Page 26 of Just This Once

“She is beautiful.” I toyed with the ends of my own lackluster dishwater-blonde hair. “Her hair is so shiny.”

“Right?” Rachel popped a stick of gum into her mouth before offering me one. “So fucking hot.”

We leaned in and giggled like a couple of grade school girls with crushes, which in all reality, we kind of were.

“Ladies.” Whip’s deep velvety voice snagged my attention.

I cleared my throat and stood taller, praying he didn’t see the blush crawling across my warm cheeks.

When you’re finally ready to be kissed again, I’m going to make you beg for it.

My traitorous eyes flicked to his full lips before finding a spot in the middle of his forehead and burning a hole into it with my stare.

“Oh, hey, Whip.” Rachel smiled sweetly. “Didn’t know you would be at the car wash today.”

His wide arms spread open. “Come on, it’s for charity. I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Did you hear that, Emily?” She bumped me with her elbow. “A philanthropist.”

I pressed my lips together and made an unladylike grunt before smiling sweetly. “A real bleeding heart.”

Whip smirked. “I’ll pay extra special attention to your car, of course.”

My eyes bored into his as heat clawed up my chest. “I would literally pay for you to stop talking.”

Humor sparkled in his silvery eyes, and my dismissal only seemed to goad him on as he took a few steps backward, holding my stare. When he winked and turned away, a disgusted noise shot out of my nose. “Ugh, he is so annoying.”

Rachel smirked and stared at his ass as he walked away. “Annoyingly hot, maybe.”

My face twisted. “What the hell, Rach? I thought you were on my side.”

She only shrugged. “What? I’m bi, not blind.”

I crossed my arms and pouted. “I wish I were blind. Then I wouldn’t have to be reminded of all”—my arm gestured wildly in front of me—“that.”

As if on cue, Whip reached behind his neck, pulling his navy T-shirt off and tossing it aside, putting his muscular back on full display.

My body went rigid and my mouth went dry. I let out a slow, steady stream of breath through my lips.

“No kidding . . . ,” Rachel agreed.

“What the hell am I gonna do?” I was asking myself as much as I was asking my friend.

Rachel shrugged, popping her gum. “The way I see it, you’ve got two options. You give up on all that and move on. Or you sayhell yesto more orgasms and hope dear old Dad doesn’t find out.”

My core clenched at the mere mention of the wordorgasm, as if it were begging—yes please!—demanding option two.

As the cars started filing in, Rachel stood tall and smiled at me. “All right. Time for me to get in line and see if I can finally get Brooklyn’s number.”

I waved. “Good luck.”

“You coming?”

“No. I mostly came to see what it was all about. If I can’t figure out a way to raise some money for the foundation, Principal Cartwright is going to give it back to Mrs. Kuder.”

“Have you considered senior bingo?” Humor danced in Rachel’s eyes.

“Huh.” I giggled. “I hadn’t thought of that one!”

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