Beguiling (Tempting #2) (11 page)

Her eyes were wary and huge in her face, and I tried very, very hard not to laugh again. People milled past us, the parking lot packed with cars, given the perfect blue, cloudless sky above us.

“Look,” I said when she still hadn’t moved. She glanced over at me, finally relaxing her stance when she saw that I was taking her seriously. “If you can’t go through the entrance, how do you expect to ride a coaster?”

The main entrance to Six Flags New England, with the large white columns holding up a traditional peaked roof and brick faced building, looked like something out of history— more in place with Boston— where someone might find it on a walking tour of the city to see where important pieces of American history had played out.

Weaving lines of people made the slow journey into the park, some waiting patiently, some not. I was starting to fall in line with the latter crowd.

“But what if I
can’t
? What if you pay all this money to get us in, and I can’t ride it?”

“Who says
I’m
paying?”

She laughed, albeit nervously, but at least she laughed. Not thinking too deeply about it, I reached my hand over and wound my fingers through hers. When she looked down in surprise, I squeezed. The answering smile she gave me was a tad on the confused side, but mine probably looked about the same.

Suddenly, this moment felt very date-ish. I hadn’t planned on that, which maybe meant that I
was
an idiot after all my protests to the contrary. So I started walking, pulling Scarlet along so that she had no choice but to follow me into the park. We were waiting behind a couple that looked a few years younger than us, maybe still in high school.

The girl had tucked her hands into the back pockets of her boyfriend’s jeans, and his arm was propped up around her thin shoulders. He was dragging his nose over her cheek, whispering things into her ear that made her giggle and stand closer. When they started kissing, Scarlet dropped my hand, which made me glance over at her, assuming that she was either avoiding them or looking at them with disgust.

But the sheer longing on her face almost dropped my jaw. Like she couldn’t stand holding my hand when the real thing was directly in front of us. I couldn’t really blame her, because as much as I wanted to prove something to her today, that couple was not us.

The rest of the time we waited in line felt stiffer, a touch uncomfortable every time my shoulder brushed up against her or the press of people forced her to move next to me or in front of me. At one point, I guided her over by laying my hand on her hip, and as soon as the people were clear, she all but jumped away.

By the time I paid the bored employee, I didn’t even know what to say to Scarlet. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry too much about that. We moved through the entrance, the bright line of sun on the asphalt appearing just in front of us. For a second, I was afraid she’d start treating that as the thing she couldn’t move past, but she kept walking, heading toward the large, looming coasters toward the edges of the park.

“You know why I don’t like coming to these places?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at me.

“Because you’re afraid of plummeting to your death from the sky?” The look she gave me made my poor balls shrivel up for a second. I grimaced. “Sorry, that sounded better in my head.”

Then she started waving her hands around in the air, like a freaking crazy person. I glanced around, but no one was paying her a lick of attention.

“This!” she hissed, still waving around. I stepped back before she whacked me on the side of the face. “All the screaming.”

“Uhhh…”

“No one would ever know if someone was screaming
for real
.” Her face was deadly serious, and I finally noticed that it was devoid of any color. “What if I broke my arm? Or got stabbed? Or someone tried to kidnap me? Everyone would keep walking around in a selfish haze of
adrenaline
and think that I’m just another roller-coaster-riding, screaming person!”

Truly, it wasn’t hard to smother my smile, because she was about one paranoid delusion away from hyperventilating. So kinda like when I grabbed her hand, I just did what felt normal. I stepped into her and wrapped my arms around her shaking frame. At first she braced her hands against my chest to push me away, but a shuddering breath later, she was clutching at my back like I was the only thing that would save her from all those things.

I knew why men did stupid shit to impress women. I did. The way Scarlet had her forehead pressed into my sternum, the way she’d fisted her hands into my shirt made me feel invincible. And humbled.

Then she ruined it by opening her mouth.

“Oh my
word
, are you doing this whole trip for stuff like
this
?” She shoved me back and looked at me with slits for eyes. “So I get all freaked out and you get to feel me up?”

I worked my jaw and gave her slitty eyes right back. “Don’t be an idiot.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, holding a shaking hand over her mouth and staring up at me. “I feel insane right now. Like my stomach is going to explode through my feet and my skin is going to shrink over my bones and my brain is jumping in my skull, and I’m not even on the stupid ride yet!”

The relief that I felt over the fact that she didn’t actually think I was doing all of this to get laid was short-lived. Because wasn’t I showing her that she could trust me with all the other stuff on her list?

I shoved that thought aside and dropped a heavy arm around her shoulder, guiding her through the crowds toward Batman: The Dark Knight. The ride that would most likely make her piss her pants. But no way was I bringing her here and letting her get on one of the pussy rides.

“Don’t worry about it, Scarlet. I know that when it comes to me, you’re much less likely to hold onto the filter that you’d typically use in polite society. Lucky me.”

