Release: New Adult Sport Romance (Fire and Ice) (9 page)
Read Release: New Adult Sport Romance (Fire and Ice) Online
Authors: Violet Vaughn
The waitress arrives and we order. Because everyone orders their burger too, I go ahead and get a plain hamburger without looking at the menu. Kaleb looks over at me and tilts his head toward the pool tables. “Want a quick lesson?”
“Sure.” I slide off my stool.
We head over to the series of wooden tables. Balls clunk on the red felt as Kaleb removes them from pockets, and I follow his lead. Once they’re all on the table he gathers them together and traps them in a wooden triangle-shaped frame. He rolls it back and forth and lifts the frame to leave the triangle formation of balls on the table.
Moments later he hits the white ball, and it smashes into the others with a loud crack. He proceeds to show me how to line up my shots and hit the balls to go in. I’m terrible but don’t care. Every time Kaleb moves my body into position, I revel in his touch.
After my quick lesson, we return to the table. I take a sip of my beer, and its flavor rolls over my tongue. The hint of berry makes it go down smoothly.
Megan says, “Don’t worry too much about the pool. We usually beg off after the first game. They just like to try to include us.”
The odor of fried food and meat arrives as the waitress sets down our burgers. They’re huge, and I wonder how I’ll wrap my mouth around one to take a bite. Besides that, they look messy. I take the bread off the burger and unroll my silverware from a bandana print napkin. I’ll just eat the meat and vegetables because I’ll never finish all of it anyway.
I listen to the friendly banter around the table. Jason is quick-witted, and he keeps us laughing. I watch in fascination as others try to keep up. So far Casey seems to be the one that does it best. I’ve haven’t spent much time in playful groups like this and don’t even try to add to the entertainment. I’m quite content to soak it all up instead.
After everyone has finished eating, we move to the pool tables and commandeer a smaller bar table for our drinks. Megan, Casey, and I sit to watch while the guys play.
Megan leans over to me. “Hey, I need to go the ladies’ room. Come with me?”
“Sure,” I say and look over at Casey. She picks up the cue and gets up with us.
When we’re all at the mirror, Megan asks, “Are you having fun, Lori? You’re so quiet.” Water runs as she washes her hands.
“I am. My goodness, is Jason funny.” I push a lever, and slippery soap oozes into my hand.
Casey swipes on lipstick and presses her lips together. “He keeps me on my toes,” she says. “Kaleb is spending a lot of time looking in your direction. Are things going well?”
“I think so.” Heat rises in my cheeks as I think about Kaleb’s gaze. Megan smiles in the mirror at me as I check under my eyes for mascara flakes. We walk out of the restroom and back to the guys. The restaurant has filled up since we got here, and occasional bursts of laughter rise above the din of conversation.
When we get to our table, I notice Nick nod his head toward the entrance for Megan to see. There’s a girl walking out the door, but I can’t see enough to recognize her. I glance at Megan and her mouth is tight.
Looking back at the guys, Kaleb looks upset, too. His brow is furrowed, but the moment he catches my eye he breaks into a big grin. He walks over to me and leans in close. His breath tickles my ear. “You just about ready to get out of here?”
An electric jolt travels down my spine, and I think about my legs wrapped around his waist earlier. I nod as I look into his eyes. A little something smolders in my belly, and I let my eyes drop to his mouth. I’m trying to send the signal that I’m anxious to pick up where we left off. When I glance back up at him, he smiles at my reaction.
Nick and Jason return pool cues to the rack and join us at the table. Jason says, “We paid the bill and can leave any time, ladies.”
A group of girls hover by us, and Casey says to them, “You can have our table.” One of them answers, “Thanks.” They slide in and drinks thud on the wood. I turn to see what holds their interest and notice they watch a couple of guys play pool. One of the men is clearly puffed up a bit, trying to impress. It works, and I hear hushed voices
and giggles.
Snow squeaks under our feet, and frosty air blasts out of our mouths as we cross the street to the parking lot. The temperature dropped, and I guess it’s in the single digits. We all say our good-byes as kisses and hugs are exchanged.
Kaleb walks with me to my side of his car. The car door groans open, and my body turns to ice. Dark hair spills out through the opening and my head swims. Oh God! The slumped body of a girl is in his car, and she’s naked.
An arm flops out in a delayed reaction. When it stops, the hand opens and a key lands on the ice with a small crack. Is she dead? A thought is on the edge of my conscience like a name you should know and can’t recall, out of reach. I hear my scream fade away as my world goes black.
I awake to the smell of Kaleb’s musk. My cheek is against his chest which is warm. I don’t want to move because I realize he’s holding me, and I snuggle in. But something’s wrong. When I look up at him he speaks. “You fainted.”
Reality slaps me in the face. “Is she dead?”
Casey lets out an annoyed huff of air. “No, but she’ll wish she was when she wakes up tomorrow.”
The girl mutters. “I jusss fell asseep. Iss okhaay.”
I squirm in Kaleb’s arms to see, but he turns his back to her.
Jason opens the door to the red truck next to us and says, “Put Lori in here.”
Kaleb sets me on the bench seat and nudges me over on the icy leather to climb in. He starts the engine and turns the heat on full blast. The door is still open, and Jason leans in. “Why don’t you let us deal with Tara? You take care of the right one.” He winks at me, and things start to become clear. The naked girl is Kaleb’s ex-girlfriend.
