“You like?” he asks, amusement in his tone.
I meet his gaze. He’s grinning at me like a fool. A very cute, very sweet fool. “They’re kind of crazy.”
“Like me,” he says as he hooks his hand behind my head and brings me back in for another kiss. I like how it seems he can’t go too long without tasting my lips. I feel the same way. “I have crazier pairs.”
“I’m sure you do,” I murmur against his lips as I yet again rest my hand on him. I press my palm against his erection, just like he showed me. But doing this through clothes won’t be enough. And his boxer briefs are made out of freaking extra stretchy material, so they’re really tight.
I think—oh God—he’s going to have to take them off.
We kiss and kiss, and I keep stroking him. His breathing increases when I pull away from his lips, and I stare at him, watching the expressions change on his face in fascination. His eyes are closed, his brows scrunching lower before they pinch together. A deep groan rumbles from his chest when I slip my fingers just beneath the waistband of his boxer briefs. My fingers creep down, encountering soft pubic hair. What color? Golden brown like his hair or a little darker? I’ll get to see in a minute. I graze the thick head with my fingertips, feel the wetness there, and I’m just about to wrap my fingers around the shaft when—
There’s a loud knock on the driver’s side door of my car, followed by a beam of white light pointed right at it.
Pointed right at us.
It’s a flashlight. And I can hear a man’s voice.
“Fuck me,” Eli says irritably, shoving my hand out of his shorts and running his fingers through his hair as he reaches for the button that slides the window down.
But it doesn’t open. We’re in the back seat. The engine is completely off. Meaning, nothing works in the car.
“Stay here,” he tells me as he clambers into the front seat of my car and pushes the start button but doesn’t put his foot on the brake. My dashboard lights up. The man outside is asking what’s going on, and Eli rolls down the window as fast as he can, his voice light and easy as he greets the—holy shit—sheriff deputy who’s still holding his flashlight right on Eli’s face.
“Hi officer,” he greets, squinting up at the light.
“What’s going on in here?” The deputy sounds terribly suspicious.
I want to die. Just…melt into the seat and disappear. Thank God I at least have Eli’s shirt on. If the deputy had showed up ten minutes ago, I would’ve been practically naked.
“Nothing.” Eli smiles. He’s wearing no shirt. No shorts. Just his crazy patriotic eagle underwear. Come on, what does the sheriff think is going on?
“Miss?” He aims his flashlight in my direction, blinding me. I hold my hand up to block the light. “Are you all right? You’re here because you want to be here?”
“I am,” I say, my voice meek. “I’m fine, sir.”
The deputy drops the flashlight. He stares at Eli, his gaze hard. Eli stares right back. “You kids should get on home,” he finally says, slapping the top of my car a couple of times. “It’s late. And a school night.”
“Yes sir,” Eli says, saluting him.
This is so mortifying.
“Don’t you play for the Mustangs?” the deputy asks. “My son goes there. He’s a freshman.”
“As a matter of fact I do, sir. I’m the quarterback.” Eli sounds proud.
“Keep it up, son. I know you’ve had a couple of losses, but you’ve got this.” The deputy grins. “And go kick those Badgers’ asses!”
The sheriff deputy slaps the top of the car one more time as Eli shouts, “Will do, sir!”
Then he’s gone.
We remain still as we both watch the deputy walk back to his car, get inside it, and start the engine. I didn’t even hear him pull up. Who knows how long he’d been sitting there before he came over to my car.
When he finally pulls out of the parking space and leaves the lot, Eli finally turns around to look at me. “What. The. Fuck.”
I burst out laughing. I can’t help it. My nerves are shot. Frazzled. “Never had that happen before.”
“Me either,” Eli says. He scrubs his hand over his face. “My boner is long gone.”
I laugh some more at his choice of words. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault. You were on the right track. Can’t believe the sheriff cock-blocked me,” he mutters.
