Текст книги "Truly Madly Yours "
Автор книги: Рэйчел Гибсон
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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 18 страниц)
He slid his big hands down her sides, then slipped them beneath the loose edge of her sweater. She felt his fingers lightly caress the small of her back, the stroke of each across her skin. Then his warm callused palms slipped to her waist, and his thumbs skimmed her abdomen, fanning lightly over her heated flesh. The knot in her stomach tightened even more and the sensation of pinpricks tingled her chest, drawing her nipples taut as if hed touched her there. He made her forget she stood on a crowded dance floor. He made her forget everything. Her hands drifted to the sides of his neck, and she tangled her fingers in his hair. Then the kiss changed, became almost gentle, and he softly pressed his thumbs into her navel. He slid his thumbs beneath the waistband of her jeans and pulled her tight against the long hard bulge just to the right of his button fly.
Her own choked moan brought an instant of sanity, and she tore her mouth from his. She gasped for breath, ashamed and appalled at her bodys uncontrolled reaction. Hed done this to her before, only that time she hadnt stopped him.
She pushed at him and his hands fell to his sides. When she finally looked into his face, his gaze was hooded and watchful. Then his jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed.
“You shouldnt have come back. You should have stayed gone, he said, then he turned and forced his way through the throng of people.
Stunned by her behavior and his and the desire still surging through her veins, Delaney was unable to move for several long moments. Blues continued to pump from the big speaker, and the couples around her swayed to the beat as if nothing disturbing had just happened. Only Delaney knew that it had. It wasnt until the music stopped that she stumbled back to her table. Maybe he was right. Maybe she should have stayed gone, but shed sold her soul for money. A lot of money, and she couldnt leave now.
Delaney shoved her arms into her jacket and made her way to the front entrance. There was only one way she was going to survive the next seven months. Revert back to plan A and avoid Nick as much as possible. With her head down, she stepped out into the brisk air. Her breath hung in front of her face as she zipped her coat.
The unmistakable rumble of Nicks Harley shook the night, and Delaney glanced over her shoulder. He stood with the big bike between his widespread legs, his back to her, and a worn black leather jacket stretched across his shoulders. He held his hand out and one of the Howell twins jumped on behind, bonding her perfect self to his butt like super glue.
Delaneys head snapped back around and she shoved her hands in her pockets for the short walk home. Nick had the morals of a tomcat. He always had, but why hed kissed her when he had one of the Howell girls with him was beyond Delaneys understanding. In fact, why hed kiss her at all was past comprehension. He didnt like her. That much was clear.
Of course, he hadnt liked her ten years ago, either. Hed used her to get back at Henry, but Henry was dead now, and getting involved with her could mean hed lose the bequest Henry had given him. Nick was many things, all of them complicated, but he wasnt stupid.
She took a left at the alleyway and walked toward the stairs leading to her apartment. It didnt make sense, but many things Nick did had never made any sense to her.
In any other city, Delaney might have been afraid to walk the streets after dark, but not in Truly. Occasionally one of the summer homes at the north side of the lake got broken into. But nothing really bad ever happened here. People didnt lock their cars, and more often than not, didnt bother to lock their homes, either.
Delaney had lived in too many big cities to leave without locking her apartment. Once shed climbed the stairs and was inside, she secured the door behind her and tossed the keys on the glass and black coffee table. While she unlaced her boots, she thought about Nick and her crazy reaction to him. For a few unguarded moments, shed wanted him.
And hed wanted her, too. Shed felt it in the way he touched her and in the hard bulge of his erection.
The boot in Delaneys hand hit the floor, and she frowned into the darkness. On a crowded dance floor, shed kissed him like he was a fresh batch of sin and she was dying for a taste. Hed made her burn, and shed wanted him like she hadnt wanted any other man in a long time. Like shed wanted him once before. Like no one existed beyond him and nothing else mattered. Nick was the only man shed ever known who could make her forget everything. There was something about him that went straight to her head. Hed gotten to her tonight, just as he had the night before shed left Truly ten years ago.
She didnt like to think about what had happened, but she was exhausted and her mind did an unstoppable turnback to the memories shed always tried to forget, but never could.
