Old Habits

by Tabatha Kiss

  But that would be picking up where we left off. It wouldn’t be starting over like we agreed to do.

  I place an open palm on his chest. “Will…” I say, putting pressure on him.

  He inhales deep and lays his head on my shoulder. “I know,” he says, reading my mind. His grip loosens and he takes a short step back but he stays close to me. “It’s too soon.”

  “Right,” I say, licking the moisture from my lips. “We should set some boundaries.”

  He lays a hand on the counter. “Exactly. What are we thinking… first base? For now?”

  “Maybe rounding first?” I suggest.

  “Yes. Rounding. I can round.”

  “Just no…” I take a calming breath. “Nothing that involves too much running and sweating.”

  “Until we both agree that it’s time to run and sweat more.”

  “Yes. That sounds smart.”

  “I can do that.” He turns away and faces the counter, leaning into it with both hands.

  I step to the side to keep a little distance and grab my beer can. The condensation drips along my fingers but it’s not enough to cool me down. A fresh, warm pizza scent invades my nose and tickles my empty stomach. I look at Will still staring at cabinet in front of him with his head down. One of us should say something…

  “So, I guess we should continue with this date, right?” I ask.

  He doesn’t look up. “It’s hard,” he says.

  Sympathy clutches my chest. “I know but I really think that if we don’t play this safe this time, then—”

  “No, I mean…” He glances over his shoulder at me. “It’s hard.”

  I look down to his groin. “Oh.”

  His cheeks burn red. “I just need another minute…”

  A laugh teases my throat. “No problem. I, uh…” I force a chuckle down as I pick up his beer and set it down in front of him and slide back out of the way.

  “Thank you.” He snatches it and swallows several gulps.

  I take my own drink and the pizza boxes. “I’ll be on the couch. Wanna watch a movie or something?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. See you soon.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  “Take your time…” I step toward the living room, “but not too long because I will eat all of this cheesy bread.”

  He chuckles. “Yeah, I know.”

  I settle on the couch alone and silently exhale every ounce of heat from my body.

  Boundaries. Yes. Good, strong boundaries. Walls, even. Big, fancy walls that are sure to keep us apart as long as we don’t touch each other ever again.

  Will walks in and sits down beside me, making sure to keep several inches between us.

  We look at each other as his smirk slides across his face and my cheeks burn a bright red but we keep our twitching hands in our laps.

  Boundaries. Oh, yeah.

  This will definitely last.

  Chapter 17

  Will

  I knew I had feelings for Jovie Ross when I was fourteen-years-old.

  We grew up together but I never saw her as anything but my classmate until then. Or, at least, I thought I did.

  It struck me in waves. One day she was just weird, loner Jovie, sitting by herself in the cafeteria with a travel book in her hand and a pink slip from the vice principal in the other. Detention. Again. Who knows why this time.

  Then, all of a sudden, we were in ninth grade and our English teacher made us read Romeo and Juliet as a class. Roles were assigned at random. Mrs. Carter drew my name for Romeo and the class rolled their eyes. Of course, he’s Romeo, they said. Then, she drew Jovie’s name for Juliet and they laughed in her face.

  That was my first clue. I didn’t laugh with them because I couldn’t see anything funny about it. It was just a play. Just a bunch of old words on a page but teenagers don’t think like that. They instantly saw us as star-crossed mates, destined to mayhem and tragedy, but not only that — it was the classic joke of the popular boy forced to lower himself and play nice with the loser chick for everyone’s entertainment. I wasn’t about to be the brunt of a joke like that and the only way to overcome it was to own it.

  I got out of my desk, walked to the back of the classroom, and slid into the empty seat next to Jovie without saying a word. The snickers died down and Mrs. Carter got on with it but the cruel glances and puckered smiles remained on their faces. It didn’t seem to bother Jovie, though. Nothing ever did.

