Page 54 of Bottle Rocket

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She didn’t want to say goodbye.

Summer of Rosie: Take #9. Nursing a broken heart.

“Let’s pretend,” she said.

“Pretend what?”

“That you’re not leaving tomorrow.” It was such a whimsical, illogical desire. She wasn’t one for whimsy as a rule, but the whole day had been colored by this fog of unreality.

His body tightened under her, but he said, “Whatever you want. Your wish. My command.”

* * *

After the amateur fireworks show,party guests started to clear out, including Rosie’s siblings. Anticipation spread through her until she was practically pulsing from it. She wasn’t sure how a barbecue transformed into a sex party. Would Madame Ballcrusher stand on her patio table, drop a white flag, and say, “ready, set, go”?

It still felt like a barbecue, to be honest. That was, until Rosie noticed two women kissing in the pool. One of them untied the other’s bikini top. Rosie’s face flamed. She glanced around. Was it rude to watch them? She’d met them earlier in the night but couldn’t remember their names.

She escaped to a secluded pergola with a huge outdoor sectional inside. Leo was there talking to Dean and eating a cherry Popsicle. He smiled and tossed his hair out of his face.

She stepped to his side, and he threw an arm around her waist as he finished his snack. Rosie tried to surreptitiously take a head count of how many people were left. Eight or nine, maybe? A satisfied laugh came from the other side of the backyard.

Her head was full of hazy lust and confusion. Leo positioned her in front of him, but she was too distracted to figure out why. Then Dean nudged her chin so she was facing him.

“Do you trust me, Rosie?” Leo said in her ear.

She nodded. Dean was looking at her with hunger in his eyes.

Leo kissed the nape of her neck and trailed his lips down her spine until he reached the back of her dress. Her knees threatened to buckle. “I want to make you feel good. You want that?”

“Yes.”

“I want other people to make you feel good too. Is that okay?”

She gulped. Dean was still holding her chin. She stared up at him. He was taller than her and Leo. “Just Dean?” she asked.

“Do you want it to only be me and Dean? You’re in charge here.”

Her pulse tripped over itself. This might be the only chance she ever got. She wasn’t going to waste it. “No.”

Dean grabbed her hand, pressed a kiss to her palm, and said, “I’ll be right back.”

Once he was gone, air left Rosie’s lungs in a rush.

Leo turned her around. “You can say stop at any time.”

“I know.”

“I want to worship you. I want to serve you. Make you feel like nothing exists but your own pleasure.”

She started to tremble. She was overwhelmed. “I don’t think I can take charge,” she admitted. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

He sat down on the huge sofa and scooted back so she could sit between his spread legs. She leaned back against his chest.

“You don’t have to do anything but close your eyes and enjoy. You can boss me around later.”

So that was what she did. She closed her eyes and let him kiss her neck and trace his fingers over her skin. As Leo’s palm reached her thigh, she felt someone else’s presence.

“You can keep your eyes closed,” Leo whispered. “It’s safe.” She nodded. A mouth touched her knee, and she jumped. The scratch of stubble lit up her nerve endings. A warm breeze washed over her, bringing the scent of earth and fireworks and chlorine. It was the smell of summer.