Ocean Kills (Ocean Breeze) (45 page)

I raised a brow. The only service Piper had ever performed was community, and that had been for breaking into the campus pool to go skinny-dipping with some guy. She had to be setting Lila up for something.

Lila’s expression showed she had the same suspicions. “Really?”

“Absolutely,” Piper said, nodding. 

She looked so genuine I found myself wondering if she really was considering helping.

“Okay, great.” Lila took a pen and notebook from her Louis Vuitton bag. “Which booth would you like to help with? Are you interested in the Republican Leading Ladies or the Chicks of Future America?”

Piper took a long sip of her coffee as she seemed to give the question honest consideration. She put down her cup casually, then added cream, scraping her spoon on the bottom of the cup with every stir. Taking a napkin off the table, she made sure every drop of liquid was completely removed from her spoon. After she was done, she folded up the dirty napkin and placed the utensil meticulously in its center.

If she went to all this trouble, she must be brewing up something special. I drew in closer as to not miss a beat.

“Oh, just put me wherever you need me. Except your booth, of course, because The Blowjob Student Union is a one-woman show, right? I truly admire how you’ve worked so tirelessly to make sure every guy on campus benefits from your services. It’s all about uniting the community, right?” Piper beamed.

I hacked a breath, almost choking on the piece of brownie in my mouth. I couldn’t have been prouder to have this girl as my best friend.

Lila snapped her notebook shut and thrust out her chin. “Okay, I’m outta here.”

“Wait a sec, Lila,” I said, trying to minimize my laughter. “Did you get the letter about our schedule change?” One unfortunate thing about being an art major alongside Lila Nix was we shared the same classes pretty often. We both happened to be buying our textbooks books at the same time last week and were rudely awakened to yet another schedule similarity. And the odds of us
both
choosing Zoology for our science elective . . . ? Slim to none. But, of course, we managed to do it. It was like the universe had it out for us.

She glowered down at me. “I did. What of it?”

“Are you staying in Professor James’ class?”

“I don’t see how that concerns you, but I’m taking a class with Pondensky, instead.” She spun around, her platinum extensions whirling as she left. Her black and tan checkered scarf barely cleared the door as she exited.

Piper laughed into her coffee, looking at me expectantly. “Come on, say it.”

I may have made it a point not to stroke her already huge ego, but I was woman enough to give credit where credit was due.

“You are a rock star.” I gave her a light round of applause. “You had me going there for a second. I honestly couldn’t tell if you were being serious or not.”

Piper made a face. “Me at Welcome Week? They should be so lucky.” She looked at the door Lila just exited through. “You know, I should have a t-shirt made for her: The Blowjob Student Union – A Plastic Army of One.”

I laughed. “You do that, and I’ll deliver it personally.” I shook her hand.

“It’s a deal. So about our schedule . . . .”

“I think we’ve already got the answer to that. We’re staying in Zoology.” Sure, I’d have haul ass across campus to make it to my next lecture every day, but the trek was worth it to avoid Lila Nix.

“Works for me.” Piper scratched her chin. “Hmm, I wonder where I can get a t-shirt made?”

I was about to suggest the campus print shop, but I was distracted by a sudden prickling sensation I felt on the back of my scalp. I rubbed the back of my head and turned to scan the café, but nothing struck me as out of the ordinary. Shrugging it off, I tried to focus on what Piper was saying, but the feeling that we were just being watched wouldn’t go away.

THE TRUTHS ABOUT DATING AND MATING

A spicy, new adult contemporary romance by Jaycee DeLorenzo

Contact Jaycee

Website:
http://jayceedelorenzo.com
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http://blog.jayceedelorenzo.com
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@jayceedelorenzo
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jaycee.delorenzo

CHAPTER ONE

“Where is he?” I demanded of Matt Frye as I barreled through the front door of the second floor suite in Seligman Residence Hall.

Matt, one of the four residents of 236, looked up at me from his perch on the shabby, midnight-blue couch with glassy eyes.
Stoned off his ass, as usual.
“Ivy, hey.” He gestured to the wall behind him with the white Wii controller in his hand. “I don’t think he’s alone.”

“Even better,” I said as I stormed by the couch and into the small, semi-circular hall containing four closed doors.
Turnabout is fair play, after all, and after the crap he pulled today...

I pursed my lips as I stopped outside Ian’s door and pounded my fist on its heavy walnut surface. “Ian Hollister, you’ve got exactly ten seconds to open this door before I’m coming in!” While I had no qualms about breaking up whatever was going on behind the door, I had no desire to view the physical act itself. I would only go in if he forced me to make good on my threat. “Ten… nine…”

Muffled voices and shuffling sounded from the crack under the door. Ian pulled the door open just as I spat out a terse “
Three
!”

A pair of dark blue jeans rode low on his hips, the button undone. His feet and muscular chest were bare, displaying the biohazard tattoo that covered the entire left side of his torso. It extended into a tribal design over his shoulder and dipped far into the waistband of his pants. His inky-black hair was an even bigger mess than usual, and I figured the spiky strands had been finger-combed more than once by the slender redhead standing behind him. Her baleful look as she slid her slinky black dress into place over her narrow hips said she wanted to squish me under her peep-toe stilettos.

Ian scratched the back of his neck and gave me a wary look. “Ivy, what’s up?”

I crossed my arms over my chest and stared hard into his mossy-green eyes, telegraphing that playtime was over and we needed to talk. I was not having this conversation in front of one of his random hook-ups.

The redhead dipped below Ian’s extended arm, and slid her body between us, forcing me to back up. Her fingers slid into his belt loops and she yanked him toward her so her ample breasts pressed against his chest.

Ian’s lids lowered and he gave her a half-smile.

