Page 25 of Meet Me in the Valley
Isabel knew exactly what she was doing when she answered the door in a low-cut, hot pink tank top that highlighted the bronze tops of her full breasts and barely there cutoff jean shorts. Now, leaning over the countertop in the kitchen, her ass cheeks hang out of them, a uniform meant for summer.
Or an outfit meant as a form of foreplay.
It would work for me if Donovan hadn’t gotten into my head earlier.
“You weren’t into it.”
“What are you in the mood for? I’ve got wine, beer, tequila?” Isabel leans her hip against her kitchen counter. I keep a little distance between us, finding a spot to sit on her spacious sectional.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been to Isabel’s house. She’s thrown a few get-togethers over the summer. Her house itself is small, but she’s got a killer backyard that’s perfect for hosting.
But this is the first time I’m here alone. Knowing Isabel, she’s not one for pleasantries. She’s direct, blunt, and incredibly brazen. I know the offering of drinks is to loosen me up, since I’m suddenly wound up tight—and it’s not from arousal.
“Um, I’ll take a beer. Whatever you’ve got is great. Thanks, Iz.”
Opening her fridge, she pulls out two bottles and quickly pops the caps off with a magnet that serves as a bottle opener.
She hands me the beer, then slides in beside me like a kitten, her smooth thighs brushing against mine. With her elbowpropped on the back of the couch and her cheek resting in her hand, she watches me, a playful glint sparking in her eyes.
Soft music humming in the background does nothing to calm my nerves. I tell myself to shake off this awkwardness I’m harboring. I know I came here to give Isabel what she wants—a casual night without our clothes on.
A day ago, I was happy to give in to this. Hell, it’s a perfect situation for me. Hot single girl, throwing herself in my lap and promising a night of fun? No ties? No commitments? Sign me the fuck up.
But then Tia’s voice started ringing in my head.
“She’s not another one of your casual playthings.”
“Isabel is a friend.”
“You break hearts, Lo.”
Her jealous undertone has had me twisted since last night. I saw the looks she gave me when Isabel clung to me like a baby koala. I mean, the girl showed up naked as the day she was born and leaped into my arms. I was into it—or so I thought.
I didn’t miss the sideways glances from Tia or the longing in her expression. It confused the hell out of me, but I did my best to ignore it with Isabel breathing down my neck and whispering naughty things in my ear all night.
But if Donovan can see it, then maybe there’s some truth to it.
“What’s up with you, huh?” Isabel nudges me with her thigh. She takes a long pull from her beer, and I watch her slender throat work as she swallows it down. I’m waiting for a reaction from my guy below the belt…but nothing’s happening.
I sigh, putting the beer down on her coffee table. “I’m sorry. I know I’m being fucking weird.”
Isabel scoots in behind me on the couch, propping herself up on her knees. Her hands settle on my shoulders as her fingerspress deep into the muscle with just the right pressure. Tension melts like she knows exactly where every knot lives.
“You need to relax. Tell me what’s going on,” Isabel says softly.
I stifle a moan as my eyes flutter shut. It’s hard to think when she’s working her hands the way she is, her lavender scent filling the air.
Isabel leans into my back, then presses into me. The soft curve of her breasts flush against my back. Her thumbs dig into the base of my neck, and my body betrays me. A wave of heat rolls down my spine. I grip the edge of the couch until my fingers ache, grounding myself in anything but her.
“This would feel better if I could touch your skin. I can get deeper,” she whispers seductively into my ear. Her fingers trail down my back slowly, brushing against the warm skin of my lower back. I reach behind me, gripping her wrist to stop her.
We both startle when my phone goes off in my pocket. “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King blares out—my ringtone for Tia. Isabel lifts a curious brow, probably because of the song choice.
“Inside joke,” I mutter as I pull my phone from my pocket.
I’ve always paired this song with Tia for as long as I can remember. It was the first song she played on her record player freshman year in her dorm room when I came to study for the first time. So I’m a little sentimental about it and made it her ringtone. Hasn’t changed since that day.
Isabel lets out a small laugh when she sees the contact picture I have for Tia from this past summer. She’s asleep on Donovan’s couch with her mouth open, a stack of Oreos piled up on the side of her face. Donovan’s in the background giving a thumbs up while my mouth is wide open at her head, as if I’m trying to eat her.
