I giggle. "That was the plan."
"And despicable me has thwarted your plan," he laughs.
"There are lots of worse things," I smile and kiss the tip of his nose.
"Yes, like my smell for example. I really ought to take a shower," he chuckles.
I laugh loudly. "And I ought to go home."
"No. I want to spend the day with you," Delsin says.
"Then let's drive to my place together and I'll change. It is far too warm for my jeans," I decide, feeling happy, and just a little amused.
"Okay." Delsin pulls away from me. "I'm going to take a quick shower."
"You do that."
He leans in close one last time, kisses me and then gets up.
***
I'm sitting in my car, looking into the rearview mirror. Delsin is following me in his silver sports car. I turn into the parking lot next to the building I live in, and he parks his car right next to mine.
When I want to get out, he is already at my door and opens it for me. I smile up at him. "You're fast."
"I know," he grins and holds out his hand.
I get out and we walk up to my apartment together, holding hands.
Thally crosses the hallway as we walk in, and her jaw drops. "I don't believe it!"
"What?" I say.
She points to our intertwined fingers. "Are you two ... a couple?"
Delsin utters a soft laugh. "Looks like it."
"Hailey!" she yells. "You're not going to believe this." Thally runs into Hailey's room.
"Let's go and hide in my room, come quickly," I whisper to him and drag him down the hallway.
I can hear Hailey cry out: "What?! Are you kidding me?"
Then we close the door to my room behind us. "What do you want to do today?"
"My original plan was to spend the day at the skate park, but we can do whatever you like. I want to spend time with you and don't care about anything else right now," Delsin admits.
"The skate park sounds good. Maybe you can teach me how to do it," I smile and open my closet.
"Then don't wear a skirt. It would only be blown by the wind, and we don’t want all of Miami to see your sweet ass."
I look at him. "But shorts are okay, aren't they?"
"If you fall and scrape your knees, I'm going to feel guilty," he says.
"Delsin, I have all those protectors from my inline skating days. I can put those on my knees and elbows, if that makes you feel better," I offer patiently. It's sweet of him to worry so much.
"That would make me feel better, yes," he nods.
"Alright then." I undress and put on my very short jeans and a white top. Then I reach up to the highest shelf and take down the backpack that contains the protectors. "Ready?"
"Yes. But we're taking my car. Yours is ... too slow," he decides.
"Hey, I drive a classic, not a penis enlargement," I counter with a grin. "Plus, mine is a convertible, and yours is not."
"You want us to take your car?"
"No. I just felt I needed to defend my baby," I giggle.
"With teeth and claws," he chuckles and comes close. "Today you're wearing sneakers. Skating on high heels is only for pros, or madwomen."
"Yes, sir." I raise my hand to my temple like a saluting soldier. Then I slip into my old sneakers: "Are those okay?"
"If they're comfortable and you feel you have a good grip in them, they're perfect."
"Fine. Ready now?" I ask.
"Sure."
After I have transferred my stuff from my handbag to the backpack, we leave my room again. Delsin carries the backpack. "You know what? We're going to get you your own board first."
"How much is a skateboard?" I want to know.
"That depends. The simplest ones cost only about twenty bucks, while the better ones start at a hundred. If you want to get one like mine, we're going to have to spend a bit more," he explains.
"I think that a cheap board will be perfectly okay. I don't think I will skate often enough to warrant spending a lot of money."
"We'll see, Caramel." When Delsin opens the passenger door for me, I get in and pull it shut.
He walks around the car, gets in and off we go. "We're going to the skate park at the beach. There'll be lots of people I know, and they're all cool."
"Okay. Then I hope I won't make a fool of myself," I murmur.
He places his hand on my thigh and pats it. "You're not going to make a fool of yourself, sweet Caramel. It'll be your fist time on a board, and we all remember what it was like when we started. Don't worry about it."
"I'll try."
***
Delsin is crazy! He chose a three hundred dollar board for me. His exact words were that this was the best I could get for so little money. It sounds like a lot of money to me, which is why I am still looking at the cheaper models. I don't want him to buy a board for me.
"What are you looking at? We've found the perfect board for you," he says when he comes to stand next to me.
I sigh. "I cannot afford that board," I admit, feeling dorky.
"And you're embarrassed to say so?" he asks, eyebrows raised.
I give a curt nod.
Delsin pulls me into an embrace. "It'll be my present, okay? And don't you dare feel embarrassed about that," he murmurs into my ear.
"Delsin, I ... I don't want you to give such an expensive present."
He takes my face into his hands. "But I want to give it to you, Caramel."
Have I mentioned how much his endearment is starting to get on my nerves? No? Well, now I have. I let out a frustrated breath. "I'm going to pay you back."
"No. It'll be my birthday present, even if that makes it a few weeks early," he insists. "Can you live with that?"
"Not really, but I feel I cannot change your mind anyway," I whisper.
He bends his head, kisses me on the lips and then breaks away to call over to the owner of the store: "Dustin, we're taking the board you showed us. Can you ready it so we can go try it out, please?"
"Ready in five minutes, Delsin."
