“I did get permission. Do you seriously think I would turn up at your parents’ door uninvited? Your mom even baked me cookies for when I arrived. Your mom’s the best. She makes great sandwiches too.”
Closing my eyes, I pinch the bridge of my nose. I’m so angry. “This is not a joke.”
“None of why I came here is a joke, Caitlin. I came here for you, but I also came to see your folks. Your parents were like an extra mom and dad for me when I was growing up. It’s been great seeing them again and catching up.”
My stomach twists, wondering how much he knows about me. “So, did you get what you wanted out of your fact-finding mission?”
He hesitates for a moment before responding. “Your dad told me about that time you mowed the lawn and when it got stuck you bent down to try and pull the grass out and it cut your finger. You had to have a couple of stitches. I never noticed you had a scar on your finger.”
I pull the offending finger up on my right hand, noticing the very faint line. “It hurt like a bitch, but it’s only a tiny scar. What else did you find out?”
Please... get to the point.
“At the age of fifteen, you decided it would be fun to start your dad’s car and pretend to drive, not realizing it was already in gear when you put your foot down on the gas. Apparently you totaled everything in your dad’s garage.”
I close my eyes. “I can’t believe they told you about that.”
“Your mom also said you wanted to color your hair like hers, so one day you put some on, but left the cream on too long and it turned your hair white.”
As embarrassing as this all is, he’s not getting to what I really want to know. Whether that’s deliberate or not, I don’t know.
“What else?”
“Oh, there were lots of more stories like that to share with me, Caitlin. So many, it’s too long to list over the phone. Your bed’s so comfortable, I’m almost asleep already.” I hear his fake yawn over the line.
“Jeremy!” I warn again. “I can’t believe you’re in Nebraska. That’s just crossing so many lines.”
“Five, to be exact.”
I almost growl. “I’m not talking about state lines.”
“I’m going to hit the hay, but I’ll drop by your house once you’ve finished college.”
“You’re not coming anywhere near—”
“Love you... bye.” He blows kisses down the phone.
After that it’s silent, so I know he’s ended the call. In frustration, I throw my phone on my bed and cover my face with my hands.
What an asshole! How dare he fly to see my parents without telling me? How dare he snoop into my personal affairs without asking me? Just... how dare he?!
For a while, I lie there, my hands balled into fists. If he thinks he’s going to come here tomorrow and expect me to welcome him with open arms, he’s got another thing coming.
I feel a little guilty that I played with Caitlin last night, but a part of me thinks that the last thing she would want is my sympathy. Frank said she didn’t want people to know because she felt ashamed. I don’t want to make her feel anything other than safe around me. How I can convince her that she is, I have no idea, but I’m going to damn well try.
Knowing that she went through all this, that her dad has cancer, and that they’ll have to move to a smaller place to pay for all the medical bills, breaks my fucking heart. They’ve also been receiving threats, being followed to the shops, and stuff. That can’t be easy for them either. It makes me so angry that they’re going through all this with Frank’s cancer and to top it all off, they’ve got some punks playing stupid fucking games, makes my blood boil.
Caitlin is going to be broken when she finds out about her dad. I know they’re super close. I would even say closer than she and her mom ever were. She would help her mom at times, but she was always keen to help her dad with stuff even more so. The amount of times I would arrive at their house when we were younger to find the garage door open, her dad tinkering with a car or his bike, and Caitlin would be watching intently with a blob of black oil spread across her nose and cheeks, covering those adorable freckles of hers.
Late morning, I left the Summers’ residence with promises that I would look out for their daughter for them. I had been rewarded with a big Tupperware container filled with Cathy’s delicious cookies. No doubt they’ll all be gone by tomorrow.
Once off the plane and in my car, I head straight for Caitlin’s place, knowing I’m in for a fiery response when I get there. I have this urge to go to her now that I’ve heard all that happened. I wish they were all stories—the kind you keep people up telling at nighttime, but unfortunately they’re all too real. Way too real.
I arrive just at the time Caitlin and Stacey pull into the driveway themselves. I get out of the car the same time they do and Caitlin stands there, hand on hip, waving a finger at me.
“You have some nerve coming here after what you did. I want you to turn around and go back into the hole you crawled out of...”
She continues to ramble, but the only thing that’s on my mind right now is just how fucking sexy she looks in those tight jeans and equally tight T-shirt. She has her fleece on, but it’s slightly unzipped, showing off that plunging V-shaped neckline that accentuates her breasts. As I get closer, hunger now set in my eyes, her nipples start to show through them, causing me to lick my lips. What I wouldn’t give to lick and suck on those perky little gems of hers.
“Don’t you come near me, Scozzari,” is the last thing she shouts before I place my hands on her cheeks and bring her face to mine, crashing my lips against hers. At first she stiffens, but as I dip my tongue out and taste her, she relents, gripping the side of my shirt and groaning into my mouth. My body heats and my heart drums as our tongues dance in unison with each other. Yes, she may be mad at me, and yes, she has every right. But the only reason why I did what I did was because I care about her.
“Ugh, get a room,” we hear a voice complain, snapping Caitlin out of it. I could seriously kill Stacey right now.
