Obligation, page 5
Garrett shut off all the lights in the house, and only the light from the TV illuminated the living room. She snuggled closer to Danny as the opening credits began on the screen. He dragged his fingertips over her shoulder, and she shivered.
“Cold?” Danny asked. “I can grab a blanket.”
“No, I’m okay.” She smiled up at him, and he leaned down to give her a kiss that she cut short. Normally, she didn’t have any issues with kissing him in front of people, but things were different with Bradley in the mix.
Within the first two minutes of the movie, a character was murdered. “Drink!” Jeremy declared.
Carissa took a long pull from her beer and made a face at the bitter taste. She was more a fruity drink kind of girl. Or straight up whiskey—the good, expensive stuff that she’d stolen from her father’s private stash, not the cheap crap kids her age could afford.
Half an hour into the movie, and everyone was on their second beer. At this rate, she’d be too drunk to pay much attention to what was happening. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. If she drank enough, she could pass out and not have to come up with a reason not to have sex with Danny. Or she could imagine he was Bradley.
That thought made her giggle, and she clamped her lips shut.
“What’s funny?” Danny asked, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“Nothing.” She cleared her throat and took another drink.
If she was a betting girl, she’d bet her entire trust fund that Bradley’s bedroom skills were just as incredible as his kissing, probably better. She lifted her bottle to her lips and snuck a glance at Bradley.
He had one arm propped on the arm of the couch, the other rested comfortably on his thigh, his bottle grasped loosely in his hand. The remnants of the black X lingered on his hand, and she clutched her bottle tighter so she wouldn’t be tempted to reach over and caress his hand.
And she knew from experience that he had very soft hands. Large hands, too, with neatly groomed nails. She’d bet her car that he knew how to use those hands really well. If she closed her eyes, she could easily picture him running his hands down the length of her body, his eyes dark and full of lust like they had been last night.
Her gaze lingered on his muscular arms, then lowered to his thick thighs and long legs. And now she was imagining him holding himself above her, his glorious bare chest taunting her, his muscles straining with the effort as he showed her exactly what he was capable of.
She bit down on her lip to stop from moaning out loud and shifted to ease the sudden ache building inside of her. Danny moved his arm to rest along the back of the couch, none the wiser to her naughty fantasy.
But when she glanced back at Bradley, he was watching her through narrowed eyes, almost as if he knew what she’d been thinking about. He arched a single brow, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a knowing half-smile. She held his gaze, her liquid courage stealing her common sense.
“Drink!” Jeremy shouted.
Carissa tore her attention from Bradley and drained what was left of her beer. “I’m out,” she said, waving the empty bottle in the air.
“Me too,” Tiffany said.
“I need a bathroom break.” Garrett paused the movie.
“Same.” Danny stood.
“I’ll grab more beer for everyone,” Carissa said, standing. She needed to get up and move around anyway.
She wandered into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and stuck her head inside, praying she could cool off a bit. Her face felt like an inferno, and her lady parts were throbbing in a way they hadn’t in a very long time.
After a few moments, she collected seven beers and cradled them in her arms. When she straightened and turned around, she ran smack dab into Bradley’s chest, and nearly dropped a few bottles.
“Need some help?” he asked, smiling down at her.
“I got it. Thanks.” She attempted to maneuver around him, but he didn’t budge. Stopping, she sighed with fake annoyance. “Do you mind?”
“Nope.” He reached behind her and closed the fridge door, which left her no choice but to move closer to him.
The scent of his cologne surrounded her, and she flared her nostrils rather than closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, which was what she really wanted to do.
“At least let me take mine out of your hands.” He plucked a single bottle from her arms, twisted the top, and took a long pull, his gaze never wavering from hers.
She watched with a certain amount of jealous fascination as his lips closed around the mouth of the bottle. When he lowered the beer, he ran his tongue across his bottom lip, his eyes daring her to say something to him.
“You about done?” she asked, infusing as much disinterest and boredom into her tone as she could muster.
“Are you?”
“Am I what?” She tilted her head with confusion.
Bradley leaned down so his mouth was near her ear, and his breath was much too warm on her already heated skin. “Done fantasizing about me?” When he straightened, he wore a self-satisfied smile.
“In your dreams.” She huffed.
“You said it.” He tipped his bottle in her direction, then turned and sauntered back into the living room.
“I also said you were a cheap pimp, remember?”
Bradley laughed. “You can’t be right all the time.” He gave a lazy one-shoulder shrug.
“That’s what you think,” she said and followed him into the living room. She eased the beer bottles onto the coffee table, reclaimed her seat, then snatched a bottle for herself.
“Feel free to prove me wrong anytime you want, sweetheart.” He propped his feet on the coffee table again.
“I’m not your sweetheart,” she said.
“You didn’t seem to mind me calling you that last night.”
In a moment of panic, she jerked around to make sure no one had heard him, but everyone was still vying for their turn in the bathroom. She eased back around. “You said you wouldn’t say anything about that,” she reminded him.
“I don’t remember agreeing to that.” He shook his head. “Though, my silence can be bought. For the right price, of course.”
