Jeffry chuckled and reached for her hand, pulling her back to sit next to him again on the bench. “You and me both. Have you seen my father? He and your sister are more similar than you think. He rolls over anyone who gets in his way politically and never much cares for the consequences.”
Mallory bit her lip, and a nervous expression crossed her face.
His brow dropped. “What?”
She slanted a look his way. “He hit on Dakota last year. Did you know that?”
“What?”
Mallory winced. “I didn’t say anything because, well, he’s your dad and all, and I know things have been strained between you. But...”
She looked out at the park, and as she hesitated, clearly not wanting to go on, a sizzle of heat spread between Jeffry’s ribs. But it wasn’t the good kind of heat. It was the kind that made you see red. “But? Keep going.”
Mallory sighed. “I only know because Dakota came by the house one night after Mom and Dad had gone to bed, all fired up because your dad had propositioned her and how dare he think he could get someone as young and hot as her. I don’t know the details. Just that Dakota turned him down, which for her I guess was a big step toward doing the right thing. Not that she hasn’t backtracked—a lot lately—but, whatever.”
She turned to look at him and winced again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. It happened a long time ago, and I didn’t come down here to tell you all that. I don’t even know why I did. I guess just because I’m so upset about what Lacey’s doing, and because I’ve seen Dakota do the same damn thing to other people. I just...” She shook her head as tears filled her eyes once more. “I never knew what it felt like.”
Fury rumbled inside Jeffry, making his nerves hum and his vision narrow, but he forced the anger back for the moment and wrapped an arm around Mallory again. “It’s okay. I get it and I’m not upset. My dad’s an asshole. He always has been. If this is true, then it just takes that assholeness to a whole new level.”
Mallory chuckled, but again it turned to a sob, and Jeffry held her as she fought through her emotions. He rubbed a hand up and down her arm and cursed Luis and Lacey and what they were doing to this poor girl. But mostly he cursed his own father.
Mallory sniffled. “It hurts even more to know I’m not only losing my boyfriend, I’m losing my best friend too, you know?”
“If she doesn’t care about your feelings, she’s not a true friend.”
“I know that.” Mallory wrapped an arm around Jeffry’s waist, settling in even closer. “I feel like you’re the only person I can talk to about this.” Her crying slowly subsided, and she rubbed her thumb along his ribs. “I don’t know what I’d do without you right now, Jeffry.”
Her words echoed in the air around him as tingles spread across his ribs where she touched him. But instead of stimulating something warm inside, confusion and a need to escape rolled through his belly.
He grasped Mallory’s shoulders and gently pushed her away, then quickly rose from the bench so she couldn’t touch him again.
Startled, she looked up with damp brown eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He stepped back from her, unsure what was happening. What was that feeling putting pressure on his chest, making it hard to draw breath? He took another step away and forced himself to stay calm when all he really wanted to do was turn and run.
“Jeffry?”
“I...I gotta go, Mal.” He turned before she could stop him and walked quickly away from her. “We’ll talk later.”
He couldn’t draw a full breath until he was back on the sidewalk in front of the newspaper. But when he did, he realized he’d just bailed on Mallory when she needed him most. He didn’t understand why he’d run from her. Mallory was his friend, not any kind of threat. But he’d just rejected her, exactly like Luis.
“Shit,” he muttered, closing his eyes. He’d told himself he’d never be like his father, but today he’d treated someone the same calloused way his father always treated him. And that meant before long—if he wasn’t careful—he’d be grade-A asshole, exactly like Sebastian Rush.
* * * *
Luis felt like shit. He needed to talk to Mallory but as he’d taken his last break when Mallory had shown up at the pool, he’d worked nonstop until closing. And since it was a Saturday night and good weather, the pool had stayed open until eight.