Caitlin pulls away, allowing my growl to come out harsher than it should. I needed that kiss to last a little longer.
Fuck it... a lot longer.
“You had no right going to my parents like that.”
She’s trying to stay mad, but I know after that kiss it’s difficult. I can’t help but smile. “It’s a free country.”
“You’re a fucking asshole,” she states, before turning around and heading for the door. I stay motionless for a while, allowing my gaze to linger on that pert bum of hers.
Stacey catches me. Of course she does. “Pervert,” she mutters under her breath.
Once Caitlin’s walked into the apartment, I glance at Stacey. “What? It’s not like you’ve never stared at a man’s ass before.”
She swaps leaning on one leg for the other, chewing on what may be a piece of gum. “Did you really fly all the way to her parents’ house so you could find out about her past?”
I nod. There’s really no way to sugarcoat it. “She wouldn’t tell me. I warned her I would find out my own way, and that’s exactly what I did.”
Stacey shakes her head, her lips thinning a little. “I don’t know whether to hit you or hug you for that.”
“I only did it because I care.”
She nods like she already knew this. “I guess you’ll just have to convince Caitlin the same. I think she’ll be mad at you for a long while.”
I smirk. “I’m sure I can convince her in time.”
She looks sad for a moment. “Just... take it easy on her, okay? Remember, the first and only relationship she ever had was with Jack.”
I grit my teeth, anger boiling in my veins. “Don’t remind me.” I then take a deep breath. “Can I come in?”
“You really are glutton for punishment, aren’t you?”
“When it comes to Caitlin, I’ll take any punishment she wishes to hand to me.”
“Ugh, you’re disgusting.”
She huffs, making her way into the apartment. She doesn’t tell me not to follow, so I step forward, pushing my way through the door. I find Caitlin playing with her hair on the couch.
“Oh, look. It’s my stalker again.”
I give her a huge grin before sitting right next to her. We’re so close our arms and legs are touching. Despite the fact she’s mad at me, there’s an undeniable heat between us that she can’t ignore.
“I have your mother’s cookies in my car. She gave me a huge Tupperware container full of them.”
Caitlin stops playing with her hair, but only long enough to roll her eyes at me. “Good for you.”
“I think you’re just jealous because they treat me like the son they never had.”
She huffs, shaking her head.
“I’ve already got their permission to marry you. They asked about kids, but we’re still quite young for that. Still, with the amount of sex we’re going to have it may be inevitable. I reckon you might very well be on your third kid by the time you’re twenty-one.”
She looks at me, her fingers stuck mid-air, her mouth parted, and her eyes as big as saucers. It takes everything I have not to burst into laughter. Her expression is priceless.
When I smile as innocently as possible at her, she seems to gain composure, closing her mouth to swallow. She’s out of her seat next.
“I can’t believe this shit. I’m going to my room.”
“Is that an invitation?”
“No!” she screams, without looking over her shoulder.
“Love you, Caitlin,” I shout, watching her small, but perky frame disappear into her room.
“Piss off!” she answers back.
I turn, a huge smile on my face, to find Stacey standing in the middle of the room, her hands on her hips. It makes my smile wider. “Woman of my dreams that,” I say, pointing toward Caitlin’s door.
Try as she might, Stacey can’t help but hide the smile that’s so desperate to appear. She then shakes her head, walking toward the kitchen.
“It’s only been two weeks, and already I’ve had enough of you two.”
And long may it continue.
It’s Saturday and try as I might to stay away, I can’t help but be curious with this self-defense class that Jeremy told me about a few days ago. I’m not sure if he’ll be there, but nonetheless, I attend, only so I can observe for now. I should learn how to defend myself, especially after what happened with Jack. I guess, up till now I had been scared. It just took Jeremy to mention it for my curiosity to get the better of me.
I get to the gym way into the lesson. I don’t want to bring attention to myself, so I sneak up to the class, noticing there’s a big window. When I look through it, my eyes find him. You can’t ignore him. I can also tell the ladies in the room feel the same way with the way their eyes linger on him, laughing at everything he says. The way their postures are straight, their boobs sticking out half a mile to try and gain his attention.
And I can’t complain as he has my attention too. My undivided attention. I thought he looked fantastic in jeans, but holy hell does he look fucking hot in sweatpants. He doesn’t have his signatory cap on, but I can hazard a guess he’s been wearing it by the way his hair seems to flow in every which way. His eyes are focused, sexy, and he hasn’t shaved this morning, which doesn’t help my loins stay calm. Today he wears a Public Enemy T-shirt. I can’t help but smile. It’s yet another ’90s hip hop icon to add to his list.
Two small crowds seem to form. One small group is with Jeremy, and another small group with another man on the other side of the room. My focus, however, is completely on Jeremy.
He says something to the small group of women and a few stick their hands up. He picks one and she steps forward, smiling as she turns to put her back to him. He lifts his arm up, resting it on her shoulder as his arm reaches to the front of her neck, demonstrating that he’s holding an imaginary knife. The lady puts her hands up, palms out front, and it looks like she’s mouthing the words, “okay, okay, okay.” Within an instant, she grabs his arm, yanking it forward and twisting it up. Jeremy pretends to drop the imaginary knife and the rest of the women nod. The lady he is with steps forward and Jeremy says something else. Another woman steps forward and they demonstrate the same thing. This goes on until all the women have tried the same move.
