Chameleon Soul (Chequered Flag #1) (11 page)

I gazed up at him with fearful eyes. The burning pressure in my lungs became too much, forcing me to exhale.

Teo’s expression fell, disheartened by my lack of response. He broke away from my gaze, lowering his eyes between us and taking a deep breath. When he glanced back up, he appeared resigned.

“If I stop asking, will you tell me when you feel ready?”

“I’ll…I’ll try.”

I knew I needed to tell him soon, but I didn’t want a good day to be ruined by the past. At least if I told him another day and it caused an argument, I’d have this day to look back upon happily.

“Can I…can I see it?”

I shut my eyes, fighting against the anxiety rising within me. This was Teo. He’d never hurt me.

Not able to meet his gaze, I jerked my head once before I could change my mind. I expected to feel my top being pushed up immediately and him prodding at it. Instead, he moved closer to me. His warmth poured over me, forcing me to open my eyes to see his nose skimming mine as he watched me intently.

“I don’t have to, Raine. You can say no.” His voice was gentle, as if he was worried I’d break.

“No, it’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” It came out as a whisper.

Teo placed a tender kiss on my lips then disappeared from above me. His lips trailed over my body, down my neck, over my breasts, and down my stomach. Finally, his hands found the hem of my top and he slid it up with deliberate movements. When it rose just above my navel he stopped and I turned my head to the side, not wanting to witness his reaction.

A single finger traced the ugly line I’d studied so many times. Five inches long, it stretched from slightly above my hip down to the centre of my stomach diagonally. The pasty white colour stood out even against my pale complexion. I’d lost my natural tan when I refused to leave the house, and I didn’t have the confidence to strip for a spray tan. It’s not like I showed my body off to anyone so I left it alone, trying my best to ignore the fact I carried a permanent brand from the events of that night.

I was shaken from my thoughts when Teo’s lips touched the centre of the scar. Searing hot against my skin, the heat radiated over me and I fought the instinct to recoil.

After a second he parted and returned my top to normal. Crawling back up my body he looked me dead in the eye, his gaze filled with so many emotions—sadness, uncertainty, desperation, longing, and sympathy.

“Thank you.”

He didn’t say anything else. Rather than bombard me with questions, he lay down beside me and hugged me to his chest, allowing everything to sink in.

* * *

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because when I woke up the sun was beginning to set. It took me a second to register the knocking on the front door as the sound that had woken me. Glancing around the room, I searched for Teo, but he was nowhere in sight. I’d just noticed the sound of the shower when the knock came again, only this time it was incessant thumps pounding against the wood like someone was trying to break the damned thing down.

“Raindrop, can you get that?” Teo shouted from the shower. “It’s probably the takeout I ordered. It’s all paid for.”

Hauling myself from the sofa, I decided if it happened to be the takeout, the guy wasn’t getting a tip. No one needed to hammer a door that hard.

When there was a moment of reprieve I quickened my steps and yanked the door open so it didn’t start again. My polite smile dropped the moment my eyes set upon who was standing there. Too shocked to hide my fear, I took a step back as my eyes widened.

“Raine, what a nice surprise. I didn’t expect to find you here.”

“No. No, no,
no.
” I backed further away, moving to close the door on Aston’s surprised leer. His hand shot out to stop me.

“W-what are y-you doing here?” I struggled to get the words out, close to hyperventilating. My heart beat faster than a hummingbird’s wings in my chest, and my legs weakened beneath me, so the door supported most of my weight.

“Came to see Coates.” I twisted to shout for Teo over my shoulder, figuring he could deal with the bastard, but Aston cut me off. “Ah ah, no need to disturb him. You’ll work much better actually.”

I shrank back against the door, attempting to position the wood between us when he stepped forward. No matter how much I resented cowering from him, I couldn’t summon the courage to meet the black pools in his eyes. I kept my gaze focused on the street over his shoulder and concentrated on trying to stop my trembles from showing. “Haven’t you done enough? Why can’t you leave me alone?”

“See, that’s the thing, darlin’. I would if you left Coates alone. As long as you’re together, you’re fair game.” He braced an arm against the doorframe, leaning against it casually. Behind me I heard the shower cut off, and panic shot through my heart. Teo couldn’t find me talking to Aston. I’d have no way to cover everything if that situation arose.