He’d texted her several times, but she wasn’t answering. He thought about going over to her house, but he was afraid Mrs. Alvarez would get mad at his stopping by so late. And what if Mallory had told her mom about the whole Lacey thing? Technically he hadn’t done anything wrong. Yeah, Lacey had kissed him last night, but it had been a chaste kiss, and he hadn’t kissed her back. Mallory didn’t even know about that, so, really, she was upset over nothing, right?
He rubbed a hand against his forehead as he crossed the parking lot toward his car and tried to convince himself that Mallory was making a bigger deal out of all of this than it was worth. Dusk was just settling over Storm, the summer days warm and long. He tugged open the rear door of the old Jeep Cherokee he’d saved several summers’ worth of money to buy and tossed his duffel into the back while his mind spun around the events of the last two days.
Lacey was just having fun. Blowing off steam because of the crap going on at her house. She was the only one from their group who wasn’t working. Yeah, she had a part-time job at Cuppa Joe, but she hadn’t been back since Jacob’s funeral. She had to be bored at home, right? She wasn’t really interested in him. If she was, he’d know, wouldn’t he?
A car rumbled to a stop in front of his Jeep before he could come up with an answer, and he looked toward the familiar yellow Bug with a whisper of both excitement and dread.
Lacey lowered the passenger window and grinned. Her curly chestnut hair hung around her face, and her wide brown eyes sparkled with both mischief and intrigue. “Just get off work?”
Relax. Talking to a friend is not cheating. You’re only being nice.
“Yeah.” He stepped up to her window and bent so he could look across the passenger seat at her. “What are you doing here?”
She shrugged. “Had to get out of the house for a while. Have you eaten?”
Say yes, a voice whispered in the back of his head. Tell her to leave before you make things worse, jackass.
“No,” he heard himself say.
“Sweet.” Lacey held up a white paper bag. Bluebonnet Cafe was printed in big blue letters across the front. “I have plenty to share. Hop in.”
Luis hesitated. His conscience urged him to say no, but he didn’t really want to say no. What was he going to do with his night? Drive over to Mallory’s and beg her to forgive him... when he hadn’t done anything wrong in the first place?
“I don’t bite,” Lacey said, her grin widening until it encompassed her pretty face and made heat rush all through Luis's belly. “Much, anyway.”
Before he could stop himself, he pulled the passenger door of the Bug open and slid in next to Lacey. As soon as he closed the door, she shoved the car into drive and whipped the little Bug out of the country club’s parking lot.
“Where are we headed?” he asked when he realized they were on the main road moving west out of town.
“The lake. I need some fresh air, and I bet the sunset over the lake is awesome right now.”
That voice in the back of Luis’s head screamed that being alone with Lacey at the lake was a bad idea, but he shoved it aside. They were just eating. And talking. There was no harm in either of those things.
“You look like shit, you know,” Lacey said as she drove. “Things with Mal not go so well?”
Luis huffed and rested his elbow on the windowsill so he could rub his aching forehead. “Not great, no.”
She glanced sideways at him. “You two didn’t break up, did you?”
He frowned and stared straight ahead. But something pinched in the center of his chest. “I’m not sure. She’s pissed at m
e.”
“Huh,” was all Lacey said.
Monarch Lake was only a few miles out of town, in a small valley between rolling hills and surrounded by trees. All the locals knew the best swimming spots, and most summer days, the lake was packed. But at eight thirty in the evening, the majority of people who’d ventured out for the day had packed up and disappeared. Lacey pulled onto a gravel road then drew to a stop near the water’s edge, but Luis was too lost in his thoughts about Mallory and what had happened between them to notice the beauty of the lake.
Lacey popped the driver’s door and climbed out. “Man, that’s gorgeous.”
He turned to look her way. She stood next to the car in a pale-yellow sundress. Fading rays of sunlight shimmered over her in ribbons of gold and orange and purple. And as he studied her, he couldn’t deny that she was a total looker, especially with all that soft brown hair falling in gentle curls down her back and a broad smile across her pretty face. Was it any wonder he’d been crushing on her for years? Lacey Salt was every guy’s fantasy.