The summer after high school graduation had started out bad, then proceeded to go to hell. Shed just turned eighteen and figured it was finally time for her to have a say in her life. She didnt want to attend college right away. She wanted to take a year off to decide what she really wanted to do, but Henry had already preregistered her at the University of Idaho, where hed been a member of the Alumni Hall of Fame. Hed chosen her classes and signed her up for a full load of freshman courses.
At the end of June she got up the nerve to talk to Henry about a compromise. She would go part-time to Boise State University where Lisa was going, and she wanted to take classes she thought sounded fun.
He said no. End of subject.
With the August registration date breathing down her neck, she approached Henry again in July.
“Dont be silly. I know whats best for you, he said. “Your mother and I have discussed this, Delaney. Your plans for your future are aimless. Youre obviously much too young to know what you want.
But shed known. Shed known for a long time, and somehow shed always thought that on her eighteenth birthday she would get it. For some mixed-up reason, shed thought that with her freedom to vote would come real freedom. But when her February birthday had passed without the slightest change in her life, she figured graduation from high school had to mean liberation from Henrys control. She would get the freedom to break out and be Delaney. The freedom to be wild and crazy if she wanted to. To take silly college classes. To wear holey jeans or too much makeup. To wear the clothes she wanted. To look like a preppie, a bum, or a whore.
She didnt get those freedoms. In August Henry and her mother drove her four hours north to the University of Idaho in the town of Moscow, Idaho, and she registered for the fall semester. On the way back home, Henry kept saying, “trust me to know whats best for you. And “Someday youll thank me. When you get your business degree, youll help run my companies. Her mother accused her of being “spoiled and immature.
The next night, Delaney snuck out of her bedroom window for the first and last time of her life. She could have asked Henry to use his car, and he probably would have let her, but she didnt want to ask him for anything. She didnt want to tell her parents where she was going, who she was going to be with, or what time shed be home. She didnt have a plan, just a vague idea of doing something shed never done before. Something other eighteen year olds did. Something reckless and exciting.
She curled her straight blond hair on big fat rollers and put on a pink sundress that buttoned up the front. The dress reached just above the knee and was the most daring thing she owned. The straps were thin and she didnt wear a bra. She thought she appeared older than her age, not that it mattered. She was the mayors daughter and everyone knew how old she was anyway. She walked all the way into town in pair of huarache sandals and carrying a white cardigan. It was a warm Saturday night, and there had to be something going on. Something shed always been afraid to do for fear of getting caught and disappointing Henry.
She found that something outside the Hollywood Market on Fifth Street where she stopped to call Lisa from a pay phone. She stood beneath a weak light screwed into the front of the brick building. “Come on, she pleaded into the receiver she held to her ear. “Meet me.
“I told you, I feel like my head is going to explode, Lisa said, sounding pathetic with a bad summer cold.
Delaney stared at the metal numbers on the face of the phone and frowned. How could she rebel by herself? “Baby.
“Im not a baby, Lisa defended herself. “Im sick.
She sighed and glanced up, her attention drawn to the two boys moving across the parking lot toward her. “Oh, my God. She hung her sweater over one arm and cupped her hand around the receiver. “The Finley boys are walking toward me. There were only two other brothers who had worse reputations than Scooter and Wes Finley. The Finleys were eighteen and twenty and had just graduated high school.
“Dont make eye contact, Lisa had warned, then lapsed into a coughing fit.
“Hey there, Delaney Shaw, Scooter drawled and leaned one shoulder against the building beside her. “What are you doing out by yourself?
She glanced into his pale blue eyes. “Looking for fun.
“Huh huh, he laughed. “Guess you found it.
Delaney had graduated from Lincoln High with the Finleys and found them slightly amusing and somewhat dense. Theyd kept the school year interesting with false fire alarms or pulling down their pants to show their very white butts. The Finleys were big on mooning. “What did you have in mind, Scooter?
“Delaney—Delaney– Lisa called into the receiver. “Run. Run as, fast as you can away from the Finleys.
“Drink a little brew, Wes answered for his brother. “Find a party.
Drinking “brew with the Finleys was certainly something shed never done before. “I gotta go, she said to Lisa.
