The Hazards of Skinny Dipping (7 page)

“Nope.”

I tossed it, missing the trash. I started to
get up, but Reed stopped me. “I’ve got it.”

I pulled out my phone when he got up.

“Quit checking your phone.”

“I’m just checking the time.”

He sat down again. “Likely story.”

Reed turned on the TV, settling on college
football. We sat watching a game for a while. Georgia vs. Florida.
I knew from my brothers that this was supposed to be an incredible
year for Georgia. I kept the fact that I actually understood
football to myself. Reed already thought I was weird for liking hot
peppers.

“It’s a quarter to nine. I can close up for a
few and walk you back.”

“No thanks. I can walk alone.”

“Not a chance. Either you stay until closing,
or I’m walking you.”

“I’ll stay.”

“Yeah?” He looked kind of happy about it.

“I’ll get paid, right?”

He laughed. “You’ve been on the clock since
we got here.”

“Cool.”

“You used it again.”

“Are you going to point that out every
time?”

He crushed his soda can. “Not every
time.”

At nine-thirty-five, Dylan texted me again.
Are you on your way?

No.

Reed smiled. “Good. Trust me. It’s better
this way.”

Why not? Where are you?

Working.

Reed leaned over to look at the screen.

You have a job?

Yes. I was going to get off, but you
cancelled on me.

Reed laughed. “You’re really getting the hang
of this.”

I didn’t mean to cancel. Still want to get
drinks?

No thanks. Maybe another time.

Reed cracked up. “Wow.”

“What? Isn’t that what I’m supposed to
say?”

“I think so…”

Where are you working? I really want to see
you.

“Should I tell him?”

“That depends. Do you want him to come
here?”

“I want to see him…I think.”

“Then sure. He’s going to find out
eventually.”

Al’s Pizza.

Are you serious?

Yes.

On my way.

Reed chuckled. “Oh, this is going to be
interesting.”

“Ugh, I hope not.”

“You don’t like interesting?”

“Not when it involves me.”

Reed laughed again. His laugh was deep, and
it fit him perfectly. “I’ll remember that.”

I tried to fight down my nerves at seeing
Dylan again. I knew he probably wasn’t thrilled he’d had to come
and find me.

The door burst open a few minutes later. “You
really were being serious.” Dylan skipped the hello.

“Yes. I was so qualified for the position
that I was hired on the spot.”

Dylan turned to Reed. “I’m sure that’s why he
hired you.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying.” Reed
stared him down.

“So, Juliet, what happened to being busy with
your sorority?”

“I was—am.”

“How can you be doing that if you’re
working?”

Reed jumped in before I could respond. “Here,
let me make this simple. We did a pledge exchange with Delta Mu.
Juliet was my assistant today. End of story.”

“Your assistant? If you laid a hand on her—”
Dylan slammed a fist on the counter.

“You’ll do what?” Reed didn’t seem fazed by
Dylan’s antics.

“What? You don’t think I can take you?”

“No. But that’s beside the point. I haven’t
touched her.”

Dylan scowled. “Let’s go, Juliet.”

“Oh, um.”

“You can go. I’ll see you on Monday.” Reed
wasn’t asking.

“I’ll wait for you outside.” Dylan walked
out.

“Sorry…he’s just…”

“An ass. I know. What I don’t get is why
you’d agree to go out with him. But what do I know?”

“Yeah… it’s complicated. I’ve known him
forever.”

“Gotcha.” His disbelieving look was at odds
with his words.

I pulled my t-shirt over my head before
walking out. Reed winked at me, and I looked down. My tank top was
pulled down almost completely exposing my bra. I fixed it.

“Thanks for…well, thanks for making today
much better than I expected.” I’d actually had some fun. Plus, I
had a job.

“Don’t you mean, ‘thanks for the cool
day?’”

“So funny.” I folded up the t-shirt. I’d be
stuck carrying it around the rest of the night.

“You’d better go before he comes back in
here. I don’t think I can stop myself from punching him the next
time he talks to you like that.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because he has no right. It’s wrong.”

