by Jewel E. Ann
Leaning in again, she sucks in my bottom lip, and her nipples graze my chest. Little Miss Seductive Nudist is literally seconds from getting thoroughly fucked again.
“Your name has been all over my body. The summer after we met, I painted you everywhere. I may have been a little obsessed. And I’ve sketched you.” She teases her fingers down my abs, biting her lip. “And painted you … and fingered myself thinking of you.”
Aaannnd … french fry time is over. I snatch the plate from her and slide it onto the nightstand.
“I wasn’t done.”
I grab her face, bringing it a breath from mine. “You are now.”
*
Henna
“IT’S MIDNIGHT.” DAD flips off the TV, pinning me with an expectant look from the bed.
So much for sneaking in. “It is.” My nose wrinkles. I feel incredibly guilty for spending the day in bed with Bodhi. Okay not incredibly guilty, but moderately guilty and thoroughly satisfied. “I’m sorry.”
“Do I want to know where you were all day?”
“I messaged you.”
“I’m not saying you didn’t. But you never said what you were doing. Do I want to know?”
I set my bag on the desk and plop down on the bed. I’m twenty-one. He shouldn’t be able to make me feel like a child, but he does.
“Bodhi got an injury. He needed stitches.”
Dad squints. “Mr. Malone?”
I roll my eyes. “Duh.”
“So you spent the day doing what? Licking his wounds?”
No, his body. Giving extra attention to his cock.
“We talked. I haven’t seen him in over two years. There was a lot to be said.” And done. We had a lot to do, and we did it very, very well, in my honest opinion.
“Why is your hair wet?”
Because about thirty minutes ago I was having shower sex with Bodhi in his hotel room while he wore a shower cap to protect his stitches—which I must say, he still looked like sex on legs even in a shower cap.
“I went swimming.”
“Where’s your suit?”
“I went skinny dipping.” I toss him a toothy grin.
“Henna Eve Lane …”
“Here’s the thing, Daddy Dearest, you’re in denial that I’m all grown up. And you’re asking questions that you probably don’t want the answers to. So … would you really like me to elaborate on my day, or do you want to hear about my trip around the world since you fell asleep last night and we didn’t get to talk?”
He rubs the back of his neck, grimacing. “You’re going to be the death of me. And I’m still planning on killing that guidance counselor.”
“I love him.”
The grimace on his face intensifies. “Henna …”
“I do. So you’d better make nice with him because he’s going to be in my life for a very long time.”
Forever, just like the tattoo of my name.
He deflates. I move from my bed to his, nestling under his arm.
“Love, huh?” He kisses my head.
“Yes. The kind that makes the hair on my arms prickle when he’s near. The kind that flutters in my chest when he looks at me. The kind that brings me to tears when I go years without seeing him. You know how you used to hate the way Mom and Zach would buy me stuff on a whim? You thought I needed to want it for at least thirty days because young minds are fickle and they jump from one want to the next. Well …” I glance up at him. “I’ve wanted Bodhi since the day we met three years ago.”
“Henna …” His lips form a sad smile.
“Don’t.” I press two fingers to his mouth. “Shush. I don’t need the ‘he’s going to break your heart’ speech. He could easily break it.”
He already did.
“But he’s worth the risk. I’d rather have my heart broken than never risk giving it to someone. He’s the ultimate high. And …” I smirk. “I’m a bit of an expert on a good high.”
Dad rolls his eyes. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
Sliding my hands around his midsection, I hug him tightly.
“Let’s hear it. I want all the details of your trip.”
I grin and dive into the memories of the previous two years. After hours, I glance up, my voice a little hoarse, and he’s asleep.
“Night, Dad.” I lean over and flip off the light.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
THE ELEVATORS DING a million times as I wait next to them in the lobby. With every set of doors that opens, my heart rate doubles only to be shot down when Bodhi’s not on it. I should have just gone to his room, but I wanted to surprise him with coffee and … me.
Ding.
