Going Full Throttle

Chapter 37 - Tyler's POV

I fell onto Pia's bed, flat on my stomach to protect the sensitive skin on my back. Living on a lake was fun most of the time, but the sunburnt across my shoulder blades was evidence that there was such a thing as too much fun.

The lumpy old bed creaked under my weight and I swore on a breath. The bed I had in Twyla's house was amazing—soft sheets, firm mattress, and an A/C aimed right at it—but it didn't have Pia in it.

It was straight-up ridiculous how attached I had become in a short week. I guess if I were being honest, this had been growing for much longer than I had admitted. It was almost like once I had identified this feeling in my chest toward Pia, I was able to explain so much of the confusion I'd had since arriving in O'Hara.

This pull I had to be near her. The random anxiety I'd have over her safety. My jealousy toward Ryan. It had all been because for longer than I even knew, my feelings toward Pia were way bigger than just attraction to her looks.

I mean, I had to fucking care about her if I willingly chose to sleep in this horrible bed.

"Oh you poor baby," Pia laughed as she walked in the room, not sounding the least bit sympathetic.

"It hurts," I groaned as I swished my head and tried to get my hair off my neck. Each strand felt like thin knives scraping against my burn. Pia's little fingers dug into my scalp and gathered my hair into her fist. She flipped her wrist a couple of times then stepped away, leaving my hair pinned in one of those rat's nest buns she did on herself all of the time.

"No pictures," I grumbled. It was a relief to have my hair away from my skin but I had never prescribed to the man bun trend. Pia was a pain in the ass about catching me in embarrassing situations and getting photographic evidence.

I kept my cheek pressed against the cool pillow as Pia climbed onto the bed and straddled my hips. She was careful to keep herself perched on my shorts, not rubbing against my skin.

"Fuck me," I moaned as an icy gel shot onto my shoulder blades. "What is that?"

Pia smoothed the gel out slowly, soothing my burning skin with whatever that cold stuff was. "Aloe Vera," she said and I could hear the soft smile in her voice. "Now, Westwood, what have we learned?"

"That we need to get you a sexy nurse outfit?" I guessed. Her massage paused for a second and I tensed just as her hand came down in a soft smack. Okay, so not that.

"That I should never listen to Scotty again," I grumbled. He'd talked me into a couple of day beers, nothing serious, but with the complete lack of sleep I'd had this week, it completely rocked me. One drink led to another and suddenly we were both passed out on the beach under the hot sun.

Of course, Scotty had been fricken fine. Something he liked to rub in my face as often as he could. When Pia had finally found us and woken our dumb asses up, he'd just been a slightly darker shade of tawny brown. I, on the other hand, had been bright red.

Pia's ministrations continued softly on my back. She covered my hot skin in that gelly stuff until the burn has eased to a slight irritation. Once she was done she went and washed her hands then came and flopped onto the mattress next to me, mimicking my pose on my stomach.

"Finn's asleep?" I asked.

Pia nodded, resting her cheek against her hand. "It's much harder when he knows you are here."

"That's funny," I mused, "because I have the opposite problem knowing that he's here."

Pia smacked me on the arm but a small smile tugged on her lips. It wasn't completely true. I could basically get hard in any environment if Pia was in my eyesight. She was just so effortlessly sexy.