Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(48)
Clark grabbed her waist in his hands fully and pulled her back towards him. He snaked an arm around her shoulders, and drawing her into him kissed her passionately. "I think we'll make up for it. Don't you?" he asked nibbling on her bottom lip.
A small moan escaped her mouth, but she pulled back shortly afterwards. She didn't mind being flirtatious around their friends; however, she had to draw the line somewhere. Clark rarely liked where the line was drawn. She let her gaze shift back out the window as they reached the strip where Seth's parents' beach house was situated.
Seth's parents were celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary by cruising for seven blissful days in the Mediterranean. He had taken the liberty of securing…eh stealing a key to their new house from his younger sister, and had instantly invited as many of his closest friends to join him for the conveniently planned week before graduation. Many had turned down the invitation since it did fall so close to graduation, but eight had eventually agreed and were now situated in two cars driving towards their vacation destination.
Lexi had initially been anxious about the arrangements. Several people in attendance had lived with Jack at one point in time, and all of the people going knew him. But when Clark had excitedly invited her for his pre-graduation vacation, she hadn't been able to tell him why she felt unsure about going on a free week long trip to the beach when her summer job hadn't started.
Clark. She sighed happily just thinking about him. She had met him through Jack originally. He hadn't known all the details of what had gone on between them at the time, but he'd learned enough to put the pieces together. When Clark had inadvertently stumbled across Lexi at the mall, he hadn't been able to stop himself from asking her out even knowing about her and Jack. He unintentionally confessed that he'd always thought she was way too good for Jack, and surprisingly enough, not even close to Jack's type. Lexi had frozen up at the offer. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to say yes. Clark was a friend of Jack's. Awkward. And even worse, he knew at least some of what they had gone through. Even more awkward. After what had happened with Jack while she had dated Spencer, she blushed even thinking about how horrible it would be if she found herself in a similar situation.
Clark hadn't been offended by her lack of exuberance, but stayed persistent promising her a nice casual evening out. Lexi had never really thought about Clark in a romantic sense. She had always been clouded by her blind desire for Jack. Even as she accepted his polite invitation, she hadn't realized quite how handsome he was.
Their first date was nothing out of the ordinary. He had taken her to a nice dinner, not too expensive, but still nice. Afterwards, he surprised her by taking her to a local ice cream shop for dessert. She couldn't remember the last time she had had that much fun. Clark was easy going yet attentive to her. He seemed to genuinely care what she was talking about, and what she was interested in. Something about him that night remained permanently etched into her memory. Clark just got her. They just clicked. It was strange even then for Lexi to feel like Clark understood something about her that perhaps, even she didn't.
But she couldn't help seeing Jack in him that night. They had some similarities, but for the most part they were nothing alike. But when she looked at Clark, she could remember another time when things had been this easy with Jack. Feeling uncomfortable at the prospect of being physical with Clark after having those improper thoughts, she left him with only a simple good night kiss. After that night, Lexi couldn't deny that she liked Clark.
He kept calling and eventually, without even realizing it, they were a couple.
A few rather uncomfortable situations had occurred, in which, she was forced into civil environments with Jack. She usually extracted herself as quickly as possible making whatever excuse came to mind. Recently, it had happened less frequently, and it really made things easier between her and Clark.
Lexi's mind had instinctually turned to Jack when Clark had invited her on this trip. She hadn't even meant to ask about him. But somehow it had slipped out, and she had asked Clark the one pressing question she needed to base her decision on: Is Jack going to be there? She could handle hanging out with a bunch of people who knew that her and Jack had had…something at one point in time. But actually having him at the beach house for a whole week looking damn sexy would just kill her. She couldn't do it.
Clark had been disappointed. She had been able to hear it in his voice over the phone. They had been dating for nearly nine months, and she still had to ask about Jack. Sighing uncomfortably, he had told her that he wasn't positive but last he had heard from Seth, Jack would be out of town for his cousin's graduation ceremony in Savannah which was a week ahead of their own. That was all the confirmation she needed, and she had happily agreed to accompany them to the beach. Her tan was waning anyway. Some hot rays would do her good.
Lexi popped open the door to the Lexus SUV as soon as Seth placed it in parked and gingerly stretched out her aching muscles. She breathed in the cool beach air and sighed pleasantly. Her head swiveled up to the massive beach house Seth's parents called home. The entire place looked modern and chic from the outside. She couldn't wait to see how the interior matched. But what she was really curious about was the beach. All she really wanted was to sink her feet into the pure white sand and stare out across the Gulf of Mexico.
Clark came around from the other side of the car and kissed her cheek. Taking one last look at her, he said, "Go on." He nudged her towards the side door that opened up to a pathway leading directly to the beach. "I'll grab your bag."