“Call me anytime,” she stressed in a sultry voice, pressing her lips to his neck.

Call me crazy, but if a guy had just kicked me out for another woman, I certainly wouldn’t be rubbing up against him like a bitch in heat. I wanted to shake her and tell her to have some self-respect… or at least do what any other normal slighted girl would do and march her ass out of there with a steady stream of epithets spewing from her mouth. But girls never acted like that with Ian. One turn around his dorm room and they were hooked.

“Sure thing.” Ian’s eyes slid my way, and then quickly darted away.

My presence made him uncomfortable.
Good
, I thought, trying to ignore the small sliver of guilt prickling at me.

The girl lifted her head and flicked her tongue over Ian’s lower lip. “See you later, sexy.”

And I think I just threw up in my mouth.

The redhead’s head swung my way. She looked me up and down, snorted and rolled her hazel eyes. She recognized me. I could tell by the look on her face - the one that said I was an annoyance, but not a threat. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she strolled out of the room in four-inch kitten heels that displayed a pair of toned thighs and shapely calves I would kill to have.

“Where’d you find that one?” I asked.

“Laundry room.”

“In that getup?”

Ian scratched his head and shrugged. “She said she was all out of clean clothes.”

“I’ll bet.” More than likely, she’d spotted him carrying his basket downstairs, threw on her slinkiest dress, and then dashed down to the basement to offer him a little “bachelor bundle.”

But why was I questioning him about his latest hookup? We had much bigger matters to discuss. I rounded on him. “What did you say to Brian Sellars?”

Ian’s eyes swung to mine, his dark brows knitting together. “Who?”

I took a threatening step forward. “Don’t act innocent with me. You know
exactly
who I’m talking about.”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t ring a bell.” He was lying. Well, I
knew
he was lying but the twitching muscles at the corners of his wide mouth confirmed it.

“Let me remind you, then.” I took another step forward until we were less than a foot away. “Sandy blond hair, blue eyes,” I lifted up on my toes and leveled my hand at the tip of his ear, “about yea high. The guy I had a date with tonight until you had a talk with him this
afternoon
,” I added, my voice rising in intensity. Catching his smirk, I cuffed him upside the head.

He chuckled and rubbed the side of his skull. “Oh,
that
Brian.”

“Yeah,
that
Brian.” I propped my balled fists on my hips. “What did you say to him?”

“Nothing. I just told him it would be in his best interest to be a gentleman.”

“Your. Exact.
Words
,” I gritted out through clenched teeth.

Ian squinted at the ceiling and scratched the whiskers on his chin. “Well, I can’t remember the exact words, but I
may
have mentioned it wasn’t illegal to dig a hole in the desert, and I had one all dug out for anyone who mistreated you.”

“Ian!” I shoved him in the middle of his hard chest. He stumbled back a few steps, releasing a bark of laughter. “Why would you do that?” I asked. He’d always been good at the silent intimidation, but this was the first time he’d actually progressed to a verbal threat.

“Oh, come on. The guy had douchebag written all over him. I was just making sure he treated you with the respect you deserve.”

“You were just making sure I’d never get laid!”

“Ahh!” Ian cupped his hands over his ears. “Don’t
say
stuff like that in front of me.”

I shook my head at his ridiculousness. We spent Tuesday and Thursday nights at our campus radio station, advising people on the topic of relationships and sex, and yet, somehow, the idea of me actually having sex really seemed to freak him out.

“Don’t say stuff like what?” I asked, moving in closer. “Don’t say…” I paused and made my voice breathy, “that I wanted Brian’s gorgeous body all over mine.” I slid my hands over my torso and lowered my eyelids, hissing a breath in between my teeth. “That I wanted to feel his hot, sweaty, rippling muscles rubbing all over my—”

Ian’s brows slanted and the corners of his mouth tipped further down. “Cut it out, Ivy.”

I closed my eyes and ran my hands through my long, dark blonde locks, really getting into my act. “To feel him sliding between my thighs,” I said, moaning a little for effect, “giving me pleasure like—”

He clamped his hand over my mouth. “Knock it off! I get it.”

I smirked against his hand and batted my lashes at him. The look of horror on his face was pure comedy. “I’m sorry, was that bothering you?” I asked, my voice muffled against his hand.

He glared down at me for a long moment before shaking his head. An affectionate smile moved over his face. “Man, you’re twisted.”

I threw off his hand. “And you’re a pain in my ass! This overprotective brother routine is getting real old.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, giving me big, round puppy dog eyes. “I just wanted to make sure you were treated the way you should be.” He blinked twice and his lower lip jutted out so far you could land a B-52 on it. “You’re my best friend. I couldn’t bear it if someone hurt you.”

While I knew part of him was just trying to get on my good side, I also knew he really was concerned about my well-being. He always had been. I sighed. “You… suck. I hate you.”

A slow, adorable grin spread over Ian’s face. “No, you don’t. You looooove me.” He splayed his arms wide and came at me for a hug, but I sidestepped his reach.

“Nuh-uh, buddy. You’re not touching me while Miss Fluff n’ Fold’s sweat is still drying on your body. Go take a shower, and then we’ll talk.”

“Oh, all right.” He nodded his head to the room behind him. “Come on in.”

I sneered. “Not a chance. It smells like cheap sex and knockoff perfume in there.” The only thing I could smell was fresh air, since his window was wide open, but I had to give him a little crap for his cavalier sex life; it’s what I did. “I’m going to go play a few rounds with Matt. Now that I don’t have a date - thank you very much - you’re giving me a ride to work tonight. And don’t think we’re done talking about this.”

He winked, giving me a devilish grin. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

 Ian spun around the cramped radio station booth with a look of panic on his face. “Where the hell is my headset?”