Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) (2 page)

"Thanks," I answer softly. Then I take a closer look at him. "You look hot too, in your, um … usual outfit."
Is this some sort of joke?
I wonder silently.
Why did he tell me to dress up then?
He wears washed-out, used-look jeans, white sneakers and a black pinstripe shirt. Not bad, but that is the way he dresses for his classes, too.

"I would look different if Delsin's broad hadn't thrown up on my outfit," he growls.

I guffaw. "Sorry, but that sounds as if I'm not the only one who wants to vomit when she sees him."

Avery joins in my laughter. "You can be a mean little bitch, you know that?"

I nod with a pompous expression. "Yep." Then I offer him a mischievous grin.

"And I like that," he adds with a wink. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, just gotta get my purse." I run back into the living room, slip into my tight denim jacket and sling the strap of my purse over my shoulder. With a few teetering steps, I am back at Avery's side. "Here I am."

"Great. Let's go." He nods his head to the side, down the flight of stairs, and I lock the door behind me. We leave the building and stroll over to the frat house. Most of the inhabitants are athletes, the most popular guys on campus, but also the worst womanizers. Avery is different. He's one-of-a-kind, he does not sleep around. He once told me that he was not interested in breaking as many hearts as possible; he'd rather focus on his studies. Of course I second that attitude.

"Delsin was rather speechless after your little outbreak," he suddenly says while we are still walking along the road.

I utter a soft laugh. "Well … I didn't want to put up with his crap. And someone ought to tell him that he isn't as irresistible as he thinks."

"I think you're the only one who feels that way."

"I don't care. I'm not the least bit impressed by him, and I want him to know that," I reply.

"You know that you are going to be his personal challenge for this term now, don't you?" Avery asks.

I stop and stare at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shifts his weight uncomfortably. "Well, Delsin was impressed by you, but you dislike him … He cannot cope with that. He simply wants you to like him."

"What?" I ask with amusement. "Behind all that bravado, he suddenly is a lonely guy who pines for the right girl?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"Come on, Ave! You know exactly what your best friend is like."

"True, but I won't tell my best girl friend, because I know she doesn't like him," he grins.

I roll my eyes in amusement. "Alright. I guess I've got to watch out he doesn't get close to me then."

"Which brings me to my next point ... He'll be out alone tonight because Cay puked on him. That means he's probably going to tag along with us," he informs me as we reach the frat house. I don't live that far away from the frat house, which is why we walked there at all.

"Can't wait for that," I sigh.

"Please just ignore him when he goes on your nerves. Okay?"

With a laugh, I mimic a soldier's salute. "Aye, sir."

Avery leads me into the building. Loud music is blaring. "Party seems to be in full swing," he yells above the thumping bass.

I nod with knitted eyebrows. "Sounds like it."

Avery steers me into the kitchen, where the music isn't quite as loud. "What do you want to drink?"

"Maybe a beer?" I venture.

"Right. A beer for the lady. Now don't run away," he says good-humoredly.

"I'd never," I smile and sit down on a stool.

Avery leaves me sitting in the midst of a bunch of flirting and drinking students.

"Camille!" Tayo squeals and throws her arms around my neck. She is in some of my classes and she is a member of any fraternity for women.

"Hi, Tayo," I greet her back and hug her briefly. She smells of alcohol and cheap perfume. We rarely speak, so I am surprised by this sudden outburst of affection.         

"How are you? You look hot," she says.

"Fine. Thanks. How are you?"

She nods. Her black curls dance around her chocolate-colored shoulders. Tayo is freaking beautiful.

Then she says: "I'll head on over there. Tristan is waiting for me somewhere in that bunch of people."

"Okay. You two have fun."

Tristan is her boyfriend, another frat boy and also part of Avery's gang. He is a good guy.

"Thanks. You too," Tayo says and dances away.

I smile as I watch her, and I wonder where Avery is. The keg can't be that far away.

"You're a lot prettier when you smile," someone whispers into my ear.

I start to smile, and then I turn my head. My smile freezes when I see Delsin Rough standing next to me. "I only smile for people I like."

The corner of his mouth twitches. "Maybe I will get you to like me a tiny little bit, and then you're going to smile for me," he grins.

I roll my eyes. "Maybe, but my guess is hell freezes over before that's going to happen." I wink at him.

"Aaaaah, Camille, don't break my heart. Admit it, deep inside ..."

I raise one skeptical eyebrow.

"Alright. I was wrong to assume that someone like you would have second thoughts about it," he says with a shrug that makes me grin a little.

I immediately cover my mouth with my hand.

"There! I did it!" he laughs.

"You caught me unprepared," I counter.

"Aright ... what do I get if I can make you laugh again? Your phone number?"

"Okay."

"And I can try any way I want?" he asks.

"No tickling," I say. I am extremely ticklish, and if he knew that I would be lost, because Delsin would surely take advantage of my weakness.

"So jokes are fine?"

I heave a sigh of annoyance. "My god, Delsin. Just try your luck and we will see."

He raises his arms in defense, much like earlier this afternoon. "Don't show your claws, kitty. A joke it is. I must warn you, though. All the jokes I know are bad."

"Oh god, I cannot wait to hear them," I mutter and hope that Avery is on his way back to my side.

"Oh, by the way, are you thirsty?" Delsin asks.

"A little, but Avery is already getting me a beer," I explain.

He hands me his plastic cup, and I take it. "Thank you, Delsin."

"You're welcome. But don't drink it all."

