Failed Bluff

If you haven't read chapter one please follow the link so you better understand whats going on in the story

"Catalina Marie" my eyes grew wide and I bit my lip nervously. She never called me anything other than Catty unless I was in trouble for something, which rarely ever occurred. I racked my brain trying to remember if I had forgotten any of my chores but as is customary when one forgets anything I couldn't remember if I had or not.

As soon as I could see my mother's petite frame, I noted that she was clearly annoyed but not necessarily angry. Her right hand was on her hip and her lips were pursed but her eyes hinted of mischief.

My mother was what most people my age would consider the fun parent and what people her own age called irresponsible or a hippie. She constantly tried to get me to go to parties or date. She would tell me that I was far too serious and needed to spend my youth having at least a little fun. Every time I'd get invited to a football after party or dance or anything social she'd tell me that I'd regret not doing things when I no longer had the time or ability.

I always reminded her that I wasn't interested in making stupid mistakes that I would regret even more later. She would sigh and tell me I was just like my dad and go to her room or work, more than likely reminiscing to herself about the lost love of her life.

As soon as my feet hit the bottom step, I knew immediately why she was annoyed and why she held tight to the mischievously hopefully gleam in her eyes.

A tall, masculine figure leaned against the wall behind her. His dark eyes glinting beneath his raven's wing hair. My jaw dropped. I was in utter shock. He had called my bluff and putting all my money on him being a slacker I hadn't thought this far into what I'd do if he actually showed up.

"I guess you forgot to mention you were expecting company after school," she looked at my attire and raised a brow.

All I could do was be thankful I hadn't taken off my bra. Scorpio seeing me in my lace trimmed cotton camisole and panda fuzzy pants was embarrassing enough without being totally exposed.

"In her defense," his accented deep voice rang out behind her, almost causing an echo in our too large house, "I didn't tell her I was going to take her up on her offer."

My mother glanced over her shoulder at the unexpected guest and relaxed her posture. "I'll let it slide this time Catty but next time, you need to tell me you've invited someone over even if you aren't sure if they're coming or not."

"Yes ma'am" I said reluctantly still in shock that Scorpio was in my house. A whirlwind swirled through my brain. My mother was leaving for a 10-hour shift at the hospital, a boy I just met that looked like he could possibly be a serial killer was in my living room and knowing my hippie mother's trusting and fun-loving nature she would probably have no qualms leaving me alone with him. I sighed to myself which Scorpio didn't fail to notice. My head was beginning to hurt...

"I have to get to work, there's thirty bucks on the counter for you to order take out. I'll call you on my lunch break if it's not too busy tonight." She smiled at my surprise guest, "it's nice meeting you Sweetie," patted him on the shoulder and left the house.

Scorpio pushed himself off the wall, not looking at me, "didn't think I'd show up?" He glanced over at me, his bangs shadowing his eyes making him look even more like a lion stalking its prey.

"No," I said honestly, "I really didn't. I guess I should have known that you're in all AP classes for a reason."

"I don't give a damn about the classes," he grumbled.

"Then why did you come," I questioned, taking a step back.

He scoffed at my obvious nervousness, "I'm not that douche Owens. I'm not gonna try to take advantage of you."

"But if you're not here to study and you're not here for me why are you here?" I was even more puzzled then I was in history class...

"I didn't say I wasn't here to study," he lowered his voice and stepped towards me, “and I didn't say I wasn't here for you,"

I was frozen in place, like a deer staring down headlights. He closed the gap between us with two quick strides and placed his hands on the handrail behind me. I could feel his thumbs against my rib cage. Involuntarily I closed my eyes as he lowered his face toward mine. A shaky breath escaped my lungs and I could hear him "Hmm" to himself as if contemplating his every movement.

"Push me away," he almost growled.

My eyes flew open, "What?!"

His face was inches from mine. He could have kissed me, heck in the position he had me in he could do anything and he was telling me to push him away. Dazed and confused I humored him. I placed my hands on his chest and tried and failed to push him away. Pushing against him was like trying to move a tank with a Toyota. all I ended up doing was shoving my back harder against the railing.

"This close you'll never get enough momentum to push anyone let alone me off of you with your hands..."

"'Let alone me...'" I thought to myself. "He is really full of himself. And, is he honestly trying to teach me self-defense"?

My internal question was answered when he continued. "Put your forearms together with your elbows bent in front of you. Fists level with your nose and use your whole body to shove against one of my shoulders."

