Page 58 of Beat around the Bush
I met her gaze as she lowered the phone. “Fuck, Oak. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
She shoved the phone into the side pocket on her leggings. “It’s okay. Nothing for you to apologize for.”
My hand ran through my hair. I’d ditched my hat before we ate dinner.
“If you want some space, you can head home if you’d like,” I offered.
Her eyes widened slightly. “Home?” she repeated.
“Is that where you want to be right now?” I asked.
Her teeth dug into her lower lip as she shook her head. “No, it’s not.”
My eyes caught on her mouth, watching the action. When I’d found her here a minute ago, she’d looked so damn sad, like she was battling some inner conflict with herself. But with just our small interaction, her mood seemed to already be shifting.
Now all the calls spamming her phone made sense. Her parents were probably trying to get ahold of her, and here she was, standing within arm’s length of me.
I was so damn tired of beating around the bush when it came to what I really wanted with Oakley. She could drive back to Denver at any point, and I’d have missed the opportunity to know what it was like to be with her, to hold her, to feel those lips on mine, to fist my hand in her hair and have her neck exposed.
“Fuck it.” I pushed off the wall, taking two long strides to close the distance between us, and crashed my mouth to hers as my hands came up to cup her cheeks. A small gasp escaped her lips, but she quickly met my pace as I slipped my tongue in her mouth. She tasted so damn good, but fuck, I already wanted more.
Her back hit the wall, and I slid my hands into her hair, angling her head back slightly for a better angle. Her hands slid up my chest to my neck, pulling me closer, like she couldn’t get enough either.
I drew her bottom lip in between my teeth, eliciting a small moan out of her in response. Our hands were so lost on each other, I couldn’t figure out where I wantedto touch her the most, but I knew I wanted it to be every inch of her body, and I wanted it to be now.
I couldn’t hold back any more when it came to Oakley.
To my right, I heard a throat clear, but I ignored it. There was no fucking way anyone was ruining this right now.
“Lennon.” Beckham’s voice filled the hall from where he stood at the end of it.
Oakley pulled back instantly, assumingly not having heard him clear his throat before he spoke. She looked down at her socks, her cheeks a bright shade of red.
“Not now, Beck,” I grumbled, dropping my hands to grab hers.
“Mom was looking for you. She mentioned something about baby pictures,” he said before walking off with a knowing smirk on his face.
Oakley met my gaze, tilting her chin up. “We should go out there. I don’t want to be rude.”
I couldn’t tell if she really wanted this to stop, but I didn’t want to kiss her again if she truly did want to go back out there. But fuck, all I could think about was her lips back on mine, how she tasted, her gasp as her back hit the wall. I wanted more. All of her little gasps, her smooth lips on mine, her fingers grabbing at my neck.
People say perfect doesn’t exist. But Oakley and me? That kiss we just shared?Thatwas perfect.
“Alright,” I said softly. “Do you want to talk about it?” Whether it was about her parents or that kiss or the fucking weather outside, I wanted her to know I’d listen.
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I’d rather just enjoy the night.”
I nodded, fighting the urge to kiss her again. “You just let me know when, and we’ll talk.”
She offered a small smile, but I wasn’t entirely convinced. I wouldn’t push her on it, though. I let go of one of her hands and led her down the hall, but before we got back to the living room, I dropped it, not sure if she wanted my entire family seeing us like that. For the rest of the night, I had to act like her mouth wasn’t the only thing on my mind.
23
Oakley
“Good morning, Sage,” I greeted as I walked into Bell Buckle Brews after stomping the snow off my boots outside. Having actual snow boots was way better than trying to make it with sneakers.
Sage smiled brightly back at me. “Good morning. Hurt yourself?”
