Patience (6 page)

Eric and I sit down, reluctantly pulling away from one another. We're on the verge of a crisis.

Patience.

Chapter 12

Eric

That girl is trying to kill me. If a man could die from blue balls, I'd already be six feet under. She knows how I love those cute little dresses she wears, but those shoes are begging me to bend her over right here. There's no way I'm making the deadline, and I'm done trying.

As much as I want her hot little body all over mine, I don't object when Jenna and Quincy head to the dance floor. From where I'm sitting, I can see them dancing, and Jenna's giving me my own personal show. She thinks she's being slick, teasing me in a place where I can do nothing about it, every move intended to get my attention.

And she has it.

Her arms are in the air as her hips sway with the beat of the music. Her legs look a mile long in those heels. Images of her wrapping her legs around me, with those shoes still on, flit through my mind.

She's wild and carefree, having fun and completely unaware of those around her. It may have been her body that first attracted me, but her free spirit is what hooked me.

I come from a very structured life. Hell, I'm a textbook Type A personality. Jenna came crashing into my life and tore down those expectations. She's taught me that life is meant to be lived, not planned. When she smiles at me from the dance floor, playfully lifting her dress to reveal several inches of her thigh, she takes my breath away.

The music slows, a sensual beat taming the mass of bodies crushing together. Crooking her finger, she beckons me to join her. I'm not much of a dancer, but I'll be damned if I'm not standing up and making my way out there. She reaches for me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me close. The way she holds onto me makes me feel significant, content. For the first time in my life, I've found something worth waiting for.

I close my eyes, lost in the moment, oblivious to everything except the feel of my girl in my arms, pressed against me. Her fingers softly caress the back of my neck, running through my hair, as her body sways against me. She moves in rhythm with the music as the beat pulses through my body. When I open my eyes, I find Jenna staring up at me. Her eyes tell me what she's never said aloud, what she's only ever written across my skin with her fingertip.

Her skin feels heated through her dress, and a slick sheen of sweat covers her brow, making her even more tempting. She's on fire, and it's contagious. The warmth of her body spreads into mine, assaulting my senses. Everything I breathe, everything I touch, everything I feel... it's Jenna. All wrapped up inside of me.

When the song ends, another song picks up the beat. As much as I love having Jenna in my arms, this dancing thing isn't for me. Reluctantly, I release her and step back, but she's too quick for me. Grabbing my arm, her eyes plead with me to stay. She has a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she holds me in place, and I nod. Who could say 'no' to that?

As the beat picks up, Jenna backs away, seductively swinging her hips, her eyes never leaving mine. I stand still as she dances in front of me, moving closer again. A slight brush of her body against mine acts as a tease before she turns around, her back against me as her hips press into me. I know she can feel me, what she's doing to me. There's no way to hide the growing proof.

She casts a look over her shoulder, and I lean in, pressing my lips to the delicate skin of her neck. Quickly, she turns around, wagging her finger at me as she shakes her head. Again, she begins dancing around me, touching me lightly, hinting but not pressing, before pulling away. What a tease.

It's working.

The next time she moves close to me, I surprise her by grabbing her around the waist and capturing her against me. Her eyes widen in shock then heat with desire as they linger on my lips before meeting my eyes once again. Her chest rises and falls rapidly as she struggles to catch her breath, her pants erratic and uneven. This little game she's playing is driving both of us crazy, pushing us closer to the point of no return.

Pushing us toward the inevitable.

And that's how we end up standing still in the middle of the dance floor while hundreds of people dance around us. The lights flash, and the music vibrates through the floor and up my legs. We're lost in each other, unaware of the bodies crashing into us as we hold onto each other.

It's not until the song ends and she giggles playfully in my ear that I realize neither of us has said a word since we began dancing.

We didn't have to.

Some things just don't need words.

Chapter 13

Jenna

Uggghhh. Oh my god. My head hurts. Every time I close my eyes, I think I'm going to hurl. And the room... why the hell is the room spinning?

