“Yep.”
“Then I expect you back much, much later,” she grumbles.
“We’ll be back, I promise.”
“Fine. It’s still early. See you later then, and please tell me everything! Okay?” she asks hopefully.
“We’ll see if I can give you the uncut report or just the censored version,” I say with a smirk, before heading for the door. She has no comment for that.
Outside, I’m joined by Linden, who’s carrying a bottle of Coke in his hand. “Not too easy to talk the bar guy into giving me this, because he thinks it’s a party and no funeral.”
“But you did it.”
“I told him the birthday girl has low blood pressure and needed some caffeine.” He grins.
“Do you want to head down to the beach?”
“Wherever you want to go,” he says.
“Great.” I smile and lead the way. “So what’s going to happen once you’ve fully recovered from your accident?”
“I’ll return to New York City, and then we’re headed to Texas to record our new single, and then the big tour will lead us through all fifty states.”
“All of them? Really?”
“Yeah. We’re going to play in almost every major city.”
“Will you be in Austin, too?”
“Yeah, I think that’s in late July or early August maybe. I don’t remember all the dates. I’d have to look it up.”
“If you let me know in advance, I’ll be there. I’m spending the summer at home, with my parents,” I explain.
Linden puts his arm around me and pulls me close. It’s a little difficult to walk without bumping into each other with every step, but I don’t mind. He exudes warmth and smells fabulous. “I’m glad you’re not running away now,” he murmurs.
“Why would I?”
“You’ve done so up until now.”
“And you know why I did,” I sigh.
“Yes, but now I can touch you and you won’t run.”
“That’s what you think.” I grin.
After a ten-minute stroll, we reach the beach. I sit down in the sand close to the shore, and Linden drops down next to me. He lies on his side, crosses his legs, and braces his head on his arm. I mirror his position and look at him. “Aren’t you sad she left you?” I ask, hoping my voice sounds compassionate.
“You want me to be honest?” he asks, picking up a handful of sand.
I nod.
“Not really. It hurt, yes, but mostly I feel incredibly liberated and free,” he answers, letting the sand run through his fingers.
“I wish I could say the same about my own feelings,” I whisper, rolling onto my back and looking up at the starry sky.
“Who broke up with you?”
“Don’t know if you can call it that. I had something going with a fellow student, a very casual relationship, but he ended it because I didn’t want to commit to anything more. In retrospect, I feel bad about that … I really miss him.”
“Maybe I could give you some comfort to make up for it,” Linden murmurs as he leans closer. He blocks my view of the sky and looks into my eyes.
“How?” I breathe, staring right back into those deep pools of turquoise.
He leans down slowly and puts his lips on mine. With a blink, I close my eyes and put my hands to his cheeks so he doesn’t pull back too quickly.
Linden’s hand explores my body, slipping under my blouse as his tongue invades my mouth. I sigh and let the tip of my tongue play with his. I wrap a hand around his neck and then rake it through his hair. Without breaking the kiss, he places a knee between my legs, pushing them apart slightly. I don’t know what it is or where it comes from, but there’s suddenly a weird, intense tingle in my belly. It feels like the excitement you experience just before a roller coaster starts—a wonderful, heady feeling. I bend my leg as his hand moves under my skirt and strokes my inner thigh.
Whoa, stop him, we’re on the beach! my inner voice screams, so I open my eyes and grab his wrist.
Linden breaks the kiss and looks at me. “Fuck,” he whispers. “Sorry, I didn’t want to press you.”
“It’s okay, but we’re still on the beach, and I don’t want to have to explain to my father why he has to bail me out of jail,” I say with a half smile.
His nose brushes mine. “You’re right, and I’m sorry I was rushing you.”
“If I hadn’t liked it, I would have stopped you,” I reply calmly. I take my hand from his neck, but he grabs it and kisses it, and then strokes my temple with great tenderness. I close my eyes.
“I was wishing for this on that first night,” he murmurs, “in your car.”
