I chuckled. “Fun is not what I would call it. There aren’t any showers on site, so we’d have to drive to get to one. It gets cold at night, hot during the day, and there’s no thermostat if you want to get comfortable.”

  “Where would we sleep?”

  “I set up a tent in my truck bed. There’s a mattress, but there’s only one.” I figured that alone would turn her off from hopping in my truck. Accommodations were limited, and she would have to sleep next to me.

  “What will we do during the day?”

  I shrugged. “Whatever you want to do, Amelia.” My eyes flickered over her attire again. Something about the way she eyed me back with that challenging spark made my dick so hard, which was yet another reason why she should back the hell away and forget she’d ever asked me.

  Her eyes lit up, sensing my resolve crumbling. “So I can come?”

  I turned away from her, placing the wrench back on the wall and strutting back to my truck. “Guess we’ll find out,” I mumbled to myself. Then I spoke loud enough for her to hear me. “I’ll swing by your place in three hours. Be ready to leave.”

  When I glanced at her over my shoulder, I halted at her smile. Just the fact that I’d put it there made my heart whirl in my chest. And in that single moment I feared that I would also be the one who made it fade.

  CHAPTER 5

  Amelia

  He’d warned me, but I was too hurt and stubborn to care where I would spend that week. I just knew I didn’t want to be alone. Everyone had forgotten my birthday—my parents, my best friend, my extended family at Gravity. It was like I didn’t even exist on my special day. Gravity closing down for that entire week was icing on the cake.

  It wasn’t like me to dwell in my own misery. I had always been admired for staying positive in any situation. So when I drove up my drive and saw Tobias’s long legs sticking out from under his truck, the idea to invite myself wherever he was going was glaringly bright. I figured he must have been planning to leave if he was working on his truck.

  “Be ready in three hours,” he’d told me before we parted.

  I knew the last thing he wanted was a tagalong. But I was excited nonetheless.

  It was ten minutes after one o’clock in the afternoon when he turned the corner and I could see his white, antique truck driving toward me. After he parked, he hopped out and took the two suitcases standing at my feet. He didn’t even make a wisecrack about the amount of luggage I carried. He just took them, one in each hand, and laid them in the bed of his truck.

  “Ready?” he asked when my bags were loaded.

  I swallowed and nodded, suddenly feeling a wild flock of flutters in my chest. I’d half expected to never see him again after he’d agreed to let me join him. Surely, the thought crossed his mind to leave without me.

  “Hop in.” He pulled open the passenger door and waited until my legs were tucked inside before closing it behind me. As he did, our eyes met through the glass. It was a brief moment, but all our intentions were as transparent as air. There was something more neither of us wanted to say aloud.

  It wasn’t until we’d pulled onto the main highway that I turned to him and asked a question I should have thought to ask before we’d left. “Where are we going?” I really hadn’t cared before, but my curiosity was eating away at me.

  “Ever been to Big Sur?”

  “No, but I know where it is. It’s like five hours away.”

  “More like six.” He threw me a glance like he was expecting me to freak out. “I figured we’d stop and grab a motel along the way. There aren’t any lights at night where we’re going. We can set up camp tomorrow.” He glanced at me again. “That okay with you?”

  I nodded without giving him the satisfaction of meeting his gaze. I’d pulled off nonchalance well so far, so I couldn’t give away just how nervous I’d become since suggesting—no, begging—to ride along with him.

  We let the music fill the silence for the next half hour before I decided to speak again. I knew I was breaking our unspoken rule that we didn’t have to talk.

  Reaching forward, I turned the volume down to Nickelback’s latest hit so Tobias could hear me. “Okay, I have to ask—and then I promise, no more talking unless you want to.” I rushed to continue before I chickened out. “Since we’re going to be together for an entire week, I need to know.” Shit. This could go badly. “Is anything off limits?”

  Confusion twisted his face before he spoke. “Um, I don’t know. Are you planning on breaking the law? Is that the real reason you wanted to get out of town?”

  I laughed, realizing how vague my question was. “God no. I meant are there any conversations that are off limits? Any topics I should be aware of? What about pet peeves?”

  A smile tilted his mouth as he considered my words. “You mean like, should you avoid asking me why I dropped out of school? Or why my family is so fucked up?”

  My heart drummed in my chest. That wasn’t exactly how I’d seen our conversation going. “Um…” I frantically searched for the right words. But that was the problem—without knowing what had gone on with his family, I didn’t know what to say. “That wasn’t—”

  He chuckled. “Relax. I don’t have anything to hide.”

  I narrowed my eyes, ready to call his bluff. “You don’t?”

  He shrugged. “Nope.” He met my eyes for a second before tightening his hands on the wheel and facing forward. “It’s not me hiding stuff. It’s my parents—and apparently Trin too. I didn’t realize you were in the dark on this. I just assumed you knew.”

  Why is my heart beating so fast? “Assumed I knew what? What would they have to hide?”

  I could feel the annoyance radiate from his body, and I could see that he was protecting them more than himself. But I didn’t understand why.

  “I’m adopted, Amelia.”