“Delaney—
“If they find my body floating in the lake, tell the police I was last seen with the Finleys. As she hung up the receiver, an old convertible Mustang with rust spots and rustier pipes pulled into the parking lot, the twin beams spotlighting Delaney and her new friends. The lights and engine died, the door swung open, and out stepped six feet, two inches of bad attitude. Nick Allegrezza had tucked an “Eat the Worm T-shirt into a pair of old jeans. He looked Scooter and Wes over, then turned his gaze on Delaney. In the past three years, Delaney had seen little of Nick. He spent most of his time in Boise where he worked and attended the university. But he hadnt changed that much. His hair was still shiny black, cut short at his ears and the back of his neck. He was still breathtaking.
“We could have our own party, Scooter suggested.
“Just the three of us? she asked loud enough for Nick to hear. He used to call her a baby, usually right after hed thrown a grasshopper at her. She wasnt a baby now.
A frown pulled at the corners of his mouth, then he turned and disappeared into the market.
“We could go back to our house, Wes continued. “Our parents are out of town.
Delaney returned her attention to the brothers. “Ah ... are you going to invite anyone else?
“Why?
“For a party, she answered.
“Do you have any girlfriends you can call?
She thought about her only friend home sick with a cold and shook her head. “Dont you know some other people you can invite?
Scooter smiled and took a step closer. “Why would I want to do that?
For the first time, apprehension fluttered in Delaneys stomach. “Because you want to party, remember?
“Well party. Dont you worry.
“Youre scaring her, Scoot. Wes pushed his brother and knocked him aside. “Come back to our house and well call people from there.
Delaney didnt believe him and lowered her gaze to her sandals. Shed wanted to be like other eighteen-year-old girls. Shed wanted to do something reckless, but she wasnt up for a threesome. And there was no doubt thats what they had in mind. If and when Delaney decided to lose her virginity, it wouldnt be with one or both of the Finleys. Shed seen their pale butts—and thank you, no.
Getting rid of them was going to be difficult, and she wondered how long she would have to stand in front of the Hollywood Market before they finally gave up and went away.
When she looked up, Nick stood by the side of his car shoving a six-pack of beer in the backseat. He straightened, rested his weight on one foot, and pinned his gaze on Delaney. He stared at her for several long moments, then said, “Come here, princess.
Thered been a time when shed been both frightened and fascinated by him at the same time. Hed always been so cocky, so sure of himself, and so forbidden. She was no longer afraid, and the way she saw it, she had two choices: trust him or trust the Finleys. Neither option was great, but despite his nasty reputation, she knew Nick wouldnt force her to do something she didnt want to do. She wasnt so sure she could say the same for Scooter and Wes. “See you guys around, she said, then slowly walked to the baddest of the bad boys. The leap in her pulse had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the smooth rich tone of his voice.
“Wheres your car?
“I walked into town.
He opened the drivers side door. “Climb in.
She looked up into his smoky eyes. He wasnt a boy anymore, no doubt about it. “Where are we going?
He nodded toward the Finleys. “Does it matter?
It probably should have. “You arent going to take me on a snipe hunt and dump me in the forest, are you?
“Not tonight. Youre safe.
She tossed her sweater into the back and climbed across the console and into the passenger seat with as much dignity as possible. Nick fired up the Mustang, and the dash lights flashed to life. He backed out of the parking lot and pulled onto Fifth. “Are you going to tell me where were going now? she asked, excitement tingling her nerve endings. She couldnt believe she was actually sitting in Nicks car. She couldnt wait to tell Lisa. It was just too incredible.
“Im taking you back home.
“No! She turned toward him. “You cant. I dont want to go back there. I cant go back yet.
He glanced at her then returned his gaze to the dark road before him. “Why not?
“Stop and let me out, she said instead of answering his question. How could she explain to anyone, let alone Nick, that she couldnt breathe there anymore? It felt like Henry had his foot on her throat, and she couldnt get air deep inside her lungs. How could she explain to Nick that shed waited most of her life to break free of Henry, but now she knew that day would never happen? How could she explain that this was her way of finally fighting back? Hed probably laugh at her and think she was immature, like Henry and her mother did. She knew she was naive, and she hated it. Her eyes began to water, and she turned away. The thought of crying like a baby in front of Nick horrified her. “Just let me out here.
Instead of stopping, he turned the Mustang onto the road leading to Delaneys house. The street ahead of the cars headlights was like an inky tube, shadowed by towering pine and lit only by the reflection of the center divider.
