Page 25 of Fast Break
“It’s not like you and I what?” I ask, playing dumb.
JT swallows and I lose my control over my grin. “You’re playing with me, aren’t you?”
“Oh, it’s just too easy,” I chide. “Don’t worry. You’re safe with me. I can behave myself.”
“Do you always behave yourself?” he asks. There is a definite flirty undertone to that question. I wonder if he’s even aware.
“Not always,” I return, punctuated with a peaked eyebrow.
He squirms in his chair and drops his eyes to his plate. I would hazard a guess the blush is back.
“Why? I can’t imagine you’re always a good boy,” I poke.
“Don’t believe the rumours. I’m actually a very good boy,” JT says, that cute grin on his face.
“That’s disappointing,” I return. He doesn’t know what to say to that, so I give him a break and take his empty plate into the kitchen and stack the dishwasher.
“So, what do you want to do?” I ask, resting my elbows on the kitchen island bench. JT swivels in his chair as he looks up at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak. “I can take you home whenever you want. Just say the word. Otherwise, we could chill here for a bit. Watch a movie maybe?”
“Yeah?” he asks, pretty green eyes lighting up. “I could watch a movie.”
“Alright then,” I say, trying not to show how happy I am that he wants to spend more time with me. He could have chosen to go home, and I would have taken him, no questions asked. But the fact he wants to hang out for a bit makes me feel all warm on the inside. I busy myself in the kitchen so he can’t see my smile.
***
JT and I end up watching two movies back-to-back. I throw a frozen pizza in the oven for lunch which we share straight from the plate, sitting with our knees pressed, shoulders bumping. Then I show him the forest walk behind our house. I don’t get out here a whole lot but JT loves it. His eyes light up when I show him the path that weaves through the tall pine trees and around the duck pond where we stay for a while. JT loves the ducks, and it is almost too cute watching him take everything in.
He lays down on the grass beside me, his t-shirt rising up as he rests his head on his arm. I wish I had the strength not to look. But his skin is smooth and tan, and I can definitely make out a little definition to his abs underneath his top. Besides, it’s not like JT didn’t help himself to a sneaky peek of my naked chest this morning, a fact I have been dwelling on with great delight ever since.
“I could stay here all day,” he sighs. I sift through some fallen leaves on the ground, needing something to do with my hands to stop my finger from dragging across that tempting sliver of golden skin. The low light of the sun is on his face, little dust motes dancing in the shaft of light. He looks like the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
“You’re welcome to,” I say, watching as his green eyes connect with mine. “But it does get cold at night. Just a word of warning.”
“You’ll have to snuggle with me then,” he says with a grin. I can’t quite tell if he’s joking.
“Is that what you want?” I ask anyway. He says nothing but he looks away from me, closing his eyes in the beautiful sunshine. I can’t get a read on this guy. Sometimes he looks at me or says things like that and it makes me thinkmaybe. And don’t get me started on the blushes or the sweet, stolen smiles. But I don’t know if that’s just wishful thinking on my part and that thought makes my gut tighten.
I don’t know what I’m doing with JT. I know I like him and that I like being around him. But I also really want to kiss him. I want to touch him and do things to him that plague my dreams at night. I want to take his clothes off and kiss my way down his body, suck and lick him everywhere. I want to know what he looks like underneath those jeans and I want to know what he feels like.
Most of all though, I am all but certain he is not on the same page with me there so I know I need to cool it with him. To either let him catch up to where I’m at or let me walk away from him.
Either way, I’m desperately impatient to know where things are heading between us. Whether I’ve got a shot with him or whether he’s just going to be anotherwhat if.
It’s a little cruel, giving me this gorgeous, tempting guy with his big green eyes and that body of his. This sweet, sometimes shy boy who apparently ticks all the boxes I didn’t know I had. I think he might be trouble but I also know I’m not walking away.
Not until I know exactlywhat if.
CHAPTER 11
jt
“So, you got home alright then?” Trey is asking as I lace up my basketball shoes at training Sunday morning. I’m taking my time with my laces, avoiding Trey’s questioning eyes as he waits for my response.
“All good,” I assure him.
“Your parents find out?”
“Nope. They don’t know anything,” I say.
