Brat (4 page)

“I think I can afford a steak and a salad,” he grumbled once he’d overpowered me. “Relax, princess, this one’s on me.”

After he paid, we left the restaurant and took our time walking toward Chase’s car. The sun had set and the night was clear and balmy, knocking off the chill of the restaurant comfortably. Once inside the car, Chase turned the engine on and then faced me, his stare pointed.

“What is this, Chloe?” he asked, finally cutting right to the chase. “I know we said what happened this summer would be a one-time thing, and I can see how my showing up here might have shocked you. Maybe I was a little too forward, and my talking about having something more between us than a one night stand might have freaked you out a bit. I don’t blame you. It freaks me out, too. Neither of us has the rosiest past, and we couldn’t be more different as people.” He leaned toward me over the middle dash, one hand coming up to the nape of my neck. His fingers slid through my hair, trailing down to my bare shoulder, sending little shivers down my spine, which curled in my middle and shot down straight between my legs. I swallowed noisily as he came closer, his lips brushing my ear. “But damn it, Chloe, I can’t get the smell of you out of my head, or the taste of you off my tongue.”

A gasp caught in my throat, and I couldn’t pull away from him. His lips found my neck, his breath racing over my skin. He kissed me there, tracing a path down toward my shoulder and one of the thin straps holding my dress up.

“Chase,” I whimpered as he kissed my shoulder, his fingertips causing goose bumps to break out over my arm.

“I know it’s crazy,” he murmured, “but don’t you remember how good we were together?”

I shivered, remembering a tangle of arms and legs and the humid mists of the rainforest. My thighs clenched at the memory of how he’d felt between them.

“Yes,” I whispered, “I do.”

Chase’s lips found my jawline, tracing a slow path toward my mouth. “I remember, too,” he sighed. “Kissing you, touching you, untying the strings of that sexy little bikini of yours.” He gave my spaghetti strap a little tug for emphasis, just as I turned my head toward his. “That pretty little sound you made in the back of your throat when I touched you. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it … about you. What about you? Do you ever think about it? About me?”

“All the time,” I whispered against his lips just before he kissed me. It had all started with the worst first date ever, and ended on something of a dare …

Chapter 2

“Guys, I think I’m going to be sick.”

Kinsley paced nervously, glancing at her cell phone every three seconds to check the time. It was twelve forty-five, almost time for her to meet Derek.

“It’s just lunch,” Jenn answered from her place on the couch. “Relax.”

Kinsley paused in her pacing, turning on Jenn. “Relax? You set me up on a date with a stranger and I’m supposed to just relax?”

Jenn stood and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Guys generally are strangers until you actually go on a date and get to know one. Don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s not technically a date, since we’ll all be there, and I’m sure Derek will bring his friends, too.”

“Yeah, count me out,” I muttered, removing my ruined boots and peeling my wet socks away. With my nose wrinkled in distaste, I tossed them aside. “I’m going to wash to rainforest off me, then I’m getting my ass down to the beach.”

“Chloe.” Jenn’s voice held reproach.

Putting my hands on my hips, I glared at them both. “No way,” I protested. “You said it yourself, Jenn, Derek will probably bring his friends, and that means he will be there.”

Jenn grinned knowingly. “And that’s a bad thing because …”

“Because he’s the king of asshats,” I answered. “He’ll probably bring his snake buddy.”

“You didn’t think he was an asshat when you were drooling over that hot body of his,” Kinsley said with a smirk.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, he was so much hotter with his mouth closed.”

“I doubt he’ll even be there,” Jenn insisted. “He seemed to be really passionate about the wildlife and all that. He’s probably one of those tourists that the guide said likes to rough it out there. I’m sure he doesn’t want to come within three feet of this place.”

She had a good point. Besides, I was starving. So, after changing into a maxi dress and sandals, I grudgingly followed them downstairs to Kómma, the resort’s outdoor restaurant facing the ocean. I grabbed Kinsley’s hand and squeezed it tight when I noticed her biting her nails.

“First step to moving on,” I whispered to her. “It’s just lunch, okay? No one’s saying you have to marry the guy.”

Kinsley nodded, but she still looked like a deer in the headlights. “You’re right,” she murmured. “Sorry for being such a drama queen. It’s just hard. Aaron was supposed to be … well, it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m going to do my best to enjoy this.”

“So will I,” I replied, scanning the crowd for Derek. I groaned out loud when I found him, and saw who he was with.
Easier said than done
, I thought as he approached us with a grumpy-looking Chase on his heels.

“I doubt he’ll even be there,” I mocked, imitating Jenn’s voice. “Thanks a lot, spaz.”

Jenn shrugged. “So, I was wrong. You can put up with this guy for Kinsley, can’t you?”

