“Yeah…why?” I say uneasily.
Rather than answer, he clasps my face in his hands, the calluses that he’s built over years of playing guitar scraping against my skin. His lips catch on mine—tender, sweet, undemanding. We kiss for a brief moment, my raging case of humiliation fading under his caress. Then he draws back.
“You’re beautiful. Every day I’m with you is brighter and more exciting than the last. And if we ever have sex, it’ll be because you want it, not because I want it or because you think it’s necessary to keep me.” He brushes his thumb against my lips and a bolt of energy tightens my entire frame. “But until you’re ready, there’s a ton of other stuff we can do to make you feel good.”
Goose bumps rise on my skin. “Wh-what about you?”
“I’ve got two hands—” he winks at me “—and a damn good imagination. So yeah, I can put on a movie and pretend I’m paying attention, but all I really want to do is kiss the hell out of you.”
“You want to kiss me again even though I kissed Luke?” Guilt pokes at my belly. I avoid his eyes, but he tips my chin to the side so I have no choice but to look at him. “You’re not still mad?”
“Are you ever gonna kiss him again?”
“No. God, no.”
“Then I’m not mad.” He grins wickedly. “And yeah, I want nothing more than to kiss you again.”
“That’s it?” I’m down for kissing, but the look in his eyes tells me he wants to do a lot more.
Sure enough, he answers bluntly. “I’m not limiting my kisses to just your mouth.”
I blush…all over.
“And you’re not going to want anything in return?” I always knew that if I let W touch me, he’d expect the same thing in return and…I just didn’t want to go there. But yeah, I’ve ached in places. My breasts have tingled. My clothes have felt too tight. But something has always held me back.
Oak closes his eyes briefly. “You sure I can’t go to USC and beat the hell out of W?” Apparently he understands my dilemma without me giving voice to it.
“Can we not talk about W anymore?” I say softly.
“Yeah, no more W.” He lies down on the sofa and pats his chest. “Come here. You’re in charge.”
I lean over him. “Maybe I want you to watch the movie. Do the whole ‘pretend you’re yawning and slide your arm around my shoulders’ thing.”
He yanks me on top of him. “Oops, you tripped and fell.”
“Not the same thing,” I retort.
“Pretty much.” He leans forward and kisses me before I can say another word.
His tongue sweeps in and rubs along mine. One hand tangles in my hair, while the other glides up under my loose T-shirt.
Between my legs, he feels muscular and hard. I move against him, and his hands grip me harder in response. Against my lips, he groans, and the deep, manly sound takes my breath away.
I, Vaughn Bennett, turn Oakley Ford on. He’s pressing against me. He’s groaning when I move. I try it again and his lips curve against mine.
“You’re so hot, Vaughn. So fucking hot.”
The coarse words send shivers down my spine. Oak’s fingers dance lower, down the back of my jeans. Suddenly, I want to know more. What can he do? How will it feel?
Carrie and Kiki have talked about this. They both enjoy sex, and now here’s Oakley, willing, more than willing, to show me what I’m missing. Without any expectation of anything in return.
I reach between us, the back of my hand bumping against his hard-on. He gasps but doesn’t move an inch. I’m in charge. I push away from him, just enough to flip open the button on my jeans. His hand reaches for the zipper.
“May I?” His voice sounds hoarse.
“Yeah.” Mine isn’t much better.
He drags the zipper down and then his long, talented fingers cup me, over my underwear, under my jeans. He moves his hand slowly in a wide circle and there’s so much sensation it’s as if I have a thousand nerve endings between my legs.
I brace a shaky hand by his head. His mouth finds my neck, his lips brushing against the outer edge of my ear.
My toes curl and my breath comes in shorter and shorter pants.
“I’ve got you, baby,” Oak whispers against the base of my throat. “I’ve got you.”
He rubs and rubs and rubs for what seems like hours and only a few seconds at the same time, until sparks fly in front of my eyes and my whole body becomes tense as a wire as an electrical charge spirals through me. I gasp and moan and then collapse against him, my heart beating wildly. His heart is galloping, too.
“Oh, Jesus, that was so beautiful.” His palm is still cupping me, and I can feel my body vibrating against his as the aftershocks cause me to tremble like a newly formed leaf.
I try to formulate words, but I have none. Luckily, Oak doesn’t need them. He just holds me until I drift off into slumber.
And either I imagined it, or that was actually his raspy voice singing me to sleep.
30
HIM
1doodlebug1 @OakleyFord_stanNo1 I think they’re a real couple
OakleyFord_stanNo1 @1doodlebug1 yeah he’s into her
1doodlebug1 @OakleyFord_stanNo1
SIX WEEKS LATER
I’m having the time of my life. And that’s saying a lot, because I’ve done some pretty awesome things in my life. Lazing around on private islands. Playing sold-out shows in some of the most gorgeous cities in the world. Not to mention spending time with gorgeous women, from models to actresses to fellow singers.
But none of them were half as gorgeous as Vaughn, and none of those concerts or vacays come close to all the fun Vaughn and I are having. This last week alone, we’ve made enough memories to last me a lifetime.
On Monday we wasted the whole day away on El Segundo beach. It was completely deserted because everyone was at school or work, so we had some actual privacy as we horsed around in the water and then stretched out on an oversize towel, talking about random shit as we shared a huge plate of nachos from one of the boardwalk food trucks.
And on Monday night we fooled around on her bed.
On Tuesday she came to the studio again.
And on Tuesday night we fooled around by my pool.
On Wednesday I kept my promise to her brothers and we took them to my buddy’s house to make use of his halfpipe.
And on Wednesday night we fooled around on my bed.
On Thursday we went to King’s club, where I did an impromptu performance that Vaughn actually called “amazing.” Her vocab is getting better.
And on Thursday night we fooled around in my kitchen. Ty wasn’t thrilled about walking in on us, but we were fully clothed so I don’t know what all his bitching was about.
I ain’t gonna lie—we still keep our clothes on every time we hook up. Is it frustrating as all get-out? Hell, yes. Am I pressuring Vaughn to show me the goods? Nope. Because I promised her I’d be patient with her, and that’s a promise I intend to keep…no matter how much my body hates me for it.
Now it’s Friday and I’m in Vaughn’s backyard for a barbecue on this gorgeous late-March afternoon. The twins are trying to build a house of cards on the patio table, but their flimsy structure keeps toppling over every other second. Paisley’s cooking steaks on the grill, while Ty stands beside her telling her everything she’s doing wrong. Big D is a few feet away, chuckling as Vaughn’s sister and my bodyguard bicker like an old married couple.
Ty’s technically not even on duty tonight. It’s Big D’s shift, but when Ty texted to check up on me and found out I was at the Bennett house for a barbecue, he invited himself along and then showed up before I could even check if it was okay.
He’s crushing on Paisley. Hard.
“He totally likes her,” Vaughn whispers to me. She’s watching Ty and Paisley, as well, a faint smile on her lips.
“And he thinks he’s being stealthy about it,” I whisper back. “Men are idiots.”
That makes her laugh, and the sweet, melodic sound gets the usual reaction out of me—my heart flips and my palms get sweaty. Ty’s not the only one who has it bad.
I’m so into this girl it’s not even funny. And I know she’s into me, too. I see it in the way she giggles at my jokes, and how she laces her fingers through mine every time I take her hand. How she stares at me when she thinks I’m not looking. And bites her lip whenever our eyes meet.