She laughed, briefly leaning into me while we walked.

We made it back to Batman, the line shorter than I thought for such a big-ass ride on a gorgeous summer afternoon. Scarlet stayed quiet while we weaved through to the platform and waited our turn to get on the massive swooping structure of blue and gray steel.

She was right about the screaming. You got used to it after a while, random peaks and swells of high pitched voices coming from all directions in the park. The only thing breaking it up was the rumble and shudder of machinery, but that too became almost unnoticeable after a bit.

Once we shuffled up onto the covered platform and into a row of the floorless seats, I could hear Scarlet whispering to herself. Even my stomach started rolling with nerves, the sharp, jerky movements of my heart strongly mimicking the motion of the coaster.

“What are you saying?” I asked while we sat down, pulling the yellow frame down over my shoulders before she did hers.

“Basically I’m making a deal with God that if I don’t die, I’ll never do another bad thing in my life. Give all my money to the poor, that kind of thing.”

“Sure, sounds good.”

A park employee checked our bindings. Scarlet was gripping the silver handles so tightly that I was surprised that her skin didn’t split over the knuckles.

“Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod,” she chanted next to me, her eyes pinched shut.

“You still feeling thankful?”

“No, I fucking hate you.”

A shocked laugh burst out of my mouth, which was quickly swallowed by Scarlet’s whimpers when we started moving forward and up.

We were nearing the top, and I could finally see the dark water of the Connecticut River. Even though the ride didn’t take the sharp dip that Scarlet probably expected it to, she started screaming.

Her screams got lost with everyone else’s while we flew through the dips and the curves. My stomach was weightless, the air flying past my face while I whooped and yelled. Sharp jerks pulled my body around, and I started laughing when I took a quick look over at Scarlet.

“Open your eyes, Scarlet!” I yelled.

She just screamed louder.

By the time we pulled to a stop and the yellow frame lifted up from over our shoulders, my entire body felt like it had been turned inside out.

It felt fucking awesome.

I stood and stretched with a groan, then turned to hold out hand to Scarlet. She still sat on the maroon and black chair, wisps of hair flying around her white face, her whole body frozen. But her eyes were on me.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not dead,” she whispered, taking my hand while I laughed. I pulled her up and kept a tight grip on her hand while we walked away from the ride.

“You’re not dead.” She was quiet. Then she stopped in her tracks. I looked at her and grinned at the flush in her cheeks and the wild look to her hair. I tucked one piece behind her ear and leaned in. “And you look exactly like you did the night you came on your bed.”

Her eyes snapped up to me and held. Yeah. Instant boner. Then she shoved past me and stormed off, taking a sharp right past All American Hot Dog.

Okay then. Was I supposed to follow? Give her space because she might feel like she just cheated death?

A pre-teen sauntered past and smirked at the front of my gym shorts. I rolled my eyes and jogged in the direction that Scarlet went. I was just about to turn the corner she’d taken when a hand jerked on my elbow, then slammed my back into the wall behind me.

Scarlet looked crazy. But like, crazy hot.

“Is this a kidnapping attempt? Should I scream for help?”

“Shut up, Leo,” she snapped, staring straight at my mouth.

Then she fucking kissed me.

T
ruthfully
, I hadn’t completely decided to kiss him until a split second before I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled him to me. Our lips collided so hard that our teeth clashed and he grabbed my face and held on, flipping our positions as if we were riding another rollercoaster and I could easily slip from his grasp.

I’d screamed during the entire ride, my hair flying and shielding my eyes. I didn’t know if it was better or worse to have my eyesight obscured as we’d hurtled through the sky at what felt like a million miles an hour, but was probably slower than my car traveled on the interstate. In the background I’d heard his laughter and something about it had soothed me a little, like I wasn’t alone. He wanted me to conquer an item on my list that didn’t involve either of us removing clothing, and I’d made it out the other side—not dead. It was an incredible feeling.

And then he’d gone and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear like it was so freaking natural for him before delivering the line that had made my thighs tremble.

“Scarlet,” he whispered into my mouth and—I swear to God—I felt the earth rumble beneath our feet. It was the only way to explain the shudder that started in my feet and rippled up my body as we clutched each other. His lips were gentle but his hold on me was bruising and I didn’t want him to let go, not yet.

The hand I’d wrapped around his neck pulled him impossibly closer and his teeth sank onto my bottom lip. It was a direct hit between my legs. My other hand grabbed his chest and I dug my nails in.

Before Leo, there was no rational way I could have explained that pain could bring pleasure too, but I was so very, very wrong. The brick wall Leo pushed me up against bit into my back and made me pull him closer, needing the pressure of his body against mine.

