One More Step

by Colleen Hoover

  Dane

  I fucked up—again. Dots is barely back in my life and here I am watching helplessly as she runs from me. The thing is, my dad’s a prideful man, and he was adamant he didn’t want anyone knowing he was sick.

  So, yeah…rock, meet hard place.

  Do I hope it blows over or do I text?

  Twenty minutes later, Anton and Brooks find me angry-baking in the kitchen, still hung up on whether or not I should reach out.

  “What crawled up your ass?” Anton asks as he plops down onto a barstool at the island.

  “Rough lesson with your mystery student?” Brooks adds, swiping his index finger through the batter remnants in the bottom of my mixing bowl.

  “Something like that,” I mutter, as I smack his hand.

  “Hey! Ouch!” He jerks his hand back and sucks the batter from his index finger. “Ooh, brownies.”

  “Brownies?” Anton echoes. “What are you trying to decide?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Brah,” Brooks drawls, going back for another swipe at the bottom of the bowl. “You only make brownies when you’re trying to figure shit out.”

  “Nu-uh.”

  “Yuh-huh. When Quicksilver and O’Neil wanted you to shoot an ad on the same day and you didn’t know who to pick, you made pecan fudge brownies.”

  Anton snaps his fingers. “Oh! And when you were trying to decide if you wanted to take blonde Molly or brunette Molly to the SURFER Awards, you made blonde brownies with maca…maca-whatever they’re called nuts.”

  I look at them both like they’re crazy.

  “So, what’s the great debate?” Brooks asks, stealing the bowl once and for all.

  “It’s a long story,” I say as I crack open the oven door to check on said brownies.

  “Alexa, how long is left on the timer?” Anton asks.

  “There are twenty-two minutes left on your timer,” comes her robotic reply.

  The jackass smirks. “Sounds like you have plenty of time to sum shit up to me.”

  “Ugh.” I tug on the ends of my too-long hair. “Fine.”

  Turns out, it only takes ten minutes to catch them up—plus five after they finish ribbing on me. It also turns out I’m a dumbass and should definitely text her.

  Dane: I was an ass today Dots.

  Her reply is instantaneous.

  Dots: Yeah, you were.

  Dane: Let me take you out to make up for it.

  Dots: Like on a date?

  Shit. Is it a date? I think…I think I want it to be.

  Dane: Yeah. A date.

  Dots: Tell me when and where.

  Dane: Nah. I’ll pick you up. Tomorrow night at 7. Say yes.

  Dots: Yes.

  SIX

  Thea

  “YOU’RE GOING ON a date with Dane!” Blue squeals for the fiftieth time as she rifles through my closet for an outfit. It seems I’m not capable of dressing myself for such a momentous occasion.

  “Yup, I am,” I reply coolly, even though on the inside I’m every bit the bouncing, excited mess Blue thinks I should be.

  She scoffs but continues flipping through my hangers. “Oh, wait! I think this is it!”

  She emerges victorious with a black wrap-style maxi skirt that has a thigh-high slit and a black lace bralette. It’s one of those impulse-buy outfits you fall in love with but never wear because it’s so not you.

  Which is exactly what I tell her. “Blue, I’ll look like a clown in this.”

  She tilts her head, studying me. “If by clown you mean crazy hot, then yes. Quit your bitching and get dressed.”

  Stripping down to my panties, I roll my eyes at my insufferable best friend. I step into the skirt and shimmy the soft fabric up my legs before tugging my underwear down—nobody likes panty lines—and slipping the lacy bra over my head. As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right…I look hot.

  Blue quirks her brow in a way that says told you so.

  I ignore her and finish getting ready. I don’t bother with my hair, it’s wild with a mind of its own and I learned to roll with its whims a long time ago. Thanks to good genes and a healthy tan, I don’t need much in the way of makeup; a little bronzer, a few swipes of mascara, and slick of peachy-tinted lip gloss and I’m good to go.

  She gives me an appraising once over as she heads for the door. “My work here is done. Have fun, use condoms!”

  “Why are we friends?” I mutter under my breath, not meaning it one bit. Blue’s been with me through it all and I fucking love her like a sister.

