Fate (16 page)

She was already done with her first semester at her new school. Things between her and Vincent were still
perfect
. He’d been out to La Jolla many times thanks to all the parties leading up to Grace and Sal’s wedding. Then there was the wedding itself. He’d been there the whole weekend. In between all the parties Vincent had come up a few other times on his own. His dad was so proud that he’d been completely trouble free for so long
that
he’d let him use his car a few times to drive down and see her.
Vincent
hadn’t been in trouble even once since his tagging incident.

Now he was back again for another visit
,
and she packed a picnic they could take to the beach where they could have some alone time. Done eating now
,
they lay on the blanket she’d brought doing what they loved doing most.

Vincent completely respected the fact that she wasn’t ready to do more than just kissing and what had progressed to heavy petting now. But she loved how intensely deep he kissed her sometimes. That alone felt almost erotic.

Most recently he’d begun to run his hands up and down her legs like he was doing now
,
and he literally groaned in her mouth. “Damn, this drives me nuts.
”

Rose smiled, squirming as his lips moved from hers and nipped her neck now. Feeling him tongue
-
suck her neck drove her nuts and made her tingle in places she knew she shouldn’t be. She wasn’t ready to go there yet. Still a small moan slipped. “
You
drive
me
nuts, Vincent.”

The moan had been embarrassing enough
,
but being so breathless
that
she could barely get the words out surprised even her.

Vincent pulled away from her neck to look at her. His intense eyes fixed on hers. “Rosie, Grace doesn’t know about this
,
does she?”

Rose smiled. “That you drive me nuts?”

“Well,” he chuckled
,
but it still didn’t hide the worry in his eyes “
t
hat
and that we’re doing a little more than just kissing now.”

Running her fingers through his hair
,
Rose chewed the inside of her lip. She knew what he was worried about. “
I tell her a lot. But so far all I’ve
only
told her
is
that
you’re the first boy that’s ever kissed me.”

“And the last,” he added quickly
lifting a brow
.

Rose laughed now
,
“Yes, Vincent
,
and the last.”

He smiled
,
kissing her softly before pulling away again. “You’re not gonna tell her any more are you?”

She shook her head
,
tracing that perfectly arched eyebrow of his. “Not yet.”

“But you will eventually
?
”

She smiled again
,
hoping to assuage some of his worry. “I’ll warn you before I do. But trust me
,
I wouldn’t tell her anything that might get you banned from coming to see me. You think I’m crazy or something?”

“No,” he said staring at her lips. “I just don’t know what I’d do if that happened.”

“Well, it won’t
,
so don’t worry
,
okay?”

Vince leaned in
,
and she could tell just by the look in his eyes
t
his wouldn’t be one of his usually sweet kisses
;
this one had erotic written all over it
,
and she braced herself
,
her
heart already thumping wildly.

Rose

Th
e following
weekend
Ros
e had a soccer tournament
,
and Vincent had said he’d try to make it down if he could switch his days off at work with someone
,
but so far there’d
been no takers.

She walked out into the kitchen where Grace
,
who
se belly
looked ready to pop
,
was packing the small ice chest she always took to Rose’s tournaments. “Wow
,
you weren’t kidding when you said the new uniforms were short.”

Rose glanced down at her soccer shorts. “They’re ridiculous. If they weren’t loose
,
I’d look like I was wearing my volleyball shorts.”

Grace laughed. “Well
,
at least you have great legs. They look good on you.”

Rose smirked
,
think
ing
about how often Vincent
made her tremble
now
by
r
u
n
ning
his hands up and down her legs
,
telling her
just how much
they drove him crazy. A car honked outside
,
and she grabbed her soccer backpack. “That’s them. I’m out. I’ll see you at the park.”

Grace gave her the usual
“
don’t get crazy driving around with your friends
”
speech
,
and Rose ran out to meet Alison and Candace, two of her teammates and now closest friends. They’d both also been on the
v
olleyball team last semester and had been best friends since
they were
kids. Somehow she’d clicked with them
,
and now they were a threesome. Alison got a boyfriend last semester
,
so Candace was glad since Alison’s boyfriend hung out with her even at school
that
she didn’t feel like a third wheel because she had Rose. So it had been perfect timing when Rose came along.

Rose got in the backseat. “Could these shorts be any shorter?” Alison said as soon as Rose was in. “But damn, Rose
,
you’re rocking them with your long legs.”

“Thanks. I just hope they don’t start riding up my butt when I’m playing. At least our volleyball shorts are made to cling to our legs and not ri
de up. These aren’t like that.”

