Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(29)
Author: K.A. Linde

He smiled his perfect smile, and reached out to support her. "I’m glad you like them."

"I didn’t say I liked them," she said blushing.

"Well fine. I’m glad they look better in my t-shirt," he corrected taking another step towards her and circling her waist. She let him. It was a nice feeling. He wasn’t exactly holding her, but having his big strong arms this close was nice indeed. "So you really don’t remember me then?"

"Nope!"

"Well, you know I wasn’t being completely honest with you," Ramsey said sliding her back another step and leaning her back against the balustrade.

"It doesn’t matter," she slurred staring at his lips. By now, she wasn’t all too sure what he was talking about. She couldn’t remember if it was important.

"No. I don’t like to lie. Well, I guess I wasn’t lying. More like not telling all the truth."

"That’s very common." Her head felt heavy and it lolled backwards twice before she looked back up at him. God, his lips looked damn near edible from this close up. They were a soft pink color and perfectly proportioned. He licked his lips as she watched, and couldn’t help but let loose a soft breath out as her heart rate picked up.

He chuckled quietly when he noticed she wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying. "Lexi, don’t you want to know what I’m talking about?"

"Yep," she said letting her focus shift back to his emerald green eyes. "I want to…"

"You want me to…" he began letting the words hang in the silence. Her eyes widened and pupils dilated with longing at the words. "tell you what I’m talking about?"

"Oh," she said, sucking in her bottom lip in confusion. "That’s not what I thought you were going to say."

He sniggered again. "What I have to say can wait. What did you want me to say?" he asked leaning into her.

She blushed furiously as her thoughts turned sexual. She tilted her head back to look up at him. Suddenly, she wanted to be sitting on the banister so she could get a better look at him. She wanted to be eye level with him. She didn’t want to make him bend so far forward if he did decide to kiss her. "Put me up," she demanded slapping her hand playfully on the banister.

"Alright, but be careful," he said hoisting her up and sitting her on the top of the railing. He held a firm grip on her so that she wouldn’t fall. A ten foot drop while she was drunk probably wouldn’t do her any serious damage, but he didn’t want to take chances.

She liked her seat. Now she was even with him. This was much easier. His hand came up and swept the hair away that had blown into her face. "You know, Lexi, you’re very beautiful."

She smiled at him through her lustful eyes. "Thank you." Her breath began to quicken as she noticed how close they had gotten. She hadn’t noticed it before, but he scooted in between her legs to block the view from the window. She felt her bare thighs press against his sides, and realized her skirt was just barely covering her lower half. One hand was wrapped around her holding her securely in place. The other was on the back of her neck gently kneading the muscles. His breath was hot on her face. Their mouths were so close together.

There was no reason for her not to kiss him. She was single. She was completely one hundred percent available. Jack was nothing to her. She couldn’t have him. Not the way she wanted him. So she might as well go for what was right in front of her. She pushed herself a little closer to Ramsey. She was so close she could almost feel his lips against her. His breathing was wretched with anticipation. Just as he moved closer to her, something caught her eye in the window. She let her gaze shift only briefly, and saw the most brilliant blue eyes lock onto her own. Then Ramsey was kissing her, and all thoughts were lost.

* * *

K.A. Linde

Can’t Take It Back

Damn, ain’t it crazy

When you’re loveswept

You’ll do anything for the one you love

‘Cause anytime that you needed me I’d be there

It’s like you were my favorite drug

-Rihanna "Rehab"

* * *

Chapter 10: May Three Years Earlier

Lexi crept back into the beach house just before sunrise. Her and Jack had sat together all night peacefully enjoying each other’s company. Their attempt at a pleasant friendship had been mildly successful. Lexi was just glad that they had resisted kissing again. She was pretty sure they had gone over the line that was normally reserved for friends. But it was so incredibly mild and tame compared to their normal impulsive demeanor, neither of them had complained. She had given Jack a long hug at the base of the stairs. Both were staying on the cautious side, and didn’t want to be caught together like that in the house. She checked to see that the coast was clear and then slunk across the den and into the bedroom. Being extra careful not to wake Sandy up, Lexi gently twisted the handle and secured it into place. When she turned around, she realized all efforts were futile. Sandy wasn’t there.

Lexi’s heart beat in a panic. If Sandy wasn’t there, then that meant that she knew that Lexi hadn’t been in bed. She could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate in terror. Sandy would tell everyone that she hadn’t been in bed. Lexi had no idea what to do. She couldn’t risk everyone finding out that she had been gone.

Quickly changing clothes, she lay down on the empty bed, and contemplated her options. She could rush out of bed now and start making breakfast or something. However, she wasn’t sure at what point Sandy had left last night and it might make her look even more conspicuous. She figured she could go find Clark, and snuggle with him. That would cover her tracks if Sandy came back, but would hardly explain anything if Sandy had snuck out earlier in the evening. And anyway, after staying up all night with Jack, she hardly wanted to see her boyfriend. They hadn’t done anything wrong…well after they had talked it out they hadn’t. But either way, she wasn’t quite ready to wash the familiar scent off of her skin or erase the memories of their night together just yet.

