by Rachel Lee
“Sit down.”
He did. Remembering what had happened the last time he sat on her couch, he sat on the oversize chair this time and popped open his can.
She scooted off to the kitchen and brought back a paper plate with two more slices of pizza on it. He smiled and caught something sexier than pizza-serving in her eyes, which stirred him as he took a bite.
Fifteen minutes later, sated with carbs and alcohol, he was totally relaxed. He rested his head on the back of the chair and listened to a car chase in the DVD playing on her TV. When was the last time he’d felt this good? Oh, right, the last time he was here.
Without warning, Jocelyn slipped onto his lap. His head snapped up. “What’re you doing?”
“Picking up where we left off.” She kissed his cheek and nibbled his earlobe. That woke the nerve endings all along his chest.
“This isn’t a good idea, is it?” His fingers itched to pull her ponytail free, to see her hair fall on her shoulders and feel its softness.
She kissed the side of his neck. “Let’s pretend it is.” She lifted her head and with huge brown eyes worked some magic that entered through his sight and made a little excursion all the way below his belt. “Let’s pretend we’re far, far away and it’s just you and me—” she said, kissing his chin, coming ever so close to his lips but teasing away “—and there’s nothing else to do...”
Okay, as bad an idea as it was, he didn’t need one more word of coaxing. His arms wrapped her close and he moved in for an amazing kiss, willing and open and very inviting. He could do that—pretend nothing else mattered. Right now, kissing Jocelyn, nothing else did.
He explored her mouth and tongue, as she did the same. His hand traced up her side all the way to her breast. That’s exactly where they’d left off before. Now he planned to move on to new territory. He cupped her and felt that stirring tighten low in his gut.
Her skin smelled nectar sweet as he fanned kisses over her neck and shoulder while working to remove her top. Her total cooperation made it easy to get her half naked, and man, it was well worth the effort. She was covered in goose bumps, and her small, sweet breasts got his undivided attention. As he kissed each one, she yanked and pulled off his T-shirt, forcing him to separate from those warm, velvet tips.
He looked into her dark eyes and saw a flash fire of longing. It shot through his chest, ricocheted off a few strategic places, then forged a path right down to his toes. When they hugged, with her breasts smashed tight against his chest, he understood there’d be no stopping this time. And he was ready.
“Are you sure?” he whispered over the shell of her ear.
“I’ve been sure about wanting to be with you since I was sixteen years old.”
The sweet confession about blew off his head, and any hope for control vanished. He kissed her like he’d die if he didn’t have her right that instant, and she seemed to be perfectly in sync with his flaming libido.
After greedier, nearly desperate kisses, Jocelyn broke away and pulled out her hair from the ponytail band. “Let’s go,” she said on a breathy rush. She jumped off his lap, and without a single thought apart from sex, he followed her down the hall and up the stairs.
Her bedroom had grown up, too. A sleek and dark wood bed covered with a brown and pink bedspread invited them to crawl on top. She stopped long enough to pull back the covers while he unzipped his jeans. She walked behind him as he checked out the satiny sheets, then heard a tiny gasp and realized she must have noticed his tattoos.
“When did you get these?” Hugging tight to his back, she kissed each shoulder.
“A couple years ago.”
“They’re beautiful. So powerful.”
The ravens, Thought and Memory, weren’t doing such a good job of keeping him on track, just now. And reason? Forget about it.
He definitely wasn’t thinking when from behind she spooned against him, her warmth spreading like a soft kiss across his back, and when she slipped her hands inside his boxers every single memory in his head checked out. As she explored, it occurred to him that she enjoyed his body as much as he did her touching it, and it turned him on even more. He pivoted, his full erection pressing against her stomach. She caressed him, making every last thought, other than wanting Jocelyn and her body, fly from his head.
Somehow they made it onto the bed and he removed her shorts while kicking off his boxers, admiring all of his girl next door. Long, lean body and pert, high breasts, tight and rosy tipped. Her sexy and inviting smile melted away one yellow flag.... Things would never be the same.
It didn’t matter. He covered her body with his and savored her smooth warm skin and welcoming embrace. Soon, with arms and legs wrapped and tangled tight, with tossing and rolling around the mattress, where she’d wound up on top and with hot kisses steaming up their faces, he wanted nothing more than to be inside her.
She read his mind, taking him between her thighs and pressing close. “Just a sec,” she said.