Damn that girl, she was right. Kinsley and Derek really hit it off, and I didn’t want to mess that up.

“Hey,” Derek said, smiling down at Kinsley from his impressive height. “We got a table right over here.”

I found myself next to Chase, who stiffened when my shoulder brushed his. I made a huge production of leaning away from him. “You didn’t bring any of your little animal buddies, did you?”

To my surprise, he actually smiled … which made me forget for a second that I hated him. “Nah,” he answered, “we’re in your habitat now, princess. I don’t want to risk you turning one of them into a new outfit.”

Smiling back, I lifted my menu. “I do happen to look stunning in green snakeskin.”

A perky, blonde waitress wearing blue jean shorts and a T-shirt with Kómma across the front baring her midriff came bouncing up, pad and pencil in hand. “Hi, guys, welcome to Kómma! Can I get you started with drinks and appetizers?”

“I’ll have a blood orange Cosmo,” I said. “And keep ’em coming.”

Luke and Christian ordered a pitcher of beer to split, Jenn and Kinsley ordered Cokes, and Derek and Chase both ordered bottles of some beer I’d never heard of.

“Wolaver’s? Never heard of that,” said Luke, who never drank anything except Bud Light.

“It’s an organic beer,” Chase answered, leaning back in his chair and toying with his fork. “It’s good, you should try it.”

“I tend to stay away from things that are organic,” Luke joked. “That’s just code for ‘expensive’.”

“Get one and put it on my tab if you want to try it,” I offered. “You too, Christian.”

Chase made a noise from beside me, and I turned to glower at him. “I’m sorry, Chase, do you have something you’d like to say?”

Hunching his shoulders, Chase continued fiddling with his fork, keeping his eyes on the table. “Nope,” he said. “Don’t mind me.”

“I won’t,” I snapped, turning my attention back to the menu. The waitress returned with our drinks and I took half of mine in one swallow. This guy was starting to give me a headache and I needed to get good and buzzed.

“What are your vegetarian options?” Chase asked the waitress after taking a sip of his beer. “I don’t eat anything with a face.”

“We have a special vegetarian menu, sir,” the waitress replied with a smile. I didn’t miss the way her eyes traced the bulges of his muscles beneath his baby blue T-shirt, but he was oblivious. “It’s there, on the bottom left corner.”

Chase nodded. After perusing the small vegetarian section, he settled on a red curry vegetable soup. The waitress rounded the table and came to me last. I set my menu aside and ordered the Southwestern nachos.

“Chicken or beef?” the waitress asked, her huge smile still in place.

Smirking smugly, I cut my eyes at Chase. “Beef,” I said in a syrupy sweet voice. “Extra beef.”

The waitress took up our menus and left, promising to come back with another Cosmo for me. I drained what was left of my first one.

“Are you a vegetarian, too?” Kinsley asked Derek, who had ordered a pasta dish.

Derek laughed. “No way, man. I’m all for organic and going green, but I’m not as dedicated as Chase. I could never turn down a good steak.”

“I hear that restaurant, Andromeda, has the best steak on the island,” I said conversationally, nodding my thanks to the waitress when she set my second drink in front of me. “We’re having dinner there Friday night.”

Chase mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like: “You gonna pay for that, too?” I couldn’t be sure, though, so I ignored him.

“Don’t know if we’ll have time to hang out in town much,” Derek explained. “We’re only here a few more days, and our work is keeping us pretty busy. We’re supposed to be studying mostly threatened and endangered species, but we’ve been sidetracked by everything else Dasia has to offer. You could spend your whole life out there and still never uncover all its secrets.”

Kinsley stared at Derek with wide eyes and parted lips … the conversation wasn’t exactly a panty dropper to me, but for her it pretty much sealed the deal. I had to admit, Derek was pretty cute, even if he was kind of nerdy. “It seems so fascinating,” she said, leaning toward him. “I’d love to see some of your research.”

“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked. “I could take you out there for a few hours. You can bring your friends, too.”

I wrinkled my nose. “No thanks. I had my fill of the rainforest this morning.”

“I’m sure the rainforest has had its fill of you, too,” Chase mumbled.

“Okay, that’s it,” I growled, swiveling to face him. “What the hell is your problem?”

Setting his beer bottle aside, he pierced me with his cool green stare. “I don’t have a problem, but you seem to.”

“Only one,” I countered. “You. I was having a perfectly nice vacation until you came along, mister I’m so perfect and live in the woods with the snakes and monkeys, and ‘I don’t eat anything with a face’.”

Chase shot to his feet, his chair scraping back from the table. Derek stood as well. “Dude, leave her alone.”

Ignoring him, Chase never took his eyes off me. “Oh, I think daddy’s little girl can defend herself. Can’t you, princess? Miss prissy pants, scream at the sight of a harmless snake, spend daddy’s money, spoiled, pampered little brat!”

