Pivotal Moments (In Time #1) (11 page)

If I didn’t take the pill, I’d wind up being incredibly miserable, so I popped it in my mouth and took a swig of my soda. Even that little bit of movement left my head throbbing in agony. I masked a wince of pain, but Teagan took notice.

“Hey, I’m going to get Zver loaded up. Why don’t you lie back and just take it easy?” He got me situated, making sure my seatbelt was buckled and helping me put my seat back, then ran a hand over my hair. “I’ll be right back, honey. Just let me get the dog settled.”

He gently closed the door and called Zver to the back. Luckily, Teagan knew to keep air freshener, a bucket, upholstery cleaner, etcetera, in the back, so the vehicle didn’t reek of dog barf, for which I was eternally grateful.

Once Zver was loaded, Teagan hopped into the driver’s seat and closed the door behind him. I cautiously opened my eyes, turning my head toward him. His profile was striking, with dark hair and sunglasses, one arm resting on the door and the other hand gripping the steering wheel. He glanced over, smiled, and reaching out, he laid the back of his hand on my forehead. Running his fingers through the strands of hair dried to my cheek, he murmured, “How you feelin’? You gonna make it there?”

I nodded, already drowsy. I was trying to fight the grogginess dragging me down, and something crossed my mind that I needed to communicate.

“Teagan?” I mumbled.

“Hmm?”

“I trust you, you know,” I said quietly.

He gave a beautiful smile. “Yeah?” he said, reaching over and intertwining his fingers with mine.

I nodded and gave his hand a squeeze. “Yeah.”

Then, with a yawn that should’ve dislocated my jaw, I closed my eyes.

***

It was the dry mouth that woke me up. My tongue must’ve been about four times larger than it should be, and I could only imagine what my breath smelled like. I’m sure it was lovely.

“No,” Teagan murmured. “We’re still on the road.” A moment passed, then, “Because we’ve been in traffic the whole way, dude!” he said, irritation in his voice. He was on the phone. I kept my eyes shut, hoping to find out with who.

Teagan sighed. “Look, she’s fine. She got sick, but I took care of her, okay?” I could hear the leather creak, and I winced for the steering wheel’s sake. It was obvious he was clutching it tight.

“For fuck’s sake, Connor! She’s fine. She trusts me to take care of her, and I did. Chill the hell out!” I raised my eyebrow at his outburst. I was also surprised it was my brother on the other end he was talking to like that.

“Because she fucking told me she does!” A brief pause, then, “She’s a big girl. I’m pretty sure she can take care of herself.” Another exasperated huff. “She’ll be fine. I’ll have her home tonight.” He was quiet for a moment, and then he added, “She’s asleep. I’m not waking her up.”

Connor’s voice carried over the phone, but the words were indistinct. I had no clue what he was saying, but it definitely had an effect on the man driving beside me.

“I’m going to pretend you never said that,” he snarled. “But I’m telling you now, if you ever say it again, I’ll straight up fuck your shit up.” His breathing was coming fast and sharp now. “I’d never do something like that, and you know it.”

His voice sent chills down my spine. Connor had definitely crossed a line.

The cell phone clattered onto the console between us, and Teagan muttered, “Fucking prick.” There were several moments of silence, then he said, “C’mon, babe. I know you’re awake.”

I grimaced; I needed to work on my acting skills. I cautiously opened my eyes and peeked up at him. “Is it safe?” I teased.

He smiled. “Yeah, smart ass, it’s safe.”

I grinned, but then let it fade. He’d just had a fight with his best friend because of me. Maybe, if I knew what had happened, I could fix it. I reached out and gently touched his arm. He glanced at me briefly before turning back to the road.

“What’s up, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Do we need to go back? I don’t want to cause problems between you and Con,” I said quietly.

He quirked his mouth. “Aislinn, babe, the only person causing problems between me and your brother is him.” He grabbed my hand in his and gave it a squeeze, then intertwined his fingers with mine.

