by Toni Aleo
“How very demonic of you,” I tease, thinking of my favorite show.
With a grin on his sweet lips, he says, “I’d say you could be the Sam to my Dean, but that’s a little odd.”
“Just a bit, since sleeping with your brother would be frowned upon in some states, but shut up! Seriously though, you watch Supernatural?”
He laughs as he nods, his breath warm on my lips. “I do, but forget that right now and kiss me.”
Running my tongue along my bottom lip, I grin. “Fine, but note I don’t like being bossed around.”
“Duly noted. I’m dying here, Bay, put me out of my misery,” he says, his eyes locked on mine. His whole heart is in his eyes, and soon mine is beating out of control. The anxiety of doing what he’s asking is all-consuming in my chest, but as I get lost in his eyes, it slowly starts to vanish away.
Closing the small distance between us, I press my lips to his as my heart explodes in my chest.
I’m doing this.
And I’m going to be triumphant.
Or it’s going to all come crashing down in a heap of mess, and I’ll be a wreck.
Either way, I’m going to try.
Because, really, there is no other option.
He’s it.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the taste of her lips.
They are so soft, glossy from her lipstick, and utterly perfect. I crave them, and soon I’m unable to hold on to the bridge because I have to hold her. Letting go, I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her in close as her hands come to rest against my cheeks, deepening the kiss. When I told her she was a sure bet, that was easy. It’s the truth, but what I left out was that I’ve fallen in love with her.
A head over heels, rainbows and sunshine, unicorns pooping glitter kind of love.
I want to scream it at her. Tell her how I feel, but I know that would be stupid. She wouldn’t receive it the way I want her to. She’ll freak, probably hermit it up, and then I’ll be alone. It scares me, it does, because at any moment she can decide that this isn’t what she wants, that it scares her, that it’s not controllable. And, to be honest, I’m not dumb, I know that probably will happen. More than likely, she’ll break my heart, but I don’t care.
I love her.
Do I like that she wants to hide our relationship? Fuck no, it sets my teeth on edge, but I get it. I understand her fears. She doesn’t fight for her wants, for her feelings; she fights for her career, but I’m going to change that. I’m going to help her realize that the important thing is her and that everything else will fall into place. It won’t be easy because Baylor isn’t an easy girl to understand, but I’m going to do it and I will succeed.
So as my mouth moves with hers, I’ll keep my profession of love locked away in a little box. I’ll show her what it’s like to be loved by a good guy, and maybe, just maybe, she’ll fall in love with me. We’ll go off into the big leagues, and life will be good. For once, I’ll be truly happy. I just need her to realize that. Realize that this is what’s good for her. That her fears are moot because they aren’t needed. We will work it out. We are two of the most headstrong people, how could it not work?
As her mouth moves against mine, my hand curves around her neck and I squeeze my eyes shut, praying to God that this is really happening. It’d suck to wake up and have this all be a dream, but then again, what a dream to have. She’s simply amazing. Tightening my arm around her waist, I kiss along her bottom lip, her jaw, nuzzling her neck as I breathe in her scent. As I nibble on her neck, her breathless giggles make me smile and I pull back to look down at her.
“I knew I’d win,” I say playfully, kissing her nose.
“Win what?” she asks, a grin pulling at her lips. Her eyes tell me she’s nervous, and I think it’s adorable. While I hate that she doesn’t get that she can be herself around me and I’ll still want her, it gives me a rush to know that I get to prove that to her.
“You,” I say, softly kissing her nose again. “I gotta say, you play some intense hard to get, Moore.”
Her face fills with color as she shakes her head. “I wasn’t playing anything. I really was trying to resist you. Found that to be very hard.”
Grinning, I wink as I say, “’Cause I’m irresistible.”
Rolling her eyes, she nuzzles her nose into my chest before leaning her chin against it to look up at me. “I’m cold.”
