He nods. "Yes, he practically inhaled what he could get, once you were gone."
"Just great. Anyway, have fun with Pearl, and I will call in case there's a problem with Delsin."
"Thank you, Sweetie. You're the best," Avery smiles and plants a kiss on my forehead.
"You can say that again when I want my compensation," I giggle and close the door.
I return to my bedroom and look at Delsin Rough, who is lying in my bed, totally wasted and snoring like the devil. "I warn you not to touch me tonight. I swear I'm going to rip out your spirit fingers," I murmur and lie down next to him. Ave has put him squarely in the middle of the bed, so I have to push him aside a little. "Man, you are heavy," I gasp.
"I don't want to get up, mom," he mumbles in his sleep.
"Believe me, if I were your mother, you'd have learned to treat a woman with respect," I tell him, even though he is far beyond registering my words.
When I finally have enough space, I lie down and pull the covers over our bodies. As soon as I close my eyes, Delsin turns on his side and places his arm across my stomach. Annoyed, I push him away and turn my back, but a few moments later, his arm is back.
"Oh, to hell with it," I murmur and close my eyes.
***
At some point during the night, I finally fell asleep. It felt weird, lying next to someone, because I always sleep alone.
Someone prods me, so I blink and squint. "Hm?" I utter.
"Would you please tell me why I am lying next to you?" Delsin asks in a serious tone.
I turn towards him and open one eye. "Because you were completely wasted and Ave brought you here so you could sleep it off. He was supposed to pick you back up after a bit, but I guess he and Pearl had better things to do than babysit you." I say all of this in one long, tired mumble, before I close my eye again.
"And you offered to play the hostess?" he prods, sounding curious.
"Could you shut up so I can get a little more sleep?" I say with a yawn.
He smiles. "Nope. I'm in the mood for a conversation right now." Then his hand brushes my thigh, like a caress.
"But I want to sleep. You were snoring the whole time. I am tired. So it's either shut up or get dressed and go," I grumble.
"Okay, I'll leave. Thank you for letting me sleep here, Camille."
"You're welcome," I answer and snuggle back into my sleepiness.
Chapter 3
When I wake up again, I give a violent start.
Delsin is sitting next to me, looking at me. "You're really cute when you're asleep."
I slowly sit up. "And you would make a good stalker," I state.
He lies down next to me again, grinning. "I know."
"Delsin, listen: I cannot stand you, and I only let you sleep here because Avery kept begging. So I'd really appreciate it if you moved your ass out of here now."
"I think I'm going to stay a little longer. We could talk for a while. When I'm sober, I'm not quite such an asshole as you think I am," he replies.
I sigh and fall back into the pillows. "If you say so. Then go on, tell me something about yourself."
"I study architecture."
"I know."
"I have six half-siblings altogether," he continues.
"I know that as well."
"How come you know that?" he asks.
"You told me yesterday at the party," I say.
"Okay, then ... I will tell you something else."
I turn on my side and look straight into his dark green eyes. "Why do you go to college at all, when you tell everyone you have enough money to never have to work?"
Delsin mirrors my position and props his head on his hand. "Do you have any idea how boring it is when all your friends are studying and you sit at home, with nothing to do?"
"Yes, I do. Between high school and college, I paused for a whole year. I should be in my fourth semester now, like all my friends," I explain.
"How come?"
"Do you really want to know?" I can't help sounding irritated.
He nods slowly.
"I was in a car accident, just before the semester began. Both my legs were broken, and so was my left arm. I was in hospital for four months, and then I had to go into rehab to learn to walk again. And then I didn't want to start in the middle of the term, it would have been far too much work to catch up with the rest," I tell him.
"Were you in the car?" Delsin wants to know.
"No. I ran into the street ... to push the neighbor's kid out of the way. The car would have run her over. The guy couldn't hit the brakes in time," I explain.
"You're a damn hero," he says with a smile.
"Or a damn fool, as Hailey said. But Sadie wouldn't have gotten away so easily. I merely lost a year, so it's okay."
