Renegade (Heven and Hell #4)(55)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“I owed you some Ho Hos anyway. The last ones I got you were ruined.”

I dropped the bag on the side of the couch and reached in, pulling three big boxes of snack cakes out and then going back in for popcorn and candy.

“What’s all this?”

“Movie food.”

“What’s—”

I groaned, cutting her off. “Please don’t tell me you’ve never heard of a movie.”

“I won’t tell you.”

“Deprived,” I muttered and pulled out a portable DVD player. “Prepare to have your mind blown.”

She wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

“Eat your chocolate,” I commanded and went about turning on the player and sticking an Adam Sandler movie in the side.

I sat down on the couch and propped up my feet, settling the player in my lap as the previews and advertisements began to play.

Ana sat down beside me, her eyes fastened to the screen in fascination. “You like it?” I asked her, watching her watch the screen.

She smiled and nodded.

“Good. Now hand me that bag of popcorn.”

She handed me the bag and it made a lot of noise while I opened it, and then the movie started.

“Riley?” Ana asked as the credits rolled across the screen.

“Hmm?”

“You just came here to show me this… movie?”

“Yeah. To hang out.” Being here with her was a lot better than cleaning. I paused in chomping on the popcorn. “Should I go?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, no. I want to see this movie you told me about.”

I settled a little farther into the cushions. “Get comfortable. You’re about to laugh your ass off.”

She did what I said, leaning back so her shoulder was right against mine and her head tilted close so she could stare at the tiny screen.

Yeah. This was definitely better than cleaning.

After the movie ended and I ate almost all the snacks (except for all the Ho Hos), she looked at me. “Are you sure you didn’t come here for anything else?”

“You didn’t like my movie?” I scowled.

She laughed. “No, I did. It was very funny. I didn’t know people acted like that,” she said, smiling again. “I just… You never said how Heven’s birthday party went.”

“Eh. It was your typical party. Too much food, too much drink, and too much drama.”

“So you didn’t have a good time?”

“I’ve had better. Why are you so interested in Heven’s party?”

“I’ve never been to a party before,” she said shyly.

“You really aren’t missing much,” I said and grunted.

I caught the disappointment in her eyes and sighed. “It was on the lake. She had a bunch of lights strung up in the trees and a big stage—a wooden floor—spread out for people to dance.”

Ana’s eyes lit up. “Was there music?”

“Very loud music,” I said, thinking about the DJ and Beelzebub.

“Did you dance?” she asked, not picking up on my thoughts.

“With Heven.”

“I’ve never danced with anyone before.”

I tossed the DVD player onto the cushion beside me and stood. “First time for everything,” I said and held out my hand.

She slipped her hand into mine and I tried to ignore how soft her skin was and how small her fingers felt.

“This is how we usually do it,” I said, pulling her in close and lifting her arms up around my neck and wrapping my hands around her waist. “Then you kind of shuffle your feet in a circle,” I explained, my voice going husky.

She glanced at me as she moved. “Am I doing it right?”

“Uh-huh,” I said, my body humming at how close she was. All I could think about was the last time she kissed me. I wanted to do it again, but this time I wanted to show her what a real kiss was like. Without thinking, I pulled her a little closer against me.

“You danced with Heven… like this?” she asked, her cheek against my chest.

I smirked as I imagined the look on Sam’s face if I had. “Uh, no. It was a little different.”

“Different how?” she asked.

“Not as close,” I murmured, wishing we didn’t have to talk at all.

Of course she kept yapping cause that’s what women did. “Have you ever danced this close with anyone before?” her voice was soft, her question hesitant.

I knew I had, of course I had but in that moment I couldn’t recall a single face or a single moment to make it true. “No.”

We moved in a circle, not speaking, and then she lifted her head from my chest. “I like dancing better than the movie.”

“Yeah,” I said, unable to look away from the green of her eyes. “Me too.”

I heard a few waves crash against the shore, more powerful than usual, and felt the wind pick up through the window. I untangled one of my hands from around her and reached up, brushing away the hair from her face.

My gaze dropped to her lips, to the light pink softness calling my name. I began to lower my mouth toward hers, our dancing stopped, and we were just two people standing in the center of a quiet room… two people with desire swirling between them.

The low rumble of thunder had her springing back, away from me, alarm and something else on her face.

“Does it rain here?”

She shook her head, pulling her gaze away from me. “No,” she murmured and I felt a wall go up between us.

“I should probably…” she said, looking around for an excuse to make me leave.

“Yeah, I gotta go. Stuff to do,” I said, stepping away, going toward the door, leaving before she could kick me out.

“Wait!” she said.

I glanced over my shoulder.

“Don’t you want your bag?”

“Keep it,” I said and pulled open the French door.

“Riley, wait,” she said again, hurrying up behind me. “I… I…” Her forehead creased like she couldn’t find the words to say what she wanted to say.

I reached out and slipped her hair behind her ear. “It’s okay. I get it.”

“No, I… I don’t know how to explain.” She looked so torn in that moment that all I wanted was to put her back together.

“Maybe next time you will.”

She glanced up. “You’ll come back?”

I nodded, not missing the relief and that same look I saw in her eyes earlier… the one I couldn’t name. “Okay, I’ll see you then.”