“You need to leave.”

“You haven’t told him then?” He smirked at me, his gaze flicking over my head to the stairs where I could hear the shower door opening.

“You need to leave, Aston,” I tried again, forcing the wobble from my voice.

“So do you, doll. Leave Teo like you did last time. This is the only warning I’m going to give you. If you want to stay out of the media and out of the firing line, you’ll walk away and never look back.”

A door clicked open at the top of the stairs and I paled. Dread settled in my stomach and nausea churned within me.

“Do we have an understanding?”

Footsteps trailed across the landing, increasing the racing beat of my heart. Hoping it would get rid of Aston, I nodded.

“Good. Nice talking to you, darlin’. Stay safe.”

The second he turned his back on me I slammed the door shut, collapsing against it and taking a shaky breath. I bent over to grab my knee with one hand and pinched the bridge of my nose. Screwing my eyes shut, I focused on regaining control of my body.

“Are you okay, Raindrop? Who was at the door?” Teo’s voice had me snapping my eyes open. I hadn’t even heard him come down the stairs.

Bile rose in my throat from nerves, a light sweat breaking out on my forehead.

Even the fact Teo stood in front of me in only a pair of jeans with his dark brown hair dripping water over his toned body had no effect on me. My mind was trying to cope with the overload of information.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.” I blinked hard. “Really.”

The sound that came from the back of his throat did nothing to assuage the fear rising in my chest. It was pure disbelief.

“Who was at the door?”

I batted away his comment, stepping out of reach and heading back into the living room. My legs weren’t going to support me much longer and I needed a chair. It also turned my back on Teo so he wouldn’t be able to read the lie on my face.

“Oh, only someone asking for directions. I couldn’t help them.”

I collapsed on the sofa and exhaled heavily.

He rounded the corner of the sofa, eyeing me suspiciously. “Then why do you look so pale?”

I gazed up at him with a hopeful smile. “Low blood sugar?”

“Nice try, baby, but I’m not buying it.”

He eased himself into the seat next to me. I had no idea what to say, and mercifully another knock at the door saved me.

“That’ll be the food, unless your lost person is back.” Teo stood, and then as if having second thoughts, glanced over his shoulder. “This isn’t over, Raindrop.”

Yes it was. I’d made up my mind, and I wasn’t going to ruin the night. Aston had done that already.

All I wanted was one night with the guy I loved before everything went to hell.

Teo hurried off to get the food, and I used the time to shake off the lingering nausea caused by Aston’s presence. When Teo returned, he headed straight for the kitchen. I thought it best not to follow him for fear of being cornered, yet he shouted through the door, “You do still like sweet and sour chicken, right? It used to be your favourite so it’s what I ordered.”

I hovered at the opposite end of the room. “I’m surprised you remember that.”

“How could I forget? After two years of Chinese Fridays where you ordered the same thing, I don’t think I could ever forget.”

I laughed, remembering the only time he’d convinced me to try something new—Char Siu Fried Noodles. I’d ended up with a burning mouth and had to bribe Teo into giving me his Chow Mein. I’d never experimented since.

“Yeah, I guess that would be hard to forget.”

He placed down the spoon he’d been using to share out the rice and glanced over his shoulder. “Everything to do with you is hard to forget, Raine. I remember it all.”

“I get it,” I said. “I couldn’t forget you either, even when I wanted to.”

Hurt creased his forehead. “You wanted to forget me?”

I picked at my t-shirt, not confident enough to speak the words and look at him. “I wanted the pain to stop.”

He blew the air from his cheeks. “You’re really going to have to explain this to me one day.”

“I know. I will.”

Chapter Seventeen

Teo

I’d let the subject drop on purpose. That didn’t mean everything had stopped playing on my mind. The only reason I’d let it go was because I could see her withdrawing in front of me. Raine had that stubborn glint in her eye combined with her fear, and I didn’t want to push my luck, especially when I’d wanted her to stay the night.

I still was struggling to believe she’d agreed.

Even though she was in my bathroom, I felt she was going to change her mind and demand I take her home at any moment. Since my shower she’d seemed more distant, like she was lost inside her own head.