Jeremy says something again and he picks another woman out. This time, she stands behind him, placing her arms completely over his by his waist. They tend to struggle until he manages to get his body to the side, pretending to punch her groin area. She bends forward, so Jeremy can twist his body and pretend to knee her in the stomach. Again, every one of them tries this same move and then they stop suddenly, having a small talk before they all smile and walk away. I wait until all the women depart the room, hearing one of them say, “If only I was ten years younger,” to one of them in the group.
Shaking my head on a smile, I walk into the room with Jeremy’s back to me at first. The other guy who’s with me notices and brandishes a smile.
“You’ve just missed this class, but there’ll be one at ten o’clock next Saturday if you’re interested. If you’re here for the aerobics class, that doesn’t start for another fifteen minutes. You might want to grab yourself a coffee till then.”
Just as I’m about to respond, Jeremy turns, noticing me for the first time. My body heats as his eyes make a perusal of my body. Yes, I’m in tight gray leggings and a pink tank like I’m ready for a keep fit class. I may not be attending one, but I didn’t want to walk through a gym without at least looking the part.
“It’s okay, Tom. She’s with me.” The whole time he says it he hasn’t taken his eyes off me. I can hardly speak as I haven’t been able to take my eyes off him either.
“Ah, okay, man. I’ll see you next week.”
“Yeah,” is all he says, still staring at me.
The other guy takes the hint, grabbing his stuff and quickly walking out of the room. It’s just him and me.
“So, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
I shrug before starting a leisurely pace around the room. “You mentioned you did this and I guess I got curious. I’ve never attended a self-defense class before.”
He glances down at his watch. “We have this room to ourselves for the next ten minutes. Do you want to try a couple of moves?”
“Oh, no. You’ve already done the class. You must want to go home now.”
He places his palms out. “It’s just ten minutes, Caits.”
I bite my lip, trying to suppress my smile. “Okay.”
I just know the moment I let that one tiny word slip out my mouth that I was in big trouble.
“Is there anything in particular you want to cover, or do you just want me to show you a couple of techniques?”
“Can you show me the first one you did? The one where you had a pretend knife around that woman’s throat.”
He smirks, raising one eyebrow. “So, you were watching?”
Oh, yes. A bit too intently, I might add.
“I just wanted to see what techniques can be used.”
He nods, looking more serious this time. “Okay. Let’s try a few things and see how we get on. Put your stuff down first.” I walk over to where his bag and jumper is and place all my things next to him. When I turn around he’s watching me with that heated expression again. The same one that turns my insides to mush.
When he realizes he’s been staring a little too long, he clears his throat and points behind him. “You’ll need to come behind me. I’ll bend down so you can reach over.”
I do as he asks, placing myself behind him and wrapping my arm around his shoulder. Jeremy bends a little, so I can reach over toward his neck. I grip my fist like I’m holding a knife. My body’s now pressed against his, electricity vibrating from him into me. He feels good and smells even better. A mixture of his sweat and sweet cologne hits my nos
trils, making them flare a little. I want more. So much more of him. I have to close my eyes just so I can concentrate. I can’t think right now. It’s like all my thoughts have disappeared into one specific area of my body. Sex with Jack was always so rough and unsatisfying. He never cared if I was pleasured. It was all about him. I still felt it, though. The dying need for more. I know I’m inexperienced, but I long to have a man take care of my needs as much as I would want to take care of his. I always thought it took effort, but with Jeremy everything flows so easily. The way we touch each other, the way we kiss. I’m left wanting more. Always more.
“Okay,” he starts, snapping me out of my daydream. “So, if someone comes up to you like this with a knife and say they’re demanding your purse. What you would do in this situation is put your hands up in surrender like this.” He shows me his palms up. “Okay, okay, I’ll give it to you.” Without warning, he then grabs my hand. “What you want to do next is grab his arm with both of yours like this and then pull forward.” He pulls me gently toward him, allowing me a nice whiff of his sweet aftershave again. “You then want to twist his hand like this.” He twists my hand over. “And then push his elbow up with your hand. This will make him drop the knife, allowing you time to run.” He then turns to me with a smile. “You want to try it now?”
I nod and we swap places. When the warmth of his body presses into my back, I close my eyes. His hot breath is caressing the back of my neck, causing goose bumps to rise all over my body. It’s like I can sense him everywhere. On my body, on my skin—inside of me.
“Did I tell you how damn fucking sexy you look in that outfit?” His voice is low, deep, guttural.
Heat prickles my skin. His warm body is so electrifying I can hardly breathe. “No,” I manage to whisper, my heart drumming a million miles an hour.
His lips touch the base of my neck, making me roll my eyes, I’m so turned on. “Well, you do and it’s giving me very wicked thoughts.”
I swallow hard, trying to compose myself, but failing miserably. “What wicked thoughts?”
Scozzari: Deviant #3 Page 14