“If you take me home, Ill just leave again.
“Are you over there crying?
“No, she lied, forcing her eyes real wide, hoping the wind would hurry and dry them out.
“What were you doing with the Finleys?
She glanced over at him, his face cast in the gold lights of the dashboard. “Looking for something to do.
“Those two guys are bad news.
“I can handle Scooter and Wes, she bragged, although she wasnt so sure.
“Bullshit, he said and stopped the Mustang at the end of the long drive leading to her house. “Now, go on home where you belong.
“Dont tell me where I belong, she said as she reached for the handle and shoved the door with her shoulder. She was sick to death of everyone telling her where to go and what to do. She jumped from the car and slammed the door behind her. With her head high, she headed back toward town. She was too angry for tears.
“Where do you think youre going? he called after her.
Delaney flipped him the bird and it felt good. Freeing. She kept walking and heard him swear right before the sound of his voice was drowned out by the squeal of tires.
“Get in, he shouted as the car pulled alongside her.
“Go to hell.
“I said get in!
“And I said go to hell!
The car stopped but she kept on walking. She didnt know where she was going this time, but she wasnt going back home until she was good and ready. She didnt want to go to the University of Idaho. She didnt want a degree in business. And she didnt want to spend any more of her life in a little town where she couldnt breathe.
Nick grabbed her arm and spun her around. The headlights lit him from behind, and he looked huge and imposing. “For Christ sake, what is your problem?
She pushed at him and he grabbed her other arm. “Why should I tell you? You dont care. You just want to dump me. Tears pooled on her lower lashes, and she was mortified. “Dont you dare call me a baby. Im eighteen.
His gaze drifted from her forehead to her mouth. “I know how old you are.
She blinked and stared at him through blurred vision, at the finely etched bow of his top lip, his straight nose, and his clear eyes. Months of angry frustration poured out of her like water through a sieve. “Im old enough to know what I want to do with my life. And I dont want to go to college. I dont want to go into business, and I dont want anyone to tell me whats best for me. She took a deep breath, then continued. “I want to live my own life. I want to think about myself first. Im tired of trying to be perfect, and I want to screw up like everybody else. She thought a moment, then said, “I want everyone to back off. I want to experience life– my life . I want to suck the marrow. Take a walk on the wild side. I want to take a bite out of my life.
Nick pulled her up to the tips of her toes and looked into her eyes. “I want to take a bite out of you, he said, then he lowered his mouth to hers and softly bit the fleshy part of her bottom lip.
For several long heartbeats Delaney stood perfectly still, too stunned to move. Her head clogged with a myriad of astonished sensations. Nick Allegrezza was softly biting her lips and her breath caught in the top of her lungs. His mouth was warm and firm, and he kissed her like a man whod had a lifetime of experience. His hands moved to cup her face, and he slipped his thumbs along her jaw to her chin. Then he pressed downward until her mouth opened. His warm tongue swept inside and touched hers, and he tasted like beer. Hot shivers ran up her spine and she kissed him like shed never kissed anyone else. No one had ever made her feel like her skin was too tight at the base of her skull and across her breasts. No one had ever made her want to act first and deal with the consequences later. She placed her hands on the solid wall of his chest and sucked his tongue into her mouth.
And always in the back of her mind was the absolute incredibility of it all. This was Nick, the boy whod spent equal time terrorizing and fascinating her. Nick, the man, made her feel hot and breathless.
He ended the kiss before Delaney was ready, and she slid her palms to the sides of his neck.
“Lets get out of here, he said and grabbed her hand.
This time she didnt ask him where they were going.
She didnt care.
Chapter Seven
They drove three miles out of town and parked on the sandy shore of Angel Beach. The property was secluded and they had to open a wire gate to get to it. It was an area Delaney knew fairly well. Dense forest gave way to white sand, and it all belonged to Henry.
Nick leaned his behind against the hood of the Mustang, then planted one foot on the bumper. He pulled two Coors out of the six-pack, then set the rest next to him. “Have you ever drank a beer? he asked, popping the two tops and handing one to Delaney.
Shed been allowed to taste Henrys. “Yeah, sure. All the time.
