“Did you fuck her?”
I groan, my head hitting the table. “No.”
I could have. Scarlet was certainly drunk enough and asleep on the couch next to Tiller. I’m jealous he’s cuddling with her, and I’m not, but to be fair, she was sleeping on me earlier. It was like one giant slumber party in the living room, and sadly, no sex happened. At least not for me.
Roan laughs, cracking eggs into a bowl. “Who is that guy?”
I peek one eye open and look at where he’s pointing to the table. It’s like the third time this month that guy has been naked on our table. “No clue. But he needs to fuck his own table.”
Roan frowns. “We’re burning that table today.”
Roan finishes making scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, you name it and he’s cooking it. Kinda pays to have a brother who enjoys cooking. Growing up, he and Ricky bonded over their love for it, and it’s kind of always been their thing, aside from dirt bikes.
It’s another half an hour before Tiller and Scarlet are awake. Probably because Auden’s awake which means he’s turned on the television. He’s one of those people who has to have the television on.
Tucking a cigarette behind his ear and patting his pockets for his lighter, Auden gasps as he checks out Tiller’s back. “Christ man, that’s gnarly.”
“What happened?” Scarlet asks, stretching next to him.
“You,” Tiller snaps, shoving her off the couch and onto the floor.
Scarlet stands up, rolling her eyes. “What did I do?”
I crane my neck forward, a mouthful of eggs. “You hit him with a lawn chair,” I mumble around the food.
“What happened last night?” she dares to ask, sitting next to me. Before I know it, she’s drinking my coffee and picking at my toast.
I grin. “You poured 151 in your eye. Ran face first into a cactus. Threw a lawn chair at Tiller and then passed out on the couch. Oh, and pissed yourself. You fit right in with these fuckers.”
She looks down midbite of my toast, noticing she’s wearing a pair of my underwear. “Wow, that’s embarrassing. Whose underwear are these?”
I wink, taking my toast back. “Mine.”
Scarlet laughs. “Jesus. Tequila is a sneaky ninja bitch that doesn’t kick in until you least expect it. Then BAM! You’re peeing in unconventional places.”
AUDEN TAKES A slow drag of his cigarette, then holds it in. “You seem to be doing better. New assistant caught your interest?”
We’re sitting outside, me on my second cup of coffee since Scarlet stole my first one, him smoking as usual.
“No.” Lie. I don’t usually lie to Auden or anyone for that matter, but I don’t know how I feel about Scarlet in general, let alone if I want to tell anyone about it.
“Yeah, right.” He laughs, blowing smoke out through his nose. “I saw that look before.”
I lean in and dip my head forward so he knows I mean business. I get why he gave me that letter from Rhya, but I still don’t appreciate him making me read it. I could have been just fine not knowing I had anything to do with her killing herself. “You mention Rhya and I’ll slam your fucking head into this table.”
“Jesus, calm down.” He puts out his cigarette and stands from the table, reaching for his keys. “I’m only saying I haven’t seen you like this since before her.”
He has a point and I know it. Do I acknowledge it?
No, not really.
After Auden leaves, I stay sitting outside in the lounge chairs, thinking about going out on the track for a little while.
Just as I’m getting up, Scarlet comes outside, dressed in her own clothes now and looking like she’s showered. Her hair catches my attention again. She’s straightened it from what I can tell.
“What’d you do to your hair?” I ask, watching her walk toward me in a pair of skin-tight dark jeans and a loose-fitting black shirt. I don’t like the shirt. It’s loose fitting and I can’t stare at those nipple rings all day like I want to.
Do you see the way she looks at me? Do you feel the way my chest tugs at the look?
Scarlet runs her fingers through her hair and stands in front of me, bumping my knee with her thigh. “Straightened it.” And then she holds up that phone again. “It says here you have an interview in Santa Monica today with. . . ” She glances down at her phone. “Gnarly?”
I laugh. “It’s a magazine.”
“Okay, well, let’s go.” She puts her bag she had in her hand over her shoulder. “Don’t want to be late.” And then she dangles her keys in my face.
I stand slowly. The hot sun hits the side of her face, lighting up her golden blonde hair and her bright-blue eyes. I hesitate because once again, I want to run my fingers over those freckles and pull her into my chest. Kiss her like I did in the hot tub.
It’s been so long, if ever, I’ve felt a connection with someone like this that I want to be around them all the time now. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it.
We’re staring at one another when she smiles. “What?”
I take a step toward her, my chest pressing to hers. Do you feel the way my heart pounds?
Do you notice the sharp intake of air she takes?
“Do you remember anything from last night?”
An emotion I can’t place takes up residence on her face, pulls her brows together and sets a frown on her lips. Just as quickly as it’s there, she’s smiling again. “I remember a little. You kissed me though, right?”
“No,” I snort. “You kissed me.”
“Ha.” Her hand raises between us, and she pushes me back a couple inches. “I don’t think it went down like that. But we’re going to be late, dude. Let’s go.”
I take her keys from her hand and throw them in the pool behind her. “You’re not driving. I’m not sure I’ll ever ride with you again.”
Shock hits her features, her pretty lips forming a perfect O shape I want my cock in.
Don’t look at me like that. It’s been a week, and this girl is tormenting the fuck out of me.
“What are you talking about?” she whips her head around to the pool. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
I laugh. “Really? You can’t believe it?”
“Actually,” she sighs and turns to stare at the pool, her hands finding residence on her hips I want to grip again. “You suck.”
I step forward, my bare chest pressed to her back. “Or you could suck on something. . . .”
I should know I shouldn’t grab her from behind because of last night, but I do it anyway because I’m curious if her reactions to me last night were only because her guard was down.
Pay close attention to what happens when my chest meets her back. Do you see the way her entire body tenses? What about the way she automatically sags into me and an audible sigh leaves her lips?
She. Wants. Me.
It takes Scarlet a few seconds, but she pulls away about a foot, looks down at her keys in the bottom of the pool now and then back at me. “How are we supposed to get to Santa Monica now?”
I wink. “My bike. Give me ten minutes to get ready and then we’ll go.”
If I couldn’t convince Scarlet to give into me, maybe a ride on my Ducati would. Any woman who’s ever straddled it has been in my bed hours later.