Ripping Pages (8 page)

I smiled and grabbed the drinks from his arms.

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I just got a bunch of different stuff.”

“Oh yeah? That’s great. Thanks. I'm pretty easy to please.” As soon as I said it, I felt the innuendo hanging in the air.

“I bet you are.” He grinned at me before rummaging through the bags to set out the food.

I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me.

We sat down to eat, and he handed me the remote.

“Sorry. You can turn on your housewives or
Teen Mom
or whatever you want.” He smiled as he crunched into an eggroll.

Damn, he was even sexy when he was being a messy eater.

I turned it to
Dumb and Dumber.
A movie I was sure he would like. Who didn’t like
Dumb and Dumber
? We started to laugh uncontrollably when we both started to quote a particularly hilarious part of the movie where they pee in beer bottles while driving down the road. He was so easy to be around. I suddenly found myself staring at him while he laughed and twirled Lo Mein around his fork. He put the fork to his lips and looked at me. I could see the desire in his eyes, and I knew mine looked the same. I wanted him. I wanted him now.

He dropped his fork and grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me to him—oh so slowly. He licked his lips as his eyes darted from my eyes to my mouth. My breathing picked up, and my stomach was fluttering. He smelled so good. Like Chinese food, beer and soap. He brought his lips to mine and gently licked my bottom lip. A moan escaped me as he bit and sucked on it ever so lightly. I opened my mouth, and his tongue slipped in to tangle with mine. He groaned, and his tongue grew more urgent inside my mouth. His hands moved from the back of my neck to the small of my back under my shirt. He started rubbing circles there as he kissed me. His lips moved from my mine to gently suckle and kiss my neck. I moaned embarrassingly loud. He edged from my neck to my collarbone and placed small kisses all over it. I was getting so worked up by just this little bit of action that I was sure, if we kept going, I would give up the goods.
No. Way.

I placed my palms on his chest pushing him away gently.

Breathlessly, I whispered, “Van. I can’t do this. I'm sorry.”

He instantly backed up looking apologetic, and a little hurt. “I apologize. I thought you…”

“I did—I do. It's just—I don’t really know you, Van. I thought we were going to get to know each other.”

“You're right. I'm sorry. I got carried away. You just looked so fucking sexy, and I just wanted to get lost in you.”

“It wasn’t just you,” I smiled.

He smiled a smile so perfectly sweet that my womb contracted, and I instantly wanted to punch myself in the face for stopping him.

He gently kissed me on the forehead, before getting up and carrying the trash from our dinner over to the kitchen.

I was suddenly very tired.

He walked back over to the couch as I yawned a huge yawn. He lightly put a hand under my knees and one around my waist and hoisted me up, carrying me as if I were something precious. We rode the elevator as I laid my head on his shoulder. I wanted to glue myself to him just like this. He smelled so good. He was so warm and strong. I was seriously getting in over my head. I barely knew this man.

When we got to the second floor, he opened the door to the guest room and, ever so lightly, he placed me on my feet next to the bed. He pulled back the covers and motioned for me to lie down. I did, and as I placed my head on the pillow and got comfortable, he covered me up and leaned in, kissing my forehead, then giving me a small kiss on the lips. He walked to the door and switched off the light and whispered, “Goodnight, Sweetness,” as he closed the door behind him. I was out before I could even admire how adorable that was.

I woke up, and I was startled as I remembered where I was. The guest room was as sparse as the master bedroom. All that stood in the plain room was the king sized bed I was very comfortably wrapped up in.

I instantly replayed last night in my head. That kiss was more than amazing. My heart ached at remembering the tender way he carried me to bed, and tucked me in. I laid there for a minute playing it over and over in my head, second for second.

I went into the guest bathroom, remembering to bring my clothes with me this time. I took a quick bath, and wrapped a towel around myself. I put on a little bit of makeup so I would look half-presentable and then I put on the only clothes I had brought with me when I threw my bag together. My favorite low-rise jeans, my best-loved t-shirt, and some flip-flops and then walked downstairs. Little nervous bubbles played in my stomach as I rode the elevator down to the main floor.