Candace was busy applying makeup using the front visor. “You’re so crazy, Candace,” Rose giggled. “How can you wear makeup knowing you’re gonna be sweating up a storm in an hour
?
”

“Because
,
” Candace continued to apply her mascara
,
“
t
he boys are playing this weekend, too
,
and I t
hink Jeremy is so smoking hot.”

Alison stopped suddenly
,
making Candace squeal then curse.

“Sorry.” Alison’s remorseful expression made Rose laugh. Alison had only been driving a few months
,
and she was
n’t the greatest driver
.

“Have you gotten pulled over for drunk driving yet even though you don’t drink?” Rose laughed.

This time Candace laughed
,
too. The last time they’d picked her up
,
she hit the curb twice pulling up just outside Sal’s house. Sal’s friend Romero had been there
,
and he was the one that cracked that joke. He said one of his uncles had. They gave him the sobriety test and everything
,
and he was stone sober.

“Not funny,” Alison said as she stepped on the gas
,
and all their heads jerked back.

All t
hree of them laughed this time.

“Oh my God.” Candace turned around to look at Rose. “What was that guy’
s name at your house that day?”

Rose rolled her eyes smiling. “Romero.”

“He was
so
hot.” Candace gushed.

“But he’s older.” Alison said scrunching her nose.

“And hello!
Married.
” Rose reminded them.

“Minor details,” Candace said turning back to continue with her makeup. She wasn’t even done with her thoughts on Romero when she was already gaping out the window as they pulled into the school’s parking lot. “Quivering orgasms!”

“Candace!” Alison laughed as she pulled in very slowly into a parking spot.

Rose laughed
,
gathering her backpack
.
Candac
e was nothing if not boy crazy.

“Who is
that
?” Candace gushed.

They got out of the car at the same time. Rose was too busy adjusting her ponytail to notice who Candace was drooling over now. She looked up just in time to see who it was and nearly froze in place. “Oh wow
,
I know him.”

“You do?” Candace was at her side in seconds. “From where?”

Just then Ben saw her. He did a double take then smiled big. Candace ga
sped as he started toward them.

“I went to prom with him last year. We were good friends until he graduated and we sort of lost touch.” Rose flung her backpack over her back and went to meet him halfway since he was already walking toward them.

“You went to prom with
him
?” Candace said mouthing the words
,
“
Oh my God
,
”
to Alison.

Before Rose could respond to that
,
Ben was already there. “Look at you, sexy girl.” He blatantly checked her out from head to toe, slowing his gaze at her legs and her ridiculously short shorts as she and her friends came to a stop. He held his arms open with a smile so big and lustful it made her blush
, and
he actually groaned. “Bring them hot legs over here, girl. Damn!”

“The hell she will.” Vincent’s voice startled Rose. She turned just as he and Lorenzo walked up from behind her. “And her name is Rose.” Slipping his hand in hers
,
he glared at Ben. “I’m her boyfriend. Who the fuck are you?”

“Vincent!” Rose squeezed his hand at first mortified then alarmed as he stepped in front of her
.
Lorenzo
was
right next to him ready to go head to head with not only Ben but the two friends walking up from behind him.

Ben turned around when he saw his friends closing in and held up a hand for them to stop then turned around and smiled at Rose. “I didn’t know
you had a boyfriend now, Rose.”

“Well, she does.”

That wiped the smile right off Ben’s face
,
and he glared at Vince. “I was talking to her.”

Vince took a step forward. “I don’t gi
ve a shit. I’m talking to you!”

Rose jumped in front of Vincent
,
remembering all the fights he’d told her he’d been in. As far as she knew
,
he hadn’t been in any since before last summer.

“He’s my friend, Vincent.” She grabbed a handful of his shirt. “Don’t do this
,
please.” Vincent’s eyes were still glaring past her at Ben. She turned to Candace who was standing off to the side with Alison then looked at Ben. “Ben
,
this is Candace
;
she wanted to meet you. Candace
,
ple
ase go talk to him over there.”

She motioned with her head
,
and her eyes pleaded as she prayed Candace would have the sense to take him
far
away.

“I’ll call you
,
” Ben said as he and Candace walked away.

Vincent flinched in an effort to get away from Rose. “Stop it, Vincent.
Please
.”

His eyes were finally on Rose
,
and they were furious. “He’ll call you?”

“Do you want me to go aft
er the asshole?” Lorenzo asked.

“No!” Rose turned to him. “He doesn’t even have my number!” She turned back to Vincent who still looked enraged. “I haven’t seen him since last year before summer.”

She soothed her hand on his chest
,
feeling how hard his heart thumped. He wasn’t kidding when he’d told her his temper could go from zero to sixty if provoked. Not that Ben had actually provoked him
,
but that last jab about calling her
was
stupid.