"Are you sure? I have the feeling the curls might be too much." I spent ages with the curling iron, but now I am not satisfied with the result.
"Nonsense. They look hot, believe me," Thally insists.
"Do you think Delsin is going to like it?" I ask skeptically, but curious.
"His eyes will bulge and fall out. Don't be so negative, Cami, you're looking hot. Hot with a sizzling t at the end," she smiles. "Delsin is going to love the look."
I put on some transparent lip gloss that smells of raspberry, and even tastes like raspberries a little. Then I put it in my handbag. "Alright. Then let's hit the town."
"I called a taxi. I don't want to have to drive later," Thally tells me.
"Okay. Shall I give you half the fare?" I want to know.
"No, that's okay."
We leave my room, leave the apartment and walk out to the street. The taxi is already there and we get in. Thally tells the driver an address, and off we go.
"That is not the club's address," I say quietly.
"I know, but I have to quickly do something before we can go there," she says and types something on her phone.
I have a suspicion, but decide to keep a straight face.
Then she pulls a scarf from her handbag. "I'm sorry but I have to blindfold you now."
I say. So much for keeping a straight face, I think and resign myself to fate.
***
The taxi stops and the driver gets paid. Then Thally helps me get out. "I'm going to tell you when you need to raise your feet, so you won't fall," she says softly as we start walking.
"Thanks," I sigh and hold on to her arm. I can't tell how long it takes. We march across uneven terrain, and it smells of salt water. We must be close to the ocean. I dislike my momentary helplessness and fight the impulse to pull the scarf down. It must be a surprise party, so I don't want to spoil it.
"Careful, here comes a step," Thally says and tells me when to raise my feet.
It works; at least I don't fall on my face. Then it gets even darker, so we must have entered a building of some kind.
When she takes the blindfold off, lights go on and a smiling mass of people shouts "Surprise!"
I look around, feeling overwhelmed.
"Uh ... hi?" I say, perplexed.
Delsin approaches me and hands me a plastic cup filled with beer. "Hi, Caramel," he beams at me and kisses me tenderly.
"Could you stop eating your girlsfriend's face off? We might still need her," Thally teases him, but that only makes him deepen the kiss.
I giggle and pull away. "Hi. Whose crazy idea was this?" I ask him.
"Mine and ..."
"Mine, too. And ..." Thally chimes in, and then Ave yells: "and mine and Hailey's, what did you think?"
They surround me and beam at me from all sides.
"Oh god, I think I'm going to cry," I say softly and hug them all, one after the other.
"But why?" Hailey asks, looking confused.
"Because she is touched, silly," Delsin answers with a grin and grabs my hand. "I'm going to abduct Caramel for a while now.
"You're going to have to cease calling her that after midnight. She's no longer a teenager, so her 'sweet' phase is over now," Ave teases him.
"Camille will always be my sweet Caramel," Delsin counters, winks at me and leads me away from the rest. He puts an arm around me, leads me through this unfamiliar house and brings me to a flight of stairs, far away from the small crowd. "You're looking incredibly hot tonight," he murmurs into my ear.
I look at him shyly. "Thank you."
He shakes his head. "Don't thank me for that." Then he starts to climb the stairs.
"Where are we, anyway?" I ask, because we have never been here before, but it looks like a spacious private home.
"In my new home. My dad gave it to me as a present, for whatever reason," Delsin explains as he leads me upstairs. "I'm going to show you our new bedroom now," he grins.
"Wow." The impressed word escapes my lips as we reach the top of the stairs. "Your dad is really generous," I whistle.
"I was speechless, too. But I won't complain, because I really like it here."
I nod and walk with him through a long corridor. The bedroom he leads me into has a double wing door and is huge. It seems larger than the whole apartment I live in with my friends. Then he suddenly lifts me up and carries me to the bed.
"What got into you now?" I ask him, laughing.
"I want to break in the new bed with my girlfriend," he says nonchalantly and locks the door behind us. He sets me down and takes off my sandals. Then he pulls down the back zipper of my dress.
