Zef shook his head slowly.
“Things have gotten… complicated.”
Daniel frowned in irritation and confusion.
“I don’t get it. We don’t need the money. Since… since mom and dad… the insurance paid off the mortgage and there’s the trust for my tuition fees. I’ve got my summer job in the auto shop – I could work weekends, too. If you got a job…”
“Who’s going to give me a job, man? I mean, seriously? With my record? I couldn’t even get paid to stock shelves at Wal-Mart.”
“Go back to school – finish your degree.”
“You don’t understand – you’re just a kid.”
Daniel bristled.
“Is that what you think?”
Zef shrugged then shook his head.
“Nah, man. Not really. I’m just saying that it’s more complicated than you think.”
“Then tell me – I’m sure I can keep up.”
Zef pulled a face.
“Look, whatever. Go enjoy Thanksgiving with your girl. Maybe we’ll talk when you get back. Come on, get out of here! Enjoy yourself. Don’t be a pussy.”
Daniel gave a small smile, then his face became serious again.
“But we’ll talk when I get back?”
“Yeah, maybe. Now go on – get gone.”
Zef pulled his brother into a hug and whispered, “I’m sorry, kid.”
He knew Daniel couldn’t hear him.
Daniel drove up to the dorms as a crowd of noisy college girls spilled out, shouting and jostling, lugging heavy cases and piling into cars. It was cheerful bedlam. Cheerful for all the ones who were going off to spend time with their families. Daniel felt anything but cheerful – he was as nervous as all hell at the prospect of staying in the Maclaines’ house. He’d asked Lisanne if her dad had a gun, ignoring the accompanying eye roll, and even Googled the location of the nearest motel just in case things didn’t go entirely to plan.
He kicked the bike’s stand and leaned down to pull Lisanne’s Thanksgiving gift out of the saddlebags. One of the two gifts he’d gotten her. He wasn’t sure she’d like it, but she definitely needed it.
He’d tried to gift wrap it – he’d even bought some expensive paper and ribbon. But then the paper wouldn’t fit and the ribbon kept unraveling. In the end he’d used so much Scotch tape that the damn thing looked as attractive as road kill. Which was why he’d stuffed it inside a plastic bag.
He managed to push his way through the crowds of hormonal girls, wondering if getting his ass felt up had been an accident, when he bumped into… what the hell was her name? He racked his brains while her eyes widened as she realized whose chest she was currently eyeballing.
“Oh, Daniel!”
“Hi,” he said, amiably.
He started to go around her when she grabbed his arm.
“You made a mistake not calling me back,” she said with a challenging look.
He couldn’t help smiling. Girl had balls.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” he said, winking at her. “Terri.”
She pouted and tossed her long red hair over her shoulder.
He took the stairs two at a time until he was standing outside Lisanne’s room. He knocked loudly.
Lisanne yanked the door open, her ears ringing from Kirsty’s high-pitched squealing, and grinned up at him, her cheeks pink and her eyes bright. Daniel couldn’t help bending down and kissing her sweet lips. The moment skin touched skin, the spark of electricity flared and he couldn’t deny it, but deepened the kiss, aching to feel her body pressed against his own.
Several girls milling around in the hallway whistled and called out comments that nice female college students ought not to know, even if they were anatomically correct. Perhaps it was lucky that Daniel didn’t hear them, not that he’d have cared. But Lisanne did – her face was scarlet as she tugged him inside and shut the door.
“What?” he asked, bemused.
“Nothing,” she lied, then continued as she saw her answer annoyed him. “Just some sophomores eyeing up my boyfriend.”
Daniel laughed. He liked her being possessive.
Kirsty raised her eyebrows and sighed theatrically.
“Hello! I am in the same room as you guys! I do exist. There is life beyond the Lisanne—Daniel bubble.”
“Sorry, Kirsty,” mumbled Lisanne.
“Yeah. What she said.” Daniel’s tone wasn’t entirely serious, and he smiled. “Hey, Kirsty. Didn’t see you over there.”
