by Sarah Carter
“Woohoo, hell yeah!” Damien laughs. “Here, I’ll go first.” He undoes his pants. Kayla covers her eyes. “Oh calm down, I have trunks on under my pants.”
“That’s a relief.”
“No, the real stripping will be saved for another time.” He chuckles. “Are you going to swim in your clothes? That’s fine if you are.”
Kayla narrows her eyes at him. “Turn around.”
“Are you taking all your clothes off, because if so, I want to watch.”
“No!”
“Fine.” Damien groans, turning around. “Go ahead.”
With shaking hands, Kayla unbuttons her shirt. Wearing a bikini makes her feel like she’s in her underwear. Kayla tosses her shirt over by Damien’s clothes. She hears him laugh. “Shut up,” she yells. He puts his hands up. Kayla unzips her skirt, pulls it off, and throws it over to the side with the rest of the clothes.
“Can I turn around now or are you naked? If you're naked, can I still turn around?” Damien asks with humor in his tone.
“Not naked and I guess you can turn around.”
He spins around in the water and drops his hand from his eyes. “See? You look gorgeous. No need to be nervous.”
Turning red, Kayla hums, “Mmhmm.”
Damien swims over to her. “Relax, enjoy yourself. We’re in an incredibly warm pool, only lit by soft lights. Come on, this is super awesome.”
Unable to help it, Kayla smiles. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Usually am.” Kayla shoves Damien and he draws out, “Wwhhatt? It’s true.”
“Full of yourself?”
“Just a little. So we’re in a pool…alone…what do you want to do?”
Kayla rolls her eyes. “I have a feeling I know what you want to do.”
“Totally, play Marco Polo.”
“What?” Kayla laughs.
With an exasperated groan, Damien dramatically says, “Marco Polo. One person closes their eyes and the other one has to dodge away from them.”
“I know what Marco Polo is. I just don’t know why you want to play it.”
“We’re in a pool, and it makes me laugh. I thought it would be fun. What? You thought I only wanted to make out with you?”
She nods her head. “Yeah, kind of.”
“Well, I won’t lie. If that’s what you want to do, I won't object.”
“You’re such a guy.”
Damien smiles in return. “Are you surprised?”
“I guess not. All right, you can go first. Close your eyes.” Swimming away, Kayla says, “Watch your back. I may depants you.”
“I’m all for that,” Damien says through his laughter. “Though, I do get to return the favor.”
“Don’t you dare!”
“If I’m going to be bottomless then so are you. Now be quiet, you don’t want me to hear you.” Kayla sneaks over to the far wall. “Marco.” Damien chuckles.
“Polo was a great merchant.” Kayla giggles.
Damien turns around and starts to swim near her. “Do you know his travels are recorded in Il Milione.”
“He met his father for the first time in 1269,” Kayla yells as she swims away.
“Wow, knowledgeable are we? Did you know he met Kublai Khan?” Damien responds, turning toward her voice.
Kayla shakes her head. “No, I didn’t.” Damien turns to her again. She is quiet for a minute before swimming away from him. “Did you know that when he went back to Venice after twenty-four years he was imprisoned? He told his cellmate all his stories.”
“Did you know he was our age when he started out on his adventures?” Damien retorts, moving in her direction.
She stops and smiles. “I think your intelligence is hot.”
“I think you're hot period,” Damien replies, swimming towards her.
Smiling, Kayla says, “You’re hot enough to be a model. Girls must melt for you.”
He swims inches away from her. “As long as I make you melt, that’s all that matters.” He steps closer to her. “Marco.”
“Polo,” Kayla whispers. Damien grasps her arms. Kayla runs her hands up his chest and then around his neck. Nervously, she pulls him toward her, with his eyes still shut. This time she is the one to put her lips on his. Damien pulls her waist against him and her pulse skyrockets as they kiss each other.
Kayla has never felt this thrill before. Damien lifts her up by her thighs and holds her against him. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine,” Kayla exhales. “Are you going to think less of me if I kiss you more?”