I stifle my laughter with my hand.
“It’s almost ten,” he says. “When do you have to be home?”
“Eleven,” I say, full of regret. I still have homework too.
Whoops.
“I’ll take you home. We’ll have to go by my school first, though.”
“That’s okay.”
He leans over and pats the passenger seat. “Get your pretty ass up here.”
I do as he requests, hopping into the seat and settling in. I’m still only wearing his shirt and my panties. Which maybe isn’t the best choice while he drives. He might get distracted. “I should put on my dress.”
“Hell no,” he says, grabbing my arm as I’m about to pick up the dress from where I left it on the backseat. “Just sit there like that until we get back to campus.”
I frown at him. “Are you sure?”
“Positive,” he says firmly.
He tortures me the entire drive. Touching and nestling his hand between my thighs. Rubbing his fingers against me. Making me ache. Making me throb.
I decide to keep touching him too, torturing him as well. Though it’s a little more difficult, considering he’s driving and there’s a steering wheel in the way.
“Would you ever consider giving me a blowjob while I’m driving?” Eli asks casually, like he’s making simple conversation. “That’s been a big fantasy of mine lately. You bent over my lap with my fingers in your hair and my dick in your mouth.”
His words just conjured up a vivid image.
“Um, since I’ve never given anyone a blowjob ever, I’m not sure,” is my reply.
He sends me a look, one that says he’s really pleased by this fact. “Someday you should do it. It’ll be—fun.”
“Uh huh.” I send him a knowing look when he glances over at me. “I’m sure it’ll be fun for you. As long as you don’t wreck the car.”
“I would never wreck your precious baby. Or my precious baby either.” He strokes the steering wheel and my entire body goes hot watching him caress my car with his fingertips. “Still can’t fuckin’ believe that just happened.”
“The deputy?”
“Yeah! Don’t forget you’d just slipped your hand in my boxers, babe. You literally had your fingers on my dick. Ready to give me the hand job of my dreams. And then that asshole had to show up and scare the shit out of us.” He shakes his head. “I’ve never had a hard-on disappear so fast in my life.”
I’m laughing again. “I’m just grateful we didn’t get in trouble.”
“You know, you’re always laughing at me,” Eli says, though he doesn’t sound mad. “I usually don’t like that.”
I go quiet, chancing a glance at him. “I’m not laughing at you.”
“No, I know. I’m trying to tell you that it’s different when you’re the one laughing. I can tell you’re having fun. You think this shit is crazy. What’s happening right now between us—it’s pretty wild,” he explains, his hand going to my knee and giving it a chaste squeeze. Well, as chaste as a knee squeeze can be, considering just a minute ago he was trying to rub my panties. This touch is definitely pure and innocent.
“So wild,” I agree, my voice soft, my heart racing as I study him. I feel—so much for him right now. In this moment. With the windows down and the music blaring, the wind whipping my hair around and his too. He’s shirtless, I’m pantless, and I don’t ever, ever want to forget this night, this moment.
And I’m pretty sure I never will.
Thirty-One
Ava
“Homecoming noms will be annou
nced today,” Ellie tells me at lunch.
“I know. I’m in leadership, remember?” I’m teasing her, and she knows it. She throws a chip at me, and Marty makes a noise of protest.
He’s been hanging out with us off and on during lunch. He claims his two best friends—Hannah and Sophie—have ditched him for their football playing boyfriends. That would be my brother Jake and his friend Tony Sorrento. I totally get why they’re spending as much time with their new boyfriends as possible. If I could, I would be with Eli right now. Sitting in the quad, sitting on his lap, running my fingers through his hair and letting everyone know he belongs to me.
But I also understand where Marty is coming from. He’s hurt. He feels like his friends ditched him, and they sort of did. He’s also talking to a boy—the same one he was looking for that night at the party Jackson Rivers threw. His name is Thomas, and he’s really nice. Cute. Quiet. He and Marty make heart eyes at each other every time they’re within a few feet of each other, and it makes my romantic heart happy.
