Page 165 of Deliverance

Bright warmth filters through me, spreading from my stomach to my chest. I didn’t think those words would have such an effect on me, but they do. They send my heart leaping and tumbling. My arms snake around her waist to pull her closer, the cool breeze ruffling our hair and clothes. I feel weightless and exposed, and for the first time in my life, I’m not scared for another person to see these pieces of me, the ones that don’t seem to fit to the rest of my being, the ones I hide from everyone, including myself on most days.

“You’re very good at giving me orgasms,” Drew whispers.

I laugh. “I’m glad you appreciate my skills.”

Now, it’s her turn to be serious. “I appreciate other things too.” Her hooded gaze searches my face. “I know I’m a handful…”

“Don’t.” I rest my finger on her lips. “Don’t say that. I’m a handful too. We all are fucking flawed and fucking broken and it doesn’t mean we can’t try and build something together. Whatever it may be.”

“I have no idea what I did to deserve you.”

“I’m not that great of a catch,” I whisper, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I can be a moody fucker.”

“You should see me on my bad days.” Drew smirks.

“Everyone has bad days. You’re allowed to have as many as you need.”

She tilts her head to the side slightly and continues to stare at me as if she’s trying to read my mind.

I lean into her to grab a kiss.

“Do you think someone is looking for us?” she asks quietly, her voice drowned out by the noise of the ocean.

“I hope not.” I chuckle, then imagine being a kid who accidentally comes across two adults having sex and cringe at my own lack of responsibility and for not taking this farther from the house. Although the property is high enough up the slope that there’s very little chance someone would be able to see what we’re doing here unless that someone comes down to the beach specifically to spy on two people inside the gazebo.

“You ruined my panties,” Drew whispers after a few long moments of silence.

“Then you’ll just have to go without them.”

“Back to a house full of kids?” She slaps my shoulder.

“Would you rather not go back at all and take this party elsewhere?”

“Shit…” She gasps. “Do you know what time it is? I think I left my phone inside.”

“I think I left my phone inside too.” I would have crashed it to pieces anyway if it was in my pocket while we fucked.

“How long do you think we’ve been here?”

“I have no idea.” I brush my thumb over her lower lip and her mouth parts for me. “And I don’t care if it’s past midnight as long as I spend it with you.”

25 Drew

My phone buzzesand I shift my gaze from my reflection to the sink countertop.

Be there in ten minutes, the text message from Zander reads.

Smiling, I return to the task at hand—finishing up my hair and makeup.

Santiago has gone completely mad and decided to turn his going away party into an 80s-theme dance and I spent the entire last weekend, prowling from thrift store to thrift store, looking for the right pieces for my Baby costume.

Who would have thought that finding a pink dress and a pair of white shoes that would actually look decent on me would prove to be so difficult?

At first, I wanted to go as bad Sandy, but Santiago pointed out that the movie came out in 1978 and Zander’s hair wouldn’t work. After being pissed for all of five minutes at the fact that the man I happen to adore is not brunette, I decided we’d go as Baby and Johnny fromDirty Dancing.

Ironic, considering we’re both horrible on the dance floor, but Zander laughed at the idea for the longest time when I told him about it.

“Well, I’m glad you’re not making me go as Elvis,” he said, then added in that husky voice of his that sent a whole lot of tingles down my belly, “Although I’d embarrass myself just for you.”

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