TRIP Page 19

  I still had her arms pinned above her head as I teased her, trying to buy some time. Lowering my lips to hers in an almost-kiss, then pulling back any time she tried to meet my mouth. I buried my face in her neck instead, licking and tasting her sweet skin. Moved my mouth down to her collarbone. Ran my tongue across her cleavage.

  Layla’s unsteady breaths were driving me out of my mind. Her body was writhing underneath mine, begging for me to relieve this ache between us. I needed to feel her hands on me. I released her wrists and tangled my arms around her middle, burying my face against her hair, breathing in that summer scent that was so much a part of her. My mind replayed our day on the beach earlier, that goddamned green bikini, how I couldn’t wait to get her in bed... violate her ten ways to Sunday...

  My eyes blinked open, confused to discover two things:

  1. There was sunlight streaming through the window, and

  2. I was alone.

  What the hell? I knew Layla was in this bed a minute ago. It wasn’t just a dream. I had a raging piss boner and an even more excruciating headache going on, forcing me to realize that I must have fallen asleep right in the middle of our makeout session.

  Christ.

  I punched the empty pillow next to me in frustration. How the hell did I manage to fall asleep with a beautiful half-naked Layla in my bed?

  I trudged out of my bedroom and crept into hers, watching her as she lay fast asleep on one of the bottom bunks. I climbed onto the mattress and poised over her body, dipping my head down to nuzzle her neck. A half-comatose groan escaped from her throat as she wrapped her legs around my waist, grabbed my ass, and pulled me tighter against her body. Holy shit!

  I couldn’t help but snicker. “Wow, Lay. Didn’t realize what a sex fiend you could be in your sleep. Must’ve been a good dream.” She awoke with a chuckle when my lips nudged against her ear to whisper, “Good morning.”

  “Mmm,” she answered sleepily. “Good morning.”

  God, how the hell did I ever get lucky enough to land this girl? I stretched out next to her and gathered her in my arms as she draped a leg over my hip.

  “I’m sorry I fell asleep last night,” I offered guiltily.

  She opened her eyes at my apology, took one look at me, and immediately burst out laughing.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Umm. I’m gonna guess you haven’t seen a mirror yet this morning.”

  My brows furrowed as I stared at her in confusion, hoping I didn’t have a big nasty zit or something. I rolled out of bed and sprinted to the bathroom to take a look. And there, on my forehead, was the word “DICKNOSE” written in black Sharpie marker.

  Fucking Cooper. Payback’s a bitch.

  I took a piss and brushed my teeth before attempting to scrub the marker off my forehead. I wasn’t having much luck, though. By the time Layla came in, I hadn’t succeeded in much beyond smearing the letters into a gray shadow. I threw the washcloth on the counter, taking notice of Layla’s red skin.

  “Sun beat you up pretty bad yesterday, huh?”

  She was leaning over the sink brushing her teeth as she tipped her shoulder toward her reflection. “Yeah. I don’t think I should go to the beach today.”

  My lip curled as I said, “I could think of plenty of things we could do inside...”

  She laughed as she rinsed, then skipped across the hall to my room and slumped across my bed. I flopped on top of her, prompting a yelp. “Ow!”

  “Oh shit. Sorry. Sunburn?”

  “Yes.” She gave a quick rub to the sore skin of her belly.

  “I can lotion you up, if you want.” I waggled my eyebrows at her, noticing as her eyes focused on my forehead. I groaned and mumbled, “Remind me to kill Cooper.”

  That had her laughing as she gingerly curled up into my arms. I didn’t think we’d be spending much of our day groping each other considering the state of her raw skin, but it didn’t matter. However I could get her near me, I’d take it.

  “Hey,” I said, giving her hip a light squeeze. “How ‘bout some breakfast?” Lay nodded her head enthusiastically and started to get up, but I stopped her when I said, “Nope. Stay where you are. I’ve got this.”

  I shot her a wink before hopping out of bed and heading downstairs. Pickford was already awake, but he didn’t offer much more than a grumbled, “Hey” before turning his attentions back toward the coffee maker.