His gorgeous hazel eyes look into hers. “No, I won’t.” Damien pulls her back down and they kiss again. Time disappears. The kisses are tender but passionate.
Kayla pulls away. “I want to try something.”
With a curious look, Damien asks, “What do you want to do?”
“I want to feel you manipulate my energy. Not too much, just a little so I can see what it’s like,” Kayla says with a surprised confidence.
Damien murmurs, “If you’re sure, come here.” He pulls her back against him. As soon as their lips meet, an explosion ignites inside of her. Her nerves light on fire, and her heart pounds against her chest. She pulls Damien as hard as she can against her. The kisses between them deepen.
Suddenly, the whole room bursts into light. Kayla and Damien pull away from each other. Kayla actually shields her eyes. “What in the—”
“Can you please not have sex in the pool,” Jackson snaps.
“We were not having sex!” Kayla yells back.
Damien gives Jackson a look. “It’s called privacy.”
“It’s called my house,” Jackson retorts sharply.
Kayla tries to pull away from Damien, but he holds her still. “I was not trying to get into Kayla’s pants…or bathing suit. We were just enjoying each other’s company. Technically, we’re dating now and what we were doing was not inappropriate. So if you don’t mind, please turn off the lights and leave us alone.”
“You need to keep your hands off of her,” Jackson growls.
“What? Are you going to make me?” Damien asks snidely.
Kayla puts her hands up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, there will be no fighting. Jackson, I appreciate you looking out for me. It’s sweet, but you know what? You can’t say anything. What goes on between Damien and me is none of your business. Besides, we were just kissing.”
“I’m not blind; it was more than just kissing. I don’t want him to take advantage of the situation,” Jackson snaps.
“Now you've pissed me off. What happens between us is our business. She said she wanted to know what it was like. I don’t have to explain myself to you. Shut your mouth, or I will shut it for you,” Damien spits out in anger.
Jackson clenches his fists. “Damien, don’t push me. You will keep your hands off of her.”
Kayla feels her own anger rise to meet Jackson’s. “He can put his hands on me if he wants to. We're dating. He has my permission.” She grabs Damien’s arms and pulls them tight around her. “You can’t lay claim over me, Jackson. You made your choice and I made mine.”
He stares Kayla down and then spits out, “Whatever.” He turns and walks to the door, slamming the lights off as he leaves. “Have fun,” he sarcastically exclaims, slamming the door shut behind him.
“Well, that didn’t go very well.” Damien sighs.
“No, no, it didn’t.”
Damien turns and looks at her. “Is this the end of our date?”
“Umm, no,” Kayla retorts. “It’s my turn to be Marco.”
“And what do you get when you find me?” Damien asks.
Kayla smirks and says, “Surprise me.”
Chapter 10
“Here’s a towel,” Damien says, wrapping it around Kayla.
“Thanks,” she whispers. Kayla watches Damien go to the edge of the pool and fish out their clothes. When he has them all, he lifts them up and water pours out of them. He smiles and looks at Kayla.
She sighs. “What am I supposed to wear home? I’ll freeze if I go outside.”
He throws the clothes on the ground. “I’ll have to give you something to wear. Come on.” He grabs her hand and pulls her to the door. Damien turns to her. “I don’t think your parents would be happy about you being in my room.”
“Why?” Kayla giggles.
“My reputation probably, so we’ll need to run. That’s if you want to go to my room. I can bring you clothes here.”
Kayla grins. “As long as you don’t throw me down on the bed, I’m sure my parents will get over it.”
“Oh come on.” Damien laughs. “What fun is it then?”
Giving him a look, Kayla says, “You have to promise to behave yourself.”
“I promise,” he whispers, bending down to kiss her.
She meets him and the surge of energy slams into her. Kayla lets go of her towel and wraps her arms around him. A second later she backs up. “I didn’t say you could manipulate my energy all the time!”
“I didn’t mean to do it,” Damien exclaims. “I can only control it so much, and you’re doing it just as much as me.”
“Oh,” Kayla squeaks. “Okay, no more kissing right now. Let’s go.”
