Distraction (Westbrook Series Book 1) (32 page)

Trevor looks about as comfortable as Kyle is right now. He keeps shifting in his chair, folding and unfolding his legs, and repositioning his and Avery's clasped hands in his lap.

"Do you want a beer, Trevor?" Kyle asks. I can tell he is forcing himself to be polite to Trevor, but it seems to be a bit of a struggle for him.

"Yeah, man. That sounds great. Thanks." Trevor hasn't picked up on Kyle's snarky attitude, but I wonder if Sam has, because he has the most peculiar look on his face as his eyes dart between Kyle and Trevor.

"Hey Trevor, why don't you help me carry the drinks back, so Sam can check the pump for us. I think I heard it making some weird noises earlier, and God knows I haven't a clue what I'm doing with that thing. Is that okay, Sam?" Sam nods, while scratching his head. It’s as if he is trying to figure out Kyle's motives, but he doesn't say anything.

"Laila, is it okay if Georgia changes clothes in your
room?" Kyle asks me.

"Sure. I'll show you the way, Georgia," I say, curious as to why he wouldn't just show her the guest bathroom.

Regardless, I am happy to have an excuse to follow Kyle and Trevor into the house. I want to see exactly what my brother is up to. It is so obvious that the whole pool pump thing was just his stupid way of getting Trevor away from Avery.

I try to hurry Georgia up the stairs, but she is moving so incredibly slow. She is probably trying her best not to trip in those crazy, sky-high heels of hers. I pretty much dump her into my room and scurry off. Hopefully, she won't be too offended by my abruptness.

I sneak half way down the stairs, making sure I can't be seen from the kitchen. I lean in and try to discreetly eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So, when did you and Avery start dating?" I hear Kyle ask Trevor.

"We've been kind of hanging out for a week, but I just asked her out,
out
tonight. So I guess, since . . . today," Trevor says in a friendly way. He hasn't yet picked up on Kyle's attitude.

"I didn't want to say anything out there, but I kind of walked in on you guys in the basement earlier."

I am shocked that Kyle would be willing to admit this so openly to Trevor, especially after he acted so freaked out earlier with me, when he thought that they might have seen him gawking at them.
I guess he's only worried about Avery knowing that he saw the two of them
.

"Shit, I'm
sorry
man. I didn't think anyone was . . . . She said we were alone." Trevor's voice sounds a little nervous, which is strange because he usually sounds so cocky and sure of himself.

"Yeah, well I don't know what your intentions are with her, but she is
not
the kind of girl you
think
she is," he says sternly.

"I didn't think . . . I don't know
what
you are talking about, Kyle. I never thought that Avery is
easy
, if that is what you're getting at," Trevor says defensively.

What the hell, Kyle? Even I know that Trevor isn't that kind of a guy.

"Well, it sure didn't look that way when I saw you practically
mauling
her on my couch in the basement. You said yourself, it is only the first night you two are officially dating."

I wonder again just how much making out they were doing.
Could they have been doing what Sam and I were doing when Kyle interrupted us?
Ugh, I really can't handle that thought right now
.

"Look, man. We just got a little
carried away
. I didn't
expect
to . . . I like her more than I thought I would, but I wasn't going to try to take advantage of her or anything, if that is what you are worried about. I'm
not
an asshole. I don't treat girls like that."

I am both surprised and bothered by how genuine he sounds.
Was I wrong? Did he finally come to his senses and start liking Avery?
I guess it's possible when they kissed, and did
whatever else
they were busy doing, he realized they have more chemistry than he had originally thought. Once again, imagining them kissing and making out makes my stomach twist and turn uncomfortably. I can't remember the last time I felt this sick.

What is wrong with me?
I have Sam
.
There is no reason for me to be jealous. We just had the most amazing date tonight.
Isn't the fact that I am standing here without my bikini top evidence enough?

"Is everything okay?" Georgia's voice makes me jump. She is standing at the top of the staircase, staring at me like I am a lunatic. I wonder how long she's been there.

"Yeah, I um . . . was just thinking about something that I remembered I have to do. I need to go to my room for a minute. Are you okay finding your way back?" I ask, making sure I don't make direct eye contact with her. I'm afraid she is going to see right through my lie, and call me on the fact that I was really just eavesdropping on my brother.

"I think I've got it. Down the stairs and out through the French doors off of the kitchen?" She smiles warmly, even though I realize how stupid I must have sounded. It's not like we live in this huge, complicated mansion, where it would even be possible to get lost.

"Okay, well. I'll see you outside, then," I say awkwardly, before turning around and passing her at the top of the staircase.

I slip into my room and close the door. I fall back onto my bed, sending pillows flying in all different directions. My room is spinning. My body feels warm, probably because of the alcohol. I'm sure all of the drama isn't helping, either. I just want everyone to leave so Sam and I can finish our perfect date.

