Microsoft Word - Starter Boyfriend.doc

by Lana Jovanovic

  “Yeah, me too,” he finally said after an unbearable silence. “I think that’s a good idea—

  the last thing that I want to do is hurt you in anyway, I hope you believe that.”

  “I do!” Zoe reached over and grasped his hand. His warm fingers squeezed hers, moving softly over her skin. The moment goose bumps invaded, Zoe pulled her hand away from Colton’s and ate a few Pringles. She’d have to amend their agreement to no touching period if he kept up all of those innocent caresses that weren’t at all friendly. “So, I did come here to work—what’s on the agenda?”

  “It wasn’t to lay mulch,” Colton said with a smile. “We’ll plant some flowers and I’ll have you push a wheelbarrow around. We’ll have some fun. As friends.” Zoe blushed and nodded. She finished off the rest of her sandwich and ate a few more chips, and was more than happy to escape the clutches of the intimate gazebo and get to work.

  However, it wasn’t as easy being just friends with Colton. Working along side him, while trying her hardest to only think of him as a friend, was nerve wracking and uncomfortable for Zoe. She spent all of her time trying not to touch him or stare at him with longing that she’d tripped, knocked things over, and acted like a complete klutz all day long. Colton laughed each time she did something clumsy and gently patted her shoulder innocently. It took Zoe all afternoon to realize that his constant pats were just an excuse to touch her, and she stopped them instantly with a no touching rule. Colton didn’t like it, but he didn’t fight it either.

  Toward the end of the day he had her prune bushes, which was an easy task and one she didn’t screw up on since he’d found work far away from her and she wasn’t concentrating on him as much. She worked hard for about an hour and only messed up once when she pulled a clipped branch too hard and hit herself in the face with it.

  “You okay?” Colton called. Zoe turned and saw him approaching her. After the wave of embarrassment passed she nodded and tossed the offending branch into the wheelbarrow.

  “Looks great, Zoe, I think we can call it a night. Want to grab some dinner?”

  “Um,” Zoe turned slowly. She wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. Of course they could have a meal together—as friends—but she only feared knocking things over.

  “It’s just dinner,” Colton said as he stepped close, closer than he’d been all day. Zoe backed up into the bush causing him to laugh. “You have a scrape on your face,” he said.

  “Come on, I have a first aid kit in the truck.” He picked up the handles of her wheelbarrow and began pushing it up the yard.

  Zoe was grateful that he took the wheelbarrow because she was exhausted and her back was aching from bending over it all day. She happily went to his truck and climbed into the passenger’s seat where she found her tote bag waiting for her. Colton finished up a few last minute things and saw his workers off before he returned to the truck. He took a small white first aid kit from the tool box in the bed of the truck and came around to Zoe’s side.

  “You look tired,” he murmured as she twisted around to face him.

  “This is very hard work,” she answered as he set the box in her lap and opened it. “I sit behind a desk drawing all day—I guess I don’t workout enough.”

  “I’m sure you workout plenty, Zoe,” Colton used a cleansing cloth to wash his hands and then used another one on Zoe’s face. She winced at the sting and the pressure he was putting on the scrape. “I thought we could go to O’Shea’s again,” he said as he worked to clean the wound and put first aid cream on it. “I could use a few cold beers, what about you?”

  Zoe didn’t answer. She couldn’t, not with his fingers delicately touching her face as he fixed her up, and certainly not with the proximity of his warm body leaning into her.

  Colton used both of his hands to smooth her hair back from her face. She felt his fingers pull band from her pony tail free; again he swept her hair back and retied the band to keep her hair out of her face. His hand moved up her back to her nape and his fingers massaged her tight muscles. She felt him drawing her closer and did nothing to stop him.

  “I’d put a band-aid on, but,” his voice trailed off as she lifted her head to his. She looked him in the eyes, maybe for the first time that entire afternoon. The moment she did, his fingers tightened on her nape and his kissed her hard. She tried pushing him away, but easily fell into the kiss and into the warmth of his embrace.

