Page 8 of The Starlet
“Yes.” He gives me a sideways glance. “I mean, not for real, but just joking around. Why?”
I shrug and kick a rock on the trail. “I don’t know. I was just thinking. There are so many great ones out there. Like, one of my favorites is: Let’s pretend we’re Oreos and unlock the magic.” I smirk. “Of course, that one worked better when their tagline wasunlock the magic.”
“How about… if you were a Transformer, you’d be Optimus Fine!”
A laugh bubbles up from deep in my chest. “Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten I see.”
His voice drops an octave, and he leans closer to not be overheard. “Don’t ever change. Just get naked and stop there.” We stop walking and turn to look at one another.
My breathing hitches, and I try to stop the fluttering of my heart and the wetness between my thighs.Fuck me. No. Seriously. Take me right here!I lick my lips. His eyes drop to mine, and he mirrors my action. I take a small step toward him; his aftershave scent surrounds me again.
“Let’s play the emperor’s new clothes. Get naked and parade around in front of me.” My voice is quiet and raspy. What I wouldn’t give to make this pick-up line happen. I felt what he had going on under his t-shirt and shorts. Let me tell you… he is ALL man!
He covers his stomach with his hand and tilts his head back as his laugh echoes through the trees around us. A few birds are disrupted from their perch and fly away above us. “Jesus, where the hell did you find that line?”
I shrug as the heated moment passes and we start walking again. “My ex. He was a wealth of bad pick-up lines.”
“Well, I hope he didn’t get laid after using that line on you.” He chuckles a little more and finally calms down. “That’s a really shitty line.”
“Yeah. Not his best. There’s a reason we’re not together.”
“I better watch out then.”
“Why’s that?”
“Don’t want you to break up with me for using a bad pick up line.”
Before I can answer him, I hear running water up ahead.He’s going to love this. Looking down at his sneakers, I’m not sure they will have enough traction for him to climb to the top of the waterfall, but the bottom falls will be just as beautiful.
The teenagers are laughing in the distance, and I’m sure they’re all in the water splashing around. As we come around a bend in the trail, the waterfall comes into view. The sunlight reflects off the water, creating miniature rainbows as it cascades down the rocks and lands in the pool below.
I turn to watch as Bradley takes it all in. A slow smile spreads across his face, and he looks down into my eyes. I could get lost in his gaze forever. The brown of his irises is deep, but in the sun, they take on more of a honey color. His eyes are a peek into his soul. I get the sense he knows what he wants and is determined to find a way to get it. When we got coffee, and he said he doesn’t have time for a girlfriend, I got the impression there was more to it than that.
He takes my hand and gives it a little squeeze. I glance up at him, and he’s beaming. “This is awesome. I’ve never seen a waterfall in person before. I wish now we—I had taken the time to look for stuff like this.”
“Just because you haven’t done it before, doesn’t mean you’re late.”
He takes my hand and pulls us closer to the water. “Come on, I bet I can get you wet first.”
Too late, buddy.
* * *
We sit by the water,dipping our feet into it as the sun shines above us. The longer I sit here, the hotter it becomes, and I know we’ll have to leave soon. Bradley wanted to climb to the top, but when he started, the rocks were too slick for his sneakers. I promised I’d come back with him once he invested in some actual hiking boots.
The teens recognized me, and one of them was finally brave enough to approach me for a picture. It was rather amusing to watch the interaction with his friends as he was trying to get the courage to ask for a picture. They kept giving him a little push in our direction, and I’m sure I heard him say “you do it, man” to his friend. Of course, I pretended not to notice, but Bradley was watching the exchange and laughing.
“Should we leave and have lunch?” I ask, pulling a small towel from my backpack and drying off my feet.
I hand him the towel, and he does the same. “Sure. Thanks for showing me this place. It’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it. I’d love to show you more places if you’re up for it. Maybe once filming is done?”Please say yes!
His smile is infectious. “I’d love that. Thanks.” He stands and offers his hand to help me get up. I stumble a little with the sheer force of his pull, and I rest my hands on his chest to regain my balance. His heart is beating like a drum under my fingertips. His skin is heated from the sun, and I want to curl into his chest.Stop it, Elena! He’s off limits.
“That’s some grip you’ve got there, Brad.”
“All the better to hold you with, my dear,” he whispers. His voice is deep and husky, sending a chill down my spine and an ever-growing ache between my thighs.