Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) (3 page)

"Great," I grumble. "Can I hang with you for a bit? My company has obviously disappeared with his crush."

Ty nods. "Sure. You want a beer?"

"Yes, please."

He turns away and fills a fresh cup for me. I had not even noticed that he was standing right next to the keg. Then he hands me the cup.

"Thanks, Ty." We clink our plastic cups and I take another large sip.

"Do you want to dance?" he asks.

I look at the makeshift dance floor in the living room. "It's pretty crowded already."

"We can dance right here," he says and pulls me towards him. For the second time that evening, someone jerks me close abruptly. My cup falls to the floor. "Shit," I swear. "I'm sorry."

Ty shrugs his shoulders. "No big deal. The cleaning squad will go through the place in the morning."

"Okay," I say, still feeling a bit embarrassed.

He puts his right hand on my hip and his left around my back, pressing me close to him. Ty starts moving his body and mine to the music. I move my hips to some hip hop song I do not know. It blares loudly from the speakers. With every passing second I feel surer of myself, and now I also move against him. My hands brush along Ty's bicep, over his chest. I can feel that he does a lot of sports. Football, I think. He is the tackle or something, but I don't know the first thing about football, so I am not really sure. His hand drops lower, to my ass, and then he grabs it hard.

"Ouch," I squeal and push more closely against him.

He utters a soft laugh. "That's how I like it." He looks into my eyes, dips his head and his lips come closer to mine.

I lean back as far as I can to avoid this kiss, but his body curves forward.
Does anyone in here think of anything else at all?
I ask myself. And then someone pulls me away from Ty. I stumble, but an arm wraps around me to steady me.

"Are you crazy, man?" he yells at Ty.

I raise my eyes and can hardly believe that Delsin has come to my rescue even after I hit him.

"Sorry, Camille. I thought you wanted it, too," Ty apologizes to me.

"It's alright," I say.

"It's alright?" echoes Delsin, sounding upset.

I nod slowly. "He apologized, and nothing happened. So everything is alright."

Delsin snorts and looks at Ty. "You and I will talk about this again!"

"Delsin, please stop acting like Popeye here. Please," I interfere, before dragging him out of the room and out into the open, where the air is fresh and crisp.

"I should kill that jerk," he growls.

I roll my eyes and walk with him until we reach a bench, on which I proceed to sit down. "It really is alright. We all drank alcohol; it's easy to misinterpret stuff then."

He gives another snort and then lights a cigarette. "I suddenly saw red. I am sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You helped me, and that was nice of you," I reply. "Thank you, Delsin."

He looks down at me. "I almost punched him in the face."

I pat the seat next to me and he plops down on the bench. "And what good would that have done?"

"It would have been a lesson for Ty, not to treat a woman like that."

"That is why you treat them so exceptionally well," I mutter.

He utters another soft laugh. "The girls that get with me know I only want to have a good time. And fancy that, they want exactly the same. It's mutual."

I sigh. "I doubt you were this clear with my girl friends."

"Who are your friends?" he asks.

"Hailey Osment and Thalia Leroux," I answer.

"Can't say the names sound familiar," he admits.

"Oh, I would forget them, too, if I had another woman in bed every night," I counter.

"Can we change the subject, please? I don't appreciate you reproaching me all the time for enjoying my life."

"Okay, let's change the subject. What do you want to talk about?" I ask, curious.

"What's your major?"

"Science. Yours?"

Delsin smiles. "What do you think?"

My eyebrow shoots upward. "I think you should give me an answer, or else I will have you guessing from now on as well." I give him a mischievous grin.

"I major in architecture," he smirks.

"Which means we've exhausted another topic," I giggle.

He blows out the smoke from his cigarette, making a large cloud in front of his face.

"Where did you get your name? I've never heard it before."

"Delsin? It's an Indian name," he explains.

"What does it mean?" I ask, truly interested.

He laughs. "That is the way I am."

"No, I really want to know what it means."

"That is the way I am."

"Delsin, tell me," I demand impatiently.

"I am telling you. My name means: That is the way I am," he says.

"Oh." I start to laugh. "That was embarrassing."

He joins in my laughter, and it takes a while before we can stop. Suddenly he places his arm on the backrest behind me. "Do you have any brothers or sisters, Camille?"

I shake my head. "Not really."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, my dad remarried, and now I have a stepsister and three stepbrothers, whom I hardly know," I explain. "What about you?"

He grins. "My dad got around a lot, and he didn't just do the halfpipes. I know about four half siblings on my father's side, and my mom also had two more kids after me. My sisters are called Tiara and Chloe."

I turn to face him, and only now do I see the slight stubble on his cheeks. "Are they also studying here?" I ask.

"No. They're fourteen and sixteen. It will be a while before they go to college."

"And your other half siblings?"

"They're scattered all over the States ... I have no idea where they study, how old they are, whether they do anything at all."

"You don't talk to them at all?" I want to know. I lean my head to the side and rest it on his arm. That is much more comfortable.

"Next to never. Thanksgiving, Christmas, my dad's birthday. Apart from that, we're not that interested in what the others are up to," he says.

I feel sad for him. I don't know why, but I really feel sad for Delsin. "That's sad," I say softly.

"Yeah, I guess so, huh? But don't worry your pretty head about it ... it's none of your business," he says and flicks his cigarette butt on the ground.

I wince.
Why does he have to kill the conversation now?
"You're right, it's none of my business. But I am truly sorry for you. On the other hand ... come to think of it, I wouldn't want to talk to you either," I flare at him and get up.

