Boarded by Love (Bellevue Bullies 1)

“I love the way you think,” I admit, heading toward her and doing what she asks.

She grins as she hands me the helmet and I lay it on the ground before folding my arms on her knees, laying my head on my arms, looking up at her. “So why did they cancel practice?”

She rolls her eyes. “’Cause they’re dumb. Apparently half the damn team couldn’t practice. But all us new girls were there, so why not start on us so we can be up to date, ya know? I told Skylar I have a bad feeling about this. I hate when people are all kinds of screwed up.”

I smile. “I agree. I like things to be in order, that’s why I’m captain.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Rachael will allow me to dethrone her.”

“Too bad, you’d make a hot captain.”

She laughs. “I’m pretty sure in your eyes I’d make a hot anything.”

I act like I’m thinking for a second and then nod. “Yup, pretty much.”

She giggles before running her hands along my neck and up into my hair, brushing it to the side. It feels so amazing that soon my eyes fall shut as she moves her hands through my hair. When her fingers slowly graze along the hair on my jaw, I open one eye to find her working her lip as if she’s nervous, or thinking way too damn hard.

“What are you thinking about?”

She shrugs. “Crap.”

I smile. “Wanna share your crap and see if I can help?”

She works her lips a little more, and then lets out a long breath. “So people are looking at me like I’m the dumbest bitch in the world for dating you, and it’s superirritating. They are blowing your phone up, but they are coming at me, saying all these crazy things to me, like, don’t I know you’ve been around and shit like that. It’s annoying as hell.” I sit up and her hands fall into her lap as she watches me. “I didn’t say it to piss you off,” she says quickly and I shrug.

“I know that, but I still don’t like that it’s happening to you. It’s stupid,” I say, my heart pounding in my chest. I have a feeling she’s going to tell me she can’t handle it and wants to cut things off with me. I can’t blame her, though; I wouldn’t want people in my face either telling me the person I’m dating is basically a manwhore. I mean, I know I was, but I don’t want to be that anymore.

“Yeah, it’s dumb, and I’m hoping it dies down.”

“I hope so too. I mean, you can say I’ve seen more ass than a toilet seat, but am I proud of it? I was before I met you, not so much now. I’m more embarrassed than anything. But the big question is, is it gonna be a problem?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t think so. I think the biggest thing that bothers me is that they say you’re gonna cheat on me. The way I see it is, I’m with you, and I trust you until you give me a reason not to, and then I’m gone.”

“I don’t think that will happen.”

Ignoring my comment, she goes on, “Plus, who am I to judge you? My past is way worse than yours. I slept with grown men at fourteen, so who the hell am I to judge anyone? I’m good with us. I just wish everyone would leave me the hell alone.”

I try to keep my jaw from dropping, but it doesn’t work. “Whoa, what?”

“Huh? I want people to leave me alone.”

“No, the fourteen-year-old with grown men stuff.”

She nods. “Oh, yeah, told ya, I had a bad, bad childhood.”

Still a little shocked, I ask, “Care to elaborate?”

“Nope,” she says, looking deep in my eyes. “But I will once I know you aren’t going to run from my scary, horrible childhood.”

Reaching out, I tuck a stray piece of her hair behind her ear and smile. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”

“That’s ’cause we’re in the lusty phase, where we can’t get enough. Plus, you want to see my ass again.”

I laugh as I nod. “This is very true, but honestly, I really do like you, like, a lot.”

“Like, a lot, a lot?”

She leans into me, running her nose along mine, her eyes pulling me in and making my heart beat faster. “A whole fucking lot.”