by Piper Rayne
Fuck, I am a dick.
A knock sounds on my door and I jump up to open it, hoping it's her so we can both apologize for the stupid shit we said.
I open the door and immediately back up when Skylar's finger hits my chest.
“I knew not to listen to Beckett. He sees the good in everyone. I knew you'd hurt her and now I have to pick up the pieces. Again.” Her voice raises the farther she gets in my room. Her little dagger of a finger in constant motion against my chest.
I raise my hands. “I know. I know.”
“You know nothing. You know how lucky you had it? What an amazing find she is?”
“I know, Skylar.”
“If you knew, you'd be down there groveling for her forgiveness, which she wouldn't give because you're a jackass. Do you hear me? Total jackass!”
“I heard you, but Sky, I know. I'm going to make it right.”
She stops poking me and narrows her eyes. “How so?”
“I haven't had a second to figure it out.”
Her scrutiny doesn't falter. “Hmm...you like her?”
I nod.
“You want to be with her and not just in her pants?”
I nod.
“If she says no sex, you're still cool with being with her?”
I nod.
“You won't pull this bullshit again?”
I shrug.
“Yeah, true. You're Dax Campbell.” She nails me in the chest with her pointer finger again. “Hurt her again and when you open that door, I'm going to punch you in the balls so hard, they’ll be blue for weeks.”
I roll my eyes. I'm not sure Skylar has that in her, but I'll let her believe it because the last thing I ever plan on doing is hurting Demi again.
“Deal.”
She backs off, looking me over, still examining me to see if I'm telling the truth or not. I kind of deserve it, so I'll let her.
“What’s your plan?” She eyes the suitcase. “You're leaving?”
“Not anymore and if I had a minute to think, I could come up with a plan.”
“It has to be really big because she's really hurt, Dax.” Skylar isn't saying it to be mean, she's being truthful and that's when I know exactly how to win her back.
“I've got a great idea.”
I pray this is the one time that statement doesn’t come back to haunt me and actually ends up being true.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The karaoke bar is packed. Now that most of the events are over, the athletes that stuck around are looking for some action. And tonight, isn't duet night.
Demi sits at a table up front, Skylar on one side of her, a full table on the other. Which is perfect because that’ll make it hard for her escape when I get up on stage.
She's got a drink in her hand, but no smile on her face. Actually, she looks like she'd rather be knitting than sitting here. Mia or Grady say something, and she turns, so I hurry to hide behind a guy. Not that I think she can see me with the crowd being so thick tonight, but I don’t want to take any chances. I throw back a shot and hand the bartender some won.
Right now, the girl up on stage singing “Hello” by Adele should be thankful she's an athlete because she has no singing career ahead of her. Not that I should throw stones with what I'm about to do.
I'm supposed to be next, but Demi stands up, sliding by Skylar. Skylar grabs her arm, pulling her back down to her seat. She shakes her head, looking through the crowd. Of course, she'd figure out why she's here. My girl is a smart cookie.
Weaving through the crowd, I jump on stage interrupting the Adele wannabe. She stops mid-song, letting the mic fall from her mouth.
“Yeah, sorry, but this is a life or death situation,” I say in her ear.
She still stares at me confused, her eyebrows drawn and a frown on her face.
“I promise you get next song and can have a redo.”
The crowd boos. Man, they’re ruthless. I pray they're kinder to me.
She leaves the stage, handing me the microphone. I look to the guy running the show and he nods.
She stands, her eyes glued to me.
“Stay,” I say to Demi.
Mia spits out her beer all over the table when she spots my get-up. Grady's chair slides back and Beckett grabs a stack of napkins to clean up.
“Go Bieber. He looks like you, Hoff.”
I throw my hair back, the long strands on my forehead already annoying the shit out of me. How does Bieber deal with this hairstyle? The sooner I can get her back, the sooner I can use some gel.
Skylar stands at Demi's side, whispering something to her. Our eyes are locked and the music starts.
“You're shittin' me, right?” Mia slaps the table, and I can tell that she's been celebrating a little too much tonight.
Grady shakes his head, leaning back in his chair with his arms across his chest. I'm surprised he doesn’t have his camera out yet.
Still no smile from Demi.
“Sorry” by Justin Bieber starts playing and I sing the first verse straight to her.
She’s still stiff as a board, nothing about her body language telling me that she’s open to my apology.
Hello? I'm making a fool of myself here.
When the second verse begins, I up the stakes, my hand reaching down for hers.
She shakes her head.
Skylar gently nudges her, and she stumbles a step forward. Not letting my hand leave as I continue to sing the song to her, she finally relents, and I guide her up onto the stage, seating her on the chair.
During the song, I do the few dance moves I tried to master this afternoon. She lets me get close, only the microphone separating us without pulling away. My hand cradles her cheek and then I step back and do a few more moves.
God, I hope no one is recording this.
The song eventually ends, and I fall to my knees, looking up at her with the microphone still on.