  “Hey,” I said back. “Don’t wait for Layla and me before you guys go up to the beach today.”

  That woke him up. He turned toward me, crossed his arms, and leaned against the counter. “Staying in?”

  I worked around him as I scavenged through the cabinets, finding some bowls, spoons, and a tray for my efforts. “Yes.”

  “Just the two of you alone in this big empty house all day?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hmm. Interesting.”

  I tried to muster up the appropriate outrage to shoot back, “She’s got sunburn, dillweed.”

  Pick chuckled and put his hands up in defense. “Alright. Chill out.”

  I filled the bowls with Froot Loops and poured a glass of milk when he nodded his head toward my busywork, a smarmy grin decorating his face. “Whatcha got going on there?”

  I looked him right in the eye, daring him to offer commentary as I plucked a daisy from the vase on the windowsill and placed it along the tray. “Breakfast.”

  Pick raised his eyebrows at me but didn’t bust my balls. As if he could. He knew that I knew all about the mushy love notes he’d left in Lisa’s locker, all the weekly flower deliveries, all the over-the-top gestures during the months of their breakup while he attempted to win her back.

  I gave him an unapologetic shrug. “Gotta go with what works, am I right?”

  “Sure... if you’re a pussy.”

  “Takes one to know one,” I said as we high-fived.

  I was still snickering as I hauled everything up the stairs. The mild ribbing from Pick was totally worth it once I rounded the corner to my room and saw Layla’s reaction, squealing and clapping her hands in pure delight. “Breakfast in bed? And Froot Loops? You’re the best!”

  I couldn’t help but grin. “Told ya I know hospitality. What kind of place you think I’d be running here? My family is in hotels, remember?”

  She curled her legs underneath her as I climbed onto the bed and placed the tray on the mattress between us before clinking spoons and diving in.

  Through a mouthful of cereal, I said, “Oh, hey. I told Pick we weren’t going to join them on the beach today, right?”

  “Yeah. There’s no way I can do it.” She bit her lip before asking tentatively, “Was Lisa downstairs, too?”

  “No. Everyone else is still sleeping. Why?”

  She gave a casual shrug and swirled her spoon around the bowl. “I’m just worried about her. They were fighting yesterday.”

  “I wouldn’t sweat it. He seemed like he was in a decent mood. Besides, it’s Pick and Lisa, for godsakes. They’ll be fine.”

  “Yeah. You’re probably right.”

  Just then, we were graced with the sound of Rymer’s voice yelling from downstairs, “HUNGOVER!”

  His declaration must have served as an alarm clock, because multiple cackles could be heard from downstairs as Lay and I laughed our asses off, too.

  Chapter 29

  DELIRIOUS

  The two of us spent the entire day on that mattress, playing music, talking, goofing off. We didn’t fool around too much, but who cared? It was just awesome enough to be there with her, have her all to myself for a little while, just the two of us, no clock to watch, no time or space beyond that queen-sized bed. We only left to grab something to eat or use the bathroom, to change the radio station on my boombox or throw on a CD.

  By the time everyone came back for dinner, we were surprised that it had gotten so late. We reluctantly came downstairs and helped to demolish the pizzas waiting on the kitchen table, then cracked a few beers before picking numb
ers out of a hat for the shower schedule.

  Lay went upstairs when it was her turn, and I snuck away almost immediately after. This time, I wasn’t skipping out on the fun.

  I gave a quick knock on the bathroom door before slipping inside. The water was running, filling the room with steam as Lay poked her head out from behind the curtain. I pulled off my T-shirt and raised my eyebrows in silent request.

  “Absolutely not, Chester. Don’t you dare.”

  I laughed. “Aww come on, Lay-Lay. You’re no fun.”

  “I mean it. Please don’t.”

  It’s not like I really thought she’d invite me in for godsakes; I was totally teasing. “Fine. I’ll just wait out here until you’re done.”

  “Promise?”

  She looked so adorable, her brown eyes pleading from under her wet lashes, sexy and shy all at once. “Yeah, I promise. But at least give me the play-by-play of what I’m missing out on in there.”