Kirsty groaned. “Oh God, now I’m invisible. It’s finally happened. The sooner you two get over the honeymoon phase the better for us mere mortals.”
“Oh, right!” snorted Lisanne. “And you weren’t shrieking because Vin sent you a cute text saying, ‘Oh, Kirsty! You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Your eyes are like two sapphires on a really big blue ring, and turtledoves sing every time you enter a room...’”
Kirsty threw a cushion at her.
“Shut up already! He didn’t say that – not exactly.”
Daniel felt like backing out of the door. The estrogen levels in the room were off the chart and high enough to melt the balls off a brass monkey. Probably. It was no place for a human male.
“Um, yeah, I’ll wait for you outside,” he said.
“What? No, I’m ready.”
Lisanne threw herself at Kirsty and hugged her tightly.
“Text me every day, promise?”
“Of course. And tell me how it goes at your place. Oh and remember what I said – you totally have to have sex in your childhood bedroom,” replied Kirsty, muttering into Lisanne’s neck.
She gasped. “Kirsty!”
“I’m just saying – it’ll be awesome. Trust me.”
Kirsty winked at Daniel, who’d been having some inappropriate thoughts of his own when he’d seen his girlfriend kissing another woman, but he hadn’t heard the conversation. He shook his head to clear it and suddenly decided it would be wise to hold Lisanne’s present in front of him.
Lisanne gave him a strange look, probably because his eyes looked like they were about to dribble down his chest. She picked up a small bag.
“Is this okay?”
“Um…”
“Will it fit in Sirona?”
“Who’s Sirona?” asked Kirsty, curiosity coloring her tone.
Lisanne giggled. “His bike.”
“He named her?”
“I know!” laughed Lisanne.
“Hey!” said Daniel. “I’m standing right here!”
“Now you know how it feels,” muttered Kirsty.
Lisanne grabbed hold of Daniel’s hand and tugged him out of the room.
“Bye, Kirsty! Happy Thanksgiving!”
“Yeah,” said Daniel. “What she said.”
“What’s up with you?” Lisanne said to Daniel. “You’re acting weird – all sort of wigged out.”
Daniel looked around him nervously, pulled her into an empty corner next to the janitor’s closet, then thrust the present at her.
“For you,” he mumbled. “It’s nothing much, and it’s not new or anything, so if you don’t like it that’s fine, but I thought you could use it and… yeah… yeah.”
Lisanne’s face slowly changed from confusion to comprehension to pleasure.
“You… you got me a present?”
Daniel nodded. “Yeah, but it’s pretty crappy. It’s not new but I thought… I dunno… you don’t have to…”
Shit! Why was giving a girl a present so hard? Because you’ve never done it before, moron.
“Daniel, I love it.”
He stared at her, utterly bewildered. “But… you haven’t even opened it.”
Lisanne reached up and kissed his cheek. “I love it because it’s from you.”
The tips of Daniel’s ears reddened, and suddenly the ugly carpeting seemed incredibly fascinating.
“It probably won’t fit,” he muttered, almost to himself.
Lisanne pulled the package
out of the bag. She held back a smile as she saw his futile attempts at gift wrapping. Jeez, it looked he’d wrapped it blindfolded – and using his toes.
She tried to tear off the paper, but there was so much Scotch tape, she couldn’t make any headway.
“Um, could you help me?” she said, biting back an urge to laugh.
“Fuck,” muttered Daniel.
When he couldn’t tear it with his hands, he used his teeth to rip it open, then handed it back to Lisanne.
Finally, finally Lisanne got her gift opened.
Inside was a black leather biker’s jacket, size small. It was worn soft with use, the leather faded and scuffed, the sleeves curved at the elbows by years of wearing.
While Lisanne held out her arms, Daniel slipped it over her shoulders, then pulled up the zipper.
It fit perfectly.
Damn if she didn’t look sexy in leather.
