“Palmer, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“You mean, don’t do this?” Her tank top is gone in an instant. The black lace bra crosses along her back, showing off her small but strong frame.
With most girls, this would be a game, a way to make me take notice. With Palmer, this is all her. The truth. A kind of honesty that’s hard to come by.
“You’re playing a game you won’t win.” My gaze shifts up and down her body.
“We’ll see.” She faces the water and reaches for the zipper on her skirt. It’s lowered slowly, and the fabric slips from her body, landing at her feet.
Palmer dives with delicate form as she pierces through the surface. I push off the bench, tugging the sleeves of my shirt past my elbows to feel the temperature of the water. Palmer’s head pops up in the middle of the pool.
“It’s warm,” she observes. “You want to come in, see for yourself?”
“I don’t think so, Palmer.” I roll the bottom of my pants to my knees and sit on the edge. A wet bundle of black fabric hits me square in the chest.
“You sure about that?” She swims forward. The water magnifies her pale flesh. She hits the side wall of the pool, reaching up to place her hands on my thighs. “I promise it will feel nice.”
I use every muscle in my body to stop myself from bending down and taking her lips hostage. “I have no doubt anything with you would.”
Palmer slides her hands from my thighs onto the pool deck beside my hips and lifts up, pecking her lips against mine. My hands grab high on her sides, and she wraps hers around my neck, pulling me off balance.
Water filters into my lungs, and panic sets in as my head dips below the surface. My arms flay, splashing uselessly. A familiar burn takes over my muscles, forcing me back to my childhood. Fear weights me like cinderblocks.
A warm hand finds my arm as I sink, and I’m pulled to the ledge.
My chest blazes with a fire only water can create. I gasp, choking on a little bit of liquid. Trying to catch my breath, I grip tight to the rim, resting my forehead on the cool metal of the lip. When it’s under control, I turn my cheek onto my forearm and find Palmer’s wide, scared eyes.
“You can’t swim,” she whispers in stunned apology.
I lift myself onto the rough concrete, soaked to the bone. “No shit, Palmer.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Not exactly something I broadcast to the world.” My stomach tightens, and I glare at her. My anger towards Palmer is irrational. I’m secure enough to admit that.
“You never learned as a kid?” She swims over to the ladder. I scoop up her clothes and hand them to her, too overwhelmed from my near drowning to appreciate her perky tits on display for me.
“Let’s go. I’ll get you back to the dorms.” I stalk to the door, ignoring her question about my childhood.
“Marek, I’m sorry.” She pulls on my sleeve to stall me.
“Don’t, okay?” I jerk away from her. “Just don’t.”
The air outside is cold against my wet clothes. I know I should slow my pace. My anger wins. Typical. I continue, knowing Palmer is behind me. Every fifteen feet I hear her bitching. Back at my truck, I unlock the doors and slide behind the wheel. The passenger side door flings open, and Palmer stands outside of the vehicle with a stunned grimace.
“Get in, Palmer. It’s freezing out,” I order, waving her inside.
“Marek, your tire!” She closes the door. Outside the window, I see her inspecting the side of the vehicle.
“What do you mean, my tire?” Exasperated, I jump from the seat and circle the front to find the rubber shredded around the rim. “What the fuck?” The sidewall is mangled with haphazard cuts. Whoever did this wanted to get in and out before being seen.
“Who would have done this?” Palmer asks, searching the area. There’s no sign of life other than us.
I ignore her question and worries, pull out my phone, and make a call. It rings four times, and on the fifth, Breaker answers.
“You done getting your dick wet again? It’s kind of ridiculous that you get to have all the fun with that girl,” Breaker greets.
“Not now, asshole. Palmer and I walked out to my tire slashed,” I explain.
“What?” His voice says it all. This isn’t some accident. “Where you at? I’ll come get you both.”
“We’re still parked right outside of the cafeteria,” I explain. “Let’s try not to dick around, okay?” Tucking my phone back in my pocket, I open the door and usher Palmer into the seat, slamming it behind her.
With slow, easy steps, I check our surroundings. Nothing appears out of the ordinary. No suspicious cars are hiding under the trees. From the walk to the gymnasium, to the time spent at the pool, plus our walk back couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes. In that short amount of time, someone was able to send the message.
“Who would do that to your tire?” Palmer asks, leaning back in the seat. “You know, don’t you?” She flings her body forward, nearly colliding with the dash, and inspects my face with certainty, forcing me to glance away.
Thinking I know and being certain aren’t the same thing, but sharing my suspicions with her could be dangerous.
“Are you worried about me, Palmer?” I tuck the hair sticking to her cheek behind her ear. Her clothes cling to her body, showing off the perfect curve of her tits and small, but strong body. “Is that what this is? You’re afraid someone may try to hurt me?” Distract her, Marek.
A moan as soft as velvet passes through her parted lips, encouraging my hand’s descent to the nape of her neck. I wrap my fingers around the tendrils and pull.
“Ahh!” she grunts, lifting her chin to offer me her lips.
Girl likes it a little rough.
“Don’t worry about boys like me. I don’t run away from a fight.” I release her hair, relishing in the soft sigh she gives me. With ease, I reach over and lift her over the middle console. She widens her legs to straddle me.
“What do you run from then, Marek?” The feel of her playing with the ends of my hair will never get old. Other girls have tried before, but never got more than one hand in before I pulled them off. Intimacy doesn’t usually come easy for me. “What makes you squirm, huh?”
At her seductive questioning, I lift my hips, pressing my length against her panties. “You.”
“You don’t seem to be going anywhere.” She allows her weight to pin her body to me, rolling her hips against the straining zipper of my jeans.
Under her clothes, her skin is soft and cool. My hand skates further up until I reach her neck and dig my nails into her flesh, bending her forward and capturing her in a kiss. Her tongue swipes across my lips. I’ve never received an invitation quite like this one. Time and time again, this girl hands herself over to me, ignoring the facts right in front of her. Unlucky for her, I’m cruel enough to take every piece she’s willing to give me.
Palmer’s small hands find the hem of my shirt and tug it over my head. She ogles my chest while her fingers trace small circles along my abs.
“Would you use it against me if I said I wanted to lick every inch of your body?” She sits back, her plaid skirt tight to her hips, exposing her milky thighs. My dick twitches when she bites the corner of her bottom lip.