Page 19 of Peyton

“You realize you’re making soft serve ice cream, pouring it in a cup, and calling it a milkshake, right?” I playfully bumped Peyton’s shoulder. Leaning close, I caught a whiff of his manly scent.

“You say tomato, I say tomato. You say soft serve ice cream, I call it a thick and creamy milkshake.” Peyton dropped a glob of ice cream on my nose.

I dipped my finger into the drip tray and collected a nice portion of the cold treat. Peyton retreated with his hands up in surrender.

“Not so brave now, hey Manos?” I cackled as I chased him around the large kitchen island. I closed in on him. He quickly turned and clapped my wrist in his right hand. He took my finger, brought it to his mouth, and licked it clean.

Wow. Was it getting hot in here? And did this room feel smaller than it did a few minutes ago?

Peyton released my wrist and palmed my face before leaning in and brushing his lips against mine. My body instinctively closed the gap between us. The kiss intensified. Our tongues dueled as we devoured each other. By the time we came up for air, we were panting with untapped desire.

Peyton slid his hand to my ass and lifted me off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist and clung to his biceps to keep from falling. Holy hell. He picked me up as if I weighed nothing. I wasn’t overweight. I had an abundance of tits and ass with a tiny waist, which was why I loved yoga pants and t-shirts. The Lycra molded to my body, accentuating my curves. Despite the popularity of thin models, some men like women with a little something to hold on to.

Peyton walked us to the couch. He sat, taking me with him so that I had no choice but to straddle him. We sat silently, staring into each other’s eyes, still breathing heavily. Peyton rested his forehead against mine.

“I’ve had a crush on you since fourth grade,” Peyton growled low and sexy as hell. “Every fucking time I thought, ‘this will be the summer Chloe notices me,’ I was crushed when it didn’t happen.”

I gasped at his confession. “I don’t know what to say, Peyton. Did I think you were cute? Sure. But our fate was sealed when you let Nancy trick you into putting glue in my hair.” Thank god the school’s nurse knew how to get it out before it dried. I remembered the stench of witch-hazel and tea tree oil. I hid in the girl’s bathroom until the smell subsided when I overheard Nancy. I never told anyone how I silently cried before washing my face in the sink and returning to class. Not even Aunt Catherine.

“And from what I heard today, the bullying didn’t stop there, did it?” Peyton’s hands roamed my body as I sat on his lap.

“No, it didn’t,” I confirmed. “Therefore, I stayed out of Nancy’s line of sight.”

“Will you take the job in Boston?” His eyes, full of lust, met mine.

“It’s the best option at the moment. I will keep in contact with Mari at the library. One never knows what might turn up. Meanwhile, I’ll get experience. I’m lucky to have this offer, Peyton. Not everyone gets accepted in their field straight out of college,” I rationalized.

Peyton’s arousal grew the longer I straddled his lap. I slowly rotated my hips, adding pressure to my movement. My reward was a heady growl. “What are your plans once the boardwalk closes for the season?” I was curious what Peyton’s future looked like now that football was out of the equation.

“I’ll start my position with Van de Graaf’s.” Peyton told me about the events that led to his injury, rehab, and subsequent career change. “What I liked about football was being a part of a team, the camaraderie. I found when I did my internship at Van de Graaf that same feeling of belonging, contributing, and respecting everyone’s options and ideas.” He shifted, causing me to fall deeper into his lap and his erection.

Peyton wrapped his hand around my waist and lifted me off his lap, and deposited me beside him on the couch. Bewilderment marred my face. Did he not enjoy the reaction his body was having? The erection in his shorts proved otherwise.

“I’m not rejecting you, Chloe,” he was quick to add with a smirk. “But, if we go down this road, one of us will end up with a broken heart at the end of the summer when you leave.” He closed his eyes and drew in a long breath. “Although,” Peyton opened his eyes, his focus causing my flesh to goosebump, “I think it might already be too late.”

Peyton was correct. On both counts. Last night I saw Peyton in a new light. And I liked what I saw. Maybe a little too much. But if I were to consider any relationship with Peyton, even just a summer fling, he needed to come clean about what I saw this morning.

“What is your relationship with Nancy?” I asked. “I remember you dated in high school, but is there something more?”

The playfulness from earlier was gone. Frustration replaced the sexual tension.

“At the risk of sounding like a complete douche…” Peyton ran his hands down his face. “Nancy and I were fuckbuddies through college.”

I held my breath waiting for Peyton to elaborate. When he didn’t, I took the lead. “You were together for four years of college, and you call her a fuckbuddy?” My eyes bulged at Peyton’s blatant disrespect of his relationship with Nancy.

“Because that was what we were, Chloe,” Peyton defended. “Football took up a large portion of my time. What little I had went into my business classes. Thank fuck I didn’t have to worry about scholarships or working part-time. The last thing on my mind was a relationship.”

I cast my eyes downwards, not wanting Peyton to see my disappointment. How could he sit here and tell me he was afraid to get his heart broken after spending one day together? He spent his college years with the same woman and didn’t consider her a girlfriend.

“I wasn’t the only one who benefited from our arrangement, Chloe. Nancy was no more interested in a relationship than I was. Nancy has big dreams of opening an art gallery. She has no interest in being a trophy wife like her mother. Nancy’s visit today was because she wanted to continue our arrangement.” Peyton hooked his finger under my chin, raising my face to meet his eyes. “But I said no. I told Nancy it was time to put our past behind us and move forward with our lives, but not with each other.”

“I think I should head back.” I stood and collected my purse.

“What just happened, Chloe?” Peyton asked, confused.

“You want to move forward with your life, Peyton.” I gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m leaving at the end of the summer and moving to Boston.” I’d be a fool to turn down the offer. How ironic that I was going to live in a big city when I preferred the quiet of Tranquility. And Nancy was stuck in this small provincial town when she would give anything to live in New York or Boston.

Peyton stepped forward and palmed my face. “Boston is not far, and it’s only temporary. Nancy will get bored, and then you could reapply. Or complete your internship in Boston, then return to Tranquility.”

The hope in Peyton’s eyes nearly killed me.

“Peyton, you admitted you didn’t have time for a relationship in college. Starting a new job and trying to prove yourself isn’t different. And that goes for me as well. Can I be sure you won’t decide you don’t have time for this relationship and think a fuckbuddy is the better option?” I knew it was cruel to throw his past in his face.

Peyton’s silence was all the answer I needed.

“Christ, why is the universe determined to keep us apart?” Peyton growled in frustration. He pulled away. “Come on. I’ll take you back to your Jeep,” he said with defeat.

As we silently drove back to the boardwalk, I thought about Peyton’s words.

Why was the universe determined to keep us apart?

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