Page 130 of Hooking Up
She likes him.
Maybe. I think. I'm not great at seeing the line betweenI like you as a friendandI want your bodyandI want you to be mine forever.
Dean pulls his t-shirt up his stomach. Pats his perfect six-pack. "You can look as much as you want, baby."
"Which is zero." She shakes her head. "What's with your aversion to clothes?"
"They hide my beauty." He shrugs, effortlessly coy.
Ryan looks to me. "That's a good thing you're doing. More important than this shit." He motions to the shop.
"Tattoos are therapeutic in their own way." My fingers go to the words on my forearm. "You're also doing a good thing."
"Nah, mostly he does himself as he cries into pictures of Penny," Dean teases.
Ryan shakes his headstupid kids. "Good luck with shit." He nods a round of goodbyes then turns and leaves.
I wait until he's out of earshot. "Is he always like that?"
"No." Leighton presses her plum lips together. "He's usually a lot less friendly."
"Yeah. He's practically beaming." Walker leans in to press his lips to my neck. "I'm gonna talk to him."
"Go." I lean into his touch.
He wraps his arms around me. Pulls me into a tight hug.
His lips brush mine. Soft to start. Then harder. Then he's sucking on my bottom lip, groaning into my mouth.
Every thought in my head dissolves. My eyelids flutter together. My world goes white. It's only Walker. His lips, his hands, his smile.
I really, really like him.
Want him to be my boyfriend like him.
Want him to be my boyfriend for a long, long time and maybe forever like him.
It's… Uh…
I pull back with a sigh.
His lips press into that perfect smile. He shoots Dean a playful look. "Don't entertain her too much."
"I can't help it."
Walker laughs. "Uh-huh." He turns and heads over to Ryan. He's sitting on a bench in front with Emma, Brendon, and Kaylee.
Look at me, learning names.
Woohoo.
"You like him, huh?" Dean asks.
"Oh my God. Leave her alone." Leighton presses her palms against the counter. She plops onto it and taps her heeled ankle boots together.
God, she really is cool. Like a punk rock goddess. She's wearing smooth black skinny jeans and a reconstructed Ramones t-shirt cut up and sewn together with hot pink ribbon.
"It's an innocent question." He leans against the counter next to her. Brings his cup to his lips. "You should be proud of me. I didn't demand Never Have I Ever."