  The kiss lasted for more than a minute, just enough time for Zoe to feel completely swept away by him and at the same time completely frustrated with herself for giving in. She jerked her head back and turned away from his seeking mouth. His lips moved along her jaw and to her ear, which was much more electric than having his hands moving over her backside. She twisted away from him, knocking the first aid kit off her lap and onto the floorboard of the truck.

  “Zoe,” his hands gripped her waist.

  “No, stop!” she exclaimed. “This is exactly what I’m talking about!”

  “I know, I’m sorry…” he tried to pull her back toward him, but she twisted out of his grip and crawled across the seat, shoved open the driver’s door, and fell out of the truck in effort to get away from Colton. She ignored Colton as he called out to her and scrambled to her feet. Colton came around the front of the truck and Zoe hurried behind it. Colton ran to catch up with her and took her hand, pulling her back toward him. “I’m sorry—it won’t happen again.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she looked up at him and felt herself beginning to smile. He was giving her his best puppy dog sad eyes and a pouty lip. “Stop making that face.”

  “I’m sorry,” he pulled her close and pressed his chin to her shoulder. She trembled at the feel of his breath against her skin and the gentle press of his fingers on her side as he drew her closer to him. “Forgive me for kissing you?”

  “Colton,” she turned slowly and laughed as he swept her into his arms. “Colton, can you please, please, please, understand how I’m feeling?”

  “I do—I just wasn’t thinking,” his hand moved down to the small of her back. She twisted away and put space between them. As she opened her mouth to tell him yet another rule, Colton held up his hands in protest. “From this point forward, I promise not to touch you in such away until I’m sure about what I want. Deal?” He extended his hand. Zoe stared at his palm for a long time and then slapped her hand against his quickly so she wouldn’t have to shake and feel the strength in his fingers.

  Colton laughed and gestured back to the truck. “Let’s get out of here—I’m starving.” Zoe slowly returned to the passenger’s side and scooped up the fallen band-aids and gauze packages and climbed inside. Colton joined her after loading up the back of his truck and pulled out of the driveway. Zoe watched the mansion shrink in the side mirror and tried not to concentrate on the soft tingle Colton’s lips had left on her skin.

  They stopped at his shop before driving to O’Shea’s. Colton didn’t want to leave expensive equipment in the back of his truck and park on the streets of Manhattan. Zoe didn’t mind stopping because sitting in the cab with him, talking about silly things to avoid the true issues between them, had been torture. All she did was stare at his dirty hands as they gripped the steering wheel, and thought about how she wanted those hands on her body. Zoe also noticed how his jeans pulled tightly against the muscles of his strong thighs. And then there was his crotch, which she was embarrassed to realize she glanced down at quite frequently. It was all too much to handle and she was grateful to slide off the warm leather seat and into the cool evening air.

  “You okay?” Colton called as he walked around the back of the truck and reached in to grab a few empty crates. Zoe nodded and did the same on the other side of the truck, glad there was a ton of steel separating them, because she was quite sure that she was about to tear his clothes off. The thought of herself becoming so brazen made her blush. It seemed that the more Zoe denied herself of him the more she wanted him.

  They unloaded the back of t
he truck silently and both tried their hardest to keep their respective distance, which was difficult because with his truck unloaded his work room became small and cramped. She could barely move around without buttoning him.

  “Can I borrow the phone?”

  “Sure,” he gestured toward a small cubical where she saw a cluttered desk and a computer. She sat down, located the phone under a pile of papers, and dialed Minnie’s number. Zoe needed reinforcements; she needed to hear her friend’s lecture from earlier about how Colton wasn’t over Cara yet. She needed to hear how taking things to a more intimate level would only hurt more in the end. She needed someone to tell her that it was necessary to keep things platonic with Colton.

  “Minnie, it’s me!” Zoe hissed.

  “What happened, I’ve been trying to call you all day! Cara’s back?”

  “No, it was her sister,” Zoe glanced over her shoulder. Colton was standing with his back to her working on something at his worktable. “Minnie… I’m losing my mind. Colton and I talked and I told him that it was best if we remain only friends.”

  “Okay,” Minnie said after a moment. “What’s the problem then?”