I saw Van sitting at the counter eating a huge, and I mean like, you could fit four full sized salads in it, bowl of cereal filled to the brim. What was it with guys and cereal? James always ate cereal. Anytime of day. And here was Van munching on some cocoa puffs like there was no tomorrow. For some reason though, seeing Van in his gray pajama pants hanging low on his hips, bringing out the intensity of gray in his irises, barefoot, and wearing a worn Michael Jackson shirt made me instantly warm. It felt a little too normal. Too comfortable, too perfect. He smiled that panty dropping smile at me, and he quirked his eyebrows down to my chest, his eyes dancing in amusement.

Instantly, I felt a wave of mortification. I bought the shirt from one of my favorite book blogs, because I was so obsessed with novels about bad boys and rock stars. It was adorable under normal circumstances, but I was actually in a rock star's house, and now he was smirking at my choice of attire. The
“My heart belongs to rock stars and bad boys”
V-neck tee that clung to my ample chest was the center of his attention.
Was I ever going to gain any cool points around this dude?

“Like your shirt, Sweetness,” he chuckled around a mouth full of cereal.

I blushed and looked away mumbling sarcastically, “Oh, Lord. Thanks, Van. I really need to change. I didn’t even realize.”

“You are not changing, babe. That is hot.” He looked me up and down.

I blushed even more as he assessed my body. “Seriously hot,” he grunted as he drank the last of the milk from the bowl.
Men.

He stood up, and placed his bowl in the sink before turning around to face me, bracing his hands behind him on the counter. “You hungry?

I shook my head. I hated breakfast. It may be the most important meal of the day, but just the thought of eating it so early made me want to puke.

“So, do you have plans for today?” he asked.

I stood by the counter he had just got up from, staring at the way he walked, the way he moved, and just how freaking insanely gorgeous he was, especially in the early morning in only his pajamas.
Damn.

He smirked as he noticed me admiring him.

“I—uh—actually, no. I took off the week so I could run through my songs and lines before real rehearsals start next week.”

“Oh, so other than rehearsing, you're free all week?” he asked, hopeful.

My belly fluttering even more at the look on his face, I answered, “Yep, I'm wide open.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I flinched at the serious insinuation yet again.

Wow, Tinley, you are on a roll, dumbass.

He chuckled and walked over to the far side of the counter and placed his palms over the backs of my hands. “You don’t always have to get so shy around me. How are you ever going to get to know me, and I you, if you're worried about me seeing the real you. You are so adorable, Sweetness. Come on, Southern Belle, I want to take you somewhere.” He grabbed my hands and led me to the couch.

“Stay here, I'll go change, and I’ll be right back.”

“Ok,” I said and sat down on the couch.

When he came back, he looked even better than before, if that were possible.

A guy as breathtaking as Van could wear a trash bag, and women would still throw themselves at his feet. He wore a black VW hat, which I thought was pretty clever since the Volkswagon logo was his initials. He had on the same gray Michael Jackson tee from before with jeans and flip-flops. As he got closer to me, I smelled his cologne. He didn’t wear too much, just a hint, and it was yummy. So masculine and edgy. “You smell good,” I said smiling.

“Why, thank you. You smell good, yourself.” He leaned in as he grabbed hold of my hand. Running his nose along my neck, he inhaled and kissed right below my earlobe, and I shivered. “Good enough to eat.” He smirked and pulled me through the door. I entered the elevator outside the penthouse as Van held the door for an older woman. “Why, hello, Vance.” She smiled and appraised me as she stepped in. I moved toward the back giving her room. Vance? In all my Google search efforts, I never found out that Van's full name was Vance? That was kind of hot. Then again, everything about Van was hot.

He stepped in behind her and walked around the back next to me and placed his hand at the small of my back caressing me.