  We spent the next week reading it aloud as a class and I heard Jovie speak more words than I’d ever heard from her mouth before. Her monotone voice slipped away. Emotion dripped off her words in long, full sentences and I couldn’t help but respond in the same way.

  Our classmates probably found it hilarious but I honestly don’t know or care. I was stuck on Jovie the whole time.

  That was when she started offering me her second Pop Tart every morning.

  Two years later, she was mine.

  Three years after that and she was gone.

  Fast forward four more years and here she is with her head on my shoulder. She hasn’t budged in a little while, so she’s probably sleeping. I’d look and find out but I really don’t want to wake her. She’s breathing steadily. Her skin is warm and her pulse is strong. I don’t want to know what’s going on in her head. Just having her close by again is enough for me.

  I tap the remote on the couch beside my knee, inching the volume down just in case the final action scene startles her out of it. The movie is almost over and I’ll cross that bridge when I get there but for now, this is all I want. A quiet night with Jovie, surrounded by empty drinks and ravaged pizza boxes, and a movie with a plot so dull that it doesn’t even matter that I’ve missed several scenes because I’m too busy embracing her instead.

  Her breathing shifts and I hold mine, hoping she’ll fall right back in but she raises her head.

  “What time is it?” she asks, focusing on the television again.

  “I don’t know...” I reach for my phone next to my seat. “Just after midnight,” I read.

  Jovie leans forward and rubs her eyes. “I should get home while it’s still dark enough to sneak out of here unnoticed.”

  “Movie’s not over yet,” I say, keeping my hands on her.

  She looks over at me and smiles. “I’ve seen this one before.”

  “So have I but not with you.”

  Her shoulders relax and she settles back beneath my arm. “Okay... fine.”

  I wrap my arm a little tighter around her, holding her close and she doesn’t fight it. Her hair brushes the tip of my nose, wafting a bit of her scent upward. I close my eyes and breathe her in. My blood starts pumping south again and I know what will happen if I don’t settle down but I can’t help but touch her a little more.

  I brush her hair to one side, revealing the smooth skin of her neck and the black straps of her dress. Her chest rises and falls but it pauses for a second as I slide one strap down.

  I kiss her once on the shoulder. My lips stay there as I inhale, fueling my groin with more blood and I grow erect in my jeans.

  Jovie tilts her head away, bearing her neck to me. I kiss it again with a firm touch, pulling her closer and she melts against me. She raises a hand to the back of my head, holding us together. Her breaths become sharper and I let my tongue taste her as my lips crawl up to her earlobe.

  My hand slips around her, inching steadily closer to her breasts until Jovie takes it and places it there herself. I squeeze once before slipping my hand in to palm her bare breast and Jovie lets out a quiet moan in response. She turns her head back and our lips meet in passionate, breathy kisses.

  I open my eyes and look at her, once again thoroughly entranced by the siren in my arms. She twists around a little, pressing her hip into my groin and I kiss her deeper with lust. Her nipple grows hard against my fingers. Her mouth quivers as I pinch the sensitive, pink nub. I fight the urge to slide my hand between her legs and fingerfuck he
r until she comes for me. Rounding first. That’s where we agreed we’d be for now and I can’t betray that trust we’ve built.

  She lies onto her back, slowly taking me with her until I’m lying on top of her. I settle between her open legs, crawling my hand up her thigh to push her dress upward. Her skin is as soft and smooth as it always was. She tastes just as sweet and smells just as good. I kiss her harder and faster as her nails dig deeper into my shirt.

  Just two kids making out on the couch, forgetting all about the movie playing in front of them. My ears focus on my mother’s office door for a second, just in case it opens suddenly and I wonder if Sara said she’d be home at five or six…

  I pause as a laugh clenches my throat.

  “What?” Jovie asks, breathing hard.

  I glance around my house. I own this place. I’m an adult and yet, here I am, scared my family will walk in and catch me with Jovie.

  Just another old habit, I guess.

  “Nothing,” I say, taking her lips again.