We watch as Dustin fixes the axes and wheels on the bottom of the board. Finally, he hands Delsin the board and winks at me: "Have fun with that, Honey."
"Honey?" I ask Delsin, confused.
"That's what he calls all the girls who come into his store," Delsin says with a shake of his head.
I nod slowly and smile at Dustin. The board is already paid, so we leave the store and walk around the corner to the skate park Delsin had mentioned. It's rather busy, and most people are dressed like Delsin, but some are wearing those unsexy baggy pants.
"Alright, now we only have to go get my board and your protectors, then we can finally hit the park," Delsin grins and leads me back to his car.
"Right now I'm feeling stupid I agreed to try this," I murmur so he can't hear.
He fetches his board and my backpack from the trunk, hands me the protectors and says: "I think we had better leave the valuables in the car."
"Okay." I smile up at him as I wrap the protectors around my knees and elbows. Then we stroll over to the skate park, or rather, I stroll and Delsin glides along on his board next to me. "You could start trying right here," he suggests.
I put the board on the ground and look at him. He holds my hand as I step onto it and push myself forward with my other foot. "Like that?" I ask.
"You're a natural," he says, but keeps holding on to my hand. "Don't let go, okay?"
I nod at him and he speeds up, pulling me along at his side. It's not easy to maintain my balance when he increases the speed.
We enter the park, which is really busy.
"Rough!" someone shouts, and I flinch at the sound.
Delsin raises his head and searches the crowd. "Coop! Great to see you here," he calls.
A young man with close-cropped hair comes over. He looks nice. "Hi. Who's that girl?" he asks.
Delsin presses my hand for reassurance. "This is my girlfriend Camille. Camille, this is Co
oper, but everyone calls him Coop," he introduces us.
"Hi, Coop. Nice to meet you," I smile and hold out my hand.
He shakes it. "Nice meeting you, Camille." Then he looks me up and down with curiosity. "How long have you two been together? I've never seen you with a girlfriend, only with your sex kittens."
Delsin lets out an angry snort.
"Not long; it's still fresh," I interrupt them and hold on to Delsin's hand, so he doesn't grab his friend's throat. The mood has changed dramatically. The air seems to crackle.
Coop merely nods at that. "Cool." Then he looks at Delsin. "Is the party still on for tonight?"
"Yeah. Starts at nine, so if you come at ten, there'll be a few people," Delsin says.
"So your girlfriend has a board, too," Coop states.
Why is he changing the subject yet again? I ask myself in irritation.
"Yes. I'm going to teach Camille a few moves today. It's her first board," Delsin explains.
They start talking about skateboard moves and tricks, and I just stand there. I step down from my board and pick it up the way Delsin always does. I lean it against my leg.
Then I feel I'm being watched and turn around. A group of pretty-looking girls is staring at us. They level their sneers at me while fawning at Delsin at the same time. I guess I am their enemy now, because he is no longer available for a quick tumble.
"Caramel?" Delsin addresses me.
I shake my head to banish the thought of these women and look at him. "Yes?"
"Where have you just been with your thoughts?"
I tell him the truth. "Over there with that group of girls. They're looking daggers at me and hearts at you."
He looks over at them. "Oh. Yes, I guess you'll have to get used to that. Don't let that impress you. I've been with two of them, and they keep trying to drag me to bed, but I've always been a once-only guy."
"That means I am the only one you've slept with more than once?" I ask, incredulous.
"You even are the only one who was allowed to lie in bed with me. I screwed them all on the sofa," he admits in a whisper.
"Wow," I whistle. I am genuinely surprised, as I had thought he'd taken all those girls into his bed.
"Stop thinking about that now. We're here to skate, aren't we?" he says with a mischievous grin, pulling me along to a free space. "I'm not taking you into the half-pipe yet, that'll have to wait for another day," Delsin reassures me.
"Believe me, I don't want to be in the half-pipe. I'm fine with the straight tarmac," I answer with a smile.
"Good. Okay, so you already know how to keep your balance on the board. You have to push yourself off with the foot to gain momentum. And to steer the board, you simply shift your balance. Any questions?"
"Not at the moment," I say and smile at him.
"Okay then. Go ahead and do it," he orders.
I place it on the ground and put my foot on it. "Now what?"
"Well, now you're going to skate," Delsin grins and gives me a push. My board starts rolling.
I feel insecure as I increase the speed with my other foot.
"Caramel, watch out for the wall! Try to make a turn," he calls. I can already see the building rise in front of me. Before I can react and steer the board properly, I hop off and let it roll against the wall
I look back at him with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry."
"Better the board than you," he says and comes over.
"I think I'd rather start by watching you do your thing, okay? You can still show me how to do it later," I decide.
"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone with all those birds of prey. Coop is checking you out, and the girls, too," he whispers.
I grab him by his collar and pull his face close to mine, standing on tiptoe. "Then we should show them that we belong together now, and that none of them has a chance with either one of us," I smile, and then I kiss him.
Delsin returns the kiss. "Okay," he murmurs against my lips, breathing a kiss of his own against them.
"Show them what you got, tiger. Roar," I laugh, give him one more kiss and then let go.
Delsin hops onto his board and glides off, wearing a very wide grin on his handsome face.
