Driven to Temptation: Road Trip Romance

by Ava Catori

  He tilted his head. I think he was serious. It didn’t feel like an insult, but more like an honest observation. “Do you ever color outside of the lines?”

  I blanched and wrapped my arms around my body. “What? Yes! Of course, I do.” The truth is that I rarely did. Being inside of the lines was safe. Things got messy when you crossed those boundaries. Why did he have the constant need to challenge those lines?

  Didn’t he know? I was a petty criminal in first grade. I almost fell into a life of crime. It was a close call. I’d stolen a pretty sparkle pen off my teacher’s desk one day. Nobody noticed. I thought I’d gotten away with it. I was feeling smart and savvy, ready to take what I needed to survive in life. Nobody could stop me now, and I’d have the prettiest sparkle pen ever.

  Only, constant guilt ate away at my six-year-old brain and body. What had I done? I didn’t even care about the pen. The rush I got looking at the pen that was now hidden in the bottom of my book bag made me realize that there was only one thing I could do. There was no time for pussyfooting around, unless I wanted to end up being a kingpin. I wasn’t cut out for a life of crime like the bad guy on my favorite cartoon. I needed to fix this before it was too late and I ran my life into the ground.

  I shuddered and sobbed, and confessed to my teacher after the other kids went out for recess. I begged for her forgiveness, and even more for her not to tell my mother. Anyway, ever since that day, I’ve taken breaking rules pretty darn seriously.

  “Come on, we won’t get caught. Don’t you ever want to live a little and do something crazy?”

  I smirked. “As if a road trip with you isn’t enough?”

  “Fair point,” he gloated. He reached over and took my hand. “Come on, it will be nice.”

  I conceded. I don’t know why. It’s not like I felt pressured in a bad way, but he was right. How horrible would it be to do this one tiny little thing? It might be a cool memory, and the night wouldn’t end with handcuffs.

  Still, my heart raced at the thought of getting caught. What was I doing? Trying to prove something to him? This was wrong. I shouldn’t do it. The adrenaline coursed through me before we even made it out of the room. My nerves were jangled, like I was breaking out of prison.

  Nick found the way and led me outside. Standing on the roof top, there was so much more than stars to see. The view was amazing with buildings jutting in every direction. A piece of the San Antonio River Walk cut beneath us, passing by our hotel. People dotted the streets, but up this high, the noise was muffled. It all came together in a steady hum of energy. It was, dare I say magical?

  Nick stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me, and then locked his hands together. With my back to his chest, I leaned into him. I felt good in his arms. Better than I wanted it to feel. No matter how much I tried to deny it, we had chemistry.

  We stood silently for a few minutes before he gently turned me toward him. I got lost in his eyes. I couldn’t get enough of him. Our gaze lingered, then he tucked his head down and brushed his lips against mine. This time I went all in, no holding back. I sank into his arms and drank in his kiss. My shorter stature forced him to lean down to me. He was just over six feet tall, and with a broad chest and shoulders I felt small and cozy tucked within his arms, something a curvy girl can appreciate time to time.

  We clung together out of desperation. We were on fire, and the only way to fan the flames was to hold one another tighter. Desire danced between us in a wild connection of want and need.

  His mouth moved over me, across my mouth, down my jaw, and onto my neck. Soft moans slipped out of my lips as he found a sensual spot that filled me with electricity. My knees buckled. The warmth of his lips found my mouth again and we tangled in sweet, hot kisses, neither of us willing to let go.

  Yes. I admit it. I want him. Holy shit, do I want him. On the rooftop, it was as if time stood still and we were the only people that existed. San Antonio was my oyster, and Nick was going to lead me to my pearl.

  He fidgeted with the edge of my shirt, slipping a hand up onto my bare skin. I didn’t stop him. I didn’t want to stop him. I needed him as much as he needed me. His touch barely grazed my skin, sending shivers of delight through me. Goose bumps dotted my arms.

