Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) (16 page)

Delsin presses my hand for reassurance. "This is my girlfriend Camille. Camille, this is Cooper, but everyone calls him Coop," he introduces us.

"Hi, Coop. Nice to meet you," I smile and hold out my hand.

He shakes it. "Nice meeting you, Camille." Then he looks me up and down with curiosity. "How long have you two been together? I've never seen you with a girlfriend, only with your sex kittens."

Delsin lets out an angry snort.

"Not long; it's still fresh," I interrupt them and hold on to Delsin's hand, so he doesn't grab his friend's throat. The mood has changed dramatically. The air seems to crackle.

Coop merely nods at that. "Cool." Then he looks at Delsin. "Is the party still on for tonight?"

"Yeah. Starts at nine, so if you come at ten, there'll be a few people," Delsin says.

"So your girlfriend has a board, too," Coop states.

Why is he changing the subject yet again
? I ask myself in irritation.

"Yes. I'm going to teach Camille a few moves today. It's her first board," Delsin explains.

They start talking about skateboard moves and tricks, and I just stand there. I step down from my board and pick it up the way Delsin always does. I lean it against my leg.

Then I feel I'm being watched and turn around. A group of pretty-looking girls is staring at us. They level their sneers at me while fawning at Delsin at the same time. I guess I am their enemy now, because he is no longer available for a quick tumble.

"Caramel?" Delsin addresses me.

I shake my head to banish the thought of these women and look at him. "Yes?"

"Where have you just been with your thoughts?"

I tell him the truth. "Over there with that group of girls. They're looking daggers at me and hearts at you."

He looks over at them. "Oh. Yes, I guess you'll have to get used to that. Don't let that impress you. I've been with two of them, and they keep trying to drag me to bed, but I've always been a once-only guy."

"That means I am the only one you've slept with more than once?" I ask, incredulous.

"You even are the only one who was allowed to lie in bed with me. I screwed them all on the sofa," he admits in a whisper.

"Wow," I whistle. I am genuinely surprised, as I had thought he'd taken all those girls into his bed.

"Stop thinking about that now. We're here to skate, aren't we?" he says with a mischievous grin, pulling me along to a free space. "I'm not taking you into the half-pipe yet, that'll have to wait for another day," Delsin reassures me.

"Believe me, I don't want to be in the half-pipe. I'm fine with the straight tarmac," I answer with a smile.

"Good. Okay, so you already know how to keep your balance on the board. You have to push yourself off with the foot to gain momentum. And to steer the board, you simply shift your balance. Any questions?"

"Not at the moment," I say and smile at him.

"Okay then. Go ahead and do it," he orders.

I place it on the ground and put my foot on it. "Now what?"

"Well, now you're going to skate," Delsin grins and gives me a push. My board starts rolling.

I feel insecure as I increase the speed with my other foot.

"Caramel, watch out for the wall! Try to make a turn," he calls. I can already see the building rise in front of me. Before I can react and steer the board properly, I hop off and let it roll against the wall

I look back at him with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry."

"Better the board than you," he says and comes over.

"I think I'd rather start by watching you do your thing, okay? You can still show me how to do it later," I decide.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone with all those birds of prey. Coop is checking you out, and the girls, too," he whispers.

I grab him by his collar and pull his face close to mine, standing on tiptoe. "Then we should show them that we belong together now, and that none of them has a chance with either one of us," I smile, and then I kiss him.

Delsin returns the kiss. "Okay," he murmurs against my lips, breathing a kiss of his own against them.

"Show them what you got, tiger. Roar," I laugh, give him one more kiss and then let go.

Delsin hops onto his board and glides off, wearing a very wide grin on his handsome face.

I carry mine to the low wall on the side and sit down on it to watch him.

He rushes through the half-pipe and shows off a few dangerous-looking flips and turns.

I still think it looks vain, but of course he likes to show what he can do.

He goes on and on, almost pirouetting as he flips. The girls who have been staring me down before now clap for him and cheer him on.

What do they want to prove now?
I grumble to myself.

"Rough! Rough! Rough!" the guys goad him on, gathering round the half-pipe.

But Delsin only has eyes for me. He keeps winking or smiling at me, which makes me feel all warm and special.

***

"You need to steer, Camille, steer," he chides me as I find myself on my butt on the floor. I sulk. I fell backwards when I couldn't seem to avoid that low wall that I had been sitting on before.

"Why don't you help me up instead of giving me a hard time?" I yell back and hold out my hand.

Delsin grabs my lower arm and pulls me to my feet. "I'm sorry, but you crashed and I was berating myself for not instructing you well enough. Are you okay?" He studies me, even peeks around me.

"I'm fine, nothing broken or bruised," I announce, already calmer again, and brush off the dirt from my butt.

He takes a relieved breath. "Thank god. You really are a natural at riding and gaining speed, though. The only hard part is the steering, and we'll get that eventually." Delsin looks at his watch. "We should leave for the day and grab a bite to eat. There's a party on later tonight."

"Delsin?"

"Yeah?"

"After we've had dinner, could you take me home and we'll each get ready on our own?" I ask.

"Why?"

"Because I want to avoid instant boredom, which might befall us if we spend all our time together. Don't you want things to stay exciting?" I smile.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want the routine to catch up with us too soon, but we should always look forward to seeing each other," I explain patiently.

"I see your point. For a moment I was worried," he grins. "I like the sound of that ... Where do you want to eat?"