  My heart dropped to the floor of his truck. What?

  “It’s not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but my parents keeping it from me was pretty shitty.”

  “How did you find out? Did they tell you?”

  He let out a laugh that was drowning in sarcasm. “I was looking into an international basketball tour and needed a passport. I was searching for my birth certificate in my dad’s office, and that’s when I found the adoption papers.”

  “Oh my God, Tobias. I had no idea.”

  He nodded. “When I confronted my parents, there was a big blowup. A lot of excuses, guilt trips, the works. Trinity had no clue what was going on at that point, but that’s because I took off instead of dealing with it.”

  “You mean that’s why you dropped out and no one knew where you’d gone?”

  His jaw tensed as he gave a slight nod. “I was a bit of a wreck when I found out.” His face reddened as if he were embarrassed to admit it. “I took off for months, missed the entire rest of the season and everything that came with in, including the recruiters who showed up just to see me. That was when the rumors started. Suddenly, I was the kid who had gotten into some trouble and took off to avoid the repercussions. To my parents, that story was way better than the real one, so they rolled with it.”

  My jaw dropped. “I remember that. Trinity was calling you every five seconds. I’d never seen her so worried. After you came back, she said you were in jail.”

  He scoffed as he shook his head. “Well, that was a lie.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Then why didn’t you say something? Everyone was talking about Malibu’s golden boy going off the rails. Why would Trinity lie to me?”

  “The last thing on my mind was correcting some stupid rumor floating around town. I don’t even remember what I did during that week besides drive. But when I came home, my parents told Trinity what was really going on. They all decided that keeping up the family front was better than the truth.”

  “So they just let everyone think you committed some crime and landed in jail?”

  “Yup. I couldn’t say no. They offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse.”

  “What was it?”

  “If I kept quiet, they would tell me what they knew about my parents. I was eighteen, but I remember feeling so desperate to know who they were, why they’d given me up, that I accepted without looking for a better option. But the whole thing—it ate away at me.”

  “So you dropped out of school and gave up basketball?”

  Tobias’s jaw hardened, and his knuckles whitened with his grip. “I couldn’t focus on anything. Finishing school became impossible. Basketball season was already over. The team hated me. My reputation was shot. I felt like I’d lost everything. Everything felt like a lie.”

  “I am so sorry. I feel awful for believing all the lies. I shouldn’t have pried.”

  “You can ask me anything, Amelia.” His eyes slipped to mine, but only for a second before returning to the long stretch of road before us. For the second time since I’d known him, I noticed his eye color—a smoky blue with a dark ring around the outer circle. I wished I could read the thoughts that lay beneath them. “Actually, it felt good to tell someone all that.”

  I swear the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, causing my heart to stutter. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen Tobias James smile. Maybe when we were younger, when he’d just won a game of basketball, or when Trinity and I would get caught between the sprinklers late at night when we all should have been sleeping. But as he grew older, he’d become more guarded. His enjoyment had transitioned into competitiveness. And his playfulness had turned into expressions of confidence and intimidation.

  “So,” I started timidly, hoping to break the invisible barrier between us. “Does this mean we’ll be talking more?”

  He let out a breath of amusement. “I still like it quiet. I just want you to know it’s not because I have anything to hide.”

  “Then why do you like the quiet?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t have that much to say anymore.”

  “Because you were lied to?”

  “Because of what the lie did to me. Because of what I lost. I used to have things to talk about. I was driven and passionate about basketball and school. I didn’t even see it all slipping away from me until it was gone. And now”—he shrugged—“nothing feels like it was ever really mine, not even basketball.”

  My breath caught in my throat as an ache sliced through my chest. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t tell him that wasn’t true. It wasn’t my place.

  “Anyway,” Tobias said, cutting into my thoughts and tightening his grip on the wheel. “I don’t mean to bore you. But I figured we’d get that out of the way.”

  I couldn’t even begin to imagine how I would cope with finding out I was adopted. To find out I’d been given up, and then lied to by my adopted parents my whole life. It would probably change me too.

  My thoughts wandered through the new silence, this one heavier, but not from discomfort. I knew I had the freedom to ask everything I’d been curious about over the months, but I was afraid to know all the answers.

  For the next three hours, I chose to stay in that silence, where it was safer.

  “I wanted to enter the draft after one year of college,” he said like he’d been thinking about it for a long time.

  My head snapped so hard in his direction, I could feel the tailwind of the breeze I’d created. “Don’t you have to finish college to enter the draft?”

  “Not always. They have development leagues in the NBA. It’s still pro ball, just on a smaller scale. I could train there then eventually trade up.” He cocked an eyebrow like he knew he was speaking a different language to me. “Trading up is like transitioning from minor leagues to major leagues.”

  “Oh.” I relaxed my shoulders against the seat, my breath leaving me in a long, steady stream. “I’m sure it’s not too late.”

  “Even if it’s not, I’m a little rusty.”

  “You haven’t played at all?”

  He shook his head. “I haven’t even touched a ball.”