Even if they did though, I'm not sure I would be able to get Trevor out of my head. I sigh.
Damn him and his sexy dimples, those gorgeous emerald eyes, that ridiculously hot body, and damn me for noticing
.

Just as I calm myself down and get my breathing back to a steady rate, I am startled by the sound a soft tapping on my door.

"It's unlocked," I call out. I don't bother moving to greet whoever is behind the door.

"Um, Laila? Can we
talk
for a second?" The sound of Trevor's smooth, deep voice throws me off.

You have got to be kidding me. Why is he bothering me right now?
He opens the door carefully, unsure whether or not he should enter. I decide that he isn't worth my time enough to actually sit up and acknowledge him. Not after the way he has been treating me tonight.

"Can I come in?" he asks. His voice is calm, without any signs of angst or animosity.

"Fine, whatever." I wave my arm as if to motion for him to come in, but I don't budge otherwise. My other arm is still draped across my face, blocking out the light.

"Is everything okay?" he asks hesitantly.

"Yeah. I am feeling a little dizzy. I just need to stay still for a moment. I'll be fine."

"That's good," he says nervously.

"What do you
want
, Trevor?" I ask with frustration.

"I'm
really
sorry about the way everything went down earlier. I just wanted you to know that." There doesn't seem to be any sarcasm in his voice. In fact, he sounds like he truly wants to make amends.

"For what it's worth, I really do think I like Avery now. In fact, I'm actually surprised by how much. You're right. She
is
incredible. You don't have to worry about her . . . with me."

He pauses for a moment, probably expecting me to say something, but I have no response. His words feel like he just stuck an ice pick through my heart, though. In fact, I cannot believe just how
not okay
I am with the two of them being together. I can't let him know this, though.
I am not about to ruin this for Avery
.

"Well, I just wanted you to know that, okay?" he says as a last-ditch attempt to reconcile with me.

I sigh, and prop myself up onto my elbows. "Okay
fine
, but you should know that I will
personally
kick your
ass
if you hurt her.
Got it
?"

He breaks out into a full smile, dimples and all. I can't help but return the sentiment, no matter how hard I try to force my lips to remain still.

"You and Kyle both," he says. His cheeks puff up, before he lets out a big burst of air. His eyes relax, as they travel from my face down to my chest. He cocks his head to the side ever so slightly. He squints a little, before his face suddenly turns pink. He quickly turns his head away from me, as if he has seen something he shouldn't.

When I look down at my chest, I realize that my nipples are clearly showing through the thin t-shirt that is pulled tightly over my very bare chest. I quickly sit up, and cross my arms over myself protectively.
I really don't think it would be possible for me to be more embarrassed than I am right now.

"Okay, well . . . I, uh . . . better get back . . . out there," he stammers awkwardly. "Are you
sure
you're okay?" he asks again, only he's not allowing himself to look directly at me.

"I'm fine. I just need a moment. I'll see you guys in a minute." My voice is equally shaky, but he doesn't say anything about it. He simply nods and leaves my room.

Chapter Twenty-Two:
He Called Me Jailbait
 

Pretty much everyone is in the pool by the time I get back down to the patio. The only person I don't see is the one person I
nee
d to see right now.
Where did Sam go?
Even though Kyle has his arms wrapped around Georgia, his eyes rarely leave Avery. He is watching Trevor's every move, and way too closely.

I find it kind of curious that Kyle didn't have much to say about catching me making out with my elusive boyfriend, and yet he is being
over-the-top
paranoid about Trevor and Avery.
He's more protective of Avery than he is with me, and I'm his real sister
.

Trevor is sitting behind Avery on one of the steps in the pool. I can tell he is being very careful, keeping Avery at somewhat of a distance. It makes me wonder what else was exchanged between Trevor and Kyle after Georgia pulled me away.

A shiver runs down my spine when I feel something icy and wet being pressed against my neck. I jump a little, sending Sam into a fit of laughter.

"So, how come
you
aren't swimming, lil sis?" he asks with a knowing smile on his face. His voice is so loud that I'm positive our neighbors could hear him.

I glare at him as he walks away. He glances back at me once, just to show me his devilish smile. I can see part of the purple string from my bikini top peeking out the side of his pocket.

"Laila, are you getting in or what?" Avery asks me. She scoots herself further back on the step and lays against Trevor's chest. He hesitates for a moment before wrapping his gorgeous arms around her waist. His face looks impossibly red. He won't look at me, even though Avery is talking to me.

"Maybe I will a little later, okay? I swam earlier and am a little tired right now," I say casually.
Why didn't I just change into my one piece when I had the chance?

