Page 33 of The Good Girl (Nashville Neighborhood)

My kiss surprised us both.

I hadn’t meant it to be a big deal. My thought was it’d be short and sweet, just something to prove I was willing to initiate. But the second our lips touched, my plan flash boiled away in the heat of our connection.

As soon as he finished recovering from his surprise, Preston took control. He set a hand on my shoulder, and his palm smoothed up the curve of my neck, not stopping until he had my face cradled in his hand.

Oh, my god, the way he kissed me. All the times I’d imagined it over the years, I hadn’t come close to doing it justice. His tongue filled my mouth, and the stroke of it against mine sent sparks skittering down my spine.

It created new, bold thoughts inside me. What if I took my seatbelt off and tried to climb into his lap? Or if I took his hand and guided it between my legs to where I was suddenly aching for him to touch me?

Blood thundered through my veins and my heart raced as I worked up the courage to try it, but just as I was ready to pull the trigger, his hand moved. It glided down my throat, inched along my chest, and then closed around one of my breasts.

I inhaled sharply.

Like last time we’d been in his car, it was daylight, but otherwise it was totally different. We weren’t secluded now—we were in a semi-full parking lot where anyone could walk by and see us making out. They could look in and see the way his thumb brushed over my pebbled nipple through the fabric at the top of my dress.

The word was searingly hot as it sliced through my mind.

Bad.

Except it didn’t feel bad. Not at all, plus I didn’t give a damn who saw. If anything, I kind of hoped somebody was watching. They’d glance inside Preston’s car and maybe they’d think I was one of the words my parents had said I’d become if I wasn’t careful.

Tramp.

Slut.

Whore.

Shit, it was crazy how much I wanted those words to be true now. A lifetime of denying myself, of believing there was something wrong with me for being interested in sex . . . I was wild in my newfound freedom.

And I couldn’t get enough of the wrongness. Of being a bad girl. Preston was only giving me a taste when I wanted the whole damn entrée. So, I moaned my approval against his lips and arched into his touch. I wanted his hand under my shirt, or up my skirt, or his fingers inside me—

Abruptly, he pulled back, and his posture stiffened. “Wait.”

It was like he’d walked me to the edge of a cliff and suddenly backed away. My eyes flew open, and I found his expression strange. It was filled with regret.

“What’s wrong?”

His gaze shifted away from me. “I’m sorry.”

I was totally lost. “For what?”

Rather than answer, he smoothed his palms down his thighs and then started the car. The air conditioning blew out hot air for a moment, before cooling down and giving us some relief in the uncomfortably stuffy interior.

Oh, no.

I recognized what this was. The last guy I’d told this story to had reacted the same way. He’d been so worried about not pressuring me that he’d swung too far the other way. He’d needed constant consent and encouragement to try anything, and because I was kind of shy, it’d only made things harder and more awkward.

I was sure Preston wouldn’t have that issue. Not only because he wasn’t the most considerate person, but because we’d already done stuff together. Hadn’t I shown him I was more than okay with fooling around? Yes, that night at the house party had made me cautious, but it hadn’t scared me off from sex forever.

I repeated my question, but my tone was sharper this time. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” His handsome face twisted down into a frown. “Fuck. You just told me that guy moved too fast, and now I’m doing the exact same thing.”

A short laugh burst from my lips. “Um, no. You aren’t moving too fast.” It just came out. “If anything, you’re not moving fast enough.” He looked skeptical. “Seriously, Preston.” I tried not to squirm in my seat. “I was thinking about taking your hand and putting it between my legs.”

His shoulders lifted with a deep breath. “Yeah?” The atmosphere in the car thickened, filling with smoke and seduction. “Is that all?”

He peered at me like he already knew the answer, and his intense gaze made me swallow thickly.

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