Asher. I placed my hands on my hips. “Yeah, and? Feelings change! I like him, and he likes me. End of story.”
Paul gaped at me and massaged his temples. “Have you lost your mind? Didn’t you learn from the last time?”
“So what am I supposed to do, Paul? Never date again?” I shouted. It was becoming increasingly possibly someone inside the house would hear the commotion, but at the moment, I couldn’t have cared less.
“I never said you shouldn’t date. But not him, Ivy! Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?”
At this point, I was ready to strangle Paul. He didn’t even know Asher, and he was accusing him of being like Jared. Paul had no idea I’d told Asher about Jared, or that Asher knew exactly what we were talking about.
Two strong hands gripped my arms and bodily lifted me to the side. Asher raised a brow at me when I started to protest. “I can take care of myself, angel,” he repeated.
He turned to Paul, and the two men stared at each other for a few minutes. “If you were anyone else, if I didn’t think your worry was justified, you’d be on the way to the ER by now. As it is, I understand,” Asher said quietly.
Paul scoffed, turning his head away for a minute before returning his focus on Asher. “You don’t know anything.”
“I’m not Jared. I would never harm Ivy. She knows that, and that’s pretty much all I care about. The only reason I’m bothering with explaining it to you is because she loves you.”
Paul staggered back a step, staring openmouthed at Asher. He looked at me with disbelief. “You told him about Jared?”
Nodding, I stepped to Asher’s side and slid my hand into his. Asher weaved his fingers with mine, squeezing tightly. “Yes. That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Paul. I trust Asher, and you need to accept it. Whatever happens in our relationship, he’s nothing like Jared.”
Asher tightened his grasp on my hand, and I know he wanted me to tell Paul how Jared had come to see me, but I couldn’t. He’d had enough surprises. This would knock him out completely.
We stood there in silence for a few minutes, the only sound Paul’s shallow breaths. Mist rose from our mouths, and I shivered from the cold. Asher released his hand from mine and shrugged off his jacket, wrapping it around my shoulders. He shot me a look before I could say anything. I stifled a smile of elation.
Paul was watching our exchange speculatively. Asher extended his hand to Paul, and I waited anxiously.
Come on Paul, don’t be a nub.
With a sigh, Paul accepted his hand, and they shook. They shared some kind of look, and Paul said warningly, “If you hurt my sister in any way, I will roast your hide on my fireplace and feed it to the ducks.”
He released Asher’s hand and went to retrieve his suitcase. He unlocked the front door and paused. He glanced back. “Ivy, get your ass upstairs in five minutes or I’m coming back down with a bat.”
Paul closed the door softly behind him, and I glanced at Asher. He tapped his chin contemplatively before breaking out in a grin. “I think that went well, don’t you?”
I laughed and caught my breath when Asher swept his fingers through my hair, twiddling a strand idly. “You’re so beautiful,” he mused, like he was stating the most obvious thing in the world.
I arched a brow and motioned at my tattered robe and slippers. “Ready for the runway.”
He caught my chin in his fingers, bringing my gaze to his. “Listen here, lady. I’m going to make you believe how beautiful you are if it takes me years, capiche?”
I didn’t bother responding. The moonlight cast a bluish tint to his silky strands of dark hair and illuminated his cobalt blue eyes. His lips were tilted in the smile I’d only ever seen aimed at me. How could this breathtakingly gorgeous creature be mine?
“Earth to Ivy.” Asher waved a hand in front of my face, interrupting my unabashed ogling. I blushed a beet red and coughed awkwardly.
“Uh, there was a mustard stain..on your shirt,” I lied. Asher smirked, not even bothering to check. We both knew there was no mustard stain.
“I should be getting to bed,” I declared. “Wouldn’t want Paul to muss that pretty face now would we?”
“I think you mean ‘chiseled’ or ‘divine’.”
“Whatever you say, pretty boy,” I teased, darting to the side when he tried to grab me.
Asher rolled his eyes, and quick as a bolt, reached forward and hauled me to him. I was squished to his chest, with Asher’s arms secured around my waist. I buried my face in his neck, and he jumped. “Damn, your nose is cold,” he commented. “Let’s get you to bed.”
“Buy me dinner first,” I mumbled, already feeling lethargic, cocooned in the warmth of Asher’s body heat and the comforting scent of his leather jacket.
He chuckled and started walking with me propped against him, stopping at the threshold to the house. He gently deposited me on my feet, steadying my shoulders when I swayed. “I’d take you upstairs, but it would be just my luck for your parents and other brother to wake up too.”
“Give Spencer a donut and he’ll leave,” I yawned.
“I’ll keep that it mind. Now off you go.”
I started making my way to the staircase and halted. Shuffling to the door again, I placed a soft kiss on Asher’s lips. “Goodnight.”
He brushed his thumb under my eye. “Goodnight, angel.”
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Groaning, I tried to reach for my alarm and only ended up rolling onto the floor in a heap of blankets and limbs. “Honey, wake up!” I heard my Mom shout from downstairs.
This is what I got for my late night escapades. Smacking my blaring alarm shut, I dragged myself to the bathroom and commenced the morning routine.
Dressing took a little more thought than normal. I wanted to dress up, but not overdress. Hmm. Quickly, I tugged on my favorite scoop-neck blouse with a blue cardigan over it and dark skinny jeans. I still couldn’t bring myself to let my hair loose, so I tied it into a customary knot, but I let a few long strands curl around my neck.
When I skipped to the breakfast table, Mom and Dad shot me suspicious looks. “Why are you so chipper?” Mom wondered.
Mm, toast. I popped a chunk into my mouth and smiled at my parents. “What’s not
to be happy about? It’s a lovely day, Paul’s home, we’re all healthy.”
Spencer lifted from his head from where it’d been buried in the fridge to narrow his eyes at me. “Are you high?”
“No!”
“You want cash?”
“No.”
“So you’re telling me you just feel cheerful?”
“Yes!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air.
Spencer glanced at my parents. “The aliens have landed.”
At school, pretty much everywhere I walked, people stared. It was seriously unnerving to the point that I had to hide behind Caleb.
The girl from my Physics class-Phoebe, I think- was practically shoved into our path by her friends. Caleb scowled at her, and the poor girl paled. I elbowed him aside and smiled at Phoebe reassuringly. “Hey Phoebe!”
She nodded excitedly. “You remember!”
“Of course I do.”
She shifted her feet and glanced at her friends, who flashed her thumbs up. “We- I mean my friends and I- wanted to tell you what you did was really brave. We haven’t been at the school long, but Brenda Curtis and her friends have picked on each of us. It was really great seeing them knocked a peg or two.”
She smiled at me and scurried back to the safety of her friends. Me and Caleb shared a surprised look and resumed walking. “So that’s why everyone is staring at you. It’s admiration,” he noted. “Our itty bitty Ivy has claws.”
I smacked his arm on the way to our lunch table. “You’re freakishly large. I’m tall.”
Kyle and Dana smiled up at us as we sat. The minute my butt was on the bench, Dana started in. She was excited, so naturally her motor-verbal skills kicked in. “Oh my gosh, everyone has been congratulating me and in awe of you. I had no idea how many people couldn’t stand the Plastics. It’s cray-cray. Apparently Brenda couldn’t sue because most of the school saw her clawing at your face, so she’s at fault too. Oh, and I dumped Jason. You want half my sandwich?”
Our chins hit the table. I was the first to recover. “What! Why did you break up with Jason? You’ve had a crush on him since forever!”
The Bad Boy's Dance Page 22