And there he is. Bodhi looks up from his phone.
“There you are!”
I turn toward the female voice that stole my line.
Rayne charges toward the elevators, holding two coffees. “Oh, hey, Henna. Bodhi, I got you—”
Bodhi holds up his finger to stop her from speaking. I start to step back, not sure if he’s meaning for me to not talk either or if our relationship needs to remain secret.
“I need Henna for just a sec …” He grabs my hand and pulls me into the elevator. Before the doors completely shut, he takes my face and kisses me with the most demanding lips.
I can’t move because I have a cup of coffee in each hand, so I just let him keep me upright with hands that were made to hold me and his body pressing me to the wall of the elevator.
“Good morning,” he whispers over my lips with a generous smile capturing his mouth.
And there it is … the prickling along my skin and the butterflies going crazy in my tummy. He sucked all the words from my mouth. I start to speak, but my smile gets its way first.
“Is this for me?” He takes one of the coffees like he didn’t just violate my mouth, leaving me a goop of runny paint on the wall. “Mmm … it’s good. Thank you.” He pushes the button to the lobby.
“I-I wasn’t sure if you wanted anyone to know about us.”
The elevator dings, and the doors open to Rayne waiting with a long list of questions on her face.
“Yes. I think I want people to know.” He gives me the best pearly white grin and takes my hand, interlacing our fingers as we step into the lobby.
Rayne’s jaw slowly unhinges. “You … you’re …” Her eyebrows inch up her head.
I hide my happiness behind my coffee cup.
“I, uh … thought she was your student?”
Bodhi shrugs. “She was. But she’s not now.”
My heart does a pirouette. You don’t realize how much you miss someone until you’re with them after a long time apart and your heart can finally beat again.
“Well …” Rayne takes a slow inhale. “Okay then, looks like you have your coffee needs taken care of this morning.” She winks at me.
I wrinkle my nose in a tiny apology. But the thing is, I want to meet all of his needs. Always.
“She’s the best.” Bodhi presses his lips to the side of my head.
“You taking the shuttle? Or grabbing a car?” Rayne asks.
“Car. So we don’t spill our coffee.” I hold up my cup.
Rayne nods.
“I’ll order one. You can ride with us.” Bodhi takes my coffee so I can dig out my phone.
When we get to Coachella, Rayne gives me a hug and whispers, “Lucky girl,” before heading to the entrance.
Bodhi pulls me into his arms. “Where’s your dad?”
“He had a breakfast date with Bethanne.”
“Yeah?”
I nod before pressing my lips to his chest over his heart. “I love you. Will you wear a hard hat today?”
He chuckles. “Definitely.”
“I want us to have dinner with my dad tonight before he goes home tomorrow. I know it will be late, but if he stops wanting to kill you for two seconds, I think he’ll really like you.”
“Alrighty then … sounds promising and a little scary.”
“I’m an
only child.” I glance up, squinting against the sun. “Lots of people feel very protective of me. You’d better be careful.”
Bending down, he brushes his lips along my cheek. “Bodhi and Henna are a lot of things, but careful is not one of them.”
Closing my eyes, my heart dances in this moment, not wishing for the next one. It’s not a destination, and it’s not even a journey. It’s a moment. Life is a moment. Who says we have to go anywhere in life to experience it?
I have never felt more alive than when I’m with Bodhi.
*
MY DAD AND Bethanne meet up with me by lunch, and we spend the last day at Coachella together. I like her silent confidence and her sick knowledge of music. She reminds me a lot of my mom. Dad clearly has a particular taste in women.
After the last performance, all four of us have dinner together. Bethanne is the perfect buffer between my dad and Bodhi. It goes unexpectedly well. My dad even gives Bodhi a friendly squeeze on the shoulder when we say goodnight.
“We’re going to grab a quick drink in the bar.” Dad nods toward the hotel bar as Bethanne stands behind him, rocking back and forth on her heels.