  She stifled a giggle in response and I figured that was that. I picked up one of the decorative soaps when suddenly, a sultry vixen piped up from behind the curtain. “Wellll, the water is so hot and it’s so steamy in here. God, I’m so wet and it feels so good.”

  My dick immediately sprang to attention. The rest of me froze in shock.

  “Now I’m soaping myself down, running my hands allll over my body...”

  Of course my mind was envisioning her slick soapy hands touching every inch of her gorgeous naked self. Oh Jesus.

  She chose that moment to peek her head out and check out her handiwork. I was staring at her speechless, my jaw slack, disbelieving. “Layla, what the fuck?”

  But she was far from done. She disappeared out of sight again, her voice a seductive slither. “It’s so slippery! And mmmm... it smells like Heaven. Now I’m rinsing off... the hot water spraying me everywhere.”

  Holy shit. I was dying to get my hands on her. I had to see what she looked like naked. It was absolute torture knowing she was only one thin shower curtain away. I could strip down and join her. I could help wash her off. “That’s it. I’m coming in.”

  “No!” she answered back in a panic. She poked her head back out to add, “You promised, remember?”

  Shit. I totally did.

  I groaned as I shot her a side-eye. “Oh, you little tease.” She clamped a hand over her mouth and attempted to stifle her giggling. “Oh you think it’s funny? Look what you’ve done to me.” I shifted my erection in my cargo shorts, trying to calm the thing down. No use.

  She vanished behind the curtain again and shut the water. I grabbed her towel off the counter and handed it to her. I swear I was a total gentleman. I didn’t even peek. But Christ, I really wanted to.

  “You sure you don’t want to help dry me off?’

  Fuck! I pressed a palm against my raging hard-on, trying like hell to relieve the pressure. This thing wasn’t going anywhere on its own. “Holy crap, Lay. You’re gonna have to hurry up and get out of here. If you’re not going to finish what you started, I’ve gotta take care of this thing on my own. Now.”

  She slid the curtain aside to reveal her beautiful wet form wrapped in a towel. I was drooling like a goddamned animal. There was no way I could take much more of this.

  And that’s when she raised her head, revealing a playful flicker in her eyes. “Who said I wasn’t going to finish it?”

  I was paralyzed as she stepped toward me, backing me against the counter, running her hand along the front of my shorts. I almost came right then and there.

  Instinct took over as I grabbed her wet hair in my fists and slammed our mouths together, dying for this girl.

  Our panting breaths mingled as our tongues tangled, dangerously close to combusting, already losing control. And that’s the moment she unbuttoned my shorts and slid down my zipper.

  Oh holy fuck this is really happening.

  I was in pure disbelief as her warm hand wrapped around me, sending me into a spiral of mindless oblivion. My mouth crashed to hers again as my hips impulsively thrusted toward the motion of her hand, fucking her palm. Groaning. Dying.

  She moaned against my mouth and I almost lost it. I pulled back, an attempt to get my breathing under control. My hands braced in a white-knuckle grip against the counter as I tipped my head to the ceiling and hissed through my teeth. Layla’s hand kept up its pace, working me over, up and down my shaft... and fuck if it didn’t feel phenomenal.

  Her head lowered to my neck to nibble along my skin and I was pretty much done for.

  “Layla.” My brain wasn’t in control any longer. The only thing on my mind was her and how good she was making me feel. I wanted to tell her. I wanted to fuck her. I wanted to whisper my agony in her ear while I was buried inside her. But the only word that left my lips was, “Layla.”

  I couldn’t hold on any longer. My world was coming apart. Every nerve ending twisted inside of me, every muscle tensed under my electrified skin. She gripped me harder and sped up the rhythm of her hand, and that was it.

  I was gone.

  “Layla. Oh man... just keep... oh holy Jesus...” I cursed and prayed and let out with a booming growl as I shot my wad against her towel, my body almost folding in half from the force of coming so hard.

  My hand wrapped around hers as the aftershocks surged out of me until it felt as though every ounce of my soul had been drained. I collapsed against her with my face buried against her neck, my arms around her waist. Kissed her skin. Smelled her hair. I was exhausted, standing there with my shorts around my ankles, so euphoric about what we’d just done. Giddy, even. I couldn’t contain my chuckles.