He slanted her a glance from beneath his lashes. “All the time, huh? He raised the can to his lips and took a long pull.
Delaney watched him and took a sip of her own beer. She hid her grimace by turning her back and looking out at Lake Mary twenty feet in front of her. A shimmering path led across the dark ripples to the full moon hanging low above the water. The trail looked magical, like you could step from the shore onto it and never get wet. Like you could walk across the water and end up someplace exotic. She tried her beer again, and this time she succeeded in keeping the frown from her face. A cool breeze whispered across her skin, but she wasnt cold.
“I take it you dont want to go to the U of I.
She turned back toward Nick. Streaks of moonlight glistened in his dark hair. “No, I dont want to go to college right now.
“Then dont.
She laughed and took a few more sips of her beer. “Yeah, right. When has what I wanted ever counted for anything? Henry didnt even ask me which classes Id like to take this fall. He just signed me up and paid for it all.
Nick was quiet for a moment and Delaney didnt have to ask him what he was thinking. The irony spoke louder than words. Nick worked his way through college to pay for the privilege his father was forcing on Delaney. “Tell the old man to shove it. I would.
“I know you would, but I cant.
He raised the can and asked, “Why not?
Because shed always felt like she owed Henry for rescuing her mother and her from that tiny Airstream trailer on the outskirts of Las Vegas. “I just cant. Her gaze took in the black outline of the mountains before resting once again on Nick. “This is so weird, she said. “I never would have thought you and I would be drinking buddies.
“Whys that?
She looked at him like he was slightly retarded.
“Because youre who you are. And Im me, she said and took a few more sips.
His gaze narrowed. “You mean because youre the mayors daughter and Im his bastard son?
His bluntness surprised her. Most of the people she knew didnt come right out and say things like that. They kissed the air above your cheek and said you looked good when you didnt. She wondered what it was like to have that kind of freedom. “Well, I wouldnt put it that way.
“How would you put it then?
“That your family hates me, and my family doesnt care for you.
He tilted his head back and drained half his beer. He studied her over the top of the can until he lowered it again. “Its a little more complex than that.
“True. Youve spent most of your life torturing me.
One corner of his full mouth lifted. “I never tortured you. I may have teased you occasionally.
“Ha! When I was in third grade you told me that Reggie Overton stole little blond-haired girls and fed them to his Dobermans. I was terrified of Reggie for years.
“And youve spent most of your life walking around with your nose in the air as if I smell bad.
“No, I havent. Delaney didnt think shed ever looked at anyone like that.
“Yes, you have, he assured her.
“Than why did you kiss me tonight?
His gaze slid to her mouth. “Curious.
“Curious to see if Id let you?
He chuckled quietly and let his eyes move down the row of buttons closing her dress. “No, he said as if a rejection had never occurred to him. He looked back up into her eyes. “Curious to see if you taste as sweet as you look.
She stood as tall as she could and took a few chugs of beer for courage before she asked, “What did you decide?
He crooked his finger at her and said in a low and sensual voice, “Come here, wild thing.
Something in his voice, what he said and the way he said it, drew her to him like they were connected by string and he was just reeling her in. A funny little tickle pulled at her stomach.
“Ive decided you taste like my Uncle Josus huckleberry wine. Definitely sweet, but with a warm kick.
She hid her smile behind the Coors can. She wanted to be like wine. “Is that bad?
He took the beer from her hand and set it behind him on the hood of the car. “Depends on what you want to do about it. He set his beer next to hers and stood in one smooth motion. He placed two fingers beneath her chin and stared into her eyes. “Has anyone ever kissed you until you were so hot you were burning up?
She didnt answer, not wanting to admit that shed never been so consumed or burned up with passion that shed lost her head or her fear of Henry.
Nick moved his hands to the sides of her neck, and he looked into her eyes. “Until you didnt care about anything else? He lowered his face to her ear. “Has anyone ever touched your breasts? he whispered. “Under the shirt, beneath your bra? Where your skin is warm and soft?
Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.
“Slipped his hand inside your panties? His hot open mouth moved across her cheek. “Felt between your legs where youre slick and ready?