  Fifteen minutes later, at seven on the dot, there’s a knock at my front door. My inner asshole tries sending a wave of nerves through me, but I lock her away. Not tonight, asshole.

  “Holy shit,” Dane breathes out when I open the door. “You look…stunning.”

  I can feel the burn of my blush but ignore it, opting instead to drink him in. He’s dressed in a turquoise and green plaid button-down that makes his eyes pop, a pair of light-wash, lived-in jeans, and leather flipflops. He’s basically every beach girl’s walking fantasy come to life—myself included.

  “You look good too.”

  He smirks. “You ready?”

  I lock up and follow him out to his truck, where he opens the door for me and helps me into the lifted cab. “Where are we going?” I ask once he’s situated behind the wheel.

  “Wait and see. Let me woo you, Dots.”

  Laughing, I lay my head onto the seat back. “Okay, Dane. Get your woo on.”

  He shoots me a cocky grin. “Trust me, gorgeous, I’m gonna woo the panties off of you.”

  Butterflies—or maybe lust—swirl through me as I roll my head to look at him. “That’d be great if I had any on.”

  • • •

  Dane

  I slam on the brakes as the full force of her words crash down on me like a gnarly wave—the kind that totally sends you tombstoning. “What did you say?”

  Dots looks at me like I’ve lost my marbles—and maybe I have, but the thought of her sitting not even three feet away from me with no panties on is almost more than I can take. The temptation to slide my hand beneath the slit in her skirt and up her thigh to test for myself…fuuuuuck.

  “Dane!” her small, soft hand comes down on my arm and I jolt like it’s a livewire. “Are you okay?”

  I scrub a hand over my face. “Not even a little.”

  “H-how can I help?” she asks, her voice breathy.

  I pin her with a hard glare, that melts the second I meet her wide eyes. Her pupils are dilated, and her chest is rising and falling rapidly. She’s turned on, I think to myself. Ditto, Dots, fucking ditto.

  Without fully thinking it through, I unbuckle her seatbelt, slide her across the bench and haul her onto my lap. Her luscious lips part on a gasp as I kiss her hard and hungrily.

  Her hands grip the front of my shirt, urging me closer as mine tangle in her hair. Tugging, I tilt her head to the perfect angle to utterly devour her. Our lips, tongues, and hands move together in what feels like a well-practiced harmony. This is our first kiss, but it feels like a homecoming.

  After countless minutes, we break apart. “Do you feel better?” Dots asks, tracing the pad of her index finger over her kiss-swollen lips.

  “I feel fucking amazing.”

  She tries to scoot back to the passenger seat, but I clamp my hand down onto her thigh. “Stay.”

  Her lips tip up in a pleased grin as I adjust myself and shift the truck back into gear. Her head rests on my shoulder and my hand on her thigh as we drive a few more minutes down the narrow tree-lined road until it dead-ends in a small gravel parking lot.

  “Let me get everything ready,” I tell her as I hop out of the truck.

  SEVEN

  Thea

  I SIT IN a daze, replaying our kiss while Dane does…only God knows. Whatever it is, I trust him. Which is kind of crazy; then again, I’m pretty damn positive his kiss scrambled my brain. My lips are still tingling and my clit is pul
sing with need. I’ve never been so turned on in my entire life.

  I’ve always been a three-date kind of girl, but I swear on all that’s holy, I’d have let him have his way with me on the side of the road back there, had he tried to—so yeah, totally scrambled.

  I’m lost in my own lusty daydreams when the passenger door opens, scaring the life out of me. “Jesus, Dane!” I shout, clutching my hands to my chest.

  He grins. “C’mon, Dots.”

  I allow him to help me down from his truck. He tucks my hand into his and leads me around to the tailgate. The sight laid out before me absolutely blows my mind.

  SadGirl plays from a small Bluetooth speaker and the bed of his truck is loaded down with plush blankets and pillows. He has a cooler sitting on the tailgate and twinkling lights strung across the back window. This isn’t a date—it’s a proverbial paradise smack-dab in the middle of actual paradise.