I had a few drinks, no more than I usually have. I remember dancing with Quincy, then Eric, and returning to the house with the guys. We played a few rounds of bullshit, and voi-la! Here I am. I feel like I'm dying.

Holy shit! He drugged me!

I sit straight up in the bed, causing my head to quake with a new round of pounding. I'm alone in Eric's bed. He drugged me so he wouldn't have to have sex with me, then he left me here to die. He just had to win the bet, didn't he?

Well, he's going to pay for this. I haven't felt this bad since... well, since never. I flop back down on the bed, my head once again issuing me a warning as it throbs with each heartbeat. It hurts to move. It hurts to think.

For the life of me, I can't remember much of what happened last night after we got back to the house. We were in the kitchen, crowded around the bar with several brothers. When we left Bliss, it was late, and I had a good buzz going. We walked into a loud, rambunctious group of guys gathered around the bar in the kitchen playing drinking games.

As soon as he saw us, Seth yelled, "Pour two more shots! We've got company!" He motioned for us to join them, but I shook my head. I was tired and ready to put Operation Striptease into motion. I had it all planned out.

Eric glanced at me, and I know he had to see me, but instead of walking upstairs, he walked over to the bar, shouting, "Hell, yeah! Come on, Jenna. Just a few rounds?" He was already lifting a shot glass to his lips as he shot me a panty-dropping smile.

I remember taking a seat, tossing back a shot or two, Eric rubbing my knee, Seth pouring shot after shot.... and here I am.

That shithead drugged me. It's the only explanation.

I'm still lying in the bed, my eyes tightly closed, when I hear the door open and close. I remain still, breathing calmly, one breath at a time to gain control of the spinning universe. I feel the bed sink with Eric's weight next to me right before he takes my hand in his. "Hey, Sunshine. It's time to get up." I groan as his words penetrate the fog in my head. "I know, babe. It's going to be a rough day, but we've got to get on the road soon." He squeezes my hand, reassuring me, but it just pisses me off.

"What the fuck, Eric?" I open my eyes causing the world to spin again.

"I know you feel bad, but- "

"You... you... animal!" I sit up, instantly regretting the sudden movement."You were so afraid you were going to lose your precious guitar. You just had to do it." I'm vaguely aware that I sound like a raving lunatic, even with all of the thoughts crashing around inside my stubborn skull.

"Do what, Jenna? What're you talking about?" His voice is filled with amusement and what may be a tiny amount of concern.

"You drugged me!" I shout, knowing it's not true.

Ok, so maybe he didn't drug me. But he let
me
drug me.

At first, he seems taken aback by what I said, and then he bursts out laughing. Falling back on the bed, he lies beside me laughing like a hyena. He laughs and laughs, clutching his stomach, until tears stream down his face. When he finally catches a breath, he struggles to speak, finally asking, "Now, why in the hell would I do that?"

I want smack his head off his shoulders.

"Stop laughing. It makes my head hurt." Now, I'm whining. I pull a pillow over my head when he starts laughing again. And suddenly, I have the urge to laugh, knowing how ridiculous I must sound but not ready to give up.

I hold onto the pillow as he tugs on it. "If I wanted to take advantage of you, Sunshine, I wouldn't have drugged you. And if I wanted to avoid you, I'd have taken you home."

Since he can't get the pillow, he starts tickling me, his fingers digging into my sides. I kick at him, tossing and turning, trying to throw him off of me. Melting into a fit of giggles, I give up. "Ok, stop! Stop! I can't breathe!"

He finally lets go of me, still laughing. "My girl has a big imagination."

"Asshole. Why did you let me do that?"

"I didn't
let
you do anything. I think you did it all on your own." He sighs, patting my thigh. "How was I supposed to know you were going to get shitfaced?"

I can remember him taking a phone call and leaving the room. He looked vaguely worried, but he smiled at me over his shoulder. That's really the last clear memory I have.

"You left me with Seth." Like that explains everything.

"Yeah, I guess I did do that." He starts laughing again, and I suddenly feel like I need to puke. "Brody called. I went outside for a minute, and when I came back in, the damage was already done." He smiles, this time, a little sadly.