  I was still snickering when her tiny whisper tickled against my ear. “I’m in love with you.”

  Every molecule in my body went numb at her words. In my defense, I was kind of dazed right at the moment from a mind-blowing orgasm. My brain had just been liquefied. Plus, I wasn’t really sure I’d heard her correctly. I mean, I was pretty out of it.

  The seconds stretched into hours as I stood there, suspended in disbelief. I didn’t know how to react to the words I wasn’t even sure she’d actually spoken. No way she really said that. And if she did, there’s no way she really meant it. Right?

  Right.

  I let out with an awkward chuckle and gave her a chaste peck on the lips before getting dressed and washing up at the sink. I still needed to take a shower, so I told Lay I’d meet her downstairs when I was through. She pulled the towel tighter around her body before silently exiting the room.

  I turned on the water and stepped into the tub, her last words to me running in a loop through my brain: I’m in love with you.

  She definitely said it. I may have been in an altered state at the exact second she did, but I knew I’d heard her correctly.

  I was hoping she meant it.

  I was terrified she meant it.

  Because either way, I couldn’t believe I missed my chance to say it back. There I was, presented with the perfect opportunity to tell her how I felt... and I choked.

  Blew my opportunity right along with my load.

  But come on. She probably didn’t really mean it anyway. Just something she said during a very charged moment. She didn’t love me, she loved what we’d just done together. People say crazy things in the heat of an emotional release. It’s not as if something like that had never happened to me before. Sex opens up the floodgates and lets the insanity wash in.

  I never had a girl tell me she loved me, though.

  Damn, those words sounded amazing coming from her lips. Sure, they were just words, but they still sounded cool. It would’ve been way cooler if she meant them.

  Why’d she have to go and say something like that after hooking up, for godsakes? Why couldn’t she have said it when we both had our wits about us and I could know for sure that it wasn’t just sex-babble?

  There I was, so focused on my feelings about the matter when I suddenly realized Layla must’ve been mortified. Judging by the way she awkwardly scurr
ied out of the room a few minutes ago, I was pretty sure she was regretting the outburst.

  I tipped my head back into the hot water, thinking about everything Lay and I had just done together, finding myself hard all over again. I didn’t hesitate to fist one hand against the tile wall and the other around my cock, pumping furiously as I envisioned every second of our hookup from start to finish: The memory of Layla’s soft, choppy breaths against my skin. The mischievous look in her eyes as she unzipped my shorts. The feel of her fingers around my dick.

  But it wasn’t until I replayed her shy whisper against my ear... I’m in love with you... that I came.

  I collapsed against the wall as I attempted to pull myself together. The rushing water baptized me of my sins, allowing my brain to regain function.

  Fuck it. Maybe I should just tell her how I felt about her, how I’d been feeling all year. Let the chips fall where they may.

  I dried off quickly with all intentions of barging right into her room and telling her everything. I knotted the towel around my waist and practically sprinted across the hallway. When I was met with a closed door, I gave a soft knock before cracking it open.

  Layla was already asleep.

  Yeah, fine, I admit it, I was discouraged. But I was also a little relieved. I mean, maybe it was better that way. We were just back on track after all those months apart, and I didn’t want to do anything to ruin what we had going. I shouldn’t have been looking to press the situation. What would be the point? To hear her tell me that I was getting way too serious way too soon? It wouldn’t exactly be the smartest move to put myself out there just to get trampled.

  In other words, I simply wimped out.

  The only thing left to do was to go downstairs and join my friends.

  I wasn’t halfway through my first beer when everyone decided to go up to the boardwalk. The scene was completely different than the one I’d been introduced to the day before. Layla was right when she said the place came to life on the weekends, and I pivoted my head around, taking it all in.

  The blinding neon lights flashed above the prize booths, arcades, and every ride along the pier. Actual crowds of people walked along the endless stretch of boards. On every inhale, I was graced with a mouth-watering perfume of pizza, cotton candy, and fried everything... It all combined to create a perfect sensory overload.