Page 80 of Any Second Now
“Ready?”
“Yep.”
I click record.
“Alright.” I turn to Atticus to start the video’s introduction. “I’m Raleigh Hayes, and today we’re going to teach my friend to do cross-stitch. Want to introduce yourself?”
Atticus lifts an eyebrow.
“I’m Atticus Knox, first line right wing on the Fort Collins’ Blizzard NHL team. And I’m very excited to learn cross-stitch.”
“Great. So here’s your hoop with fabric already inserted and a pattern attached.” I push a six-inch hoop toward Atticus with white fabric hooked in and a pattern pinned on top.
“Excellent.” He picks up the hoop. “I’m ready, coach. Teach me all you know.”
“I’ll do my best.” I crack a smile. “You can make some flowers and I’ll work on stitching a quote.”
“What quote are you working on?”
“One that you inspired, actually.” I hold up a half finished hoop.
“So far it just sayszombies prefer brains,” Atticus says. He adjusts his baseball cap and smiles at me.
This might be really,reallygood for views and sales.
“You didn’t let me finish.” I touch the empty space beneath the first words. “I’m going to add:so you’re good.”
Atticus laughs with a bright white beautiful smile.
Damn, he is charming. And good looking. And a lot of fun. And takes an interest in me and my life.
“What’s next?”
I show Atticus how to pull apart the yarn and start a simple stitch with some red thread for roses.
“Like this?” Atticus hold up his hoop after five minutes. There’s a completely uneven row of five cross stitches.
“Um.” I press my lips together and touch the hoop. “You are learning, that’s for sure.”
“You’re not impressed.” Atticus looks devastated, but there’s a twinkle in his eyes.
“Everyone has to start somewhere, chicken.”
“Did you just call me chicken?” Atticus’s jaw drops. “I thought I was rebound?”
“Okay, I’m stopping the video.” I tap the red button and crack up. “I need to know where to edit out the inappropriate bits.”
“Why ever would you want to do that?” Atticus lays his hoop down and leans over to me, touching my chin with his pointer finger and bringing his lips to mine. “I need a break anyway,” he says against my mouth.
“We’ve only been doing this for like ten minutes.” But the breath is quickly escaping my lungs as he moves his lips to my neck—he’s so damn good at that—and slides a hand under my shirt up my back.
“More like five.” Atticus tugs me by my waist until I’m firmly on his lap. “You are so hot when you’re doing cross-stitch.”
“Words I never thought I’d hear,” I say with a breathy voice. I shift on his lap and can feel how hot he thinks I am. There’s an ache between my legs and I wiggle on him. He groans and brings his lips back to mine, swiping his tongue inside rhythmically.
Somehow he gets us off the bench and onto the loveseat where we first watched the zombie movies together, and I’m on my back with him tugging my leggings off. My underwear comes too, and I close my knees as cool air hits my pussy.
“Last night was too fast. All three times,” he says, nudging my legs open and looking down at my center. He swipes afinger along my slit, causing a gasp to escape my throat, and moans when he finds me wet. “So ready for me.”