"Brody called? About what?" I sit up, the sudden change in his voice worries me.

"He just wanted us to know Quincy was safe with him. That's all." He stands abruptly and walks to his closet. "Come on, sleepyhead. If we're going to see the Biltmore, we've gotta get on the road."

As he packs, I get dressed and wait. He's right. As much as I want him in a hotel room all to myself, I'm going to see the Biltmore. Even if I am hung over, feeling like shit stuck to the bottom of a shoe, I will enjoy every minute of it.

I'm almost giddy with excitement on the drive over to the dorm. Quincy's not there, so I assume she's still with Brody. While I pack my suitcase, a feeling of uncertainty passes through me. I leave her a brief note in case she needs something.

She would've called me if something were wrong.

Right?

Chapter 14

Eric

Call me an asshole, but I don't want to ruin this weekend with Jenna by telling her that all hell broke loose last night. While she and I were partying it up at the house, our friends were breaking hearts and getting hearts broken.

In the worst possible way, Declan found out about Quincy and Brody. If they would've just been honest, come clean...
What the hell were they thinking?
Now, my two best friends are fighting, and I feel like a dick. I knew what was going on, and I didn't say a word.

Fuck.

Something we'll deal with when we get back.

For now, I've got the most beautiful girl in the world sitting across from me, our bags in the back, and we're driving through the mountains. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

She's quiet, staring out the window, and it's almost as if she knows something isn't right. She's so close to Quincy, it's like they have a sixth sense about each other. It's one of those creepy woman things I've learned not to question.

My thoughts wander as the miles pass by, but honestly, I can't stop thinking about the girl sitting right here with me. Last night, I took Brody's call, was only gone about fifteen minutes, but when I stepped back inside, I found my girl as shitfaced as I've ever seen her.

She's right. I should've known not to leave her with Seth. He's contagious, his laughter infectious, and he's always ready to party. Always.

A lightweight like Jenna didn't stand a chance.

The party was breaking up, the guys heading upstairs, as Jenna leaned against Seth for support. She was looking up at him, barely able to stand, when I overheard her ask, "Sef, I lub him, you know? D'you really think he wikes me, too?" Oh, yeah. Plastered.

I should have interrupted, or at least let them know I was there, but I was stunned into silence.  Words slowly written across my stomach with her delicate fingertip, although they were heart stopping, never felt as good as hearing the words come out of her mouth, garbled as they were.

"Jenna, babe, that man is head over heels for you. He'd be one stupid bastard if he wasn't." She giggled, a soft tinkling sound that faded away. I expected her to have a big comeback, but there was only silence.

I paused one more second before walking around the corner to find my girl curled up in Seth's lap. Asleep.

He looked up, raising his hands and shrugging his shoulders in defense, a slow smile spreading across his face. "I'm a good listener," he whispered, and for some reason, I found it amusing to see my mammoth friend holding all that is precious to me. He carefully stood, gently cradling her in his arms. A bull in a china shop, yet he handed her to me with care, like the precious cargo she is.

As I turned to leave the room, he put a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. I raised my brows in question. "I might just kick your ass if you make a liar outta me." She's already got him wrapped around her finger.

That's just how Jenna is. She smiles and works her magic on everyone around her, wiggling her way into people's hearts without even meaning to and before they know what's happened.

I stared down into her face as I carried her up the stairs and to my room, and when I lay down beside her, I couldn't resist snuggling into her, burying my face in the curve of her shoulder and breathing in her now familiar scent. She sighed, relaxing against me, and whispered, "I lub you. I do."

If she didn't already own me, heart, body, and soul, she would've right then. The girl who's told me twice that she loves me and doesn't even know it.

She owns me.

If I make a liar out of Seth, I might just kick my own ass.

Chapter 15

Jenna

Something just doesn't feel right. Quincy didn't call or text me last night, and she wasn't at the dorm when I went to pack. Eric says Brody called him, and I remember the phone call last night. Eric was gone for a while, longer than a simple message would have taken. Since she's with Brody, things must be OK. She would have called me.
Right?