Promises Hurt

She busts out laughing and rolls onto her side. “Why the hell would he even do that?”

 

 

“Um…he has a little sister, I’m guessing the computers at their house have like a child protection thing on them so they can’t search anything adult.” I’m pretty fucking impressed at how quickly that came out.

 

“Makes sense, I guess. Better warn Brie that her target has trouble downstairs.” She’s chuckling away to herself while I stand over her, my heart racing, my palms sweating from clenching my fists so hard.

 

Note to self: always delete search history.

 

 

 

 

 

I’M ALMOST WETTING myself at the lies he’s trying to sell me. There is no way on this planet that he didn’t perform that search himself. It’s cute how panicked he looked when I questioned it.

 

“Scoot over,” he tells me, positioning himself next to me so he can see the computer.

 

“So, are we gonna plan this trip, or what? I kinda just thought we’d jump in my car and drive to the Canyon, set up camp and that would be that.”

 

I smile at how simple he makes it sound. “First off, I’m not sure you can just set up camp anywhere in the desert. What about snakes and mountain lions?”

 

“Snakes?” His eyes widen and bore into mine.

 

“Aw, Ethan, are you scared of snakes?” I say in my best baby voice.

 

He straightens his shoulders in defiance. “Course I’m not scared, just didn’t cross my mind that there’d be snakes, is all.”

 

“Uh-huh, not scared my ass.”

 

His eyes trail over me and I instantly feel my heart rate kick up a notch.

 

“You do have a fine ass, Princess,” he tells me, squeezing it, sending a jolt of electricity racing through my skin. I shiver and he makes a low growling noise as he moves in and claims my mouth. His kiss is hot and urgent, making all the tiny little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. His hands slide into my hair as he teases me with his tongue.

 

“Do you want to sleep with me, Ethan?” I breathe against his lips and he stills, his eyes widening.

 

“Shit no, I don’t mean now. I meant like…in general?” I stammer out as he’s looking at me blankly. “It’s just, well, you haven’t really tried…and well, you have a rep for getting into a girl’s pants before you get her name…we’ve been dating for—” He puts his hand up silencing me from my nervous rant and I can feel the heat spread across my cheeks, I’m all kinds of embarrassed.

 

“What’s brought this on?” He’s smiling but there’s something else behind that smile. He’s wearing an expression that I’ve not noticed before, like I’m the most precious thing in his world. It looks a lot like it could be love. Instead of freaking me out, it has the opposite effect. The thought that this boy may actually love me makes my heart swell inside my chest. I have the sensation of a giant swarm of butterflies taking flight in my stomach.

 

He’s looking at me from under his long dark lashes, his clear blue eyes are heavy with desire and he’s wearing the crooked grin that makes his dimples pop. I concentrate on the image in front of me, trying to commit it to memory, his beautiful face and messy hair sticking out in all angles. It just about melts me.

 

“Brie just pointed out that—”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Princess, don’t ever start a sentence with ‘Brie just.’” He grins and I feel my body relax as he raises his hand and runs the back of his fingers down the side of my face.

 

“Blair, I want to sleep with you, trust me. I really, really want to sleep with you. But I’m not going to rush this. I want to make sure that it’s perfect for you.”

 

I’m pretty sure I’m a puddle, slowly dissolving on his bed. I have no idea how to reply to that, so instead I lean forward and press my lips lightly against his. I have to resist the urge to pinch him to make sure that he’s real, or maybe pinch myself, to make sure I’m not dreaming again.

 

I push up so I’m resting on one arm and use the other to slide around his waist, pulling us both closer together. I want tell him that I’m ready now, that no matter what, as long as it’s with him, it will be perfect. I don’t just want to blurt it out though. I’d attempt to be sexy but in all honesty that’s never going to happen. It would be beyond awkward. I think I must have been absent the day they were giving out lessons in sex appeal and flirting. I decide that the direct approach works best for me. Even if it is about as seductive as a wet fish.

 

“What if I were to tell you that I’m ready now?”

 

He arches his brow and gives me a pointed look. “I’d say that’s pretty fucking mean, since you know my mom’s downstairs.”

 

I slap at his arm and laugh. “No asshole, I didn’t mean right this second.”

 

“Aw, calling me asshole…you have such sweet pillow talk, Princess.”