Playing With Fire (Sweet Secrets #3) (5 page)

Chapter 8

“John, where did you put the box labeled
‘
Christine’s Accessories’
?” Mom asked, yelling down the hall as she bustled around the living room.

“It should be behind the couch under one of Ella’s boxes,” he called back. Almost instantly one of the twins began to cry. I was so used to the sound of their crying now that I could tell which cry belonged to which twin. My little brother, Taylor, had a guttural cry that sounded like a wail, while my sister Cameron’s cry sounded like high-pitched screaming. This cry belonged to Cameron. Neither she nor Taylor had been put down for a nap today so they would be easy to put to bed in about an hour. John and my mom figured they would be easier for me to watch tonight if they slept the entire time. I was thankful for that, because both of them together could be a handful.

I shifted from my position on the couch so I could watch Mom as she followed John’s directions and went behind the couch I was sitting on in search of her box of accessories. The living room was filled with boxes of our things. A little under a month ago, John asked my mom if she and I would move in with him and the twins, and after my mom said yes, we began to move things over. Our goal was to finish moving and unpacking by Christmas so we could all spend our first Christmas together, unless I went to spend Christmas in Virginia with my dad. My mom was excited at the idea of being able to spend the twins’ second Christmas with them. We had been lucky enough to get to spend their first birthday with them over the summer. Like my mom, I was also excited to live with John and the twins. John and I got along well, and it would be nice to be able to see Taylor and Cammie every day. Also, John made my mom really happy. It was rare these days to catch her without a smile on her face.

Tonight she and John were going out on a much needed date night. Between taking care of the twins, moving, and living in separate houses, they barely got a chance to spend any alone time together. Some nights Mom spent the night here so she could help out with the twins and get to see them and John. After my mom came back into the picture, John’s mom moved out. She didn’t go far, and still came to help with the twins some days, but tonight she was busy so I offered my services to take care of Taylor and Cammie.

Mom moved a box that was stacked high on top of another box and crouched down low. She dug through the box, making little noises here and there. When she finished, she sighed in relief and stood up to full view, holding a pair of white gold hoops in her hand.

“Found what you were looking for?” I asked, eyeing the earrings.

She nodded. “Yeah,
finally
. I thought I packed them, but I wasn’t sure. I would’ve been mildly annoyed if I had left them at your grandparents’ house,” she answered as she began putting the earrings on.

“Why? You still look beautiful without them.” I took in her simple black dress, elegant up-do, and red heels. Her makeup was light and perfectly done, if I had to say so myself. I went through her closet earlier with her and had styled her outfit and done her makeup. She had done her hair on her own after I’d finished.

Mom smiled, looking down at her body. “Do you really think so? John hasn’t said anything about my outfit yet.”

I rolled my eyes and smirked a little. She sounded like a teenage girl. “I really think so. He hasn’t had a chance to really look at you. He’s too busy making sure the twins are all set, even though he knows I know where everything is.”

She let out a breathy laugh and nodded. “Thank you, honey. You’re right. I’m being crazy.” Then she straightened her dress and called out to John, asking if he was ready to go.

John said yes as he turned the corner, carrying both of the twins in his arms. Taylor was gnawing on a teething ring, while Cammie was red-faced and frowning. I was just grateful she wasn’t crying anymore. As soon as John entered the room he froze in his tracks, staring directly at Mom. His eyes were practically bulging from his head, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his tongue unrolled from his mouth and landed on the floor.

I glanced at Mom and winked at her—a silent version of,
“I told you so.”

“Wow. Chris, you look amazing,” he said after a moment. Then he stooped down and set the twins on the carpet. He didn’t take his eyes off of Mom once. It was too cute.

“Thank you,” Mom said, blushing lightly. “You look very handsome too.”

John thanked her and then checked his watch. After seeing what time it was, he went over the basics with me, and then the pair was off to dinner and a movie. Once they were gone, I took the twins back into the playroom so they weren’t around all of the boxes in the living room. I played with them for a while; blowing raspberries into Cammie’s tummy each time she looked on the verge of tears. She was so tired that she yawned after every other breath. Around eight o’clock, about an hour after Mom and John left, Taylor’s eyelids began to droop. I decided that it was time to put them to sleep, so I laid Taylor down so his head was in my lap while I rocked Cammie to sleep. Moments after their little eyes closed, my phone rang loudly in my pocket, waking them both up again.

I practically screamed in annoyance when they both began crying as I opened my phone to answer it.

“Hello?” I answered, my voice coming out frustrated.

“Hey,” Shane answered. “Is this a bad time?”

I sighed into the phone. “A little. I’m trying to get the twins to sleep.” He already knew that I was babysitting at John’s house tonight. I looked down at Taylor, who was screaming on my lap, and then at Cammie, who I was holding uncomfortably in my arm.

“From the sounds of it, it seems like that task isn’t going too well.”

“It’s not,” I groaned in response.

Shane laughed into the phone. “Want some help?”

I bit my lip, thinking. John didn’t say I couldn’t have anyone over while I watched the twins. As long as I didn’t neglect them, I didn’t see what was wrong with having him over.