  He moved his hands up my back and finagled with my bra. Unhooked, it fell loose, but remained on. It allowed him enough space to cup one of my breasts. I sighed deeply. My entire body sizzled and tingled. My head was clouded, filled with lust. He lifted my shirt and then my bra, letting my breast drop free. His lips circled and teased my nipple, his tongue swirling my pebbled nub…oh God, yes.

  Something inside of me shifted and I snapped back to reality. I pulled away, confused by our actions. “Nick, no… don’t.”

  “Amanda, what is this?” He knew I wanted him as much as he wanted me. “Why do you keep holding back?”

  “I can’t do this. It would crush Brody,” I admitted.

  “Stop hiding behind my brother,” he answered, irritated that I’d yanked us from our moment of surrender. “You’re using him as an excuse. If you wanted to be with Brody, you would have been by now. You want me as much as I want you.”

  I turned away from him. “Nick, I can’t do this.” I ran back to the hotel room, my head spinning with new sensations I wasn’t ready to feel.

  Chapter 20 – Nick

  She wants me. I can feel it. I hate that she’s fighting herself. Why can’t she just let go and give in to what we both want?

  Shit, I’m going to be thirty soon, and as much as I’ve fooled around, I haven’t felt the things I’m feeling around Amanda. I think this is real. What am I supposed to do, stuff the emotions back inside? It’s too late for that. I’m uncaged and need to show her I’m not some sort of joke that she sees me as. Sure, I’ve got a history, but it’s not like that’s how I intend to live the rest of my life. I don’t know what’s going on, but I need more of Amanda. When the hell will she realize that she needs me, too? She’s got to feel it. The way she sank into me, she was practically purring at my touch, and her sweet, sweet kiss said more than words could.

  I shook my head, frustrated that we were dangling on the precipice of change. Standing at the apex of a mountain, we could either claim our reward at the top or start the spiraling descent that would pull us down. I wasn’t ready to go down the mountain. I wanted more time. I’d deal with Brody later. Surely, he’d want me to be happy, right? I knew how he felt about her, but she’d made it clear she didn’t reciprocate those feelings. If she did with me, why couldn’t I have a shot with her? Of all the people in the world, I didn’t expect it to be Amanda that would wrap me around her little finger.

  Chapter 21 - Amanda

  When I finally rolled over and woke up, I rubbed my eyes and tried to read the clock. The room was silent. Normally Nick would be snoring softly. Only, he was gone. He’d slept, his bed had been mussed, but he wasn’t around. I checked the bathroom, but there was no sign of Nick. My gut wrenched. Would he have left me here, stranded? The quiet crushed me.

  I spun to check for his bag. Relief washed through my veins on seeing it still in place. He probably went down for coffee or a bite to eat. I wasn’t used to his being awake before me. After last night, I was certain he didn’t want to sit and have a conversation with me this morning. It was going to be a long, awkward day, but at least we’d finally get to Brody.

  There was nothing left to do, but wait for him. I cleaned up, brushed my teeth, and gathered the few things I’d unpacked. When I heard his key slide in the door, I held my breath. Here we go, it was going to be another weird day and it was my fault. I shouldn’t have sent him mixed signals. I leaned into him, I kissed him, I let his touch me…and then I pulled away after shutting him down. I owed him an explanation.

  Before I could say anything, he smiled and handed me a small bag. “I got you something.”

  I thanked him, and hoped it was a bagel. Truth be told, I was starving. When I opened the bag, I didn’t know what to say. I
pulled out the small plush seal from the bag. “What is this?”

  “Just wanted you to know you’ve got my seal of approval. I know you’re confused. Heck, I am too, but I dig you, Panda. There’s something between us. Please consider giving it a chance,” he said.

  Not what I was expecting at all. My eyes welled up with tears. I tried to hold it together and not look like a fool. “Nick,” I answered softly. He reached out and pulled me to him. I hugged him and shook my head. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

  “We’ll figure it out. Let’s go get, Brody, and we’ll take it from there.”

  I nodded quietly and hugged the seal.

  “What are you going to name him?” he asked.

  A small smile spread across my lips. “I don’t know. We’ll have to come up with something special.”

