Strung (Seaside) (6 page)

“So…” I tried to push down the need to touch her. “Until the pizza gets here, what do you say we play some cards?”

“Cards? You play cards?” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. What? Did she think I just wrote music and stared at myself in the mirror and clapped or something?

“Um, yeah? What else do you think there is to do on tour busses?”

“Sing?” She offered it as a question.

“I think not.” I sauntered to a drawer and pulled out a deck of cards and a pad of paper. “I take a vow of silence while I’m on the bus, saves my voice.” Besides. Demetri did enough talking for the both of us. Swear he made a guy want to be a mime.

“A vow of silence?” she repeated.

I nodded and winked.

“How exactly does that work?”

Damn she was too cute. I shrugged and lifted my hands into the air.

“Oh, very funny.” She narrowed her eyes and ripped the deck of cards out of my hands. The brief sizzle of her skin made me catch my breath. “So a vow of silence. So you’re like a monk?”

“Sure.” I smiled. “Just call me Ghandi.” I was so not feeling monk-like tendencies in that moment. Not at all.

“Was he a monk?” she questioned.

“I have no idea. That’s why I’m in school, to learn smart crap like that.”

Nat laughed again, this time her shoulders shook a bit as she visibly relaxed. “So what game are we playing?”

“Go fish,” I said in a serious voice.

“Seriously?”

“Oh, absolutely.” I grinned and reached for the counter top, revealing a giant pack of Swedish Fish. “So, this is how it works, every time a player says ‘go fish,’ you have to literally go fish, but you can’t use your hands.” It was the best game ever. And I’d totally just pulled it out of my ass. I mean, in theory I’d always wondered if it would work since I’d seen it played with Cheerios but now was as good of a time as any to try. Plus, any excuse to see her laugh, any excuse to touch her? Yeah. I’d take it.

“What do I use?” She stared at the bag in my hands.

“Your mouth.” I said it as casual as I could but winked so she’d know it wasn’t serious, when actually, my heart was damn near exploding “And you can’t let your lips touch the counter, it has to be all teeth. Cheaters will be punished.” I would love. To. Punish. Her. Hell, my mind was going to be my worst enemy.

“You’ve played this before?”

“Oh, honey, if this was an Olympic sport I’d have more medals than Phelps.”
HAH
—
lies
. Actually, I was good at cards but again, new game, and totally new opponent. Maybe I’d just let her win…

“Crap.” She dealt the cards with ease and went first.

Within ten minutes, Nat had already eaten five Swedish Fish and accidently touched the table with her lips twice. I hated to admit that I was jealous of my own coffee table. But there it was. I was jealous and a little pissed off that her lips touched the table when they wouldn’t come anywhere near mine. Another minute later and her lips were on the table again. Hell yeah that table was going to be kindling come morning.

After the first game, I had only had four fish while Nat was working on finishing the bag, poor thing. The good news? It looked like the sugar was helping. A knock sounded at the door. “Oh that’s the pizza.” I shot out of my seat and then paused halfway to the door. “NO cheating.”

Nat’s eyelashes batted at me as she lifted her hands in the air in innocence. Innocent my ass. That woman was competitive. But who cheated at the Swedish Fish game? I mean really.

I paid the pizza guy and brought it back to that damn coffee table. When I sat it down, Nat’s stomach growled.

“I knew you were hungry.” I went into the kitchen and grabbed some plates and napkins and set them down in front of her. “You gotta eat before you go to a party Nat. That’s like partying 101. Never drink on an empty stomach, kay? Promise me if you ever go to a party again and plan on drinking that you’ll eat beforehand?”

And the dad award goes to…

Shit. Way to kill any attraction.

I may as well have had the birds and the bees talk with her and handed her a tampon or something.

Nat rolled her eyes. “I promise, Mom.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” I patted her head and laughed.

We ate in silence, well I mean there was no speaking but there was a hell of a lot of looking. I’d look at her; she’d look back, then find sudden interest in her pizza. Then I’d clear my throat and watch the clock move on the wall. It didn’t help that Demetri kept drunk-texting me. I was glad he was safe, but still. The circumstances sucked. But I deserved it. I really did. I deserved to be tortured while I sat with Demetri’s girlfriend. Hands off. I needed to really learn the meaning of not getting involved.

