Distraction (Westbrook Series Book 1) (6 page)

Chapter Seven:
Don't Call Me Lil Sis
 

Devon must have gotten the hint when I left the pool because he avoids me the rest of the night. Actually, we have been avoiding each other. Unfortunately, Sam is keeping his distance, too. I spend most of the night watching Avery and Trevor flirt. I don't think either one of them even notices that I am still here.

Every time I hear her laughing, I want to gouge my eyes out. Normally, I love her laugh. She has one of those distinct, infectious laughs that forces people to smile even if they don't know why she is laughing. I really should be happy for my friend. She seems to be clicking with this great guy.
Wait a minute. He's not all that great. In fact, when you think about it, he is downright annoying.
However, I suppose it is, in a sort of sweet and charming way.

When the party starts to fizzle, I decide to clean up. I need to make sure all evidence of alcohol disappears before my parents see it. Devon must have slipped out earlier without saying goodbye. I sure hope Sam checked to be sure Devon was okay enough to drive, before relinquishing his keys.

As far as I know, we are down to five people.  Kyle and Sam are hanging out on the deck while Trevor and Avery are in the pool talking. I grab a trash bag and start tossing empty bottles and cups into it.

I am pouring out the last of the half-empty bottles over the fence, when I feel his strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. I drop the bottle into the bag and turn around. Sam is looking at me so intensely, it feels like his eyes can see right through me.  I can't believe he is being so bold right out in the open. I look around to see if anyone notices us.

"Don't worry. Kyle already bailed and your parents went to bed crazy early. Kyle said they are getting too old for these parties."

I laugh because it's true. They used to stay up really late, but now, they can't stay up past midnight.

"I've been waiting all night to get you alone, Laila. You are driving me crazy. Is that a new swimming suit you have under there?" He tugs lightly on the hem of my shirt.

I am instantly regretting my decision to not change into my old one-piece earlier, when I had the chance.  I'm not so sure I am ready for Sam to be noticing just how much I've grown up.  I have a lot of lumps, bumps, and curves that I didn't used to have, and my bikini just highlights all of that.

I don't know why, but I can't seem to find any words to say out loud when Sam is this close, and yet he seems to read me just perfectly. It's almost like we are having a silent conversation with each other.

"Patterson, do you need help cleaning up?" The sharp tone in Trevor's voice makes my stomach drop.  I puff up my cheeks and let all the air out in frustration.

Seriously? Could his timing be any worse?
Trevor walks towards us holding an empty trash bag.
Does he not see that I am a little busy?
I was happy to have him save me earlier with Devon, but not now.
I certainly do not need to be rescued from Sam
.

Trevor's lack of consideration is really starting to piss me off. He doesn't seem to have any respect for my privacy. "You didn't see me trampling all over your starry-night moment with Avery in the pool," I want to scream at him. Instead, I bite my lip and try not to grimace.
Why does this guy get to me so much
? He looks at Sam, who has made no attempt to break away, and then back at me. His eyes are very curious. "What happened to Devon?"

"It turns out she's just not that into him." I am surprised to hear Sam speak. He is clutching me tighter than he was before. I swear guys can be so territorial. I feel like a tree that Sam is trying to pee on, so the other dogs will leave me alone. This is definitely a testosterone thing that I will never quite understand.

"Oh," Trevor says, while scratching his head. "It didn't really look that way when you guys were out there, Laila, but what do I know?" Trevor emphasizes my name as if to tell Sam that I can speak for myself.
Oh. My. Gosh. I am going to murder him and his gorgeous green eyes.
Why is he trying to mess things up for me with Sam?

Sam looks at me hesitantly, as if he is about to pull back.

"No. Actually, I should be thanking you for coming out there and rescuing me when you did. You kind of saved me from having him try to kiss me. I am not interested in Devon. I mean, I thought I was
before
, but not anymore." I look up at Sam and smile as I say this. He relaxes a little and tightens his grip on my hips.

"I can assure you, she does not need any saving right now, man," Sam says as he pulls me in closer to him.

Trevor's eyebrows furrow, but he doesn't say anything else. He just stands there looking at me, dumbfounded.
Is he waiting for me to confirm what Sam just said?
It's weird having Trevor watch out for me when we barely even know each other.

"Yeah. You do not need to worry about helping us clean up, either. It's mostly done. We just need to get the last of the trash out of here and turn down the umbrellas. Did you drive separately from your parents?"

"No." He looks down and scratches his head as if he wants to say something else.

"Do you need a ride home?" I ask him. He glances back over at Sam suspiciously and bites his lip. He must realize he can't really do anything else, because he closes his eyes and simply shakes his head.

"I think Avery is going to give me a ride. My parents left hours ago." He stands there as if he doesn't really want to leave us alone.

Seriously, this guy is really confusing.
He acts all weirdly protective and tries to keep me away from other guys. At the same time, he ignores me half the night, and spends all of this time flirting with my best friend. I can't tell if he likes me or hates me. Maybe he just doesn't want me to be with anyone else. That doesn't make sense, either.
He makes my head hurt
.

Finally, he turns around and starts walking toward the gate.

"Thanks again for introducing me to all of your friends, Patterson. I guess I'll be seeing you when I see you." He says this half-heartedly while waving his hand above his head once. Even though he is trying to be casual, I detect a hint of frustration in his tone.

Luckily, this is not something that Sam picks up on, because he simply says, "Later, man," as if they are the best of buddies.

Avery peeks her head around the corner and sees me with Sam. Her eyes are about as big as the full, bright moon. I love the fact that Sam has not loosened his grip on me this whole time, no matter who makes a sudden appearance. I wonder if the same would be true if it had been Kyle.