“Do you think you’ll get nominated?” Ellie asks, her expression hopeful.
I frown, slowly shaking my head. “Why would anyone nominate me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You’re in leadership. You’re a cheerleader. Everyone knows who you are.”
“Not because of anything I’ve ever done,” I point out.
Now my best friend is the one who’s frowning. “What are you talking about?”
“They only know who I am because of who I’m related to,” I explain, Cami’s insults still ringing in my head. She never said anything else after that one game, but she’ll send me looks every once in a while. Knowing looks that tell me she’s still thinking about what a loser I am.
Ellie makes a face. “That’s so not true.”
“Yeah, it kind of is.” I grab a handful of Skinny Pop popcorn and munch on it. It’s my new favorite snack. “If I wasn’t the daughter of the famous football coach or the little sister of Autumn and Jake, no one would care about me. At all.”
“Ava, come on. You do a lot around school. You’re in leadership. You get good grades. You’re a member of the scholar society. You’re actually in a bunch of clubs, remember?” she asks.
“I like to keep busy,” I say with a little shrug.
“And you’re on the cheer team. You’re one of the most active people I know at this school,” Ellie says, her voice soft. “That has nothing to do with your brother and sister.”
“Yeah well, watch. I won’t get nominated. They don’t care about me that much. It’ll probably be Dakota and Lindsey,” I say. They’re both super popular.
“And you,” Ellie adds with a mysterious smile. “I uh, might’ve nominated you.”
“What?”
“Me too,” Marty adds, wearing a big ol’ grin.
“Same,” Thomas says with his shy smile.
Shock washes over me as my gaze sweeps over all of them. It’s been kind of nice sitting with them, instead of hanging out with the jerk football players. I don’t like having lunch with them, anyway. They’re always crude or saying stupid stuff.
I prefer my new lunch group.
“That’s only three votes,” I finally say, trying to fight down the sudden nervousness that wants to take over me. “Not enough to get me nominated.”
“We’ll see,” Ellie says mysteriously.
Funny thing is, I’m sitting in my last class on the day when the nominations are announced. And lo and behold, my name is listed as one of the junior girl nominees, along with Dakota’s and Lindsey’s. No surprise there.
But me? I’m stunned. Everyone in my classroom applauds for me when the nominations are finished, and also for Wyatt, since he’s in the class as well and is also a nominee. He approaches me when the final bell rings and we’re exiting the room, a little smile curling his lips. “Hey Ava, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure.” I follow him out of the class, smiling and saying thank you when people offer up their congratulations as they walk past. We round the corner of the building, Wyatt glancing around as if he’s looking for someone before his gaze settles on me.
“Congrats on the nomination,” he starts.
“Thanks. Same to you,” I say.
“I was wondering…do you want to run together?”
It’s normal once people are nominated that a couple will pair up and run together. So during the homecoming week activities, they can dress together for the themed days, play the silly games at lunch and stand together the night of the crowning ceremony.
“I thought you and Lindsey were together,” I say with a frown.
“She broke up with me a week ago.” He frowns, looking sad. Looking pretty cute, if I’m being real. He’s really nice. Doesn’t have a big ego at all, and he’s a great football player. He does well in school too. This is the type of boy I should probably go after. “And no way do I want to be paired with her.”
“I get it.” I smile at him. “Sure. I’ll run with you.”
“Great. Okay. Thanks.” His smile is one of pure relief. “I was afraid Lindsey might try and pair herself up with me.”
“I thought she broke up with you.”
“Yeah, but she’s still texting me every night, saying she thinks she made a mistake. Then when I try to talk to her here the next day, she pretends I don’t even exist. I don’t want to deal with a girl who has no problem breaking up with me, yet continues toying with my emotions,” Wyatt says assuredly.
