SVH05-All Night Long (3 page)

"You talking about me?" Scott asked with a casual smile. "I mean, really, girls," he said, glancing past Jessica at the others, "when are you going to

stop fighting over me already and just accept the fact that I'm taken?" Scott sat down beside Jessica and draped a wet arm over her shoulders. "I mean, have you
seen
this girl?" he joked, looking Jessica up and down from head to toe in a way that made her warm all over. "No offense, but why even bother trying to compete?"

Aubrey and the other girls rolled their eyes, but Jessica couldn't have stopped grinning if she'd tried. Clearly Scott really liked her, to talk about her like that in front of his friends. Any thoughts of his supposed reputation flew right out of her head.

As the girls got back to talking, Scott leaned into Jessica's side and tickled her neck with his lips. Jessica giggled and tilted her head to give him better access, and he worked his way up to her cheekbone, sending chills all through her. Finally, his lips paused on her earlobe.

"Why didn't you come in the water?" he whispered. "I missed you out there."

Jessica took a breath to squelch the shiver of excitement that shot through her. She turned and looked into his steel blue eyes, but her gaze quickly traveled down to his tan, muscled chest,

still glistening with lake water. This guy couldn't have been any hotter if he'd tried.

"I missed you up here," she replied with a slow smile.

Scott leaned in to kiss her and his fingers skittered across her bare belly, making her squirm happily. Then, as his tongue searched hers, she felt his thumb hook around the slim side strap on her bikini bottom and something inside her caught. The gesture felt too possessive. Except with Bruce Patman, Jessica had always been the one to call the shots with her boyfriends, dictating how fast or slow things went. And usually, the boys were so enamored of her they had no problem following her lead. But she had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy with Scott. He was more mature and experienced. The word "reputation" floated through her mind again. What kind of reputation, exactly?

Jessica pulled away and slipped Scott's hand from her bikini. For a second, he looked surprised, but then she brought his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers, looking him right in the eye. The maneuver had the desired effect. Scott was officially distracted from her clothing, or lack thereof.

"Get a room!" one of the guys shouted at Scott as they made their way back up the sand. They dropped down next to their girlfriends and one of them pried open the cooler and began passing out beers and sodas. He tossed a beer to Scott.

"Here, Daniels. Looks like you need some cooling off," he joked.

"Yeah, thanks," Scott replied with a laugh.

Beer fizzed over the top of the can as he popped it open. Jessica squirmed away, giggling, as the icy froth hit her stomach. She could only imagine the look of disapproval Elizabeth would give her if she could see this. But then, Scott was twenty-one, so technically no one was doing anything wrong.

"You want one?" Scott asked Jessica as his friend held out another beer.

"No thanks," Jessica said casually. She pushed herself up off the towel and slapped her hands together to dust them off. "I think I'm going to go get my feet wet."

"Your call," Scott said with a shrug before taking another swig of beer.

Slightly irritated that he hadn't offered to come along, Jessica turned and sauntered off toward the

water. She could feel his eyes on her as she went, so she made sure she was standing up straight and put an extra swing in her hips. When she reached the water's edge, she ran her fingers into her hair, holding it away from her face for a moment and arching her back in a stretch, before letting it tumble down. If there was one thing Jessica knew, it was how to captivate a guy.

She took a deep breath and looked across the peaceful lake at the sailboats cutting their way through the water. Before long, voices carried to her from Scott's little klatch of friends.

"You sure like 'em young, bro."

"That girl is all tease, man. Why bother?"

"I like my women experienced, thanks."

Jessica's face burned with humiliation. She dug her toes into the wet sand and frowned. So her careful act hadn't fooled them after all. They thought she was just a baby. And Scott hadn't even defended her. Well, they had no idea who they were dealing with. Jessica knew from experience that she could twist any guy around her little finger if she wanted to. Scooping up a handful of mud and pebbles, she strolled back to her towel.

"Oh, Scott?"

