Goddess Secret (12 page)

He leaned toward her and she leaned back. She was being supported by her hands, but as she leaned away from him, she fell to her elbows. He leaned over her, bending his elbows to minimize the space between them.

“River,” she breathed, shaking her head.

“I’m not touching you, Legacy.”

“I know you’re not.”

“But I want to, and I think you want me to touch you too,” he breathed, shutting his eyes. “I want to take you in my arms and kiss you all over, never letting you go.”

She looked away from him, feeling her lips tremble. She didn’t want to keep hurting him, but she couldn’t be what he wanted.

River inhaled slowly along her exposed neck and stood up. She slumped completely back on his bed, staring at his ceiling fan. She put her hand on her forehead and tried to catch her breath, but as she took in shallow breaths, her breathing became hitched and she started to cry. “I-I’m sorry this is so hard for you.”

“Legacy, please don’t cry, baby.” River lay down on his side, facing her. “I can take me being upset, but I can’t deal with you being sad, especially if I can’t hold you to comfort you.”

She nodded and took a deep breath, but she didn’t look at him. “I don’t like you being upset either, and I know my relationship with Adin hurts you.”

“I can’t change the way I feel about you. And even if I could so I wouldn’t hurt anymore, I still wouldn’t. As crazy as this may seem to you, I
love
being in love with you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“The experience is much better when it’s requited love.”

River sighed. “I can only imagine, but I’m sure you’re right.”

She leaned up and wiped her tears. “I should probably go.”

River sat up and looked at her. “Thank you for coming
and
for not leaving when I asked you to.”

“I had to make sure you were okay. Plus, someone had to bring your books back.” She smiled. “If you wanted me to leave, you would’ve had to throw me out.” She pressed her lips together.

“Well, having you alone in my room definitely has its benefits. It gives me material for new fantasies since my old ones are tainted.” He laughed and wiggled his eyebrows.

“I so didn’t need to know that.” She shook her head, but couldn’t help herself—she laughed with him.

She took a deep breath and stood up. “I take it your mom’s not here?”

River’s smile vanished. “No. She’s out of town.”

“Trying to figure out more ways to ruin my life, no doubt.”

“As far as I know, she’s out visiting family. But that could’ve been a cover story.”

Legacy nodded. She was sure it was a cover story.

River’s eyes turned soft as he looked at her. He stood up and put his hand over his heart, patting his chest. “I love you,” he mouthed without speaking the words.

“I know,” she mouthed back.

They stood here staring at each other for a few more seconds, and then she shifted her weight. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

River walked her back over to Calli’s house. Her BFF was sitting outside waiting on her. When she saw River with her, she stood up and walked toward them.

“I’m really sorry, River. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. That was so not cool.”

“I’m fine.” He shrugged, but Calli stepped up to him and put her arms around him. He automatically put his arms around her, but kept his eyes on Legacy. “Really, I am.”

Calli nodded, and she pulled out of his embrace. Then she stepped over to Legacy, giving her a hug too. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“You’ve already apologized to me, Calli.”

“I know, but I’m still sorry. You told me about that in private, so I had no right saying anything to anyone about it, especially not to River.”

She glanced at River as she pulled away from Calli, but he had a forced smile on his face.

River put his hands in his pockets as she walked over to her car. “I’ll see you two tomorrow.” She glanced at each of them, saving River for last.

River pulled one of his hands out of his pocket to wave at her. She smiled and waved back.

As she pulled out of Calli’s driveway, she saw him heading back to his house. The look on his face sent a shiver down her spine. He didn’t just look sad.

He looked like he had been physically tortured.

Chapter Eight

The rest of the week Calli and River spent the afternoons at Legacy’s house preparing for their chemistry test on Friday.

Adin was busy with his study group too. They had a big project due the first part of next week and none of them wanted to spend the weekend working on it. They stayed up late trying to get it finished, but he came by before school to visit with her and called her every night when he got home.