  I tried to compare his love for basketball to my dancing. I couldn’t imagine going a single day without moving to some type of rhythm, even if it was just the sound of rain tapping against my bedroom window. To give that up the way he’d given up basketball was the stuff of tragedies.

  When I looked at him again, I felt a deep tug in my gut and a warmth spreading outward as I realized that the boy I was suddenly crushing on had always been there. I had just never seen him, not really.

  “It’s funny,” I said with a laugh. “Remember when Trin and I used to make up those stupid dances while you and your buddies played ball at the community court?”

  He chuckled. “How could I forget? While the guys were distracted by your miniskirts, I’d steal the ball and dunk the shit out of it. Those stupid dances won me a lot of games.”

  “Ha. Yeah, well, I still dream of being an NBA dancer thanks to those times.”

  “Then I’m sure your dreams will come true.”

  I frowned before shaking my head. “I don’t know. It’s not like basketball. I’d have to try out for every team I’m interested in, and since auditions are usually around the same time each summer, I’ll have to choose a select few. But I’ve always dreamed of dancing for the LA Lions.” I felt my cheeks heat, but I didn’t understand why. I’d never been embarrassed of my big dreams. Except this time, I’d already been turned down by them once because of my age. “And the Lions will only have a few spots available when it comes time to audition.”

  Tobias wrinkled his face in confusion. “There are thirty-something dancers on a squad.”

  Of course he would know how many girls were on the Lions dance team. “Yeah, but most of the girls will be returning from last season.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “But it doesn’t matter if I get picked. Dancing at Gravity opens so many doors in the industry. I’m just waiting until I graduate to begin the audition process.”

  The silence that followed made me focus on the darkness that had fallen over us since the start of our trip. It was dark when we pulled into a motel parking lot just outside of Monterey County.

  Tobias pulled his keys out of the ignition. “Another hour to go in the morning.”

  There was really nothing to the place. It had a flickering neon Vacancy sign out front, and wrought iron rimmed the pool that sat off to one side. It was dingy but fine for a short night’s sleep. I wasn’t anxious to be anywhere anytime soon.

  “Oh. Here.” I reached into my purse to give him my credit card, but he stopped my hand before I could pull it out of my bag.

  “This is on me.”

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about him paying for our room, but I knew better than to argue. There were other ways I could contribute to our trip, I would just have to figure out what they were.

  Our room looked no better than the exterior. The floral comforter appeared ancient in style, and the vertical blinds added to the ambience as they flapped from the breeze of the AC unit tapered against the wall.

  “Have you stayed here before?”

  He was setting down my bags on the bed when I asked.

  “The front desk lady called you Tobias when you walked up.”

  He shrugged. “This is my usual stop on my way to where we’re going.”

  “To the campground?”

  He shrugged, almost shyly. “Something like that.” He took a step back toward the door. “I’m going to grab the rest of the stuff from the truck. We don’t need it tonight, but I don’t exactly trust the people wandering around here, hence the one room instead of two.” He gestured to the bed. “I’d sleep in my truck, but—”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” I squinted, hoping I wasn’t making the situation any more awkward than it had started out. “I’m fine with sharing. As long as you’re okay with naked spooning. It’s the only way I’ll sleep.”

  The glare he shot me next split my smile into a full-blown grin.

  “You know,” he started. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were telling the truth right now. You’re a bold one, Amelia Clark. And persistent. I should worry that you do this with everyone—taking off on week-long road trips, offering to share dirty motel beds… while spooning naked, no less.”

  I threw my head back and laughed. It wasn’t until I met his eyes again that my amusement settled. “I promise you’re the only one, Tobias James.”

  The half-smile that lit his face next shouldn’t have made my insides dance and my neck feel hot. It should have made me realize what was happening right then and there. Tobias and I were just at the start of our trip together, and we were already flirting. Worst of all, I didn’t want it to stop.

  CHAPTER 6

  Tobias

  I should have known where things were headed between us on that very first night when I brought the rest of our things into the motel and Amelia was in the shower. It was as if I’d been possessed earlier in the day when I'd run to the grocery store before picking Amelia up for our trip. At the store, my first stop had been the bakery section. I’d picked out a fancy cupcake to give to Amelia for her birthday.

  She was wrapped in a towel when I presented it to her. The flame of the single candle flickered against the dimness of the room. Her jaw dropped, and her hand loosened from the towel. She must not have had time to completely knot it, because it unraveled almost instantly.

  “Shit,” she squealed as one hand flew to cover the section between her thighs.

  I was unashamed by my admiration and enamored by her shape—her golden skin, the way her thick hips curved deep into her waist, and her abs that tightened and released in quick time as my eyes slid like water droplets over every inch.

  Fuck me. Up until that point, I could have vividly remembered the last time I’d seen a woman naked. But after seeing Amelia standing there, shower sweat glistening on her skin, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was the most beautiful woman in existence.

  My gaze traced her lean, athletic build, admiring her tiny waist, thick hips, and natural breasts. Her breasts weren’t large by any means, but I knew they could easily fill my palms. I wondered how sensitive those light-brown nipples would be if I plucked them with my teeth.

 

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