Besides health class, no one had ever really talked to Delaney about sex before. What she knew, shed learned from movies and from eavesdropping on other girls at school. Even Lisa assumed she was a prude, but apparently not Nick. Nick saw what no one else did, and instead of being offended at his language, she turned her face and kissed him. For years shed heard rumors about his sexual conquests. She didnt want him to think her naive and boring in comparison, and she purposely turned up the passion and devoured him with her lips and tongue. She let herself fall head first into the dizzy heat burning her flesh. Her young body filled with the hot juices of desire, and for the first time in her life, she let go of everything else.
The kiss shattered their differences, sweeping them away on a glut of passion. His hands moved to her back and slid to her behind. He palmed each cheek, then dragged her on to the balls of her feet and crushed her breasts against his chest. He pulled her against his pelvis and let her feel his long hard erection. She wasnt afraid. Instead she felt free. Free to explore for herself what other girls her age knew. Free to be a desirable eighteen-year-old on the verge of becoming a grown woman. She was flushed with new sensations and wonder, and she wanted him to touch her like he would any other girl. To lose herself in him.
He pulled back and let her slide down his body.
“We better stop right there, wild thing.
Delaney didnt want to stop. Not yet. She slid right back up his chest, fitting her body to his. She licked her lips and tasted him there. “No. A shudder ran through him and he stared at her as if he wanted to shove her away but couldnt quite bring himself to do it. She looked into his eyes then let her gaze skim his handsome face. She kissed his cheek and just below his ear. “Im staying right here. She opened her mouth and licked his warm flesh. He smelled of soap and skin and cool mountain breezes.
His hands moved to her waist, then slipped up her sides, bunching the material of her dress. The hem rode up to the top of her thighs, and he pressed his erection into her abdomen. “Are you sure this is what you want?
She nodded.
“Tell me. Tell me so theres no mistake.
“Touch me like you said.
He filled his palm with her right breast. “Here?
Her nipple tightened into a hard point. “Yes.
“You never answered my question. Has anyone ever touched you like this?
She looked into his eyes, and it was like she was seeing a whole other side of Nick. For the first time she saw past the breathtaking face to the man inside. She didnt know this Nick. His gaze was intense, yet he caressed her as if she were made of something delicate. “No.
“Why? He lightly brushed his thumb over the tip of her breast, and she bit her lip to keep from moaning out loud. “Youre beautiful, Delaney, and you could have anyone you want. Why me?
She knew she wasnt beautiful, not like her mother. But the way he looked at her and touched her, and the tone of his voice when he said it made her almost believe him. He made her believe anything was possible. “Because you make me not want to say no.
He groaned deep in his throat and lowered his mouth to hers once again. The kiss started as a light brush of lips but quickly turned hard, wet, rough. The carnal thrust of his tongue touched something equally carnal within her and she squirmed against him. She wanted to crawl inside Nick, feel surrounded by him. When he finally set her away from him, her breathing was heavy. He reached for the buttons that closed her dress, and he gazed into her eyes as he worked downward until the pink cotton lay open past her waist. A twinge of apprehension penetrated the warm haze clouding her head. No man had ever seen her naked, and while she wanted him to touch her, she didnt necessarily want him to look at her. Not a man like Nick whod seen more than his fair share of naked women, but then he pushed the dress apart and it was too late. The cool air beaded her already taut nipples, and he lowered his gaze to her bare breasts. He stared at her so long her apprehension grew and she raised her hands to shield herself from him.
“Dont hide from me. He grabbed hold of her wrists and held them behind her back. Her spine arched, and the straps of her dress fell down her arms. He again leaned his behind against the hood of the car, bringing his face level with her naked breasts. He whispered her name, then kissed between her cleavage. His cool cheek brushed the inside slope of her breast, and she forgot all about her apprehension. “Youre beautiful. His words warmed her skin and tugged at her heart, and this time she believed he meant what he said. He rested his forehead against her, his dark hair in stark contrast to her white flesh. “I knew you would be. Ive always known. Always. Then his hot mouth drifted across her breast and he slid the seam of his lips across the very tip. “I knew youd be pink right here.
For one fleeting second Delaney wondered how he knew, but then his tongue circled her nipple and her brain shut to cohesive thought. Her breathing became shallow as she watched his tongue curl, licking her.
“Do you like this?
Behind her, Delaneys hands tightened into fists. “Yes.
“How much?
“A... a lot.
