A Kiss on the Cheek (akotw trilogy)

Damsel in Distress |17|

After dragging Jet to the bus stop, we waited patiently with an old woman who also happened to be sitting on the bench, "Where are we going?" Jet pried again, groaning in aggravation when I ran my fingers across my lips as if I were locking them and throwing the key away.

Finally after waiting another ten minutes which felt like an hour, the bus clambered up the street, coming to a noisy stop right in front of us. As we stood, I smiled when I felt Jet gripping the back of my tee shirt firmly as if she were uncomfortable with her surroundings as we walked down the aisle of the bus.

We sat towards the middle of the bus considering there was a rather shady looking man sitting in the back and to be honest, he totally looked capable of stabbing someone.

After we took the twenty minute bus right in silence (aside from Jet calling me rude names since I wouldn't tell her where we were going...) we finally ended up in exactly the place I wanted to take her: Venice Beach.

As soon as we climbed off of the bus, I watched Jet carefully, waiting for her reaction; the simple smile that graced her lips was worth any trouble I might get into later for leaving without giving notice.

I checked my phone to see it was half past four and grabbed her hand, sliding my fingers in between hers as we made our way toward the sand and serene water.

It was still dark outside, but the hint of the sunrise was coming off the horizon, giving it just enough glow to see where we are going.

Jetta still hadn't said anything, so when we finally got closer to the water, our feet sinking into the wet sand, I gave her hand a little shake as I turned to look at her, "So...?" I asked, hiding a small smile as her excited eyes met mine.

"I can't believe you remembered," she said softly, offering me a shy smile as she met my eyes before immediately setting her eyes back on the ocean.

"Of course I remembered," I replied, referring to all the times we spoke on the phone when we'd first left Saint Louis, over one month ago.

I watched in amusement as she looked down at her feet, wiggling her toes against the wet sand. Jet had never been to a beach, so during one of our games of playing twenty questions, I had asked her where was somewhere she wanted to could go; of course she said the beach.

"Care for a swim, Mr. Styles?" she asked coyly, her lips tugging up into a smirk as I watched her kick off her shoes, followed quickly by the gym shorts and the shirt she'd been wearing.

I watched as she strutted away in her boy shorts and lacy red bra, draping her clothes over a pile of large rocks that decorated the beach but were safely out of the ocean's reach.

I tried to make myself move but couldn't help my eyes from wandering the lengths of her body.

She knew the exact affect she had on me, and I swallowed loudly as my eyes zeroed in on those damn back dimples that were staring back at me. It reminded me of that first night we'd spent with them, when she'd been searching Liam's things and found that twister game with our faces on it. A lot had happened since then, but all in all... I was still in the same position: admiring- or drooling- over her from afar.

As she entered the water, I hadn't made a move; I still couldn't get myself to move a step forward or take a step back; there she was in all her glory, my temptation. The salty ocean spray flowed past her legs, caressing her body so that it was covering just to her sharp hip bones.

I met her eyes as she turned around expectantly, throwing her arms up in the air as if she was confused; did she really not understand the painful affect she had on me? Was she that blissfully ignorant, or did she purposely ignore my longing glances and subtle touches. At the moment, I wasn't sure which would make me feel worse.