When he broke our lips to kiss down the side of my neck, I thought I was going to fall apart in his arms. Each kiss left a tingle in its place so that I was completely overcome with emotions, from my head to my toes, a bedlam of heightened senses and feelings, breaking me into a million pieces with their urgency.

“God,” I sighed as his lips touched the place where my neck met my shoulder. He paid special attention to that spot, brushing the delicate skin just under it with his five o’clock shadow.

Impatient for his mouth on mine, I brought my hands to his face and yanked it up, crushing his lips again to mine. My hips moved wildly, pressing against his. I could feel his attraction against my stomach and if anything, that only made me more demanding of him, of what he could give me.

I sucked on his lower lip as hard as I could, anything to give him a taste of the sensations that were battling within me. When I let go, his tongue lashed into my mouth. It was almost punishing in its swipes as his hand slid up under the hem of my shirt and he used his thumbs to keep applying pressure against bare skin.

When his hand covered the cup of my bra, I wanted him to rip off my clothes and cross yet another item off the list with some very public sex. And because I wanted that so wantonly, I pulled back and then pushed against his chest when he took my pulling away as a way to change the angle of our kiss.

We both breathed heavily as he stared at me and I stared away from him. Suddenly, the noises of the amusement park around us filtered in, like a roar of sound from coming up for air. I heard children laughing, people screaming on the ride, and embarrassment flooded my cheeks for having pushed myself on Leo so enthusiastically. I would have come undone in his arms if we’d gone any further and he wasn’t even my boyfriend.

I placed a hand against my swollen lips, dared a glance at Leo. He was still watching me, waiting for me to speak first, but what could I say? Taking me to the amusement park was the nicest thing anyone had done for me in years—and it’d felt almost like a date.

Which was a stupid thing to think. He was Leo Madsen, star quarterback and son of a wealthy man. I wasn’t so insecure to think that he was better than me—he was different. He’d grown up privileged and carefree. My future had been carefully planned, down to my middle school electives, so that I would secure a future that would make my family proud. Leo and I were practically different planets, we were so far apart in terms of what made our worlds revolve.

“Scarlet?”

I tucked my hands into the front pockets of my jeans and tried to act as casual as possible. “Thanks for taking me to Six Flags.” I took a deep breath. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Well, there’s still a lot to see.”

I didn’t look at him, I only raised my watch to look at the time as if it would change what I was about to say. “It’s time to go home.”

“What? It’s only four. The park’s open a few more hours still.”

My insides were still in turmoil from the ride and the kiss but I collected myself, smoothed my features, when I said, “Yes, well I have studying to do.”

“I thought your summer classes were easy ones.”

It rankled that he assumed I was taking a bunch of easy classes while I waited for vet school to begin. “I’m studying to become a veterinarian, Leo. It’s not some bullshit elective.”

He held his hands up in surrender at my tone and I was now even more annoyed. “Calm down, jeez. It was just a question.” He pointed his head toward the entrance to the park. “Let’s get some ice cream before we leave. They have the best stuff.”

“I’m fine,” I said, which I knew was ridiculous coming from my mouth. Everyone knew that a woman saying she was fine meant she was not fine, not at all. And yet we still said it, all the time. “Go ahead, I’ll meet you at the car.”

He waited a second. “I don’t actually need ice cream. I’m just trying to cool you off.”

I clenched my jaw. “Just because I’m serious about my future doesn’t mean I’m uptight,” I said, because I knew that’s what he was implying.

“No, the two aren’t inclusive of each other, but you
happen
to be both.”

He was trying to rile me up, I knew. “Just give me my keys.” I held my palm up for them.

“I’ll walk you to the car.”

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t. But I’m not in favor of you walking all that way alone.”

“I’m not your girlfriend, you know. You don’t have to protect me.” My words were biting, an effect of my mood, but I hadn’t meant to say that—say what I was thinking.

“You’re right. You’re not my girlfriend, but you are somewhat of a friend,” he said, and I felt instantly chastised. “And you’re also really pissy right now and I don’t wanna chance waiting in line for ice cream while you’re in the car alone in case you decide to ditch me here.”

“Maybe I should.” I wrapped my arms around myself as I followed him, my skin cooling rapidly from having been so worked up when I was kissing Leo, to the block of ice I’d put between us.

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

We walked in silence to the car and I felt badly for having been so rude to him that I said, “I meant it. Thanks for taking me. It was fun.”

“There’s a lot more fun to be had in there, but since you insist upon going home early…”

I gritted my teeth, feeling torn between being apologetic for wanting to leave and being annoyed that he was pressing me on this issue. So I said the one thing I knew would piss him right off into silence. “It was fun, but we can’t abandon all our responsibilities, not when we both have class tomorrow.”

It was a dig toward Leo, we both knew, and so I should have been relieved when we spent the entire hour-long ride home in tense silence, but instead I felt like a total fucking bitch.