DASH by Shantel Tessier Read Free Book Online Page B

getting my attention.
    Oh. So he wants to play this game? The one where we act like we haven’t rolled around naked. “I’m a student.” I can play. I also work for my dad. But he doesn’t need to know that.
    He just nods. “What do you do besides race bikes?” I ask curiously. I had never heard of him before. I’m surprised my father chose him to join the team. 
    “That’s about it,” he says biting into a roll.
    “College?” I question.
    He shakes his head. “Racing.”
    I want to roll my eyes at him but instead I look over to my father. “Where did you find him?”
    He looks offended that I asked. His eyes move to Dash before they come back to me. “He’s the best there is.” He gestures to him.
    I expect Dash to give me a smug smile. But instead he’s watching me intently. He tilts his head to the side as his gray eyes continue to stare into mine. I want to look away, but that would show weakness. It would show him how much he can affect me. So what we had sex once? I can handle that. I lick my lips as I remember the other things he did to me while lying by my parents’ pool. The motion of my tongue has his eyes dropping to my lips and I’m thankful to look away. I pick up my glass of water since my mouth is feeling dry all of a sudden.
    “So tell me more about this Rodger guy?” He finally speaks.
    I stop my drink halfway to my mouth. “What about him?” I try to say nicely but failing. Why does he want to know about my ex?
    “How long were you guys together?”
    “A year.”
    “How did you meet him?”
    “College.”
    “Why did you guys break up?”
    I tilt my head to the side and narrow my eyes. “Why should any of this concern you?”
    “Sweet pea,” my father speaks, “he’s just curious. And I am as well.”
    I throw Dash a go to hell look before I turn and speak to my father. I already told them why. “It was just over.” I shrug carelessly. I’m not going to admit that he had made me a different person or that I was suffocating.
    “And he just walked away? Like that?” my father asks sitting back in his chair. Not buying it. “He seemed too much like a boy in love to just let you go so easily.”
    I hate how perceptive my father is. He sees everything! Even things I don’t want him to see. “I broke up with him,” I say. “He was thinking about moving away next fall for school, and he wasn’t planning on me going. So where would that have left us? A long distance relationship?” I shake my head. I wouldn’t do that.
    “He would move away from you?” my father says, giving his head a shake. “My sweet pea deserves better than that.”
    I actually smile. “I think he’s changed his mind about moving. He wants another try,” I state before thinking about what I just said. I look up at Dash, and his jaw is tight and his eyes look dangerously dark—I smile to myself. He’s jealous. He doesn’t want anyone else playing with his toy.
    We hear ringing, and my dad fishes his phone out of his pocket. “I have to take this.”
    As soon as my father walks away, Dash places his forearms on the table and speaks. “So you still talk to him?” His voice is hard.
    “Yes,” I say, and he lets out a growl that I almost miss. “He showed up at my house this morning. It wasn’t something I could have prevented. The bastard woke me up,” I whisper.
    He fists his hands on the table. “And?”
    “And nothing.” I don’t want anything to do with Rodger anymore. But why do I want Dash to think I do? Because I like the way, he looks when jealous? “I made him leave. I’m done with him. I’m done being that type of person.” I whisper the last part as I drift off in a memory.
     
    “Lock the door and come here,” Rodger commands as he stands by the bed dressed in a pair of khakis and a polo shirt.
    I do as he says and then walk over to him. “What are we doing up here?” I ask. We are at his parents’ house for our usual Sunday dinner.
    He doesn’t answer right