  “Dane,” I whisper his name as he palms my hips and helps me up into the bed of the truck.

  “You like it?” he asks, looking unsure.

  “I love it.”

  His trademark cocky grin appears. “Good.” He settles in next to me. “You hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  He retrieves the cooler and pulls out an assortment of goodies: crackers, summer sausage, various cheeses, olives, fruit, and two bottles of water.

  We talk as we eat, reminiscing about our childhood and all the shit we got into as kids. Story after story, I’m reminded both of how easy things are with him and how much it hurt when he left.

  Though, since we cleared the air, it stings less. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not excusing his bullshit behavior—he was a total jackass, but I have no plans of holding it against him.

  “You remember when we played hide-and-seek with Danny and Nicky?” he asks as he cleans up the remnants of our dinner.

  I nod, trying to hold back my laughter.

  “Took them two hours to find us.”

  A giggle breaks free. “That’s because we went to your room and watched TV.”

  We spend more time in the past before I finally gather the courage to ask what I really want to know. “Why are you back here Dane?”

  He stiffens next to me and I worry I’ve somehow popped the magical, romantic bubble ensconcing us. After a long pause he says, “It’s my dad.”

  “What about him?”

  “Shit.” Dane heaves out a sigh. I start to tell him not to worry about it when the words just spill out of him. “He’s sick Dots.”

  “Sick?” I ask, my voice quavering.

  “He had a massive heart attack. Three arteries were blocked; they had to do a triple bypass.”

  My eyes water. David Foster is one of the best men I’ve ever met—kind and always quick with a smile.

  Noticing my tears, Dane wraps his arms around me and quickly adds, “He’s okay Dots. At home and in cardiac rehab.”

  A weight lifts from my chest. “Oh, thank God. W-would it be okay if I went to see him?”

  “I’d have to ask. You know how he is—stubborn as a mule. He’s determined to keep the whole thing a secret. But something tells me he’d make an exception for you.”

  I smile at his words before twisting to press my lips to his. While this kiss is far less frenzied than our first, it affects me all the same. With every flick of Dane’s tongue, my arousal swells within me like a great wave. He expertly licks and nips and pecks and nibbles my lips. He has me so turned on, I’m positive even the slightest touch would send me crashing to shore.

  Much to my libido’s dismay, Dane pulls back once things get too hot and heavy. “Fuck Dots, you get me so hot.”

  “Then why are you stopping?” I ask.

  Dane grips my chin between his thumb and index finger. “There’s something between us. I fucking feel it and I think you do too. I’m not gonna treat you like some beach bunny. You’re so much more, Dots.”

  Holy swoon-city.

  We spend the rest of the night alternating between getting to know each other again and stealing kisses until the sun rises.

  EIGHT

  Dane

  “YOUR DAD LOOKED good last week when we went to visit. How is therapy?” Thea asks, as she snuggles into my side on the couch. Her hand rests on my thigh, so close to my dick I practically feel her wrapping her hand around it and pumping…

  Thea uses the same hand I’m imagining jacking me off to smack me. “Dane, are you listening? I asked how your dad was.”

  “Yeah, brah, how is he?” Anton echoes, wagging his brows my way knowingly.

  I worried for a split second about the guys accepting her. We’ve always been hardcore with the whole boards before bitches thing, but she had them eating from the palm of her hand in five seconds flat.

  Hell, I think they like hanging with her better than they do me.

  “He’s getting there. He isn’t really loving the diet changes, but…” I shrug.

  Anton grins. “Bet he loves your mama playing nurse though.”

  “Dude!” Dots sits up and leans over me to smack him. “You’re talking about his parents!”

  I tug her back into my side, loving the way her small body feels pressed into mine. “Thanks babe,” I murmur as I run my index finger back-and-forth over her hip bone beneath the waistline of her shorts. She shivers in my arms. “You cold?” I ask, even though I know she isn’t.

  “No,” she whispers back, squirming beneath my teasing touch.

  While the past three weeks with Dots have been nothing short of blue-balled-bliss—I think it’s safe to say we’re both ready to take things to the next level.