The weather still seemed unseasonably cool to her, but no one really complained. The leaves started turning, and in a couple of weeks, the trees would all be a beautiful array of vibrant fall colors. She knew summer wasn’t her favorite time of year since the heat was always sweltering, but honestly, fall wasn’t either. However, she did enjoy the cool, crisp air and the beautiful scenery.

As time progressed, she continued to have the same two dreams. Not every night, but pretty often. She still didn’t understand why she kept dreaming them, but with Adin busy with his study group and her busy preparing for her chemistry test, they really hadn’t had time to go over them with a fine-toothed comb.

River was still adjusting to his new abilities, and they hadn’t talked about the conversation they’d had in his bedroom. The face she’d seen on him the night she left would always be burned in her memory. She never wanted to hurt him like that again, so she feared even bringing up that night with him.

There were really no new developments in her abilities. She figured she still had awhile to go, so hers would present themselves as time went on. But the weather and the wind were definitely part of them.

By Friday, the school was hopping for the next home game. Calli did a great job at the pep rally, and they all left school before the game. Since Adin’s study group finished late last night, he was free to go to the game, and Legacy was crazy-excited to spend time with him without him having to rush away. She wished she got to spend time with him alone, but she figured tonight would be a repeat of the last game. She was sure they’d have a crowd of people around them in the bleachers.

She heard Adin pull in the driveway, so she headed down the stairs. He was already knocking on the door before she reached it.

She opened the door, and his eyes sparkled. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks,
you
look very handsome,” she said as she stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Adin put his arms around her back, and she could feel something in his hands.

“Did you bring me more flowers?” she giggled.

“Guilty.” He winked.

She stepped away, and Adin pulled the flowers around and put them in front of her. “These are for you, sweetheart.”

“They are very beautiful.”

“They’re probably the last ones for the season. The rest will probably start to wilt by the end of the party.”

“Well, we better get these in some water.” She turned to walk into the house, and Adin followed her. After she pulled out a vase from the cabinet, she put it under the faucet to fill it up.

Adin stepped up behind her and slid his arms along her sides, grabbing the vase from behind her. Once he took hold of it, she slid her hands off the vase and onto the sides of his legs, and she slowly traced her fingertips up and down along his jeans. After the vase was full, he turned off the water and set the vase on the counter, staying right behind her.

He slid his hands to her waist and pressed himself up against her. Then he leaned his head down and kissed her neck. She stretched up on her tiptoes to get closer to him, grabbing the counter for support. She threw her head back against his chest and slid her other hand up his neck and into his hair.

Adin kissed along her neck, brushing his wet lips up to her ear. “Sometimes it’s really convenient when your hair is up,” he whispered as he slid his hands from her waist to around her stomach. And she realized he meant it was convenient since he didn’t have to hold her hair up—his hands were free to roam.

She was wearing a shirt that barely came to the top of her jeans, so when Adin moved his hands around her, one got caught under her shirt. Whether or not he meant for that happen, she didn’t know, but it felt so good that she didn’t care.

She panted and clutched onto his head as he kissed her ear. Although she had one hand on the counter, keeping her balance, she doubted she would fall. Adin had her pinned against it.

As he moved his lips down her neck, he gently caressed her tummy underneath her shirt and she shivered. Adin moaned when he felt her body shake against his, and so fast that she hardly noticed, he grabbed her waist, spun her around, scooted them over a couple of steps, and picked her up to set her on the counter.

She threw her arms around his neck as he kept hold of her waist and pulled her up against him. Now, his face was at hers without him having to lean over or her stand on her tiptoes.

But his face wasn’t
at
hers for long. As soon as he pulled her against him, he crushed his lips against hers.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and knotted her fingers in his hair.

As they kissed, one of Adin’s hands slid down to her leg and rubbed around to the back of her thigh, holding that leg up around him. His other hand slid around the small of her back and pressed her up against him. But a couple of his fingers slid under her loose waistband.