“Are you still there?” he asked, even though I was sure he could hear the twins still crying.

“Yeah, I am.” My arm shook under Cammie’s weight. “Sure you can come.”

“Good,” he replied. “I’m outside.”

The task of putting each of the twins into their crib in the playroom took much longer than expected. It was probably because I practically had to wrestle Taylor into his crib. He kicked and screamed, putting up a pretty tough fight for a one-year-old. When I finally got them both in, I walked down the hall to let Shane in. The cries of my siblings followed me there.

When I pulled the door open, Shane stepped inside, smiling, and placed a light kiss on my cheek. “Help has arrived,” he announced as I pushed the door shut and locked it.

He followed me down the hall to the playroom, scooping up Taylor, who had the crib nearest to the door. “Hey little guy,” he cooed, holding Taylor high above his head. Taylor’s crying slowed, and he stared down at Shane with wide, red eyes. His chunky cheeks were flushed from screaming, and glistened with fresh tears. “Taylor, right?” Shane asked me, as he brought Taylor down to his chest. He held him awkwardly, but it was cute that he was trying.

“Yeah,” I answered. “And this is Cameron, but we call her Cammie,” I explained as I lifted her out of her crib. She had stopped crying and was now sucking on her fist. Drool dripped down her arm. “Thanks for helping.”

“Of course.”

Shane carried Taylor over to the couch in the room and sat down, cradling him. I joined him, holding Cammie’s head against my chest as I rocked her.

“They’re cute,” Shane said, as Taylor’s eyes slipped closed.

“They’re little monsters, but I love them.” I smoothed down Cammie’s wispy brown hair as her eyes fluttered shut. Her little chest rose and fell rhythmically. I placed a light kiss on her forehead. “How’d you know I would need help?”

He turned and smirked at me. “I didn’t know, but I hoped you would. I wanted an excuse to see you.”

“Oh yeah?” I raised an eyebrow.

He nodded and his hair fell over his forehead.

My cheeks flushed under his burning gaze. There was an intensity in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before, and it made my heartbeat quicken. I bit my lip as I stood and went to place Cammie into her crib, tucking her little body in. Shane did the same with Taylor. Before we left the room I set up a baby monitor on the table between the cribs. When John and my mom got home they would move the twins to their shared room upstairs, but for now they were fine on the lower level with me. After everything was perfect, I ushered Shane out of the room, flipped the light switch off, and shut the door quietly.

As I backed out of the room, Shane hugged me from behind, moving my hair out of the way so he could place a kiss on the side of my neck. Tingles raced down my spine from his touch.

I swallowed and scratched at my thigh. Moving away from his reach, I headed toward the kitchen. Now that the twins were asleep, there were no distractions to keep our attention off of each other. We were alone, and we had never been alone like this before. I had to admit it, I was nervous. “Are you hungry? Want anything to eat?” I asked as I moved around the kitchen, gesturing to the pies that littered the counters in preparation for Thanksgiving in two days. I pulled open the fridge, sticking my head in and looking around at the different foods inside. My mom had made multiple cherry cheesecakes for Thanksgiving, but those were specially made and I couldn’t offer them up, so I closed the refrigerator and turned to face Shane.

He was leaning on the counter, just watching me curiously. He probably thought I was a freak. “I’m not hungry,” he said, meeting my gaze.

“Okay,” I squeaked.

Shane smirked and came around the counter, coming closer. He was wearing a pair of low hung jeans, and a plain white t-shirt that hinted at the muscles underneath. When he was right in front of me, he reached out and placed a hand under my chin to tilt my head up until our eyes locked again.

“When do you think your mom will be getting back?” he asked, flicking his gaze to my lips as he lowered his head slowly.

“Probably not for a while,” I answered, waiting anxiously as he came closer.

“Okay,” he murmured, placing his lips on mine. He traced his arms around my waist and pulled me closer, kissing me passionately. His lips were smooth and warm against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tangled my fingers in his hair as he lifted me up and placed me on the counter, holding my body to his. I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding him against me. This was the most intense kiss we’d had thus far, and after a moment I had to disconnect our lips to breathe. Shane didn’t need a break though. While I took in shaky breaths, he trailed kisses along my jawline and down the side of my neck. I shivered at the feel of his lips against my skin. Once he reached his target, he began suckling on the bare skin in the crook of my neck, causing me to let out breathy moans every now and then.

When he pulled away, I practically whimpered at the loss of his touch. Thankfully he wasn’t away for long. He brought his lips back to mine, tracing his tongue along my bottom lip and asking for entrance, which I granted instantly. Our tongues danced and tangled together in sweet agony.

Shane pulled away after a while to take a breath and smile down at me. He brushed some of my hair off of my face, tucking it behind my ear, and just holding my head in his hands as his gaze roamed my face.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, his face void of any emotion as he spoke.

“Thank you.”

He came close again and lifted me from the counter easily. He held my body to his as we exited the kitchen and he carried me to the living room. He must have seen it earlier when I let him in.