"I feel like having pizza again."

"Pizza it is." After grabbing both our skateboards, Delsin takes my hand and walks with me to his car.

When I sit in the passenger seat and he has just closed the door, one of the girls from the park approaches him. With raised eyebrows, I watch as he lets this puffed-up blonde touch him. I feel like blowing my top, anger flares up like never before.

What does she think she's doing?
I ask myself with rising annoyance.

He does not even shrink back when she presses herself against his chest. Her tits seem to jump out of her top.

I rap the windshield angrily and cross my arms over my chest. Delsin looks at me, seems to apologize to her with a shrug, and then finally gets in. "I'm sorry. She's in one of my classes and asked me about the finals."

"That's strange, I didn't know you were taking 'The Art of Screwing' and 'Sexual Practices 101,'" I shoot back angrily.

He sighs. "Why are you so annoyed?"

"Because you didn't even bother to keep your distance, even though you knew I could see you," I explain.

"Cay simply is like that, always. I'm sorry, Caramel." He puts his hand on my thigh, but I shove it away. "Leave me alone and please take me home now. I've lost my appetite," I say, my voice low but no longer small. I buckle up. I don't want to be bitchy, but I am angry and disappointed.

"No. I want you to eat something before we hit the party," he insists.

"I can do that at my place."

"Camille, please don't be angry with me. I still have to get used to being with you, and to the thing we have," he implores in a whisper.

"We've been together for a few hours and I can already see that you don't really stand by me. You introduced me to Coop, but not to that blonde."

"Because Coop was checking you out."

"Oh, please! She all but grabbed you and rubbed her tits against your chest. You ought to have pushed her away and tell her that your girlfriend is waiting in the car. Did you do that?" I demand to know.

"No, I didn't," he admits.

"Please just take me home now, Delsin."

He takes a deep breath and lights a cigarette. Then he starts the engine. I don't look at him but stare out the window. I want him to feel how badly he hurt me. I know I'm not easy to handle sometimes, but I have the right to demand some clarity, if I go out with the university's former ladies' man, don't I?

Instead of taking me home, he passes our street and stops in front of a pizza place. "If you don't want to eat with me, I'm okay with that, but then we're getting something to go," he announces.

I roll my eyes. "I'll walk." Then I get out of the car and turn back in the opposite direction.

Delsin gets out, too. "Don't act like a little kid, Camille. I said I'm sorry, and it's not going to happen again."

I turn around to face him. "You know, I don't think it'll work out. It was a wonderful day, until this blond nightmare started fingering you, but now all that is left is a crappy feeling inside. And I don't act like a child, I act like someone who has been hurt," I rant at him. The tears want to well in my eyes again, unbidden.

Delsin stares at me and then closes the distance between us, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Don't throw away what hasn't even truly begun, please. And please forgive me for not reacting as I should have. Caramel, please," he implores, sounding earnest and almost desperate.

I remain rigid in his embrace, sniffling once. "I don't believe it's going to work," I whisper.

He puts a hand around my neck and kisses away the tears from my cheeks. "Give me another chance. Please."

I exhale. "One more chance," I whisper. He kisses my lips and wipes away the last tears with his thumb.

When he lets go of me, he wears a sad expression on his face. "I'm really sorry."

"Okay. Maybe I overreacted, too."

"I like your temper, so don't change," he says with a half-smile.

My lips also curve into a smile. It still hurts a little, but I knew what I would be in for. And if he hadn't asked for another chance so earnestly, I would have ended it then and there.

"Can we go eat something now? I'm really starving here," he asks softly.

I give a curt nod. "Okay."

Delsin takes my hand and leads me into the restaurant. "What would you like? Pepperoni again?"

"Yes, that sounds good."

"Sit down, I will take care of it." Delsin points to an empty table near the window.

I walk over and sit down, while he orders at the counter. I'm still a bit thoughtful and stare out of the window without seeing anything. Then I suddenly realize I haven't checked my phone in a while. During the ride, I took off the protectors from my knees and elbows, but I simply threw them into the backseat without bothering to open up the backpack.

Delsin sits down across from me.

"Can I have the car keys for a moment?" I ask.

He looks at me with a perplexed expression.

"I just want to check my phone for calls," I explain, for he seems to worry that I could still be upset and just take off in his car.

He hands me the keys with a relieved smile. "Here you go, sweet Caramel."

I lean down and kiss him on the cheek before I leave the restaurant to go fetch my phone.

After I have fished it out of my backpack and locked the car again, I take a look at my phone. Three new text messages, one from Ave, one from Hailey and one from Thally. They all seem to say the same thing. Basically,
where are you? Your stepfather called. You are to come home immediately!

My chest feels tight. I glance at the restaurant door and quickly dial Ave's number, as I know he'll be giving me the calmest version of whatever it is that happened.

"Sweetie! Glad you're calling," he says.

"What is going on?" I want to know, while I walk back inside and sit down across from Delsin.

"Your stepdad called," he explains.

"Yes, that was what the text said. But what happened, Ave?"

"Your horse has to be, um, put to sleep."

I exhale with a sigh. "Shit."

"Yeah. Well, he said that if you want to say goodbye to her, you're going to have to come home early," Ave says.

"I'll see what I can do," I whisper. "Thank you, Ave. I'll be in touch." Then I hang up.

Delsin looks at me with a skeptical expression. "What happened?"