Damien opens the door and shouts, “Run!” as he pulls her down the hall.
They take off down the hallway and through the house. When they come to a corner, they stop and Damien looks around the edge. “Do you see anyone?” Kayla giggles.
“No, but we have to go up the stairs, so don’t trip.”
“Shut up,” Kayla snaps playfully.
He pushes her to the steps and they run up them. When they get to the top, Damien sweeps her up in his arms. She laughs as he carries her four doors down and then kicks the bedroom door open with his foot. Kayla squirms, so Damien sets her down. “Wow, I thought you were just visiting.”
“I am,” Damien replies, shutting the door. “I just bring certain stuff with me.”
Paintings cover his walls. “You can’t fit this in your car.”
“No, I had it delivered yesterday. I take it everywhere. I have them shipped in wooden boxes.”
Kayla walks over to one. “That’s gorgeous.”
“Monet,” Damien declares.
“What!” Kayla yells. “You just carry this around with you?”
He nods. “Yeah, trust me, my parents are furious about it.”
“This is incredible art,” Kayla whispers, looking at another piece. “Where did you get all these from?”
“Around the world; I’m glad you like them.”
She shakes her head. “It’s unreal.”
“Didn’t Jackson show you his paintings?”
Looking at him, Kayla says, “What paintings?”
“Oh,” Damien whispers. “He paints. I thought he would have told you.”
“No, he’s never said anything. Where are they?”
Damien shakes his head. “I’ll let him show you if he wants to. Don’t bring it up to him. He can be shy about it.”
“What, are they finger paintings?” Kayla laughs.
With a serious look, Damien replies, “No, they’re actually very good. I have a few that he painted for me. As much as we get on each other’s nerves, I do admire his work.”
“Seriously, he paints? Like an artist?”
“Yes, please don’t say anything to him. He may actually punch me and I’d let him.”
“I won’t say anything,” Kayla murmurs. She makes the comment, but all she wants to do is run to his room and demand to see them. Getting a little chilled, she shivers.
Damien walks over to a dresser. “Let me get you some clothes.” He pulls out a pair of pajama pants. “These are going to be a little big on your petite frame, but they have a drawstring, and,” he says, turning around, “You can wear a Yale shirt.”
“Sweet,” Kayla exclaims. “Gimme, gimme!”
He tosses her a grey T-shirt. “There, knock yourself out. You can keep it.”
“Yes! Best present ever. Okay, where do I get dressed?”
“Umm, well, here I guess, I can turn around or leave or…I don’t know…watch.”
Kayla glares at him. “No, there will be no watching. If you’re going to watch, it will have to be through my bedroom window.”
“Is that an invite, because Jackson told me how he got into your house.”
“What? Why?”
Damien shrugs. “Boring conversation, really nothing entertaining. I’ll go grab us some water, and I’ll even knock before I come back in.”
“Sounds good.”
“Okay, see you in a bit,” Damien says. He kisses her softly on the lips. She smiles and he returns the expression. He leaves, shutting the door behind him.
Kayla stands in the middle of the room before undressing to make sure he doesn’t come back in. When she thinks enough time has lapsed, she strips off her bikini. The clothes are nice and soft when she puts them on. She smells them. The scent of Damien is all over the shirt and she smiles. Her feet are the only parts of her body that are still cold. She walks over to the dresser and opens a drawer. “Come on, where are your socks.” She only finds shirts, so she opens the next drawer.
Just as she begins her search of the second drawer, the bedroom door opens. “Hey,” she exclaims, not turning around. “You said you were going to knock! Where are your socks anyway? My feet are like ice.”
“They’re in my room,” a voice replies.
She shrieks and spins around. Jackson is standing in the doorway, staring at her. “Oh, hey, Damien went to get us water.”
“I didn’t expect you to be in here, let alone in his clothes,” Jackson says, looking straight into her eyes.
Blushing hard, Kayla replies, “He got my clothes soaked in the pool; I had to wear something.”
“So you changed in his room? There are such things called bathrooms. We have four.”
