Serenity Falls(39)
“When’s the last time you had one of these?” He smiles from ear to ear with satisfaction.
“Seven years,” I answer honestly.
“Well, welcome back to the wonderful world of strawberry shortcakes.” Wes bows his head in a mocking grand gesture, and I applaud, laughing at him.
“Thank you. And what a way to be welcomed back.” I take another bite and my eyes roll in the back of my head.
“Seven years? Really?” he asks incredulously.
I nod my head before I look at him as I savor all the flavors in my mouth. “Yeah. I know. I can’t believe it either.” After the death of my parents, I pretty much stopped doing things that we used to do together. Making and eating strawberry shortcakes were one of them. Now after this bite, I’m beginning to realize that I may have been missing out on the best parts of life.
As I finish my dessert, I turn my body toward Wes. “I know I might say this a lot, but thank you. I have never had anyone do the things you’ve done for me. Ever.”
“That’s good to know.”
“What? That I’ve never been treated like this before?”
“No. That I’m the first one who’s getting to show you how a woman is really supposed to be treated.”
Wes puts his plate down and scoots closer to me as my eyebrows arch. When I can feel his body heat close to mine, I lean in closer to him and whisper, “And how’s that exactly?”
My eyes stay locked on his. In my peripheral vision, I see his arm rise. When his calloused fingers skim across my shoulder and behind my neck only to sneak into the back of my hair at the nape of my neck, he has complete control of me. My head slowly inclines in his direction as he answers in that low husky tone that I love. “Like this.”
In the next instant, his soft, firm lips connect with mine. He grips my hair tighter and holds me to him as his tongue sweeps against my lower lip, begging for entrance. My lips part, happily obliging him. When his tongue clashes with mine, a spark of lust fires on all cylinders. My hands move up his strong arms, and my fingers commit to memory the contours of his lean muscles as I explore his body. Finally, I reach his neck. I pull him to me as I lay back on the pillows. My legs part, allowing Wes room to fall in between them. Our fast-paced breaths mix with the soft melodies of Brantley Gilbert’s Fall Into Me. I bind my arms around his neck; we continue our unhurried, sweet, passionate kisses.
My chest heaves up and down with labored breaths. Wes’ lips break from mine, and a guttural moan escapes me when I feel his tongue draw patterns down my neck to the swell of my breasts. As lust and desire engulf me, my hips lift and meet his as his hand cups my heavy breast. “Wes,” I breathe out.
“Damn, Kenleigh,” he groans against the exposed skin of my chest. “I want you so bad.” Wes pulls back, and immediately I feel the loss of his tantalizing mouth.
My eyes slowly flutter open and meet Wes’ half-lidded gaze. “Is this okay?” There is a nervousness in his tone that I’ve never heard before.
His proximity has invaded all of my senses. I’m sure there are plenty of reasons why we shouldn’t be doing this, but for some reason, this feels right. Him. Me. Us. We get along, have crazy uninhibited fun, and most of all, he makes me laugh. I like his witty sense of humor. I like that we seem the same, but, in our own ways, different. I did not expect to meet someone like him when I came down for the summer, but I’m glad that I did.
“Yes.” I thread my fingers through his hair and give it a slight tug, showing him how okay this is.
Wes’ eyes hold mine captive as he pulls back, rests on his knees, and unlocks my arms from around his neck. He doesn’t let my hands go. Instead, he helps me sit up. His thumbs caress the backs of my knuckles while he keeps his gaze focused on me. “If at any time you want to stop, you say so. I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything. We’ll take this as slow as you want to take this.” The sincerity that rings through in those words makes me realize even more just how right this is.
“I appreciate it, but I’m okay with this,” I whisper.
“All right. How about we lose this then?” It’s not meant to be a question. Wes releases my hands and begins to gather the hem of my dress in his hands. I lift onto my knees and tuck them under me. Slowly, he pulls it up and over my head as I lift my arms to help him. I’m left in only my panties. There is no bra to remove since I wore a strapless dress. Self-consciousness strikes me with a vengeance. Quickly, my hands lift to cover my naked breasts, but stop midair when Wes speaks. “Please, don’t hide from me.” He repeats my words from earlier as he reaches out and pushes my arm down to my side. Wes’ gaze leaves mine to trail down my body. Goose bumps prickle my skin as he admires my half-naked body. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” he asks, his voice laced with desire and sincerity.