Authors: Elizabeth Lee
I cinch my fingers around her tiny waist and pull her down, grinding the heat between her legs against me. She leans back, moaning as I hit the right spot. I take my time exploring her neck and shoulder with my lips, thanks to the t-shirt that is doing a piss-poor job of covering them. One flick of my fingers and I can have that shirt around her waist, leaving her in just the strapless bra I know she is wearing. The silk curls of her hair are spilling around the steering wheel as I snake my hand up her back, tangling my fingers in them and tugging slightly. With each nip or kiss from my mouth, she arches her chest forward, teasing and tempting me to just take a look. I want her to be mine and not just in the way that involves a serious fuck session. I want her for much more than that. It's hard to explain what it is about her. I know we don’t know each other well enough to be in love yet, but I can absolutely see myself falling for this girl.
Her hands find my neck and her fingers slowly creep up, brushing against the short hair on the back of my head. I wish in that moment that I hadn't buzzed all my hair off. She needs something to hold on to. I let her push my mouth to hers once more. I've had enough so I yank her shirt down to one side, revealing one of her perky tits cupped in a satin bra. I trace across the lace border with the tips of my fingers and slowly lower my lips, lightly kissing the top curve of her breast. The initial contact of my mouth against her sensitive skin causes her to jerk against me, accidentally bumping against the steering wheel and the 88's horn.
“
Omigod.” Both of her hands fly to her mouth as we sit stoically, neither of us moving an inch, in anticipation of someone finding out about our roadside make-out session. I am staring into her wide eyes, fighting back a laugh. The innocent look she is giving me is hard to take serious when her shirt is half off and her hair a wild and still tangled mess around my fingers. After realizing we are all alone on that gravel road, she finally drops her head on my shoulder as she giggles.
“
Maybe that was a sign that we needed to slow down,” I say, pulling her top back up.
“
I think so,” she agrees, pressing a soft kiss on my cheek and taking her place next to me on the bench seat.
* * *
The next day, Hank lets me off early to get some work done on the house. Work at the yard was slow and he figured he might as well pay me to do something productive instead of sitting around shooting the shit with Zeke.
“
So, how's the friendship going with Whitney?” Zeke asks as he helps me unload supplies at my house. He offered to help me out and I figured I could do twice as much work with two pairs of hands.
I laugh, shaking my head. “I think we're past attempting to be friends.”
“I figured as much,” he chuckles. “Those Vandaveer girls are wild ones, huh?”
“
I guess so,” I reply. I assume Zeke bagged Whitney's sister after their night out at Pauly's, but I’m not about to share the details of what I’m doing with Whitney. My expression must tell him I’m not interested because he starts backtracking.
“
I didn't mean it like that.” He shakes his head. “I just meant... I didn't... Mallory's not...”
“
Dude, relax. I didn't assume anything,” I lie.
“
I know, I just didn't want you to think that I'm just some douchebag that is using Mal. Especially if you're dating her sister.”
“
No worries, man. That's your business,” I reassure him. “I'm not sure if I'd say Whitney and I are dating.”
“
No? Then what are you doing?”
“
I have no idea. I really like her,” I confess. “But, she's only here for the summer and I'm pretty sure after that I'll never see her again. It's not like I have anything to offer her. I mean, look at this dump. I'm embarrassed to even bring her over here.” I hold up my hands and look around the house. I hate that I am already tied up in knots over this girl.
“
Maybe you're the one who needs to relax a little,” he notes as we carry a ladder and painting supplies into the bedroom. “You're over thinking things. For whatever reason, Whitney is into you. Why don't you just count your lucky stars and enjoy the fact that the second hottest Vandaveer sister want to spend her summer with you.” I disagree with his assessment of Whitney’s and Mallory's hotness. They are both pretty, but Mallory has nothing on Whitney. He shrugs. “And as far as this dump goes... Zeke's on the job.” He pats himself on the chest. “We're gonna have this place shining like a brand new fuckin' penny. Hell, we can probably get it done in a couple weeks. Just in time for the Farmers' Picnic.”
A couple weeks?
There's about an ice cube's chance in hell that I'm going to make it two weeks without her tempting the pants right off me. My mind starts replaying our last tryst in the truck and I feel tempted to go find her at that moment and finish what we started. Her skin, her lips, the way she
wanted
me... That's when I realize I'm staring off into space like a lunatic while Zeke curiously eyeballs me. I clear my throat and quickly dive back into the conversation we were having before I let Whitney derail my train of thought.
“What the hell is the Farmers' Picnic?”
“
Only the premier beer drinking and dancing event of the summer,” he jokes. “It's the town's annual festival. Really it's just an excuse to stand outside, drink beer, and listen to some country cover band. That's not what matters thought,” he adds. “What I'm saying is, that with my help, this place is going to be all fixed up and you'll be able to bring your girl back here and...” He trails off when he sees me looking down my nose at him.
Privacy, Zeke.
We may be becoming friends, but I’m not going to let anyone talk about sex and Whitney in the same sentence, except maybe me. I have a feeling that Whitney would love to hear me whisper the things I want to do her in her ear. I feel my cock pulsate as I imagine her eyes lighting up in anticipation and the way her skin tightens under my touch.
I laugh as he runs his fingers over his lips and throws an imaginary key into the air to insinuate he is shutting up. Zeke is right about one thing—I am over thinking things. Maybe I read Whitney all wrong? Maybe she doesn’t care about nice houses and clothes. I mean, Hell, last night she told me how
cute
my truck was. Wouldn't have been my first word to describe it, but when she said it, I didn't even care. She likes me and I am going to spend the rest of the summer enjoying the fact. Or at least that's what I am thinking until I feel the rumble of my cell phone vibrating in my pocket and retrieve it to see
FINN
flash across the screen.
