Stephan (5 page)

I hadn’t realized the car had stopped. I
shook my head out of memory lane and turned to Cassie, she had
tears rolling down her eyes and she was gripping the steering wheel
so tight her knuckles were white. “I’m glad your mother is dead.
She sounds like a selfish bitch.”

I flinched at her hard words. They were
harsh. I didn’t hate my mother. I never had anyone else so I didn’t
know what I was missing. It wasn’t until I started staying over at
friends’ houses that I noticed my mother was different.

Cassie threw herself across the car and
hugged me. I was stiff in her arms. Not many people hugged me, my
best friend, Jess, from my old life and a couple of other friends,
but not many. I‘d learned at a young age to avoid touch. It didn’t
usually have a positive meaning.

Making myself relax I, slowly wrapped my arms
around Cassie. She hiccupped and hugged me tighter. I had no idea
how long I was supposed to hold her so I waited for her to let me
go first.

Cassie took a deep breath, loud against my
ear. “Let’s go before we miss out on any more sun.” She let me go
and I grabbed the towels and sunscreen before getting out of the
car.

We walked down the beach and I was surprised
at how packed it was. The shore was lined with families, teens, and
couples, some were swimming and others sunbathing. Cassie stood
still and looked around.

“Do you have a certain spot or are you
looking for someone?”

“Both. I’m looking for the best view.”

I raised my eyebrow. “What do you mean
view?”

“We don’t want to be with the families or the
couples. We want to sit with the hot singles. So both.”

I couldn’t help laughing at Cassie’s logic. I
may not want a boyfriend or any man, but it didn’t stop me from
looking.

Cassie tugged on my arm and we walked to our
left away from the flags. We sat on the edge of the safe swimming
flags, right behind a group of what looked to be university guys. I
rolled my eyes. Cassie was full of surprises.

We’d been at the beach for half an hour,
enough time to set up and put sunscreen on both our bodies. Before
today I didn’t realize how putting sunscreen on a friend’s back
could be such a turn on, but it got the guys’ attention in front of
us.

Cassie and I now sat among four university
guys in their early twenties. I tried not to be nervous or show how
uncomfortable I was because I knew Cassie loved the attention.
Cassie called Patricia, Renee, Stacy, and Racheal and they were on
their way. I hoped when they arrived I could fade into the
background.

Cassie’s phone rang and she rushed to answer
it. “Hello. Nope. Jade and I are at the beach. Aha. Okay. See ya.”
She hung up.

“Who was that?”

“Scott, he wanted to know where we were. He
probably wants the car.”

I nodded. One of the Uni guys, Brent, was
trying to talk to me. I just wasn’t interested. The guys were nice
to look at but I didn’t feel any real attraction to them. An image
of Stephan, the wanker, flashed before me and my body heated. I
touched my lips as memories of the kiss assaulted me. I’d never
been kissed like Stephan had kissed me. My mother’s ‘friends’ had
kissed me but they had been sloppy and I always felt sick in the
stomach when they were doing it. I hadn’t felt like that with
Stephan, I felt the opposite. I inwardly sighed with happiness,
because I’d been worried after what all those men tried to do I’d
never be able to feel anything for someone of the opposite sex. I
worried I was broken.

Closing my eyes, I let the image of Stephan
surface, his big ocean blue eyes, and thick jet-black hair that
fell just past his eyes. It made me want to reach up and brush it
to the side. His killer dimples were lethal and I knew they could
get him out of any situation with a woman, all he would have to do
was smile and they would damn near swoon at his feet. I’d almost
given in to him, to the temptation he was to me, but I knew I had
to be strong. I heard about the Silverman brothers at school and
what I’d heard about Stephan made me know he wasn’t for me. He
would use me and break my heart. Oh, I knew I could get sucked in
and fall for him. He was every teenager’s dream—at least most I
knew.

I opened my eyes and sighed. I was new. He
was a pretty rich boy who had never heard the word no. He was only
interested in me because I’d said no. I needed to stop thinking
about him and forget about the kiss and the way he acted. Boys like
Stephan were not for girls like me. Oh they may use us, but they
never stayed with people like me.

