Play With Me

called me Matthews, I jerked upright in my bed, my heart banging
in my throat. I rushed to the window and found Hunter standing in our yard,
dressed in shorts and a black tee.
    “Hi,” he said
and smiled when he saw me. “You don’t look like you’re ready to go.”
    I fought to find
my voice but kept it low, leaning far out of the window. “How did you know this
was my window?”
    “I didn’t. It
was trial and error.”
    Gag. “How many
windows have you tried?”
    “Yours.”
    Okay. Oh—kay .
I needed to calm down. The captain of the soccer team waited below my window,
and I stood here in my tank top and boy shorts. Duh, it was five in the
morning.
    “Are you
coming?”
    “I can’t. I’m
grounded.”
    A sly smile
played on his lips. “For sleeping with me?”
    “For not
sleeping in my own bed,” I whispered back, fighting to bite down the grin he
teased from me.
    “How long are
you grounded?”
    “Until Sunday.
But I can come to the training.”
    “At least
there’s that.” He scratched his chin, looking around my garden, especially
scanning the shed and tree next to my window. “What time do you usually get up
in the morning?”
    What kind of
question was that? “I don’t know. Eight, nine, sometimes later.”
    “So we have at
least three hours until someone will expect you downstairs.” The left corner of
his mouth tilted up, and he flicked his head, motioning for me to move. “Come
out.”
    “What?”
    “Get dressed and
climb to the roof of the shed. I’ll help you down.”
    A hesitant laugh
broke from my throat. “You’re crazy.”
    “ You are
a coward.”
    “I’m not!”
    “Prove it.”
    That cut me
silent.
    Tony had used
the tree and shed to get into my room since we were nine years old. But with a
key to the front door, I had never felt the need to do the same.
    “So?” Ryan
prompted me.
    “Fine. Give me a
minute.” He was insane, and I was even crazier to agree to his stupid idea. But
heck, what did I have to lose? Apart from another week of freedom for a reckless
escape from my room.
    I traded my
jammies for shorts, a white tank top, and trainers, then wound my hair back to
a high ponytail. Hunter was leaning against the trunk of the maple tree when I
returned to the window. He straightened when he saw me.
    A little shaky
at first, I hoisted one leg over the window sill and then clutched the frame as
I let myself down to the roof of the shed.
    “Good.” Ryan’s
low voice already sounded nearer than before. “Now hang on to that branch, and
I’ll get you down.”
    Huh? “I’ll break
my neck if I fall.” Goddammit, I should have stayed in my room.
    “I won’t let you
fall. Promise.” He lifted his arms toward me as if intending to catch me.
    Breathing deep,
I grabbed the nearest branch then stepped off the wood board roof, suppressing
a frightened moan. My feet dangled in front of his face. He stepped closer and
ran his hands up my thighs until he had a good grip right beneath my bottom. I
swallowed hard and wondered if he had the slightest idea how that made me feel…
    “I have you. Let
go.”
    “What?” I cried
out, digging my fingers harder into the wood.
    He laughed, and
I found I quite liked that sound. It felt soothing, somehow. “Let go of the
branch, Matthews. Now.”
    “ Ungh .”
It took all my courage to uncurl my fingers and let him support my weight. As
soon as I let go, I clutched his shoulders, and he eased the grip of my legs to
wrap his arms around me and let me slide down flush to his body. When my feet
touched firm ground, I looked up at his face.
    He didn’t
immediately release me but let a smile tug on his lips. “Hi.”

 
     
     
    CHAPTER
    7
     
     
    THE BEGUILING
SCENT of Hunter enveloped me, just like his arms. Tony had hugged me on
countless occasions. But this was different. It screamed in comparison to the
placid emotions I experienced when my best friend hugged me. This was
mind-blasting, blood-boiling exciting. A thrill went through me. I stepped out
of his embrace.
    “Can we go?” he asked,
making no effort to hide his amusement at my obvious discomfort.
    “Where to?”
    “The beach.”
    That was about
one and a half miles away. Was he kidding? I’d probably drop dead half-way. But
I wasn’t a whiner—I hoped. I nodded, and we started off on a slow pace for
which I was grateful. In the morning, the street was unnaturally silent. I couldn’t
remember when I had last been out this time of the day. Five was way