by Simone Elise
“Come on, let’s walk the beach.” He reached his hand out in my direction. “Come on.”
I placed my hand in his and he pulled me from the chair and into his chest. He kissed the top of my head.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I’m ruining your vacation.”
Dan pulled away from me and looked me in the eye. “How about we have the rest of the day and night off?”
“Yeah, ok.” I smiled shyly at him. “I think I can manage that.”
“Well, you can’t manage anything else,” Ace grunted as he walked back in.
“Come on, Cho.” Dan lifted my feet up from the ground and held me tight to his chest. My legs curled up behind me as he walked us out the glass door. I knew he was stopping Ace and me from entering into another war of words.
“Remember, you get charged for having sex on the beach,” Ace sung behind us as Dan walked us out into the fresh air.
***
The waves lapped gently around my feet as Dan and I walked along the shore hand in hand. I inhaled the fresh smell of seawater mixed with the tropical island breeze. I couldn’t help but wonder why Dan and I had spent so much time studying when this was just outside our back door.
“Chloe?”
“Dan?” I turned my head to look at him with a large grin on my face.
“Did Xavier talk to you before you left?” Dan asked, pulling his sunglasses from the top of his head and hiding his eyes from me.
“Um, I wouldn’t really call it talking, but he did stop by.”
Dan nodded his head and I noticed the clenched jaw.
“Why you ask?” I squeezed his hand lightly as I turned my face forward to take in the beautiful view.
“I just overheard my dad and your dad talking. That’s all.”
“When?” My eyebrows came together, and I shot him a quick glance out of the corner of my eye. “And what about?”
“Well.” Dan stopped short and I turned my back to the ocean to face him. “They were talking about Xavier.”
“Why would my dad be talking to your dad about him? Your dad doesn’t even know about the whole mate issue I have with him, does he?”
“No, they weren’t talking about that.” Dan let go of my hand. He did this a lot. When he got nervous, he broke body contact. “It was more about Xavier’s, um, well, I guess, his past.”
Thinking Dan’s words over and remembering Xavier trying to tell me something before I left, I couldn’t help but think the two things were connected.
“What did they say?”
“I didn’t catch all of it. But I have a feeling your dad and my dad are thinking about, well um, asking him to move on.”
I crossed my arms. Why in the world would Dan’s father want Xavier to leave our pack? “Did you hear why?”
“It had something to do with what Xavier had done in the past, or something.” Dan looked uneasy and I knew he wasn’t telling me the whole truth.
“Dan, spit it out already.”
“I think Xavier has another reason for denying you as a mate, and as much as I don’t want to say this, Chloe, I—” Dan ran both hands through his hair and exhaled slowly.
“You what?”
“I think you should hear him out, or give him a chance to explain.”
My mouth fell open and then I quickly snapped it shut before pushing past him and walking up the beach.
“Chloe, wait!”
“NO. Screw you Dan. I can’t believe you just said THAT!” My arms flinging at my sides, I took large strides up the beach trying to get away from him. How could he say that after everything he knows about Xavier and how he has treated me!
“Chloe! All I am saying is maybe there are reasons behind his actions.” Dan suddenly was at my side keeping up with my large strides, much to my distaste!
“I don’t care anymore,” I said. “He could have the best reason in history to deny me and treat me the way he has and I still wouldn’t take him back!”
Dan wrapped a hand around my upper arm and pulled me to a stop. Pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head, he looked me squarely in the eye. “Wouldn’t you? Think about it, Chloe. You would.”
“No, I wouldn’t.” My eyes narrowed and I waited for his next witty line.
“Xavier is your mate. I know that he has treated you wrong and I know that you think you hate him but—”
“There is no thinking about it. I hate him!”
“Chloe, what if Xavier has a reason for—”
“Then he should have told me a long time ago! And he shouldn’t be acting the way he is now.” I interrupted, pulling my arm from his grip. “Why are you all of a sudden batting for him?”
“I’m not taking his side, if that is what you are talking about.” Dan crossed his arms and anger flicked through his eyes. “I want you to be happy and, as much as I want to be the person who will make you happy, I can’t be. Not when I know you really want Xavier. Whether you want to admit it or not, you do.”
“I don’t!” I threw my arms in the air and let out a sharp groan. “If you wanted me to make up with Xavier and let him treat me like dirt, then why bring me here? Why not leave me there under his control!”
“Because I want you to be sure.” Dan’s expression turned serious “I want you to understand what you are doing.”
“Xavier broke my heart. He is married to another woman. He has children with said woman. AND to top it off, he wants to play with my emotions and keep me side-benched until he decides what it is HE wants from me!” I yelled, crossing my arms. “Tell me again which bit I don’t understand? Because from where I am standing, it is really crystal clear that this man is POISON for me.”
“What if he had a reason for those things?” Dan eyes drifted to the sand.
“Do you think I want to hear it? If I wanted to hear it, I would have listened to him when he tried to tell me before I left.”
Dan’s head snapped up to look at me. “You mean you stopped him from telling you. You don’t care?”
“I already told you I didn’t.” I rolled my eyes. “Were you not listening?”