  I meant it when I told her I wanted to treat her right, to do things right; but I’m pretty sure if my dick could, he’d throat punch me. The only silver lining: Thea is every bit as hard up as me. We’re both walking a wire’s edge between taking it slow and jumping between the sheets.

  “What are you two lovebirds up to tonight?” Brooks asks as he stands from his chair. “Y’all wanna come to a party?”

  I look to Thea, who is shaking her head. “Thanks, but we have plans.”

  “We do?” I ask, wondering what they are and when we made them.

  She leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth. “Mmhmm, we do.”

  “Guess we’re out,” I tell my boys as they both head toward the door. “Catch y’all later.”

  Once they’re gone, I turn to my girl. “So, what are these plans?”

  She shoots me a devilish grin before straddling me. “This,” she says as she reaches behind her and unties her bikini top. My hands twitch at my sides and my mouth waters as the fabric falls away and her lush, full tits come into view. Her rose-colored nipples are hard and practically begging for my mouth; it takes my all to put the brakes on this thing.

  Before I can question her further, her mouth is on mine, her tongue begging for entrance, as she tugs on my hair and grinds down onto my rapidly growing erection.

  It takes Herculean effort to pull back from her, but I do. “Are you sure?” I ask, panting as my impossibly hard cock presses against her. I can feel her heat, but it’s just a tease.

  Nodding, she brings my hands up to palm her breasts. They feel like heaven as I massage and knead them, testing their weight before rubbing my thumbs across their tips.

  She moans when I dip forward and suck one of the pebbled peaks into my mouth. “I want to feel you inside of me.”

  “Fuck Dots, you can’t say shit like that.” Because I want to be inside of her more than anything in the fucking world. Even more than I want to place in the Rip Curl Pro.

  She moves off me and tugs on my arm so I’m standing up. “Why not? It’s true. I want to feel you in me, around me, all over me. I want you to wring every drop of pleasure from my body, and then when we’re done, I want you to do it again.” A slight blush colors her cheeks. “Take me to your bedroom.” It’s a demand, not a question.

  Her hair is mussed, and her lips swollen from our kisses—and
while she’s always beautiful, she’s never been sexier than she is in this moment.

  I guide her back to my room, pulling the door shut and turning the lock just in case. “You’re so damn sexy,” I murmur as I reach out and pop the button on her shorts. As she shimmies out of them, along with her swim bottoms, I shuck off my clothes as well.

  I stand proud, letting Thea look her fill; I have a lot to be proud of and the way she’s looking at me has me hard enough to pound nails. She bites her lip as she watches me, and all too willing to put on a show, I give my hard length a slow tug and groan her name.

  Boldly she grabs my hand and guides it to that sweet spot between her legs. “See what you do to me.”

  “Fuuuuuck Dots,” I groan, when I feel how wet she is for me. Unable to resist, I flick my finger across her clit before sliding it right into her. She whimpers at the welcome invasion and rolls her hips. “That’s right, show me how good it feels when I touch you.”

  I continue to touch and tease her, taking her to the brink of orgasm before retreating. Finally, when her legs are trembling and a fine sheen of sweat coats her naked body, she shoves me away and steps up to me until we’re toe-to-toe. “I need you to fuck me now. Please?”

  If I thought I was turned on before, I was dead wrong, because Thea begging me to pleasure her has me feeling things I’ve never felt before.

  Wordlessly, I fall back onto my bed, tugging her down onto me with a sense of urgency. I can’t wait another second to be inside her. “Ride me.”

  I can’t stop myself from watching; she takes me in her hand before spreading her legs wide and slowly sliding down on me, every slow inch decimating my self-control. Watching her take me is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my life, and the feeling of her sinking down onto me is indescribable. It’s heaven and hell all at once. And when she starts working her hips, rolling them to a slow, sinuous beat only she can hear, I’m pretty sure I die.

  We move together slow and gentle, like we’ve been doing it forever. “Oh, God. I’m so close,” she whimpers in my ear before pressing her lips to my neck and kissing her way up to my jaw.