To Claim His Girl Read online

  “So, it’s a given, after school, we party at Chris’s, taking our mayhem with us,” Aria said. She opened her bottle of water, raising it up. “To friends.”

  “It would be better with a bottle of vodka, but damn it, I’m in,” Branson said.

  As they clinked their drinks together, she smiled. It was great to have their little family back together. She had missed it so much, and had a ton of letters at home that she’d never mailed because she wasn’t allowed.

  Glancing over at Eli, she saw he was staring at her. There was something in his eyes, she didn’t know what, but she liked it. She liked the way he looked at her. He made her feel like she was the only girl in the whole world.

  Chapter Three

  “You’re going to need our help,” Rachel said.

  “Why?” Eli asked. He should have known Chris and Branson couldn’t keep their mouths closed.

  “Did you see her at lunch?” Mary asked.

  “What about her?”

  “She doesn’t have a clue that you’re into her. We know our girl, and she doesn’t for a second think you’ve got a crush on her,” Rachel said. “You want to win over Aria, and do it for good so you’re having lots of sex and all that, you’re going to need our help.”

  “You do know she’s a virgin?” Chris asked.

  They were outside by their cars waiting for Aria to arrive so they could go to dinner at Chris’s place.

  “What?” Eli looked at all four of his friends. “Are you guys shitting with me?”

  “First, ew, gross. No we’re not. She’s not been with anyone.” Mary spoke up.

  “How do you know this?” he asked.

  “We’re all friends. The past year there wasn’t a single guy in her life. She’s just not interested,” Rachel said.

  “I think it’s because of her dad throwing all those old guys her way,” Mary said.

  “The last one was kind of cute, but he was like thirty years old.” Rachel and Mary started talking between themselves.

  Eli rubbed his eyes, wondering how he stayed friends with these people. They gossiped about everyone. “How do you think you’re going to help me?”

  “Simple, we constantly push you and Aria together,” Mary said, clapping her hands.

  “That’s it. That’s your plan?” he asked.

  “What’s yours?” Chris butted in. “Carrying her dinner plate, or maybe it’s her books next?”

  He glared at Chris. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

  “I am, dude. Just saying, it was a totally lame ass move.”

  “Don’t you girls like that?” he asked, looking toward Rachel and Mary.

  “It’s nice,” Rachel said. “But it has been overdone in movies, and in books. Besides, Aria isn’t just anyone. She’s, you know, our girl and all. Our best friend. Think about that, Eli. We’ve all been best friends for like ever, and you know her. You don’t need to rely on gimmicks and stuff like that.”

  “Yeah, man,” Branson said. “You know her. We’re all friends.”

  “What’s going on?” Aria asked, walking toward them. She was carrying a large text book, with her bag flung on one shoulder. The jeans she wore rode low on her full hips. She had that hourglass style figure, with huge tits.

  His cock was getting hard just by staring at her.

  “Your birthday,” Rachel said. “We’re talking about your birthday, and how we’re going to celebrate.”

  Aria stopped. “I thought we went out to the lake, you guys get drunk, and leave Eli and me on the hood of his car while you guys screw in the front and back seats.”

  “Good times,” Branson said, to which Mary hit him.

  “We’re not that bad.” Rachel folded her arms.

  “Actually, I do believe the last two birthdays that is exactly what we did.”

  Aria chuckled. “You were here for my last birthday, remember?” she said, looking at Eli.

  “I do.”

  They had looked at the stars, and he’d made up stories as they did. She had laughed all night.

  “Okay, who am riding with?” she asked.

  “Eli,” everyone said in unison.

  “O-kay. Is everyone all right? I’m a little … freaked right now.”

  Eli moved forward, and placed his arm across her shoulder, smoothly taking the large book out of her hands. “It’s the first day back at school. Everyone is tense, and freaked out by everything.”

  “I know. Did you see steroid Wayne? There’s no way he’s gotten that buff by just working out,” Mary said. “I heard some of the cheerleaders talking, and they said he’s known for being lazy in the bedroom.”

