Fireworks: A Holiday Bad Boy Romance (15 page)

Chapter 16

Cora

He had to be pulling my leg. The soft tone
of his voice said otherwise, but I wasn't falling for his tricks. He wasn't
nearly as interested in me as he played to be. All the other guys had come by
the house the day before, but I'd not heard a peep from him. I wasn't sure what
I was expecting, but being ignored surely wasn't it.

We made it out to the island a few minutes
later, and he and the boys ran off to play a game of beach volleyball, inviting
us to come, of course, but laying out sounded much better.

"So..." Cindy dropped down in
the sand next to me.

"So what?" I lifted my
sunglasses so I could see her better.

"So, I saw you and Brody cuddling on
the front of the boat." She smirked as Emily let out a soft laugh.

"Oh... that. Right, well Clay turned
the boat too hard and caused me to roll onto the sexy bastard. You probably
helped plan it. At least, some of you did." I lifted my eyebrow as I
turned my gaze to Emily.

She lifted her hands in the air. "Me?
Oh, hell no. I didn't do that. Clay just drives like a crazy man, from what I
can tell."

Emily shrugged and laid back, letting out
a sigh. "You should be happy about it, though. Brody is wicked hot."

"Agreed." Cindy laid down and
brushed the sand from her chest as Dedra piped in from the other side of me.

"Yep. Sexy as sin." She wagged
her eyebrows.

"Alright." I dropped down in the
sand. "I get it. Maybe you guys are right, but you know how I feel about
blonds."

"And, we think it's dumb." Dedra
turned to look at me. "Brandon's an asshole and deserves to rot in the
deepest parts of hell for what he did to you, but Brody isn't Brandon. You have
to try again sometime, Cora. You're going to spend the next few years by
yourself trying to make sure you don't get hurt, and what if Mr. Right comes
along?"

Tears burned my eyes, and I was grateful
for my sunglasses. "I know. I'm just not sure Brody is that guy. We barely
know him."

Cindy reached over and squeezed my hand.
"Then get to know him. If you think sex will mess that up, then tell him
that you're willing to go out sometime, but not sleep together."

Emily turned and propped up on her elbow.
"Well, don't tell him I told you this, but Clay told me this morning on
the phone that Brody hasn't slept with a girl for the last few days, which is a
record for him. I'm thinking there is a reason for that."

"His herpes are flaring up?" I
smirked, but the expression faded as I got a look from all three of my friends.
"Really? All of you guys are in support of me giving this man-whore a
chance?"

"Yep." The response was done in
unison, and I was without a leg to stand on. They saw something in this crazy
hot guy that maybe I didn't. Or perhaps I did, and just didn't want to admit
it.

"Alright fine, but when he breaks my
heart, you guys are going to be held fully responsible." I shrugged and
closed my eyes, letting my thoughts drift back to the kiss. I wanted another
one, and now that it was on someone besides me when the shit hit the fan like
it always did, I was planning on getting at least one more kiss.

*

"You wanna come in and shower with me
before our date?" Brody wagged his eyebrows at me as I stood at the bottom
of the stairs by their cabin.

"Um, no, but thank you. I'd rather
wash the sand from my crevices alone." I smirked as he chuckled.

"Come on. I wouldn't mind helping you
clean up." His eyes moved across me, and my desire for a few kisses turned
into the need for a long night pressed to the bed beneath him.

"Nope, but thanks. Are you picking me
up or what?" I turned and walked to the car where my friends were waiting.

"I'm getting us two bikes for the
evening. I want to show you the far side of the island. You up for a late-night
ride after the show?" He pulled his t-shirt over his head, and I almost
lamented over not getting to stare at his beautifully sculpted chest for a few
more minutes.

"I'm up for it. Are we eating?"

"Each other?" His brow lifted.

"Dinner." I rolled my eyes and
opened the door to the car.

"Anything you want." He
shrugged. "I'll be there in an hour with your lovely pink bicycle and a
handsome escort for your evening. Sound good?"

"Oh, Daniel's going with us?" I
chuckled and got into the car, ignoring the smirk on his mouth that was likely
to drive me mad.

"God, he's hot. Please tell me if you
guys decide not to go any farther than just being friends." Dedra waved as
I pulled out of their driveway.

"I thought you were starting to talk
to some guy at church?" I glanced over at her as I slowed my turn for a
group of bikers.

"No, that guy was all hands. I swear
those church boys can be the worst." She huffed and glanced into the
backseat at Emily and Cindy. "They're already sound asleep. I need a man.
That's why they're tired and you and I are wide awake up here."

I snorted. "True that."

"What do you think about Daniel? He's
already in our little friend group we've created, and he's really good looking
under that nerdy intellectual thing he has going on. No?" She turned her
attention to me as I chuckled.

"Nerdy intellectual thing? I'm pretty
sure that's just his personality, Dee." I pulled up to the stop sign and
glanced over at her. "He's pretty inexperienced, you know. I mean, not
that I know, but just from what I can tell."

"Yeah, I gathered that, but I kind of
like it. It seems like most guys are over-experienced nowadays, and you get
some dumb ass that won't listen to you in the bedroom because he knows so much.
Ugh. Drives me nuts." She huffed and rolled down the window. "I think
I might start hitting on him a little and see what happens."

"I think that's a great idea, but if
you want to wait a few days, I'm sure Brody will be available." I pulled
up to our driveway and parked the car as she started in on me about how great
Brody could be underneath his sexy playboy appeal.

"Not this again." I got out of
the car and moved to the back door, pressing my hands to it and pushing. The
car shook and the look on Cindy and Emily's faces as they jolted awake was
almost priceless. "Get up, girlies!"

