Their eyes locked for what felt to him to be a centuries-long moment, during which either of them could have turned back. But then she surprised him, by reaching out to him as tentatively as she had reached out to take his gift just a few minutes ago.
She stroked his face and looked into his eyes with what seemed like sincere wonderment. “Is this really happening?” she asked. “Or are you messing with me? Tell me the truth, Beau Prescott.”
Now he shook his head. What had started out as a trick on his part had morphed into something else, something he’d been trying to resist but couldn’t deny himself any longer. And he spoke the truth when he said, “No, Josie, no. I want to be with you. I never wanted to be with another girl the way I want to be with you.”
Her eyes softened and she stepped all the way out of her jeans and panties before tugging his head down, this time bringing his mouth to meet hers.
His heart just about exploded. Could it be Josie felt the same way he did? That they’d both been trying to fight their feelings for one another all this time? He kissed her with all the eagerness of the schoolboy he was and the passion of the man she made him want to be. A man worthy of Josie Witherspoon.
But then the time for introspection came to an end. He pulled a condom out of his wallet and put it on, stopping only to kiss her pretty lips every few seconds or so until it was finally on. He pushed into her, but then froze when she gasped out in pain and he could feel that he’d hit an unexpected barrier.
“You’re a virgin…” he said, his face paling above hers. “I didn’t even think about it or else I would have gone slower. I would have…”
She covered his mouth with her hand. “Beau, I’m okay. I’m glad it’s gone, and I’m glad it’s you, okay?”
Those words sent him over the edge. He wrapped her leg around his waist, loving the way her soft thigh felt against his hard body. Then he was moving inside of her with tentative strokes that got bolder as a sweet fire began to build in both of them.
The very last fragments of his original plan disappeared without a trace and were soon replaced with the intent to make her his. He didn’t care what his father said or the rest of town. He was Beau Prescott, and he’d make Josie Witherspoon his girl no matter what it took.
“Beau, Beau,” she said, so goddamn pretty against his shoulder as her breath hitched faster and faster. She was almost there.
And so was he. But he wouldn’t let himself come first, he swore. He’d think about football, Mike’s grandma in a bikini, the yard tools in the shed, anything if it meant giving her as much pleasure as possible.
“Oh, Beau!” she whispered with awe. “I’m…”
Her whole body arched into his again, and he couldn’t hold on anymore. “Oh hell, Josie.” He released into the condom with a groan.
Then he collapsed against her, spent and happier than he’d been when he’d thrown that fifty-yard touchdown at the state championship game the year before. For a few moments they stood there together, arms around each other, breathing hard, both in shock over what had just happened.
Until a sharp voice behind him said, “Josie Marie Witherspoon!”
And all hell broke loose.
“Oh, my God. Mama!” Josie pushed against his chest. “Get off me!”
He pulled out of her, hastily pulling his own jeans up over his waist.
Loretta Witherspoon stood there with a plate of food he recognized as leftovers from the dinner she’d served his family earlier that night, her face a combination of shock and anger. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Oh, Lord, help me.”
“Mama, no. It’s not what you think.” Josie said. He turned towards her and found she was already back in her jeans.
“It’s exactly what I think,” Loretta snapped, her eyes filled with disgust. “I can’t even look at you.”
“Loretta, calm down, I can explain,” Beau began.
But Josie interrupted him. “Mama, I made a mistake. But I swear to you I’m not—”
Before she could finish that sentence, Loretta had already turned around and headed out the door, her angry words trailing back towards them both. “I don’t believe you could do this to me! After all I done told you, after all I’ve done for you.”
“Mama, I swear I’m not in love with him. We were just messing around. Mama, please!”
She started to go after her, but Beau who had been about to claim his undying love for Josie before she began swearing up and down that she didn’t feel that way about him, grabbed her arm.