Smiling sweetly, she held out her fist. Scott looked up at her with a smirk and Jessica opened her hand, dribbling ice-cold mud across his perfect chest.

"What the-?" He jumped up and his friends laughed. "You little-"

Smiling, Scott grabbed for her arm, but Jessica backed away with a shriek and ran down the beach. Scott gave chase and Jessica hit the shallows, splashing him as she ran.

"Can't get away from me that easily," he said as he finally caught up with her. He grabbed her in his arms, lifting her off her feet, and carried her back to the dry sand. Jessica pounded his back, laughing in protest.

"Scott! Put me down! Where are you taking me?" she squealed happily. She glanced back at his friends, who were now yards away, and smiled in satisfaction, proud of herself for separating him from the herd.

"You'll see." Scott carried her up the beach with ease. He finally lowered her to the ground when they reached the wooded boundary of the sand.

"Come on. Let's go for a walk. I know a place where we can be alone," he said, running the back of his fingers down her cheek and looking her in the eye. Something inside Jessica stirred, a mixture of excitement and nervousness. "Alone?" she repeated.

Scott lowered his hand and entwined his fingers with hers. "Yeah. Let's ditch these losers. They're about to get high anyway, and I'm so not interested."

Jessica glanced at his friends again. They were gathered in a circle, laughing and chatting. She suddenly felt gratified that Scott wanted to be with her more than with them. And that he was no follower-that he wasn't going to smoke just because his friends were. She squeezed his fingers.

"Alone sounds good."

Scott smiled and led her to a path that cut into the woods. It was strewn with pine needles that tickled her bare feet as they walked. It was peaceful and still under the trees, the waning sun popping through here and there, dancing across their path. Jessica couldn't have imagined a more romantic setting.

"I'm glad you came up here with me today," Scott said, releasing her hand so that he could hook his arm over her shoulders. "You're definitely not like other high school girls."

"Thanks," she replied, happy that someone around there had noticed. She stepped over a fallen log and looked around. "How far are we going?"

"It's just a little farther," Scott replied.

A few minutes later, the sun had dipped so low the light was almost completely gone. Jessica shivered in her bikini. This was turning into more of a hike than a walk. Then, just as she was about to suggest that they go back and get some clothing, a clearing appeared, with a broken-down old hunting cottage in the center.

"Here we are," Scott announced, moving forward.

Jessica hesitated, wrapping her arms around herself. The cottage's roof was half collapsed and it looked dank and dirty.
This
was not at all romantic.

"Scott? I'm getting cold," she said. "Maybe we should just go back."

Scott walked over and got behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "There. That's warmer, isn't

it?" he said in her ear, sending another pleasant shiver down her spine.

"Definitely."

"Good." Using his knees, Scott nudged her legs forward, and they walked, wrapped together, to the door of the cottage. He released her and pushed the door open with a creek. "This place has been deserted forever. My brother and I found it when we were kids and we used to play explorer."

Jessica smiled at the thought of Scott as a kid messing around out there with his brother. She slipped by him into the house. The whole place was one dingy room, with a corroding kitchen off to the side and an old musty couch in the center. A table with a broken leg sat in front of the couch, and there were crushed beer cans and fast-food bags everywhere, giving the house a sour smell. Clearly Scott was not the only person who had discovered this place.

"Come here," he said, hooking his finger into her bikini bottom again and pulling her to him.

Jessica's heart jumped as he lowered his lips to hers. At first the kiss was sweet and searching, but before long it grew urgent. Scott wrapped his hand

around the nape of her neck and yanked her into him as if he wanted to swallow her whole. Jessica pulled back to get a breath and her heel caught on a crooked floorboard. Just like that, she found herself tipping backward and sprawling onto the dusty couch.

"I like the way you think," Scott said, smiling wolfishly.

Alarmed, Jessica realized how she must have looked. She closed her legs and tried to sit up, but Scott was on top of her before she could move.

"Scott, no. I-"

But her words were lost as he kissed her savagely, pinning her shoulders back with his hands as she tried to squirm away.