  Aria covered her ears. “I really don’t need to hear this. It grosses me out.”

  “Ah, young virginal ears, what would you do?” Chris asked.

  “Stop bringing my cherry into the equation. Rach, I’m worried seeing as your boyfriend is obsessed with my virginity.”

  Even as she spoke, her cheeks went bright red. She was a fighter, and Eli adored her for it.

  “Can we get to my place, please? The last thing I need is for plastic baby mom to come looking for me. It’s so embarrassing.” Chris shook his head, and made some gagging noises.

  “Do you think your dad loves this one?” Aria asked, heading toward Eli’s car.

  “Nah. He likes the fact she’ll suck his dick. I’ve heard them screwing, and it’s enough to make me blush. Gross shit and all.”

  Aria shivered. “Ew. I don’t even think my parents sleep in the same room anymore.”

  “Since when? I thought your parents loved each other.”

  “I don’t. Since my dad has been an imposing prick, and driving my mom crazy. I’ll never understand them, never.” She opened the car door, and climbed inside.

  “See you guys back at the house.”

  He got behind the wheel, turning over the ignition. “So, a virgin, huh?”

  “Not you, too?” she asked.

  “I’m just curious how a beautiful girl like you hasn’t been snapped up.”

  She rolled her eyes, laughing. “What has gotten into you? I’m a beautiful girl? Please, Eli. I’m the fat girl at this school. You know it, I know it. Even if I was to lose a ton of weight, nothing would change. I’d still be, and always would be, the same old fat girl.”

  “I don’t like it when say shit like that. You’re not fat, baby.”

  “Eli?”

  He grabbed her hand, cupping her face, and forcing her to look at him. “You’re not fat. I mean it, and I don’t want you saying that kind of shit in my company.”

  “Military school sure made you bossy.”

  “You got to believe it, babe.”

  “You’re so different. Take Joanne for example. You always said you liked her.”

  He cringed. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay? Those girls, that life, it’s all over.”

  She tilted her head to the side, and he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. Her skin was so soft.

  “What changed, Eli?” she asked.

  “I changed. I came to realize something.”

  The tension between them grew. Did she feel it as well? He wasn’t sure, but the desire to kiss her was strong. He leaned forward intending to do exactly that, when a car beep interrupted them.

  “Come on, lovebirds,” Branson said, shouting.

  She laughed, pulling away from him.

  He was going to beat the shit out of Branson.

  Starting up the car, Eli followed Branson all the way to Chris’s house. Climbing out, he made sure Aria left her books in the car.

  “I’m going to kill you,” he said to Branson, quietly.

  “I’m the one building the suspense. You should thank me.”

  “For what? I was about to kiss her.”

  “Yeah, and then it would have made her uncomfortable. Remember, we all know Aria, and she’s a little uncertain about you right now. Trust your friends to help you out.”

  Eli gritte
d his teeth but saw the truth in what Branson was saying. Following his friends up to the house, he heard the feminine screech the moment he hit the doorway.

  “Chris is home, darling. I told you he’d come home.” Running out of the kitchen was a small woman, in large heels that she struggled to walk on. He was convinced she was going to break her neck. “Oh, sweetie, you brought friends.” She clapped her hands.

  Looking over her shoulder, he saw Chris’s father, Jonathon.

  “Hello, son, we didn’t think you’d make it.”

  “And miss this with Lidia?” Chris said.

  “Actually, it’s Tara,” she said, holding her hand up.

  Chris frowned. “Oh, right, Lidia was number three, I think. Anyway, I brought my friends, hope that is okay.”

  “Awkward,” Aria said, whispering to him.

  Eli smirked. This wasn’t the first occasion they’d been to one of Chris’s reunions.

  “Are you staying home tonight?” Jonathon asked.

  “Yeah. Mom’s out of town, on a date.”