“All right… I’ll see you soon.” Who knew Reed
was such a gentleman? I smoothed my skirt and walked out.

“Is this all a plan to make me jealous?”
Dylan put a hand on my lower back and pulled me toward him.

“No.”

“Are you sure?” He brushed his lips against
my ear.

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You should. I really needed a job.”

“Why?”

“Because I need money…”

He mumbled something under his breath.

“What did you say?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay…”

“Do you want to come back to my house? Like I
said, we’re having a little party.”

“Could we do something else? Coffee
maybe?”

“You want me to take you out for coffee?” He
stopped in front of his car. A black Audi SUV.

“Is that a problem?”

“Of course not.” He opened the passenger door
for me. “I just thought you might like to get to know my
friends.”

I waited for him to get in. “It has nothing
to do with trying to get me back to your room?”

He grinned. “I was hoping that would happen
no matter what we did tonight.”

I looked out the window. It was dark and hard
to see the stores lining the street.

He started the engine and put a hand on my
leg. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. I was worried when you
skipped out on me that you regretted it. I know I don’t at all…I’m
ready for it to happen again.”

Damn my body’s response. Even knowing how
lackluster the first time had been, I wanted him. It had to have
just been a fluke, and the foreplay had been good…“I need you to be
honest with me.”

“Sure.”

“Are you just looking for someone to hook up
with? I know it sounds weird, but a one night thing I can do, but
I’m not interested in a friends-with-benefits setup.”

“I don’t want that either. I have no
intention of sharing you with anyone.”

“But will I be sharing you? Obviously, you
don’t owe me anything exclusive but—”

He put his hand on the back of my neck.
“You’re the only one I want. I already told you I’ve wanted you for
a while. Now that I’ve had you, I’m not interested in
settling.”

He ran his fingers down my neck, and
something about it drove me wild. Maybe it was thinking about what
else those fingers could do. “We can skip the coffee.”

“Are you sure?” He gave me an amused
smile.

“Yeah. We can get some next time.”

“Or tomorrow morning…that is, if you actually
stay the night this time.”

“That really upset you, didn’t it?”

“Of course it did. I asked you to stay, but
you didn’t. I had no idea where you went.”

I shrugged. “I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted. Just don’t do it
again.”

I didn’t say anything while Dylan drove the
short distance to his house. He parked right out front, and met me
on my side of the car. “Get used to waiting for me to open your
door.”

He wrapped an arm around my waist and led me
up the front steps. He opened the door, and loud voices greeted us.
The house was set up completely differently than it had been the
night before. Large couches filled with people took up what had
been open space.

“Juliet!” Jana ran over and hugged me. It
took me a second to recognize her with her hair curly. She usually
wore it straight.

“Hey.”

“Finally, I’m not the only Delta Mu.” She
turned back to the group. “Everyone, this is my favorite pledge,
Juliet.”

Favorite? I doubted that. She must have been
trashed.

As Jana steered me toward her seat on the
couch, Dylan intercepted. “You’re the reason I had to wait hours to
see her.”

“It wasn’t my fault. Blame Amanda. By the
way, Juliet, I’m so sorry about that. I heard the guys weren’t too
bad, though.”

“It was fine.”

“And it won’t be happening again.” Dylan said
it as if he actually had authority over the decision. Who knows?
Maybe he did.

“And the girls who weren’t there today will
have to do something later on. It will all even out in the end.”
Jana finished off her drink.

“Great.” I knew I didn’t sound enthusiastic,
but I was too busy trying to calm my nerves. I hated the effect
Dylan had on me.

“What can I get you to drink?” Dylan nodded
toward a guy—who I assumed was a pledge—holding a tray.

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“Come on. What do you want?”

I refused to admit that I didn’t know. The
first and only time I’d been drunk was when I’d checked it off my
cousin’s list. I’d accomplished that with wine coolers at my friend
Marie’s house. Not something I’d recommend…watermelon doesn’t taste
as good coming back up.

“Really, don’t worry about it.”

Dylan gave me a funny look. “She’ll have an
amaretto sour, and get me my usual.”