"And what do we do if they hear us?" I ask him shyly. Even up here, the windows vibrate with the bass, so it is really unlikely.
"They can only hear us if they turn off the music, and they're not going to do that," Delsin decides while he opens the clasp of my bra. He pushes me gently back on the bed and I watch him undress.
He takes off his cap, his red shirt and his jeans. Wearing only his boxers, he joins me in bed. His lips are soft as they meet mine, and his hands are tender. I return his kiss, melt into it and close my eyes. The tip of his tongue glides along my lower lip, but then he starts to move downward the way he often does. His tongue leaves a hot trace down my throat and circles my nipple, before he sucks it into his mouth and nibbles softly. I moan as a shiver of arousal grips my body. His fingers dance upon my skin, and I shiver again, until they finally reach the hem of my underwear. Delsin pulls down my panties and his tongue is right there as he spreads my legs. It slides between my folds and hits my most sensitive spot.
"Delsin," I moan loudly.
"That's my name, baby," he smiles and teases my clit with his expert tongue.
I cannot hold back and am glad the music is so loud right now. He kisses the insides of my thighs and pushes a finger inside me. I raise my pelvis to match the thrusts of his fingers. When he adds a second finger and finds the rough spot that intensifies the wonderful feeling inside, I throw back my head.
His tongue whirls across my clit again and the heat suffuses my body. I come with a scream but he does not stop. He goes on and on, and I ask myself, does he want to make me come a second time? The spasms flash through me, and all my nerve ends are tingling.
"Delsin, please," I gasp.
He does not stop. The sweet torment does not stop, until a second orgasm wracks me and I can only lie there, exhausted. Delsin glides on top of me and I can feel his erection nudge me. It feels different, so I look down. He is wearing a condom. I look at him in question.
"Didn't think you'd want to have to shower afterwards, so I put it on," he explains and kisses me.
I can taste myself on his lips and tongue as he enters me. His penis feels thicker than usual, and he gasps.
"Oh hell, I should have stopped after your first orgasm," he growls, struggling to push it in further.
I emit a strangled sound, because the way he fills me and stretches me is painful, but in a good way.
When he has buried himself up to the hilt, he starts to move. Delsin moans softly as his tongue starts to play with mine and he slides in and out of me. I caress his shoulders and his cheek, our heads are close together. Then he rolls over with me so I sit on top. I immediately straighten my back and gyrate my pelvis. He massages my breasts and twists my nipples between forefinger and thumb. Delsin's moans grow louder as he thrusts back against me from below. I brace myself against his chest so I won't fall off. My overstimulated clit rubs against his pubic bone, so I move more carefully. Then he grabs my waist and sets the rhythm in which I should ride him, and that is what I do. I feel a third orgasm approach, and Delsin directs me to move faster. I come again, this time with a loud shout of joy and satisfaction. He rolls us over once more, thrusts quickly a few times, and then freezes as he spills inside me.
We both breathe heavily. It sounds more like wheezing, because we are so out of breath and exhausted from the wild ride. We snuggle clo
se and the tip of his nose gently pokes mine. I give him a languid smile.
"I'm done here. Please tell me we're going downstairs now," I whisper.
He chuckles and pulls out of me. "We're going downstairs now." He kisses me. "I'll go and wash myself quickly, and you probably ought to straighten your hair and make-up."
"I guess so," I smile.
Delsin gets up, pulls me to my feet and leads me into the bathroom.
"Heavens, this bathroom is as large as my entire room," I blurt.
"Do you like it?" he asks.
"Yes, but ... wow." I don't know what else to say.
He smiles and starts to wash himself, while I spontaneously take a brief shower, taking care not to get my hair wet. Delsin hands me a towel when I step out. I dry off quickly, put on my panties, bra and dress again, and then go back to the bathroom to see what I can do about my hair. My lipgloss is gone, so I apply a new layer. When Delsin has put his clothes back on, too, he asks: "Ready for your party?"
I look at him. "Seriously? I wasn't ready for sex, nor for a party, but let's go, by all means," I grin.
