Chapter 3
Texas eyed our surroundings as we exited the car. The paint on Marv’s BMW was unfinished and stillwet.
“Keep a look out,” Texas warned in a whisper as he scanned the area, stepping towards the door that ledinside.
I spotted Bellamy’s long legs under the front end of the car and had to smother a chuckle as we attempted to tiptoe around him. Bellamy’s hand shot out and grabbed ahold of Texas’ ankle. As he cursed and jerked, I dove for the door. In another split second, Texas yanked me back with his hand on my dress. I glared over my shoulder as Bellamy released Texas’ ankle only to snag his wrist before he could get away as he pulled himself tostanding.
I knew exactly what Texas was thinking before he did it and still, I couldn’t stop him. Texas looked at me with an apology in his eyes right before he pulled me back hard. I tripped, and Bellamy released Texas long enough to grab me in order to keep me fromfalling.
“Traitor!” I yelled as Texas disappeared into thehouse.
“He’ll go easier on you!” Texas yelled back,laughing.
I shook my head before looking up at Bellamy’s soulful browneyes.
He frowned. “Sweetheart,” he said, “you are in so muchtrouble.”
I grimaced. "Really, Bellamy, it's not that big of a deal. If you want help finishing the car, I can do that," I offered, hoping to escape whatever nefarious revenge he had planned. He set me back on my feet and I turned, backing towards thedoorway.
"If you're going to help me then maybe you should stop trying to escape and pick up a paint can." He bent over and picked up an airbrush can he had been using to repaint Marv'sBMW.
I sighed in relief and stopped backing away, instead, reaching for the can he held out to me. As my fingers grazed the metal, he dropped it and it slipped from my fingers. I squealed as he leaped forward, and went straight for my weak spots. I laughed as he tickled my sides, going right for the area under my ribs. I gasped for air, trying to kick away, but he was toostrong.
I screamed as Bellamy changed tactics and bent down, lifting me up and over his shoulder. I released a breath of surprise as he hefted me further up and tugged the bottom of my dress down to cover me before he swatted my butt. I growled as he strode towards the back of the garage. I had no clue what he was going to do, but I knew it couldn't be anything good. He and Texas had both proven to be tricksters in their own right. Bellamy may have appeared more serious, but once I had gotten to know him, and once I had let Texas convince me to trade sugar out for salt when he went to drink his morning coffee, that serious façade had broken. A part of me wondered if I shouldn't just give up and let him have his revenge. There would be no living with him until he got it. Then I saw what he was going for and my struggles increasedtenfold.
"No!" I yelled. "Notthat!"
Bellamy chuckled darkly as he stepped through the open door that led to the side yard. There could only be one reason we were going outside. I pressed my palms to his back and tried to push myself up. He didn't even hesitate in bringing me down in a bridal hold with my back pressed against one of his arms and my legs dangling over the other. As he rounded the house my eyeswidened.
Marv, who was sitting outside in nothing but a pair of trunk shorts and a white shirt, arched an eyebrow. He pressed the screen of his phone face down on his belly, placed his hands behind his head, and watched as Bellamy stalked towards the edge of the pool. My eyes beseeched him, but he merely saluted me with two fingers and sat back to watch the show. I turned my gaze toBellamy.
"You don't have to do this," I said. "I promise I'll help repaint the car. I won't let Texas talk me into another prank–I'll–"
"Sit still long enough for me to paint you?" Bellamy asked, stopping at the very edge of the pool. I glanced down hesitantly; the toes of his shoes were just over the rim, the water looking bright andwet.
I sighed. "Yes," I said with a pout. He had been trying to get me to let him paint me for days now. I didn't like the idea of sitting still for a long time, so I had refused each time he asked. But if it got me out of being tossed into the pool, then I'd freaking doit.
He nodded his head and I breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped away from the pool. The bastard had only been gearing up to swing me back and make sure that when he tossed me, I landed smack dab in the middle of the deep end. I surfaced, choking on water, and glaring in his general direction as I wiped the water from my eyes. I was sure the makeup I had painstakingly applied earlier was running in rivulets down myface.
He and Marv both smiled in my direction as I waded towards the steps leading to the patio. "You're both jerks!" I stepped onto the stones, drippingwet.
"You painted my car pink," Marv remindedme.
"This," I said as I strode up to his seat and wrung my hair out over his lower legs, snagging the towel under his feet. "This iswhy."
"You wouldn't have gotten thrown in if you had left my car alone," he remindedme.
"Pft." I turned away and headed towards the back door, Bellamy at my side. Now that he had gotten me back for leaving him to deal with the fallout, all was well again. I didn't even have it in me to stay mad athim.
"So..." he started as we strode through the sandstone tiled kitchen and into the living room. Cleo meowed from the couch. "Painting?" heasked.
I groaned, but nodded as I headed off towards my room. "Let me get showered and changed," I called over my shoulder. "I'll meet you in yourroom."
After I showered and changed, I made my way to Bellamy’s room. Cleo followed me up the stairs and waited while I knocked on the door before opening it. I hadn’t even bothered to find her a different home and the guys had welcomed her into our new one with open arms. Bellamy emerged from his closet laden down with supplies. As he began to set up, Cleo meowed. She continued to do so until, with a sigh, Bellamy stopped and patted her on the head in acknowledgement. I stifled a giggle as Cleo closed her eyes and purred into his hands. Finally, when she decided that he had done enough petting, she stood up and stretched before padding away from him and leaping onto the bed. Bellamy went back to the task athand.
Bellamy's room was a lot like the man who lived in it. The walls were dark gray on the far side, with the furthest wall tilted so that the bottom of the window edged outward towards the side of the house. His bed was a simple platform structure with a mattress covered in dark gray sheets and a lighter gray comforter and matching pillows ontop.
It seemed rather plain, yet it was anything but. I saw the paint spots on the floor at the end of one side of the bed. They looked like he had tried to clean them. The spots were light – barely discernible, but they were there. In the far corner, there was an acoustic guitar set straight up in its stand. Cleo leapt up on the bed as I moved past, pausing to smile down at the paintspots.