Fireworks: A Holiday Bad Boy Romance (13 page)

"Don't hold your breath." She
shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed a plate as I moved in behind her with a cocky
smile on my face.

"God, I love a challenge." I
glanced over at Clay as he shook his head.

"Oh fuck, here we go," he
mumbled, causing all of us to laugh.

Chapter 14

Cora

I laughed harder than I had in a long time
during dinner, and the laughter of my friends left me open, raw. I was tired of
being a bitch in hopes of Brody shoving off. It had only been a few short
conversations with him, but watching him interact with Clay and Daniel showed
me a very different guy as Emily had hinted he was.

I wasn't inviting him in my bed anytime
soon, but I could, at least, relent a little.

"Come on. I don't bite unless you ask
me to." He patted the couch next to him as I walked into the living room.
The way he watched me left me wanting to beg him to put his teeth on me, but I
ignored the desire and dropped down next to him.

"No biting, no touching, and no
misunderstanding my squeals for neediness. I'm an independent girl with no
desire for a knight in shining armor." I glanced over at him, lifting my
eyebrow in warning.

"He's no knight in shining
armor." Derek settled down into the chair closest to me and dipped his
spoon into a big bowl of banana pudding. "Not that I am, either."

"You're not?" Cindy walked in
and squeezed into the chair with him as Clay hit the button for the movie to
start.

"For you, yes." Derek wrapped an
arm around her and handed her the bowl. "Hold this so I can eat it?"

"Brother," Brody mumbled beside
me and reached for a handful of popcorn. "Don't tell anyone when I scream
like a girl. Got it?"

"You? Screaming?" I glanced over
at him, wanting to make a thousand inappropriate comments and yet knowing that
it would just start him up again. Seeing that he'd been acting a bit more chill
for the last few hours, I almost hated the idea of getting him started up
again.

"Only when the moment calls for
it." His eyes lingered on me, making me feel attractive, pretty.

"Stop. Behave or you're out." I
turned to the TV and stiffened as the lights went low and he moved closer,
pressing his face against the side of my hair.

"You don't want me to behave, Cora. I
promise." He brushed his lips by my ear as my heart started to race.
"But for the sake of our friends and your denial of a good time, I'll
try."

I turned to face him, almost brushing my
nose by his. "Denial of a good time?"

His eyes moved down toward my lips as his
breathing got a little off. "Yeah. A really good time."

"Orgasmic?" I whispered and
leaned in a little farther as the movie started to play. Everyone around us
could go to hell. This guy wanted to tease me as if I was the sweet sensitive
type that would fall to his good looks and his suave moves?

He licked his lips and nodded. "Fuck,
yeah."

"Sounds fun, but I'm not one to have
just one bite of anything. Especially weenies." I turned back to the movie
like nothing had happened.

Clay snorted and laughed. "You did
not just say that shit."

"She did." Emily piped in and
snuggled up against me, causing me to have to move over a little more toward
Brody.

"Sorry," I mumbled at him and
shoved my mouth full of popcorn.

"Payback is hell, baby girl." He
glanced over at me and smirked. "Should be fun, though."

"Shhh...I'm trying to watch
this." Dedra turned from the floor in front of the TV and glared at us.

"We should make the boys watch the
chick flick. Really. I want to see Brody suffer." I turned to look at
Cindy and Derek, hoping for some support.

"Keep denying him. That'll do more
than the movie could hope to." Daniel glanced back and laughed before his
eyes got wide as we laughed. "Sorry, dude. Just kidding around."

"Right." Brody sunk into the
couch and turned his attention toward the TV as the creepy music started.

"You almost look cute when you
pout," I whispered and watched him for another second while he ignored me.
"Almost."

I tried to focus on the movie, but it was
so hard with him next to me. The slightest movement, and my attention was back
on him. His arm brushed by mine several times, and dammit if I didn't feel like
I was in junior high again. He didn't seem to notice at all, but I was sure it
was part of his game.

A scream ripped from me as I glanced back
to the TV screen and Jason popped out from under a bed, leaving my heart racing
and goosebumps all over my arms and legs.

"Fuck," Emily yelled beside me.

I laughed and glanced over to find Brody
chuckling.

"Not funny." I moved to the edge
of the couch and got up, taking the popcorn with me. "Anyone else want a
beer?"

Several hands went up, and I counted them
before I walked into the kitchen. My heart racing over the movie was almost a
relief to the fact that my pulse kept spiking over Brody.

"Need some help?" The softness
in his voice was out of place, and not a good thing, at all.

"Yeah. Sure." I glanced over my
shoulder to watch him watching me.

"You look good tonight, by the way. I
know it sounds like a come-on, and I've been trying not to tell you all night,
but I figure I might as well get it over with and let the next round of
berating start." He smirked as I pulled a few beers from the fridge and
sat them down on the countertop next to me.

"Berating?" I took a few steps
toward him as desire rolled through me. His white polo shirt looked good
against his summer tan and blond hair. I should have been running from the room
screaming at the thoughts that drove through me, pounding in the need to relent
to him.

"Yep." He reached around me, his
shoulder brushing by my breasts. "You seem to have it out for me for some
odd reason."

"Not really. I'm just not interested.
I've said that a few times, though." I stiffened as he moved closer.

"Something tells me that you're
fighting a good fight where I'm concerned." He touched the bottom of my
chin, lifting my head a little. "Why not relent? I'm not a bad guy."

"How many women have you slept with
this summer so far?" I lifted my eyebrow at him, enjoying the firm press
of his fingers more than I should have.

He smirked. "Back to sex, hm? Always
sex with you, Cora."

"You know what I mean." I moved
back, but not far. The nearness was stimulating in a way that I wasn't ready to
walk away from just yet.