“You were thinking of kissing me while you were injured and couldn’t even remember how you got to a ditch?” I ask, surprised.
He shrugs. “Yes.” By now his hand is all healed again, and he can brace himself on it without pain. He suddenly wraps his hand around my neck and kisses me again, much more impulsively and passionately this time. I return it, taken by surprise. And then he pulls away just as abruptly. “Will I see you again after tonight?”
I nod hectically. “Most definitely.”
“When?”
“Next weekend?” I suggest.
Linden shakes his head. “That’s too late. Why not tomorrow?”
“I’ve already got a date for tomorrow,” I answer. I can’t just cancel on Jim now, though I don’t think Linden will like that I’m going out with another guy.
“With who?”
“A fellow architecture student.”
“Oh. What are your plans?”
“We’re going to catch a movie. I invited him because he helped me with an exam,” I explain.
“Is he interested in you?” Linden probes, curious.
“I have no idea, but I don’t think so.” I smirk. “Why are you interrogating me?”
“Because. I want to know what you’re up to and with who.” He chuckles.
“I’m not up to anything. I’m just going out with my college pal, because I owe him something for helping me out. Or rather, because I felt the need to thank him. He practically saved my confused ass after all.” I laugh.
“Hm, seems like a foolproof way of getting girls to go out with you,” he replies dryly. “Maybe that’s how I’ll get all my dates from now on, too.”
I laugh louder. “No you won’t. Because you’re not a student, so that pretext won’t work for you.”
“Granted. But I’m sure I could work with the general principle.” He grins.
“Or you could just date only me; then you wouldn’t need a pretext,” I suggest shyly.
“That would be nice, yes, but I’m drowning in date requests,” he laughs. “I’ll check my schedule to see whether I can cram you in there somewhere, okay?” Laughing, he rolls over, pulling me on top of him.
I half rise so I can look at him. “So you want to date other women, too?”
“I have to. I’m a very sought-after man.”
“Okay, then I’ll date other men as well,” I tease, and immediately, his smile fades.
“Actually, I’d prefer it if neither of us dated anyone else,” he says, suddenly serious.
“I have no plans whatsoever for Monday,” I say softly, leaning down again. “Would you like to spend Monday with me?”
Linden nods. “I’d like that very much, yes.”
“We could go for a swim or to the movies again, or out to dinner. You pick something.”
“Tomorrow the rest of the band’s coming to town. You could come to my place and meet them, Thally.”
“I already know Alexis.”
“But you don’t know the rest.”
“What are their names again?” I ask, because he only told me once, and I’ve forgotten.
“Mike, Gavin, and Azer.”
“I could join you guys after the movies tomorrow night. If you want me to, I mean,” I offer a little shyly. For some reason I’m eager to meet his friends. Maybe because I’m sure they
can tell me more about what type of person he really is. I’m not going to google him, because I’m not a fan of teen magazines—I can’t imagine that even one of them writes the truth.
“All right, gorgeous,” he whispers. “Come by any time you like.”
“Okay.” I breathe a kiss onto his lips and then start to rise, but Linden wraps a hand around my neck and deepens the kiss. His tongue invades my mouth again, playing with mine. First softly, and then more demanding.
Someone clears their throat next to us, and I pull back to look up at the person that interrupted us. I can’t see anything, because their flashlight is blinding.
“You are aware that this is a public space, aren’t you?”
“Uh … yes?” I reply slowly, perplexed.
“Then you must also know that you can’t do what you just did here,” he says. It’s a man, but I still can’t see him properly.
“If you could lower that flashlight, we might be able to see who’s reprimanding us,” Linden says as he sits up.
The blinding light is directed a little to the side.
Oh, no! A cop! I hasten to stand.
“Can I see some ID, please?” the policeman demands.
I open my handbag and pull out my wallet, showing the officer my driver’s license. Linden pulls his from his back pocket and hands it to the man, too.