Intrigued, I did what he said. At the same time I shoved against him he loosened his hold on the hand rail. When my arms made contact with his shoulder he actually moved, but I ended up losing my balance and fell towards the floor. A strong arm wrapped around my waist and prevented me from face-planting, but also put me right back in the same position against the hand railing.

"Against anyone else you would have probably got away." He smirked both conceitedly and almost proud.

"You are so full of yourself," I exclaimed and smacked him on the chest with both of my hands. He looked amused at my pitiful little temper tantrum and tilted his head to one side, brow raised, full of cockiness and self-assurances.

"I'm just being honest, but I'd happily let you try for real if you want to prove me wrong."

I glared at him confidently. Surely, he couldn't be as impenetrable as he believed himself to be.

"Go," he sighed bemused.

I slammed against his shoulder just like he told me but much harder than the first time. He did move, but before my mind could even begin to think victoriously his palms were against the back of my hands, fingers intertwined with mine My back suddenly against his front; I was pinned against the wall under the full weight of his body. I could barely breathe let alone move or struggle.

"You were saying," he gloated. I could feel the heat of his breath against my ear lobe. I couldn’t tell the heat rising to my checks was from embarrassment or frustration.

"Fine," I grumbled through gritted teeth, "now get off."

He released me from my entrapment and I turned to face him, "why?"

"Because rumors spread like wildfire and I've already heard what that little prick does to girls who reject him too many times. Seems you're next on his list and I'm not always going to be around to protect you."

"I never asked you to be, and why do you care"

"Because I don't like punk boys like him."

"So, it's not that you like me but because you don't like him," I tried to clarify but he didn't answer. He avoided the question all together and changed the subject.

"Science and history are all I need caught up in. I probably won't need help in history once I know what subjects were already covered."

"Uh... okay," I said and turned to head up the stairs.

"I already read the book and if I was still in Russia, I would have already graduated but the credits don't fully transfer. I have to repeat things I've already learned before I can get my diploma here," he explained as we climbed the stairs to my room.

I plopped down on my bed and pulled up the website I used to watch videos on the subject matter we were learning in science. I was a visual and hands on learner so the videos were perfect for me to be able to grasp the curriculum and even get ahead.

Scorpio idled in the door, glancing around at the shades of pink and soft blue, "I've never been in a girl’s room before".

"Really" I scoffed.

"Heh, let me correct you before you go thinking I'm better than I am," he slumped onto my bed beside me, politely dangling his boots off the edge, "I said I'd never been in a girls room, not that I've never been in a girl,"

"Do guys really always have to turn conversations perverse?"

"Call it a side effect of the testosterone."

"I really wish I'd choose to take zoology or physics," I mumbled to myself. Thank goodness we were only on the vascular system in anatomy.

After watching the videos on the anatomical systems we had covered the first six weeks my stomach began to growl. I checked the time on my laptop. It was already nine o'clock. I hadn't even realized Scorpio and I had been sitting there reviewing the material for nearly three hours. Scorpio was fast, anytime I asked a question he didn't even take a moment to think about it before answering. It was no wonder why he was in advanced placement classes. For his thuggish appearance and hostile attitude, he was bordering on genius. I guess it's true what they say, all the smartest people are a bit eccentric.

"What do you feel like eating" I asked as I closed my laptop before the next video could play.

"What's good?"

"Just about everything," I laughed, "I had Chinese last night so don't really feel like that again." I pondered for a moment before tossing out a couple options, "pizza or pasta?"

He thought for a moment, "pizza," which was a request I would grow to regret.

Scorpio followed me down stairs and waited on the couch flipping through the channels as I ordered our pizza. He landed on a music channel playing a mix of the most popular classic rock and new alternative. We didn't talked as I sat out two plates and glass cups. We hadn't actually had a real conversation since he got here. I might as well have been by myself with as much company as he was being.

When the doorbell rang he lifted himself off the couch, held up his hand to stop me in my tracks and opened the door.

"Crap," I swore under my breath. The boy in the "Tom's Pizzas" shirt at my door was none other than Tyler Walsh. He was the best receiver on our football team and Michael Owens' best friend. The news Scorpio was at my house having dinner alone with me would be the headline of tomorrow's gossip. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. On the one hand it could make Michael leave me alone, on the other it could tick him off and there could be a lot more drama.

I sighed as I handed Tyler the money owed for the pizza and a tip and closed the door on his suspicious face that was already drawing conclusions that weren't even a possibility.

As we ate silently my phone rang. My mother's dainty voice was tinged with worry.

"Hey Catty, is it raining there?"

"Uh," I hadn't noticed till now but it had in fact started to pour down rain, "yeah, why?"