"I think what you did was heroic, and courageous, but not at all foolish. You saved a child's life," he opines.
"Now I would like to change the subject, please."
"Okay. I go to college because I don't want to be bored. I want to have fun and to accomplish something. And I don't want to rest on my father's fame, but to create my own life," he tells me
"I reckon it's not easy to stand in your father's shadow, is it? I ask.
Delsin chuckles. "Actually, it's really quite convenient. The girls are drawn to me and want to screw me. What more can I ask for?"
"Um ... I'd imagine that's getting old really quickly, don't you think? I wouldn't have that much fun screwing one guy after the other. I'd rather have a working relationship than a mindless lay every other night," I explain patiently.
"Well, you know, my ex really played me for a sucker. She went to bed with my then-best friend, and that went on for months. So why should I let someone hurt me like that when I can have fun instead? Why would I get steady with someone and risk another heartbreak?" Delsin asks thoughtfully.
"Because not all women are like that. Okay, so you had a hussy for a girlfriend, but there are also nice girls who would want a guy like you."
"Is that true?"
I nod emphatically. "Yes, I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."
The corners of his mouth twitch. "Maybe I will start to look for a girlfriend again some time, but right now, I prefer to have fun."
"And that is impossible in a relationship?" I want to know.
"Not really. It's great in the beginning, but after three or four months, I get bored."
"Says the man who has been single for how long exactly?"
Delsin smiles. "I've been single for four years now."
"Ever since your ex cheated on you?"
"No. After we broke up, I tried to have a relationship one more time. But her successor was so boring, as was the whole thing," Delsin answers with a grin.
"And do you get a discount when you buy condoms by now?" I giggle.
"Con-what?" he says.
My jaw drops. "Don't tell me you do not use protection," I exclaim. I am shocked that he would be so irresponsible.
All that he does is laugh at me. "Of course I use protection. I was only pulling your leg."
At that moment, all my resentment flares up and I punch him in the shoulder. "You can be such an asshole, Delsin!"
He laughs louder and raises his hand to deflect me, but I keep punching him. "Have mercy," he begs playfully.
I don't care. I hit him again until he catches my wrist und pulls me towards him. "I was begging for mercy," he murmurs.
"And I won't have mercy," I growl, still upset.
"You know how much I dig it when you get angry, so you better stop it," he warns me softly, leans closer and kisses the sensitive spot below my ear. A tingling sensation spreads over my skin, like an explosion.
I hit him again, but as he holds me so tightly, it is more like a nudge.
"Camille?"
I tip my head back and look up at him. "What?" I say.
"I'm going to kiss you now," he announces.
I start to fidget and try to squirm out of his embrace. "No, you
're not."
"Yes, I will. I warned you, and now you'll have to live with it," he grins and puts his lips on mine.
This kiss is totally different from yesterday's. It's soft and I feel myself melting against him. The bastard, I think, but I don't dare to pull away. It feels far too good. The way his teeth graze my lower lip, the tip of his tongue on my upper lip. I sigh and close my eyes with a flutter. My resistance slips away.
Delsin's hand moves down my side, and his fingers slip under my t-shirt. I flinch when his cold fingertips touch my skin. His other hand cups my cheek, while his tongue slowly invades my mouth. I melt into this kiss and let go completely, even though I can't stand this man lying next to me in my bed. He's just too much of a womanizer.
"Cami, could you ... Oh, holy shit!" Hailey exclaims. I pull away from Delsin with a jerk.
Then I sit up. "Hailey ... what ... how ... you're back," I stammer and blush.
She leans against the door, crossing her arms before her chest. "Delsin," she nods.
He gets up. "I should go now."
"Yes, you better." It's not me who says this, it is Hailey. She's still miffed about his treatment of her.
Delsin puts his clothes on and winks at me. "I'll call you, Camille."
"Okay," I manage to squeal.
He passes Hailey and leaves the apartment.
