Riding the Surf (15 page)

“I beg to differ,” he snapped. “We’re finding you a new apartment.”

“Stop telling me what to do.”

“Too bad. I’m your boyfriend. It’s my job take care of you.”

“You aren’t my boyfriend,” she said.

“Yes, I am. You’re going to have to deal with it.”

She glared at him. “If I feel safe here, then it shouldn’t bother you.”

“But it isn’t
safe here, Paola. I can’t sleep at night knowing this where you live. You need to find a new apartment in a better area.”

“Derek, I would if I could. But I just can’t afford it. Arguing about it isn’t going to change anything.”

“How can you not afford it?” he asked. “We make the same amount of money.”

“I have other bills to pay.”

He sighed. “With my check from the competition, you should only owe ten grand. We can pay that off in no time. Now you should look for a better place.”

She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, that isn’t now. After I pay off the medical bills, I’ll look for a new apartment. There. You happy?”

“No,” he said. “You need to live somewhere else now. And why are you stuck paying for this? Your family should be responsible.”

“Well, he lives in a trailer park and can barely walk. I’m not making him pay for it.”

Derek sighed. “This is bullshit.”

“You’re making it more complicated,” she said. “I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for a long time and I’m pretty fucking good at it.”

“And now it’s your turn to be taken care of,” Derek said. “If you aren’t going to get a new place, you are moving in with me.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “You are being crazy.”

“It’ll just be temporary. I’ll sleep on the couch and you can have my room. After we pay off the rest of your medical bills, we’ll look for another place and get you settled. Until then, you aren’t staying here.”

She sighed. “That apartment isn’t mean
t for three people.”

“I’ll kick my sister out, then,” he snapped. “She got herself into that mess.”

“No,” Paola said. “You aren’t doing that. I’m not moving in with you.”

“Fine. We’ll switch apartments. I’ll stay here and you and my sister can stay at my apartment.”

“You are fucking crazy.”

“What’s your point?”

“We aren’t doing that.”

“We’re doing one or the other. You may as well pick one.”

“Derek, I can fucking take care of myself.”

He grabbed her by the arms and stared her down. “What are you going to do when one of those assholes breaks into your apartment, ties you up,
and then fucking rapes you? What? You’re going to scream for help? You think any of your neighbors care? No, they fucking don’t.”

She pulled away, her eyes wide.

“I’m not trying to scare you,” he said. “But it’s true. If they watch you, they’ll know you live alone. The lock is easy to pick and there’s no one here to protect you.”

She turned around and crossed her arms over chest.

“Baby, I’m sorry.”

Paola said nothing.

He turned her around. “So, what’s it going to be? Am I staying here or are you coming with me?”

“I—I don’t know.”

“I’ll give you an hour to think about it.”

“We have to decide this today?” Paola asked.

“If not, I’m sleeping outside your door.”

“Derek, you’re fucking psycho.”

“No, I’m just irrevocably and madly in love with you. I’m not letting anything happen to my girl. I’m getting you out of here. What happened to your mom was horrible and sad. I’m not denying it wasn’t. But you shouldn’t have to suffer for it forever. We are getting you out of here.”

She stared at him. “Derek, you don’t have to do this.”

“I already know that.”

She sat down on the couch. “Sometimes they watch me,” she whispered.

Derek felt his heart accelerate.

“They—”

He held up his hand. “Stop. I don’t want to hear it.”

Paola looked at his hand.

“Now you need to choose.”

She sighed. “I can’t make you stare here.”

“Believe me, I can take care of myself. I’ll kill anyone who comes in here. Please do what makes you feel more comfortable.”

“What about all my stuff? It won’t fit in your apartment.”

“I have a place where we can put it.”

“Where?”

“My friends will hold it for you. Thatcher and Nancy have a big place.”

“You can’t ask them that.”

“Yes, I can,” he said. “They’d do anything for me. And since you’re my girlfriend, they’d do anything for you.”

“I’m not your girlfriend,” she whispered.

“Yes, you are,” he snapped. “There’s no point in arguing about it.”

She looked away then pulled her knees to her chest.

“So, are you staying with me?”

“I guess.”

He smiled. “I was hoping you’d choose that.”

“Derek, I don’t want you to do this because you feel obligated.”

“If that’s how I felt, I wouldn’t have even brought it up.”

She sighed.

“Paola, please don’t feel bad about it. I know you don’t feel safe here.”

“I just don’t want to ruin what we have.”

“We won’t,” he said. “I’ll sleep on the couch and give you your space. If it gets too much, I’ll stay with my friends. They won’t mind.”

“Derek, I never thought you’d be so sweet.”

“Because I’ve never been this sweet before. I’ve only been that way with you.”

She smiled at him then placed her face next to his.

He kissed her on the forehead. “Now let’s get your stuff together for tonight. We’ll get the rest of the stuff tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She walked into her room and stuffed her bag with her clothes, hair accessories, and other things. The last thing she grabbed was her surfboard.

“Ready?” he asked.

She nodded.

They left her apartment and returned to Derek’s place. He was so happy to get her out of there. If she refused to come with him, he’d have to sleep outside her apartment ever night. The idea of her being alone in that unsafe place would give him nightmares. It was enough to send him into a panic attack.