Perfect.
I reluctantly answer only to have my brother unknowingly remind me exactly why Whitney and I will never work.
Chapter 13 – Whitney
“
Tell me everything,” Mallory demands from the edge of my bed the morning after my date with Cole.
I shake my head as I sit up and try to rub the sleep out of my eyes. “Can I at least have a minute to wake up?”
“I guess,” she huffs, getting up and tossing the pillow she pulled across her lap at my head. “You'll have all day to tell me about it. Mom left us a mile-long list of shit we have to get done today. So get up, get dressed, and meet me in the barn,” she lilts as she walks out of my bedroom door. After a quick shower and a cup of coffee, I find Mallory organizing the sale items to be loaded into Mom's trailer.
“
What do you want me to do?” I ask, boosting myself up onto the wooden counter.
“
Well, since you sat down,” she starts, popping her hand up on her hip, “you can spill about your night out with Cole.”
“
Well,” I counter, giving her the same attitude she was giving me. “Maybe if you would have been home before I went to sleep last night, I would have told you all about it then. Perhaps we should start this conversation with the confessions of your late night.” I raise my eyebrows and smile. “Which boy toy were you out with last night?”
She laughs. “Oh knock it off. You act like I have hoards of men at my disposal.”
“I already know of two and have barely been here for two weeks. Hoards are a possibility,” I tease.
“
Please,” she giggles. “I don't have the patience to deal with hoards of men. Especially after the stunt Ricky pulled at Pauly's the other night. He's such a pain in the ass.”
“
I thought it was kind of sweet. He likes you,” I defend.
“
He doesn't like me,” she states. “I mean, yeah, he likes me for the fact that I hook up with him in the back of his truck sometimes, but his punching Zeke was just his way of marking his territory. Which I am not,” she adds with fervor. “We tried the whole dating thing. It didn't work. He wanted to know where I was, who I was with, and what I was doing twenty-four-seven. Ain't nobody got time for that,” she sasses.
“
I know the type,” I concur. “Wesley was the same way. Shit, he still is.”
“
What are you talking about?” she asks.
“
He's been texting me.” I pull my cell out, scroll through the text messages I received from him since I told him we were through, and start reading. “
When are you going to come back home and stop being a baby? Have you made your point yet? I told you that girl didn't mean anything to me. We belong together, Whitney. The sooner you quit acting like a spoiled brat the better.
” I shake my head. Re-reading these messages only prove how much of a dick Wes is. “Notice how the words 'I'm sorry' never seem to make an appearance?”
“
I fucking hate that guy.” Mallory doesn’t have a problem voicing her opinion as she rolls her eyes.
“
I can't believe I was so stupid,” I say. “How did I not see that he was cheating on me? I actually had people tell me he wasn't faithful and I still didn't believe it.”
“
Love is blind.”
“
You know, I don't know that I was ever even in love with Wesley. I think I was just in love with the idea that we were the perfect couple.”
“
Is this about Cole? Do you think you're in love with him?” The giddiness of her words makes me laugh.
“
Are you serious? I barely know the guy. I mean, what I do know I really like, and I'm kind of in love with the idea of having sex with him.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel my cheek flush red. This is not the kind of thing good little girls talk about.
“
Omigod, you little minx!” Mallory exclaims with wide eyes.
“
I can't believe I just said that!” I cover my face with my hands. The way Cole makes me feel was so unnatural to me—that is, until I am with him. Then every single thing I do or say to him seems right.
“
Why not? He's hot. No shame, girl.” Mal laughs.
I push my shoulders back, uncover my face, and smile, trying to brush off my embarrassment. “You're right. I've just never... I mean... Wes is the only guy I've slept with. I don't want people to think I'm a slut.”
“You're not a slut. It's not like your hopping into bed with the first guy to pay you some attention,” she informs me.
“
Well, I kind of am,” I confess. “Wes and I have only been broken up for a little over a month. Is it bad that I haven't thought twice about taking the next step with Cole? I mean, like I said, I barely know him.”
“
You were with Wesley for four years. You knew him
very well
, and look what happened. I say... Let. It. Ride. Even if things don't work out with Cole, at least you got the rebound out of the way, and I can tell by the way that boy walks the sex is going to be insane.”
“
It is, isn't it?” I laugh. “He is ridiculously good looking and,
omigod
, can he kiss.”
“
He ain't the only one,” Mallory adds. “His buddy Zeke is pretty impressive, too.”
“
Is that why you were out so late last night? You were with Zeke.”
“
I was,” she gushes. “He's pretty cool. So different than the stupid high school boys I've dated.”
“
That's great, Mal,” I congratulate her, not wanting to spoil her idea that guys actually grow up after high school. Sixteen or sixty, they are all still little boys in one way or another. “Maybe both of us are going to have amazing summers.”
“
I think we are, big sister,” she agrees. Mallory is so nonchalant about her feelings for Zeke. I can’t tell if she is really into him or if she is just using him to pass the time the same way she did with Ricky. Either way, I’m not going to push the issue. I kind of like the idea of my sister dating Cole's friend. As long as Mallory is entertained with Zeke, Cole and I will have another couple to hang out with.
We spend the rest of the afternoon comparing Cole to Zeke and arguing over who is hotter. It is shallow and pointless because my sister and I only have eyes for our respective guy, but it helps pass the time while we work. Mom pulls up with the Jeep and trailer just as I win the debate over who could carry the most two-by-fours across the lumber yard.
Cole, obviously
.