“Miss Thalia Leroux and Mr. Linden Priest,” he murmurs, after studying them intently under his glaring flashlight. “I order you to vacate this beach,” he says louder and hands us back our IDs. “Go.” He practically shoos us back to the street.
“Thanks, Officer,” I mumble, grab Linden’s hand, and pull him after me, heading for the street.
He laughs softly. “That was my very first brush with the law.”
“Same here.” I smile.
Linden puts an arm around me. “What now?”
“I promised Cami we’d come back.”
“Then let’s go back.”
***
“Where have you been?” Hailey calls out impatiently when Linden and I approach the bar.
“We had a little run-in with the cops,” I explain, still feeling amused.
“What?”
I shrug and grin up at Linden, who tries to stifle his laughter.
“What exactly were you doing to raise the attention of the police?” Delsin asks with a knowing smile.
I merely shrug again and mirror his grin.
“Aha … smutty things,” he concludes, turning back to Cami.
“We did not do anything smutty … We merely cuddled,” I state, because I don’t want them to think I’m a cheap slut who has sex on the beach. I would never have let it go that far.
Cami flashes me an inquisitive glance. She wants to know what exactly we’ve been doing, so I blow her a kiss. She nods quickly and gives me a thumbs-up. Linden orders drinks for both of us while I’m busy with my non-verbal conversation.
Delsin watches us with mounting confusion. “Do you really understand each other, or are you just messing with my brain?”
“We do,” Cami and I say simultaneously.
“Will you call me tomorrow?” Cami asks me.
“Could we postpone that till Monday?” I plead. “I have this pressing date with my lecture notes tomorrow.”
“All right.”
Dale comes over and leans in toward me. “Thally, I just wanted to say I’m sorry … in case I appeared jealous earlier.”
I look at her and shake my head. “Hey, I would react the same way if my boyfriend was dancing like that with another girl.”
“So you’re not annoyed?” she presses.
I shake my head more vehemently. “No, of course not. But there’s no need to be jealous of me. All I want from Ave is a dance now and then. I’m not so sure about Hailey, though,” I add with a wink.
Dale looks over to where Hailey is drinking, and snorts. “She’s got Logan.”
“And I’m just kidding.” I giggle.
She boxes my arm. “Sometimes you’re really mean.”
“I know, but y’all love me anyway.”
Linden hands me a glass with blue liquid in it. It’s a cocktail, I can see and smell that, but I don’t know what kind. “What is it?”
“Swimming Pool.”
We clink glasses, and I take a sip as I look into his eyes. “This is tasty, too.”
“I would never offer you anything bad.”
“Who knows that for sure?” I tease.
I notice that Dale is staring at him. “I feel silly,” she says, “but could I have your autograph?”
How cute! She’s asking Linden for an autograph.
“I’ll give it to Thally later, okay? I didn’t bring anything that I could sign, let alone a pen,” Linden says apologetically.
“Okay. Thank you.”
“And there’s no need to feel silly. I get asked by much older women in much weirder situations.”
Dale blushes and runs back to Ave, who’s throwing daggers at Linden with his eyes. But then he sees me watching him and smiles. I make a dismissive gesture and stick my tongue out at him.
I’m getting tired, starting to feel the exertion of skating all day. If I want to feel rested tomorrow, I should be on my way soon, or else I’ll stay in bed until noon again. I finish my cocktail and place the empty glass on the bar. “Guys, don’t be mad at me, but I’m exhausted. I think I’ll go home.”
“Already? It’s barely midnight,” Cami complains.
“And I’m tired as a dog, honey,” I reply.
“Let’s have one more dance before you go,” Linden says, already pulling me toward the dance floor.
“One song,” I say.
“This one doesn’t count,” he barters. “It’s almost over.”
As we dance, I’m sure all my friends can see that there’s something going on between us. Linden keeps breathing soft kisses on my forehead, the tip of my nose, and my lips. And I enjoy being showered like that.