  Jonathon tensed up. “She is?”

  “Yeah, some country guy. Can’t be sure, but he’s special you know. He knows how to take care of her.”

  They all knew the tension between Chris and his father. This was going to be one long assed dinner. Eli could live with it, especially as Aria leaned back against him, taking his hand. It wasn’t much, but it was a start for him.

  “It’s good to see you back, Eli,” Jonathon said.

  “Good to be back.” He squeezed Aria’s hand.

  Life had already gotten back to normal, and it was like he hadn’t even been gone.

  ****

  “I’ve never known anything so awful in all my life,” Aria said.

  “Did you see her constantly pushing out her chest?”

  “I don’t even think that was for Chris’s benefit either.” Aria shuddered. “She’s an interesting one. Too young though. Jonathon will get bored, and he’ll change her within a year.”

  “He loves Vicki. There’s no denying it.”

  Vicki was Chris’s mom. “I know. Did you see how he tensed up when Chris happened to mention that she was dating? I thought he was going to explode.”

  Eli pulled up outside of her parents’ house, and Aria sighed. She didn’t want to go inside, or for this day to end. They didn’t have to do any crazy shit to have some fun. Hanging out was fun enough.

  “What’s wrong, babe?” he asked.

  “Dad’s inside, and I don’t want to deal with him today.” She stretched out her body, cricking her neck as she did. “He can be such a drag at times.”

  Turning to Eli she saw his gaze was on her chest.

  “Not you, too?”

  “Not me what?”

  “My tits, looking at them.” Her cheeks heated just thinking about lunch. “Rachel and Mary are constantly comparing theirs to mine.”

  “I don’t care about theirs.”

  She stared at him, her body heating under his gaze. She was a virgin, and had never been with a guy before, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know what was going on. She understood plenty.

  “What do you care about?” she asked, licking her suddenly dry lips.

  Eli reached out, touching her cheek. His thumb ran across her lips, and it was such an unexpected touch that she gasped.

  “I care about making you happy. I missed you while I was away, Aria.”

  “We all missed you.”

  “I don’t care about them right now. I know they did. We’re all friends. Did you miss me?”

  She stared into his eyes. They were such a shocking blue that it made it hard for her to focus on anyone but him.

  “I did. I missed you a lot. I probably shouldn’t say stuff like that.”

  He shook his head. “You’re the reason I came back.”

  “I am?”

  “Yeah. I made so many promises to my dad just so I could see you again.”

  She covered his hand with hers, suddenly not sure what was going on. “Eli—”

  Someone knocked on her window, making her jump. Her father was there, looking like an overbearing, pompous ass.

  “Out of the car.”

  “Ugh, fine.” Reaching in the back, she grabbed her bag and books. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll pick you up. What happened to your car anyway?” he asked.

  “It’s a long story. I’ll meet you out here.”

  Climbing out of the car, she stared at her dad. He’d folded his arms, looking all threatening.

  Without looking back at Eli, even though she really wanted to, she made her way into her home.

  “Hey, Mom,” she said, shouting out. She dropped her bag at the bottom of the stairs, leaving it there to go and find her mom.

  Lisa was in the kitchen, stirring a pot of sauce.

  “What are you cooking?”

  “Just some pasta sauce. Your father has a guest.”

  The smile on Aria’s face disappeared. Those were the words her mother had agreed to use as code for guys that her father wanted her to date.

  “Good for me that I don’t need to eat.”

  “Sweetie?”

  “No. I was at Chris’s place. Met his new mom, and had tacos. It was really good. I don’t think she cooked them though.”

  “Aria, please come through,” Harvey said, calling toward her.

  “I’m sure there is a law being broken right now. Why is he being such an ass?”

  “The company means a lot to him, and he wants to leave it to someone worthy of it when he dies.”

