The blonde bombshell near the dresser spares me a glance before returning to her unpacking. “I claimed the bed by the window because it’s better. Also, I’m gonna need the whole dresser.”
Cade’s eyebrows lift and then his jaw clenches, clearly picking up on the tension in the room. I squeeze his hand, letting him know it’s fine. There’s no point in arguing over her theatrics. I’m used to her bitchiness, and really, it’s only two days. How bad can it be?
I force my lips into a smile I don’t feel. “Whatever you say, Lauren.”
MONDAY, APRIL 25TH
7 Weeks until Disaster
?Freshman Year
JUSTIN
SWEET SERENITY RANCH 11:58 P.M.
Soft whines, muffled yaps, and low scratching didn’t exactly equal a lullaby, but I’d eat nails before I ever complained. Noise meant I wasn’t alone. It reminded me that someone, a whole family, actually, cared about me. And the cloying scent of bleach stinging my nose… well, it gave me something to focus on other than the hard on from hell that wouldn’t go away.
Flipping on my stomach, I punched the pillow and slammed my face against the cotton.
Peyton was taunting me. Walking around in those little short shorts, finding excuses to touch me whenever she passed. Flushing pink and sending flirtatious looks my way whenever her parents weren’t watching. That kiss at the pond shifted things. Made me feel things I never felt before. Think things I never thought I would. Like what a future with her would be like… and asking her to be mine, officially. Introducing her to my friends, telling the whole damn school I was taken. Because I was.
Official or not, Peyton Williams owned me.
But that was where it got dangerous. With Sunshine, it wasn’t about the chase. It wasn’t even about the possibility of sex. I’d been turned on before, I was used to the pounding heart, the restless itch under my skin, the need for physical connection. This went beyond that. As hot as other girls had gotten me, I’d always been able to walk away. So much so that, despite my impressive reputation, I’d yet to take a girl to my bed.
I wasn’t claiming to be a saint. I’d hooked up plenty, and rounded three of the bases. Multiple times. But technically, if you wanted to get picky about it, I’d never made it to home. Something had always turned me off before it reached that point.
Turning off wasn’t even a possibility with Peyton. Every kiss, every touch, was fucking fantastic. She got me on a level that blew my mind. Honestly, it scared the hell out of me. I no longer knew which way was up, and the only thing keeping me from sneaking over to the main house, finding her bedroom, and seeing if she wanted me as badly as I wanted her was knowing how perfect she was. How innocent and pure and too damn good for me.
Plus, I owed Coach way too much to disrespect him like that.
I groaned into my pillow. I closed my eyes but the image of her kiss-swollen lips still burned my mind. Seeking relief, I tilted my hips and pushed deeper into the mattress.
One more night of this madness and then I’d be home. One more night and I’d be away from temptation, away from those short shorts, tan legs, and perky little—
A loud, angry bark pierced the fog of lust and stilled my movements.
“What the hell?”
A muted thump came from down the hall. My head snapped up, and I stretched my hearing, not even breathing so I wouldn’t miss a sound. I knew every door was locked, I’d checked them myself, so there was no way a dog was loose.
Another bump, this one closer, and the Doberman across the hall went nuts. I shot to my feet, reached for the baseball bat sticking out of my bag, and inched closer to the door. My chest felt like it was about to explode.
Holy shit. Someone had broken in and was trying to steal the dogs.
Who did that?
I popped my neck and tightened my grip on the wooden bat, the familiar feel centering me for the fight. No one messed with Coach and his family. Not when he trusted me with patrol. I inhaled a breath and reached for the doorknob, bracing myself as I leaned toward the door… just as it swung open for me.
“Shit!”
“Holy crap!”
The Doberman howled again, and I grabbed Peyton’s wrist, yanking her inside.
“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I asked, whispering like a dumbass even as the dogs went crazy around us. The baseball bat dropped from my fingertips and I slapped my hand over my thundering heart. “What—what the hell are you doing here?”
Through the faint light of my bedside lamp, I saw the rosy glow in her cheeks. Peyton tugged on the hem of her long tee, drawing my gaze to her bare legs, and I swallowed hard.
“Well—” the Doberman snarled again and she swiveled her head to hiss, “Nein!”