“I thought it would keep you warm, when you’re on the bike. You don’t have to wear it,” he said, “but it’s safer than your jacket, so I thought…”
Lisanne pressed her lips against his to silence his nervous babbling.
“You can stop talking now,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I love it.”
Daniel smiled a little unsurely. “Yeah? Because I know it’s secondhand and girls don’t like that stuff so…” his words tailed off as Lisanne smiled happily at him. “You like it?”
“I love it. I told you.”
“Good, because it looks damn sexy on you. Makes me want to do things to you.”
“What sort of things?” she said with a challenging stare.
His arms swept down suddenly and he scooped her up with his hands under her ass, so Lisanne’s legs automatically wrapped around his waist. Then he pressed her up against the wall and kissed her hard.
Through the sheen of lust that suddenly enveloped her, she could feel his hips grinding into her thighs.
“I’m going to have you against a wall, baby doll, and all you’ll be wearing is that leather jacket.”
Lisanne gasped as he muttered the words against her throat.
She fastened her hands around his neck and did some grinding of her own, drawing out a moan from deep within his chest.
Slowly he let her slide down, his eyes dark and wild.
Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the janitor’s closet and shut the door, leaving them in a darkness illuminated only by cracks of light.
When Lisanne felt Daniel tugging at the button on her jeans, she grabbed his hands and stopped him.
He sighed heavily, and she held him as their breathing slowly returned to normal. After a moment, she cautiously opened the door and stepped outside.
A couple of girls walking past giggled into their hands, and Lisanne knew that the few shreds left of her reputation had just disintegrated, when Daniel followed her out.
“Sorry,” he said, not even the slightest bit abashed. “You look so hot.”
Lisanne didn’t know whether she was more turned on or annoyed that he’d tried to fuck her in a damn closet that smelled of bleach.
“We should get going,” she said, raising her eyebrows at him.
“You always get me going, baby,” he replied with a grin.
“Daniel!”
“What?”
Wondering how much room for maneuvering the closet really had, Lisanne tugged his sleeve and he followed her down the stairs, laughing quietly. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind, that if she hadn’t stopped him, they’d be a hot and sweaty mess by now.
That boy!
Still smiling to himself, Daniel stuffed Lisanne’s backpack into the saddlebags.
“Is there anything breakable in here, baby?” he asked, rather belatedly.
“Um, no!” she laughed. “Now you ask me?”
He shrugged. “You distracted me.”
“You’re blaming me?”
He grinned. “Yeah, you’re totally badass.”
Lisanne felt a faint heat in her cheeks. From music major-nerd to badass in half a semester – she liked it.
He handed her a helmet and swung a long leg over the bike, then held out his hand for her.
The roar of the engine was loud, and Lisanne could see heads turning in their direction. A few girls knew that she and the notorious Daniel Colton were dating – but after this, it would be general knowledge. She was pleased, but it made her nervous, too. She wasn’t sure why.
She fastened her hands around his waist. It was quickly becoming one of the favorite Daniel places on her list. Although it was quite a long list.
He drove slowly until they reached the interstate, then he really let rip, showing what Sirona could do, and that she was no stately lady, despite her forty-plus years. Lisanne clung on and squeezed his waist extra hard to remind him that he really didn’t want to get stopped for speeding again. He must have understood, because he slowed slightly. She could only hope it was below 70mph.
After two hours, riding on Sirona began to lose some of its appeal for Lisanne. Apart from anything else, the vibrations were making her ass numb. She wriggled about uncomfortably and wished for Vin’s luxurious, air conditioned SUV. She felt guilty because she knew that Daniel couldn’t afford anything like that, and he’d bought her the seriously cool leather jacket to make her more comfortable. She just wished he’d bought her a cushion to sit on, too.
After another 30 minutes she’d had enough. She wanted to stand up. She wanted to walk. She wanted to rub her ass and put her thighs together. She saw a truck stop coming up and tapped Daniel on the shoulder and pointed.
He swung the bike over and headed to the off-ramp. When he finally cut the engine, Lisanne felt like cheering.
