Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) (23 page)

The wetness in my underwear tells me that I want him, too. His caresses have awakened an ache between my thighs that I have only ever experienced twice. I guess I am horny. And ready. I straighten my skirt and get up, feeling breathless. "Come along," I whisper and march through the tall grass.

I hear him get up hastily and then he walks next to me. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see in a minute," I answer and lead him to the old barn. Buck had planned to demolish it ages ago, because it hasn't been used in a long time, but now it's going to fulfill a new purpose.

When I want to open the door, Delsin grabs my hand and turns me around to face him. "Let's not rush it again this time," he murmurs.

My eyebrow shoots up, but I try to conjure a composed expression. "I thought you ... wanted me. I'm sorry if I misunderstood you."

"I want you, but I don't want to sleep with you in a dusty barn. I want a real bed," he says sheepishly.

I sigh. "Okay. We cannot do it in the house. Mom and Buck would hear us."

"Not if you let me cover your mouth," Delsin grins salaciously.

I shake my head, grinning with him. "No. We won't do it now. It's probably better that way." Then I take a deep breath. "Are we heading back to the house?"

He nods slowly and we stroll back.

Close to the stables, I let go of his hand. Delsin looks at me. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't want my mom to see us like that, because she would never cease telling me she was right all along," I admit meekly.

"And would that be so bad?"

"Oh, yes," I say.

Finally we reach the main house. Buck is sitting on the porch cleaning his shotgun, which makes Delsin swallow and slow down.

"Cami, please go in and talk to your mother about dinner. She's worried," Buck says without looking up.

"Do I have to?" I ask, feeling helpless.

"Yes, you have to. And I want to have a conversation with Mister Rough here, so would you please leave us alone?"

I look at Delsin. "Don't make any sudden moves, or else he'll take you for a rabbit and shoot you."

He pales. "I ... um, no. I'll be quiet."

I give him an encouraging smile and slip into the house. The kitchen is empty. "Mom?" I call out.

Hailey comes in. "She is in the living room, crying."

"Why would she be crying?" I ask, feeling irritated.

"Because she had a meltdown after your fight. She thinks you hate her, Cami."

I utter a frustrated sigh. "I'll talk to her ... I'm sorry I ran away earlier. I would have liked to spend time with you."

She smiles at me. "Talking to Delsin was more important. You and I can sit and talk after everyone else has gone to bed."

I nod and walk into the living room. My mom is sitting on the sofa, sobbing. "Mom?" I ask softly, come closer and sit down next to her.

"I am sorry I did not respect your wishes, honey. I only wanted you to be happy again. Since you've been here, your eyes have that sad expression that haunts me. I didn't want to fight with you, and I didn't want you to be angry with me. Believe me, honey, I only wanted you to feel better again. That is the only reason I invited Hailey and Delsin," she sobs.

I can't stand to see her cry. It tears at my heart and makes me cry, too. "I'm sorry, too, mom. I ... I don't know what came over me at dinner. It was a shock to see Delsin when I had said I don't want to see him yet," I explain as my tears start to fall. I hug my mom. "I am sorry I caused you so much worry."

She nods and pulls away. "Please don't be mad at me anymore."

"I'm not."

"Were you able to straighten things out with the young man?"

I shake my head. "Not completely, but we're getting there. It's just hard to know he's under the same roof."

"Would it be better if he slept at Steve's? Steve offered his spare room in case you wanted that," she tells me in a hoarse voice before she wipes the tears from her eyes and blows her nose.

"No. Delsin can stay in the house. I just hope he leaves me air enough to breathe. And I hope Buck isn't going to shoot him. He said he wanted to talk to him while he was cleaning his gun. That kind of worries me," I say slowly.

Mom utters a soft laugh. "That is typical for Buck. He has been looking forward to this for years. To scare a boy who shows any interest in you. I couldn't talk him out of that."

Suddenly, a shot rings out and makes us both jump. "Oh god, I hope he hasn't really shot him," I say in a panicking voice, running for the door. I virtually leap out on the porch, where I stare at Buck wildly.

"What's going on here, Buck? What's this shooting all about?" mom asks, appearing behind me.

"I merely showed Mister Rough how to shoot a gun properly," he says nonchalantly, turning to Delsin again to explain the shotgun to him.

"Are you completely daft, Buck?" I scream at him. "I was so afraid you killed Deslin! You stupid ..."

"Watch your mouth, Camille," my mom warns me.

I take a step toward Buck and punch his arm. "Hell, I was frightened out of my mind!"

He lowers the weapon and looks at me in apology. "Sorry, Camille, but your boyfriend asked whether I can hit a target that is so many yards away, so I had to prove it to him."

Then I look at Delsin, who's grinning.

"And you, don't you grin like a hillbilly moron. I'm mad at you, too. What was I supposed to do if he'd shot you? Scratch your guts from the porch?"

He raises his hands in defense. "I'm sorry."

Mom stands behind me and pulls me away from him.

"You're not going to punch anyone else now, Cami. Just come inside and calm down," she whispers insistently. She is doing that to draw my attention to her, and to make me forget the flare of anger I am experiencing. But it isn't really anger, it is shock. Buck normally doesn't use his weapons so close to the house, and neither does he shoot at some random target, just to prove that he can. Mom pulls me inside.

Hailey is standing at the upper end of the stairs. "Did Buck shoot at Delsin?" she asks.

"No, he practiced hitting a target," I reply lamely and walk up the stairs after mom has let me go.

"Don't take too long, you ladies," she calls after us and smiles at me as I look back down.

"Good night, mom."

"Sweet dreams, honey."

When I reach the top of the stairs, Hailey takes my arm and walks with me to my room. She closes the door behind us and steps over to my four-poster bed. "So what happened between you and Delsin after he followed you?"

