Bite Me (Episode 1) The Lupo Legacy Series Read online

Lupo legacy

  Episode One

  Bite Me

  Elizabeth Kelly

  Copyright © 2014 Elizabeth Kelly

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is coincidental.

  License Notes: This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold, Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover design by

  Soxational Cover Art

  Formatting by

  Dead River Books

  Emily Ann

  My name is Emery Whitechurch I am nineteen years old and my best friend is Ash Carter. We have been friends since age six, when I fell from my tree house and he ‘rescued’ me. His dark blond hair hung in his eyes and the ice blue of his eyes gave me chills, ever since we have been best friends.

  I have watched him over the years grow into a man, his muscles have exploded out, and his face changed from the rounded baby face to that of a man, a square jawed, high cheekbone striking eyebrows man.

  Yes I think I am in love with my best friend.

  “Whatca doin babe?” Ash asks climbing up the steps of my porch, the second day of summer vacation is upon us and we have absolutely no plans other than hanging together. He plants himself on the porch swing beside me making it rock in the process. Reaching over he takes my glass of lemonade and drains it, placing the empty glass onto the table beside him. I watch the beads of perspiration roll down the length of the glass and pool around the bottom.

  “Nothing, waiting for you to get your lazy self out of bed,” I reply stretching my legs across his. Our skin is now touching, my bare legs against his, automatically his hand reaches out, and he rubs up, and down my shin.

  “Man it’s hot today,” he sighs adjusting his baseball cap over his eyes. The ends of his hair sticking out beneath the cap are starting to curl indicating he needs a trim. “You want to go to Devlin’s party tonight?” he asks turning to smile at me. My voice gets stuck in my throat, that smile - for the last thirteen years it has knocked me off my feet and left me speechless.

  “Not sure, if you want to go we can,” I answer dully knowing he will hook up with someone and it will tear me apart again.

  “Yeah, we can go haven’t gotten any action for a while,” he grins at me leaning over and tilting his head so he is looking up at me.

  “If you mean a whole week then yeah I’d say it’s a while.” I retort, he pouts at me making my insides melt and he knows it.

  “Come on,” he pulls the magazine I was pretending to read out of my hands, tossing it over his shoulder. His large hands grip my waist as he throws me over his shoulder and starts running across the street to his house. I know what’s coming so I don’t bother screaming I just enjoy the feeling of his hands on me. Within seconds I am being flung backwards off his shoulder and into his pool, splashing without grace. Ash jumps in after me shouting, “cannonball,” he lands beside me and pulls me over to him.

  “What’s wrong Emery, you haven’t smiled once since I arrived?” at moments like this I swear he is about to kiss me and that he feels the same about me as I do him but then like all guys they ruin it, by splashing water at me and pushing me down into the water. Once I pop up I scowl and chase him around the pool.

  “Come on babe you can’t catch me,” he laughs swimming away from me, he was on the swim team in high school so yeah he knows I won’t catch him. I am not a good swimmer and can only struggle in the water so much because Ash had spent one summer teaching me, but to his credit he never gave up.

  “I will catch you and when I do I will hurt you.”

  I smile like a predator as I begin to follow him around the pool. He starts to sing the theme tune to Jaws, the movie as he walks backwards, he never makes me chase him long though, gaining on him I jump, grabbing his neck and pulling him down with me. Once we are below the surface I open my eyes finding him staring at me, reaching out he grabs my wrist pulling me up with him.

  “There you are,” turning I see Ash’s mom, Livvy, she is all prim and proper in her pink skirt and white blouse, with heels so high I don’t know how she hasn’t broken an ankle yet.

  “Hello Mrs. Carter,” I say climbing out of the pool in my soaking wet clothes. Ash follows me passing me a towel from the stack his mom brought out to us.

  “Asher Carter, why did you throw Emery into the pool in all her clothes,” she scolds him.

  “She loves it mom,” he laughs, drying his hair looking at me. I catch the look in his mother’s eyes when she turns to me, I think she knows how I feel about him, but I will never confirm it. I don’t want to loose him I’d rather be friends than nothing at all.

  “Yes, I can see that.”

  She says then leaves us alone. Lifting my tank top off I lay it over the wall of the barbeque-island followed by my wet shorts. I had a feeling today we’d end up in the pool so I wore my bathing suit under my clothes.

  “Cheater,” Ash laughs pointing at me.

  “I know your every move buddy” I smile taking a seat on a lounge chair.

  “No way Emery, no sun bathing today we are going into town or something, I am not starting the summer vacation being lazy.”

  Grabbing my hand he pulls me off the chair, we walk into the house where both his parents are sitting relaxing. We walk up to his room and neither of them bats an eye at us.

  “Hey can you grab me a shirt from the laundry room?”

  Ash asks, letting my hand go walking into his room. Rolling my eyes I walk over to the laundry room, selecting a light blue t-shirt from the pile. I love this one on him; it brings out his eyes, and clings to his body just enough to annoy myself.

  “Here,” I say walking into his room catching him in his boxers texting furiously on his phone. I don’t know why I am embarrassed and turn away, because I have seen him hundreds of times in his swim trunks at competitions, but standing here in his room feeling the way I do it’s all to much.

