Blurred Lines

Chapter 14

Christian didn't say much during the ride to Santa Cruz. So I took my cue from him and stared out the window.

I don't know why but I somehow thought that Christian's parents might be living in Taylor's Groove.

Wait,I do know why I thought that.

I mean they are Taylors. Shouldn't they live in Taylor's groove?,it's only logical.

The view from the window was breathtaking.

The mountains here were tall streaking suddenly into the vivid blue sky. The road curved and snaked but they were always there,dark,distant and dramatic.

The land rose on either side of the road in rolling hills and rocky outcroppings.

We stopped for a soda and restroom break midway.

When we set off again I tried to break the silence by making some conversations. I remarked on the weather and I asked him a few questions about his brothers.

Each time he replied by using as few words as possible.

So fine,I have my iPod. Tucking my earphones in my ear I rested my head on the chair's headrest and watched the rolling landscapes.

When the car finally burst out from under the canopy of trees and into the light I started to feel restless.

We couldn't be far from the family house now. Soon I would meet his mom and dad,his brother Sam who was a practicing doctor in Santa Cruz,his wife Emily and their two children.

His other brothers,Rogan who owns a successful horse farm in Virginia with his fiancé Julia,and Grayson who owns a casino in Las Vegas.

I removed my earphones and put my iPod away as the music was no longer soothing.

"How you holding up?" Christian asked.

I turned to him "A little nervous I guess" I admitted.

"Don't worry,my family will love you"

Easy for him to say,but at least he made an effort. I almost forgave him for being mr strong and surly through most of the ride "Thanks."

"There might be a lot of them though,aunts and uncles." He cautioned

"I figured there probably would be."

"They're great people,I think you'll enjoy yourself"

I nodded and turned my gaze back to the road but now all of a sudden he wanted to talk "Ava"

I kept my eyes focused out the window "yeah?"

"About Friday night..."

My throat suddenly felt tight "yeah?" Did my voice sound strangled?,I hope not.

"I think it was a good thing I kissed you"

What the hell was he getting at now?,I'm not sure I want to know.

He added "I mean we're supposed to be in a serious relationship right?"

"Right" outside the window the land was rolling now,dotted with limestone outcroppings.

The mountains were distant and cottony clouds dotted the sky.

"It would be odd to be in a relationship without ever having kissed don't you think?" He said.

I glanced at him then,he was staring straight ahead,a muscle twitched in his jaw.

In that moment I felt a little sympathy for him as he tried to talk on a subject he didn't find easy to discuss. At the same time I felt a prickle of annoyance.

He'd shut me out for most of the ride and now that we were almost there he's decided we just had to rehash Friday night.

"Odd?" I frowned and turned to watch the rolling land out by the side window. "Yeah,I guess it would be to be together without ever sharing a kiss. But we're not really together,so what does it matter?"

"Ava..." He paused until I met his gaze before he continued "My mom has got to believe we're for real,you know?"

I stared at his profile,at his nicely chiseled jaw and long straight nose "How could I forget?,I'm not going to your parents' place to have fun Christian,I'm going there to pull the wool over your poor trusting mother's eyes"

He gave me a quick glance -one that almost made me laugh. He kinda reminded me of Logan Riley when Neil punched him for calling me a b***h because I wouldn't be his girlfriend in 6th grade.

"You're mad at me" he said in a flat voice.

I almost denied it but come on,we might be about to lie to his mom and his whole family but right now it was just the two of us and the least I could do is try to keep it honest between us.

"Yeah,I'm a little mad at you. I understand Zoe picking me up instead of you..."

"You do?"

"I do but that's not the point"

"What is the point"

"Well I would be able to tell you if you could just stop interrupting me"

"I'm sorry,no need to yell" he said raising one hand off the wheel in a gesture of peace.

I took a deep breath "the point is you've barely said a word to me since morning,and now all of a sudden you want to go talk about how great it is that you kissed me,not because you wanted to but because we're about to fake being together and we need all the practice we can get to make it look real."

He suddenly swerved the Lamborghini to the shoulder of the road and braked to a squealing stop. The guy in Cadillac behind us blasted his horn as he swung past us.

"Damn it Ava" he said and muttered a few curse words under his breath.

I pressed my lips together and stared out the windshield as the caddy vanished around the next bend.

Then finally,he said "come on,I'm sorry okay?" And sounded like he meant it.

I sighed and gave him a tight smile "I'm sorry too,I didn't mean to make it sound like that,I mean I know that's why you kissed me I just got a little ticked is all." I should have just kept my mouth shut.

He was staring at me now with an unreadable expression on his face and I barely resisted the urge to squirm "I guess I felt robbed that my first kiss was based on pretence"

Immediately the words were out of my mouth I wanted to take it back. Way to go Ava.

Stupid.

I risked a glance at him and this time his expression wasn't hard to discern.

Shocked was what he was. I mentally hit my head on the rolled up window.

"I'm your first?" I glanced at him again,he almost sounded...pleased.

Drat it!,he looked pleased.

I glared at him,I don't know why I was mad at him,I just was "stop making it sound like you took my virginity"

AVA!!!. You stupid girl. Stupid. Stupid.

"You're a virgin" he grinned.

"I don't know what it is to you" I told him then added when he just kept grinning at me "you can grin all you want but we're never having s*x"

Oh my God. Did I just say that?.

He undid his seatbelt and shifted in his seat leaning across the leather console.

I was way too aware of the tingles running along my spine as he moved closer.

He rested his elbow on the back of my seat,his forearm against the headrest. His hands brushed my temple lightly and then it was gone.

"wannabet?"

Why was he making everything so complicated?

I've always wanted to feel this way but why did he have to be the one to make it happen?.

I glared harder at him "hundred dollars"

Can the ground open up and swallow me now?. Damned stupid pride.

"You think you're worth hundred dollars?" His glance slanted down towards my mouth and my lips tingled in anticipation "Deal."

Ok. Abort mission. ABORT!. MISSION!.

He closed the distance between us and his mouth touched mine -gently at first,kind of soft and careful,like he was testing the waters.

I sighed and that must have been what he was waiting for because he slanted his mouth the other way and reached to pull me even closer,easing his big hand around the back of my neck,sliding his fingers up into my hair.

The kiss deepened. His lips pressed more firmly against mine and then I felt his tongue.

It should have been gross but it wasn't.

It felt amazing,rough and wet and tender,teasing my lower lip,slipping inside my mouth.

A few cars passed,close enough that the car rocked a bit. I hardly noticed. I did think,vaguely,that we should probably get going,that it wasn't safe to be kissing inside a car parked on the narrow shoulder of an equally narrow road.

And kissing some more.

It was dizzying. Like looking down from an enormous height -say the top of the London eye- and thinking about jumping or sailing into the sky,forgetting that you couldn't fly and that the fall would kill you.

That was just too much.

With a small,almost frantic sound I slid my hands up between us and pressed at his shoulders. He instantly released me.

I blinked my eyes open,felt the world come back into focus. His lips were red and swollen -mine probably was too- and his eyes...they were darker than ever.

I saw the heat in them,a little confusion and anger.

The heat and confusion I understood but why the anger?.

He retreated to his seat and put on his seatbelt "you ready to go and tell lies to my mom?"

I also put on my seatbelt -which I hadn't realised had come undone "As ready as I'll ever be."