I have a feeling Bodhi and I are not invited. Part of me wants to pull a Juni and hand my dad a box of condoms with my blessing to hook up with his old friend tonight. But … I don’t go quite that far.
“We’re taking off early in the morning, so if I don’t see you again, it was nice meeting you.” I smile at Bethanne.
“Why are we taking off so early?” Dad squints at me.
Bodhi squeezes my hand.
“Oh … did I forget to mention that I’m riding back to Colorado with Bodhi?”
“You did.” Dad’s eyes narrow a fraction more.
This is ridiculous. He knows where I was last night and what or who I was doing. I’m twenty-one. His infatuation with playing protective dad needs to come with a large side of reality.
“We’ll drive the speed limit, sir.” Bodhi assures him.
I manage to hold out for a full two seconds before bursting into laughter. Bethanne joins me.
“Come on, Mitch. I’m sure they’ll be just fine.” She pulls at his arm as he maintains a scowl.
Bodhi keeps his composure. Smart guy. I release his hand and lift onto my toes to give my dad a kiss on his cheek.
“I’ll see you after a bit.”
“Don’t wait up for me since you’re leaving so early. We’ll say goodbye in the morning. Early.” He frowns again.
Bethanne’s cheeks turn rosy.
“Yeah …” I nod slowly. “I won’t.”
My dad’s face turns pink as well. Oh my gosh … this is too much.
“Night.” I twist my lips to keep from letting the gotcha grin slip.
The elevator door dings. Bodhi tugs on the back belt loop to my shorts as I watch my dad and Bethanne walk toward the bar. She slips her arm around his waist.
Yeah, he’s getting laid tonight.
I turn toward my guy when the door closes. “I guess this is goodnight.” My shoulder lifts into a half shrug.
Bodhi inspects me with a restrained smirk. “Guess so.”
We lean against opposite walls of the elevator with the sexual tension so thick it’s hard to breathe. I’m on the fifth floor. He’s on the third, so it stops on his floor first. The door opens.
“Nighty night.” I grin.
His eyebrows lift into a slight challenge. “Night.” He steps out of the elevator.
I let it go up to my floor then I push the button to the third floor again. Why? Why doesn’t he insist we have a goodnight kiss or something like … sex!? He plays me better than I play him. I suck at cool. I just want him. Period.
When the door opens, he’s standing right there, waiting for me. “Jerk.” I grin.
Bodhi pulls me out of the elevator and tosses me over his shoulder. “Tease.” He smacks my ass and carries me to room 312.
This moment. This is life.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
WE MAKE IT back to Colorado by Wednesday. And because life is meant to be lived and not chased, raced, or saved for another day … Bodhi lets me drive Alice without a driver’s license. He may have agreed to it while buried inside of me in the back of Alice—sandwiched between my luggage—but he kept his promise. That’s all that matters.
“You don’t have to carry them upstairs. I don’t remember how I left my room two years ago.”
Bodhi ignores me, carrying my two large suitcases up the stairs while I follow him with a smaller suitcase and my backpack.
He stops at the doorway to my room. “Fuck me …” he whispers.
“That bad?” I cringe.
“Henna …” He sets down my suitcases in slow motion.
Jeez, how bad can it be? I look around him as he blocks most of my view.
“Oh …” My teeth dig into my lower lip.
“You…” he takes a step into my bedroom “…sketched me. And painted me. A lot.” With wide eyes, Bodhi inspects the easels with paintings, the sketches pinned to my walls, and a few on my bed. Most are him or us. Some are my memories of our first Coachella. There are two of his dad, a handful of Alice, and one of Angelina—my favorite horse.
“You think I’m obsessed. I’m not. Well … I am, but not like you think. I just had a lot of time on my hands after I dropped out of school. If it helps my case, I was a little high when I did most of these.”
“I think …” He picks one up. It’s us reclined back in Alice, staring at the ceiling and holding hands.