His mind instantly shifted to Mallory, and he looked away from Lacey, focusing on the dashboard as a strange feeling rolled through his belly. Being with Lacey up here at the lake wasn’t a good idea at all. He had a girlfriend. Mallory was his girlfriend, not Lacey. Mallory.
“Um, Lace. I don’t think—”
She grabbed the bag of food, reached for something from the backseat, then slammed the driver’s door and walked around the front of the car. “Get out, handsome. I’m not eating in the car.”
Handsome. The word spun in his head as he watched Lacey carry a blanket down to the grassy area near the water. He needed to go back to Storm. Needed to forget all about Lacey Salt and whatever games she was playing. But as soon as she turned and waved for him to join her, his willpower crumbled and he reached for the door handle.
Lacey laid out the blue-checked blanket, then knelt and pulled out a burger and handed it to him. Nerves vibrated through Luis’s fingers as he took the burger and sat on the blanket beside her. They were just having dinner, right? A man had to eat.
Lacey ate half her burger in silence, and they watched the sunset over the lake, the fading light creating a multicolor glow all across the wide Texas sky. After wrapping up her burger, Lacey tossed it back in the bag and sighed. “I love this place. I always feel better when I’m here.”
Luis finished his own burger and wadded the wrapper up before placing it in the bag. Unfortunately, the food hadn’t done anything to settle his stomach. “Me too.”
“Remember when we were in middle school and we used to come out here and spy on the high schoolers making out on the beach?”
Luis drew his legs up and rested his elbows on his knees. He was still wearing his lifeguarding shorts, but he’d thrown on a white Nickelback T-shirt before leaving work. They were just talking. Reminiscing. There was nothing wrong with that. “I remember Marisol used to bust my ass for sneaking out.”
“And I remember Ginny was always up here with a different boy.”
Luis smiled, relaxing as the conversation drifted. They were just friends. It was okay to have a girl friend without her being your girlfriend. “Yeah. She was a bit of a wild child. I’m pretty sure she was just doing whatever she could to get your brother to notice her, though.”
Lacey’s smile slipped, and Luis instantly realized he’d said the wrong thing.
“Shit. Sorry.” Mentioning Jacob was so stupid. “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“You didn’t.” Lacey looked down at her hands, resting on her knees. “Everything makes me sad these days, so don’t worry. Mallory doesn’t get that. My parents don’t get it. No one does. You can’t imagine what it’s like to lose someone you love.”
“Yeah, I can,” he said softly, his mind turning to thoughts of his parents.
Lacey looked his way with weary brown eyes. “You’re probably the only one who does.”
“Is that what’s been going on with you the last few days?”
Her brow dropped. The sun had set, and darkness was slowly creeping in, but the temperature was still warm, and the way her eyes shimmered in the fading light made him even warmer. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come on, Lace. You know you do.” He looked back at the lake, and even though a tiny part of him was sad he was finally facing reality, he knew this was all for the best. He couldn’t keep fantasizing about Lacey Salt. It wasn’t fair to him and it definitely wasn’t fair to Mallory. “I get it. I mean, you’re in a crazy place. Nothing makes sense. No one seems to understand you, even you. And you just want life to be normal again so you’re reaching out for anything you can to make you feel normal. But this isn’t you, and it sure as heck isn’t me.”
Her hand landed against his shoulder, and before he realized what she was doing, she'd straddled his hips and settled herself onto his lap. “What if I told you you’re what I want?”
Blood rushed straight to his groin, and his stomach flopped around like a fish out of water. He lowered his legs to the blanket and froze, unable to think or move or speak.
She brushed her fingers over the stubble on his jaw, and tingles spread all across his skin, wherever she touched. Leaning toward his mouth, she whispered, “I know you’ve had a crush on me forever, Luis. I can’t believe you never said anything. I never would have turned you down. I’ve wanted you for months now.”
Her lips pressed against his, soft and sweet and all that he remembered from her kiss last night. But this time they were insistent, and when her tongue swept along the edge of his mouth, he didn’t even think. He opened in reflex and let her in.