The sun beamed down and the afternoon heat
was rising, I needed to stop thinking about him. I needed to
relax.

“Cassie, I’m going for a swim. You coming or
staying here?” I hoped she’d come. I didn’t want to leave her with
the Uni guys by herself. I slipped out of my shorts and yanked my
tank top off placing them on my towel. As I stood in only my tiny
bikini I wished I’d had a bigger budget for a swim suit, because
the one I had didn’t cover much. It was hard to find swimmers to
fit me with my large bust. You had to spend a fortune to get them
in big boobs' size.

“Sure. It’s getting hotter. Let’s cool
off.”

I sighed in relief as Cassie shed her clothes
and linked her arm in mine and we walked into the water. The ocean
was cold and we both squealed as it hit us. Once we had gotten deep
enough to enjoy the water, I relaxed.

“Are they making you that uncomfortable?”

I felt bad. I didn’t realize I was showing my
discomfort so easily. “I’m sorry, Cassie. I’m just not used to
letting my guard down, especially around men.”

“Ah
, Jade. No it’s me.
I’m sorry. I’m just being horny.
I only wanted to have some fun.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You
know, live a little.”

I laughed and glanced back at the shore to
see the Uni guys getting into the water. They looked harmless
enough. I was a teenager. I should be like Cassie and want to have
fun. Rolling my shoulders, I winked at Cassie. “You’re right. Let’s
go live a little.”

*****

Stephan

I followed Scott, Brad, and Derick onto the
beach. Scott had rung and said to meet him at the beach so Derick
and I now followed him and Brad toward the water. The beach was
busy and the sand between my toes was nice and warm.

I needed to get out of the house. I’d been in
the gym all morning letting off steam to keep myself calm. I wanted
so badly to go find all three men Jade had restraining orders on
and strangle them.

“Oh fuck. Scott, you’re an idiot.”

I glanced up to see why my brother was
talking to Scott like that, only to still, my whole body hardened
at the sight. My Jade was in an itty-bitty bikini and running in
the water. Her breasts bounced and threatened to flee their
confinement. When arms wrapped around her and she squealed then
giggled, I saw red.

“Holy shit, grab him, Brad.” I hadn’t
realized I’d been storming forward until I was tackled.

“Scott, go help Brad while I get Jade,
otherwise we’ll have bloodshed.”

I fought to get my two dead friends off me.
Well they would be if they didn’t get off me. I took Brad down and
stood as Scott came at me. I dodged and kicked and had him face
planting into the sand. I gazed at my prey in time to see my
brother arguing with the guy I was going to kill. The guy let Jade
go and Derick placed her behind him. I marched down to the water
yanking my shirt off.

Jade’s eyes widened as soon as she saw me.
“Stephan.” Even her breathless voice didn’t squash my burning
anger. I’d been so angry about what happened in her life that I’d
spent my morning working it off. Now I see her playing with a man
in a barely there bikini and all my morning’s hard work vanished.
Pulling her to me, I lifted her arms and placed my shirt over her
body covering her up.

“What the hell are you wearing?”

“I was wearing a bikini, but now I’m wearing
your shirt. What are you doing here, wanker?”

“Looking out for you.”

Jade placed her hands on her hips, her eyes
narrowed on me. “Well I didn’t ask you to.”

She looked hot standing there at the
shoreline with her eyes flaring with annoyance. She came to just
above my nipple. She was a little thing, but full of fire. My anger
slipped away and filled with a fluttering of something new.
Something I hadn’t felt for a woman outside of my family. I reached
out and stroked her cheek. “Someone has to, little bit.” I gathered
her hand in mine and walked to the towels, she had to run to keep
up. I saw my brother fixing the towels away from the guys. Derick
held out a towel and I wrapped it around Jade, rubbing her arms to
get her warm. I was surprised that she didn’t say anything; she
just stared at me.

I sat down on a towel and pulled her down
onto my lap. I took deep breaths to calm myself as I held her,
trying to ignore my body as heated up with need. I needed to slow
down.

“You’re crazy. You know that right? I don’t
know you and you’re acting all caveman.” Jade wiggled back and
gazed up at me. “Are you on something?”