"Hey." Dedra tapped the top of
the car, getting my attention. "You do what's best for you, okay? No
matter what all of us think or don't think. Do what works for you and makes you
comfortable and happy."

"Alright. Thanks, Dee." I smiled
at her, realizing that I was using Brody's nickname for her. We all had various
names we used for each other, but I like the name Dee. It was fitting.

I walked into the house and made a beeline
for the shower, closing the door and locking the world away for a few minutes
as I prepared for what was sure to be an interesting night, if nothing else.

After blow-drying my hair and putting on a
little bit of make-up, I called Cindy from the kitchen to help me with outfits.

"The blue or the white?" I stood
in front of my bed, the two summer dresses that fit me best laid out in front
of me.

"I like them both. The white will
bring out your tan, but the tightness of the blue one just under your boobs
makes them look bigger, you know?" She crossed her arms over her chest and
glanced over at me. "Are we going for pretty or fucking hot?"

I laughed. "Both?"

"The white one. Your boobs are big
enough to get their own attention. You don't need an outfit to help with
that." She picked up the white one and handed it to me. "Wear the
brown sandals that wrap around your calves, too. They're sexy."

"Alright. Thanks. Tell me when he's
here." I closed the door behind her and lifted the dress up before
remembering that I was going to be riding a bike. I tossed it into a pile of
clean clothes on the chair next to me and decided on a pair of short white
shorts and a double layered tank top. It was summery and cute. That's all I
needed to be for the evening. Now to hope that the movie theater wasn't
insanely cold.

I'd just finished putting on my earrings
when I heard Brody and the girls talking and laughing about something. He was a
little early, but it was probably for the best. Being rushed through dinner
would suck, and even if we were going as friends, I still wanted time to find
out more about this guy I was kinda, sorta thinking about letting into my bed.
Maybe. Probably.

Fuck.
Most likely.

I walked out into the hall and caught
sight of him before he realized I was walking that way. Warmth rushed through
the center of me as he turned and smiled. His outfit was almost matched
perfectly to mine.

"We're twining? You planned this,
didn't you?" He smirked as I walked toward him and let my eyes move along
him.

"No, but it's almost eerie that we
are." I laughed and glanced over at my friends. "Alright, you guys
know the code. If I text you the word blueberries, one of you call and get me
out of the date with a false emergency."

"Oh Lord." Dedra rolled her eyes
and patted Brody's chest as she walked toward the kitchen. "Good luck with
this one, Brody. I'll be praying for you."

"Me, too, and I don't pray." Emily
laughed and opened the door. "Get out of here and have a good time. If
you're not back by midnight, we'll put in a missing persons ad for you."

Brody walked out behind me, chuckling.
"You guys really do use that safe word thing?"

"Yeah. Of course." I glanced
over at him as we walked down the stairs. "You've never had that happen to
you?"

"Never." He stopped beside two
bikes, both of them blue. "Then again, I usually don't have too much of a
problem providing a stimulating evening."

"Cocky as ever, I see." I
gripped the handles of one of the bikes and threw my leg over it. "Lead
the way. It's the only time tonight I'll let you have control."

"We'll see about that." He
smirked and got on his bike. "The restaurant is just up the hill. Try to keep
up, but if you need me to slow down, just let me know."

"Oh no, you didn't," I mumbled
as I pressed the pedal on the bike and stayed just behind him. "What's the
name of the place?"

"It's Tanginitas. Mexican. That
okay?" He glanced back at me as he pumped his legs.

"Sounds perfect." I started to
go around him to prove the point that I could ride as hard as he could, but the
view in front of me gave me pause. His shorts looked delicious on him, his
strong tanned legs covered in golden hair and layered with muscle.
Decisions, decisions.

My ego won out, and I moved around him
with ease, pumping my legs as I climbed the hill in front of us. I made it
across the street and parked in front of the restaurant as he called out to me.

"Show off." He stopped beside me
a little winded. "You work out?"

"You know I do." I smiled and
got off the bike, looking for a place to tie it up. "I just needed to
remind you that girls are just as capable as boys."

"Good to know, but the hope in even
playing like they weren't was to get you to pull in front. I wanted to see your
ass in those shorts. Best part of my summer, to be honest. Come on, over
here."

"You ass." I got off, chuckling
at his cocky response. Whether it was true or not was irrelevant. He was ballsy
enough to say it, either way.

"You love it." He bent down and
tied up his side before moving to mine and tying mine up to.

"Don't flatter yourself." I
brushed my hands over my hair as it danced around me thanks to the strong
breeze coming off the lake.

"I'm hoping you'll flatter me instead
and save me the trouble." He offered me his arm. "My lady?"

"I'm thinking there is far more to
you than you let most people see." I slid my arm into his as I worked to
ignore how good it felt to be close to him.

"Most people hide those parts of
themselves that scream insecurity, right?" He opened the door and watched
me as I walked by.

"I guess that's very true." I
moved up to the hostess stand and asked for a table for two.

"On the patio," Brody chimed in.
He pressed his fingers to my lower back as we walked through the restaurant and
made our way out onto the back patio.

The sun was starting to set over the edge
of the lake, and the burnt orange and crimson in the sky pulled at my desire to
belong to someone, to be romantic with someone.

"It's beautiful out here." I sat
down and took the menu the hostess offered.

"Hell yeah, it is." His eyes
were on me, moving around my face slowly as it he'd found something of great
interest.

"Stop it, or I might actually start
thinking more highly of you." I smirked and glanced down at the menu.

"Please don't. I'd rather rise to the
occasion of surprising you than disappointing you greatly." He leaned back
and pursed his lips.