“Demi Harrison, I'm an idiot. You're the best thing to ever enter my life and it scared me. When I'm scared, I do stupid shit, like thinking you were just a lucky charm to me. You are my lucky charm, but only because you believe in me.” My head goes back and forth. “Not that the sex isn't off the charts.” I wink.
She smiles.
“But it was more than that between us. And I want us to be more. Can you forgive me?”
She sits there silent, staring down at me. No tears, no emotion. Shit, she's not going to accept my apology. The silence goes on and the crowd starts mumbling.
Demi falls to her knees in front of me and holds my head in her hands. “I wondered when you'd come to your senses.”
“That's a yes?”
She nods. “I was pissed off Dax, but after I calmed down and talked to Beckett and Skylar, I realized you were just scared and needed time to sort yourself out. Still, I had to scare you a little, but when you hopped on this stage dressed like Justin Bieber, you were forgiven.”
I let the microphone drop and it makes a horrible screeching noise, but I don’t care, planting my lips on her until her back is on the stage.
“Usual place?” she asks, lust in her eyes.
“Never again. I'm taking you to my bed.”
I sit up, ignoring the whistles and hold my hand out for her. She rises to her feet.
“Never?” There’s disappointment in her voice.
“Well, not never, but definitely not tonight. I need you in a bed because I fully intend on exhausting you.”
She giggles in the way that’s like an electrical current right between my legs. “Come on.”
“Leaving so soon?” Mia sing-songs as I weave us through the crowd.
When we get outside, I lead her to the side of the building. “I want to show you something, but take it as a good thing, okay?”
She stands there, and I lift my shirt, tearing the white bandage away from the skin on my chest to reveal a four-leaf clover.
“This Classics you were the best thing. Not the sex, or the fact that I won silver. Jus
t you. You are my lucky charm, Demi, but in life. Not on the hill.”
A single tear slips from her eye. “I love it. Thank you.”
I cup her cheek, urging her forward. “I'm so sorry,” I whisper, my forehead resting on hers.
“Are you turning sentimental on me? I thought you were going to exhaust me?” She reaches and grabs my hand, pulling me away from the building.
“Can I ask you what your views are on being a Girl Scout leader?”
She laughs, turning around and grabbing my other hand. “Well, I always saw myself more as the PTA president.”
I stop in my tracks and she glances over her shoulder, coyly smiling.
“I gotta keep you on your toes, Campbell.” She winks.
I pick her up, swinging her around in the air. “I’ll never be scared again.”
Her lips dip down. “Then I have something to tell you...I'm pregnant.”
“What?” My voice drops to a whisper. I wore a condom every damn time.
“Jeez, I thought you were going to banter back and forth with me. I sure hope you haven't changed, Dax because I really liked you the way you were. Minus how insane you act when you’re scared shitless about your feelings.” She gives me a chaste kiss on the lips. “Don’t go turning into a stiff on me.”
“Well, I'm stiff.” I push my hips forward. “Is that what you mean?”
“There you go.” She smiles.
I stop in the middle of the village when a light snowfall begins falling from the sky.
“Never stop challenging me,” I say.
She smiles up at me like I'm a rock star and with her in my arms, I feel like I am. “Promise.”
My lips fall to hers to seal our new deal.
Epilogue
Demi
“Thanks, Eva.” I hear Dax talking to the waitress as I approach from the outside.
She leaves with an empty bottle of beer and my glass. I smile. “Thank you.”
“I'll be right back,” she says.
I enter the cabana. Dax looking like he should be posing for a magazine cover. He’s tanned from our time in Thailand, his six-pack is on display, and his happy trail is leading to the prize below his board shorts.
When he sees me, he shoots me a smile that literally weakens my knees. Sometimes I can't believe he's mine. I can kiss him, seduce him, smack him playfully whenever the urge strikes—which is often.
“Already shortening the waitress’ name?” I ask, sitting down on his lap.
“She asked me to?” He honestly worries that I thought he'd flirt with her.
She's cute and all, but I don't bother worrying about Dax straying. He had his choice and out of all the women he’s ever had, he chose me.
I giggle, falling into his chest. His lips touch the top of my head and his fingers glide up my back.
“Lotion me up?” I pass him the bottle of sunscreen.
Being a redhead, the term sun tanning is a foreign concept to me.
“I can't promise my hands won't roam.” He sits up straighter, his legs on either side of the lounge chair making room for me between his thighs.
“You never do.”
“And you love it.”
I shrug because I have no complaints when the man I'm falling in love with can't stop touching me.
“Whoops.” The tie of my bikini at my neck undoes and falls, leaving my breasts bare for anyone walking by us to see.
“Dax!” I cup my breasts.
He plants his lips on my neck, making a path down to the top of my shoulder. He plays me like a fine-tuned violin. “Shit, I just can't control them. They have a mind of their own.” He undoes the string on my back and I'm left with the flimsy fabric of my bikini top in my hands.
I lean back into his chest, giving in to him. Why not, I have the same needs as him. Neither one of our wants ever wanes.
His large hands come around my middle, easing my own hands away, his own molding to my breasts and tweaking my nipples.
I run my own hands up and down his thighs, venturing up the edge of his board shorts.