  “We have all day.”

  What could have been a horrible, awkward drive turned fun and friendly. Our conversations swung wildly from wondering if monkeys were potty-trainable to spontaneous combustion, then from stress strategies to cannibalism chaos. Yes, cannibalism…we went there.

  I’m not sure what goes on inside of his head most days, but it’s probably never what I’d anticipate. He was random and unpredictable, keeping me on my toes.

  “Okay, so… virgin territory, here,” he warned. “You’re sitting at a table about to chow down. Not like you have a choice, because some weird tribal leader says you’ll offend his tribe if you don’t partake in this delicious meal that was made for you. They even seasoned it, cooked it up, so you didn’t have to consume raw flesh. On the plate, you’re offered one of two choices, a man and a woman. Which do you go for?”

  “Oh, gross, you’re a freak. How could you even expect me to choose? I wouldn’t do it. I’d refuse.” I shook my head, trying to jar the image out of it.

  “You have to choose. You’re about to die, Panda. He’s got a spear moving closer to your neck. You’ve highly offended them after they’ve gone out of their way to prepare this for you. They don’t take kindly to your insult of refusing their meal.”

  “I’d take death. I’m not eating human flesh,” I challenge.

  He spins the story on me, laughing as he goes. “You panic and realize you want to live. You reach out, you grab one…which one do you grab?”

  I wrapped my arm over my stomach, doubling over in laughter. “Stop, no, I can’t play this game. It’s so gross, I couldn’t…”

  “So the leader chooses one for you, shoves it in your mouth…do you spit or swallow?” He grinned after the play on words.

  I’d never been so happy to see a rest area. I was ready to bail from this conversation. I pointed wildly. “Please stop, I’ve got to use the bathroom! My bladder is about to burst.”

  “You have old lady bladder. So, soon? This isn’t good. Have you talked to your doctor?” he teased.

  I looked at him and said nothing. I couldn’t. If I laughed, I would have lost it right then and there. I twisted my thighs tightly, found my inner strength, and with every ounce of dignity I could muster, galloped to the building and hoped for an open stall.

  Chapter 22 – Nick

  Who doesn’t love a little cannibalism humor? I wondered what kind of boring things lived inside her head. And what the hell do Brody and Panda talk about when they hang out? Rocks? Okay, so maybe I went soft. Was the seal too much? Shit, I wasn’t sure what to do. We had this magical moment on the roof, then she shut us down. I think she’s overthinking it all. If she’d just give us a chance, stop trying to squash it, she’d see it felt right.

  I dreaded another awkward drive, so I got up early and went on a hunt. When I found the seal and came up with the pun, I thought it would be something to make her smile. I liked when she smiles. It’s sweet. She seemed to smile more the longer we spent together. I dug that. She had this guard inside that kept her at bay, but when the guard took a breather this cute girl would sneak out and play. That’s the Amanda I liked the best, the one that wasn’t guarded and overthinking every damn thing.

  Don’t tell anyone how sappy I was, okay? I mean, I’ve got a reputation to uphold. Big, tough guy Nick doesn’t buy stuffed seals or fall for innocent sweetness, right? Shit, I was falling, wasn’t I?

  I couldn’t stop thinking about her. It was messing with my head.

  Chapter 23 - Amanda

  After seven plus hours in the car, we finally pulled into El Paso. While there were a few awkward silences, we filled the time with useless trivia and odd conversation. We still needed to figure out where Brody was. He was elusive about an actual address until we were closer. He didn’t want us to actually go to where he’d been staying, and said he’d meet us after we checked into the hotel. It was weird, him being secretive like that. Maybe he was protecting us. Who knows? Either way, it was good to be there. I had no interest in going to a dealer’s house or even wanting to know where one was.

  I sent him a message with the location of the hotel we’d gotten, and waited to hear back. When he texted me, I could hear the relief in his message. His journey was coming to an end. I would have hated staying with strangers, and troubled ones at that. I tried to be grateful that at least he had a roof over his head and seemed to be okay.

