so fucking annoying. "Avalon..." My name is a whisper on his breath right before he leans forward and his bottom lip brushes mine.
But we never kiss. We don't get the chance. "Hey, yo, Dean!" a deep baritone calls out.
Pulling back, Dean glances over his shoulder at the sound and his eyes widen. "Marcus." And like a little kid on Christmas morning, his face brightens and he gets off the sand, forgetting me as he greets the new man coming up with Abel and Braxton. He's tall, not as tall as Braxton—but I'm beginning to believe that there never will be any that can match him in size—with sandy blond hair shaved completely at the sides, leaving only the waves of longer strands on the top as they flop sideways in deference to the wind.
"Where the hell have you been?" My eyes track their movements, watching as they embrace in a manly hug with a few back claps and then Dean leans back, smiling at the man. A familiar form appears behind them.
I get up. "Corina?"
"Hey." She waves and skirts around the guys, eyeing them as if they might bite her. I frown but don't comment as she approaches. "I heard you were here."
"Yeah..." I cut a look to Dean out of the corner of my eye. "I kinda didn't have a choice."
She smirks. "Sounds like it."
"Heard you came with a guy," I say.
Her smile freezes but then comes back full force as she giggles. Corina taps her perfectly painted nails against her lips and winks. "I don't kiss and tell." Bullshit. I roll my eyes, but let her have it. She glances back at the guys again. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to sneak off."
"You were?" A loud bark of laughter has me looking back at the guys. Dean's got the new guy’s head in a lock and they're fucking around, light wrestling like they're nothing more than normal college students. It's kind of cute, but I still can't help but feel that maybe ... they're pulling me into that image of them that's not real. Normal college students ... I don't know what they are, but I know they're not that. Dean and I may have fucked, but it's not like we're dating.
I gave in. I gave it up. But I'm still not his. No lies between us, my ass. I scowl. "Yeah," I say, turning back to Corina. "Sure. Let's go."
"Do you want to let them know?" She nods towards them.
"No." I start walking. "No need."
She doesn't say anything to that, just shrugs and turns and starts walking. Instead of heading towards the fires and music down the beach, however, Corina moves back to the stairs. We leave the beach and the sea breeze behind and return to the house, which as I glance around, I realize has been deserted in favor of the party down below.
"Where are we going?" I ask as she heads through the main floor to the front steps.
Pulling out a key ring, she swings it around on one finger and winks back at me. "Only the hottest house on the block,” she says. “My place.”
49
Avalon
Of course, Corina's place would be like a mini replica of the Eastpoint Estate. The only difference is, instead of gray brick, hers has bright blue siding. But it, too, is built like a mini hotel.
"Why were you staying at the Sick Boys' place if you have a house on the beach?" I ask as we head up the front steps.
Corina pauses at the door and looks back, the blonde and brown locks of her hair falling over her shoulder. "Well," she says, biting her lip nervously, "my cousin's actually staying here this week."
"Okay?" I arch a brow and look pointedly up. "I'm sure this place has enough rooms for you and your cousin."
She shakes her head. "He's … private," she replies. "It's difficult to explain, but what he wants—he gets and he wanted the house to himself. He said we could come over tonight and I thought you might wanna get away for a bit.”
Ugh, rich pricks. "Sounds like an asshole if you ask me."
"Heh, yeah, I guess..." She turns back and opens the door, leading me through the main hall and into a massive media space.
The room is filled with a sickly sweet smoke. The only lights on are dim glowing ones that pulse to the beat of the slow, rocking music coming out of the television speakers. Apparently, we’re not the only people her