Shane carried me over to the couch, and sat down with me straddling his lap. He tangled a hand in my hair and brought my mouth back to his. We spent a long time in that position. We kissed until my lips were almost numb, and he trailed kisses down my neck and over my cleavage. I didn’t let him take off my shirt when he tried, but he let me take his off.

I let out another moan as he bit my bottom lip gently, and then someone behind us cleared their throat loudly. My eyes snapped open, and I jumped off of Shane’s lap, turning to face my mom and John, who were standing in the doorway with shocked expressions.

Chapter 9

Mom sat on the edge of John’s guest bed with her hands clasped together and a knowing expression on her face. I, on the other hand, was slid back so far that my back was pressed against the headboard, and my knees were folded to my chest, trying to be as far from her and this conversation as was physically possible. I was preoccupied with trying to mentally prepare myself for the awkward conversation that was about to happen.

“So, this boy,” she began, obviously searching for the right words to say. She was probably trying to figure out how to best approach the topic, or even how to handle this situation. This was a first for her. Lena never snuck guys into the house, and if she did then she was really good at it and never got caught.

“Shane,” I supplied, tucking a stray hair from my ponytail behind my ear.

Mom nodded. “Yes, Shane. I haven’t met him.” It was a statement, not a question. Maybe even a realization. She hadn’t met the guy who was in my life, and now she was probably wondering why not.

“Nope,” I replied, hugging my legs to my chest. This was going to get awkward fast. I just hoped the conversation didn’t take a turn for the worst, and she didn’t give me the talk about the birds and the bees. If that happened I would either vomit, pass out, or do both. I couldn’t handle that right now. I was already horrified enough with what happened less than ten minutes ago. When her and John walked in on Shane and I in the middle of our most intimate make-out session yet, my heart nearly dropped into my stomach. I went into autopilot mode and hopped off of Shane, tossed his shirt at him, and pushed him out the front door without so much as a goodbye. I just didn’t want to have my mom or John say anything to him. That would’ve just added to my embarrassment, and there was plenty of that already. Shane probably thought I was a dumb kid after what happened tonight.

Mom slid closer to the center of the bed and placed a delicate hand on my knee. “Gabriella,” she began again, using my full name. “What happened tonight?”

I shrugged and chewed on my bottom lip.

Mom raised an eyebrow. “You know what happened. John and I left for dinner, and you invited a boy over. That alone is enough grounds for punishment. Even without what we saw when we came in.”

I lowered my eyes to get away from her heavy gaze.

She patted my knee again. “So, let’s start over. Tell me about Shane. Is he your boyfriend?” Her blue eyes were wide as she regarded me.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

She sighed in exasperation. “This is serious, Gabriella. Take this seriously.”

I sighed, but nodded nonetheless. “Okay, but I seriously don’t know what he is to me.”

“Explain,” was her only response.

Sitting up a little straighter, I said, “We haven’t exactly said that we were exclusively boyfriend and girlfriend, but I really like him. We’ve been…” I grappled for an appropriate word for our situation. “
Hanging out
since summer.”

She tried her best to keep her face blank, but I swore I saw a flash of something. Maybe anger? “Is he a good guy?”

“Yeah. He really is.”

Mom nodded and was silent for a moment. “Then how come I haven’t met him yet, and you’ve been seeing each other since August?”

She had a good point there. Karlie’s words flashed into my mind.

“He uses girls for sex until he finds something better or he gets bored and moves on.”

I didn’t think she was right, but there was some truthfulness to what she said. Even if he’d changed, Shane had been a player at one point. He wasn’t the “meet-the-parents” type of guy you brought home to your father. He was the guy girls snuck out of their house for so he could deflower them in the backseat of his car. I knew about his baggage, but I definitely couldn’t tell my mom about it. I’m her daughter, and she probably wouldn’t even give Shane a chance if she thought I might be at risk of getting hurt. Maybe I was naïve for liking him, but I truly believed that what I saw in him was more than what others did, and that I was different from the girls in his past.

“I didn’t want you to meet him until I knew for sure that we were an item,” I finally answered, hoping that reason would suffice.

“Well, I want to meet him. It doesn’t have to be right away, but I hope it will be soon. I need to make sure he has good intentions.” She narrowed her eyes while she tucked some hair behind her ears.

“He does,” I reassured her, and myself.

“Guys with good intentions don’t come into someone’s house and get into a compromising position like that without meeting a girl’s parents first.”

I rolled my eyes and groaned. “That’s not true.”

She laughed lightly. “Maybe not on all occasions, but most.”

“No.” I hugged my legs tighter.

“Well, guys with good intentions wouldn’t be seeing a girl for months and never meet her parents.”

I scowled. “That’s not true. Shane is a nice guy. He’s Carter’s best friend, and he knows Lena,” I said, hoping that would make her feel better. She loves Carter. I was also hoping that Lena knowing him would be a plus in her book, but she still didn’t look convinced.

Mom nodded, taking in my words slowly. She patted my knee a final time and then stood up to leave. When she reached the door, she turned around and said, “Just be careful, honey. I knew guys like Shane when I was your age. I know what they’re capable of. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”