Page 49 of The Boy I Hate

“Are you okay?” he asked, not attempting tomoveaway.

“Yes,” shewhispered. “Yes.”

20

ChapterTwenty

It was only later,when they stopped at a nearby gas station to clean themselves up, that Samantha started to think about Renee. About how sleeping with her best friend’s brother would affect their relationship. About Tristan, about what happened between them might mean for theirfuture.

She didn’t even know if Tristan wanted a relationship, if he wanted to date her, or if he even wanted to see her again after this weekend. This was something she should have checked on before riding him like a wild pony, but in truth, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She wasn’t sure if she wanted a relationship, either. Single for the first time in six years, and not twenty-four hours later, she was sleeping with another man. Notjustanother man—withTristan.

Her mother had a word for girls like her. It started with the letter S, and wasn’t the most flattering. Sucking in a breath, she pulled a bottle of water from the fridge, then walked down the aisle looking for something to eat. She’d hardly touched her breakfast, skipped lunch, and after the best sex in her entire life, she wasravenous.

She was standing in the center of the aisle, contemplating the selection on the mini-mart shelves, when Tristan came to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her so hard it felt as though their bodies were melding together as one. She hesitated a moment, but the feeling was too wonderful, and eventually she couldn’t resist anymore and let her body sinkagainsthim.

“What are you doing?” heasked.

She smiled at his question. It was whispered, soft, breathy in her ear, and made her whole body tingle from head to toe. “I’m trying to decide between salt and vinegar, or barbecue,” sheanswered.

“Ahhh…” he began. “A toughchoice.”

She smiled. “It is. Because I like the way the vinegar feels against my tongue, but the barbecue is sweet andsmoky.”

He groaned. “Are you doing that onpurpose?”

Shelaughed. “What?”

“Making your food sound soerotic.”

She bit her lip, because that wasn’t exactly what she was going for, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t like hisresponse.

He pushed away from her then and walked down the aisle to grab a soda out of the fridge. “Get them both,Samantha.”

“Both?”

“Yes, because after your description”—he bit his lip, cocking one of his lopsided grins—“we’ll needthemboth.”

“We?” Shelaughed.

“Yes,we.” He then winked at her, walked over to the counter, and paid for all theirthings.

* * *

When they got backto the Mustang, the sun had completely disappeared from the horizon, leaving the night sky pitch black and covered with stars. She threw her bag to the back seat, just as Tristan’s phone rang in his pocket. She opened the door, then glanced up to see his brows constrict. This wasn’t the first time he’d received a phone call that seemed to bother him, and for some reason it made her stomach twist inknots.

He placed his soda in the front seat, held up his finger, indicating he’d be just a minute, then walked to the back of the car and answered his phone. “Hello?”

She heard a woman’s voice through the receiver, but he moved farther away from the car, and eventually she couldn’t hear either of them any longer. She was sure he had friends, business associates…family that were women—who would call him for a variety of reasons. But it still made her chest tighten. He was fit, tall, and one hottest men she’d ever seen in her life… And she was just…her. It was hard not to feel self-conscious around him, to feel secure enough in herself to be wanted by the most popular guy inschool.

God! She was making herself sick. She was acting like she was still in high school—only worse. Back then she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. Now, she may as well be one of the groupies he had twisted around his littlefinger.

She settled into her seat, fastened her seat belt with clumsy fingers, and closed her eyes—she didn’t like this. Didn’t like this one bit. She opened her bottle of water and took a large mouthful, hoping to cleanse the bitter taste that had crept up her throat. What was she doing? Why was she acting like this? Why was she suddenly so insecure? But at the same time, how could she possibly believe this could work? He was Tristan, the brother of her best friend, the hottest guy at West Valley, and she felt like a sixteen-year-old girlagain.

He topped off the gas a moment later and climbed into the seat beside her. His playful grin was back in place, but she sure didn’t feel as confident as she had a momentbefore.

“What should we open first?” he asked. “Salt and vinegar, orbarbecue?”

Her stomach rolled with all the unknowns, and she turned toward him. She wanted to ask who he was talking to, wanted to ask what he wanted…but she didn’t do either. She looked down to the two bags between them and made a decision. Therewasn’tgoing to be a future for her and Tristan. This was a temporary relationship, a rebound from one place to another. She wouldn’t allow it to be more than that. She wouldn’t allow him tohurther.

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