Page 464 of Small Town Firsts
“I was just thinking earlier how we used to spend lazy days back here.”
I grinned at her. “Cash tried to convince my dad to put a pool in, but he told him how much it would take and asked if he’d like to sacrifice his allowance. He changed his mind quick.”
“Allowance? With all of you guys?”
I laughed. “Only until we could get jobs or work with my dad. I was definitely working illegally at fifteen, but I loved making my own money. I knew ball wasn’t in my future like it was for Booker.”
She became quiet. “Is that why you guys drifted apart?”
I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “Some of it was for sure. But, in all honesty, my future was with Murdock Brothers. I made a go at college, but it wasn’t for me. I was good at the trade stuff for certification and that was good enough for me.”
“And look what you’ve built.”
I huffed out a laugh as I grabbed a towel from the stack beside the loungers. “Things were looking pretty dire until a certain someone caught me on video.”
“It was a bit of kismet, I think.”
“Kinda like you coming back to the valley,” I said quietly. “Are you sticking around?”
My heart pounded in my chest at the question as I paused at the yard. A stolen kiss or two was nothing—and could stay nothing—if she was only here as a stopgap.
While she thought it over, I snapped out the huge towel with turtles on it.
She settled on the center of it, tucking the skirt of her dress around her. “The minute I crossed the town line, the last of the sadness I’d been carrying around dropped away.” She leaned back on her forearms. “I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do yet, but I know I like this. I like reconnecting with my old friends.”
“Is that what we are?”
I’d tried so damn hard to be friends with her when we were kids and deluded myself into believing it. I didn’t want to be friends now.
Not at all.
“What if I said no?”
I swallowed. “Because you want something else? Or want me to kick rocks.”
Her lips twitched. “Kicking rocks is not part of the equation, Sullivan.”
“That’s good to hear.” I leaned into her. “Because I’m not feeling at all friendly.”
To hell with the garlic breath.
I brushed her lips with mine. I could feel the smile in her kiss and while the sun streamed through the canopy of leaves overhead, I let myself enjoy her. Let myself not worry about my business, Danny, my parents, or the fact that she used to be married to my high school best friend.
I cupped her cheek and tipped her head to go deeper.
The soft moan nearly undid me.
It had been a damn long time since I’d touched anyone, let alone the woman who had sneaked into my dreams as a teen. And here she was on a blanket under the same trees from all those years ago.
Only this time shewasn’tkissing Booker.
And I didn’t have to pretend I wasn’t into her.
She brought her hand up to cover mine. “I’m a bit rusty,” she said against my mouth. “I’ve only been with one man.”
I growled into her mouth. I hadn’t meant to kick it up a notch. Not here, where anyone could see, but knowing that made something rise up inside of me—and not just my rapidly hardening cock.
The sounds of running feet and Trouble’s bark made me pull back.
