The Enemy - Kelsey Clayton Page 0,85

were to say that to him, he'd probably punch them or at the very least get an attitude, but with me, he just smiles even more. He pulls up to the tattoo place and parks the car.

"You know, you weren't saying that last night when I held you up and—"

The rest of his words are inaudible as I cover his mouth with my hand. My eyes widen as I look around to make sure no one is around. With the top down, anyone could hear us.

"Shut up, jerk." I swat at his chest.

He sticks his tongue out. "I'm just saying."

We climb out of the car and walk into the tattoo place, but now I've got memories of last night playing vividly in my mind. Somehow the conversation of fantasies came up, and I mentioned how I always thought the idea of having sex against the wall was hot.

Needless to say, he stripped us both down to nothing and did exactly that. The feeling of how deep he got in that position was out of this world, and my stomach is still tender from the onslaught. I may have had to spend extra time this morning covering the hickey on my neck with makeup, but it was worth it.

I LOOK AROUND THE room at all the different tattoos while the artist works on Cade. When I come across the case of belly button rings, I stop. They all look so pretty. Every color imaginable is in there—one to go with every skin color and every outfit. I turn to the mirror next to me and lift up my shirt, wondering what it would look like.

"Thinking about getting it done?" Cade asks.

I shrug. "Do you think it would look good?"

He snorts. "Seriously? Lennon, you could make a parka look hot."

The owner looks up from Cade's tattoo and over at me. "I can do it right after this if you want."

"That quickly?"

He nods. "You're over eighteen, right?"

"Yeah," I answer hesitantly.

"Then yeah, it's that easy."

Bringing my attention back to the case, a pink sparkly one catches my eye. Brady would probably kill me, since I wouldn't be able to take it out before the recital, but it would probably be healed enough by then for it not to bother me.

My eyes find Cade's, who's being nothing but supportive and allowing me to make this decision on my own.

"Will you hold my hand?"

He throws his head back, laughing. "Yes, you big baby."

As I realize what I'm about to do, I start to see why my dad thinks Cade is a bad influence on me—but man do I fucking love it.

THE SUN BEATS DOWN on us as we all sit on the beach. Surfers from all around the West Coast are here, ready to compete for the top spot. Cade claims he isn't nervous, but he's been waxing his board for the past half hour, making sure it's perfect.

Waves taller than my house come crashing toward the shore. They're so big that they have a jetski to bring the surfers out to where they need to be. They wait off to the side, on standby for anyone who wipes out and needs help being brought back to shore.

Tessa pokes at my belly button that's still sore. "I can't believe you did it."

I look over at her through my sunglasses. "It wasn't that bad."

She rolls her eyes. "Well, I know that. I have mine done. I just didn't think you had the guts."

"Oh, thanks."

Laughter bellows out of her. "Oh, hush. I didn't mean it like that. You just don't really seem like the type to do something your dad obviously wouldn't approve of."

My brows raise. "You mean like date my stepbrother?"

Her lips purse, and she tilts her head to the side. "Yeah, kind of like that. I take it back. I don't know you at all."

"You just better hope it's healed in time," Savannah tells me. "Brady isn't the only one who will kick your ass if it's not."

I give her the sweetest smile I can manage. "But then who would join you in New York?"

Grayson wraps his arm around her and pulls her in. "She doesn't need you. She has me."

"Are you kidding? She's going to be my excuse to get a break from you," Sav jokes.

As we all chuckle at their banter, I get up and walk over to Cade. He's sitting far enough away to be able to focus but close enough to where we don't all think he's avoiding us. I plop down