She watches him go and then heaves a sigh when we hear the door close. "Are you completely nuts? You know what he did to me and Thalia, and still you throw yourself at him? Camille Brooks, are you really that stupid?"
"Maybe you should first ask what happened before you give me a hard time," I say calmly.
Haily is rather spirited and short-tempered. When she dislikes something, it is awful and terrible in her eyes, and therefore Delsin is now the devil in Calvin Klein underwear.
"Alright. How come Delsin Rough got to tickle your tonsils?" she demands and comes closer. Then she sits on the bed.
"Ave brought him over last night because he was completely drunk. If he hadn't begged me with his puppy dog eyes, I'd have let Delsin sleep on the stairs, but I did my best friend a favor. Well, so Delsin lay next to me, but nothing happened. When I woke up this morning, I thought he left, but he stayed. And just now, we were fighting. You know how he irritates me. I punched him, and when I got angry, he said it drove him wild. And then he suddenly pulled me close and kissed me ... I was too perplexed to react at first ... and I responded to that kiss."
Hailey rolls her eyes and shakes her head violently. Her blond curls dance around her face. But her brown eyes keep holding me with their stare. "This guy wants to get laid. Don't fall for Delsin Rough, Camille, okay? Try to keep out of his way if you're not stupid."
"I want no part of him, okay?" I defend myself.
"He's got your number," she reminds me.
"The number that will be defunct in a few days. It was a wager. He tried to make me laugh, he succeeded, so I had to give him my number."
"Do you really believe he's going to leave you alone now?" she asks, sounding genuinely amazed by my naivety.
"I hope so," I say in a small voice.
Hailey snorts. "You know how people talked about me after he and I had sex in his car. I don't want the same to happen to you. You're still a freshman, and this will follow you all the way through college."
"I won't let him get into my pants, Hailey. I won't be so stupid, because I do remember what he did to you and Thalia," I argue.
"What's going on? You're loud enough to wake up the dead," a grumbling Thalia says, shuffling into the room.
"I just caught Camille in bed with Delsin Rough," Hailey tells her.
My jaw drops again.
"You slept with Delsin Rough?" Thalia asks me with an incredulous look on her face.
"I did not sleep with him. He slept here because he was drunk, and then it was him who kissed me."
"Looked like one hell of a kiss to me," Hailey mumbles.
I roll my eyes. "Because you only saw what you wanted to see. I'm telling you I didn't sleep with him, and I don't intend to. He kissed me after I hit him."
"You know he's not going to leave you alone until he's had you, do you?" Thalia asks.
"If I have to hear this sermon one more time, I swear I’m going to scream," I warn both of them.
They giggle. Or rather, they laugh at me.
"As if," Thalia teases me.
I look at her. She had her black hair cut a few days ago. Now she wears it in a short bob. She is very tan, as is Hailey. In comparison I feel very pale. Of course both of them have been here longer than I have, but I am not much of a sunbather anyway. Most of the time, I retreat into my room with a good book, so I don't have to watch their shenanigans. That way, I stay out of the line of fire when they chat up some guy or other. Both Hailey and Thalia are slender. I'm not fat either, but I'm not a size six. More like a size eight to ten. More of a ten actually, but there are worse things, and I feel at home in my body. That is what counts.
"I think you both can be real bitches," I grumble. "And now I'm going to take a shower." I get up and walk out of the room.
"Aw, come on, don't be upset, Cami," Hailey calls after me.
"I'm not upset. You're just getting on my nerves," I answer in an ironic tone.
***
When I stand in front of the mirror, I sigh. I have already blow-dried my hair into shape, and now I put on a little make-up to cover up the traces of too little sleep.
"Cami, your phone keeps ringing," Thalia calls.
Oh, will you just leave me alone! "I'll call them back later, just ignore it! You always ignore it," I yell back.
"Okay, okay."