I rested my forehead on hers, needing more
contact. “I’m not on anything. This is all what you do to me. Only
you can do this to me.”

“I didn’t do anything to you. This isn’t why
you’re crazy. I don’t understand why you’re being like this with
me. We have only just met. I haven’t encouraged you in any
way.”

I debated for a moment what to say. She
already thought me crazy, so if I told her the truth I think I
would just double her belief. Easing away, I cupped her face then
stroked her smooth skin. “I know what I want, and from the moment I
laid eyes on you, I wanted you.”

“So you want to have sex with me?” Jade shook
her head. “You can’t have me. I won’t have sex with you.” She
backed off my lap and kneeled on the sand. “Ever.” She looked me up
and down. “Besides, you’re not my type.”

I laughed; I couldn’t help it. She was the
worst liar. “Is that right?” I gathered her back to me and sat her
so she straddled me. “So if I did this—” I captured her mouth to
mine and wrapped my arms around her back holding her closer to my
body. My whole body came awake as soon as I kissed her lips. When
her body came against mine, tension like I’d never felt before made
my entire body stiffen with aching need.

Jade remained stiff against me and I could
tell she was fighting to stay in control. I ran my hands down her
back and squeezed her well-rounded arse. She jumped against me and
her mouth opened on a gasp. I slid my tongue in and found hers,
tangling them together. Her body became soft against my hard one
and I almost tore my mouth from hers to cheer in triumph.

My cock throbbed and I didn’t know if I could
continue and keep my cool. When Jade’s hands slowly trailed up my
chest and circled my neck before running through my hair, I knew if
I didn’t stop I’d be a goner. I prided myself on control. I’d been
fucking women since the age of thirteen. I knew I had stamina. I
could hold off coming for hours. But my girl had my control shot to
shit and I felt like I was gonna come with only a kiss and her
touch.

Tearing my mouth from hers, I looked into her
face and groaned. She looked like a sex kitten ready to pounce on
her prey. Her eyes were bright with passion and her lips plump and
swollen from our kiss and just slightly parted as she panted,
trying to catch her breath as her body heaved with lust.

“So much for taking it slow, bro.”

I shot a glare at Derick telling him without
using words to shut up.

He raised his hands in surrender. “I was just
coming over to say the rest of your girlfriends are here,
Jade.”

Jade blinked a couple of times and scrambled
off my lap.

“That didn’t mean anything. I’m sure my body
would have given the same response to anyone.”

“I don’t think so, little bit.” I narrowed my
gaze at her. “Don’t get any ideas about checking out the theory
either, not unless you want my hands wrapped around that guy’s
neck.”

“You’re an arrogant jerk, aren’t you? I don’t
want to play the game you’re playing.”

“I’m not playing a game with you. I promise
you that.” I stood and she backed up.

Jade looked over at his brother who was
pretending to talk to their friends. “Derick, help please. I want
him to leave me alone.”

Clenching my fist, I stared at Derick daring
him to side with her. My chest felt tight and I tried not to get
jealous she trusted my brother more than me.

“He’s not lying to you, Jade.”

Jade studied my brother for a while before
she glanced at me. She straightened her shoulders and I honed in as
she nibbled on her bottom lip. “We’ll see,” she mumbled.

I grinned as she scurried over to her
friends. The university guys nowhere to be seen.

Jade

I really didn’t want to go to the party,
especially after what happened with Stephan at the beach. He wasn’t
good for me. Stephan turned me inside out. He made me unsure of
what I wanted. He made me want to take a chance. I told myself I
was a teenager and most teenagers dated, but I’d never felt the
need before now. I didn’t like the control he had over me even when
he wasn’t around. I’d barely known him for twenty-four hours and he
was constantly on my mind.

I stared out the window and gripped my skirt.
Renee sat next to me babbling on about how excited she was to go to
a Silverman party. After the beach fiasco I’d stayed clear of
Stephan. We girls had all gone back to Cassie’s house to get ready
for tonight. The girls had bugged me all afternoon about Stephan.
They wanted to know every detail about me and him. I’d told them
over and over there was no Stephan and me. They’d all laughed and
thought I was joking.