My phone rang again. Pissed, I just tossed it under the pillow and swore.

She ate three pieces. I pretty much fell in love right then and there.

“Thank you.” Nat wiped her mouth and smiled.

I ate five pieces so she wouldn’t feel like a pig. I mean it was the least I could do. Poor thing.

“Anytime.” I took our plates back to the kitchen. “How about one more game?”

“You’re on!” She giggled. I paused. She never giggled, she laughed, she put her whole body into that damn laugh. But she never once giggled.

I dropped the plates off at the sink and returned to my seat, then announced. “You cheated.”

She giggled again. Her eyes twinkling. “No I didn’t.”

“You’re giggling.”

“I’m a girl!” She fired back as if offended. HAH says the giggler.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Fine, I’ll play. But if I lose, I’ll know, Nat. I’ll know.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

I leaned across the table, stopping when my face was only inches from hers. “You should be.” Because if she didn’t watch it. I was going to go back on my promise to my brother. I only had so much self control and when a guy didn’t have any vices anymore… well, that made him a bit desperate.

Nat’s eyes fell to my lips.

Her tongue snuck out.

I stifled a moan and jerked back, clearing my throat. “Do you have any sixes?” Shit I almost said sexes.

“Go fish.”

Glaring I leaned over to pick the fish off the table, my lips grazed the little red gummy without touching anything. Weird, how just having my lips close to where hers had already touched — made me want to drop the fish out of my mouth and lick. I was losing my damn mind.

Nat’s chest heaved as I slowly lifted my gaze from the table to her face. Her mouth parted a bit. My breathing picked up, and I fought with every bit of control I had to finish the game.

Ten fish later and I knew she’d cheated.

“I think I may be sick,” I announced before dipping my head back towards the table and grabbing another fish.

“Aw, too many fish? We can just call the game now. I mean, it’s not like you’re going to win.” Came her sarcastic reply.

The little cheater! I picked up the fish and spit it in her direction. I was resorting to elementary flirting. Her mouth dropped open, and then she grabbed the bag and started pelting me with fish.

“Ah!” I jumped out of my chair and tackled her to the floor, trying to force a handful of fish into her mouth. It was a reaction. One I wasn’t aware I was having until it was too late. Until my weight was nearly crushing her, until I felt her breasts graze against my chest. Until I felt every breath she took. Until I could almost taste the sweetness of her tongue.

Nat closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth to keep me from shoving the fish into her mouth. I laughed, and then that same movement started to make my body want to cry.

Nat’s eye flashed open.

I stared.

She stared back.

I felt my head lower, I wasn’t in control of my own body, I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to help it.

Nat closed her eyes; our lips were about a half an inch apart.

“Alec!” The voice jolted both of us away from one another. I cursed and helped Nat up. Demetri was walking through the door… well, stumbling and winding through the hallway was more like it. He was still smashed.

“I can’t find Nat! I messed up! Where is she? Is she okay?” Demetri’s words were slurring together. “Some guy told me I was making out with a chick that wasn’t Nat. I didn’t know, Dude. Where the hell is she?”

Ah, so he was going to lie about it. I knew Demetri, he may be drunk but he knew he was making out with a random chick. He would have had to be very high not to know.

He tumbled into the living room, still not looking in my direction. He smelled like cigarettes and whiskey. “Where’s she, man?”

Nat cleared her throat. I wanted to step in front of her, but she seemed pissed enough to take care of herself.

“Natalee!” Demetri opened his arms; she stepped back.

“Just sleep it off, bro.” I tried to lead him towards the stairs but he fought against me.

“No! Natalee, I’m so sorry, Babe. I’m so sorry!” He fell to his knees and looked like he was ready to cry. “It wasn’t what you think! I’m so drunk — she had blonde hair, I thought she was you!”

I rolled my eyes. Please tell me she didn’t actually believe that shit.

“Really? And when you found out you were wrong you decided to do what? Kiss her back?” Nat yelled.

“I’m so sorry!”

“Sleep it off, Demetri.” Demetri stumbled against me again, this time I tried to steady him on the first stair but he stumbled backwards and took a swing at me.
Hell no.