  She pulls my bottom lip between her teeth and gently sucks on it, sending me back in time. Jovie and her various moves. God, how I’ve missed this. Her little moans. That subtle grind of her hips. From our first kiss all the way to the end, it never grew boring, that’s for sure.

  “Will...” she whispers.

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re kind of... stabbing me a little...”

  I shift backward and grab the TV remote pressing into her hip. “That’s not me...”

  “Oh…” She covers her mouth and laughs. “Whoops.”

  I let it slip from my fingers onto the floor and I ease in close to kiss her again.

  Jovie lays a hand on my chest. “I really should go, Will.”

  I take a deep breath, relishing in her scent. I’m not ready to let go of her yet.

  “I know.”

  We kiss once more, long and deeply, before she slides free from my grasp and stands up off the couch. I force myself up and follow her through the house to the bedroom.

  She bends over to grab her boots and sits down on the edge of my bed. “This was fun,” she says.

  My erection throbs in my jeans. “Oh, yeah. It was.”

  I admire her, watching as she steps one foot into her boot. Long, brown hair falls over one side of her face, casting shadows along the bridge of her nose. I can still make out the faintest color of her shining eyes and the hint of rouge on her cheeks.

  “Jovie, I don’t want to stop seeing you,” I say.

  She pauses and looks up at me. “I don’t either.”

  “Go out with me again.”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow night.”

  Her lips twitch. “I’m pretty sure Jovie Watch will be just as annoying tomorrow night as it was tonight.”

  I furrow my brow. “I’ll think of something.”

  “Like what?” she asks.

  “Something.”

  She chuckles as she ties off the other boot and sets her feet on the floor. “Sounds like a plan.”

  My heart tugs me closer to her and I step forward. “Jove...”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t go home tonight.”

  Her head tilts in hesitation. “Will, I shouldn’t stay.”

  “I don’t care about what we should do,” I say. “Do you?”

  She bites her lip. “Now you’re sounding like me.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Depends on who you ask, I guess.”

  I kneel in front of her and take hold of her ankles one at a time, drawing them up to slide the boots back off.

  “Will.”

  I move in and cup her face before she can protest. “Stay with me, Jovie.”

  I kiss her again and her lips quiver against mine.

  “We shouldn’t...” Her voice is weak, sitting on the edge of reason but I won’t force her over.

  “And we won’t,” I say, guiding her onto the mattress. Her head meets my pillow and I lay beside her, balanced on my elbow as my left hand caresses her cheek. “I just want to spend the night beside you again.”

  She clings to me with bated breath. “And what about tomorrow morning?” she asks.

  I smile as I brush the edge of her lips with my thumb. “I’ll think of something.”

  We kiss again, holding fast in each other’s arms until we’re both too tired to keep our eyes open.

  Chapter 18

  Jovie

  I feel him before I wake up.

  His calm breath touches the back of my neck. He lies on his side with one arm wrapped around me, spooning me against his chest. For a second, I wonder how we ended up in this position, but it’s obvious.

  Because we wanted to.

  I open my eyes and look around his room without moving. The night before comes flooding back to me. Two lives that drifted apart but somehow ended up right back in the same place again.

  I feel him stir and quickly pause,probably halting to think the same questions I just asked myself.

  I spin around onto my back to see his face. Will props himself up on his elbow, keeping his other hand on my abdomen.

  “Hey,” I whisper.

  He blinks his tired eyes. “Hey...”

  We breathe slowly, daring the other to say something first but we just end up staring instead. I wouldn’t know what to say even if I could. Should I thank him for a pleasant night and roll off the mattress as if we didn’t wake up like this? Or should I tell him that this was amazing and I haven’t slept this well in ages?

  Will’s thumb caresses my arm. Finally, he lets out the breath he’s holding as his eyes fall to my lips.

  “Fuck it.”

  He kisses me, crushing his mouth on mine and I kiss him back as I run my fingers through his thick hair. His hand shifts down my body, aiming to crawl beneath my dress but I don’t stop it. I do the same to him, touching his abs beneath his shirt as his hand reaches between my thighs.

