Page 142 of Love in Riverbend
The energy we gained from our meal energizes me as I push toward him. His lips are full and strong. Like when he holds my hand, I feel safe and protected in his presence.
I fall back on the blanket, Justin follows, his face close to mine. Staring into his blue gaze, I say, “I think I need more practice.”
He teases rogue strands of my long hair away from my face. “I want to make this official.”
I nod.
“Ricky is probably going to hate me, but he’ll hate both of us more if we don’t tell him.”
Stretching my neck, I kiss him again. “If you’re asking if I want to date you, the answer is yes.”
His smile grows. “No, Devan, that’s not what I’m asking.”
“You aren’t?”
“I’m asking if you’ll date only me. You see, I’m not great at this relationship thing. My track record is…well…mostly nonexistent. I also know that you blew me away that first night and every day since. I don’t want to be clingy, but I can’t imagine seeing you with someone else.”
Words don’t form for me. The world around us has stilled. Except, that is, for my heart that is fluttering out of control. All I can see is the depth in his eyes, the different shades of blue, much like that of the quarry below.
Justin continues talking. “Walking into your apartment and seeing you turned my world upside down.” He swallows. “I thought I’d built that night—that kiss—up in my head. It was the night Ricky told me your parents were considering selling. I wasn’t in a great mood. And then I saw you, started talking to you. You were beautiful, fun, and despite my bad mood, made me smile. And then you were gone. I tried to find out who you were, but no one knew you—no one remembered seeing you. I couldn’t understand because you were all I remembered. Then I decided maybe you weren’t real. I’d practically given up hope of ever seeing you again, and then there you were.”
Chapter 17
Justin
Closing my eyes, I lean my forehead to Devan’s and exhale. This is too much, too soon. I shouldn’t be as honest with her. It’s that when I’m with her, I want to talk, share, and even be honest about my feelings. There is something about her that just feels right.
Devan’s hands come to my cheeks as she lifts my face until our eyes meet. “Yes.”
I let out the breath I’m holding. “Fuck, I was pretty sure that word-vomit would have sent you running.”
“It wasn’t vomit,” she says with a soft laugh to her voice. “It was sweet and honest. I spent those next five weeks afraid that by coming back to Riverbend, I’d see you and you’d pretend you didn’t know or recognize me.” She tilts her head. “You did that.”
I sit up, noticing how with Devan’s golden hair around her face, she looks like an angel. “What was I supposed to do, make a scene in front of your dad and brother?”
“If we’d gone all that day without talking about it—the kiss—I know I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Then I’m thankful for the breeze slamming the doors.” I recall her excuse.
“And the fortuitous tote.”
Yeah, I’m having the same problem again.
“Devan,” I say, my voice an octave lower. “Come here.”
I sense the way her breathing deepens by the way her breasts push against the front of her sundress.
“I’m here.”
Tilting my head, I motion for her to come closer.
She moves to her knees and turns until we’re facing one another, our knees touching. For longer than I meant to, I simply stare at her—the all of her. The beauty of her soft skin, the way her nose turns up, her perfect kissable lips, and the depth in her swirling chocolate eyes. The straps of her dress hang from her slender shoulders. If I sit taller, I could see down her neckline and from what I can see, I don’t think she’s wearing a bra. Going by the other night outside her house, I know how good it feels to be against her, to feel her warmth and soft curves.
I want to push those straps off her shoulders and see what she’s wearing—or not wearing—beneath.
Taking a deep breath, I remember what I wanted to say, to ask. “I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I don’t know how to ask something without sounding like a dick.”
Devan smiles. “Oh, what does a dick sound like?”
