I climbed up the pool steps and grabbed my towel, quickly wiping down my body. As I toweled my hair, West came out of the pool house holding a blunt in one hand and a beer in the other. I bit the side of my cheek and went to go around him, still holding the towel to my hair.
"Um, I didn't even think to ask. Is it okay if I stay for the party? If not, I can see if Gabby will pick me up."
His gaze flicked from my face to my chest, looking at my ample cleavage still dripping with pool water. I hoped he couldn't see my thumping heartbeat.Get yourself together, Hawthorne.
"It's not my party, but I've never known Axel to turn anyone away," he swallowed, his throat bobbing. I became aware of his tight shirt stretching across his wide chest and biceps. I forced my eyes to stay on his.
Fuck, I wanted him to ravage me. I wanted him to take me inside and fuck me into next week. My thighs clenched on their own accord.
"Okay." I barged past him, not giving a shit that I got pool water on his shirt. I needed to get away from his presence. His scent. Everything.
Right then I decided. West would be mine before the night was done. Even if just for a few hours, I would get what I wanted from him. What I needed from him. Our history be damned.
19
West
Ashtynpushedpastmeand into the pool house, I presumed to change out of that hot as hell swimsuit. She filled it–and fell out of it–so well. It took everything in me to not stare at her like a creeper as she swam and floated in the pool.
Axel wouldn't shut the fuck up about our sexcapades from the night before. The fucker knew he was poking the bear when he stood in the window of the pool house and stared at her. I pulled him back so quickly he got whiplash and laughed at me.
Her body was sinful. I wanted to get lost in her luscious curves. I wanted to enjoy every single inch of her. Savor her. Learn her. Drown in her.
Our first time together was just that,ourfirst time. Ashtyn didn't know it was my first time too–although she might have figured it out. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. It felt amazing and I made sure she came once before we even got to fucking, but I certainly didn't last very long. I needed a do-over.
I missed her body, the closeness we had, our connection. My mind was a constant tug-of-war, pushing her away and pulling her closer. My brain and my heart could never agree, and Ashtyn was no exception.
People started showing up to thelow-keyparty.
Yeah right, there were already people jumping in the pool and a few setting up beer pong. Most of the guys were friends with Cade, courtesy of the GPHS football team. They were okay when they were sober but once they started drinking, they got sloppy and annoying.
I sipped from my beer and looked for a place to sit before more people showed up. Choosing a chair that surrounded the patio table with fake flames in the center, I propped one foot up on the table and lit my blunt, taking a drag off it and holding the smoke.
"I was hoping to see you here," an annoying, and unfortunately familiar, voice said next to me.
Whoever brought her should be permanently uninvited from all parties in the future. Every single one of them.
Kendra pulled a chair as close to mine as possible and sat on the edge of it. Her bleached blonde hair was almost blinding. She must've redone it recently. With a smirk on her pouty lips, she pulled up the straps on her red bikini top.
"Here I am," I said before puffing on my blunt again. I scanned the crowd and noticed Gabby walking through the backyard heading for the pool house. She was hard to miss. Her electric blue hair stood out in the crowd of browns and blondes. Her eyes met mine and they instantly turned hostile as Kendra put her claws on my thigh. Fuck.
"Did you need something?" I pushed her hand off my leg. Bitch was killing my vibe. Based on the look I got from Gabby, getting anywhere near Ashtyn today would be out of the question. She would make sure of that.
Kendra giggled–as if the asshole tone of my voice was funny–and leaned close to me. "I needyou," she said, attempting to be seductive. I walked right into that one.
"I'm not interested."
"You were interested when you asked me to meet you in the locker room," she huffed, irritated by the rejection.
"I really wasn't. I was trying to get a beautiful brunette out of my head. Turns out she's taken up permanent residence, so this is the last time I'm gonna tell you. Back. The fuck. Off." I gritted my teeth and she sat back in her chair.
"Oh shit, am I interrupting something?" Cade asked before sitting in the chair next to me.
"No, she was just leaving."
The hurt on her face did nothing to me. I was sick of Kendra's antics. We'd barely said ten words to each other over the last few months. She wanted me because Cade didn't want her, and I had my eyes on one girl and one girl only.
And that sure as fuck wasn't Kendra.