“It’s just…” I trailed off. How do you tell someone you don’t want to be resented later on?

“It’s just what?”

I turned to watch the scenery as it passed by, unsure how to communicate without sounding like a complete idiot. He shook our hands, glancing at me expectantly.

“I honestly don’t know,” I said. “I just don’t want Connor upset, though. He’s an asshole at the best of times,” I admitted.

“You let me worry about your brother, okay? This is between me and him.” I started to interrupt, but he held up a finger. “I’m not saying there aren’t things you need to talk to him about. I’m just saying this isn’t one of them. Let me worry about this one.”

I smiled, but I was still wildly curious about what had happened. “So, what did he say that upset you so much, anyway?”

Teagan shrugged, staring straight ahead with a stoic expression. “Just some stupid shit that he knew better.”

Well, that told me absolutely nothing. But if he didn’t want to tell me, he wouldn’t. So I pushed Connor’s crap from my mind and took in my surroundings. “Where are we?” I asked as I reached for my drink. It just dawned on me that we were barely moving down the interstate; it was bumper to bumper traffic.

“We’re about two-thirds of the way there. Traffic’s been horrible since about fifteen minutes after we got back on the road.”

Frowning, I checked my watch. It was almost two in the afternoon. I’d been asleep for almost four hours. I groaned.

Teagan winked at me and said, “Hey, we might miss out on the campus tour, but as long as we’re there by five, you’ll still get to meet my friends.”

I grinned at him. “I can’t wait,” I said.

“Yeah?” he asked with a smile.

“Yeah, but…do you think we can stop somewhere? So I can clean up some before we meet them.” I had cottonmouth from the motion sickness pills. I turned toward the side window and did a quick breath check, relieved when I found that it didn’t smell like dead bodies.

Teagan nodded. “We can stop by my place and you can do…whatever it is you need to do. Will that work?”

“Um, sure. Okay.” I hadn’t considered going to his and Connor’s house. I was excited, and nervous. I was going to get to see where Teagan lived, ate, and slept. I won’t lie. I got more excited about that last one than I should have.

***

We arrived in Gainesville at around four-thirty, and my butt was numb—not in a pleasant way—from sitting for eight hours straight. I didn’t travel well, obviously.

When he parked the truck, I leaned down and rooted around the floorboard, searching for my purse. I was poking around under the seat when my door flew open. I jumped with a shriek and turned.

Teagan was standing there, a grin on his face. “Damn, baby! I really do need to wear that bell, don’t I?”

I shot him a mock glare. “You’re such a brat!” I twisted and slid out of the front seat, landing in front of him. I tilted my head back, smiling when he shuffled a bit to make room. I inhaled, soaking up the scent of fresh soap, outdoorsy cologne, and laundry detergent, all mixed to create a heady aroma exclusively Teagan’s.

I shook myself out of that train of thought, and suddenly realized we were here, alone. I stepped past him and headed to the front door, and behind me, the truck door closed. I stumbled and probably would have fallen if Teagan’s hands hadn’t suddenly gripped my waist.

“Whoa, easy there!” Teagan exclaimed. I could feel him staring at me. “You okay?”

I nodded, face flushing. His hands loosened and slid up to grasp my arms, leaving behind a trail of heat. I shivered slightly.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered in my ear.

I had no idea how to answer that one. There wasn’t anything wrong, and that was the whole problem. I’d never been completely alone with a guy—there was no older brother to run interference, a best friend to interrupt, or a mother to keep an ear out.

What I did have was a very hot guy tossing blatant signals my way, as well as a very empty house and no idea of what to do with it.

I was terrified.

“Aislinn, baby, what’s wrong?” Teagan’s voice was growing concerned. He slid his hands up to the curve of my shoulders and stopped, gripping them gently. He wanted me to turn and look at him, but I couldn’t.

I shook my head and tried to take a step forward, but he sighed and tightened his grip on my shoulders.

I took a deep breath and turned my head just enough that I could see him out the corner of my eye. “I’m fine, Teagan.” I was rather proud of my level voice.