They both moaned as they kissed and pressed up against each other. But it wasn’t enough.

She slid her hands out of his hair and to the top of his shirt. She started unbuttoning it, and Adin broke away from their kiss.

That didn’t stop her. She moved her lips to his neck and kept unbuttoning his shirt.

“Legacy,” Adin panted. He moved the hand that was on her leg up her side and into her hair while she kissed his neck. “Ah, what are you doing?”

She brushed her lips along his cheek and breathed heavily into his ear. “I’m unbuttoning your shirt, Adin.”

He groaned and panted. “I, umm, I can feel you doing that. But, er, why?”

“Because it’s my turn to play with the buttons on
your
shirt.” She kissed his ear, and after she had about four of the buttons undone, she slid her hand down his shirt and on his chest. His breath caught.

She moved her lips back to his, and he kissed her with so much passion that her body felt overheated. She broke away from his kiss, leaning her head back and gasping for air, trying to fill her lungs.

Adin moved his lips to her neck, kissing her up to her ear. “We should, umm, probably leave soon. The game’s about to start.”

She pulled his head back and looked into his eyes. They were burning with desire, and she was absolutely positive that hers were too. “I don’t care about the game,” she whispered as she stared at him.

Adin’s eyes grew more intense. He obviously didn’t care about the game either. He pressed his lips against hers again and kissed her forcefully.

Oh gods. It was happening. She pulled her arm out of his shirt, and quickly unbuttoned the remaining buttons. Once his shirt was completely opened, she slid both her hands up and down his hard chest and around his back. His skin was so soft, his body hard—
everywhere
.

We were so lost in the moment that neither of them noticed her phone ringing at first. But as the seconds passed, the phone became deafening.

They both slowly pulled their lips away, but they still held onto each other while they panted. She slowly slid her hands back around to Adin’s chest and unwound her legs from his body. He stepped back, reaching for the phone. He picked it up and handed it to her without saying anything.

“Hello?” Legacy’s voice cracked.

“Legacy? Where are you?” It was Calli.

“Umm, we haven’t left yet.” She and Adin were still staring at each other. He had both of his hands on her legs and she had her free hand on his chest.

“The game starts in five minutes! I was hoping you were already on your way. I need you to stop and get some candy. I used up what I had at the pep rally and forgot to get some before the game.”

“
Calli
.” Her BFF had freakin’ horrible timing! She groaned and pulled her hand from Adin’s chest. She put it on her forehead while she shook her head. “Fine. We’ll be there as soon as they can.”

Adin sighed through smiling lips and stepped back, buttoning his shirt.

“Sorry,” she whispered as she hung up the phone.

Adin stepped back up to her. “For what?
I’m
not sorry.” He smiled before kissing her.

“Mmm…” She kissed him back, but pulled away. “We can’t start this again right now.” She was two seconds from tackling him right here and now.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “Rain check?”

“Definitely.”

On the ride to the game, they stopped at the store and Adin ran in to get some candy. She stayed in the car, trying to fix her hair. She’d had it pulled up nicely, but the recent events put her locks in total disarray. It didn’t look as nice as it had when Adin first got to her house, but at least it looked better.

After they left the store, she and Adin jumped right back into talking and laughing. They had missed each other so much that they both kept trying to talk over each other.

“Oh, crap!” She suddenly remembered a topic she meant to discuss with him as soon as he got to her house, and now they were almost at the school.

“What is it, sweetheart?”

She’d have to summarize and do it quickly. “Umm, there’s something I need to tell you before we get to the game.”

“Okay.” He caressed her leg.

“Remember my fighting with River last weekend?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I wasn’t only mad at him for bring up you and Venus. Obviously, that was the main reason I got mad, and it’s also why I kicked him out. But before we fought about that, he wanted to show me one of his abilities. He can create earthquakes.”