“Hello, Mrs. Stevens. How's my favorite board member?”

She laughed. “Oh, I'm doing well. Mr. Stevens has been a little ill lately, but nothing to be worried about.”

“That’s good to hear. Please give him my best.”

“I surely will,” she said as the doors opened, and she stepped out into the lobby.

I felt a pang of hurt in noticing that Van didn’t introduce me nor did he really acknowledge me. I mean I was far from his girlfriend or anything, but manners dictate that you introduce people to each other.

Van led me out of the elevator, his hand still on my back, out to the street. In what I was sure was an effort to be inconspicuous, he slipped on some sunglasses that fit his gorgeous face perfectly.

I put away the ridiculous feelings that I was over-analyzing as he grabbed my hand and laced his fingers with mine.

“Sorry, I didn’t introduce you to Mrs. Stevens,” he said out of the blue, startling me.

I looked over at him as we walked along the cobblestone street. He grinned sheepishly. “She is the town gossip. She lives to talk about anyone and everyone, and I didn’t want her to speak about you and make any assumptions about the kind of girl you are.”

I furrowed my brows. “You've had this problem before I assume.”

“What problem?”

“Mrs. Stevens gossiping about your girl, or girls, as it were.”

“Um, no, actually. Mrs. Stevens hasn’t met any girls, because there hasn’t been anyone staying in my apartment besides you.”

Ok, this was total bullshit, obviously. I looked at him calling his bluff.

“Oh, so, what? You don’t believe me?”

“Actually, No. I don’t. What about
Jade?
” I said with disdain.

“What about her? She never stayed here. She may have come by for a quick fuck, if you want to know the truth, but never once did I allow her to stay in my home for longer than it took to bang her.”

I grimaced, and he laughed, stopping and making me bump into his back.

“Well, Sweetness, you did ask. Seriously, you're the only one I would let sleep in my house. You're the only one I would buy Chinese food for, and you're the only one I want to know
me
. You. Just you.”

That made me smile. “Now, any more questions I need to get out of the way before we can enjoy the day I have planned for us?”

“Not at the moment, but I will let you know when I come up with some.” I actually had a million questions for him, but I didn’t want to seem all crazy and act as if I actually had been thinking it over. Which I had, of course.

“Alright, then. Let’s go exploring.”

He took me all over New York. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan after getting ice cream at the foot of the bridge. He took me to the Central Park Zoo, and we laughed as onlookers stared at him a little longer than normal trying to place him. He told me a little about Sloan as we walked along the streets of New York, the sky turning dark and cloudy.

Sloan was seven years younger than he was, and he felt as if she was his child sometimes. He didn’t say much about his parents, but just that they were always extremely busy while he and Sloan were growing up.

I had asked him to let me stop by my apartment to grab some more clothes, since I was staying longer than I had anticipated. We hailed a cab as evening approached and the clouds rolled in even more. It had been a very long day of sightseeing and walking around the huge city, so the ride back to his house was comfortably silent.

He laid my head on his shoulder and petted my hair. His huge hand making me feel small and treasured. He leaned his head down, his lips brushing my ear lobe, he whispered, “You hungry, baby?”

“Mmmm,” I mumbled incoherently.

He kissed my temple. “I'll order a pizza. Sound good?”

“Yeah,” I whispered and snuggled closer into his lap. I was usually not this forward with guys, I mean I know I didn’t have tons of experience dating, or whatever, but I was sure I would never have been this way with anyone except Van. Van was vastly different from what I envisioned after Google-stalking him. He was such a nice guy. So sweet, so perfect. Maybe it was all a game to him. Maybe he was just playing nice guy to win me over and add another idiot female to his ever-growing collection. My heart didn’t believe it, but my mind wanted to be her stupid rational self. I immediately lifted up off him and scooted to the far passenger door. He looked stunned and hurt, but made no move to grab for me or ask me anything. We stopped off at the pizza place, and he jumped out without a word and ran in to grab dinner.