My arm lashed out on its own accord, flinging the rest of my Cosmo and splashing him right in the face. Slamming the glass down onto the table, I turned on my heels and stomped off.

How dare he call me a brat? He doesn’t even know me well enough to know that it’s true. Jackass.

“Hey, wait a second!”

Without stopping, I dared a glance over my shoulder and sped up when I realized it was Chase pursuing me. With the red-orange drink staining his shirt, he followed me from the restaurant and out toward the beach. His legs were way longer than mine, and he’d caught up to me in about five long strides. His hand caught my arm and I was forced to stop and face him.

“What do you want now?” I demanded, jerking my arm from his hold. “You want me to stand here and let you insult me some more?”

Chase sighed, a sound that was both exasperated and resigned. He used the hem of his shirt to wipe his face clean, giving me a five second glimpse of his delicious, golden abs. Jesus Christ, if he wasn’t such a jerk, I’d have mounted him then and there.

“Look,” he said, letting his shirt fall back into place, “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean any of that stuff I said.”

“Sure you did,” I scoffed.

He shrugged. “Okay, you got me there. I did mean it, but I still shouldn’t have said it. I’m having a bad day, and you just rubbed me the wrong way.”

“Apology accepted. Now, kindly go to hell.”

Turning on my heels, I continued on my way. To my surprise—and annoyance—Chase followed me. “That’s it? All I get is ‘go to hell’?”

“I’m not sure what else you want from me,” I answered.

“How about a chance to make it up to you?”

I paused in the doorway of the hotel, eyeing him thoughtfully. “Make it up to me how?”

He ran a hand through his brown curls, adorably tousling them. “Well, your first rainforest experience wasn’t exactly the best. What do you say I take you out and show you the good stuff?”

“How do I know you’re not going to shove me into a snake pit and call your little buddies to come eat me?”

“Because they’re still working on the last unsuspecting girl I lured down there,” he said with a laugh. “Look, I swear, no more snakes—at least, I won’t let you see them. They’re everywhere, and that can’t be helped, but you’ll have fun and I won’t let anything eat you. Scout’s honor.”

“You would be a Boy Scout,” I grumbled.

He grinned. “Made it all the way to eagle. You in or what?”

“Definitely not. Hiking in the rainforest … that’s fun? I have a spa appointment in the morning.”

“So meet me right after. Noon?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. Part of me wanted to tell this guy to kiss my ass—both cheeks. Another part of me couldn’t help but notice that he had dimples that magically appeared when he turned on that megawatt smile. He wasn’t at all my usual sort of guy, but I wasn’t in the market for anything permanent. I gave up on permanent a long time ago and started opting for temporary fun. Besides, his invitation was more than what it seemed. It was a downright challenge, and I never back down from a dare.

“Fine,” I relented. “I’ll be here.”

I was in a surprisingly good mood when I met Chase in the lobby for our outing. It might have had to do with the hour long massage, Tahitian vanilla body scrub, seaweed wrap, and mani/pedi I got before meeting him. I’d donned my boots—which had dried overnight from their soaking on the boat—a pair of white shorts, and a turquoise tank top. Underneath, I’d put on my black bikini, hoping to get to the beach after my rainforest excursion with Chase. Unfortunately, the chances of that were slim. The day was already overcast, and it seemed highly likely that a storm would squash any plans to hit the beach.

Chase was yummy in khaki cargos and a black tank top, his biceps bulging and forearms defined. One of his biceps was tattooed, a tribal design that circled his arm, standing out stark black against his sun-tanned skin. He frowned when I got closer.

“You smell like a sugar cookie,” he said.

I grinned. “Right? The Tahitian vanilla body scrub treatment was a last minute addition to my spa day, but I love it.”

He rolled his eyes as he rifled through the backpack I hadn’t noticed until just then. “You’re going to need this,” he said before thrusting a spray can in my face. I choked and sputtered as he covered me with foul-smelling bug spray.

“Dude, what the hell!” I screeched, sneezing a few times as the aerosolized repellant wafted up my nose.

“You don’t want to go into the rainforest smelling like that,” he said with a shrug, jamming the spray back into his bag. “You’re just inviting the bugs to bite you. ‘Oh, hi Mr. Mosquito, please have a taste, I smell like pastries’.”

I wrinkled my nose at him. “Well, now that you’ve effectively ruined my spa treatment, let’s get this show on the road.”

Chase slung the backpack over his shoulder again, and we took off, exiting the lobby and wading through the bodies coming to and from the resort. The beach sprawled out in front of us, but we hung a left, heading toward a path leading into the thick rainforest. A tour guide was leading a group on a well-beaten trail, but Chase directed me in a different direction, down a fork in the path, leading into a thick region of overgrown trees and bushes.