Page 18 of Allison

“There’s nothing to tell,” Allison grits out through clenched teeth like that will keep anyone from hearing her. Emma cocks her right hip out and tilts her head with an ‘I call bullshit’ expression. “Not now, okay?” Allison adds to placate Emma.

“Fine!” Emma exclaims with an eyeroll. “But this conversation isn’t over, capisce?” Allison nods.

“Are you ladies ready to head out?” Curtis asks, strolling up to the women. His arm circles Emma’s waist pulling her close, kissing her temple. Emma’s eyes drift closed, like she is savoring his touch.

A momentary flash of envy washes over Allison.What would it feel like to have someone love you that much? Would it be amazing or terrifying? Definitely terrifying. Can I ever let anyone have that much control again.The feeling of being watched skates over her. Looking to her left, she finds that Russell’s eyes are on her.

13

WORM

Damn! She’s gorgeous.The thought blasts through Worm like a punch to the gut. He’s appreciated her beauty from the beginning, but seeing her standing there, talking to Emma, with the sunlight glinting off her brown locks? Fucking gorgeous, like the Greek goddess Aphrodite, with curves in all the right places.

“Where’d you go last night?” Virus asks, elbowing his ribs. “I came by your room, but you didn’t answer.” Worm shifts his feet, not wanting to lie, but he can’t admit to where he’d been.

“I fell asleep early,” Worm answers with the truth, just not giving the details.

“I knocked pretty damn hard, dude,” Virus accuses, “I know you don’t sleep that sound, none of us do. So, where’d you go? Did you hook up with that waitress that was all over you?”

Virus has given him the perfect alibi, but letting them believe he’d been with the other woman doesn’t sit right. Still, he can’t tell them the truth. He isn’t one to kiss and tell, and Allison certainly isn’t a one-night stand to brag about. He can’t betray her. Besides, he's already freaked out over how much she’ll tell Emma about what went on last night.

“Something like that,” he replies, deciding to be vague and let them think what they will. He turns away from Virus to address Wallace. “Shouldn’t we get going? That place will be packed with tourists. The earlier we get there, the more likely we will be able to beat the crowd.” Wallace nods and turns to join the women. The rest of them follow.

“Are you ladies ready to head out?” Wallace asks, pulling Emma to his side. Worm can’t keep his eyes off Allison. She is watching Wallace and Emma interact with longing on her face. Their eyes meet. He wants to pull her to his side, but that wouldn’t go over very well. Allison is much too independent to want him to treat her like his teammates treat their women…isn’t she?

“Yes, we’d better get going,” Emma agrees. “Allison, you are riding with me and Curtis. We need to catch up.” Emma’s tone is serious.Is she subtly demanding to know why he was in Allison’s room?

“I’m riding with you guys, too!” Susie Beth yells, hurrying into the third row of seats. “What the hell are you doing?” Susie Beth screeches when Bull, another of their teammates, who arrived late last night, follows her.

Worm glances at them while helping Allison into her seat. Susie Beth is shooting daggers at Bull, who seems to be unaffected by her glare.

“I’m claiming my place,” Bull answers. His tone is full of innuendo, more than claiming a seat. Worm wonders when Bull had become interested in Susie Beth. She doesn’t seem to return his interest,or does she?

Her eyes keep glancing at Bull when she thinks he isn’t looking. Worm chuckles and takes his seat, drawing Allison’s attention. “What are you laughing about?”

Worm leans toward her, nodding his head toward the back seat. “Those two are either going to kill each other, or we are going to get a very entertaining show before the day is over,” Worm informs her. Allison’s eyes widen and peer back at the couple.

“You think?” Worm nods. “Hmm, they’d make a cute couple,” Allison adds, thoughtfully. Facing forward, she buckles her seatbelt. Worm had resisted the urge to buckle it for her, knowing she wouldn’t appreciate it.

He pauses to consider Allison’s assessment of the couple, glancing at them again before securing his seatbelt. Worm admits Susie Beth is pretty but not like Allison. Bull is around 6’ 3” with broad shoulders and would easily outweigh the petite woman by more than a hundred pounds. He has a gruff personality and most of the time keeps to himself. Susie Beth is a social butterfly with an in-your-face personality.

Worm frowns thinking they would make an odd couple, complete opposites, but then, Tank and Ruby come to mind. They are perfect for each other even though they are opposites as well. He shrugs thinking they could work, but there’d be some fireworks in the process.

A half hour later, Worm is waiting patiently in line for tickets to the aquarium. Allison and the other women are waiting off to the side. There’d been a brief argument over who was paying for whose ticket, mostly from Allison and Susie Beth, the only single ladies in the group, but Worm and Bull had managed to dispel their insistence on ‘paying’ their own way.

When the tickets are purchased, the large group enters the aquarium. It’s going to be an interesting day. Worm can tell. While keeping Allison close, he does his best to keep his hands off her. He is mostly successful. They pass tank after tank of various species of fish from locations all over the world. Allison’s face lights up with delight, reading the placards as they go.

About mid-way through, they step onto a slowly moving platform that guides them through a tunnel, completely surrounded by water. Fish, sharks, and manta rays swim overhead and on all sides. “Oh, my goodness!” Allison exclaims when a particularly large shark swims overhead. She steps off the moving platform to get a better look at the creature. Worm follows.

“Look at how beautiful it is,” Allison says with awe in her voice. Her head turns to see his reaction. Worm is in wonder, but it has nothing to do with the shark. It’s the woman standing in front of him that has him fascinated. “Don’t you think he is amazing?”

“How do you know it’s a he?” Worm questions, crowding in behind and pressing her against the railing. He doesn’t care if the shark is male or female. He just enjoys goading her. Allison frowns, looking back at the shark.

“I don’t know…it’s just…” she looks back at him, realizing that he is teasing her. Her face scrunches up, and she swats his arm. “Oh, you! Can’t you just be serious for one minute?” She turns to move on, but he grabs her hand, pulling her to him before she can get away.

“Yes, I can be serious when I want to be,” he says, turning her to face him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “The shark is amazing, but I’d rather stare at you instead.” Allison’s frown softens into a smile. “You are so beautiful. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at you.” At this declaration, Allison rolls her eyes. Her hands come up to rest on his chest.

“That’s the worst pickup line ever,” she grouses, pushing against his hold, but he doesn’t let her go. They’ve been left behind from their group. A couple of children squeal with laughter, running by on the moving platform.

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