Serenity Falls(94)

“Here y’all go,” Reid says from behind us. He hands Wes a bottle of water and me a bottle of Miller Light. “I’m gonna go. You know, leave you two to whatever it is you do,” he says, slowly backing away.

I lift the bottle to him before I take a swig of the beer. The crisp flavor swirls in my mouth, making me sigh in relief as I swallow.

“Wanna dance?” Wes asks against the shell of my ear. Tingles race down my spine and an unexpected shiver takes hold of my body when his warm breath fans across my ear and down my neck. When I nod, he takes my hand and leads me toward the back of Reid’s truck. Wes steps behind me and lifts me up on the tailgate. With no effort required from him, he jumps up into the bed of the lifted truck.

“Are we gonna dance in the bed of a truck?” I ask curiously.

“Yep.” He spins me around, pulling my back to his front as Tell Me How You Like It by Florida Georgia Line blasts through the speakers hooked up all around the bonfire. Wes’ hands slide down my ribs and come to a rest on my hips. Slowly, I begin to sway in time with the music, enjoying the solid wall of Wes behind me, and the feeling of being free. The rhythm to which we dance is erotic, to say the least. I feel the bulge in Wes’ pants begin to swell and rub against my ass as my hips move from side to side. “Keep doing that, and I’m going to show how I like it,” Wes whispers against my neck as he peppers kisses against my heated skin. My eyes flutter close as my head tilts further to the side. “I really love you in these shorts,” he murmurs, flicking his tongue against the spot behind my ear that drives me crazy. A moan escapes me as his amazing lips continue their sensual assault on my neck. A breeze tickles my skin as Wes’ hand slips beneath my shirt. His rough, calloused fingers skim against my stomach. “I love you,” he whispers against my ear.

My hand lifts and wraps around the back of his neck, bringing his face to mine. Slowly, my lids flutter open as I stare into his lust filled eyes. The sound of the music, people laughing, and talking fades out around us. It’s just him and me in our own little world. “I love you, too. More than you can ever imagine.”

“That’s good to know,” he murmurs as he takes my lips with his. Our teeth clash, and our tongues dance to their own tempo as I turn around in his arms, trying to get as close to him as humanly possible without climbing into his skin. We break apart, our breathing erratic. “If we don’t stop right now, I’m gonna throw you over my shoulder, and take you somewhere a little more private so I can have my way with you,” he groans before kissing me once more. As promising as that sounds, I’d like to enjoy this party a little longer.

“You’re right.” I step out of his embrace. We walk to the edge of the tailgate. Wes jumps down before he helps me off.

Now on solid ground, he gives me another kiss. “I’m gonna go and hang out with some of the boys. If you need anything, come find me, okay?”

“All right. I’m gonna see if I can find Jackie. We were supposed to talk yesterday, but with everything going on, it didn’t happen.”

“Well, like I said, come find me if you need anything,” he reiterates with a pointed look that causes me to laugh.

I playfully shove him in the direction of the fire where a group of guys stands, urging him to go and have fun. I take a deep breath before scanning the crowd to look for Jackie. Her long blonde locks are what I spot first. Jackie’s head tips back in laughter as she talks to Sarah, Liam, and Brantley on the other side of the fire. Her hair holds an orange, reddish tint as the fire reflects off her hair. People swarm around the bonfire, making it difficult for me to get through. I shove my way through the throngs of drunken idiots. I brush spilt alcohol off my shirt and arms as I approach them. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey.” They greet back, in unison.

“What happened to your shirt?” Brantley asks.

“You know, a little spilt beer, and who knows what else.” I sigh before I look at Jackie. “Can we talk, please?”

She nods to an empty spot. Just as I go to follow behind her, a hand wraps around my arm. I look over my shoulder to see who it is. “She really is sorry,” Brantley says quietly.

“I know.” The smile I give him is full of reassurance, and I know he can tell because he nods at me as he releases my elbow.

Only a few feet away, I reach Jackie who now stands off to the side of the crowd. “I wanted to say that I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk yesterday.”

“It’s fine. I know it was a busy day for you.” She meets my eyes, dismissing my apology.