  “Ever since I told him that I’ve wanted to rip his clothes off,” Zoe whispered. “I’m losing my mind.”

  “Wow,” Minnie whispered back. “That’s big, Zo! What’s he doing?”

  “I don’t know,” Zoe pressed her forehead against a pile of papers on Colton’s desk and closed her eyes. “What should I do?”

  “Are you asking for my permission to sleep with my brother?” Minnie asked.

  “No, of course not!” Zoe exclaimed, but she wasn’t entirely sure. “Am I?” Minnie began laughing, which made Zoe blush. “Look…” her friend finally said when her laughter ebbed, “you have to protect yourself and—”

  “Min, I know all about that!” Zoe hissed. “I’m not a child. I know about safe sex.”

  “I wasn’t talking about that,” Minnie began laughing again. “I’m talking about your heart, Zoe. You are not a girl who engages in casual sex, it’s going to mean so much more to you than that. It might be better to wait until Colton’s 100-percent open to the idea of being with someone other than Cara. It was her sister? Which one, Becky?”

  “Yes,” Zoe whispered. “She was beautiful.”

  Minnie sighed, “I know that you must be feeling a lot of different things for my brother. I can’t give you advice on this one, Zoe. I just want you to be safe—in both ways.”

  “Okay, you’re not very helpful.”

  “You could call Paige,” Minnie suggested.

  “No!” Zoe exclaimed. “I’m not going to pollute her mind and give her ideas of what she could possibly do with Clint. How was she today anyway?”

  “She was fine—she was glad that you were spending the day with Colton, but I think she’s getting a little worried that you might not want her as a little sister.”

  “I’ll call her,” Zoe said feeling an immeasurable amount of guilt in neglecting Paige.

  “That’s the last thing I want to do—anyway, I’ve got to go. You should know that you were absolutely no help at all.”

  “Sorry,” Minnie chirped.

  Zoe hung up the phone knowing full well that Minnie wasn’t sorry at all. She sat there for a minute, trying to calm her restless spirit and then rose and stepped out of the little cubicle. Colton was across the room from her hauling heavy bags of soil and fertilizer up onto the shelves lining the far wall. Zoe crossed her arms and watched him work. He seemed to be concentrating on the task at hand, but his eyes were far off in thought, his muscles working automatically. As he hoisted up the last bag, Zoe slowly moved toward him stopping a few feet away, uncertain of her next move or what she should say. Colton turned and was startled to find her standing so close.

  “Everything okay?” He asked.

  “Yup,” she nodded.

  “You look a little pink,” he smirked. “Are you too warm?”

  “Fine,” she shook her head. “I’m fine—do you need help with those bags?” Colton glanced down at the non-existent pile of bags at his feet and then smiled. “No—I think I’ve got it under control.”

  “Okay,” she nodded her eyes not once leaving his. Colton tilted his head to the side a little and laughed. He took a step toward her. Zoe sucked in a sharp breath as his finger hooked her chin and lifted her eyes up to his.

  “Your cut is bleeding a little—I should get a good bandage on it. Hold on one sec, Jamie keeps a first aid kit in the bathroom.” His thumb brushed lightly over her chin before he released her. Zoe watched him disappear into the next room. The moment he was gone from her sight she released the breath she’d been holding and slowly walked toward his work bench. She picked up a pair of hand sheers and studied them for no reason other than keeping her mind and hands busy.

  “Jamie’s still here,” Colton said as he returned. “There are a few customers in the front of the shop—looks like a future bride and groom.” Zoe turned as Colton approached her. “I need to pay Jamie more—she works hard and has to deal with bridezillas all spring and summer and fall—and sometimes winter.” Colton set a rusted first aid kit on the table beside her and laughed; his fingers moved over hers and Zoe’s heart began to flutter,

  “Here I’ll take those.”

  Zoe glanced down at her hands and watched as he pulled the sheers she was clutching over her heart free of her hands and set them aside.

  “Okay—let’s clean you up.” His fingers tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and his eyes darted away from hers. She stared at his chin and lips as he opened the kit and rummaged around inside.

