"Who is that?" he whispered. "She was looking at me so hard, I felt her eyes bum into my face."
"The housekeeper. She's a little strange," I offered, and led him up the stairway to my room.
"Wow," he said, looking in on it. "This is really nice. I like your bed."
I put my books on my desk and slipped out of my shoes. My hair was a little wet, but I hadn't gotten anywhere near as soaked as he had standing out in the rain by the call box, waiting for someone to open the gates. He walked around my room, looking at everything. Then he flopped on the bed, stretching out his arms and falling backward.
"Comfy," he said.
I stared at him. It occurred to me at that moment that I had never ever been alone in a room with a boy aside from a second or two in a classroom at public school.
"What's wrong?" he said, sitting up and looking at me. "You look absolutely terrified."
"I'm not terrified," I snapped back, gathering myself quickly. "I'm just--"
"Nervous?" he teased.
"Bashful?" he suggested, rising off the bed. "Don't tell me a pretty girl like you has never been in a room with a half-naked guy," he said.
"I haven't," I confessed.
He smiled and stepped up to me.
"Why is it every girl wants every boy to think she's Miss Proper, innocent and pure, these days?" he asked, his face now inches from mine. "Is it because so few are?"
He put his right hand on my waist. I didn't back away. I felt like I was under a spell, caught like a deer in the headlights, captured by Trevor's eyes, Trevor's inviting lips, his handsome smile and the promise of pleasure that lay just beneath.
With his left hand, he undid the robe so it would open and then he pressed himself against me and kissed me, softly at first and then harder, pressing his building sex against my leg so that I felt the passion moving through his body and into mine the way electricity traveled. My head spun.
"You are delicious," he whispered, and was about to kiss me again when we both heard the door thrust open and turned to see Ann standing there. Her hair looked soaked through, and her shoulders rose and fell with her heavy breathing. She had obviously run up the stairway. Her face was full of shock and surprise, her eyes wide, and her lips stretched back as her jaw fell open. She looked as if she was in the midst of a great scream.
She brought her right hand to her heart as if she had to press down to keep it from pounding through her chest, and then she leaned against the doorjamb as if she was about to faint. Trevor quickly stepped away and closed the robe.
"What . . . are you doing?" she managed between breaths.
"Trevor took me home," I quickly blurted. "We waited and waited, and he offered to take me home. But he got soaked at the call box trying to get someone to open the gates, so we put his clothes in the drier, and . . ."
She stepped forward as if she was going to charge at the both of us.
Trevor was so embarrassed standing there in my robe, he turned away and looked down at the floor.
"I was only fifteen minutes late, Celeste. I would have let the school know if I wasn't coming for you. I was frantic, and I got pretty wet myself running from the car into the school to look for you. Mrs. Brentwood was upset because no one came to ask her to call me. I do have a cell phone, you know. I could have been reached. She has my numbers to use in an emergency."
"We didn't know what to do," I offered weakly. "I didn't mean to cause any problems. I'm sorry."
Ami pulled herself together.
"It looks like Trevor volunteered to do a little more than simply take you home," she said sharply. It was as if she had thrown darts at him, only some hit me as well. I felt the same pain. "I'd like you to march yourself downstairs, young man, and we'll ask Mrs. Cukor to get your clothing for you. I'm sure it's all dry enough."
"Yes, ma'am," Trevor said obediently. "I didn't mean to cause any problems. I--"
"No. Men never mean to cause any problems," Ami said. "But they do. Oh, how they do."
Trevor looked at me with confusion. I could hear his thoughts. Is she for real?
"Whatever," Trevor said, and walked toward the doorway. Ami stepped aside.
"Go on. Mrs. Cukor is waiting for you," she advised him sternly.