The man causing me to go into hyper panic mode spun me around to face him. Unable to look him in the eye, I dropped my gaze to the ground. But he placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face until he could see me. His eyes searched mine, and then he frowned and shook his head. “No. There’s something wrong.” His voice deepened. “What’s going on?”

I started to shake my head, but he tightened his grip on my chin so I couldn’t. “Aislinn, talk to me, sweetheart.” It wasn’t an order, not a command, but his tone made me want to respond. That didn’t mean I would admit to the extent of my inexperience.

“It’s nothing, really,” I said, forcing a smile.

His eyes darkened to a stormy gray as he studied me with an intensity that made me squirm. His lips thinned, and he narrowed his eyes. “Don’t do that.”

It was my turn to frown. “Don’t do what?”

“I know something’s bothering you, but I can’t fix it if I don’t understand it.” He paused, brought both of his hands to my cheeks, cupping my face, trapping me in place. I flushed hotly when he forced me once again to look at him.

“C’mon, gorgeous. Talk to me,” he pleaded.

My pride crumbled. “There’s no one here,” I said, my voice so small I was surprised he heard it.

“I know. But I don’t understand what’s going on,” he replied, frustration in his voice.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and through the haze they caused, Teagan’s eyes softened. I felt like such a child. I was so out of my depth. I dropped my gaze when the tears started to fall.

“Aislinn…” His voice was hoarse as his thumbs gently brushed away my tears.

I drew a stuttered breath. “I’ve never done this, okay?” I whispered. “I’ve never been in a house completely alone with a boy. I’ve never been on a date.” I sniffed and swallowed before looking him in the eye again. “I’ve never done any of this before, Teagan. I’m almost eighteen, and…I feel so stupid!”

He rested his forehead on mine, releasing a small sigh and closing his eyes. My hands, without permission, slid along his arms to clutch his wrists. There it was again, that intense feeling of something momentous happening, shaping me, shaping my life.

My hands clenched tighter on his wrists, and he sighed, tilting his head and pressing a soft, warm kiss to my forehead. A shiver worked its way through me, and Teagan’s hands loosened and slid down to grasp my arms. He took a step back, and I missed his warmth immediately. I reached out and tentatively rested a hand on his chest. At my touch, he stiffened and swallowed loudly.

“I understand, baby.” His whisper was hoarse in the quiet. “If you feel like I’m expecting something, or moving toward something you’re not sure about, tell me.” He laid a hand over mine. “You have to talk to me, though. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on in your head. Okay?”

I nodded shyly. “But…I don’t know what to do with any of this.” I glared down at the walkway, angry at my inexperience. Penny would have sealed the deal already. Well, maybe not, but she would have at least kissed him by now. Me? I couldn’t even look this man in the eye without melting into a puddle of self-conscious goop.

His chest vibrated with a chuckle, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Well,” he said, “if it makes you feel any better, you’re doing great so far, sweetheart.” He stopped and took a breath before continuing. “But this—you and me? It’ll only happen if you want it to.” He stepped back until all that remained of our connection was my hand on his chest. “Do you want us to happen, Aislinn?”

I took a deep breath and held it. This was a major decision in my life, and this time, it was my eyes searching his. As I watched, I found understanding, tenderness, and acceptance reflected back at me.

It was the last one that made the decision.

I exhaled and nodded. “Yeah…I do. I want this to happen.”

His muscles drew tight, his shirt tightening over his chest. His eyes turned warm, and taking my hand, he raised it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back. Hot chills radiated up my arm, slamming into my heart, making it flutter. He placed a hand on my hip, and I stopped breathing. The hand on my hip tightened, pulling me closer.

I instinctively raised my arms, resting my hands on his shoulders. As I moved nearer, he slipped his hand around to my lower back. His other hand cupped my cheek as he rested his forehead to mine, and I closed my eyes with a sigh. His scent, the warmth of his breath on my lips, and the heat of his body against mine flooded my senses, overwhelming me.