I finish making myself presentable and step out of the bathroom. From the hallway, I can hear my phone ring again. This time, I quicken my steps, but when I reach my room the ringing has stopped. I grab my phone and look at the screen. Twenty-four missed calls and twelve text messages. "Who is this pushy?" I scroll down. Delsin Rough is the only caller on the list. I look at the text messages.
'Hey, Camille, what are your plans for the day?' the first one says.
'Camille, call me when you have the time, k?' is the second one.
'Why don't you pick up your damn phone?'
Number four: 'Sorry, I'm a bit desperate because you seem to be MIA. Please call.'
"The man is a talented stalker," I murmur. The next ten texts all have the same wording. 'Call me, call me please.' Then the phone in my hand starts ringing again. No one else but Delsin Rough, trying for the twenty-fifth time. With a sigh, I tap the green phone symbol on the screen. "Hello?"
"Hi, Camille. Finally! I was beginning to think you were avoiding me on purpose," Delsin says.
"That would be the best thing to do indeed. But I simply took a shower," I counter.
"What are you doing today? Avery and I are going to the beach. Are you coming along?"
"I was supposed to go shopping today," I reply and sit down on the bed. It is a lie, but he doesn't need to know that.
"Come on, Sweetie. Join us," I can hear Avery in the background.
"Will Pearl be there, too?" I ask.
"Nope. Last night did not go as well as you thought. I think they fought. So are you coming?"
"Again: I had planned to go shopping," I repeat.
"There's always Monday. Come on, Camille, don't turn me down. My poor heart can't take it," he says with a smirk in his voice.
I sigh. "Are you trying to give me a bad conscience?"
"Absolutely," he says.
"You're a jerk."
"I may have heard you say that one before," he laughs.
I sigh again and then I give myself a push, because he will not leave me alone. "Alright. When are you planning to go?"
"To be honest ... We're in front of your house, waiting for you."
I stand up with a jolt and walk over to the window. My room looks out on the street - fortunately or unfortunately, my verdict varies - and I can see Avery's car
down there.
"Did you just stand at the window wearing only a towel?" his voice pipes up in the background. He sounds a little miffed.
"Yes, I did. Okay, I'll be down in ... ten minutes. Bye."
"Bye, Camille."
I hang up and walk over to my closet, pulling out my bikini. I only have a purple two-piece with a lily print; I never intended to go to the beach much. I drop the towel and put on the bottoms, then the top. "Great. Too tight." The top pushes my breasts upwards more than it should. It's rather revealing, but that can't be helped now. It'll be only Avery, Delsin and me, so I don't worry too much about it.
I put on a white skirt and a pink top over the bikini and slip into my sandals. Then I pull my large tote from the top of the closet and fill it with two large towels. I don't even own sunscreen; I hope the boys will have some.
Next, I run into the kitchen and pack two bottles of water. Then back into my bedroom, to transfer the contents of my purse to the side pocket of the tote. My phone rings again. Delsin!
"I am coming," I say when I pick up the phone.
"Okay. I was about to remind you that ten minutes have passed."
"Bye," I say gruffly and hang up. Then I put on my sunglasses, grab a book and walk to the door. "Hailey, Thalia, I'm going to the beach. I'll see you later," I call.
Both their doors fly open. "Since when do you go to beach?" they ask in unison.
"Since I've started to feel like it," I smile and open the door. "Bye." I run down the stairs, but then I slow down and catch my breath before I leave the house.
Outside I see Delsin standing by Avery's car. He smokes a cigarette, which is strictly forbidden in the car. Ave is standing next to him and they're talking animatedly.
"Hi," I greet them when I reach the car.
"Here comes today's celebrity. You would not believe ...," Avery begins, but Delsin elbows him.
"Okay, okay. I won't say a thing."
"Hi, Camille," Delsin says and kisses me on the cheek.
"Um ... could you stop kissing me," I ask, and it isn't really a question.
"If you insist," he grins.
"I'll go sit in the car, okay?"
Ave nods to me. "Sure." He opens the door for me and I slip into the back seat, where I roll down the window.
Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) Page 3