She tasted faintly of the burger she’d just eaten, but he didn’t care. Her mouth was warm and wet and so damn erotic, blood pumped through his veins making him hard and hot and achy.
Her slick tongue slid along his, and she tipped her head the other way, kissed him deeper and moaned. And the sound supercharged his libido, making him slide his hands around her shoulders so he could hold her close while he kissed her back. While she made him crazy with her mouth.
A little voice in the back of his head whispered, This isn’t real. Lacey Salt is messing with you, but he ignored it. Because all he could think about was how soft and wet her mouth was. How smooth and silky her skin was. And how long he’d daydreamed about a moment just like this.
She let go of his face and reached behind her head. Luis kept kissing her, wanting only a little bit more. Fabric fell against his hands at her waist, then her fingers closed over his and she drew his hand up. Something warm and soft and full filled his palm, and he broke away from her mouth long enough to look down to see what it was.
His eyes grew wide. She’d untied the halter of her dress. That warm, full object in his hand was her breast. Her very naked, very plump breast. Shades lighter than the skin of his hand. Shades lighter than Mallory’s breast, which he’d held and touched like this just a few nights ago when they’d made out in the backseat of his car.
Mallory’s voice suddenly echoed in his head from earlier in the day. “I don’t know why she’s suddenly interested in you when she never even looked twice your way before...” And a chill spread down his spine.
Lacey gripped Luis’s shoulders, dropped her head back, then rocked her hips against his and groaned. “Oh God. That feels so good. Don’t stop touching me.”
Panic condensed beneath Luis’s ribs. Panic and a sea of guilt that pushed him into action.
He let go of Lacey and quickly pushed her off his lap. Sweat streaked down his spine as he stumbled to his feet and tried not to fall over.
“What the hell, Luis?” Lacey’s irritated voice echoed up at him. “What’s wrong with you all a sudden?”
“I...” Shit. This was wrong. He’d just made out with Lacey Salt. With Lacey Salt. A girl who hadn’t shown any interest in him romantically until two days ago. He didn’t want Lacey. He knew that now. What he’d felt for her was nothing more than a stupid crush. He wanted
Mallory. Mallory didn’t play games with him. Mallory didn’t try to mess with his head. Mallory cared about him—really cared about him—in a way Lacey never could. “I have to go.”
He took a step toward the car, but Lacey lurched to her feet and grabbed his hand. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Luis turned to face her, startled by the cold bite in her voice. She was holding the dress together at her chest, but her eyes were on fire in the fading light.
He’d upset her. She had every right to be mad. He’d let things go too far and now she was hurt that he’d rejected her. But this wasn’t right. And as much as he didn’t want to hurt her more, he needed her to get it. “I’m sorry, Lace. I didn’t mean—”
“Get back on the blanket, Luis.”
The calm tone of her voice was in direct contrast with the fire swirling in her dark eyes. His stomach tightened. “Lacey, I’m sorry, but I’m in love with Mallory. This was a giant mistake. I didn’t mean to—”
“I don’t care what you meant to do. You’ve wanted me forever. We both know it. So get back on this blanket and fuck me like we both know you want to do.”
He recoiled at her words and stepped back. Something wild flashed in her eyes. Something he hadn’t seen before. “No.” He shook his head. “I’m not going to.”
He turned for the road, desperate to get away from Lacey and this entire night as fast as he could.
“Come back here, Luis. Come back right now.” Lacey’s voice echoed in the night at his back. “If you walk away from me, you’ll regret it. I swear you’ll regret it forever!”
Luis pushed his legs into a jog as a new sense of panic rushed all through his chest. The only thing he regretted was being a stupid, idiotic asshole to the one person he cared most about in the world.
He just prayed she let him make it all up to her before it was too late.
Chapter Six
A tapping sound roused Mallory from the restless sleep she’d finally fallen into.
Crosswinds: Episode 3 Page 7