  “Wait— wait,” I pause. “What time is it?”

  “Uhh…” Will reaches over to turn the clock on the bedside table. “Almost nine.”

  “Shit.”

  “Why?”

  I exhale. “I have to be at the store by ten.”

  “Oh…” He furrows his brow. “Shit.”

  I nod. “Yeah. Do you work today?”

  “No, I have Saturdays off.”

  “Lucky.” I push up onto my elbows. “Guess we’ll have to rain check this part.”

  “Sure.” He presses his lips together, his eyes still lustful and wild. “But… you don’t have to leave right this second, do you?”

  I think for a moment. “No.”

  His head drops to my chest. “Good.”

  He kisses my neckline, slowly moving up to my throat, making me lose my cool again as a sharp throbbing takes hold of my core.

  “So, what do you do?” I ask, my voice panicked and high-pitched.

  “What do you mean?”

  “With like…” I try to focus on anything but his tongue gliding along my collarbone. “Work. What do you do?”

  His breath drifts along my neck. “I fix cars.”

  “Yeah, but how? A car comes in for a tune-up… What do you do?”

  Will pushes back onto his knees, his sly eyes narrowing with the rise of his smirk. “Well... first thing... I check the outside for scratches and dents that might need attention.”

  He lays his hands on my calves and slowly slides up to my thighs. I laugh and shiver as they continue upward to my hips.

  “Kick the tires...” he continues, his hands still moving. “Inspect the headlights...”

  He cups my breasts, just barely squeezing as he licks his lips. I smile wide, feeling my fingers twitch and my toes curl.

  “Then…” he places his hands beneath my knees, “I pop the hood.”

  I gasp as he yanks upward and I slip onto my back. He slowly slides my dress upward until my panties are exposed. We make eye contact as he hooks his fingers along t
he elastic lining and he waits to see if I’ll stop him.

  I should stop him but my tongue turns to jelly in my mouth. I don’t say a word as he pulls my underwear down my thighs. Desire bends my knees and draws my ankles together to let him take them all the way off. He tosses them to the floor and puts a little pressure on my knees to spread them wide again.

  Will gazes down at me, his lips parting slightly. “I check the oil,” he says.

  His hand crawls between my thighs while his eyes stay on mine. He draws a slow line along my open slit, inching down to my entrance. I bite my lip and hold my breath, pulsing repeatedly until I feel his finger slide inside. My jaw drops open and I tighten around his knuckles with each slow and smooth stroke he gives me.

  Will pulls his finger out and looks at it. He tilts his head and hums. “Not bad,” he says, bringing it to his lips. “But we should probably top that up just to be safe.”

  He sticks his finger in his mouth and sucks it clean. My thighs quiver against him as he shifts down to kiss me. I taste myself on his tongue. I feel his erection pressing against my hip. His lust burns with his warm breath. I lie still, too numb to move, as he descends my body. He lingers between my thighs, leaving soft kisses along my skin inches away from the brutal throbbing of my clit.

  I chuckle through my teeth. “This is a little more than rounding first…”

  Will licks his smirking lips. “I’ll take the penalty, coach.”

  His tongue touches my clit, forcing me to inhale a deep, sharp breath as pleasure fires up my spine. My entire body locks up and my muscles burn as he owns me one firm lap at a time. I grip his hair, pulling him closer and he thrusts his tongue inside of me.

  I pinch my eyes closed, blocking the white lights and blurred vision. He plays me so easily, as if he never forgot exactly how to get me off and how to do it quickly. He slides his tongue out, only to replace it with two long fingers. I squirm beneath him, trapped and controlled by the perfect stroke of his fingertips and the firm touch of his tongue.

  I lose my words to moans and screams. My legs twitch on their own and my nails dig into his scalp. He moans, too, sending vibrations through my core. My back arches as the tension breaks and Will watches my climax with the same smirking eyes as he always did before.