“Definitely hypothetical,” he says, reaching out to touch my hand. One by one, he lays his fingers against mine, telling me with his touch what he feels.
“Well, then…” I glance down at my bare arm. It’s covered in raised bumps and I’m pretty sure that my entire body is trembling like a Chihuahua. “Yes, I would. Probably Shakespeare. You know, like, ‘shall I compare thee to a summer’s day’ or something.”
“Shakespeare?” His voice is tinged with wonder. He lifts his other hand and cautiously brushes my hair away from my face.
“Shakespeare,” I confirm, swallowing hard.
We look at each other for a long time, barely touching, feeling the heartbeats move over us and through us. I think about those lines, the ones that tangle in the space between, winding, stringing us together. I think about the rhythm of Cole’s heart and the predictable whoosh of his hot breath moving over my skin. And I think about Jillian knocking against my ribcage to let me know that she approves. Do you hear that sound?
“Come here,” he says as he slides his hand to the back of my neck and pulls me into his body.
“Fina—” I don’t get to finish because Cole is kissing me, searing me, handing over the words with his tongue. I fall into him—well, I guess I fall. I’m certainly not holding myself up anymore. I register Cole’s arm wrapped tightly around my waist and his other hand coasting down the side of my body, pulling my left knee up. Oh God. Oh God. As he continues to greedily shape his lips to the contours of my mouth, I tip backward until my shoulder blades are pressing into the cool wood of the front door.
“Holy shit.” I don’t even know which one of us mutters it.
Breathing hard and fast, he breaks away from my mouth and presses his face against my hair. “Your parents are right behind that door and if I don’t stop now, I’m not going to stop.”
His thumb drifts up the edge of my t-shirt to trace the line of my spine. I inhale the scent of him and it’s like remembering the lyrics to a song that you forgot you knew.
“Mmmm,” he sighs huskily, mirroring my thoughts. “Chlorine. I love the smell of chlorine.”
Cole
I ended up eating Thanksgiving dinner with Aimee’s family. When her mother realized that I didn’t have plans, she insisted that I stay over. In the guest room, her dad was quick to point out.
And I’m not going to lie. Thanksgiving was a little awkward. Daniel stopped by to thank Aimee for going to talk to his mother. Then he stayed for pie. It was weird. But it was weird and wonderful and all ours.
“You know,” I say, glancing over at her. We’re in my truck driving back to her place. “If you keep looking at me like that, you’re going to ruin me.”
Staying out of her bedroom last night was a testament to my willpower. Every inch of my body was burning. I think I may have actually left a pile of ashes back in the guest room bed.
“What do you mean?”
“That,” I point with one finger. “Right there. That lip bite. I think you’re aware that it drives me wild and you’re using it against me. We’re not even going to make it to your bed.”
Aimee blinks innocently. “What… this?” She sucks on her bottom lip. “Does it bother you?”
I growl. I actually growl.
Right before we sat down for Thanksgiving dinner, I pulled Aimee into the hall and whispered into her ear all the things that I planned to do to her when I had the chance. I think that I may have even licked her neck. I can’t be sure since things tend to go a little blurry when I’m that close to her.
The good news is that she didn’t hesitate to announce to her family that we were heading back to school early to… “um, study.” I swear that her dad looked a little nauseous and I don’t really blame him. The things I plan to do to her tonight…
“I’m not kidding,” I say to her.
And I’m not.
Aimee
Cole’s right. We don’t even make it to the bed.
He’s on me before I can kick the front door shut. His fingers are at my waist, fighting with my zipper, eagerly peeling my panties down my legs.
I think I make a sound as we hit the ground, but I’m distracted by the weight of his body pressing into mine in all the right places. I grab the back of his shirt and pull, digging my fingers into the flesh of his lower back.
“I need…” I whimper. God, I sound insane, like I’m being pulled apart at the seams.
Cole kisses me, captures my breaths with his mouth tells me that he needs me too. Like air, he reminds me.
Later, when we’ve managed to remove all our clothes and make it to my bed, I ask him a question that’s been niggling at my brain. “So what was the movie?”