“What? You think what? If you want to run, then run. But I’m not crazy, or a stalker, or—”
Bodhi turns. “Jesus, Henna.” He shakes his head. “You’re talented as fuck. You were always sketching in my office, but you kept your book tipped away from me. I just had no idea. And then you told Rayne about your job offer to sell exclusively to certain stores, but even then I just didn’t grasp exactly …” He trails off, taking another slow glance around my room.
I hug his back, and he interlaces our fingers over his abs. “You’re my favorite muse.”
“I’m flattered. God, that’s not the right word. I’m something beyond flattered. There’s probably not even a word for what I feel right now.”
“I told you I sketched and painted you. In the hotel when we were eating cold fries.”
He turns in my arms, coughing out a laugh. “Yeah. I vaguely remember something, but it didn’t really register with me because, as I recall, you were sitting on me naked.”
“Oh! Speaking of that. If you really don’t think I’m a freak, then I’ll show you my private collection.”
“Private collection? You mean these are not yours? Have you sold them or something?”
“No.” I retrieve several sketches from the top of my closet. “When I say private, I mean private.”
*
Bodhi
HENNA SHOWS ME a sketch book with a dozen or so sketches of me and us … naked. But not just naked, in sexual positions. I don’t know how I feel about seeing myself sketched this way. She’s fucking gorgeous and I’d easily get off after staring at these for a while, but I’m just a little unsure how I feel about my dick sketched in full detail. You can see a large vein.
“These are …” I flip through them. She has one of me going down on her at my house on the stairs. It’s from her perspective, so I don’t see her head, just her breasts and my face between her legs, eyes heavy with lust. “I don’t know what to say. I feel like Rose, only I didn’t ask you to sketch me.”
“Rose?”
“Yes, Jack.”
“Titanic?” She chuckles.
I nod, unable to peel my gaze from these sketches. I’m in shock and awe. And horny. I want her on the steps again, tasting her for the first time. “Have you shown these to anyone?” With hard effort and some pain, I make myself look away.
“They’re part of my portfolio on my website, and I have a Tumblr page with them on there.”
�
��Jesus, Henna!” I jerk my head back. Students. Faculty. Principal Rafferty could find these.
She snorts. “You’re so gullible.”
Narrowing my eyes, I toss the sketchbook on the bed and step toward her.
“I don’t like that look.” She steps back.
“What look is that?” I say with the most eerie voice I can make.
I step forward. She steps back. Then I lunge at her, but I miss. Henna runs out of the bedroom, squealing all the way down the stairs. I chase her through the main room, into the kitchen, and back up the steps, hooking her waist before she can shut the door on me.
“No!” She giggles as I tickle her.
I love her giggles, her smile, the shimmer of life in her blue eyes. I love that she kisses me to stop me from tickling her. I love that the kiss turns into clothes being discarded onto her bedroom floor. I love it when she says my name as I sink into her beautiful body.
“Bodhi …”
And I love that when I’m inside her I feel worthy of something so much better than the life I’ve given myself.
“I love us, baby …” I kiss her neck, interlacing our hands above her head.
She draws her knees back more as I thrust deep into her, her breath catching for a few seconds before releasing with a small moan.
This woman … I love her in a way I still can’t comprehend.
*
“I HAVE TO go.” I try to untangle our naked bodies, but I swear she’s an octopus with more than four limbs.
“Let’s spend the summer in this bed. Juni and Zach will be gone for months. I’ll get you access to the gate, and we can basically chill and watch Netflix all summer.”
“Chill and watch Netflix?”
“Sex. That’s code for sex, Mr. Malone.”
Biting her nose until she loosens her hold on me, I wriggle out of the bed. “Speaking of Mr. Malone, I have school tomorrow.”
“Boo.” She sticks out her bottom lip as I step into my shorts and tug on my shirt.
“And I have a horse ranch to help run and a sick father … and I’m guessing a healthy dose of shit from my sister because I said I’d be home hours ago.”
She sits up, letting her sheet fall from her chest. I tell my dick no when it decides to perk up again.