Not Yet by Laura Ward Read Free Book Online

or even breathe properly. He bit my lower
lip and pulled it out as I moaned and kissed him harder, moving to
straddle him at the same time. I pressed down on him and he tensed,
grabbing my rear tightly. Blood roared through my body, suddenly
filling my ears, drowning out any other noise. I ran my hands
through his short hair and rubbed my fingers along the soft, shaved
edges near his neck. Too fast, this was moving way too fast. And it
felt way too good too.
    This time it was me who moved back. “Not bad
yourself, Land. But we can’t do this. Not here and not now. I gotta
get home to Evie.”
    Landon closed his eyes and nodded, kissing me gently
before standing with my legs still wrapped around him. “You’re all
in my head. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
    I slid down him, feeling his arousal and my own ache
pulsing through me. “Good. You’ve gotten to me, too.”
    The room was almost crackling with the sexual energy
between us. I wanted to tell him more. How good he felt, how much I
wanted him to follow me home and kiss me… touch me… hold me. I
wanted him to know how big a deal it was to me that he asked
questions and wanted to get to know me. But I didn’t. That would be
opening up too much, too soon. I needed to protect myself better
than that.
    Instead of opening my mouth and letting my emotions
pour out, I held out my hand and he grasped it tightly in his. We
grinned at one another like a couple of goofy kids before we raced
to our cars in the pouring rain.

    ***

 
     
    NOT MANY THINGS made me thoughtful. I thought
about how much I like beer, playing ball, my truck, and of
course—women. But thoughtful? Nah, that was too much emotion for
me.
    The music blaring from my speakers relaxed me and I
found myself not singularly focused on my drive to the lake to meet
Dean. I thought about… her. Just last week, I had really fucked up
with her. All because I wasn’t thoughtful. I had only cared about
myself, my boys, and our time at the lake.
     
    “ C’mon! You are a woman. A wooommmaaan. Drink more
beer!” Dean, Ricky, and Jon laughed loudly and popped their cans in
unity.
    “ Okay. Just one more. I’ve got to work out in the
morning. Coach will kill me if I gain beer weight and miss a
workout.” I opened the beer that I wanted to drink, but knew I
shouldn’t.
    “ You’re full of shit, you know that Landon?” Dean
elbowed Ricky and pointed an unsteady finger at me. “He’s pressed
to be there to see Emmmaaaa!” Dean proceeded to thrust his hips
into the air until I threw an empty can at his head.
    “ If that’s the extent of your technique, it’s no
wonder you can’t get a piece of ass, jackhole.” Dean flipped me off
and laid back down on his sleeping bag. This was a summer
tradition. Camping and drinking beer at the lake—redneckin’ it like
the good ol’ country boys we were. Usually loud—and loose—girls
came with us, drinking our beer, and sucking on our necks when they
weren’t complaining about the heat, bug bites, or pissing behind a
tree. But I had declared tonight a guy’s-only night. I swear I
could hear the females bitching about it from here.
    “ What’s up with Emma, man?” Ricky asked. I liked
Ricky. He was a man of few words and being that Dean never shut his
mouth, it was nice to be around someone subdued.
    “ She’s… become my summer project. Winning her
over, that is. I don’t know how to explain her. Hottest girl I’ve
seen. Pissy like you wouldn’t believe. She obviously hates most
guys, so I’ve made it my mission to convince her we’re not all
bad.” I finished my beer and cracked open another. Fuck it.
    “ And she’s older, right?” Jon smirked and Dean
laughed loudly.
    “ Not cougar old, I hope.” Dean was my best friend,
but right now I wanted to punch his teeth in. Protectiveness roared
like a beast inside me.
    “ No, dick. She’s twenty-one.”
    “ Sweet! She can buy our beer!” Dean was getting
ahead of himself. I had no plans