“Okay, let’s head back,” I say, even though I don’t want to. I don’t know how it’s gonna be once we get there, and letting her go isn’t really an option right now. “Or we can get my car and go somewhere.”
“Or we can watch Supernatural,” she suggests with a grin, and I laugh as I shake my head. “It’s your fault, you brought it up. I love that show.”
“I guess so,” I say with a grin. “Fine, but how are we going to do this? Hiding our relationship and all? What are the rules?”
She shrugs as I lace my fingers with hers, but then she smiles at me before removing her hand and tucking it into the pocket of her jacket. “Well, first, we can’t be walking around holding hands. My dad could see us.”
“He could have seen us kissing on the bridge too,” I point out, and she shakes her head.
“True, but that was an in the moment kind of thing,” she says, looking over at me. “But when we are alone, it’s cool.”
Rolling my eyes, I tuck my hands into my own pockets. “Okay, so no PDA.”
“None for the time being.”
At least she said that. It gives me hope for the future. “But we’re together, so no sleeping around or anything, right?”
“Um yeah, you better not be with anyone else and think you’re gonna be with me,” she snaps back at me, her brows coming together. There is a flash of intense jealousy that gives me chills. She likes me a lot. She’s just fighting it.
Laughing, I grin over at her. “Wasn’t even a thought, just making sure on your part.”
“I’m good. Believe that,” she states very firmly. “I’m with you, but we can’t be all lovey-dovey and shit. Not that I would be. I mean, it’s me.”
“Yeah,” I agree with a nod, a smirk on my face. “Would be nice though.”
“Sorry, not gonna happen,” she laughs with a shrug. “I don’t even know how to be with someone.”
“Really? You haven’t dated anyone?”
“No, usually it’s just sex. I never had time for it, and no one really made me want to date them. And then Seth came along. But even when I was with him, it was sex, which consisted of him getting off while I just lay there. I came for the first time, like ever, with you.”
Yeah, that makes me a little too happy. Puffing my chest out, I say, “Of course you did, it’s me.” Laughing, she leans into me, and I smile as I say, “You should laugh more.”
Looking over at me, she shrugs. “I find I do it a lot more with you than usual.”
“Again, it’s me,” I say with a grin, and she rolls her eyes, laughing some more as the house comes into view.
On the subject of dickfuck, I ask, “You loved him, though?”
That makes her stop laughing before she nods. “I think it was that stupid puppy love shit. I admired his game, he was older than me, and he was going places.”
“Oh, okay,” I say, and I really don’t like the guy, not that I liked him before.
“Yeah, he needed my dad for the recommendation to his contacts, so the closest thing to my dad was me.”
Stopping in place, I halt her by reaching for her wrist. She looks back at me, confused, and I suck in a breath. “I would never do that.”
“I know.”
“But,” I say, and her eyes narrow as she watches me. “When we started camp, your dad asked me to keep an eye out for you. I was already doing it though, but he promised that as long as you are good, that he’ll look out for me in the draft.”
She holds my gaze for a moment, and I can see the gears turning in her head. Finally, she waves me off. “That’s different.�
�
Letting out the breath I was holding, we begin walking again. “Totally expected you to use that as an excuse to blow me off.”
She scoffs as she shakes her head. “I’m in it to win it, Jayden. I’m going to do this, and I’m going to try to open up and be me. I am.”
“Good, that’s what I want.”
“But it won’t be easy. I’m kinda prickly.”
“Just a tad,” I tease, and she smacks my arm, not in the playful matter either.
Turning to me then, she says, “I just want you to know that it really does mean a lot to me that you wanted to look out for me when I was such a bitch to you.”
Grinning, I reach out to hold her hand, but then I remember that someone could see us, so I tuck it back in my jeans. Yeah, this is going to be hard. I want to touch her. Like all the time, and to be restrained on that is going to suck balls.
Royally.
“I knew the day I saw you on the beach that you were different, and that I would do anything to make sure you’re safe. I was going to do it no matter what, but he offered to help me out and Jace, so I took it.”