"No, I don't." He reached out
and brushed his fingers over my hip as he took the last step between us.
"And, why can't it be a summer affair filled with fun and laughter? Beers
and movies? Why have you already written it off as one night in the sack and
that's it? You don't think there's more to me that a night of fucking?"

I felt like shit. I was doing exactly what
I'd expected him to do.

"No, I mean, yes. Ugh. Fuck. I don't know."
I pushed at his chest. "And, stop crowding me. You smell too good for
that."

He lifted his shirt to his nose and
breathed in. "Abercrombie. My favorite."

"Yeah, mine, too," I mumbled a
little breathless.

"Give me a chance. Come to the movies
with me on Wednesday night. Just the two of us. Just as friends getting away
for some fun." He pursed his lips.

"No." I picked up the beers and
moved past him. "You're the kind of guy I fall for, Brody. It's not
happening this summer. I'm a grown ass woman now. I need to start acting like
it."

The movie stopped as everyone sat up and
grumbled.

I handed out beers and turned to see Brody
holding the remote. "Alright. All those in favor of Cora going to the
movies with me on Wednesday just as friends say aye!"

Everyone yelled “aye,” which garnished
them a look from me.

"All those opposed?" Brody
smiled at me as I lifted my hand.

"Nay, and I'm the only one that
matters." I shrugged and tossed him a beer. "Stop making us look
silly in front of our friends and come sit down."

"What movie you guys going to
see?" Emily asked.

I growled at her and dropped down on the
couch.

"There's a chick flick showing, I'm
sure." Brody rolled his eyes and glanced down the hall. "So, which
room is Cora's?"

"Why?" I asked, sitting up as my
back stiffened. What was this guy up to?

"Third on the left." Cindy
laughed as I threw a pillow at her.

"If I can beat you to your bed,
you're going with me." He turned and raced down the hall as I jumped up
and leapt over the coffee table.

Dedra's voice rose above the laughter.
"Oh shit. Look at that girl go."

Brody's laughter caused me to slow down,
but only a little. I had no doubt that he was testing me more than trying to
win a race to my bed. He wasn't running fast at all, but giving me the chance
to tell him whether I wanted to go or not without having to say a word. That he
was willing to give me an out left me not wanting one.

I jogged into my bedroom as he dove into
my bed and rolled onto his back with a wicked smile on his face.

"Looks like you're going to have to
hold me while I cry on Wednesday." He pulled my pillow from behind his
head and rubbed it on his chest.

"Give me that." I marched into
the room and reached for the pillow.

He grabbed my wrist and tugged me down on
him. "I thought you liked this cologne. I was just trying to give you the
opportunity to smell it all night long."

I pushed up on his chest and glared down
at him playfully. The bitch I'd been able to muster up earlier was nowhere to
be found, but I certainly felt her absence.

"You're dumb." I smirked and
started to move off the bed.

"You don't like sensitive guys?"
He tugged at my wrists, bringing me down across his chest again.

I pressed my nose to his shirt and
breathed in deeply, hating myself for doing it. "Nope. I only date
assholes. You didn't get the hint?"

He chuckled and brushed my hair behind my
ear as I moved back up. "You're so beautiful. Not throw you in the bed and
fuck you all night hot, but a pretty girl, nevertheless."

"You dick." I swatted at him and
climbed out of the bed. "Get up. I don't want you or anyone else getting
ideas."

"Well, you're three days too late at
this point. I've had loads of ideas since meeting you that first night."
He moved to sit on the side of my bed. "It smells good in here. Like apple
pie and lust."

"Get out." I picked up my pillow
and swatted him with it. "Clay?"

"Coming!" I could hear him from
down the hall.

Brody laid back across the bed and spread
his arms out. "You think Clay's going to get me out of here?"

"Yes, I do." I put my hands on
my hips and glanced toward the door as Clay stopped just inside of it.
"Help a sister out?"

"I wish I could, Cora." Clay
pressed his hands to the doorframe and nodded toward Brody. "I've known
this guy my whole life and he doesn't do anything without benefiting
himself."

"Great; the greedy type, hmm?" I
turned my attention back on Brody, ignoring how hot he looked spread out across
my bed.

"Thanks a lot, bro." Brody
turned to look over at Clay with a grimace on his handsome face.

"Sorry, man. Just name your price for
the girl and get out of her bed." Clay shrugged and turned to me.
"Ask his price."

"Why do I feel like you guys are
playing the fuck outta me right now?" I laughed and turned to Brody as my
heart skipped a beat. I'd been with hot guys, but the man before me outdid them
all by a long shot.

"No one's playing." Brody
winked. "I want a kiss."

"Good. Go get yourself one." I
reached for his hand. "There are loads of girls out there that would trip
over themselves to be kissed by a guy like you."

"A guy like me? A whore?" His
smile faltered, and I glanced over toward where Clay was to find him gone.
There would be no help from him.

"No, a guy that looks like you."
I pursed my lips and shook my hand, trying to outrun the inevitable as it
rushed toward me. I was going to fall for him. Physically, I was already there.

"Looks like me?" He brushed his
fingers by mine and smiled, but didn't take my hand. "How do I look?"

"Incredible," I whispered and
licked at my lips. "Get up. Seriously."

His expression changed a little, his
confidence back into place and the silly playful guy he was moments earlier
completely gone.

"Sure. For a kiss." He gripped
my hand and tugged me down, rolling us and pressing himself to the top of me as
he held me tightly. "No sex. No lust. Just a kiss between new
friends."

I couldn't breathe. It felt like the first
time I'd been pressed to a bed, and yet nothing could have been farther from
the truth.

"No kiss. Get up." I ran my
hands by his side as I lay contently trapped beneath him. The thick press of
his erection against my stomach liquefied my insides. I wanted the lust. The
sex. Fuck, I wanted the kiss.