Raine poked her head around the door, catching my attention from where I was sitting on the corner of the bed.

“Uh, do you have anything I can wear? I didn’t exactly bring clothes for the night.”

“You could always sleep naked. It wouldn’t bother me one bit.”

It would, but not in the sense I’d mind. I could live with a hard-on all night if I had Raine beside me, naked. Just the thought of it had my cock straining against my jeans.

“Teo!” Her cheeks flushed and her eyes were so wide they popped from her head. I liked seeing she wasn’t totally immune to me.

“What? It wouldn’t.”

She folded her arms across her chest, pursing her lips. With a chuckle, I got up off the bed and moved over to the chest of drawers. Pulling one open, I picked out a black t-shirt and threw it to her, fully expecting her to disappear back into the bathroom with it. Instead she remained in the doorway, holding the shirt up against her to check the length. It stopped mid-thigh.

“What? No shorts?”

“I don’t think I have anything that will fit you.”

That may have been a tiny lie, but sue me. I’m a guy and I wanted to see my girlfriend in my shirt and her panties. Big fucking deal.

Raine looked at me suspiciously, but headed back into the bathroom. She returned moments later once I’d stripped down to my boxers and settled under the covers. Propping myself up with an arm behind my head, I allowed my gaze to wander. With deliberate slowness, I took in her bare legs dipping out from beneath my shirt and up over her body until I met her gaze. Without jeans to confine my erection, it was going to be even more noticeable. There was something about seeing your girl in your clothes. It was like some primal ritual that marked her as mine and was sexy as hell.

All of those thoughts were dampened when I took in her nerves. She stared at the bed, hesitant to approach.

Trying to make it easier, I pulled back the covers. “Come on, Raindrop. I don’t bite.”

That earned me a weak smile. Crawling onto the bed, she said, “If I remember correctly, you
do
bite.”

“Only because you wanted me to.”

Another blush rose on her cheeks, and she retreated beneath the duvet like a turtle withdrawing into its shell. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“It’s only the truth.” I lifted one arm. “Come here.”

It took a little encouraging, but finally she gave in and slid across the bed until she nestled against me. It was where she belonged. She was the only woman I’d ever wanted to hold while we slept, and she was undoubtedly the last.

I kissed the top of her head. “Night, Raindrop. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Unfortunately her breath skimming my bare skin did nothing to help my arousal. I’d hoped she’d fall asleep so I could slip out of bed and take care of it, yet as time drifted by it became evident she wasn’t. When I glanced across at my clock, thirty minutes had passed and she remained as tense as when she got into bed. Her breathing hadn’t calmed in the slightest, and every so often she’d sigh.

“Are you okay, Raine?”

She propped herself up on my chest, flicking her hair over one shoulder. “Yeah, just can’t sleep.”

“What’s bothering you?”

She glanced away, indecision in her eyes.

“You can talk to me, Raine.”

“I’m scared.” She didn’t meet my gaze when she said it, her voice barely a whisper.

“Of having a nightmare?”

Her gaze snapped to mine this time. “I’m going to kill Dustin,” she hissed angrily, already trying to pull away from me as if she planned to follow through on her threat that second.

Holding her firmly in place, I said, “Dustin didn’t tell me anything, baby. He’s been annoyingly stubborn. I heard them on two occasions when you had them. Remember?”

Guilt flooded her features. “Oops. Okay, maybe I won’t kill Dustin.”

“I’d say that’s a good idea.” She didn’t laugh, her eyes glazed over. “Is that the reason you’re not sleeping? Because you’re scared of having a nightmare?”

She nodded. “I’m scared of a lot of things, but I don’t want you to see me like that.”

I pulled her against me, cradling her head against my chest. “What else scares you?”

“Why are
you
awake?”

The rapid change of subject was unsubtle to say the least, but I let it go. Her eyes were beginning to droop and she yawned around the words.

“Because you are.”

Kissing the top of her head, I ran my fingers through her hair. Playing with her hair always used to send her to sleep. “Go to sleep, baby. I’ve got you and I’m not letting go. You have nothing to be scared of.”

Finally, I felt her body relax against mine and her breathing evened out.