When he turned his head toward me, I could feel it. I could feel his eyes rake over my skin. I swallowed and stared at the black dashboard, trying to get my head on straight. This was all so confusing. I knew Liam wasn’t good for me, so why couldn’t I get out of his car? It was no use; feeling his eyes on me was like feeling his fingers glide over my skin. I bit down on my lower lip, trying to quell the desire flowing through me.
One second I was in my own world, and the next Liam had unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled me onto his lap. Every consequence that had been flitting through my mind only seconds ago no longer seemed relevant as our lips melted together. His mouth tasted sweet from the syrup as I wound my fingers through his tousled hair.
With us it was always 0 to 60 in three seconds flat.
His hands dragged up under my skirt to the edge of my spanks.
Everything has a consequence.
I bit down on his lip, spurring him on.
Everything has a consequence.
His finger skirted the material, making my spine curl.
He pulled back, separating us by an inch, just enough to stop the chemical reaction ricocheting between us.
“You need to get some sleep,” he murmured so that his breath fell across my lips.
“No.”
The edge of his mouth curled up.
“Yes.”
I swallowed, trying to regain my composure.
“I’m sorry this isn’t easier,” he murmured, lessening my worries enough that I could answer his apology with an edge of playfulness.
“Nothing to apologize for… that was the best goodbye kiss I've ever had."
When I was with him, there were no consequences.
Chapter Thirteen
"What did you and Penn talk about last night?"
"Marriage mostly. Where we wanted to buy a house and raise kids," Becca answered flatly. We were lounging around after she woke me up by jumping on my bed a few minutes earlier. I'd pulled the comforter out from under her and she'd fallen back and hadn't gotten back up.
"Oh, that's cool. Don't forget me when you're toting the kids to soccer practice."
Becca rolled over and propped her head up on her hand. "Ew. No. Stop. We didn't talk about anything important. I was pretty tipsy, so I'm sure I tried to make a lot of jokes, but he didn't seem to mind."
I smiled. "Any hankypanky when he dropped you off after the party?"
Becca frowned. "Nada. Nothing. He was really sweet and he walked me to the door, but he went in for a hug, which is almost as bad as a high-five. No, a high-five is better because then we could have laughed and he would have thought I looked so charming while I laughed that he would have wanted to kiss me."
"Hmm, he's definitely into you. That's what Liam said when they joined us on the dance floor. So, maybe he's just trying to take it slow, or maybe he thought you were still tipsy and didn't want to take advantage of you."
"Is it taking advantage when I would have willingly helped him attack me? I would have taken my BatGirl outfit off for him."
I laughed. "I'm not sure, but he is super hot. Can't blame you there."
Becca stared at the comforter and nodded as if thinking the same thing herself.
"I want some chicken and waffles," I demanded.
"You just had them last night. I can't believe you ate in his car. I would have handcuffed myself to the console and never left."
"I'm trying to stay away from the psycho-killer approach..."
Becca laughed. “To each their own.”
A small knock sounded at my door, and then one of the sophomore girls stuck her head inside.
"Hey, Kinsley, there's a delivery guy downstairs asking for you."
I glanced over toward Becca, but she just smiled and declared, "Strippergram. I thought we should start our Sunday morning off right."
I laughed and hopped off my bed to follow the girl back downstairs. Just as she'd promised, there was a middle-aged delivery man standing on our porch holding a clipboard and a big box.
"Kinsley Bryant?" he asked when I pushed open the screen door.
"Yes, sir!”
I signed, thanked him, and then ran back upstairs at lightning speed. Becca hadn't budged an inch. Lazy cow.
"My mom seriously needs to relax with the care packages. I fear that it's her main pastime these days."
Becca hopped up to help me open the box. "Pfft, don't knock her gifts. If she wants to order random things from Amazon and ship them here, let her. I now have a year supply of deodorant thanks to her."
I rolled my eyes and peeled the tape off the box. Inside, beneath a lot of colorful tissue paper, there was a hot pink bicycle helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, band aids, and ice packs. At the bottom of it all there was a simple piece of white card stock with what I'd learned to be Liam's handwriting.
For your protection whenever you're around Becca. Hope your elbow is feeling better. - L
"No he did not," Becca laughed, pulling the card out of my hand. "Damnit! He doesn't get to be funny, too. That's not fair."
In five minutes flat I had on all the gear and was traipsing around my room like a five year old about to go out on my first bike ride. Well, either that or someone that just escaped from an insane asylum.
"C'mon. Let's go wakeup Emily," I said, walking awkwardly to the door of my bathroom.
"Ok, but you have to do it since you're the one in that gear. I don't have anything to deflect her punches if she attacks me."