“I don’t blame you,” she says softly. “Jace too?”
“Yeah,” I say with a shrug. “I gotta look out for his little pansy-ass.”
“You look out for everyone.”
I nod. “Because I love them.”
Eyeing me, she says, “Whoa, you aren’t professing love for me, are you?”
I laugh as I shake my head, hoping to God I play it off. “Not yet.”
“Oh, good. I don’t know how I would handle that,” she says, but then she snaps her mouth shut. She looks at me and I grin as she makes a face. “I probably should have said something else, eh?”
Holding her gaze, I love that she said that. It’s the truth, she isn’t holding back, and that’s all I can ask for. “No, say what you feel, Baylor.”
Letting out a breath in a whoosh, she grins. “Okay, I can do that.”
“Awesome.”
She smiles shyly as she shrugs. “Yeah, most guys run from me. I don’t think I’m socially normal.”
“I’m not most guys,” I answer back, and she nods. “I think you’re fucking perfect.”
Blushing, she rocks back on her heels as she meets me gaze, shy and completely unsure of herself. It’s so beautiful to see. On the ice, she knows who she is. Off, she’s so uncertain, which blows my mind. When she lets go, she’s amazing, but most of the time she walks around wound so tight. I just need her to let go.
Biting into her lip, she asks, “I’m supposed to say thank you, right?”
“It’d be nice, but I know you, you want to deflect it.”
“’Cause it’s so weird!” she laughs and I shake my head. “I’m not perfect. I’m far from it.”
“But in my eyes, you are,” I say softly as her laughter subsides. I hold her beautiful gaze and love burns in my chest for her. She’s so perfectly not perfect. A beautiful fucking mess and she’s all mine. But I can’t say that. “To me, man, Bay, you have no clue.”
Heat creeps up her neck as she looks away, toeing the ground with her foot. “I don’t let anyone but my dad call me Bay.”
“Oh. My bad,” I say with a shrug. “Do you want me to stop?”
Looking up at me, she slowly shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Then I won’t,” I answer back, my eyes burning into hers. I want to touch her so bad. Just a small caress, anything. Man, I’m dying here and it’s only been twenty minutes! “This not touching you shit is wack.”
Grinning up at me, she says, “Wonder how long it will last?”
“We could just say fuck it and do what we want?”
She shakes her head. “My dad would flip, and plus, I don’t want that getting in the way on the ice.”
“Why would he flip?” I ask, and she lets out a breath, looking toward her dad’s house.
“He doesn’t want anything distracting me,” she says before looking back at me.
“So I’m a distraction?”
Scoffing, she nods her head quickly. “Hell yeah, you are.”
“Good,” I say with a wink. “But we got this. When we are on the ice, it’s business. We work.”
“Agree,” she states with a nod. “But off the ice…”
A smirk comes over my face as my body burns for hers. “I’ll be looking for every private spot just so I can touch you.”
As she bites into her lip, her eyes darken. “Well, just to let you know, if Markus and Jace weren’t watching us right now, I’d kiss you.”
Say what?
Looking toward the window, I see my dim-witted brother and his best friend. “Idiots.”
“Yeah, but they are funny,” she says as they start to act like they are making out with each other.
“I think I should kick their asses.”
She laughs. “Don’t. I like them. They are so cute, like little puppies.”
When Markus starts to hump Jace’s leg, I can see the resemblance.
Chuckling, I look over at her and smile. “Look at you. All liking people and shit.”
She grins at me, her eyes bright as the sun peeks through the clouds to warm her face. She looks almost like an angel, but I know that looks can be very deceiving. She may look like a beautiful, harmless flower, but she’ll lash out at you with that mouth of hers and kick you in the balls faster than you can say hockey.
Which is why I’m completely taken by her.
With a wink, she nods her head at me. “Don’t worry. I like you the most.”
As we stare into each other’s eyes, I decide I’ll take what I can get. But my mother’s words weigh heavy on my mind.
