AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t dare say a word, because I know no matter what I say right now, he’d probably reject it. He didn’t actually mean that he would kiss me, let alone let me service him. But man, after ogling his chest while he got inked and staring at him on the beach, I can feel my self-control wavering. I hear him take another swig of the bottle.
“We should get you back soon before I have to carry you,” I tell him.
“I guess we should.”
“Unless we’re sleeping here,” I tease, remembering the night when we were teenagers that we all camped out in one.
“Nah, I’m too old to sleep on this hard floor.” Derek stands and extends a hand to me. I take it, and he gently pulls me to my feet. “Let’s get back.”
I follow him out of the shack and down the beach. Derek keeps his hand in mine the whole way. I relish the feel of his hand in mind. I think it’s the buzz he has going on. Or maybe he feels like I’ll fall over if he doesn’t have a hold on me. That might be true, but this buzz is less from the whiskey and more from the nearness of him.
Derek keeps my hand all the way inside the house. It’s not until we’re at the hallway where both of our rooms are that he drops it.
“I love you, Aud.” The words are the only sound in the quiet house.
I want to think this means more than it does, but when you’ve known each other as long as we have and spent so many summers together, those words have been said a time or two. And not in the way I wish he would.
“Love you too, Derek,” I tell him.
He turns and heads down the hallway.
“So differently than you do me, though,” I whisper into the quiet of the house, knowing full well that my voice was too low and he’s too drunk to have heard me.
“Aud.” His head pops back out into the hallway.
“Yes?” I squeak out, wondering how he could have possibly heard me.
“You working out tomorrow?”
“Uh…y-yeah,” I stammer.
“Great. Well, since it’s going to be a rough morning, why don’t we do it together?” He flashes me that panty-dropping, million-dollar smile I’ve seen directed at fans a million times.
I melt.
“Sure, that would be great. See you at seven.”
“Seven it is.” And then he’s gone.
I make my way to my room and throw myself onto the bed. It’s only a little after one, but he’s right. It’ll be rough getting up tomorrow, and maybe more so now that I know I’ll be working out with Derek. It’s something we’ve done a million times, but lately, keeping my wits about me is proving to be harder than I thought.
CHAPTER EIGHT
I walk out into the kitchen, dressed and ready for my workout. I wonder if my workout buddy will be here waiting for me.
He is, leaning against the counter holding a cup of coffee in his heads. “I know I shouldn’t. Not right before I work out. But I need it. My head is kind sore.” He shrugs apologetically.
I wave him off. “Don’t worry about it. I’m planning on having some iced coffee too.” I reach into the fridge and pull out the Starbucks caramel iced coffee from the fridge. “My head is a little sore too.”
“You’re not an old pro at passing around a fifth?” he teases.
I chuckle. “No, I’m not.”
He watches me as I pour some coffee into the glass I retrieved from the cabinet. “What’s on the docket for today’s workout, coach?” His tone is playful, almost mocking me. But I kinda like it. “Am I supposed to call you coach? Are you a coach? Are you my coach?”
I don’t miss the dip in his voice. It makes me flush.
“Sorry, I’m not trying to embarrass you,” he says with a chuckle, turning his attention back to his coffee.
