Part 4 (1/2)

”Hey. Hey, you all right there?” Rob's hand strongly gripped my arm before checking my face, probably looking for signs that would be alarming for a first-timer.

Nothing too alarming on this front.

”Yep, just peachy,” I murmured rea.s.suringly.

His friends, who had already had their turns before we got here, finished up their weed then asked us if we were ready to go back inside to party. The throng of people arriving was nonstop, and they apparently wanted to score some ”hot chicks” tonight.

”Ready to go back in?” Rob asked just as his friends started to walk away.

”Umm...” Not just yet. ”Could I have one more please?” I begged in a cute, Betty Boop way, hoping he would give in to my last request.

He rolled his eyes at me. ”You may not be able to handle it. This is your first time; don't you think you should slow down a little?”

Party p.o.o.per.

”Jesus, Rob. It's only one more; it surely won't hurt.”

He clearly contemplated it, and then I heard him groan in surrender. Before I knew it, he opened a small compartment in the truck bed's raised platform, producing a small Ziploc bag with the goodies in it. ”One more. That's it. I don't care if you beg me again. This. Is. It.”

I lightly clapped my hands in approval. ”Thank you. Thank you.” Being this obsessive in such an early stage wasn't a good sign, but I didn't want to dwell on that tonight.

I was grateful that Rob was careful with me, though, because if he was a pushover, I would ask for more. I knew he meant it when he said this was the last one.

Hastily, I noted with eager eyes as he prepared me the last treat for tonight. Once he handed me the same straw from earlier, I went on about my business, truly enthralled by the powerful beauty of the monster I was beginning to like.

After the fine ordeal, he then set it aside, placing it back where it belonged in its little, secret stash before deciding to sit on the platform, and I took the spot next to him.

For some time, we sat side by side, speaking nothing and thinking of everything.

”Are we going to exchange numbers or what? I can take you around, maybe even take you out on a date if you behave tonight.”

”Well, lucky me. I better behave, then,” I exclaimed with pleasure. He was getting c.o.c.ky. It was too amusing to resist laughing.

”I like you,” he said honestly as he faced me. ”I have this feeling you and I might be a good thing.”

Taking a moment to consider him, I was on the fence about everything. Mainly because ... Well, I just wasn't into anyone other than Brody.

”You're not so bad yourself. We shall see.”

He stayed quiet for a bit before pressing on the subject he had brought up before. ”So, have you decided to give me your number yet?”

I found Rob's persistence cute in a weird way. ”I might if you promise not to be a stalker.”

”d.a.m.n, you're harsh but f.u.c.king s.e.xy as h.e.l.l, and it's hard to resist you.”

We both laughed at that. Then it went from laughter to kissing rather too suddenly. In the blink of an eye, his lips were on mine and too eager for my liking.

Okay, I shouldn't panic. It was normal. There was also the fact that, since Rob wasn't aware I was in high school still, a minor at that, I didn't want to alarm him by acting like I wasn't okay with him attacking my lips. I mean, I wasn't at first, but the more he did it, the more I found myself starting to like it. I could feel the warmth of his body as he deepened the kiss. It was as if he wanted to take charge, sort of leaning us over so we were lying down while making out. I wasn't ready for that, though. Kissing was one thing, but kissing like that ... Well, that could lead to s.e.x, and since little ole me was still a virgin, I sure as h.e.l.l didn't plan to lose it in the back of an SUV with some random guy I had met at Brody's party. That would be a disaster. Though I doubted my friends would think of it that way. My first time should mean something, though, and this wasn't what I was looking for. Therefore, when his hand started to roam freely, I knew I had to put a kibosh on his plans.

”Listen, I have to go,” I swiftly said after I yanked my lips from his. ”I'm going back inside to get my things and leave. Call me sometime. I might just be up for a date night.”

Before Rob had the chance to say another word, I hopped off the truck and immediately began to run towards Brody's house. Going home wasn't part of the plan, but I was actually considering getting a room somewhere around the beach. I thought I'd had my fair share of fun for tonight with partying.

”Amber?”

I heard my name the moment I stepped into the front door. Scouting the area, I found Brody leaning against the wall like he had been waiting for me the whole time.

”Umm, yes?” My retort sounded as dumb as they went, but I was too speechless to really function. Besides, I was a little drunk and a little high. Also, given that this guy intimated the bejesus out of me, I didn't want him to know what I had been up to.

He was frowning as he closed in on me. ”What the f.u.c.k is wrong with you?” he asked accusingly.

Busted.

Chapter Six.

”What do you mean by that? Don't I look okay to you?” I tried to smile, but his flas.h.i.+ng eyes made it die on the way to forming.

”Go to my bedroom. Now. I'll meet you in five minutes.” He was gritting the words out, never a good sign.

”Why will it take you five minutes to get there?” I petulantly asked, and he released an irritated sigh.

”Because I need some time before I choke the precious life out of you since you're doing a fine job of that yourself ... so I propose a better solution.”

Was that a joke, or was that a joke?

”Are you being serious right now?”

”My room. Right. The f.u.c.k. Now. Amber!”

a.s.shole!

Holding up my hands in surrender, I glared at him. ”Okay, I'm going there now. f.u.c.k.”

Not daring to glance at him before I sprinted away, I made my way towards the stairs to the second floor where his bedroom was located in the left wing. There was yellow tape sectioning it off from the party, like the kind around a crime scene. Funny how thinking that made me remember Brody's mild threat about wanting to choke me since I was already pus.h.i.+ng myself in that direction. I mean, I got that he was angry with me, but seriously? He wasn't my brother, nor was he my boyfriend. He was a concerned friend, and he didn't have to be mean about it, either.

Finding his room without any hards.h.i.+p, I went inside, feeling somewhat aggravated because of how Brody had treated me downstairs. It didn't matter that we had been surrounded by random partygoers; it had still been humiliating to be treated in such a manner. I doubted he had the guts to give the same treatment to Lindsey. She would have most likely chewed him up and spit him out in a heartbeat. I supposed maybe that was why there was such a vast difference between how he treated us.

She was daring, unapologetic, and downright vicious. No one-not one person I knew-would want to be on her bad side. She was as crazy as she was beautiful. Maybe that was why Brody didn't want to cross the line with her-he would only get one chance, and if he failed that, he would most likely lose her forever. Some men might not have the courage to take the bait and jump in for a chance. After all, sometimes it was best to leave it hanging and wonder about what could have been. Brody might not readily admit to it, but I felt like that could be one of the reasons he was holding back. When it came to me, on the other hand, it looked as if he had plenty of opinions. It just went to show how he saw me and how different I was from Lindsey. It was depressing, I admitted. However, at the same time, it was revealing. Holding on to my love for him would only bring me increasing levels of unhappiness.

Standing in the middle of his room that had one lamp on the side of his bed, the nautical-themed ambiance did little to comfort me. It wasn't the first time I had been in there. In fact, I had been there mostly every time there was a get-together in his house, always surrounded by friends. That day would be the first one-on-one with him without any distractions.

If I was in my regular state of mind, I would probably start sweating and maybe even freak out over the possibilities of being alone with him in his bedroom. Of course, since I was mighty high and had a serious dose of cynic in me, the thought did little to give me a thrill. In fact, if he came up there to verbally attack me, I would bite right back.

Perhaps I had gone mad. Then again, maybe I was simply sick of it all, most especially with the men in my life in general.