"So charming ... I wonder how you manage to screw all those girls."

He smirks. "By being just as charming as I am right now."

"So where is that joke now? Or am I supposed to simply laugh about you?" I demand, batting my lashes at him in an exaggerated manner.

"That would be a shortcut to your phone number, so feel free," he counters.

Pompous ass
, I think grumpily and wait for him to tell his stupid joke.

"Alright ... Here goes ... A drunk is brought to the emergency room with a penis fracture. Shocked, the doctor asks: 'How in heaven's name did you do that?'

The drunken man answers: 'Just let me catch that asshole that drew a naked woman on the wall.'"

The last sentence comes out when I swallow my first sip. I laugh so hard that I spit out most of the beer, all over the counter in front of me. "I am sorry."

Delsin smirks. "Which brings us to your phone number. Tell me," he demands.

After I wipe my chin with the back of my hand, I tell him my number. What he doesn't know is that I have two phones. I bought a new contract last week. The number I gave him is the old one, which will be defunct within three days. Luckily I've got both phones in my bag right now.

He types the number into his iPhone and calls me. My phone plays 'I wish I was a punk rocker' by Sandy Thom. "Now you have my number, too."

"Thanks. And here I thought I'd have to look up all the girls' skirts tonight, in the hope of finding it written on their panties," I grin.

"Whoa, kitty, watch your claws," he laughs.

"What's so funny?" Avery asks, balancing three cups in his hands as he joins us.

"Camille is in tiger mode again," Delsin informs him.

Avery nods slowly. "Interesting." Then he hands me a beer.

"Thank you. What took you so long?" I want to know.

Avery looks at me. "I was talking to Tristan, and then this weirdo came by and asked me to bring along another one for him."

I nod. "Cheers." Then I take a long gulp.

Delsin and Avery both keep looking at me.

"You really can drink," Delsin states in an impressed tone when he looks into my cup.

"And?" I say.

"Nothing. I'm just impressed."

"Hm. Okay," I shrug. Then I look at Avery. "Do you want to go outside for a smoke? It's rather hot in here."

"Not right now. Sorry," he says.

"But I want to have a smoke." Delsin grabs my wrist und pulls me down from the stool. He jerks me hard enough to get me to stumble into his arms. I immediately try to stand up straight again, but he keeps holding me. "I never said you should throw yourself at my feet," he jokes.

"Asshole," I growl and step on his foot.

"Shit," he swears and finally lets me go. "Man, you
really
ought to watch those claws."

"And you should learn some manners," I grumble, grab my cup and walk out through the back door. I stumble across the wobbly lawn towards a lone tree. At least that will offer me some shelter and quiet, which it seems I won’t be getting inside.

"Camille?" Delsin calls. He must have followed me.

I turn around and lean against the trunk of the tree. "What do you want now?"

He stops a few steps in front of me and seizes me up. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to give you a hard time."

I shake my head and take another large sip. "It's okay. Forget it already."

Delsin places his hand next to my head and looks at me. "You're not angry?"

"No, now that I told you to get some manners, I am actually pretty calm."

He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. I take a good look at him. He wears his dark brown hair a bit longer, and his bangs are combed across his forehead. He is dressed in a black shirt, with the top button open, and a pair of bleached blue jeans. His muscles ripple under his clothing, although he isn't too muscular. His body is really perfect as it is.
Think about something else right now!
I chide myself.

"How about getting to know me first? You can still tell me to go to hell later," he says.

I take another large sip. "Why should I want to get to know you?"

"Because I think we could be really good friends," he says calmly.

My laughter is false. "I don't think so." 

"Why not?" Now he cocks his head and his eyes glimmer in the light of the garden lanterns.

"Because you screwed my best friends, and then you dropped them as if they had some sort of STD or something," I snap.

Delsin pulls back his hand and puts it into his pocket. "Well, that's who I am. I enjoy my life, and your friends were rather clingy, I think, otherwise I wouldn't have treated them like that. I normally don't treat any broad this heartlessly."

"Broad?" I ask, now angry. "Call my best friend a broad again and you’re really going to feel my claws!"

Delsin laughs loudly. "I like it when you get so upset." Then he pushes me back against the tree, raises my chin and looks into my eyes. "Threaten me again," he says softly.

"Let me go," I say instead.

"No."

I fight him, but he is too strong for me. "Let me go, you damn idiot," I scream at him.

He shakes his head, looking rather unaffected.

"I'll rip your ass open if you do not let me go right now!"

Delsin doesn't answer that. Instead, he presses his lips against mine. Not knowing what else to do, I keep my lips tightly shut, lest he pushes his tongue into my mouth.

Then he takes my face into both his hands and pulls his face away from mine. "You're damn sexy when you're angry." He grins, and he doesn't stop even as I hit him, my hand against his cheek.

"You bastard," I scream, push him aside and walk back to the house with quick steps.

"Oh, come on, Camille. Give a guy a chance," he calls after me.

"Not before hell freezes over!" I stomp into the house. Avery is not in the kitchen, so I go and look for him. I weave my way through the throngs, searching for the familiar face, irritation mounting inside me.

Pushing through the people, I end up in the hallway. I see Ty, another frat boy, who sometimes sits with Avery and me in the cafeteria.

"Hey, have you seen Avery?" I ask loudly.

He sees me. "Oh. Yes, he went upstairs with Pearl. I don't know what they're up to, but my guess is the beds are burning," he answers with a wide grin.