I forget the time and lose myself in the music and his touch—until Delsin comes over to us. “One last dance has become three hours. Cami’s tired, so I’m taking her home now. I’ll see you in class.”
I pull away from Linden and join Delsin to go say good night to my friends. “I think I’m going to leave as well. I don’t want to stay if y’all are going home.”
“You spent the entire night with Linden,” Cami says accusingly.
“Really?” I say, feeling hurt. “You want to play the jealous best friend now just because I had a great time?”
“I have every reason. I organized this party and you didn’t spend any of it with us.”
I roll my eyes and lean forward to give her a peck on the cheek. “See you, Cami. Sleep tight.” It’s hard not to sound irritated, but I don’t care. She was the one who pestered me to see him again.
I grab my purse from a stool, wave goodbye at the rest of the bunch, and leave the club not even thinking about Linden. I’m too annoyed by this end to a wonderful evening, like a discordant note that mars the whole song.
When I’m outside, I call a taxi. But suddenly a dark, familiar limousine stops at the curb in front of me. “Can I take you home?” Linden asks, pushing the back door open.
I smile and get in. “You didn’t drive here?”
“No, I was expecting to drink. I never drive after drinking. I don’t want to endanger anyone.”
I nod as the car starts rolling. “Thank you for taking me home,” I say softly.
Linden pulls me into his arms. “I’d much rather take you home with me. To my place.”
“Okay.”
“Does that mean you want to stay overnight?” he asks, puzzled.
“Do you want me to?”
“Absolutely,” he says, leaning toward the front of the car. “Grayston, we’re going to my house. Miss Leroux will sleep in the guest room.”
I look at him, perplexed.
“The staff doesn’t need to know I’m taking you to my bed
room.” He grins.
“Oh.” I smile. Sweet Jesus, I’m about to spend the night in Linden’s bedroom. I’m not going to sleep with him, but I long to fall asleep and wake up in a man’s arms. It’s been too long.
As soon as we look into each other’s eyes, Linden lifts my chin with his finger and kisses me. I’ve never been kissed with so much passion, not by Damon, nor by Colton, nor any of my flings. I return the kiss with as much hunger as I feel coming from him.
I have no idea how he did it, but suddenly I’m lying on my back in the backseat, and he’s above me. He starts to unbutton my blouse, but I stop him.
“The chauffeur,” I pant.
“The partition is up,” he whispers.
I can see the desire in his eyes, and it’s answered by a tingling sensation in my nether regions. “Linden, I … I want to, but we shouldn’t do this. Not in the limousine.”
His expression becomes confused for a moment, but then he sobers up and buttons my blouse again. It’s unbelievable how fast he is with the tiny buttons. Even I can’t get them into their buttonholes that fast. He sits up as if nothing happened. I can see his jaw work, and then suddenly he hits his own leg with his fist.
I flinch. “What’s wrong?”
He shakes his head before looking at me. “I screwed up again. I keep pressing you. You must think I’m some horny pervert.”
I put a hand on his arm. “No, I don’t think anything of the sort. I would like to sleep with you, but … we don’t really know each other yet … somehow … ” I sigh. “Oh, I don’t know! But I don’t want to sleep with you in the car, I know that much.”
His expression softens. “And you don’t think badly of me now?”
“No. Why would I?” I ask softly.
“You tell me,” he murmurs.
I lean in and breathe a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Don’t worry so much.”
“Okay,” he sighs.
I snuggle up to him and close my eyes. It’s cute that he’s immediately self-conscious when I stop him. Still, I resolve to stick to my decision and not sleep with him tonight. I hope.
I would love to, because he awakens this strong desire within me, an unfamiliar feeling, or at least a long-forgotten one. I know you can’t fall in love with someone after meeting them just twice, but I’m starting to believe I’m headed down that road. Especially if he keeps going after me like this.
Linden: Rocking Pleasure: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 3) Page 14