Don’t be a doormat.
And I won’t be.
I just hope she falls for me before I can be considered one.
“You guys are assholes,” I say once I enter my room. Markus and Jace look up from where they are playing Xbox and grin at me.
“What?” Markus asks innocently.
“Yeah, did we interrupt an important moment?” Jace chuckles, and I smack him upside the head as I pass. Markus laughs at that but then yells out when I smack him too.
“No, not at all. But come on, leave us alone,” I say as I throw my beanie and jacket down on my desk.
“So is there an us?” Markus asks then, waggling his eyebrows at me. “Body language says yes,” he adds, and I roll my eyes.
“Fuck off, both of you,” I snap as I hop onto the trampoline by my bed and land on my bunk. I was always jealous of Jude when he got to do that. Now that I get to, it’s kind of awesome. Okay, more than awesome. It’s so fucking cool. Reaching for my remote, I turn my TV on, going to Netflix so I can start the show once Baylor shows up. She had to change or something. I don’t know. I do know that I need to study for the exam I have tomorrow, but I figure I can do that later since she won’t be in here that long. As much as I want to spend all night with her in my bed, that will raise suspicion.
Stupid rules.
“We’re about to watch TV,” I say to them, but Jace waves me off.
“Who?” he asks.
“Me and Baylor.”
“But there isn’t anything going on,” Markus adds, and I glare. Picking up the closest thing to me, which is a pillow, I throw it at him. But like a ninja, he dodges it and continues to play.
Asshole.
“Don’t care, we are playing intense hockey here,” he says as he shoots in the game, scoring on Markus’s goalie. “Booyah! In your face.”
I smile at that, remembering when Baylor said that to me. But then I remember that I need these two idiots gone. “No, really, I’m not going to fight for volume here.”
“Fine,” he says before hitting mute and looking back at me. “It isn’t like you two need privacy or anything.”
His eyes challenge me to admit that there is something going on, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of winning over me. Flipping him off, I go to say something very colorfu
l and probably illegal in some states, but then I notice Baylor in the doorway.
“Hey,” I say, sitting up, and she smiles. She’s wearing a tank and her Arkansas sweat pants. Her hair is in a bun high on top of her head, no makeup but her trusty lipstick on her beautiful mouth. I want to smear it so badly with all the passion in my soul, but there is no way in hell I’m gonna be able to do that with Tweedledee and Tweedledum in the room.
“Hey,” she says to me, but then she looks at the TV, her eyes lighting up. “I could so kick y’all’s asses at that,” she says before walking past them.
“Bring it then, Moore,” Jace challenges.
“Yeah, you talk a lot, but I bet you can’t back it up. We are champions around here,” Markus informs her, and I scoff.
“Excuse me? I won that championship,” I correct him, and he laughs.
“I let you win, for fear of my life,” he says, and that has us all laughing.
“Whatever,” I say, but I can see it in her eyes, she wants to play. When she looks back at me, biting her lip, I smile as I shrug. Giving her the option. If she wants to play, we can, but I’d rather lie down together.
“No, I already have plans, but I got you,” she says before jumping on the trampoline and landing beside me in perfect form.
Impressed, I grin. “Can I say that just turned me on?”
She giggles. “What? Jumping on the bed?”
“Gag,” Jace groans.
“But nothing is going on, remember,” Markus reminds him, and Jace laughs.
“So full of shit,” is his opinion, and I glare at the backs of their heads before glancing back at her.
“Yeah, I’ve watched a lot of girls climb in this bed, but not one jumped.”
Her grin drops then as Jace says, “That’s exactly what to tell a girl when you want to do her.”
“No wonder nothing is going on. Your brother has no game,” Markus says, and Baylor sputters with laughter.
“Get out!” I yell, but they don’t move.
“Sorry, we’re busy,” Jace says, waving me off, and I let out an annoyed breath. Now I know how Jude felt when he wanted to get busy with Claire and I wouldn’t leave the room.