  “Thanks babe,” he says snatching the shirt from my hand, pulling it over his head. He has black shorts on now and slips his feet into a pair of sandals. “Your turn.” We walk over to my house with a towel wrapped around my body, most of our neighbors have lived here for as long as I can remember and they all know how close Ash and I are, so me in a towel walking from one house to the other is nothing new for them. We walk into my house finding my dad on the phone he waves at us as we walk up the stairs. Ash rests his hands on my waist and my body tenses.

  “What the hell is wrong with you today?” he laughs. Usually I let him grab me but today I move his hands away.

  “Nothing why?” I ask walking into my bedroom grabbing a dress from the closet. On my way to the bathroom I look at him as I pass, he is lying on my bed with his arms under his head and his ankles crossed.

  “Don’t know, you don’t seem yourself that’s all” he shrugs. Closing the bathroom door I sigh deeply, why is being close to him making me agitated today. Changing into my dress I walk back into my room, Ash whistles at me and I give him a twirl, just like old times.

  “Wow Emery you are going to get me killed tonight,” he says shaking his head.

  “How?” grabbing a hair tie I scoop my long hair up into a ponytail, then grab my purse and phone. Ash climbs off my bed looking at me then shakes his head we walk down to the kitchen where my dad is sitting on a barstool.

  “Hey dad we are heading out see you later,” I wave at him.

  “Oh Emery,” he calls stopping me from walking out the door
behind Asher, “your cousin will be here next week she is staying for the summer,” he tells me looking a little scared.

  “Oh, which cousin I don’t think I remember any of them.”

  “Teegan,” he sighs running his hands through his hair.

  “Yikes!” I reply as I leave the house, catching Ash in his driveway.

  “What was that about?” he asks holding open the passenger door of his Jeep for me.

  “Oh I guess my cousin Teegan is coming to stay next week.”

  He looks confused as he climbs behind the wheel. “You never met her she came that year you went to swim camp.”

  “Oh the crazy one you told me about,” he laughs backing out of the drive. We follow the small streets into town, parking in the free lot at the very end of the block. Most of us kids park here and walk around, it’s free so it will do us. We walk up main street past the mom and pop stores and on towards the newer part of town, where most of the younger crowd hang out. Ash holds my hand like always and I feel my heart speed up, we walk into the coffee shop, waiting in line to order I hear my name being called.

  Turning I spot Brandy and Devlin walking our way.

  “Hi,” she greets me with a hug.

  “Hey what you guys doing?” I ask, as Ash and Devlin start talking, apart from Ash Brandy is my best friend and her boyfriend is Devlin who happens to be Ash’s best guy friend. Brandy and I go find a seat while the guys order.

  “Are you coming tonight?” she asks and I nod.

  “Yeah we’re going,” I answer.

  “Hey you want to come to Forever 21 with me? Dev doesn’t, so it can give him an out.” I nod as the guys take a seat with us, Asher handing me a coffee.

  “You coming tonight Emery?” Devlin asks me, Brandy rolls her eyes and smiles.

  “Yep we are,” Ash answers putting his arm around my shoulders. We sit in the coffee shop talking and hanging out when Devlin announces ‘incoming.’ We all turn to see a tall blonde walking through the door a small moan escapes me when I see her face. Emily Ann, she has a major crush on Ash and it pisses me off. I can’t help but look at her - she is beautiful in a superficial way with her long legs, blonde hair, and her enlarged assets. Turning her head she notices us and waves as her legs carry her this way.

  “Hi guys,” she purrs sitting down on the arm of Ash’s chair, making sure her legs touch his bare arm.

  “Emily,” Brandy smiles at her, Emily rests her hand on Asher’s shoulder, and he gives her a smile.

  “So the party tonight,” she starts, “I hope I’m invited” she smiles at Devlin who just nods at her.

  “Sure you are,” he says earning kick from Brandy.

  “Will you be there?” she asks Ash leaning down so her chest is in his line of sight, I swear guys turn into tools at the sight of boobs.

  “Yeah I’ll be there,” he answers, which stings. Clearing my throat I stand up nodding for Brandy to follow.

  “Let’s go to the store.” I say grabbing my purse, Emily swings her legs over and slides down onto Asher’s lap giggling. Brandy huffs and gives Devlin a death stare before we leave.

  “See you later Ash,” I say but he isn’t even listening to me so I just leave feeling a little butt hurt. Brandy and I walk towards the clothing store her fingers text out a message quickly.

  “I don’t know how you do it Emery, you must have balls of steel,” she says crossing her arms over her chest.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know how you can sit there and let her crawl all over your man,” she shakes her head annoyed.

  “Ash is not my man, we’re friends,” I reply pushing open the door of the store. Brandy rolls her eyes at me walking straight over to the swimwear.

  “Keep telling yourself that Emery, I think you’re the only person who sees your relationship with Ash that way.”

  “Brandy,” I warn and she holds up her hands.

  “Just saying,” she answers before pulling the hangers back and forth. Not really wanting to think about what is transpiring at the coffee shop I begin to look at the swimwear as well.

  Truth or Dare