Page 5 of Salace

He shakes his head as his eyes comb over my neck, breasts, lower. Heat blooms between my legs. “It’s hot out. You should cool off in the pool.” He backs away. Eyes still locked on mine, he cracks the soda open and starts chugging. His Adam’s apple bobs, and I want to reach out and trace the sinew of his neck. Lick the beads of water from his skin. Finishing the soda, he sets it on the counter, flicks his wrist in thanks and heads outside.

With my ass, I bump the fridge door closed and clutch the countertop to steady myself.That felt a hell of a lot like flirting. Smirking, I swipe my water bottle from the countertop and plant myself outside in one of the lounge chairs. I don’t miss the way Kasey watches as I remove my coverup, revealing a tasteful but skimpy bikini. I put on my sunglasses and lay back.

Aimee rolls her eyes so hard I can almost physically feel her doing it.

* * *

The doorbell rings. It echoes through the silent house, startling me. I wipe under my eyes. I must have fallen asleep. The empty bottle of wine is perched on the side table next to my lounger. My skin is tight with a minor sunburn feeling. Stretching, I stand up and head for the door.

KASEY

Ipull nervously at the collar of my shirt as the sound of the doorbell echoes throughout the home. I want to take Aimee out, and if she keeps dodging me at school, then maybe she’ll get how serious I am by just showing up at her place.

Chewing the inside of my mouth anxiously, I press the button again, then take a couple of steps back and glance around the front stoop. I’ve always liked her place; not that she knows how many times I’ve driven by, but it always seems so homey.Much more than mine does, anyway.

Just when I’m ready to give up, I hear a muffled argument on the other side of the door and swallow hard. When it’s finally yanked open, Aimee looks annoyed and I can feel my balls start to shrivel.

“I said, I’ve got it, Mom!” she barks over her shoulder before turning her attention to me. With a deep sigh, she steps out onto the stoop and pulls the door closed behind her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she arches an eyebrow. “What are you doing here, Kasey?”

“Well–” I clear my throat, embarrassed at the fact that it cracks slightly, then try again. “Well, I was just driving around town and thought I’d see if you wanted to come hang out for a little bit?”

She shakes her head as she purses her lips and I feel the instant sting of rejection. Until she opens her mouth and surprises me. “Yeah. Just let me go inside and grab my purse.”

That wasn’t supposed to happen,I think nervously.Aimee Huntington isn’t the kind of girl that goes for a ride with a guy like me.

Raking a hand back through my hair, I reach into my pocket and retrieve my phone, wondering what the incessant buzzing is when I see Eden’s name. I quickly swipe away, then shut the phone off, hoping that she won’t betoopissed when I call her for our usual FaceTime chat.

It’s not like she’d even notice really. This is probably that woman’s intuition I hear so much about,I think with an eye roll, as I slip the phone back into my pocket.

The door opens and closes behind me, drawing my attention back to Aimee. She promptly walks by me, down the stairs, over the walkway, until she stops by the passenger-side door of my car.Huh.

With a shrug, I follow suit and walk around the front of the car, unlocking my door, then pressing the buttons on the panel that will unlock hers as well. Once we’re both safely inside and strapped up, I give her a grin.

But Aimee isn’t looking at me.

She’s staring at the front door of her home, probably a million miles away, and I just happen to be hergreat escapefor now.

“You okay?” I ask, the grin on my lips faltering slightly.

“How did you know where I live?” she asks without looking at me.

“Um … I didn’t? I mean, I did, but… I don’t know. Lucky, maybe?”

The way I stumble over my words screams bullshit, but I don’t think she’d be too excited to know that my little crush has taken on such a life of its own that I kind of, sort of, broke into the guidance counselor's office to find her file.

“Okay,” she finally says in an indifferent tone. “So, where are we going?”

“Wherever you want,” I tell her, as I slip the keys into the ignition, then turn the car on. I give the gas pedal a firm squeeze so she can hear the roar of my engine, but she doesn’t seem impressed.Fine,I think irritably, as I put the car in drive, then pull away from the curb.If you don’t want to tell me where you want to go, then we’ll go wherever the hell the road takes us.

I press the radio button, then switch to my favorite satellite radio station and instantly begin to tap my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song sending a booming sensation through the car. My head begins to bob as the song goes on and I steal a glance over at Aimee who’s staring out the passenger window looking like the saddest person in the world.

“Does it really suck that much?” I ask with a chuckle.

“What?”

“Hanging out with me.”

She finally steals a glance in my direction just as I turn my eyes back toward the road.Goddammit. Ijustmissed making eye contact.

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