She shakes her head. “He said he’d rather take the bus back.”
My smile spreads into the widest grin. “Let’s go.”
The drive back feels like I’m sitting in the passenger seat on a big fluffy cloud. Music blasting on the speakers, all the windows down, Teeny’s now loose hair blowing in the wind, my hand grazing over hers as it rests on the center console between us. We’ve been talking in random tangents, the topics running in different variances, and skipping through different subjects as they pop in our minds like a barrel of bingo number balls. Teeny’s voice grows tired and raspy as the late afternoon transitions into darkness, and it makes her sound all loose and sexy.
Before I know it, we pull up right onto the curb area dividing our homes.
“Thank you,” I tell her, my voice lazy, matching hers, “for coming out today. It really means a lot to me.”
“I had fun.” Her eyelids fall a little heavy when she turns to face me. A contented smile is plastered on her face, and the glow from the dashboard reflects off her eyes, making them shine in a lax and placid way. I unbuckle my seat belt and lean closer to her, cupping her nape as I kiss her. I kiss her deeply, taking my time while pulling the last bits of her energy from her lips. It feels incredible, feeling her mouth on mine. I get small hints of sweet watermelon, most likely the pink gum she’d been chewing since we drove past Carlsbad. I feel her shift her gum in her mouth and my tongue sweeps against hers, searching for more of that taste I can’t get enough of.
My hand starts to travel into her hair, gripping a small fistful at the root, and a soft whimper squeezes from her throat. Her hand hooks around my neck just as a fresh wave of energy bursts through her. I feel it in the way she shifts closer to me, unbuckling her own seat belt to close the space between us. She starts to climb over the center console and positions herself over me, her thighs straddling mine.
“Teeny,” I whisper while my lids fall heavy, just as her nails grate through my scalp. “I love that you wore this.” I give a playful tug at her shirt. “You look so damn cute with my number on you.”
I feel her lips transition into a smile. “You better like it, Hayes. I spent a lot of puffy paint on this baby.”
“Then you should wear it every day so you get your money’s worth.”
A bubbly giggle erupts from her, but I immediately drown it with another kiss. A flood of urgency is there as she presses herself into me. She takes a fistful of my shirt in her hands, bunching it at my neck like she’s trying to claw it off me. My hands find the rough edges of her jeans, meeting the soft skin of her waist, and they trail up and up and up until I feel the clasp of her bra in the middle of her back. Her body stiffens, and she pulls away to look at me. Her eyes are wide, so much swimming in them, and I can’t tell if she’s scared or worried or exhilarated.
“Sorry,” I whisper, pressing my forehead to hers. “I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head, brushing off my apology. “Um,” she says, taking large gulps of air like she’s having trouble finding her words and catching her breath at the same time. “I, uh…”
“Hey,” I urge, trying to regain her attention. She runs a distracted hand through her hair, and she fiddles with the collar of my shirt, keeping her gaze away from mine. “Teeny, it’s fine. We can stop.”
She finally looks at me and gives me an appeasing smile. I feel her fingers trail up my neck and trace over my jaw and then my cheek. “No, it’s okay. I was just going to say…”
There’s a long pause, and I worry things may be moving a lot faster than she’s comfortable with. Especially after the last time things got this heated. “I’m listening,” I tell her.
“I was thinking that…I want—I’m ready to…you know…” Her flustered words are cut off when she kisses me, distracting me, or quite possibly herself. “Do other stuff? Besides just kissing and things.”
A worried and uneasy sigh has my chest expanding, followed by a deep scowl of disappointment. “Teeny, I’m not thinking about that. You don’t?—”
“Are you saying that you don’t? That you changed your mind?”
“No, no.” I pause to kiss her, gently pressing my lips to hers in a soothing manner, attempting to snuff those thoughts from her mind. “I mean, I am…”
“Then?”
My throat moves a rough swallow and my jaw tics, searching for the right words for her to understand how I feel. How the conflicting thoughts are causing a struggle, and I’m not sure which side I want to win. “I don’t want you to say that just because you think that’s what I want to hear. I want you to want those things too.”
“I do.”
My thumb runs across her cheek, stroking her soft skin. “Are you sure?”
She nods. “I mean, not right now, but you know, if the opportunity arises…” A shy smile casts over her features. “And I promise I won’t be drunk this time around.”
I laugh before I blow a little bubble with the gum in my mouth, and she gasps, moving her tongue against the inside of her cheek. “When did you get that?”
I watch her blush just as I answer, “When you were a little distracted.”
And we fall into a heap of soft laughs and gentle reassurances as she leans herself into my chest.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Teeny