So she was fresh out of options. Just as she was about to give up, the door burst open and Sandy sauntered in looking all too pleased with herself. When she noticed that the room wasn’t empty, she gasped dramatically and swung the door closed behind her.

"When did you get back?" she asked hesitantly fear evident in her face.

Lexi wasn’t sure why she looked so terrified. Lexi was the one who was out at all hours of the night doing things that she didn’t want anyone to know about. Why would Sandy be so scared? "What time is it?" Lexi asked stalling.

"Please don’t tell anyone I was out," Sandy squealed rushing to the bed and sitting heavily on the quilt comforter. "Oh God, please don’t tell anyone." She looked to be about to go into hysterics. "I didn’t expect you to be back this morning."

Now Lexi was really confused. Where had she been? Why was she so frantic about people finding out? Luckily, this gave Lexi an out from being confronted about why she had been out all night. "Where were you?" she questioned Sandy trying to compose her features.

"Okay, I’ll tell you, but promise you won’t say anything," she demanded grabbing for Lexi’s hands as tears became to well in her eyes.

"Sure I promise." Lexi was just damn curious.

"Okay. Okay," Sandy said taking her hands back and brushing at her eyes. Obviously, she took some comfort in the fact that Lexi wouldn’t say anything. Her hysterics abated, she began speaking. "Well I woke up when you left. I knew immediately where you were going."

Lexi tried to keep her face neutral, but couldn’t help her look of surprise. "Where was that?"

"Obviously you were going to Clark’s room," Sandy said making the most girly giggle Lexi had ever heard.

"Oh." Lexi breathed out a sigh of relief. Of course that was where this girl would think she had been. Most sane women would have gone to see their boyfriend in the middle of the night while they were on vacation. That would have been the logical thing to do. She scolded herself.

"Don’t worry," Sandy said conspiratorially, "I won’t let anyone know that you guys were up all night."

Oh God, Lexi didn’t know it was possible to feel this bad. This little innocent girl was being so kind to her, and reminding her that she had a loving boyfriend only a floor above her. Lexi bit her lip to the point of pain and then began to push her hair behind her ear. She did not want to cry right now. But Clark was so damn smart. He would know. He would see Jack all over her. He’d be able to piece everything together and realize what had really gone on last night. She stared wide-eyed at Sandy in terror. This was going to be one long vacation.

"But when I saw you were gone, I snuck upstairs to the master bedroom." So maybe she wasn’t all that innocent. Lexi nodded along anyway. Really, she should have figured as much. The two had been all over each other since they had arrived. "Well Seth was very persuasive, and I…well…I stayed most of the night. I didn’t sleep much though," Sandy said feeling as if she were confiding in a friend. "I know you and Clark are together, but have you and Seth ever?"

Lexi quickly shook her head no. There was no way in hell. Seth was such a pig. Her terror temporarily subsided she answered. "No. No. No. No. No."

"Oh well, you should maybe give it a try. He’s…wow…amazing."

Lexi had never been a take-a-guy-out-for-a-spin type of girl. Actually, that kind of made her nauseous. "Yeah I don’t think so."

"More for me then," she said contentedly. "He just made me swear not to tell anyone. It’s our little secret. So if you could just keep it between us that would be great."

Lexi smiled at the girl. Not innocent…no, but naïve. Obviously Seth wouldn’t want Sandy to tell everyone that they were sleeping together. That way he could sleep with the other two girls he had brought with them without any of them knowing about it. How did Sandy not see that? Lexi didn’t really care to find out. As long as they were both under the impression that they were keeping each other’s secrets that would work out just fine for her.

She was exhausted, but still she was unable to let sleep take over her long enough to really help her out any. Tumbling noises from upstairs informed her that the guys had woken up. From that point on, it was going to be impossible to sleep. Lexi grabbed her Vera Bradley toiletry bag and hobbled into the empty bathroom. She gasped when she saw her reflection in the mirror. No wonder Sandy had thought she had been up all night doing the nasty. She was a wreck.

Her hair was tangled and windblown from a night on the beach. Her cheeks were plump and rosy; her lips cracked and chapping. Two large circles had formed under her bloodshot eyes from sleep deprivation. Luckily, Sandy hadn’t noticed the sand covering her body or else she might have asked more questions. Despite physical exhaustion and renewed fear that Clark would notice a difference in her, she was ready to start the day. She was ready to see Jack again.

After a shower, Lexi figured she at least looked presentable, and was ready for some breakfast. As she exited the room and began to climb the stairs to search for something to eat, the smell hit her. Pancakes.

She turned the corner and found Clark already in the middle of whipping up a fresh batch. Smiling brightly as she entered the room, she walked up to him and grasped him around the middle.