  “So… I’m dying for a beer,” Colton said as he used a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol to clean her scrape. She winced at the pressure and subtle sting and then she melted as Colton blew gently on the damp area. She stepped back from him only to run into the edge of his table. Colton stepped in, closing her between his body and the table, and laughed lightly. “Why are you so squirmy?”

  “I think you know,” she said with frustration. “You are impossible, Colton!”

  “What did I do?” he asked innocently. “I’ve done nothing all day long—I’ve been a gentleman,” he gently blew against her cheek again and then pulled two band-aids from the box. “Big or little? I don’t have any Scooby Doo ones.”

  “I don’t care,” Zoe grumbled. “Just… get it over with.”

  “Big will cover it better,” he decided. “Why are you so cranky? Too much sun?” Zoe opened her mouth to respond but couldn’t find the right words to tell him all that she was truly feeling—what she really wanted. He tore open the band-aid and carefully applied it to her cheek. When the band-aid was in place Colton brushed her hair back behind her ear again. She stared at his thick eyelashes, slightly hidden by hair that was a bit too long. He smelled so good, too, like dirt and sweat. Zoe chewed on the inside of her cheek.

  “Well, it really isn’t a great accessory, but it’ll keep the scrape clean for now,” he didn’t step back. Zoe waited for him to do so, but he didn’t. He stood within a foot of her and continued to stroke her hair and touch her ear.

  “Okay, thank you,” Zoe said as she eased his hand away from her face and tried to step around him. Colton made moving impossible, he blocked her path and brought both of his hands to her cheeks. “Colton—” she warned.

  He pressed his fingertip to her lips and touched his forehead to hers. She could feel his breath on her face; she could feel his lips hovering over hers.

  “I said I wouldn’t touch you until I knew what I wanted, remember?” Zoe nodded slightly.

  “Good,” Colton murmured a moment before one hand slipped down to her neck and the other moved down to her waist. Zoe closed her eyes. Her chest was beginning to hurt due to the rapid pulse of her heart and the fact that she couldn’t breathe when he was holding and touching her so gently. “I don’t want to hurt you, Zoe,” he whispered.

  “I know,” she responded stan
ding up on her toes to encourage him to kiss her. Her fingers touched the soft collar of his polo shirt and then moved against his warm neck. She felt his rapid pulse under her fingertips and felt her own heart lurch. “I know you don’t want to hurt me, Colton.”

  “Good,” he said just before he pressed his mouth to hers and tugged her against his chest.

  The kiss ended only when Colton was forced to break away to take a breath. She thought it would end then and a small part of her hoped that it would. Another part, a much larger and more carnal part, ached for his hands to roam in much more sensitive places on her body. Zoe forgot all about her rules and her desire to just be his friend. She lifted her body against his and kissed him as she had wanted to all day long. For once in her life she decided to live in the moment—damning all the consequences of her actions.

  --

  Lesson Twelve: “The phrase ‘light as a feather, stiff as a board’, can take on new

  meanings, if you're creative. And sometimes ‘stiff’ comes after the shock of being

  discovered.”

  There were two things in his life that Colton was certain of. First, he knew landscaping and he knew how to work with delicate flowers. And second, he’d never wanted someone as much as he wanted Zoe in that moment.

  He’d never felt such a rush of desire for someone, not even Cara; and it was shocking and a little frightening to feel such things. At the same time, it thrilled him how one soft kiss from her full lips could make him feel like the Hulk about to explode from his clothes with throbbing muscles and the need to tear something, anything, apart.

  Zoe’s little body slid up his as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to hers. As he cradled her head in his palm and let his mouth devour hers, his fingers slipped into her soft brown hair. He felt her fingers sliding through the back of his hair, curling around the ends momentarily before her warm palm cupped his nape. Colton broke the kiss briefly and tried to catch his breath. Zoe stood up on her toes and kissed his chin, her lips moving slowly down his neck. His breath caught in his throat as her fingers moved down his back and slipped underneath his polo. He felt the fire of her palm and was turned on by the feeling of her skin on his. He wanted to tell her to stop, but he couldn’t, not when it felt so damn good.