Okay. Okay. I can handle this,
Jessica thought. She kissed him back, trying to regain some semblance of control, but when she tried to sit up again, Scott kept her pinned to the couch. Jessica's heart started to pound with fear. The muscles she had admired at the beach felt menacing now. How was she going to get away from him?

Maybe somebody will walk in,
she thought.
Maybe they're looking for us.

But as Scott's hands reached for her bikini straps, she knew it was hopeless. Aubrey had tried to warn her, but it wasn't as if she or anyone else on the beach truly cared what happened to Jessica. No one-was coming to her rescue, and Scott was clearly not going to take no for an answer from a girl who had willingly followed him right into the lion's den.

***

CHAPTER 3

"Scott! Stop it !" Jessica demanded, wrenching her mouth free by turning her head to the side. He immediately moved his lips to her neck as she pushed against the solid wall of his chest with all her strength. "I mean it! Get off me!"

"Oh, you mean it, huh?" Scott said with a mocking laugh. "Please. All that posing and teasing on the beach... leading me on. I thought you meant
that."

He tugged at her bikini straps and Jessica's heart stopped. This had to end. Now. With both his

hands occupied, she was able to twist her arms free and shove him in the side, tipping him clear off the couch. His head slammed against the broken table and he winced in pain, giving Jessica enough time to scramble off the couch and get behind it.

Now what?
she wondered, glancing at the door as she readjusted her bathing suit. Both the couch and Scott sat between her and freedom. Should she make a run for it? It was pitch-black outside now. There was no way she could make it back to the beach without him to guide her. As much as the thought sickened her, she was going to have to make nice.

"You're insane, you know that?" Scott spat, rubbing his head as he stood.

"Sorry," Jessica said with a sweet smile and an innocent shrug. "Guess I don't know my own strength."

"Whatever. The guys were right," Scott said, spitting on the floor like some hillbilly. "You're nothing but a tease."

"Come on, Scott," Jessica said, wheedling. She felt a bit more confident now that she had put some space between them. "You know I like you,

but we can't stay out here all night, It's already dark and I have to be home soon."

Scott snorted derisively. "Who said you were going home tonight?"

Jessica's heart skipped a nervous beat. She reached up to toy with the gold lavaliere that always hung around her neck. "What?"

"This party's an all-nighter, kid," he said, leaning back against the rickety half wall between the kitchen and the living space. He touched his head again and winced. "I thought you knew that."

Jessica stiffened, all pretense of sweetness dropping abruptly. Scott had never mentioned staying out all night. Her parents were going to kill her if she didn't get home. She had school the next day.
Hello?
Hadn't Scott thought of any of that? Clearly not. Clearly he hadn't thought of her beyond whatever he had wanted to do with her in this skeezy little cottage. Tears stung Jessica's eyes as her own stupidity sank in, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

This is all Elizabeth's fault,
she thought suddenly.
She could have talked me out of this if she'd really tried.

"I have to get home," Jessica said firmly, using

her indignation to keep the tears in check. "If you don't take me home, I'll tell my parents you tried to... to-"

A lump rose in her throat as she glanced at the couch, and she found she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Go ahead," Scott said with a laugh. "Tell them how you lied to them so you could come up here with me. Then tell them how we just happened to end up in an empty cottage in the middle of the woods practically naked. What are you going to do, tell them I knocked you out and dragged you here by your hair? I don't think your parents are that stupid."

Jessica's cheeks burned with rage and humiliation. He was right, of course. But she wasn't about to admit that.

"Liz was right about you," she said through her teeth. "You
are
nothing but a pretty face."

Scott's eyebrows shot up. "Liz thinks I'm pretty, huh? Maybe I brought the wrong twin to the party." He smirked as if he knew how hard that insult would hit, then turned toward the door. "Later, babe."

"Wait! Where are you going?" Jessica asked. "You can't just leave me here."

"Huh, funny. I think that's exactly what I can do," he said.