Her head fell back against the couch, and she groaned. “I know I’m going to regret this, but… how much?”
His smile was slow to form but devastating to her senses. “Information,” he said, pinning her with a heated stare.
Chapter Seven
Carissa couldn’t even begin to imagine what sort of information Bradley wanted in exchange for keeping his mouth shut about last night. Probably information about her and Danny, and that was the very last thing she wanted to talk about. With anyone. Not even her closest friends knew the entire truth of what transpired last year.
Unfortunately—or maybe luckily—Bradley never got the chance to question her because everyone crowded back into the living room, and Garrett restarted the movie. Carissa once again snuggled up next to Danny, though she couldn’t deny she’d much rather be curled up in Bradley’s arms.
She mentally smacked herself. What was wrong with her? She barely knew the guy, and she’d been in a relationship with Danny for almost a full year. She loved Danny. Yeah, they’d had their issues, but what couple didn’t? Being able to overcome those issues was what mattered. Of course, lying to the man she claimed to love wasn’t really helping the situation.
The last half of the movie was a lot of death, stupid choices, and we’re-all-going-to-die-so-let’s-get-naked sex. By the time the end credits rolled across the screen, Carissa was well past drunk. Good thing she didn’t have to drive back to campus tonight.
She sat up straight and stretched; then she nudged Tiffany with her foot. “Hey, you crashing here tonight?”
Wouldn’t be the first time they’d both had an impromptu sleepover with Garrett, and she knew he didn’t care. He was cool like that.
“Yeah.” Tiffany yawned. “I’m tired and drunk.”
“You can crash in my room,” Garrett offered. “I have a bed and a futon, so take your pick.”
“Thanks.” Tiffany smiled at him. “What about you, Cory?”
Carissa turned to look at her brother. He’d been drinking just as much as the rest of them, so he better not say he was driving anywhere. She wouldn’t hesitate to call Mom and Dad and tattle on him.
“I’ll take the couch if it’s free,” Cory said.
“Sure.” Garrett stood and carried his empty beer bottles to the sink.
One by one, everyone else followed his lead. When the living room was picked up, Garrett led Tiffany up to his room. Jeremy disappeared into his bedroom without so much as a good night.
Danny took Carissa’s hand and tugged her toward the stairs, and she followed without argument. Though she did glance over her shoulder to get one final look at Bradley. He’d moved to sit in the armchair, and Cory was stretched out on the couch. They were talking sports again.
Danny opened his bedroom door and motioned for her to go in first. The sound of the door latching and the lock clicking into place made her heart jump in her chest. Six months ago, she would’ve been excited for this moment. Hell, she would’ve found any reason, no matter how lame, to get some time alone with Danny. But now… She rubbed her hands over her face and yawned.
“I’ve missed you so much.” Danny wrapped her in a hug, and she halfheartedly returned the gesture, her head resting on his shoulder.
He gathered her hair away from her neck and nuzzled his nose against the soft spot right behind her ear. Then, he peppered her neck with tiny, heated kisses. Goose bumps erupted on her arms, and she sighed softly. At least being with Danny was familiar. She knew what to expect, and that took a lot of pressure off her.
Dragging his lips up the column of her neck, he gently lifted her head and captured her mouth in a deep, dominant kiss. His breath was hot and tasted like cheap beer. His moan was low and grumbly.
Her heart fluttered, but not nearly as fast as it had when she’d kissed Bradley. His kiss had left her gasping, like he’d singlehandedly sucked all the air from her lungs and then breathed it back into her. His kiss had left her dizzy and craving more.
Danny’s kiss, while comfortable and heated, only left her feeling lukewarm. Was that because she’d had a taste of what kissing another man was like? Or because she’d emotionally distanced herself from the hurt Danny had caused her?
He used the force of his kiss to slowly move her backward until the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed. She flopped down, and Danny sank onto the mattress with her. His kiss became harder, hungrier, and she struggled to keep up with him.
“You feel so good,” he muttered as he adjusted his body so that he was on top of her. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” He nipped at her jaw, then teased her collarbone before dipping even lower.
She hadn’t had sex in months, and she definitely needed the relaxation that would come with release, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shut her brain off. Each time Danny kissed her or touched her, all she could think about was him with that other girl—Lily. Had he kissed her like this? Had he been as passionate and aroused with her as he always was with me? Danny swore he never had sex with Lily, but Carissa wasn’t sure she believed him.
He eased his hand up the hem of her shirt, lifting the fabric as he dragged his palm up her stomach and toward her breasts.
She clutched his hand, stilling his ascent. “Danny, stop,” she said.
Putting his weight into his arms, he pushed away and peered down at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just… I’m really kind of tired.”
“Seriously?” He narrowed his eyes, his expression turning dark. He shoved himself off her and stood. “We haven’t been together in months, and now you’re too tired?”
“Please don’t be like this,” she said, her voice thick with unshed tears. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I spent all morning cleaning. I drank too much.” She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as he paced the room with agitation.
“Yeah, because of that damn sorority,” he snapped. “I knew this was going to happen.” He shook his head with disgust.