  “Mom, he’s like forty-five. He’s got years yet, but he’s making my life miserable.” She jumped off the counter and walked into the dining room. Her father was at the head of the table, next to a guy she didn’t recognize.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  Whenever something like this happened, she always tried to appear uneducated, or like a spoilt brat. She had come to learn men couldn’t stand a certain type of girl or woman, and she made sure to find the mark, and exploit it.

  “You must be Aria,” he said.

  She stared at the man. He was around the same age as her father, and he stared her up and down.

  “Yeah, thanks.” She looked at her dad. “I’ve got homework to do.”

  “Sit down and eat.”

  “No. I ate with my friends. Tacos.”

  “Aria, I wasn’t asking,” Harvey said.

  Glaring at him, she lowered herself down into her seat.

  “Ah, here he is,” the mystery guest said.

  She turned in time to almost vomit in her mouth. There in the dining room, stood Wayne. Great, just great.

  Spinning around in her chair, she stared down at her plate, wishing she wasn’t there.

  “Don’t you two know each other?” Harvey asked.

  “We go to school together, isn’t that right, Aria?” Wayne said, taking a seat.

  “I go to school with a lot of people. You’re one asshole in the crowd.” She smiled at him while her father blasted her.

  “Aria, enough with that foul language.”

  “Here we go. Something pulled together quickly,” Lisa said, entering the dining room, carrying a large plate of pasta sauce and meatballs.

  Aria hated the churning in her stomach, and the way her father looked smug.

  Her mother served everyone, but Aria covered her plate.

  “You don’t want any?” Lisa asked.

  “I told you, I ate at Chris’s house. When are you going to believe me?” she asked.

  “Chris Fieldbrook?” Harvey asked.

  “You know who Chris is. I’ve hung out with him since I was a kid. Rachel, Mary, Branson, and Eli were there. Also, Tara, Jonathon’s knew wife.”

  “It’s a shame really. Jonathon Fieldbrook has become a laughingstock for his silly wives. None of them can think for themselves.”

  “I’ve heard it’s a trait assholes like,” she said.

  Th
is was the last thing she wanted to deal with.

  “I’ve had enough of your language.”

  “Great, so you won’t mind me going to my room to, you know, get some brains.”

  Before anyone could stop her, she left the table, and rushed toward the stairs, grabbing her bag.

  “I’m sorry, Aria,” Lisa said.

  She looked to see her mother holding a towel. “I’m not going to be whatever he wants me to be. I don’t have it in me to be a good wife, or to go into marriage he thinks is appropriate. I won’t do it.”

  “He just wants what is best for you.”

  “No, he doesn’t. He wants what is best for himself. It’s how it has always worked.” Without another word, Aria rushed toward her room, closing the door, and throwing her bag toward her closet. Climbing on her bed, she pulled out her cell phone, and called Rachel.

  “What’s up?” Rachel giggled. “Chris, stop it.”

  “You won’t believe who is at home with me.”

  “Eli?”

  “No, why would Eli be here?”

  “No, my bad. Who is there?”

  “Wayne!”

  “Steroid Wayne?”

  “Yep. He’s downstairs having dinner with my family. I got out of it, but I know Dad’s going to go mental at me later. I pretty much told him to go and get fucked. May or may not have embarrassed him a little,” she said.

  “Good for you. He’s an asshole, and you don’t need him.”

  There was some commotion in the background, and Aria couldn’t make out what was being said.

  “Have I called at a bad time?” she asked.

  “Not really,” Rachel said. “You know me and Chris are always together.”

  “Crap, I’m so sorry. I’m going to hang up now.”

  She hung up the phone, and climbed off her bed, going to her books. Twenty minutes later, she gasped as someone knocked on her window. Looking over, she saw Eli there, waving.

  Moving toward them, she opened it up, helping him inside. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Coming to your rescue. You never know what freaks are out there.”

  She laughed. “Chris called you?”

  “Of course he did. Where is ‘roids man?” he asked.

  “Downstairs with the folks.”

  “Why do you think he’s here?” He took a seat on her bed, and patted the space beside it.