Sam is heading toward the house with even more of my swimsuit top falling out of his pocket. I run up behind him, to cover it up before anyone else notices it. When we get inside, he plops down on the bar stool and swivels it around to face me. I stand in front of him with my arms crossed.

"Did you realize the string is hanging out of your pocket?" I ask him.

Sam's smile grows as he removes the damp fabric from his pocket and holds it out in front of me. Right as I am about to grab it, he pulls it back. He grabs a fistful of my shirt with his other hand, and pulls me so I am standing right between his legs. He drops the swimsuit on the counter and sneaks his hands under my shirt. His hands are resting on my hips under my big shirt, as he leans down and brushes his lips against mine. He moves his fingertips up along my bare stomach and across my rib cage, as our mouths dance.

We forget about the fact that anyone could walk in on us at any time and catch us making out. His hands roam further up my bare chest until they find my breasts. I pull back at first, but he just pulls me closer, and continues kissing me. It is so easy to get lost with his lips wrapped around mine. I just want to freeze time and stay here forever.

We have to stop abruptly, when we hear the back door creak open. I snatch my top from the counter and step away from Sam, hoping there is enough distance between us to look normal.

Trevor walks into the kitchen wearing nothing but his wet board shorts. His dark, wet hair almost looks gelled because it is falling perfectly against his tanned forehead. I almost can't look at him because he looks
too damned good
right now. It's a good thing my face is already flushed from my mini make-out session with Sam. Otherwise, Sam may have picked up on my obvious attraction to Trevor.

"Hey," he says casually to me, not even looking at Sam. His eyes are twinkling and his dimples wink at me, as the corners of his lips sneak up into a sexy smile.

Sam just sits there quietly on the stool, drinking his beer with a straight face. Trevor looks down at my hands and squints, before his intense green eyes flare up with realization. His face flushes and he quickly turns away, much in the same way he did upstairs. I am so busy gawking at him that I didn't realize I am still holding my bikini top right out in plain sight.

Seriously?
Could this night get any more humiliating?
I ball the fabric up into my fist, and stalk off to the bathroom. I catch Sam smirking at me as I walk towards the bathroom
. I am going to kill him for not giving me back my top right away.

When I return, Trevor is gone. Sam is waiting patiently on the same bar stool. He walks over to me, and flicks at the strings of my bikini top that is now tied securely around my neck. He sighs, as his lips turn down into a pout. I shake my head and playfully tap his shoulder back. He pretends to sulk for a moment, before pulling me back into an embrace. I softly kiss his cheek, forcing his lips to curl up.

He holds the gold
L
charm delicately in the palm of his hand as he plays with the small pendant, rolling it back and forth between his thumb and index finger. "I really like this on you," he whispers in my ear, his hot breath sending tingles down my shoulder.

I smile and lean my cheek into him. Once again, we are pushing the boundaries of our arrangement, knowing full well that it could be over as quickly as it started, should we get caught.

Even though we'd rather stay in together like this for the rest of the evening, we decide that it's probably better if we go swim with the rest of the group in order to avoid suspicion.

Needless to say, it is not much fun hanging out with Sam as just friends, not with two other couples being all
coupley
, especially since we really should be the third couple. At some point, we are going to have to sit down and have the talk with Kyle, but it's not going to be tonight.

After about forty-five minutes of splashing around in the pool, I decide to call it a night. Avery and Trevor are sitting on that same stupid step, but they seem much cozier than they were before. For some reason, Kyle seems to have let up a little on Trevor. In fact, he is no longer watching Avery like a hawk.

His attention seems to be back on his girlfriend, as it should be. Georgia is lying with her head in his lap on the side of the pool. He keeps brushing his hands through her hair, pushing it gently off of her forehead. It's so strange to see him being so affectionate.

I really thought there would be more tension between Avery and Georgia considering how Avery has been in love with Kyle forever, but they seem to have clicked right away. It's hard not to like Georgia, and there really is no reason for her not to like Avery. 
None that she is aware of, anyway.

The commotion on the other side of the pool draws my attention away from the happy couples. Sam is playing around on the diving board, doing flips, and cannon balls, acting like a child. He makes me laugh.

"I'm shot. I can only take so much of this
lovey-dovey
couple stuff. I think I'm going to turn in. Avery, you can stay up as late as you want."

She seems a little disappointed, but I'm sure she'll get over it.

"Okay. I won't be far behind you. Nighty-night, Lays," she says cheerfully while winking. Trevor nods and smiles distantly, without really making eye contact with me.
I still cannot believe he caught me without my swimsuit top on, twice
.

Everyone says good night to me, except for Sam. He jumps out of the pool and quickly wraps a towel around his waist, before chasing after me. Seeing his wet bare chest move up and down as he catches his breath is enough to make my legs wobble. I try not to stare openly at him, but he has moved himself so he is blocking my path to the deck.
A chest like that just demands your attention
.