She dragged off the helmet, and scrambled from the bike, rubbing her backside gingerly.
Daniel looked like he was trying not to smile.
“You okay, baby doll?”
“No, I can’t feel my ass!” she said grumpily.
“Do you want me to feel it?”
Before she had a chance to answer, he leaned down and massaged her backside, his strong fingers working the soft flesh.
Lisanne groaned with pleasure. He’d definitely missed his calling. He’d be the most amazing massage therapist. Personal massage therapist. Her personal massage therapist. And she’d be his only client.
“Better?”
“Don’t stop,” she moaned.
He smiled down at her. “Baby, if I don’t stop now, I’m going to want to fuck you in the middle of a truck stop. See what you do to me?”
He glanced down at the front of his jeans and Lisanne was surprised to see a noticeable bulge.
“Oh,” she said, softly. “Sorry.”
“‘S’okay. But I can’t wait to get to your place.”
Lisanne blinked. “You know we can’t fool around at my parents!” she said, an edge of panic in her voice.
A small crease appeared between his eyebrows. “Why not?”
“Because… because…”
Daniel smiled. “I’m not going to do it in front of your parents, Lis. I don’t want to give your dad another reason to throw down. We’ll wait for them to go out or something.”
“Oh,” said Lisanne, faintly.
“Unless you don’t want to?” he said, his voice suddenly uncertain.
“I do!”
I do? She asked herself. In my parents’ house?
“Good,” he said, happy and easily appeased.
Lisanne was still wondering what she’d just agreed to as they walked into the small café. Her mom hadn’t said they couldn’t, but she had implied that ‘good behavior’ was the price of the invitation. She was pretty sure her mom meant no fooling around – which meant no sex.
The waitress strolled over with a jug of coffee, pouring it immediately into the two cups waiting on the table. Lisanne stared at it thoughtfully as Daniel ordered everything that could be fried.
“What?” he said, eyeing her as they lean
ed back to drink their coffee.
“Hungry?”
“Yeah,” he said, smiling. “Starving.”
“Didn’t you eat last night?”
He looked down at his coffee. “Nah, didn’t get around to it.”
She tapped the back of his hand. “Well, you’d better get in training because mom will feed you till you pop.”
“Sounds good. I haven’t had home cooking since… not for a while.”
She stroked his hand. “I know.”
“Um, Lis, not to sound like a pussy or anything but…”
He was uncharacteristically anxious.
“Daniel, what is it?”
“Just… just don’t leave me alone with your family, okay? It’s hard…”
“I think we should tell them – about you. It’ll make it easier.”
“Fuck no! Your dad already hates me. I don’t need to give him another reason.”
Lisanne stared at him in confusion.
“Dad won’t hate you because you’re deaf. I mean, he’s not happy that we’re… you know… but not because of that.”
“Lis,” Daniel said, patiently. “He won’t want his only daughter dating some guy who’s not all…”
“Don’t say it!” she interrupted, her voice harsh. “Just don’t. I want to be with you. That’s what matters – that’s all dad needs to know. Anyway,” she said more quietly, “he just wants me to be happy.”
Daniel shook his head bitterly.
“Yeah, but not with someone like me.”
Lisanne didn’t know what to say. Only time would persuade Daniel. She hoped her dad wasn’t too hard on him. Her mom had promised that her father would behave himself, but Lisanne had her doubts. It was only when her mom reminded her that this was the first time he’d had to deal with his daughter being grown up enough to have a boyfriend, that she could see it from his point of view. Sort of.
Daniel was still frowning when his food arrived, but he cheered up immediately at the sight of the enormous plate.
“Grits!” he said, happily. “God, I love this stuff.”
He gave the meal his full attention, and Lisanne sat watching him.
His hair had been slightly flattened by the helmet, but spiked up the moment he put his hands through it, which he did often.
He’d changed the ring in his eyebrow to a small, black barbell, although whether that was to make it more comfortable under the helmet, or because it was less obtrusive for her parents, she didn’t know.