“He wasn’t in here,” Kayla hisses, completely embarrassed.
Jackson exhales. “That’s good. I just don’t want you to get in over your head.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Damien manipulating you, I don’t want it to go too far. I know he’s not doing it maliciously, but he has been with a lot of girls. It probably comes second nature to him.”
Stepping towards him, Kayla hesitantly inquires, “Is that what you did to me that day in the kitchen?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have any experience in that. I can only presume it was.”
“Damien says I’m doing it too,” Kayla whispers. “So it could have been both of us?”
Nodding, Jackson responds, “I guess. Not that our kiss will be on your radar anymore.”
“Do you want it to be on my radar?” Kayla asks. “Because every time you kiss me, you run like I’ve set your ass on fire.”
“More like you lit a fire inside of me. We really shouldn’t be talking about this.”
“But we are, I just…I don’t know. Maybe having Damien manipulate me was pushing the limit. I’m just so confused, and he likes me. He doesn’t run away when he kisses me. He admits that he likes me.”
Silence engulfs them, and then Jackson murmurs, “That’s what you think? That I won’t admit that I like you?”
“No, I mean, I don’t know,” Kayla stutters. “You just confuse me.”
“What exactly do you want from me, Kayla? Do you want me to be more than just your friend?”
“No,” Kayla retorts, looking at him. “You’ve said repeatedly that we can’t be romantically involved and that you aren’t attracted to me in that way.”
Taking a step closer to her, Jackson says, “I’m attracted to you, Kayla. That’s not it.”
Damien’s voice steals their moment. “I really hope you didn’t walk in on her.”
Jackson spins around to find Damien standing in the doorway. “No, I didn’t,” Jackson snaps. “Although she said you were going to knock.”
“When my bedroom door is op
en, I’m allowed to walk in unannounced,” Damien states. He walks over to Kayla and hands her a bottle of water. “So what were you kids talking about, anything good?”
“She wanted to borrow a pair of socks,” Jackson answers. “I told her mine were in my room, but she started to look through your drawers.”
Shrugging, Damien says, “Did you find my diary?”
“You keep a diary!” Jackson and Kayla yell together.
“No,” Damien scoffs. “But isn’t that what you find hidden in people’s drawers?” Both Jackson and Kayla raise their eyebrows. “I don’t have a diary, though if I did, it would be yellow with flowers all over it, and it would have a lock so that no one could read it.”
Kayla giggles. “Now I know what to get you for Christmas.”
“Yes, all my dreams would come true and of course, I would only write about you,” Damien notes, bopping Kayla on the nose. Jackson groans loudly. Damien turns to him. “Is there a problem? You keep interrupting my date.”
“I wanted to see where Kayla was. I couldn’t find where you were. I was hoping you didn’t send her home alone,” Jackson snaps.
Shaking her head, Kayla says, “What, I can’t be by myself tonight?”
“No, it’s my turn to watch you anyway,” Damien retorts.
“Shut up, Damien,” Jackson growls.
Confused, Kayla asks, “Your turn, what do you mean?”
“Oh, Jackson didn’t tell you?” Damien quips with a devious smile.
Jackson takes a step towards Damien. “I’m warning you, Damien. Shut up.”
“No, what are you talking about?” Kayla inquires, looking from Jackson to Damien.
“Jackson has been sitting outside your house at night, making sure you don’t shift and leave,” Damien replies. Jackson throws a punch at Damien. Damien spins out of the way. “I knew that was coming. Next time, wait so you can surprise me.”
Kayla looks at Jackson. “Don’t punch him. Is this true? Were you watching out for me?”
“It’s not what you think,” Jackson mutters. “Your family wasn’t taking the situation seriously. I needed to be sure you were safe.”
“That’s so nice of you.”
Jackson looks shocked. “You aren’t mad?”
“No, it’s kind of sweet.” Jackson's mouth twitches. Kayla stiffens when a certain memory comes back to her. “Wait, that night, when I had the dream. My window was open. Did that…I mean, did that really happen?”