"You can't leave me alone with
Coupleville
, Lis," he whines. He has a sexy smile painted across his face. Water is dripping from his dark eyelashes. I so badly want to reach up and kiss his wet lips right now.

"Nobody is forcing you to stay out here. You could always
go to bed
, too," I say with a little too much enthusiasm.

Sam's smile grows. His eyes sparkle, as his eyebrows arch up. "Is that a suggestion or a
request?
" he asks huskily.

I have to turn my head away. He is staring at me intensely with those hungry, deep-sea eyes. I look around to make sure nobody sees us. Luckily, both couples are far too caught up in their own worlds to notice anything that Sam and I are doing.

"Wouldn't you like to
know
," I tease him, before scampering off into the house. I can feel him on my heels as I hop up the stairs to my room. He sneaks up behind me, scoops me up into his arms, and flips me over his shoulders before I make it to the top of the steps.

"Sam,
what
are you doing? Put me
down,
" I demand. I lightly pound on his arms while laughing. He carries me into my room, kicks the door shut, and lays me down on my bed.

"Sam, my suit is soaking wet," I whine, while wiggling around underneath him.

His eyes dance wildly down to my bare stomach. "I can help you get rid of it," he says, while tugging at the top of my bikini bottoms. I push his hand away gently, roll over, and scoot off of my bed. I walk over to my dresser and pull some pajamas out of the drawer.

"That's okay. I think I can handle it," I say with a smirk. He walks up behind me, wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me back against his chest.

"I'd
love
to handle it for you." His smooth voice makes me shiver.

"I
bet
you would. I need to take a shower." I unravel myself from his embrace. I plant a quick kiss on his cheek and head out of my room to the bathroom.

He follows me, leans against the bathroom doorframe, and crosses his arms over his chest. "I need to take a shower, too. We could always save some time, some water, and you know, just take one
together,
" he says suggestively, while flashing me a silly grin.

"I don't think that would be a good idea. Don't you think we've caused enough trouble for one night?"

"No.
Definitely
not. I want to cause
a lot
more trouble with you," he teases me, while leaning in and placing soft kisses all over my bare shoulders from behind me. I shake my head, but my lips are turned up. "At least let me tuck you in after you're done showering?" he asks me, his hot breath on my ear. I can't help but smile and nod.

"I'll be quick," I promise him. I gently nudge him back out of the bathroom and close the door.

I am surprised to see Sam lying on my bed, showered and dressed in dry basketball shorts with a clean t-shirt, when I return. I guess he used my parents’ bathroom. He is pretending to read one of my magazines, which makes me laugh. I plop down on the edge of the bed and lean over his shoulder, acting like I am reading along with him. After about a minute, he closes the magazine and looks up.

"Oh, I didn't see you there. This article about . . ." He opens the magazine back up to some random page, and reads the headline. "
Accessorizing on a Budget
is
really
interesting." The sarcasm in his voice is really thick. I shake my head, snatch the magazine out of his hands, and toss it onto the nightstand.

"
What?
You're not interested in accessorizing?" he teases me. I scoot myself further back on the bed against the headboard so I am sitting next to him. I cross my legs, and lift his arm up, so he can wrap it around me.

He squeezes my shoulder while pulling me into a tighter embrace. He smells unbelievably good, and feels warm against my cool, dewy skin.

"Did you have fun tonight, Lis?" he asks me softly, while twirling one of my long, wet ringlets around his fingers.

"I
did
. The whole night was
amazing
. Well, until Kyle and everyone else came home." I look up at him. "Thank you for everything, Sam. You are incredible."

I lay my head against his shoulder, and breathe in his fresh, clean scent. He tilts my chin back up so I am facing him, before he leans in and kisses me softly on the lips. It is a sweet, tender kiss that leaves me feeling weak and breathless. He keeps his eyes closed, as if he is savoring the moment.

I love how peaceful he looks with his long, dark eyelashes pressed against his perfect, tanned skin. I notice he has a fresh sprinkling of freckles across his nose. When he slowly opens his eyes again, a sexy smile spreads across his pink cheeks. He gazes at me lazily, while stroking his hand up and down my arm affectionately. My heart is hammering so hard I'm sure Sam can feel it pounding against his chest, as if it were his own.

"No,
you
are incredible," he counters. He reaches behind my head and pulls me to his lips again, instantly moving and parting mine so our tongues can meet. His kiss is harder, deeper, and more passionate than before.

I could kiss Sam all night and never get bored. Our lips feel natural and charged together. With each kiss, he teaches me new ways to explore his mouth, and it is like learning a brand new dance. He takes the lead, moving our lips together gracefully.