I carry mine to the low wall on the side and sit down on it to watch him.
He rushes through the half-pipe and shows off a few dangerous-looking flips and turns.
I still think it looks vain, but of course he likes to show what he can do.
He goes on and on, almost pirouetting as he flips. The girls who have been staring me down before now clap for him and cheer him on.
What do they want to prove now? I grumble to myself.
"Rough! Rough! Rough!" the guys goad him on, gathering round the half-pipe.
But Delsin only has eyes for me. He keeps winking or smiling at me, which makes me feel all warm and special.
***
"You need to steer, Camille, steer," he chides me as I find myself on my butt on the floor. I sulk. I fell backwards when I couldn't seem to avoid that low wall that I had been sitting on before.
"Why don't you help me up instead of giving me a hard time?" I yell back and hold out my hand.
Delsin grabs my lower arm and pulls me to my feet. "I'm sorry, but you crashed and I was berating myself for not instructing you well enough. Are you okay?" He studies me, even peeks around me.
"I'm fine, nothing broken or bruised," I announce, already calmer again, and brush off the dirt from my butt.
He takes a relieved breath. "Thank god. You really are a natural at riding and gaining speed, though. The only hard part is the steering, and we'll get that eventually." Delsin looks at his watch. "We should leave for the day and grab a bite to eat. There's a party on later tonight."
"Delsin?"
"Yeah?"
"After we've had dinner, could you take me home and we'll each get ready on our own?" I ask.
"Why?"
"Because I want to avoid instant boredom, which might befall us if we spend all our time together. Don't you want things to stay exciting?" I smile.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't want the routine to catch up with us too soon, but we should always look forward to seeing each other," I explain patiently.
"I see your point. For a moment I was worried," he grins. "I like the sound of that ... Where do you want to eat?"
"I feel like having pizza again."
"Pizza it is." After grabbing both our skateboards, Delsin takes my hand and walks with me to his car.
When I sit in the passenger seat and he has just closed the door, one of the girls from the park approaches him. With raised eyebrows, I watch as he lets this puffed-up blonde touch him. I feel like blowing my top, anger flares up like never before.
What does she think she's doing? I ask myself with rising annoyance.
He does not even shrink back when she presses herself against his chest. Her tits seem to jump out of her top.
I rap the windshield angrily and cross my arms over my chest. Delsin looks at me, seems to apologize to her with a shrug, and then finally gets in. "I'm sorry. She's in one of my classes and asked me about the finals."
"That's strange, I didn't know you were taking 'The Art of Screwing' and 'Sexual Practices 101,'" I shoot back angrily.
He sighs. "Why are you so annoyed?"
"Because you didn't even bother to keep your distance, even though you knew I could see you," I explain.
"Cay simply is like that, always. I'm sorry, Caramel." He puts his hand on my thigh, but I shove it away. "Leave me alone and please take me home now. I've lost my appetite," I say, my voice low but no longer small. I buckle up. I don't want to be bitchy, but I am angry and disappointed.
"No. I want you to eat something before we hit the party," he insists.
"I can do that at my place."
"Camille, please don't be angry with me. I still have to get used to being with you, and to the thing we have," he implores in a whisper.
&n
bsp; "We've been together for a few hours and I can already see that you don't really stand by me. You introduced me to Coop, but not to that blonde."
"Because Coop was checking you out."
"Oh, please! She all but grabbed you and rubbed her tits against your chest. You ought to have pushed her away and tell her that your girlfriend is waiting in the car. Did you do that?" I demand to know.
"No, I didn't," he admits.
"Please just take me home now, Delsin."
He takes a deep breath and lights a cigarette. Then he starts the engine. I don't look at him but stare out the window. I want him to feel how badly he hurt me. I know I'm not easy to handle sometimes, but I have the right to demand some clarity, if I go out with the university's former ladies' man, don't I?
Instead of taking me home, he passes our street and stops in front of a pizza place. "If you don't want to eat with me, I'm okay with that, but then we're getting something to go," he announces.
I roll my eyes. "I'll walk." Then I get out of the car and turn back in the opposite direction.
Delsin gets out, too. "Don't act like a little kid, Camille. I said I'm sorry, and it's not going to happen again."
I turn around to face him. "You know, I don't think it'll work out. It was a wonderful day, until this blond nightmare started fingering you, but now all that is left is a crappy feeling inside. And I don't act like a child, I act like someone who has been hurt," I rant at him. The tears want to well in my eyes again, unbidden.
Delsin stares at me and then closes the distance between us, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Don't throw away what hasn't even truly begun, please. And please forgive me for not reacting as I should have. Caramel, please," he implores, sounding earnest and almost desperate.
I remain rigid in his embrace, sniffling once. "I don't believe it's going to work," I whisper.
He puts a hand around my neck and kisses away the tears from my cheeks. "Give me another chance. Please."
I exhale. "One more chance," I whisper. He kisses my lips and wipes away the last tears with his thumb.
When he lets go of me, he wears a sad expression on his face. "I'm really sorry."
"Okay. Maybe I overreacted, too."
"I like your temper, so don't change," he says with a half-smile.
Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) Page 11
