I cringed as I dropped back down in my chair and waved at her. "Yep."
Cora laughed and shook her head. "Your hormones know no bounds, do they? You're just the typical frat boy type."
Her words didn't match her tone, so defending myself didn't seem necessary.
"Frat boy type? And what does that mean exactly?" I winked at her and shoved the rest of my fajita into my mouth.
"Hot. Cocky. Sleeps around. Doesn't really care much about commitment." She picked up her drink and pressed the straw to her lips as she watched me closely.
God, she so fucking hot.
"Thanks for the compliment?" I wiped my mouth on my napkin and then worked to make myself another fajita. "I'm not so sure I agree with the last part of your statement. I've never been in a committed relationship, so the first one I actually agree to, I'll let you know if I care enough to remain committed."
"No way, really?" Her eyes grew a little wide. "You've never had a girlfriend?"
"Maybe when I was a kid, but not since." I shrugged. "I've never found a woman that wanted anything more than a few nights in the sheets. I don't have dates or conversations like this. Girls are far more whorish than guys, and I'm not kidding. You've seemed to convince yourself otherwise. I've seen it from this angle, and I'm telling you that half the reason I am the way I am is because of being treated like a tool by too many women."
"Wow." She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you being serious right now or shitting me?"
"I'm being serious." I took another big bite of my dinner, chewing slowly and letting her digest the idea that maybe she'd turned me into a villain without considering the why. She didn't say another word, but picked at her food while I finished mine.
I paid the chest and stood up, extending my hand to her. "You ready for this horrible, god-awful chick flick that you're dragging me to?"
She laughed. "I am, and I'm sorry again. Maybe I was wrong about you."
"No, I think you were right, but there's always more to the story." I started to release her hand, but she intertwined her fingers with mine and moved through the restaurant that way. A silly warmth pumped through me, and by the time we got outside, I was ready to pull her close and offer her another make-out session.
"I don't need to see the movie. You didn't buy tickets yet, did you?" She turned to me, pulling our hands behind her and forcing me to stand close to her as she glanced up at me.
"No, I didn't, but the night is you
ng. I'd rather us see the movie than take you home and not see you at all." I licked at my lips, nervous as fuck. What was wrong with me?
"We don't have to go home. Besides, I owe you a good date, seeing that I've been nothing but a bitch since we met." She stepped forward, pressing her breasts against my chest.
I reached up and touched the side of her face, memorizing the way she watched me. "You don't owe me shit. I'm still that same guy, Cora. Don't make me into something I'm not."
She smiled and pulled back, releasing my hand. "Never. Let's go walk on the beach and dig more into this softer side of you. I almost like it."
"No, you don't," I laughed and followed her around the building and down toward the sand. Three large bonfires raged around various parts of the lake, and she moved toward the closest one and beckoned me to come with her. My eyes moved over her body as need rolled through me. How easy it would have been to tug her back and tell her it was time to go back to her place or mine. To undress her slowly and taste every inch of her before fucking her until she begged me to stop, but that's what she expected. She'd labeled me as that guy.
Where I was pretty damn sure that I wasn't in the friend-zone, I was still worried about the idea of being tested and coming up short where she was concerned.
Several guitar players belted out an old Billy Joel song as people danced around in the sand and laughed, having a good time.
"Come dance with me." She turned and tucked her hair behind her ear before extending her hand to me.
I gripped it and tugged her toward me, wrapping my other arm around her tightly and leaning down to press my mouth to her ear.
"What are you doing? You know this isn't going to end well. We're supposed to see a movie, give each other grief in the midst of our sexually charged relationship, and go our separate ways, dreaming about fucking each other and yet pretending that we didn't." I tightened my grip on her.
She groaned softly and slid her hands under my t-shirt along my back. "Is that how it's supposed to work? You go back to being a jerk and me a bitch, and the story ends there?"
I moved back as she glanced up at me, but I made sure not to break contact with her as we swayed to the music. "I think that's the best scenario for us, don't you? We have a long summer of seeing each other. No need to fuck it up just yet."
"Fuck it up?" Her smile faded a little as she stopped moving. "Is that what you think a night together would do?"
"Do you want a night together? Cause I can give you that." I licked at my lips as my heart started to race.