Page 79 of Always You

He folds his arms in front of his body, giving me a blank look as I hold his gaze. A lump forms in the back of my throat, as if I just poisoned myself, and I do my best to push it away.

“But what if you could be more?”

It’s a simple question, one I’ve been asking myself for a while now. It sounds as easy as two plus two, but in my head? The outcome is never four.

“I need to figure out shit with her first, so I’d appreciate it if you drop it until then,” I say, my tone final. I won’t risk my friendship with Charlotte just to find out how she would feel underneath me. It’s not worth it. No matter how badly I want it. If we’re doing this, I need to be confident I won’t lose her in the end. I need to make sure we’re both ready.

“Alright, man.” Jason slams his hand on my back in a friendly way, and we walk back, dropping the conversation like I asked, talking about sports for the rest of the night.

When the twilight kicks in, I’m still hanging out with them while Charlotte is talking to Julie. Jason never brings it up again, but for some reason, his words keep lingering in the back of my head.

What if you could be more?

I glance at Charlotte, on the other side of the fire, her dark blonde hair shining from the reflection of the flames. As if she can sense my eyes on her body, she turns around, locking her eyes with mine, shooting me that gorgeous smile that is the first thing I think of when I wake up.

The corner of my mouth curls up in a pleased smile as she starts to walk toward me, keeping her eyes focused on mine. There is a longing in her eyes that I haven’t seen before, and I suck in a deep breath as she reaches us.

“Hey boys,” she says, and they all greet her in union. “Can I borrow him for a while?”

“Sure,” they all bellow with a suggestive tone, making me chuckle a little behind my ginger beer.

She reaches out a hand, and I quickly take it, linking our fingers as she leads me toward one of the logs around the fire. I squat to take a seat on it, my legs folded out in front of me, before I guide her onto my lap, resting my hand on her hip.

“Are you having fun?” she asks, glancing at me over her shoulder.

“Yeah. You?”

“Hmm, I am now,” she muses in a way that makes my insides swirl. An eyebrow cocks up, wondering if she’s flirting withmenow.

“Why is that?” I clear my throat, sounding husky as fuck as she turns her face to look at me again.

“Well, we’re graduating in a week. Mama is doing alright, it’s summer, and I’m spending the night with both of my best friends. That’s a win in my book.”

“It definitely is.” Having her on my lap is a win too, but let's not push too hard right now.

We sit like this for about half an hour, until the night has fully set in, and most of the people have already left, yet I’m not planning to leave, feeling completely content with her close to my body. I close my eyes, every now and then resting my lips on her back, that’s covered by the fabric of my hoodie, wishing it was her bare skin.

As if she can read my mind, she finally moves the piece of clothing over her head, and I let out a small groan at the sudden torture fest that’s about to occur.

“What are you doing?”

“The flames are hot.”

I suck in a sharp breath, my jaw ticking when the safe boundary formed by the piece of clothing is now completely lifted, exposing the soft skin of her shoulder, as she’s wearing nothing more than a tank top. Even though I know I should resist, my mouth keeps brushing her soft skin, wanting more with every touch, while a different question gets louder in my head with every passing minute.

What if we’re ready to be more?

26

For the past thirty minutes, I’ve been hyper aware of Hunter’s calloused palms on my hips, his fingers grazing my skin every now and then. Each time our skin connects, I sink deeper into his embrace, unable to resist his touch. My go-to is to scold him for it, telling him to stop flirting with me, but I don’t this time. The boundaries we’ve set are blurring by the minute, and I can’t find it in myself to care.

I don’t know why I kissed him that day at the quarry. It’s like something pulled me in, and before I knew it, my lips were on his, and all I knew was that it felt right. It felt right in that moment. It felt right withhim.And not that I was surprised… it always feels right with Hunter.

I could still feel his kiss on my lips days after, and I’ve been dying to have them all over again. For him to lose control and gather the nerve to do the thing I want more than anything, but haven’t found enough courage to do again myself.

Letting out a content sigh, I stare into the dancing flames, his breath fanning the skin on my shoulder, causing my body to drum to a tune I’ve never felt before. It’s humming all the nerves beneath my skin alive, scorching, electrifying, and vibrating with enough force to drill deep into my core. I’m assuming it’s unintended, him having no clue that he’s close to making me combust into flames any second now by feeling his mouth so closeto my skin.

I assumed wrong.

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