Page 53 of Mine For The Winter

And he was giving her the latter. Even if it killed him.

From the way his dick was pulsing between his thick thighs, he thought it probably would.

* * *

Kris, Age 20

“Don’t tell Grandma,” North warned, passing Kris a bottle of beer.

“Scout’s honor.” They were sitting outside North’s cabin. It was his last night here before he headed back to college. Gabe and his cousins were there, the four of them clustered around Gabe’s iPod that he’d plugged into a portable speaker, arguing about what they should play.

Kelly was here, too. Talking to a couple of their friends from school. No Lyle, though. Kris had barely seen him all summer. He seemed to prefer spending time in Marshall’s Gap to hanging around in Winterville.

Kris had heard rumors of parties and drugs but when he’d asked Kelly she’d said she’d heard nothing about it. That when she talked to Lyle all was cool.

“You ever gonna tell her how you feel about her?” North asked him.

Kris pulled his gaze from where she was standing and caught his brother’s eye. “What do you mean?”

“Kelly. It’s obvious how you feel about her.”

Fuck. He hadn’t meant to make it obvious. “She’s a friend. That’s all.”

“Okay.” North shrugged. “I just assumed you two would…” He trailed off.

“We’d what?” Kris frowned.

North glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “I don’t know. Forget I said anything.”

Gabe walked over to sit on the step with them, as the music started to play. “Party Rocking” by LMFAO. Everley and Alaska were dancing, and they were waving to Kelly and their other friends to join in. Kris lifted his bottle to his lips, watching them.

“Lyle not here?” Gabe asked, his arm brushing Kris’ as he sat on the step next to him.

“Nope.” Kris swallowed a mouthful of beer.

“Figures. I hear he’s been partying hard in Marshall’s Gap.” Gabe ran his finger over his jaw. “He’d probably find this lame.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Kelly met his eye and grinned. Then she pointed at him and curled her finger as though to beckon him over.

He shook his head and she lifted a brow. A second later she was running over to him, grabbing his hand. “Come on, it’s your last night. Dance with me.”

Her hand felt warm in his as he allowed her to pull him up. She kept hold of him as they walked across the grass to where his cousins were dancing. Kelly put her hands on his shoulders, and he automatically put his palms on her hips, feeling them sway beneath his hold.

Damn, he was in love with this girl.

The music changed. This time it was slower. Adele. Somehow Kelly was in his arms, resting her head against his chest. He tightened his hold on her.

And then over her shoulder he saw a figure winding down the pathway between the cabins. Getting closer. Close enough for Kris to see who it was.

Lyle. Looking sober. His hair cut short, his shorts pressed, his eyes catching Kris.

He immediately let Kelly go.

“Hey.” Lyle nodded at him and Kelly. She grinned back at him.

“Hi.” Kris nodded back.

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