I sigh and take my boots off. "We talked, and then we kissed, and then we almost did it right there in the grass, but he stopped himself in time." I follow her and sit down heavily on the bed, unbuttoning the plaid shirt and chucking it off.

"No!" she blurts.

"Yes. I don't know how it happened either. Suddenly he was kissing my neck, and my resistance melted," I explain as I get up and walk over to my closet. I take out a t-shirt and put it on after taking off my bra.

"So are you a couple again, then?" she wants to know.

"No. I don't think we're a couple. I think we may be friends with benefits, or something like that," I muse as I take off my skirt.

Hailey is already wearing her pajamas. "Screw buddies?"

"No, that doesn't sound right either. I don't know what we are, nor what this is. He kept asking for a second chance, but then we had this almost-sex there in the grass, and I wanted to take him to the old barn to sleep with him, but he didn't want that. Delsin ... confuses me," I voice my frustration.

"When I hear that, it has me confused, too. He virtually nails you in the meadow but then refuses to have sex in the barn," she sums up and shakes her head.

I return to the bed and plop down next to her. "He said he wants to enjoy it, to do it in a real bed instead of a barn."

Hailey sighs. "I guess I'll go to sleep now, in case Delsin is going to come and see you," she smiles.

I laugh. "He doesn't even know which room is mine."

"But he could find out easily, I think. You could leave your door ajar, so he doesn't have to knock. If you know what I mean," she says conspiratorially, winking at me.

"You're crazy," I grin.

"I know, but one of us has got to be the immature one." I throw my pillow at her, but she is already at the door.

Hailey ducks and it hits the wall. "Good night, Cami ... Sleep well, if you can find the time for that. Oh, I'm going to leave the door open."

"Good night. Sweet dreams, crazy woman," I answer with a smile. Then I slip underneath the covers and turn the TV on. It is still early, and I know I cannot sleep right now, so I want the TV to lull me into drowsiness.

After a few minutes, I realize that it bores me to no end, so I take my tablet from the nightstand and start to read. I need to make more time for reading; the e-books keep accumulating on my device. If Delsin hadn't shaken up my routine, I'd have finished several more books this semester, but now I feel like catching up. I am a fast reader, a voracious reader, so that won't be a problem. Since I've come here, I have already read three books, mediocre ones, but better than nothing.

After a few pages, there's a knock on my door.

"Yes?"

The door opens slowly and Delsin steps into the room, then he closes the door. "I was able to escape Buck. What are you doing?"

"I'm reading," I whisper.

"And what are you reading?"

"A book," I say.

"And why are you suddenly whispering?"

"I don't know," I whisper. "Maybe because you do, too."

He laughs, taking care to be quiet, and comes to my bedside.

"Sit down," I offer and put the tablet back on the nightstand. Then I turn on my side to look at him.

Delsin sits down on the edge of the bed and studies me.

I clear my throat. "Would you hold me a little," I ask shyly.

The corner of his mouth quirks upward. "Should I take my clothes off for that?"

I smile at him coyly. "Yes, but keep your boxers on."

He chuckles, gets up and undresses. I stare at him as he exposes his body, piece by piece. My breath hitches and I lick my lips, but then I force myself to look away.

"I hope Buck won't empty a load of buckshot into my ass if he finds me in your bed."

"He won't, but I'll lock the door anyway." I get up and lock the door.

When I turn around, Delsin is lying in my bed. With mincing steps I return to the bed and lie down in his arms. Delsin holds me close to him, and his fingertips draw circles on my bare arm. With a sigh, I snuggle up and rub my cheek against his warm skin.

"At last," he sighs.

"At last?"

"At last you're lying in my arms again and I can touch you. You can't imagine how much I have been missing this," he whispers.

"I've been missing it, too," I admit.

His hand slips into my hair and his fingertips caress my scalp, which causes me to purr like a kitten. Delsin smiles. "I didn't know you liked that so much."

"There are many things you don't know," I say softly.

"Then tell me." He presses a kiss to the crown of my head.

I turn my head to look at him. "I retreat to the brook whenever I want to think clearly. Nobody ever comes there, apart from Steve, who knows that I need peace and solitude when I go there, so he leaves me alone. I like to ride. And I like to get dirty ... and I like to sit on the porch for hours, staring up at the stars."

He grins mischievously. "Tell me again about getting dirty."

"In the field," I clarify.

"You didn't say that." His grin becomes a soft laugh, and I have to smile too.

"I know, but it's your thoughts that are dirty," I giggle.

"My thoughts are dirty? Your words are ambiguous," Delsin laughs.

I lean my head on his chest. "Ambiguity is good, it leaves things open."

His hand slips around my neck and then he pulls me on top of him. "I'm going to kiss you now, no ambiguity."

My heart seems to somersault in my chest. When Delsin puts his lips on mine, I feel my heart beat wildly, as if it wants to jump out of my chest. A low growl rises from his throat, and then he kisses me. I return it, softly, but Delsin is quickly getting passionate. He rolls over, pinning me underneath him, spreading my legs with his. His fingers caress me, slide under my t-shirt and stroke my heated skin. When he ends the kiss, he proceeds to trace kisses up to my ear, then down my neck.

"What are you doing?" I ask with a low gasp.

"Relax, and trust me," he murmurs when he reaches my collarbone. Then he straightens and pulls me up, too. He frees me from my t-shirt faster than I can think, and throws it aside. Then we sink back on the bed together. His mouth goes lower and teases my right nipple. He sucks it into his mouth, nibbles and whips it with the tip of his tongue. Heat suffuses my lower body, and I feel the wonderful ache between my legs once again. My arousal. I ought to stop him, but my mouth doesn't obey my brain, while his mouth is doing these wicked things to me. Then he suddenly bites into my breast, and I moan loudly.