He takes my hand and leads me back downstairs to where his ... my guests are. People I have met in the last few weeks greet me. Ty, Coop, and some others.
Then I suddenly spot Cay among the guests and tug at Delsin's sleeve. "What is she doing here?" I want to know. I can't help sounding upset.
She has obviously just seen us, too, so she sashays over. "Hi, Delsin," she purrs.
"Cay," he nods curtly.
"And you would be ...?" she asks me with a raised eyebrow.
"Delsin's girlfriend. Camille," I tell her. "And what are you doing here?"
"Oh, I came with Jay," she smiles and looks at Delsin again. "How about a drink?"
He looks at me, then back at her. "No. And I think you should go now. Camille does not feel comfortable in your presence, so you aren't welcome."
She looks me up and down and clicks her tongue. "I can see that. If I looked like her, I wouldn't feel comfortable either," she says in an arrogant voice.
I don't know what gets into me, but I grab her by the arm and shove her towards the door. Then I open it and give her a look that makes her take the final steps out. I throw the door shut and turn around. All eyes are on me.
"I was just taking out the trash," I excuse myself and feel the blush spread over my cheeks. I smile awkwardly at my fellow students and friends. But then Coop starts applauding and others join in. Some whistle and cheer.
I walk back to Delsin's side and he pulls me into an embrace. "I didn't know you were also a bouncer," he grins. "That was hot. And if you hadn't been this quick, I'd have done the same."
I smile. "Well, the trash had to go, as I just said."
"Cami, that was awesome," Thally laughs and pats me on the shoulder.
"Three cheers for Sweetie, our new bouncer," Ave shouts and pats me on the other shoulder.
The only one missing is Hailey.
"Logan showed up, so they went down to the beach," Thally says and hands me her cup. I take a sip.
"Oh, I didn't know he was coming, too."
"I sort of imported him so Hailey and he could spend the last days of summer together," Delsin interrupts.
"Thank you," I smile. "That is so sweet of you."
"I know. And I also know that a short while ago, you wouldn't have expected anything sweet from me," he teases me.
"True, but you have a talent for surprising me."
A slow song starts and he moves around with me to the music, looking into my eyes. Then he kisses my forehead.
"What's the time?" I ask.
"A few more minutes and you'll be a year older," he grins.
So we spent more time in his bedroom than I had thought. "How many minutes exactly?"
"Only a few seconds, to be precise," Thally yells.
Then the song is cut short and everyone starts counting down: "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five," and so forth.
"Happy birthday, Cami," they all shout.
I want to step towards them, but Delsin is holding me tightly. "Happy birthday, Caramel," he says softly and kisses my lips.
"Thanks," I smile when the kiss has ended.
Thally pulls me away from him and into her embrace. "All the best for your twentieth birthday!" She hugs me tightly.
"Thank you."
Then I am being handed down the line, so to speak. Next up is Avery. "Happy birthday, Sweetie Tweetie," he smirks. "He mustn't call you Caramel anymore, or I'll be a hundred bucks richer."
"He just called me Caramel," I whisper to him, because it won't hurt Delsin if he loses a wager once in a while.
Ave lets go of me and laughs at Delsin as he holds out his hand, palm open. "You just called her Caramel, so come on and pay your dues."
Delsin rolls his eyes and pulls a bank note from his pocket. "That was worth it. And now she's mine again, because I need to give her my present," he says, grabs my hand and pulls me with him to the balcony.
We're really very close to the beach. Delsin's dad has bought him a beach house. Incredible!
Delsin leads me to the railing, stands behind me and puts something around my neck.
"What is that?" I say, surprised.
"That's your present," he says softly.
I pull up my hair so it's easier for him to fasten the clasp. Then he steps back and I touch the pendant. I take it into my fingers and look at it. It's a silver caramel toffee with an engraved D at the center. "That's beautiful and sweet," I whisper. "Thank you, Delsin." Then I turn around and look up at him.
"This look," he murmurs. "That is exactly the look you have given me before I kissed you for the very first time."