“You didn’t tell me you stopped him from telling you.” Dan’s eyes flickered with an emotion I wasn’t able to label.
“Does it matter?”
“It does to me,” Dan said, his voice softer. “It means everything to me.”
My shoulders sagged and I pushed the hair from my face. “I don’t understand, Dan,” I sighed softly. “I don’t understand why it matters to you?”
“Because,” Dan stepped forward and took my hand from my hip, “it tells me that you really have made your mind up.”
“I already told you I had.”
“Yeah, but things change, Chloe. And when I heard our dads talking, I knew I had to give you the choice to hear him out or at least encourage you to.”
“I don’t want to hear anything he has to say.” My eyes floated up from Dan’s bare chest to his face. “I can’t hear what he has to say.”
“Because you know you will go back him.” Dan’s eyes hardened slightly. His grip around my hand tightened.
“No, because everything he has ever said to me only hurts.” I stepped away from Dan, but our hands remained together. “And I can’t take any more hurt.”
“I just want you to be happy,” Dan sighed slowly. “If that’s with Xavier, me, that human kid, whoever. I just want you to be happy.”
“Xavier has never made me happy.” I ignored the burning in my chest as I spoke the truth. “He only has ever done the opposite.”
Dan’s eyes studied mine. I didn’t shield my emotions from him. If he needed reassurance about my feelings for Xavier, then he could have it. I would always love Xavier, but I would also always hate him for what he had done to me and for what he was doing. Nothing he could say would ever change that.
“I think I preferred studying,” I grumbled, falling onto the sand, my hand slipping from Dan’s as
I did so.
Dan’s lips twitched slightly. “Yeah, I guess I sort of ruined our relaxing afternoon.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, you had to get it off your chest, I guess. But do you believe me?”
“Yeah, I do.” Dan turned around and sat down next to me, slinging an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his chest.
I leaned up and kissed his cheek lightly before letting my head fall against his chest. “What are we going to do tonight?”
“I think there is some sort of festival on tonight. We could go to that.” Dan’s voice was light. It was nice to hear and know our serious conversation was now over.
“Sounds fun.” I yawned and pulled my knees up to my chest.
“Chloe...”
“Dan…” A smile twitched at the corner of my lips.
“I really care for you.”
I pulled my head from his shoulder and placed a hand on his cheek, bringing his head to face me and looking him in the eyes.
“I really care for you too.”
Bringing my leg around him, I straddled him and wrapped both arms around his neck, our gazes locked.
I heard his heart rate increase, and couldn’t stop the sly smile that spread across my face.
“What did I tell you two before you guys left?”
Dan and I both turned to face a very causal Ace strolling towards us. I wanted to charge at him and attack him for interrupting us. But, like always, I just turned on a cocky grin.
“You jealous, Ace. Not getting any?” I winked at him and didn’t make a move to get off Dan’s lap. Dan’s fingers were trailing down my exposed back and it was sending shivers across my skin.
Ace made some weird grunting noise of disgust before he decided to plant his butt next to Dan. It looked like he wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry.
“Dude, get lost,” Dan muttered under his breath and I smiled at the annoyance in his voice.
“Yeah, Ace, go find someone else to annoy,” I added.
“Gee, a guy would think I was unwanted.” Ace mocked a sad expression. “When all I did was come look for you guys to tell you something. But seeing as I am unwanted, I will just leave then.”
Rolling my eyes, I bit. “What were you going to tell us?”
“Nope. Don’t worry about it. Don’t want to waste anymore of you time.” Ace’s smirk was the only thing giving him away.
“Shut up, Alec, and just tell us,” Dan snapped, not playing his game.
Alec crossed his arms smugly. “We are leaving for dinner in an hour.”
“That was it?” I arched an eyebrow. “You sure you weren’t just missing me, Ace?”
Alec’s lips tightened and annoyance rolled across his face. “Don’t big note yourself, Chloe.”
“So you going to tell me what it is you want? Or should we just pretend that is why you came to find us?” Dan asked, stopping me from moving by planting both hands on my hips. I frowned at the side of his face, while he kept his eyes glued on Alec.
“Fine. Chloe, I need to ask you a favor and seeing as I have—”
“Yeah, just cut to it Ace. We both know I already owe you,” I interrupted him.
“Well, could you be my date for the dinner at the festival?”
“Why?” I swallowed, uneasy. “I don’t really see you in that—”
“Again big noting yourself, Chloe.” Ace smirked. “I just want you to come to make this other really hot girl jealous.”
“This wouldn’t be the girl from the apartment across from us would it?” Dan asked.
“Could be,” Ace said smugly. “She won’t give me the time of day.”
“So you rubbing in her face you are with someone else would help this fact?” I frowned, thinking, if anything, it would just make the situation worse.
“Are you smart when it comes to anything, Chloe?” Ace looked at me with a serious expression, like he was talking to a two-year-old. “She is a player, like me. So she wants what she can’t have.”
“So if she thinks you are unattainable, she’ll want you?” I shook my head. “Is that how your mind works when it comes to females?”