“That’s a very—rational way of thinking,” I tell him. Nothing like Eli and I. He toys with my emotions all the time. I do the same thing to him.
“Yeah well, it got old. Fast.” He shakes his head. “But enough talk about Lindsey. I’m just glad you agreed to run with me. We’ll have to get together and discuss costumes and stuff for the themed days.”
“Of course.” I nod. “Sounds good.”
“I need to get to practice.” He smiles at me. “See ya later.”
He’s gone before I can say anything else. I walk in a daze across campus, headed for cheer practice. My phone starts ringing in my backpack, and I open up the side pocket and pull my phone out, answering it absentmindedly.
“Congratulations on the nom.”
My heart starts hammering its way out of my chest.
It’s Eli. And he seems…
Upset?
“Um, thank you,” I say. “How did you find out so quickly?”
“News travels fast, babe. You know this. When were you going to tell me?” His voice is tight. Yeah, he definitely sounds annoyed. If he’s mad that I didn’t rush out and let him know what happened immediately, he’s being ridiculous.
“Um, I just found out myself,” I remind him, clutching the phone tightly. “Are you mad at me or something?”
He blows out a harsh breath and I can only imagine what his face looks like right now. Tight lips. Narrowed eyes. Scowling. “No. I just don’t want you to be anyone else’s princess. You’re my princess.”
“Eli,” I chastise him, very, very softly, in case anyone is nearby and could hear me. “Are you actually jealous of me being nominated?”
“Yes. No. Fuck, I don’t know.” My stomach sinks at the emotion I hear in his voice. He sounds like he’s ready to tear his hair out. “I’m sick of sneaking around, pretending I don’t have a girlfriend, when I actually do.”
My heart soars. Did he just call me his girlfriend? “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I hate that we don’t go to the same school so I can hang out with you between classes and at lunch with my arm around your shoulders, letting every other motherfucker out there know that you’re mine. It kills me not being able to see you every single day.” He pauses, and I swear he’s out of breath. “Doesn’t it kill you?”
The misery in his tone is telling. “Yes,” I whisper. “But we already know we can’t tell—”
“Fuck that,” he says, interrupting me. “I’m ready to tell everyone on this entire mou
ntain that you’re my girl.”
I swallow hard, past the sudden lump in my throat. I’m not ready. I’m not. There’s so much I need to do and say. To my family. Dad and Jake. Ellie. The entire freaking cheer team. “I, uh, need a little more time.”
“Of course you do. Huh. It’s almost like you’re ashamed to be seen with me.”
Anger suddenly fills me, making my blood run hot. “That’s not true—”
“It is and you know it.” He keeps interrupting me, and I don’t like it. At all. “I’m sick of this shit, Ava. If you want to be with me, then prove it.”
He ends the call.
Oh my God, he’s such an asshole.
I march up the hill toward the cheer room, noticing that most of the girls are already there, and they’re all hanging outside, munching on snacks and drinking water. We’ll be out on the field later today, working on stunts and the homecoming halftime routine. Lindsey and Dakota are standing together, talking quietly and when they spot me heading toward the building, they both come running up to me, full of gushing congratulations.
“We should all go shopping together for our dresses!” Dakota exclaims as she grabs my arm and Lindsey’s and holds on, jumping up and down.
“Good idea! That way we won’t all wear the same dress or color,” Lindsey adds with a giant smile.
“Okay. Sure,” I say absently, not worried about finding a dress.
I’m too freaked out over Eli being so upset with me.
“Who are you running with?” Lindsey asks, her tone innocent. I get the sense she already knows.
This is where it could get real awkward, real quick.
“Because if it’s Wyatt, I’m cool with it,” she says easily, though I see a spark of something in her gaze. Like maybe she really is unhappy over it. “After all, I’m the one who broke up with him. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out between us. If I’m being real right now? I’ve always thought he had a little crush on you, though he always denied it when I confronted him.”
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