Instant, intense anger sparked in her chest. She sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and stood. “You know how much pledging TOP means to me, and yeah, it’s going to take up a lot of my time for a while, but it won’t always be like this.”
“Whatever.” Danny came to a stop and turned toward her. “I just don’t understand why, lately, everything else is more important to you than me.”
Her jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re the one who decided to spend all summer in Maine and leave me here to deal with everything on my own.” Her hands trembled with rage. “I needed you to be here, and you weren’t. But I guess that’s sort of your thing, isn’t it?”
“What the hell does that mean?” His eyes darkened with anger that rivaled her own.
“I lost our baby, Danny, and where were you?” Fury bubbled in her veins. “Oh, that’s right. You were fucking some other girl.”
“I didn’t have sex with Lily. How many times do I have to tell you that?” His lips were set in a firm line, and the vein in his neck throbbed with barely controlled rage. “And how the hell was I supposed to know you were going to have a miscarriage?”
“That’s the point, Danny.” She threw her arms in the air with frustration. “You got me pregnant and then turned your back on me. You weren’t where you said you’d be that night. You refused to answer my calls and texts. You lied to me, cheated on me, and then ran away when shit got hard.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, and she blinked them away. She thought she’d emotionally healed from this ordeal, but apparently not. Anger and heartache were a deadly cocktail inside of her, a bomb waiting to explode, and Danny had just lit her fuse.
“What kind of guy does that?” She laughed bitterly. “You were so happy when you found out I was pregnant, and then… I don’t know. You changed. You made me feel like I was nothing more than a burden, a dirty secret you needed to hide.”
“Jesus Christ, Carissa. I made a mistake, okay? How long are you going to hold this against me?” He dragged his hand through his hair and turned his back to her. His shoulders rose and fell with several deep breaths. When he spun back around to face her, he at least had the decency to look sorry.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged.
Maybe she’d never be able to forgive him for what he’d done. Cheating on her was bad enough, but to know he’d been with another woman while Carissa was in the hospital, scared and alone. That was unforgiveable. Granted, he was right in that he couldn’t have known she was going to miscarry, but he shouldn’t have been cheating on her. He should’ve answered his phone. He should’ve put Carissa and their baby first. But he hadn’t.
“I don’t know how many more times I can tell you I’m sorry.” He closed the distance between them, his steps hesitant, and cautiously rested his hands on her shoulders. “I am so sorry, Carissa. Tell me what I can do to make this right.”
She averted her gaze and chewed on her bottom lip. How did she tell him there was no making this right? The damage had been done, and her hurt ran too deep. He’d damaged their relationship beyond repair.
“I love you. Only you,” he said, his tone insistent. “And I was happy about having a baby with you. I was devastated, too, you know.”
Reluctantly, she shifted her gaze back to him. His expression was pleading, and part of her actually believed he was being sincere. But a bigger part of her knew he couldn’t be trusted.
“Please come back to bed,” he whispered. “We can start over. Make a new baby.”
Carissa jerked away from him. “You did not just say that.”
She shook her head and backed up, horrified by his suggestion. Did he really think getting pregnant again would magically solve everything? Maybe that was his idea of a solution, but to her, that was a living nightmare. Because that was her secret shame, the betrayal she could never tell him about…
The night she’d lost the baby, she’d been scared to death, but she’d also been swamped with relief. She’d been happy to be rid of the burden of being a teen mom. At the time, she was only a freshman. She wanted to finish college, graduate, get a job, maybe see the world. All things she wouldn’t be able to do when she was saddled with a baby—and a boyfriend who didn’t have a job or any familial support.
“Just tell me what you want me to do,” he said, his tone a combination of defeat and impatience.
“I want you to understand that I need some time, okay?” She hugged herself. “I need to deal with this in my own way, to regain my trust in you, and I don’t want to make the same mistakes again.”
“Mistakes? Is that what you thought of us? Of our baby?” He huffed. “That’s real nice, Carissa. Glad to know the past year has been nothing but one big mistake.”
“That’s not what I said,” she snapped, her tone venomous.
“That’s exactly what you said.” His face was red with anger, and he pointed at her to emphasize his point.
“I’m not doing this with you.” Fresh tears streaked down her face, and she hastily wiped them away.
“Well, you need to.” His tone was cold, icier than she’d ever heard, and fear stole her ability to speak. “This is your fault, Carissa. You lost our baby. You pushed me away. And now you’re blaming me for everything. I’m sick of this shit.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, his words slicing through her in the most hurtful way imaginable. Was that how he really felt? Did he seriously blame her for the miscarriage? So many any retorts formed in her mind, but she still didn’t utter a single word. Instead, she stormed toward the door, snatched her overnight bag off the floor, and yanked open the door.
“Where are you going?” Danny rushed after her and slipped in front of her, blocking her escape.
“Move,” she bit out.
“No.”
“Danny, I mean it. Move. Now. I’m going home.” Her vision was blurred by her tears that wouldn’t seem to stop. She wiped her cheeks, her hand shaking.