“A promise is a promise,” I muttered before punching my brother directly in the eye.

Demetri cursed as he tumbled to the ground and promptly passed out.

Nat covered her face with her hands. “Is he okay?”

Did I look like I cared if he was breathing? I shrugged. “Besides having a headache and the black eye I promised, yeah, he’ll be fine.”

Nat was still frozen in place.

“Come on.” Alec held out my hand. “Let’s go upstairs and get you into bed. I don’t care what you say. I’m sleeping on your floor just in case the drunk wakes up and decides to apologize again.”

“Okay.” Her eyes were still on Demetri. Feeling somewhat guilty I stomped over to where he was laying on the ground, picked him up and deposited him on the couch throwing a pillow at his face in the process.

“Happy?” I swore.

“Yes.” Nat shifted on her feet. Great, now I was scaring her. Had she any idea how important she was?

I led her down the hall to my room. No way was I leaving her in Demetri’s bed like a present just waiting to be opened. My curtains were pulled back letting in a light breeze that would lull me to sleep in seconds — had it not been drenched in Nat’s scent.

“I’ll just grab you some sweats to sleep in, kay?” I scratched the back of my head then went to a walk-in closet and turned on the lights.

“Will these work?” I tossed her a pair of sweats that would hopefully hide every curve of her body.

“Yeah, they’re fine.” She pulled them close to her chest and swallowed.

I looked down at the floor. “Do you want to shower?”

“Kind of, I mean, if that’s okay. If not, it’s totally fine. I can just go to sleep and—”

“Nat, stop talking so fast, you’re making me nervous.” At least that part was honest.

She snorted.

Okay fine. So we made each other nervous. “I’ll just sit out here and read for a bit. There’s fresh towels hanging up, and you can use whatever’s in the shower.” I stretched my arms above his head and could have sworn I heard Nat moan or something.

When I looked at her she quickly turned around and nearly collided with the wall.

“Careful.” I chuckled. Was it possible? That she was attracted to me? Even just a little bit?

She blushed and slammed the door behind her. I was waiting for the lock to turn.

It didn’t.

Damn it. Did the woman have no self preservation? For the love of God! All I had to do was walk in! And I’d see her naked.

Great. That wasn’t helping my current state of arousal.

I snatched a book off the nightstand and tried to focus on the words on the page, but the shower turned on.

And my imagination went into overdrive as I imagined water droplets falling off her body — soap sliding down her skin.

“Shit.” I closed the book and briefly thought about taking a dip in the ocean. I hadn’t had sex since the incident.

I wasn’t a freaking saint!

I needed to throw something, break something, kill something.

The shower turned off — and that was when I realized I had actually been sitting there sweating.

With a growl I peeled my shirt off and started rummaging through my dresser for something else.

A hand touched the skin on my back.

I jumped a foot. “Crap!” My body slammed backwards against the dresser. That will teach me to lust. “Sorry, Nat, I was lost in thought. Dind’t see you.”
Nope I was too busy fantasizing about you.

Her eyes were trained on my collarbone. “What does this mean?”

Had the girl never seen a tattoo?

Nat’s hands slid over my skin. And I knew — I knew in that instant. I would do anything to keep her hands there.

History was going to repeat itself. And I was sorry — sorry all over again. Sorry that it had to be Nat, sorry that I was going to take her, sorry that I was going to break my brother’s heart.

Sorry that in order to keep mine intact — I needed her.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Demetri

I WOKE UP
wishing I were dead. How much did I drink last night? I grabbed the water from my nightstand — the water I’m sure Alec put there — and chugged the entire thing then tried to stand.

My legs were wobbly but other than that I was fine.

Damn it.

I slammed my hand against the mattress. What the hell was wrong with me? Why did I keep messing up? I went to the party thinking I’d have one drink and I’d walk with Nat on the beach. Instead one drink turned into two, then four, then shots, then yeah… I groaned into my hands and reached into the front pocket of my jeans.

One pill.

One pill? I had one pill left? Did that mean I took three last night? My body started to shudder — mixing pills like that with alcohol wasn’t just stupid it was careless and I’d never been careless with my drug usage.