“We should’ve stayed inside today,” he whispers in my ear.
“You'd stay in every day.”
“Damn right.”
I feel his growing erection on my back and wetness starts to pool between my legs.
“Oh, excuse me.” Eva backsteps away from the opening of the cabana.
Dax starts laughing while I'm sure I must look like I'm sunburned, my face feels so hot. I turn to give him an evil stare, standing and putting my top back on.
Once I'm decent, I sit in my own lounge chair. “Eva, I'm sorry. Come in,” I call out.
The young waitress comes in, her face a matching shade of red to mine. “Here.” She places the drinks down.
“Sorry, Mr. Campbell tends to be insatiable,” I say.
She giggles, and Dax is busy looking at me like I'm the biggest buzzkill because I'm not in his lap.
“Eva, if you had that, wouldn't you be the same.” He nods in my direction.
Eva seems a little uneasy, but she nods.
“Ignore him, Eva. Thank you.”
“I can draw the opening if you'd like.”
I’d take her up on her offer, but that would take away the view of the ocean.
“Great,” Dax jumps at the chance.
“No, thank you. We're going to enjoy the view,” I say.
“We are?” Dax drones.
“Yep. I'm about to make another deal.”
Eva escapes probably thinking we're either about to fight or fuck.
“No more deals for us.” Dax holds his hands up, taking a swig of his beer.
“You're telling me if I said we could make a deal where I'd blow you every day you wouldn't jump at that?”
“I'm not an idiot. But you want to make some stupid deal about how I can’t touch you in the daytime or some crap. Not going to happen.” He stares out at the ocean, his beer between his fingers.
“Do you think I could actually do that?”
He chuckles. “Well, I'm just putting it out there. I'll never agree to any no-sex deals.”
“Note taken.” I sip my margarita, eyeing him over the rim.
“What did your mom say?” he asks, changing the subject.
“You go from wanting to get lucky to bringing up my mom? Buzzkill, babe.” I take an extra-large sip of my margarita.
My mom might never come around to Dax, but she's going to have to try if she wants to be a part of my life.
“She wants to be your coach. Said it's a family thing and since we're dating...”
There’s only silence on the other side of the cabana. I sneak a peek at him and his jaw is hanging open, while he stares at me.
“Kidding.” I wink.
He falls back in his chair, his hand clutching his heart. “Shit. Thank God.”
“She's her usual self—bossy and irritable.” I stir the straw around in my drink.
“Warning you about the evils of me, I’m sure.”
“Nah. We made progress. You only came up ten times in the conversation.” I laugh.
He chuckles, jumping to his feet and laying on top of me. “I'll win her over. Don't worry.”
“I'm not.” I wait for him to bring his face up to look into my eyes. “I don't care Dax. It's her problem if she doesn't like you and if she makes trouble for us, then she can get out of my life.”
I know my mother and she'll never do that because Dax is right, he'll win her over.
He leans in and gives me a chaste kiss. “Can we draw the screen now?” he whines like a child.
“Okay,” I relent, and he stands up, pulling the string and the fabric closes, shutting off the view, but giving us our privacy.
He starts at my toes, his hands running up my legs, past my knees and along my inner thighs.
My head falls back on the pillow, my hands gripping the sides of the lounge chair.
Dax's phone rings.
“Forget it,” he mumbles, his
lips millimeters from my center. Shivers follow in his path.
“What if it's something important?”
“Nothing is more important than what I'm about to do,” he mumbles against my skin.
I try to relax again, enjoying his breath across my skin.
The phone rings again.
“We should see who it is.” I feel for the phone on the other side of the table.
“I don't care.” His fingers graze along the sides of my pussy, dipping under my swimsuit bottom.
I answer and listen to the news on the other end of the line. “Oh my God.” I sit up and Dax's face lands on the chair with am oomph.
“Demi,” he says, in his what the hell tone.
“It's Beckett, he broke his arm.”
“What? How?” Dax doesn't get up but does lift his head, staring up at me.
“Grady says he slipped or something. Details are sketchy. He says he's fine and he's heading to Skylar's place to recover.”
“Skylar's?” Dax's eyebrows raise just like mine. “She's cockblocking me from a thousand miles away,” he mumbles.
I playfully kick his rib. “It's your friend.”
He slithers up on top of me, taking my phone and placing it on the table. “And I love my friend, but there's enough of them to deal with him right now.” He plants his head between the swell of my breasts and kisses the skin.
“Hmm...Beckett’s staying at Skylar's.” My mind starts wandering.
“Maybe now those two will figure out what everyone else already knows,” Dax says and then continues to devour my breasts, pulling the bikini fabric away.
“I don't know, some people need a sledgehammer to fall on their heads to get it.”
He glances up, cocking one eye my way. “I'm going to pretend you weren't talking about me.”
“You go ahead and do that.” I smirk.
“It’s quiet time now. Shh.”
I slide down my lounge chair letting him have his way. He pushes up on his arms, his four-leaf clover tattoo prominently on display. I run my fingers over it. I don’t know if luck has anything to do with it, but sometimes things turn out so much better than you ever planned.