"Because I just heard a weather report that a big storm front is coming over the mountain. That's what I get for not watching the news. Is Scorpio still there?"

"Yeah," I glanced over at him, "we just started eating."

"Does he have someone to come pick him up?"

I repeated her question to him. He looked puzzled. "No, I'll ride my Harley home,"

Uh oh... I thought and bit my lip. My mother who had apparently heard his response took on her mother tone. A voice she did not use often but when she did it meant there was no arguing with her. "Put him on the phone,"

I knew exactly what she was going to tell him before I even passed my phone.

Her brother had been seriously injured in a motorcycle wreck. He survived but with permanent scars and partial paralysis. It happened long before I was born and ever since she had been adamant on her opinion on motorcycles. She didn't mind responsible people riding but at night and in bad weather was not what she considered responsible.

Scorpio stammered, unsure how to respond to her persistent authoritative voice. After a moment and without responding to her even once he looked at the phone before handing it back to me, "she hung up." He paused, "Apparently I'm staying here tonight"

"I figured as much" I sighed and we finished our pizza in silence.

I was surprised he washed the dishes while I pulled out the sofa into a bed and took fresh sheets and pillows from the closet.

"Hope you don't mind pink. It's been a while since we had a man in the house." I sort of chuckled hoping to make light of the awkward situation as a laid the pink comforter on the bed and folded it back.

"Doesn't really matter," he grumbled kicking off his boots.

"The guest bathroom is right over there" I said pointing to the door closest to the stairs, "my mom bought some men's pajama pants for if my uncle comes to visit. The last time and almost every time before that he's forgotten his. They've never been worn so..." I realized I was rambling and stopped myself mid-sentence.

I sat cuddled into the armrest of the sofa bed channel surfing as the water in the shower ran. I inadvertently stopped on a horror movie I heard of but hadn't watched, The Unborn. I had never been a fan of scary movies, that's why I had only heard of the film. The title scene had just begun to play as the door to the bathroom opened. Steam wafted around Scorpio's massive frame as he exited the bathroom and made his way to where I was seated on his temporary bed.

His tousled, towel dried hair still dripped droplets of water on his broad bare shoulders. The black ink that sprawled from his wrists encapsulated both of his arms, washed over his shoulders curving over his collarbone and disappeared onto his back.

Another water droplet fell from his hair and slipped down his collar bone to the concave between his pecs. I couldn't help but follow the droplet with my eyes as it traveled down the valley between his well worked abdominal muscles. It was lost in a trimmed line of dark hair that trailed downward from his navel and disappeared beneath the thick cotton towel he had tied around his waist.

"Oh. My..." I couldn't even finish my thought. I quickly realized that even though I told him about the pajamas I had never actually given them to him. The only thing shielding me from my first glimpse at a mature male was a loosely tied towel that looked like it could fall to the floor at any moment.

He sat calmly next to me the towel easing ever loser. I hurried up the stairs and to the hall closet where we kept our coats and just in case items. I was quick to retrieve the pajama pants and tossed them in his direction as to not get too close to the extremely attractive and basically naked male form.

Boy really wasn't the right noun. Anyone who met him on the street would assume him much older than eighteen or nineteen. He was, for all physical description of the word, a man. A very strong, confident, man that exhumed the latent desires deep within me that I kept buried. I attempted to remind myself that they would only lead to heartache and bad reputations.

I assumed after catching the pants that he would head back to the bathroom; I really shouldn't assume things… or underestimate his utter lack of the concept of privacy.

I managed to advert my eyes with a gasp just as he pulled the towel loose.

I heard the muffled thud of it hitting the floor and the ruffle of cotton as he pulled on the pants. I figured it would be safe for me to look up but I greatly overestimated the size of the pants in comparison to, well, his size. They were snug around his hips and thighs, perfectly outlining the mound of masculinity nestled between them.

I turned to escape up the stairs without a word but Scorpio's deep voice stopped me in my tracks, "this movie talks about the holocaust. Why don't we watch it?"

I didn't have an excuse. I didn't want to be rude despite every ounce of common-sense yelling at me to run up the stairs and lock myself in my room or at least take a cold shower before even considering being close to him again. I also didn't want him knowing I had a very weak disposition when it came to all things demonic or monstrous.

After turning off the lights and placing the remote on the table I took my seat beside him on the now pulled out futon. He pulled the pink comforter up to his waist and stretched his arms out on the back of the sofa.

He was oddly comfortable. Nothing at all seemed to break his calm demeanor; mean while I sat with my legs crossed and biting my lip to fight the nervousness I felt in the pit of my stomach.