"Then it is also the look I am giving you when I say it for the first time," I answer with a smile.
"What do you want to say?" he asks.
"I love you, Delsin Rough," I whisper.
"I love you, too, Camille Brooks," he says as softly, takes my face in his hands and kisses me tenderly.
I return it with abandon and close my eyes. Everything is perfect right now. Delsin, the roughest ride of my life, loves me, and I love him just as much.
I am happy!
"Say that again, please," he asks with shining eyes.
"I love you."
Delsin smiles at me happily and I put my arms around his neck. "I love you, too, my sweet Caramel."
The End
Dear Readers,
I’d like to thank you for giving me and my first English book a chance. It took a very long time, before I finally decided to translate my book and it wasn’t easy at all to find a good translator.
Rough is the second New Adult Novel I wrote and also the beginning of my Coral Gables Series. The next book is about Avery Morrison, Delsin's and Camille's best friend.
Now I want to thank a lot of people:
Claudia, thank you for giving Delsin and Camille their English voice. I totally love this edition of the book. In some parts it sounds even nicer than the German one. I have read it more than four times by now.
Anna, thank you so much for editing this Novel, because you saved the whole project with it. I really hope that all your dreams come true.
Another thanks to Allie Kinsley, who is not only a great writer, she also became a really good friend while writing on Facebook and she makes me laugh when I'm in a bad mood. – I really hope her Fire & Ice Series or her New Adult Novel 'Sweet like Candy' will be translated one day, because they're definitely worth it.
D-Design Cover Art, thanks for giving Rough an international face after you’ve already created all covers for the German editions. I love your work.
And ultimately I have to thank my Mom, who always supported me by saying that all my dreams are wrth to let them ome true, when I was a child. You're not only my Mom, you're my angel, my hero and my best friend. I really appreciate every single thing that you’ve done for me.
Last but not least I have to thank my three guys. My Fia
ncé and our two beloved sons. You always understand when I locked up the office door during the writing process, in which I dreamed myself to Coral Gables. I love you.
All the best for y'all
Love
Drucie Anne
About the Author
Drucie Anne Taylor, born in 1987, is the pen name of a German writer. She lives with her Fiancé, her two beloved sons, her cat Josephine and her rabbit Thumper in Cologne/Germany. Writing with a pen name was her wish, because she thinks that her name sounds too German. In 2013 she made the decision to write Young and New Adult Novels. So the Coral Gables Series was born. Each book is a standalone but the characters may reappear in the following. Drucie loves reading Jeaniene Frost's and Lynsay Sands' Vampire novels as well as many other fantasy books. She also designs jewellery.
If you would like to know more about her, please feel free to visit her on Facebook: http://facebook.com/drucieannetaylorauthor
Or you can visit her website: http://drucieannetaylor.com
Excerpt of Poppy J. Anderson's 'Let's Kiss and Make Up'
Chapter 1
Kate Stuart drove slowly through the familiar streets, unable to believe she’d ended up in Hailsboro again. A week ago, she’d been living in Los Angeles and going out with friends in the evenings to have twenty-dollar cocktails. Now, she was steering her car through the sleepy east-Texas town in which she’d grown up.
It had been thirteen years since Kate left Hailsboro. At that time she’d been full of anticipation, as well as a bit of fear, but eager to get out of town as soon as possible, to experience college life and see the great big world. For a teenager, the little town just hadn’t been exciting enough.
But as a thirty-one-year-old with a failed engagement and a letter of resignation in her pocket, the idealistic world of her hometown seemed to be just the right thing. At least that’s what she told herself as she took a deep breath and scanned the neat facades of the little shops lining the quiet streets.
Not much had changed since she left, and unlike L.A., Hailsboro felt cozy, casting an immediate calming effect on her like an old worn blanket. She’d definitely had enough of the urban life: the anonymity, the noise, the countless waiters who thought they were the next Hollywood star, distributing their business cards as if they were free samples of L'Oréal beauty products. Not to mention the homeless who used foreign cars as urinals. That was something Kate could definitely do without.
Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) Page 21