“Ex-girlfriend?”
Kaleb pulls the door shut with a slam and says, “Yeah.”
He looks straight ahead, and his face is strained in discomfort.
I want to ease his pain, so I say, “Interesting fashion sense.”
He cracks a smile. “She’s a little underdressed for this weather.”
It’s completely inappropriate, but I snicker. I quickly cover my mouth. “I’m sorry.”
His grin gets bigger. “Don’t be.”
“Is she going to be okay?” I peer past him and see Casey help the girl step into her jeans. Megan is on the other side of her and holds an arm to keep her balanced.
“Probably, she’s kind of known for this sort of behavior.”
A giggle is about to burst out of me. “That had to have been cold.” My body shakes with suppressed laughter.
Kaleb’s eyes are bright, and he tilts his head at me. “You’re not supposed to laugh at this. You’re supposed to wonder why some girl is waiting naked for me in my car.” Casey and Megan walk Tara across the street.
“Oh, right. So? Why is some naked woman waiting for you in your car?” I don’t know what’s come over me because he’s correct, I should be horrified. I can’t control myself, and giggle. I notice the girls open a door between two shops and assume Tara must live above one.
Jason knocks on the window, and Kaleb lowers it. He sees me laughing. “You know, some guys give their girls flowers or chocolate. But Kaleb? He surprises them with naked women.” He starts to laugh.
Nick sticks his head in the window. “You’ve got to find a better place for your extra key. A girl could get frostbite climbing under your car in her birthday suit.”
Now, nobody contains laughter. When we see Casey and Megan make their way back over we do our best to stop. Kaleb and I get out of Jason’s truck.
Megan says, “That girl’s a piece of work. She never seems to learn.” She shakes her head.
Kaleb opens the passenger door to his car for me. I’m hesitant to get in, and it must be apparent on my face because Casey says, “Want a bleach wipe for the seat?” She giggles, and that makes us all laugh again.
A million stars are in the sky, and they shine down on us as Kaleb drives me home. We ride in silence, and the reality of the evening sets in. What kind of girl gets naked in her ex-boyfriend’s car and waits for him? They must’ve had a wild sexual relationship. One I don’t know how to give.
And what kind of girl goes to such extremes? One who is still very much in love with Kaleb, that’s what kind. I steal a quick glance at him. Does he still love her? Did he find that hot?
My stomach clenches. I’m in over my head here. I am so not a Tara and can’t even begin to compete. The floodlight in my driveway illuminates Kaleb’s face as we pull in. His profile is strong, and his lips are full. Those lips do things to me that make my knees weak. And obviously they do the same for Tara. So much for him being a dork.
We’ve barely spoken, and it freaks me out a little. The wooden steps to my apartment vibrate with our footsteps as we climb up. I turn the key in my lock, and the metal bolt slides with a hollow sound. When we step inside, Kaleb shuts the door and leans against it.
“I don’t think I should stay for long. It’s been an intense night.” Damn it. He still loves her. He lifts my chin with a finger and kisses me. But he’s kissing me? Our lips nip at each other, and I’m so confused. My hand presses on his chest, and his heartbeat is faint against my palm. Our kiss lacks passion and desire. Of course it does. How do I compete with naked?
“Thank you. I had a—an interesting time.” I flash a smile, but it’s fake. It was an odd night, and I wonder if he’s confused about his feelings for Tara and me.
The look in his eyes seems worried. Like he’s afraid he’ll hurt me. My heart aches a little, thinking we’re over. I was falling for this guy.
“Good-night, Lori.” He leaves, and I slowly turn the lock and deadbolts. I move toward the kitchen, look down at the house key in my hand, and swallow the dread back down.
I stomp into the locker room in a bad mood. It’s already been one of those days. First I spilled tea all over myself and had to change my clothes. Then I managed to drop my keys on my way down the stairs, and they fell in a snow bank, which meant I had to dig for them.
While I’m still here in time to ski before work, I don’t have anyone to ski with. Last night’s good-bye loops in my head. He still loves her. I’m convinced Kaleb will pick Tara over me, and that’s probably what makes this day suck so bad. I twirl my locker combination but keep going past a number. Damn it!
Finally getting the lock to work, I yank the door open, and it slams against the other lockers. The noise sounds good. But when it bounces back to hit me, it hurts. Frustrated tears spring to my eyes.
“Hey. I swear I didn’t do it.” Kaleb’s voice reaches me before I see him.
My stomach flips. Why are you here? To tell me what I already know? That it’s over? I glare at him because I don’t want to hear it. I get it. I freak out about moving past second base, and Tara waits for you naked. You don’t have to spell it out for me. I know I should be civil and let him tell me, but I can’t. My pride won’t let me cry in front of him over this. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep the tears from falling.
Kaleb speaks before I am able to choke out words. He says, “Okay, maybe I did.” Sadness clouds his eyes as he shakes his head a little. He says, “I’m sorry.” He turns and leaves before I can say anything. I should call after him. But I’m not sure anything nice would come out of my mouth.
I sink to the bench and let the tears fall. I like Kaleb and his rejection hurts. I’m not good at this. At twenty-one, I’ve never had a normal relationship. This dating stuff is hard. Darn it. I sniff and get up to go to the ladies’ room.
The back door slams shut just as I leave my aisle. I guess it was Kaleb going out to snowboard, and my stomach clenches. I resist the urge to run after him and beg him to pick me.