"Night Laila. Thanks again for everything. Give me a call in the morning, K? Bye, Sam." She doesn't say much or hang out long. She seems to get the hint right away, unlike the annoying and gorgeous green-hottie that shall remain nameless.
Why do I keep thinking about Trevor?
After all, I have the kingpin of hotness standing right before me.

Sam and I finish cleaning up, making sure to remove any evidence of alcohol. This would be my first and last high school party if my parents knew we were drinking.

We make our way back to the house. I am nervous about ending the night with Sam, especially since we won't really be going separate ways. I have so many questions.
Will he walk me to my room, and finish that kiss that I so badly want
?
If he does, then what are we supposed to do
?

He will be sleeping under the same roof, in the room right next to mine. Another vision of us together in the guest bed flashes back into my head. I have to laugh at myself because I didn't think there would be a chance that would ever really happen.  Yet here we are, holding hands as we slowly walk back up to the house.

"Did you have fun tonight, lil sis?" he asks. I release my hand from his and pull back from him with a scowl on my face.

"What's wrong?" he asks as he tries to reclaim my hand.

"I don't like when you call me
lil sis
." I am looking down at our hands, hoping it is a sign that he still wants me. I know I am pouting like a child, but I can't help myself. The thought of him looking at me like I'm his little sister depresses me.

"Hey, I thought you liked it when I call you that." He tilts my chin up so I am forced to look at him. "It's been your nickname forever," he says while cocking his head to the side. He is staring at me so intensely that I have to look away. Once again, my cheeks are on fire.

"I know, but I don't want you to think of me as your little sister."

I search his eyes for understanding. His expression deepens into something more serious and sexy compared to the light, playful, and teasing way he was looking at me before. His determined, blue eyes are so focused on my lips now, that I start to tremble.

"If I really thought of you as my sister, would I be doing this?" His questioning voice is soft. He buries his fingers into my wet, tangled hair and presses his lips hard against mine. I melt into him, as his lips start to move against mine. When he slips the tip of his tongue into my mouth, it startles me at first, but it doesn't take me long to relax, and allow him to guide me.

I am no longer second-guessing myself. I even find myself matching his movements with ease. There is nothing gross or slobbery about the way Sam kisses me. In fact, I am surprised by how natural it feels. This is only my second real kiss, and yet it feels like I've done it a thousand times before. My body is now soup.  I feel like every last bit of me has seeped into every crevice of him, as we tighten our embrace and fuse our bodies together.

We pause for a moment to catch our breath. We are both panting hard.  I can only imagine how flushed I must be right now. He runs his strong, soft hands down the back of my neck, sending a fresh patch of goose bumps sprinkling down my arms.

"Cold?" he asks, even though it is a warm summer evening. I have a little sweat dripping from my forehead, but that is probably more from the kiss than anything else. I simply shake my head. He leans into my neck and starts placing soft gentle kisses just below my earlobe. This new sensation is so strong that it makes me moan out loud. Even though I am completely embarrassed by this, he doesn't stop. In fact, it's almost as if hearing me makes his kisses become more urgent.

He runs his hands down my arms and moves them to my lower back, tracing his fingers up my spine slowly. He tugs at the neck of Kyle's giant t-shirt lightly.

"I don't know why, but this t-shirt drives me crazy. I guess it's because I know what is underneath."

I look at him curiously.

"I mean you in that purple bikini . . . not . . . ." He pauses for a moment, not finding the right words. He must be giving up because he finally just shakes his head. It's not like him to get tongue-tied like this. I place my hand behind his head and smile.

His eyes begin to smolder.  He's the one who moans this time, before returning his lips to mine, but I don't detect any embarrassment from him. We kiss under the moonlight until my lips are almost swollen and sore. It is sweet and romantic, yet hot and passionate.

"I guess we should go to bed at some point," I say softly. His eyebrows shoot up and an amused expression spreads across his face. I roll my eyes. "I mean that we should go to sleep. Me in my bed and you in your bed." I can't help but smile as I watch Sam's eyes dance around playfully, as God only knows what is playing out in his head.

"Can I walk you to your room? I mean, if we were on a date, I'd walk you to your door before leaving, right?" he asks hopefully. We are holding hands, and swinging our arms back and forth playfully, the way children do.

"Is this like a date?" I ask, curious to see what he thinks.

"Not really, but I'd like to take you out on a real date some time. You deserve to be treated right, Laila. You are really special."

Even though we are not on an official date, I do feel special with Sam and he just said that I am.
Oh. My. God.
He thinks I'm special
. I lean my head on his shoulders, as we stroll across the deck towards the house.

When we get upstairs, I notice Kyle's door is securely shut. I wonder what he would think about Sam and me, together as a couple.
Would he be cool about it like he was with me drinking, or would he want to punch Sam for messing with his little sister?
Kyle can be really hard to read sometimes. One minute, he acts more like a friend than my brother, and then the next, he gets overly protective and kind of authoritative.

"I made up the guest room for you. There are fresh sheets on the bed, and I left clean towels on the dresser." My cheeks heat up as the thought of us in that bed together (with the sheets rumpled and twisted around our bodies) pops back into my head yet again.
What is wrong with me
?

"I don't want to say good night," he whines playfully, while brushing the pad of his thumb lightly across my cheek.

I peer up into his beautiful, blue eyes. I don't think I could ever get bored with looking at them. They are so full of concern, passion, and depth. You look into them once, and you know there is a rich story to tell. I still can't believe those eyes are looking at me like this.