“Chloe, you owe me. So you have to do it.” Alec crossed his arms.
“She can’t,” Dan said before I could respond. “She is already going with me.”
“Well, you can have her when we get back,” Alec snapped at him. “Gee, don’t be selfish, little brother.”
“I’m not little,” Dan snapped.
“You are to me,” Alec replied smugly.
“Fine. I’ll do it. But if I end up getting slapped by this chick or if she does anything to me, I promise you, Ace, it will end badly.” I narrowed my eyes to prove my point.
“Don’t worry. Your bull terrier will come to your rescue if things turn sour. Won’t you, Danny boy?” Alec teased before turning around to walk back to wherever he came from in the first place.
I looked at Dan and saw the anger in his eyes. I don’t think he really wanted to spend the evening watching me with his brother. But on the plus side, when he got home, if it worked, Alec would be nowhere in sight.
I brushed my lips across Dan’s. “If everything works out right, we could have the house to ourselves.”
“You are forgetting about the parents?” Dan said while pulling me closer to him.
I leaned down to his ear. “Who said we would be staying at the festival all night?”
I let out a little squeal as Dan flipped us over in a hurry and my back sank into the warm sand.
“You, Chloe, are the devil.” His hot breath swirled around my face.
I grinned up at him and nodded my head. As soon as Alec was settled with his woman, Dan and I would be out of there and we could have time alone together as planned.
Chapter 13
“I like the red one better.”
If any other guy had been spending this much time staring at my chest, I would have sent a right hook to his cheek. But seeing it was Alec and I owed him, I gritted my teeth and walked back into the bathroom, slamming the door.
I searched through the bikini tops, which were scattered all over the titled floor. Finding the red one, I slipped out of the blue one I was wearing and tied the red one around my neck and back.
Groaning, I opened the bathroom door and walked out into the bedroom. Alec frowned and placed a hand under his chin, returning to his study of my chest.
Why did colors matter? That was my question nearly half an hour ago. Who knew Alec had such an eye for detail! I sure as hell didn’t, and, if I had, I wonder if I would have agreed with him.
I was wearing tight-fitting denim shorts, and when I say they were short, they were VERY short. They were handpicked by Alec, the fashion guru himself.
I placed my hands on my hips and glared across at him, his eyes were glued to the large silver ring in the middle of the top.
“Good enough, Ace?” I asked. “Or have you changed your mind? Again.”
A smirk spread across his face, like he had been suppressing it and his eyes slowly drifted to mine. “I was wondering how long it would take.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “How long what would take?” I began to grind my teeth.
“Thirty-four minutes.” Alec glanced down at his watch. “So minus the time it took you to change, that is like 26 minutes of me staring at your chest.” His smirk blew into a full grin. “Not bad.”
I reached for a pillow off the bed and hurled it at him. “You PERV!”
Alec dodged it with ease and laughed. “I can’t believe you actually let me do that.”
“This isn’t funny!” I launched across the room at him and he dodged my attack. “DAN!”
“DAN!” Alec mimicked in a girly voice, a very high pitched one. “Dan, save me. Your brother is taking advantage of me!”
My expression dried and I stared across at him. “You’re dead.”
I charged at him, but mid-attack, the
bedroom door flung open and I slammed right into it and was sent flying backwards.
Groaning, I rolled on the floor with my hand on my forehead. Damn, that hurt.
Alec’s laughter got louder, and I glared at him.
“Shit, Cho. Sorry.”
Dan kneeled beside me and helped me back to my feet. His lips were pressed tightly together.
“Dan, you can laugh.” I glared again at Alec, who was holding his stomach. He had now entered silent laughter, you know, when something is so funny you can’t breathe.
Dan chuckled a little, but shot me an apologetic smile. Alec walked up to us and tried to stop laughing. But as soon as he glanced at my forehead, he started laughing again.
Dan punched him in the arm. But that didn’t stop Alec from laughing. He just nursed his arm and kept laughing.
“That’s it. I’m not going.” I crossed my arms. “You can just not get with Miss Hottie from across the road.”
Alec’s laughter dried up. “Ok, I’m sorry.”
“Nope, not good enough.”
***
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Alec complained from behind the closed door. “This is ridiculous.”
I sat back on the end of the bed, staring at the closed door. With a smug look on my face, I winked at Dan, who was in the corner.
“Come on, Ace, the sooner you get out here, the sooner it is over.” I swung my leg and waited.
Finally the door cracked open, and Ace stuck his head out, his eyes narrow. “I really hate you right now.”
“The foundations of love,” I smirked at him. “Now show me the glory.”
The door swung open. Alec held his arms across over his chest.
“Drop the arms, Ace.”
With a glare in my direction, he slowly dropped his arms. My pink bikini top was stretched across his chest.
Suppressing my laughter and grinning, I called, “Come out of the bathroom. I can’t see it.”
He slouched into the room, his jaw clenched. “Fine you have had your fun. Now get ready to leave.”
Click.
Alec’s head snapped in the direction of the flash. Dan was aiming the camera up at him, grinning wide.