  I couldn’t wait to see him. I passed the news to Nick after he checked in at the front desk, and together we made our way to the room. Walking down the hallway, we turned and stopped at the elevator. We both reached to push the button and our hands brushed against one another. Neither of us said anything. When the elevator doors opened, we stood in silence. Something changed. It wasn’t just the two of us anymore. Brody would be joining us shortly. The time we had together was over. Everything that happened, it no longer mattered. It was as if we were back to where we’d started. No words were spoken.

  I followed Nick to the door of our room and finally asked what needed to be asked. “You’re not going to tell him what happened, are you?”

  He looked at me, not sure what to say. There was a twinge of hurt in his eyes. He had to understand, right? He knew we couldn’t do this. “I don’t know, Panda. I don’t like secrets.”

  Panic rushed through me.

  “Don’t think of it as a secret… think of it as an accident.” My choice of words slapped him. I saw it in his eyes. It was too late to take it back.

  “Accident…it was just a mistake. You felt nothing?” He walked into the room and dropped his bag. Then he turned around and walked out, leaving me there alone.

  Wait. This is what he did, played with women, spent some time flirting with them, but he didn’t take them seriously, right? What was happening? A thread of guilt crept through me. I brushed it off, believing it was for the best. I sat on the edge of the bed and sank into the mattress.

  My thoughts came too fast, and I didn’t have answers. I closed my eyes and tried to fend them off. This couldn’t work. Nick and I are nothing alike. And what about Brody? It would crush him. What if he found out we’d been…flirting, kissing, and freaking masturbating while thinking about one another? Fuck. I threw myself backward on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. I counted the ceiling tiles to chase the thoughts away.

  Nick was a dick, not even my type, and here I am wrapped up in his drama. I groaned. “I don’t know what to do.”

  I didn’t want to call Nick. He obviously needed some time alone. Who could blame him? The close quarters played mind games on us, stirring up feelings that weren’t real.

  I perked up on hearing Brody’s voice in the hallway. He was with Nick! I ran to the door and threw it open. Brody shot me a big grin. I jumped into his arms, happy to see him safe. He wrapped around me and pulled me in tight.

  Brody laughed and let his stress melt away. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. I missed you, girl.”

  “I missed you, too. I was so worried.” My words were jumbled and it took me a second to try to make them sound normal. Emotions pulsed through every vein, a mix of good and bad. Overwhelmed, I didn’t want to let go. If I
did, I might have to face reality. I clung on for dear life.

  He slowly pried me off him and kissed the top of my head. “So, you guys survived the drive, huh? I thought you might kill each other before you got here.”

  Nick rubbed the back of his neck. “About that…”

  I tried to mouth the words no, but Nick was already on the fast track to talking.

  “It wasn’t all that bad. Amanda was actually pretty good company,” he answered.

  I wanted to steal the conversation, change it, and force it back to Brody. It was selfish, childish, but I couldn’t help myself. “Nick wasn’t too scary after all.”

  Brody seemed relieved that we managed okay.

  I dove back in, trying to control the conversation. “So, what happened in Mexico? You left out a lot of details. What’s the deal? And the guys you were staying with? Wow, what an experience that must have been. Have I mentioned how happy I am to see you?”

  “We have all night,” he said, relieved to be in familiar company. “How about we get some drinks? I could use a stiff one. You tell me about your road trip from hell, oil and water driving together, and I’ll tell you about my stuff.”

  Nick glared at me. He knew I was avoiding the topic. How could he dump on Brody like that? I was angry that he wanted to make this about us. There was no us. Couldn’t he see? We were thrown into a circumstance, but it didn’t change life. It was a fluke, weird timing, and nothing more.

  After poking around, we found a little pub just down the block. Walking over made things easier, and I was happy to stay out of the car. We still had to get back home, so the break was nice.

  Brody held the door open, and together we went inside. Glancing around, we decided we’d start at the bar. Nick pulled out a black leather bar stool for me, and then sat up beside me. Brody sat on my other side. I was sandwiched between two brothers.