Tolson was doing funny things to me. It seemed I was getting used to this hugging thing.
TRAVIS
"So … " Angel began, sounding hesitant as we lay facing each other in my bed. The pause was so long, I wondered if she was actually going to continue talking. "Your mom kept telling everyone I was your girlfriend today."
"Oh yeah?" I asked, keeping my face impassive. "And what did you tell her when she said that?"
She looked at me for a beat, trying to gauge my reaction, and brief frustration flitted over her face when she couldn't get a good read on me.
"Nothing." She shrugged and looked down at her hands as she picked at imaginary lint on the blanket. "I didn't want to contradict her in front of her friends. And she sounded so happy about it, I didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't true."
"Good," I grunted, and her eyes flew up to mine. "Because it is true."
I'd been wanting to broach the subject all week, so it was kind of perfect that she was bringing it up. I'd have to thank my mom later.
"It is?" Her eyebrows went up.
I nodded as I moved my body over hers, and her knees automatically fell open to make room for me.
"Do you want that?" I asked and I could hear a hint of vulnerability in my voice.
"Yes." She started to smile, but in the next second her face fell. "But is that what you want? Because I'm still leaving in a couple weeks … "
"There's nothing I want more," I stated. "Even if you're far away, at least I'll still know you're mine."
Yeah, I knew she was leaving. But wherever she was, I wanted her to belong to me.
Her face softened, the worry disappearing. And the way she looked at me … No one had ever looked at me like that.
Innocence. Desire. Trust.
I framed her face with my hands then I kissed her. I loved the way her mouth welcomed me. My tongue ran along the seam of her lips and delved inside where her soft tongue tangled with mine. I sucked on her plump bottom lip-one of my favorite things to do-and her hands slid under my shirt. Her nails dragged down the skin of my lower back, and goosebumps spread over my entire body.
I moaned as I slanted my mouth over hers again and again and again.
Breaking the connection, Angel trailed soft kisses along my jaw. Her teeth scraped over the skin on my neck, causing a shudder to ripple through my body. At the same time, she wrapped her legs around my waist, linking her ankles behind my back.
"Baby … " I rasped, reluctantly moving back a little. It was too easy to lose control with her.
"I know, I know. Too soon and all that jazz." She sighed. I recognized her frustration because it mirrored my own. "Who would have thought you would be the one putting on the brakes when it comes to this stuff? I thought that was my job," she teased as she poked me in the ribs.
"And it's my job to protect you," I said, my tone serious.
"What are you protecting me from? Is it because I'm younger than you?" she asked, her insecurity bleeding through. "Because it's not my fault I was born three years after you. And my birthday is literally in, like, six days."
"No," I told her honestly. "It's because I want to do this right. I've never felt this way about anyone before."
"Neither have I," she whispered and I moved to lie down beside her, placing one more kiss at her temple.
What I didn't tell her is that I was trying to protect myself, too. It was weird to refer to myself as innocent-because I was a twenty-one-year-old dude-but that's what I was.
Maybe not completely innocent, but definitely inexperienced.
Not just my body, but my heart, too.
I'd never been in love before. My heart was in one piece because it'd never been broken. I had a feeling Angel had the power to wreck me, which was kind of terrifying considering the short time we'd known each other.
From the beginning, all I'd wanted to do was help her. Keep her safe.
But now I felt like I was the one in danger.
ANGEL
"Is it always like this?" I wondered out loud as I stood in front of Hank's shop, looking up and down Main Street. I couldn't believe the crowds that gathered in the front yards and along the sidewalks of this tiny town.
Tolson only had a few hundred residents, but the summer festival drew thousands.
"Yep. Every year," Colton replied behind me. "Just wait ‘til the parade starts."
"It's crazy," I said, amazed.
An ice cream truck was parked in front of the empty building next door, and the mass of people waiting in line went halfway down the block.
Orange construction cones lined the sides of the entire length of Main Street, blocking it off for the parade.
"Angel, I better show you this map. I already told Travis but he's liable to get lost." Hank winked at me.
I knew he wasn't serious, but it felt nice to be included.
Hank held out a piece of paper that had the parade route outlined. "Now, this is us-right behind the Herman's tractor and in front of the Wilson's golf cart." He moved his finger to the starting point. "You'll get in line here on Oak Street and take a left onto Main. Just follow the line until you get to Elm, then you'll loop around to the back of the shop."
"I think we can handle that. What's up with all the golf carts?" I pointed to all the small yellow icons on the map.
Hank chuckled. "Don't let anyone catch you questioning their cart. It's serious business around here."
I smiled, and gave him a questioning look because he couldn't possibly be serious.
"He's not joking," Travis piped up from the other side of the garage. "Remember that show ‘Pimp My Ride'? Well, it's like that. But with golf carts."
Call my curiosity piqued. I wanted to see these pimp carts.
Colton came over to hand me a basket full of candy-mostly bubble gum and taffy-then ruffled my hair. I shot him a half-hearted glare and he just laughed.
I felt the heat of a familiar body come up behind me and callused fingertips grazed over my exposed shoulders.
"Have I told you how much I love this dress?" Travis whispered by my ear, causing butterflies in my stomach.
"Maybe you can show me later," I suggested quietly so no one else could hear me.
I wanted him to stop holding back with me, to stop handling me as though I was innocent-even though I was. I wanted to throw all caution to the wind and just get it on already. I just wanted him.
"Anything for you." He kissed the tip of my nose.
I sighed, feeling all swoony. Every time he did that it felt like my insides melted into a pile of mush.
Across the street, the taverns were giving out free ice water. Long white tables littered with disposable cups lined the sidewalk in front of the buildings. It was a great idea, considering the heat. People flocked to the tables, picking up the cups with grateful words I couldn't hear.
It had to be close to ninety degrees outside. With the cloudless sky and stagnant breeze, the air felt a little suffocating. I went to stand by an oscillating fan Hank had put by the open garage door, hoping it would give me some relief.
An unsettling feeling came over me when I got a weird, hair-raising feeling of being watched. I glanced around before I caught the sight of a slightly familiar face. Kendra was one of the people behind one of the water tables in front of Buck's.
And she was staring right at me. Not just staring. Glaring was more like it. Aside from the fact that she obviously had feelings for Travis, she didn't have any reason to hate me, but there she was, glowering at me.
If looks could kill …
I almost laughed when I wondered if she was going to give me another kiddie cocktail. Maybe I should've been creeped out by the seething looks she was sending my way, but it was just so ridiculous. She and Travis had one date, and he told me they never even kissed. She had no reason to believe she had any sort of claim on him.
"You ready for this?" Travis interrupted the stare-down I'd been having with Kendra. "We've got about thirty minutes until start time, so we need to get in line."
"I'm totally ready," I said, holding up the candy basket.
In no time, we were driving down Main Street and kids squealed with delight as we drove by.
"Me! Me! Over here!" they shouted with outstretched hands, and I obliged by throwing handfuls of candy their way.
About halfway through the parade, Travis asked me if I wanted to sit on his lap and steer.
"I don't know how to drive this thing!" I yelled over the loud cheering coming from both sides of the street.
Travis laughed. "We're going like five miles per hour. You'll do fine."