Page 120 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

I swat at him, but he catches my hand and kisses my palm. “You know I love you, baby. Enough to be working very hard not to have my tongue down your throat right now.”

I snuggle closer. “You’re just keeping me warm.”

“Of course, I am.” He kisses my jaw. “We can come out to the water as often as you want until it gets cold. What does a bug whisperer do in winter?”

“Stays inside with a space heater and a mountain of blankets,” I murmur. “Except for building one snowman for tradition.”

He chuckles and kisses my neck while braiding our fingers together. “Maybe I can manage to convince you to build two snowmen.”

“You’ll have to be very convincing.”

“I’ll make sure to warm you up after,” he purrs against my skin. “Hot chocolate, cookies, maybe even a homemade meal … or something else if you want it.”

Chase clears his throat as he looks at us. Ash shakes his head. “We’re making plans for winter. What kind of soup does this one like?”

“I hate soup.” I stick out my tongue. “Chili is the best thing.”

“And she doesn’t like hot chocolate either.” Chase shrugs.

“What?” Ash gapes at me. “Oh, now we’re really done. I can’t be with a girl that doesn’t like chocolate.”

I shove him, then carefully slide my hand down my back like I have an itch, only to stroke along the top of Ash’s bottoms. He tightens his arm around me, jerking me back, so my hand is squashed between us.

“Fine. I’ll keep you around,” he grumbles.

“Of course, you will, Bunny.” I keep my voice low. “Because you just can’t resist me.”

He chuckles and kisses the top of my head.

After a long day playing on the water, we relax on the way home, then head out to another park to watch fireworks. Ash holds me tightly while Bonnie and Peter talk. Ash picks at the blanket under us, and I pull his arms back around me.

“Thank you for today,” I say.

“Hmm?”

“For being there, pushing all my buttons, making me talk to people,” I shrug. “You’re good.”

“You say that now, but you’re going to hate me when I rub you down with aloe and refuse to touch you until you’re not a lobster,” he chuckles.

I roll my eyes but squeeze his hands. “You’re a really good boyfriend, and I feel …”

He focuses entirely on me, ignoring my Dad glaring at us while his dad finally puts the pieces together. I swallow and meet his eyes. “I feel like I can trust you, really trust you.”

“Yeah?”

I nod. “And I’m going to try to fix things with my mom, slowly. I’m not quite sure how, though.” And just like that, I open up about everything as we wait for the fireworks.

I ask him for advice on bugs, on my pictures, if he’ll go hiking with me again because it was so much fun last time while we were together, and I’d really like to spend more time with him. I ask him if he can teach me some boxing basics so I can kick frat boy ass if they come up on me. I just spill everything that’s on my mind – which means a whole slew of things that don’t connect.

Ash listens, his smile spreading until he turns my chin and kisses me softly. He sucks my bottom lip, nibbles gently and draws back. “We have so much time, baby. I can teach you everything you want to know, and we can do plenty. I’m here. I’m wrapped around your fucking finger. And I’m … I’m yours. Entirely.”

I lean back against him and rub his arms.

“What the heck?” his dad says loudly.

I laugh softly. “I think your dad just figured out who you were fucking last night.”

“Well, you were just so damn loud, I’m surprised the whole neighborhood isn’t filing a complaint.”

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