He led me over to a spot on the couch that
was barely big enough for one, let alone two. His solution was to
have me sit on his lap.

I couldn’t have been more uncomfortable as
everyone stared at us. I’d met a bunch of the guys and some of the
girls the night before, but it was one thing to meet them standing.
It was something completely different to face them while sitting on
top of a guy.

Dylan whispered in my ear, “You need to wear
skirts every day. You have incredible legs.” He ran a hand up my
leg, not stopping when he reached my skirt. He left his hand on my
thigh. If I thought sitting on his lap was uncomfortable, having
Dylan’s hand up my skirt made it so much worse. I shifted, subtly
trying to get him to remove his hand. All that accomplished was
getting him aroused. I figured that out pretty quickly. In case I
hadn’t noticed the large bulge pushing into me, Dylan filled me in.
“I want you so bad.”

The pledge returned with our drinks, sparing
me from making a reply.

“Thanks.”

He nodded and let his eyes roam to my legs.
“No problem.” He handed Dylan his drink. “Here, sir.”

“Did you just check out my girl, pledge?”

“No.”

“Good.”

The pledge didn’t wait to be dismissed.

I struggled to move off Dylan’s lap, but he
used his free arm to stop me. “Where do you think you’re
going?”

“To sit somewhere else.”

“Why?”

“This isn’t particularly comfortable.”

“It’s your fault.”

“I didn’t mean
that
.”

“Well, I like you where you are.” He took a
sip of his drink.

I used Dylan’s momentary distraction to stand
up. I didn’t look at him as I stood, sipping my surprisingly good
drink. I’d have to remember it. It was better than what I’d had the
night before.

I looked around the room. Everyone was busy
in conversation—that is besides Ryan. He eyed me with an amused
smile. “Dylan, it looks like your girl is anxious to get to your
room.”

Not exactly. I couldn’t have been less in the
mood.

“Not as anxious as I am to get her up there.”
Dylan walked toward me. “I’ll let her finish her drink first.”

I knew without looking that everyone in the
room was staring at us. Mortification had taken on new meaning. Did
they have to make it obvious to everyone? Maybe I could sip my
drink so slowly that people would forget by the time I
finished.

Dylan watched me.

“What?”

“I’m just enjoying the view.”

“Can’t you stare somewhere else?” He only
attracted more attention.

“Nope, I want to look at you.” He reached out
to touch my face.

I’d been so brave at the beach house, but I
was nervous. I couldn’t do it. There was no way I was walking
upstairs to his room when everyone in the house knew we were about
to have sex.

“If you don’t finish that drink in thirty
seconds, I’m carrying you upstairs.”

“Dylan, I don’t think—”

He brushed some hair that had fallen out of
my bun from my face and leaned over to speak quietly. “We don’t
have to do anything you don’t want to. You know that.”

“So, it’s okay if I go?”

“If I really thought you wanted to, I’d take
you home right now. I think you want to stay but you feel
embarrassed. Am I right?”

“Yeah.” I tried to smile. At least he got
it.

“I’m sorry. I could have done this better. I
just like showing you off.”

“I’m nothing to show off.” I looked down.

“Oh, Juliet, you most definitely are. Every
guy in here, even the ones with girlfriends, wants to be me right
now.”

I’m sure I blushed. “You don’t have to say
things like that.”

“It’s the truth. Why do you think you got the
job? That guy wants you.”

“No, that’s not true.”

“It is, but it’s okay because he can’t have
you. I’m not sharing you.” He leaned over and kissed me. There was
nothing gentle about the kiss. He pushed into my mouth. It took me
a moment to respond, but I couldn’t help it. The guy could kiss. By
the time he pulled away, with a huge grin on his face, I was like
putty in his hands.

He smiled, brushing a finger over my now
swollen lips. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” He took my cup from me and set it
down on the bottom stair.

Taking my hand, he led the way. Cat calls
followed us. “Have a good time, you two!” I knew that was Ryan.

We were almost out of sight when Dylan
slapped my ass. “Don’t wait up for us. We won’t be coming back down
tonight.”