When they walked inside, Cheyenne was sitting on the couch with Ryder.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Derek yelled. “Get him out of my house!”
              Cheyenne’s eyes widened when she saw Derek. “I thought you were out with Paola.”

“And now I’m back,” he snapped.

“You said you wouldn’t be home until later.”

“So you
invite this piece of shit here?”

Paola came beside him, and Ryder looked at her in her short dress.

That just pissed off Derek even more. “You motherfucker!”

Ryder stood up and raised his hand
s. “I’m sorry, dude. I’ll go.”

“You will go,” Derek snapped. “Because I’m going to throw you out on your ass.” He marched to him with his fist raised but Cheyenne stood in front of him.

“Derek, calm down.”

Derek ignored her. “Where
’s her money?” he snapped. “Give my sister back her money and I’ll let you leave with your eyes and legs.”

“Derek, knock it off,” Cheyenne said.

Ryder stepped back and walked around the couch.

Cheyenne pushed her brother back. “He’s leaving, okay? Calm down.”

Derek watched him walk out with venom in his eyes.

Paola remained by the door, watching Derek closely. “Well,
this night keeps getting worse, huh?”

Derek grabbed her bags then carried them into his room. “You can stay in here. The door locks from the inside.” He grabbed a pillow and an extra blanket to take into the living room.

“Derek, I don’t want you to sleep on the couch.”

“I really don’t mind, baby.”

“I want you to sleep with me.”

“Really?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I’d love to sleep with you.”

Cheyenne slammed the door closed then barged into Derek’s room without knocking.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Derek yelled. “Don’t you knock?”

Cheyenne looked at the bags on the floor. “What’s this? So Paola can just move in but Ryder can’t come over?”

Derek felt his arms flex. “I’m this close to slapping you.”

She glared at him. “Then do it.”

He grabbed her by the arms then released her, clenching his hair. “You don’t fucking live here, Cheyenne. This is my house. If I want Paola to live her, she can live here. You can have people over, but not that piece of shit. Anyone but him. If you want to see him, do it away from my home.”

“And I’m not living here,” Paola said.

“Doesn’t matter,” Derek said. “That’s beside the point.” He glared at his sister. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do with you.
”

“Why don’t you accept me, then?”

“I do accept you,” he snapped. “But I don’t accept him. You’re better than this, Cheyenne.”

She stepped back. “What’s Paola doing here?”

“None of your business,” he snapped.

“Derek won’t let me stay at my apartment,” Paola said.

“Baby, you don’t have to explain yourself,” Derek said.

“I can already see where this is going,” Cheyenne said. “You’re going to knock her up and ruin your life.”

Derek shook his head. “Fuck you, Cheyenne! I should throw you out on your ass.”

Cheyenne left the bedroom and slammed her bedroom door behind her.

Derek looked at Paola. “I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” she said.

“I fucking hate my sister.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I really fucking do.”

She came behind him and rubbed his shoulders and his back. “Just relax, okay?”

He said nothing while he felt her massage his sore muscles.

Paola removed his shirt and then dug her hands into his skin.

Derek felt his anger disappear as she touched him the right way. His body fell further and further into a relaxed state.

“Lay down,” she whispered.

He moved to the bed and lay on his stomach.

She climbed on top of him and rubbed every muscle in his back. When he closed his eyes,
he felt her hands pull away. He heard her clothes drop to the ground. His relaxed state disappeared when he realized she was completely naked on top of him. When she leaned down to rub his shoulders, He felt her nipples touch his back. His cock sprang to life underneath him, making him uncomfortable. She kissed his neck while she massaged him, her lips lightly pressed against his neck and ear.

Now Derek wasn’t in the mood to relax. He’d wanted to see her breasts since the moment he saw her. They were perfect, round and perky. Her nipples hardened in her swim suit and stuck out. Derek wanted to lick them and suck them dry.

He turned on his back and grabbed her while he moved, pinning her down against the mattress. When he saw her naked chest, his breathing hitched. They were even better than he imagined. They were big and round, forming a line of cleavage even when she didn’t wear a bra. His eyes were glued to her body, wanting to do some many things to her.

“Do you like them?” she whispered.

“Uh…wow…yeah.”

She reached down and grabbed the button of his jeans, undoing t
hem. Derek’s breathing increased as she pulled him free of his pants. She left his boxers on.

Derek leaned down and grabbed her breasts, feeling the warm skin in his hands. They were firm and hard. His cock moved in his boxers. Paola caught the look and smiled. Derek puckered his lips and kissed her nipple, feeling it in his mouth. He moaned as he realized what he was doing. She had the best rack he’d ever seen. The sexual monster inside me purred to life. He licked the valley between her breasts and kissed every inch of her skin, loving the taste and sight of her chest.

Paola grabbed the rim of his boxers and started to pull them down.

Derek pulled away and looked at her face, wanting to see her reaction when she saw him. He hoped she would be as impressed with him as he was of her. When his hard cock sprang out,
Paola bit her lip and moaned. Derek was pleased with her reaction.

“Oh, he’s…mmm.”

“He’s all yours.”

She grabbed him and rubbed him gently. “He looks like he tastes good.”

The idea of getting head for her made him sweat. He wanted to feel her suck him, glide her tongue over his tip.

“Come here,” she whispered, grabbing the base of his balls.

“We don’t have to do this,” he said with an unconvincing voice.