Page 4 of I Think We’re Alone Now

Travis

Holy shit.

That was not what I had meant to do. But now that Elle’s lips were pressed against mine, moving in time with each other, it was the only place I wanted to be. Everything about this moment seemed to come to a halt, except for the blood rushing through my veins, which only seemed to speed up the longer I kissed her. When her tongue found mine, I let out a small groan, deepening the kiss. She tasted of cotton candy lip gloss, and the feel of her body against mine was fueling something in me I hadn’t even realized was there.

Had she always been this cute and I just missed it? Even the sound of her name was sexy—Elle. It made her sound so grown up, like she was the hot girl across the bar that we were all fighting over buying drinks for. Hell, she even looked like that girl. The last time I saw her she’d still been nothing but knees and elbows—resembling every last bit of the Gazelle nickname Bryan had given her. But now, long gone was the lanky little thing that used to follow Bryan and me around like a lost puppy. In her place was someone I desperately wanted to spend more time with.

I hesitantly pulled back, unsure of what kind of reaction I was going to see on her face. Would she be okay with the fact that I did that? Certainly, that was not how a bodyguard normally acted. I swallowed hard, waiting for her to open her eyes, watching as a soft sigh escaped from her lips. When she finally opened her eyes, they were hard to read. I had no idea if she enjoyed that as much as I did, or if all I did was make her want to run away. She was kissing me back, right? Or did I make that up? Nice going, dumbass...

“You’re the guy from the Mr. Shimmy commercials!” one of the kids who’d been headed our way called out, passing right by us. We watched as the whole pack of them made a beeline for a guy sitting on a bench outside Esprit, catching him off guard.

I looked back at Elle, a smile now plastered across her face, and burst into laughter. She squeezed the spot on my waist where her hands were resting, dropping her head slightly as she laughed. The sound of her giggles was music to my ears, as was the fact that she hadn’t let go of me. Maybe she didn’t mind the kiss after all.

“That was kinda close,” she said. “For a second I really thought they knew who I was.”

“Do you get recognized often out of...ummm...costume? Is that the right word?”

“It’s hit or miss. But people who know, know. There isn’t a lot of ‘you know who you look like?’ That wig and funky eye makeup obscures me quite a bit. Even Bryan didn’t recognize me the first time he saw me in that getup. You had no idea.”

She took a step back, letting go of me, and I missed the feel of her instantly. It was like she was the exact thing my body had been craving, and it just hadn’t known it until this moment. Turning to start back toward the arcade, I took her hand in mine, trying to make it look easy and casual, like we were any other couple in the mall.

“I also thought Glitter was like, fifteen,” I told her.

“She’s nineteen,” she corrected me.

“But you’re…”

“Oh, I’m still twenty-one. But the label thought that Glitter would be more relatable to her target audience of fifteen-year-olds if she was still a teenager.”

We turned into the arcade, pausing our conversation for a moment while I bought us some tokens for the games. The pimply kid behind the counter stared at Elle a little longer than I was comfortable with, so I sent a glare in his direction. He might just think she’s a pretty girl who walked into his work, but right now, even that is too much.

“You can stop staring at her now,” I growled. The kid jerked back, blinking repeatedly, now unable to tear his gaze from me. I continued to stare him down, and I could tell he was taking me seriously. I was not one to be messed with, and neither was my girl.

My girl? Where the hell did that come from?

“Okay, caveman—enough,” Elle giggled, taking my hand again and leading me over to the Skee-Ball machines. “That kid is probably peeing himself now thanks to you.”

“As he should be. He was undressing you with his eyes.”

“Jealous much?”

I stopped in my tracks and gave her an incredulous look. "Of that kid? Not at all.”

And it was the truth. I wasn’t jealous of him, so much as I just didn’t want him anywhere near her. Not that I could explain why. Sure, right now it was my job to make sure she’s safe, but it was more than that. This was Giselle we’re talking about. In one way or another, I’ve always felt protective of her. As an only child, I never had my own little sister to watch out for, so taking on the role of extra big brother to her seemed natural. But now, standing in front of the Skee-Ball machines, she was so much more than just a little sister. Little sisters didn’t inspire all the things I was feeling after that kiss.

“I was tasked with making sure that no one hurts you,” I said, trying to defend my behavior. My actions had nothing to do with that—that kid couldn’t have hurt her if he tried. But she didn’t need to know that he wasn’t the only one trying to figure out just how good she looked naked.

“And you’re doing an excellent job,” she replied, stepping into me so we were face to face, our toes all but touching. There was only a whisper of space between us, and it felt like a force field with all the electricity sizzling around us. Placing a hand on my chest, she smiled and looked up at me, her gorgeous hazel eyes making my dick twitch. “You can guard my body however you want.”

It was as if all the blood in my body headed straight for my cock as she whispered those words to me. It was suddenly very, very hot in this arcade, and I got the impression I wasn’t the only one feeling it. The sultry look on her face told me that she would not mind a repeat performance of that kiss either.

Stop it, this is Bryan’s sister! I reminded myself. On top of being unprofessional, that violates so many bro code rules. Step away from the pretty girl...

“And if I want to do more than just guard it?” I asked, ignoring my own subconscious.

“Then all you need to do is say the words,” she whispered, licking her lips.

Taking that as my cue, I threw my arm around her waist and hauled her into me. Her soft, feminine form felt just as amazing as it had moments ago, as my hand wandered up and down her back. I heard her gasp lightly, her own hands slipping around my neck. Leaning in, I captured her mouth with mine in a hard kiss. She kissed me back just as hard, her arms tightening around me. Damn, she was a good kisser. Her lips were lush and heavenly, just like the rest of her. Time seemed to stop all over again as our tongues met, sending a shot of lust straight through me. My dick was as hard as steel, and there was no way she couldn’t feel the bulge in my jeans. Reaching down for her ass, I gave it a light squeeze, causing her to moan into our kiss and rub her breasts into my chest. Fuck, that felt amazing.