"Camille, I'm sorry. I ... I'm no good at conversation. I didn't want to give you a hard time."

"Well, that's strange. You keep saying that, and yet tonight, you keep doing it. Please tell Avery that I went home," I force out and leave him alone.

Annoyed, I start to walk home.

"You're such a damn bitch, Camille," he calls after me.

"And you are a stupid, pompous ass, Delsin!" I walk faster, because I don't want to argue in the street. No use getting into a row with this guy. I hear no footsteps behind me, so I assume he doesn't follow me, but is still sitting on the bench.

***

I'm finally home. The apartment is still deserted.
Where the hell are the two others?
I ask myself when I turn on the lights.

On the other hand I am glad that I'm alone. I can take a shower and fall asleep without disturbance. The last few days, my friends' moans had kept me awake. In the hallway I kick off my heels and push them aside with my foot. Then I head for the bathroom and wiggle out of my dress. When I am in the shower, I hear my mobile phone ring. I am too lazy to rush out and get it, even though my denim jacket with the phone in its pocket is only a few steps away on the floor. No. I'm going to remain under the hot water and wash my hair.

The ringtone stops and then starts again, stops and then starts again. Sandi Thom keeps telling me she wishes she was a punk rocker, until I've had enough. I step out from the shower, grab a towel and pick up the phone. "What?" I snap.

"Sweetie? It's me, Avery. Are you home?"

"Yes. Why are you asking? Delsin was supposed to tell you," I say, confused.

"We'll come over. See you in five minutes," he rushes and hangs up.

What the hell was that? I towel myself dry and shake my head. Then I wrap the towel around my torso und run into my room. I almost slip a few times, because I haven't dried my feet properly, but I catch my balance every time. "We really need some rugs in here, instead of those damn tiles," I swear loudly when I almost slide into my closet.

I quickly pull out underwear, a long t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

As soon as I have put it all on, there's a knock on the door.

"Sweetie?" Avery calls.

"Coming," I yell back and run to the door. "What is ...," I see him with Delsin in tow, who looks completely sloshed, "going on?" I finish my question.

"Can I leave Delsin with you? I need to get the car, and Pearl wants to go home, too," he explains.

I sigh. "I'd rather let him sleep on a bench in the park."

"Please, Cam, do it for me." He only calls me Cam when he wants to convince me of something. Avery knows that I cannot refuse him when he looks at me with his puppy eyes, and calls me Cam.

I exhale loudly. "Alright. Put him on the couch."

"Not a good idea, after he behaved like that with Hailey and Thalia," he ponders aloud.

"Dear god, alright, then get him into my room. My bed is big enough for two. But if he's going to throw up in my room, you're the one to clean it up when you come back for him," I say threateningly, although I cannot help but smile.

"It's a deal." He comes in and drags Delsin into my room.

I follow them in. "Can you help me take off his shoes?"

"Yes, once I put him to bed."

"Okay. I'm going to get a bucket, in case he'll throw up," I let Avery know, turn around and walk over to the built-in closet where we store all our cleaning stuff and such. I take out the bucket we use for mopping the floors, walk into the bathroom, and fill it halfway with cold water.

When I step back into my bedroom, Ave is undressing Delsin. "What are you doing?"

He looks up. "His clothes stink of smoke. Do you want him to lie next to you in them? Wouldn't that be rather disgusting for a non-smoker?"

"True. But please let him keep
something
. And I don't mean the socks, but the shorts." When I say this, I can feel the heat suffuse my cheeks.

Ave smirks. "Don't worry." He pulls off Delsin's jeans.

I place the bucket next to the bed. "I swear to god, if he's going to throw up on me, or if he makes a pass at me tonight, I will hate you for the rest of my life."

"If Delsin cares about his own life, he's not going to do either." Ave hands me the clothes and I put them in front of the half-open window so they won't stink up my room. 

"He's in bed and he seems to be asleep. Well, he doesn't move, but he is still breathing. Call me if there's any problem, okay?"

I nod at him. "Alright. Have fun with Pearl."

"Thank you, Sweetie," he says, comes over to my side of the bed, and hugs me.

"You owe me a big one for that," I remind him with a smile.

"Anything you want."

"Good. I'll think of something," I grin and walk him to the door. "Wait. You said you wanted to get the car and pick him back up once you drove Pearl home, didn't you say that?" I ask when he steps into the hall.

"I did. I'm driving Pearl home, and then I'll come back to pick him up. But I think I have finally managed to convince her to get with me. So I'm guessing it could be morning before I show up to fetch that old drunkard."

I utter a soft sigh. "Okay. But tell me tomorrow how he managed to get drunk this quickly. I had left the party only half an hour before you called."

"Jell-o shots and tequila," Avery explains.

"You mean he drank several glasses of liquor
and
jell-o shots?"

He nods. "Yes, he practically inhaled what he could get, once you were gone."

"Just great. Anyway, have fun with Pearl, and I will call in case there's a problem with Delsin."

"Thank you, Sweetie. You're the best," Avery smiles and plants a kiss on my forehead.

"You can say that again when I want my compensation," I giggle and close the door.

I return to my bedroom and look at Delsin Rough, who is lying in my bed, totally wasted and snoring like the devil. "I warn you not to touch me tonight. I swear I'm going to rip out your spirit fingers," I murmur and lie down next to him. Ave has put him squarely in the middle of the bed, so I have to push him aside a little. "Man, you are heavy," I gasp.