Fall (Seaside #4)(46)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

“Well, allow me to demonstrate.” Her voice was husky. “First you kiss me, and then…” her hands inched down my naked chest. “You may or may not touch me.”

“Touching.” I gripped her hips. “Right.”

“And there’s always tongue.” She licked my lips, the minx.

“God, I love your tongue.”

“And sometimes there’s more. Clothing may come off… Then again, you’re already in nothing but boxer briefs.”

I smirked. “Vulnerable, love. It’s called being vulnerable, not naked.”

“Is that what we‘re calling it?”

“Yes,” I said seriously. “With you, always.”

“With anyone else?” Her eyes searched mine.

I kissed her nose. “Never.”

Deep brown eyes met my gaze as her hands closed over mine and then slowly slid them underneath her shirt.

Cursing, I closed my eyes as my fingers memorized every damn curve, every goose bump they came into contact with.

When my thumbs grazed her bra. I stopped.

Pris smiled.

“You shouldn’t tempt the devil.”

“I don’t see a devil,” she whispered. “I see… you. Only you.”

My eyes blurred for a moment, as if they were struggling to take in her beauty — my body trembled — unable to accept the compliment for what it was.

Swallowing against the dryness in my throat, I gently pulled her against me — trembling as my mouth met hers more urgently than before, no longer asking permission but pouring my freaking soul into every touch, every caress.

She shivered.

When my tongue touched hers, I lost complete control of my senses. My body demanded that I prove to her what I felt words couldn’t express, but I was torn, because at the same time, I didn’t want a repeat of my past.

I wanted a new beginning.

Her hands moved to my boxers.

My body damn near screamed.

With a groan, my hand grazed her side, reaching to the back of her bra.

“HOLY SHIT!” someone screamed.

With a curse, I fell off the couch and hit my head against the coffee table, while Priscilla covered herself with a pillow, even though she wasn’t naked.

“Dammit!” Demetri stormed into the room. “Babe, where’s my gun?”

Alyssa rolled her eyes.

“Bastard!” Demetri walked around the couch and pulled me off the floor.

Well, at least I wasn’t so aroused I was embarrassing myself. I had no fight in me, so I simply smiled.

Even when he punched me across the jaw.

Pris screamed.

Alyssa laughed.

And I smiled. It would hurt like hell in the morning, but I felt buzzed, like I’d just downed an entire six-pack of beer. He could beat the shit out of me and I’d still be smiling. Because I had her.

“I swear…” Demetri shoved me against the wall. “If you screwed her, I’m going to knife you!”

“Violent,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Guys!” Priscilla pushed Demetri away. “Nothing happened.”

At least she’d had enough sense to right all her clothing. It was distracting enough watching her swollen mouth form words. Pretty sure my own mouth was hanging open still, in shock, in arousal, in… lust?

“The hell it didn’t!” Demetri spat. “He was on top of you! He was touching!” He waved wildly in the air. “With his hands!” When I laughed, Demetri set his green eyes on me. “She’s eighteen dude, not a one-night stand.”

“I know,” I said calmly.

“You can’t just screw her and leave her.”

“I know,” I repeated.

“And, and—“ Demetri swore. “Damn I wish I hadn’t given up drinking.” With another curse he went over to the wall and started banging his head softly against it while Alyssa came up behind him. “I’m going to have to burn my couch.”

I burst out laughing.

“You!” He pointed. “I’m not done with you.” He turned on his heel and pointed at Pris. ”And you! You… go to your room!”

“It has smoke in it,” she answered smartly.

“Go to the guest room here. Son of a bitch,” he muttered and walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

“Can I talk now?” I asked.

“Can I kill you now?” he replied.

Alyssa followed after Pris while I just sat and witnessed the rest of Demetri’s nervous breakdown.

“Tell me,” he said in a low voice. “Tell me you didn’t…”

“I didn’t,” I said smoothly. “I know my track record proves otherwise, but I actually care too much about her to strip her naked and have my way with her on your couch.”

“Thanks.” His voice cracked.

“Anytime.”

He took a swallow of water then spit it out onto the counter. “Wait, what?”

I looked at my hands.

“You care about her? As in you care about her like a five-year-old cares for his goldfish?”

I scowled.

“Holy hell…” Demetri sat on the barstool. “I thought when you said you liked her you meant you had a little crush or obsession because you hadn’t been with anyone in a while. I didn’t think you were…”

“Don’t say it,” I warned.

“Fine.” He grinned. “I’ll just think it.”

“Ass. Why are you even here?”

“Seven days off tour, man. We wanted to check out the condo, plus our next stop is in Portland, so it works out.”

“Thanks for the text.”

“Thanks for the naked surprise.”

“Touché.”

“Hey, guys?” Alyssa called from the back room. “Can you order us pizza?”

“Sure,” we answered in unison, both glaring at one another.

“I’m not a whore,” I said, feeling the need to clear the air.

Demetri snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ten more minutes.” He shook his head. “I was a whore once. I know how it works. You tell yourself you won’t go too far, you tell yourself you’ll stop, and then, you wake up at five a.m. damning yourself to Hell. You really like her? Prove it. Don’t sleep with her.”

A bucket of cold water would have done less damage to my already pounding blood.

“But—”