“Anything.”
“Promise you’ll always be straight with me. That if you ever regret being with me, you tell me.”
I roll her over and pin her hands next to her head. “I can promise you this—I’m never gonna regret even a second that you and I spend together.”
I kiss her again to silence any disagreement. That’s not the promise she asked for, but it’s the only one I can give, because I’m never going to be tired of her.
I break away, pressing kisses along her jaw, down the smooth column of her neck. She has no idea how beautiful she is, how the sight of her golden hair and fiery blue eyes and slender body makes every guy at school pop a boner when she walks down the hall. She has no idea, because she’s not like the other girls at Astor. She’s not vain or selfish or conceited.
She’s just…Ella.
“You wearing my jersey tonight was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” I rasp in her ear before biting on the lobe.
“Yeah?”
“Oh yeah.”
Her fingers dance hungrier and needier on my skin. I wedge my thigh between her legs and she grinds against me.
“I wanna take care of you.” I rock against her. “Let me.”
“Out here? Right now?” She’s scandalized, but intrigued.
“No one is around for miles.”
I push the jersey and the tank she has on underneath up until her creamy skin is completely exposed. I lick a slow circle around her tight nipple, and she arches upward, not satisfied with my teasing.
Chuckling, I take her into my mouth. When I flick the tip with my tongue, she gasps. Her hands tangle in my hair and urge me closer. As if I need the encouragement. The tides could rise, a hurricane could form, but I’m not letting go.
I slide down under the comforter and tug her jeans down. “You’re beautiful, baby. Perfect.”
Then I have other things to do with my mouth than spit out words that don’t do her justice anyway. Beside me, her heels dig into the sand. Her fingers clutch my shoulders as I kiss and tease her sweet spot until she’s crazed and I can’t think straight. My dick is so hard it hurts, but I don’t even care. When I’m with Ella, it’s always her. I get so fucking hot when she’s on the edge.
She shakes and shudders and my name passes through her lips on repeat. I crawl up her body and hold her tight until her racing heart slows. I use the time to tell my own body to settle down. It’s one big ache, but shoving my own need aside is easy to do when my girl is blissed out in my arms.
“It’s getting cold out here. Want to go inside?” she asks sleepily.
Not really. I’d like to stay here with her until the next millennium. Reluctantly, I pull away. “Sure.”
I help her fasten and zip, kissing her a thousand times. Then I bundle up our blankets, throw the mess over my shoulder, and grab her hand.
“Reed.”
“Yeah?”
“I miss you at night.”
My chest warms. Before she left, I slept in her bed nearly every night. I couldn’t get enough of her.
I squeeze her hand way too tight before replying. “I miss you, too.”
“Will you sleep with me again?”
“Yeah.”
It’s a single word, but it’s the answer I’d give to anything she asked of me.
28
“You look disgusting,” Easton says on Monday morning as we wait for Ella to show up at school from the bakery.
I swipe the back of my hand across my face. “What? Do I have syrup on my face?” After practice, we hit the dining hall and I inhaled about ten pancakes.
“No, it’s the smile, dude. You look happy.”
“Asshole.” I reach over to cuff him affectionately behind his head. He nimbly ducks away.
We both spot Ella at the same time, and East jogs over and pretends to hide behind her. “Save me, little sis. Big bro is picking on me.”
“Reed, pick on someone your own size,” she calls.
I take a moment to drink her in, all the individual parts of her that I like, from her gorgeous smile to the ponytail that swings in an arc as she walks. The plain school uniform—pleated skirt, white button down shirt, blue blazer that everyone else wears—looks sexy as hell on her. Probably because I’m imagining what’s underneath.
“You’re right. East’s kind of puny. I’ll take it easy on him.”
When she draws near, I reach out and drag her the rest of the distance. Close enough that I can feel the straps of her backpack push against my chest. I bend down and kiss her long and hard until East starts coughing behind her back.
When she pulls away, her lips have taken on a perfect rosy hue. I want to skip school, haul her off to my car, and make her turn that color everywhere.
“Hey, little boy. Want a piece of candy?” she asks with a wicked grin.
“Absolutely,” I answer immediately. “Where’s the van? I’m ready to be kidnapped.” I pretend to look around.