In a flash she was back on top, rolling down a condom, and with the feel of her hands and fingers around him, he was ready to burst. Jumping into overdrive, they joined together, as if they couldn’t breathe without the other, as if they’d belonged together for years. Moving, rocking, delving in and out. Her torso slinked along his chest as her pelvis lifted and dropped. He held her hips and dove into her like a maniac, his fire stoked by her groans and whimpers. They worked to please each other, fast, slow, long, deep and deeper. Damp with perspiration, the sweet smell of her sex drove him to the edge. He rolled on top of her, lunging deeper and faster, enjoying watching her bliss out and feeling exactly the same. She came with a gasp, and while she spasmed tightly around him he hissed air through his teeth and found release with an explosion of sensations that rattled him head to toes, until every last care got washed away.
Moments later, as the world slowly peeked back into view, he collapsed next to her, and with Jocelyn snuggled tight to his side, he slipped into a deep, sweet sleep.
* * *
One eye popped open. The bedroom had darkened as if dusk. Lucas glanced at the clock. Had he been asleep for two hours? Jocelyn was on her stomach smack to his side like a beautiful rag doll. He ran his hand along her back and over her rounded bottom, treasuring the silky feel on top and the toned muscle beneath. It stirred him.
She lifted her head and batted her lashes as she awakened. “Wow, you did me in.”
“You did me, too. Don’t remember when I’ve slept so soundly.”
She got a silly look on her face and soon let go a giggle.
“What’s so funny?”
“Us napping together made me think of something. Remember when we were around ten and I talked you into sleeping out back to watch the meteor showers that August?”
He grinned as a vision of yet another big idea of Jocelyn’s played out, one not nearly as fun as today’s. “You mean when you left me?”
“I heard coyotes, and a frog had gotten into my sleeping bag.”
He grabbed and tickled her. She squirmed and laughed more. “That’s no excuse for leaving me outside all night. You were such a wuss. All big ideas and no follow-through.”
“I followed through today, didn’t I?”
He kissed the back of her shoulder. “Big-time.”
Even though he’d quit tickling her ribs, she still laughed. “If you could have seen yourself the next morning. Dead to the world.” She laughed enough to make it hard to get her words out. “You were surrounded by crows and they’d broken into your popcorn.”
Now he was laughing. “Oh, man. I remember I brought the popcorn so you and I could share it watching the shooting stars, which you guaranteed a million of, and I think I only saw one the whole night.”
She took a deep breath, and her smile switched to a serious gaze, as if right now she saw shooting stars on him or something. The look made him want to pull her close again.
“That was so sweet,” she said, now completely serious. “Bringing me pop
corn.”
He could only take so much of her gooey looks without wanting to jump her again. “More like dumb, if you ask me.” He pinned her with an I-never-understood-how-you-could-do-it stare. “I always let you talk me into your grandiose plans. You made everything sound so great, I couldn’t resist. Sleep out under the stars—” He traced her breast with his fingertips. “Just you, me and our sleeping bags.” He cupped her and kissed her collarbone, then watched all the tiny chill bumps appear. He smiled. “Except there turned out to be clouds and I woke up all damp and cold from heavy dew. And you’d bailed!”
Watching her lay beside him with that adoring grin got him all worked up again.
“You loved it,” she said. “Admit it.”
Their eyes met and melded. “Yeah.”
“And so far my grandiose pizza-and-beer plan has worked out pretty well, hasn’t it?”
He pressed his hand to her belly and spread his fingers over her soft flesh. “Oh, yeah. Very impressive plan.”
She kissed his chest. “Ready to admit I’m good for you?”
“Oh, you’re good for me, all right.” He got on his knees and lifted her up to him, and soon Jocelyn’s sleek bed and mattress got another workout.
And later, after more frantic sex in the shower, he went home because the last thing he wanted his parents to think was he was screwing Jocelyn. Which of course they would think anyway, because no one went for a visit next door and stayed six hours unless hanky-panky was involved. Hot and heavy hanky-panky, the thought of which almost made him turn right around and head back for more.
How in the world was he supposed to sit on this gold mine and keep his mouth shut? Damn. Jocelyn. Who would ever have thought?
Lucas passed through the family room and waved.
“Did you have a nice time?” his mother called out.
“Yep.” Freaking fantastic monkey sex! He’d tried his best not to make eye contact before he strolled down the hall to the room. Even so, she managed to convey she knew exactly what had gone on. With a smile.
“I’m heading for bed.” As if that wasn’t where he’d been all afternoon.
Just before he closed his door he swore he heard his mother say quietly, “See, I told you we had to let him figure some things out for himself.”
* * *
Sunday night, Anne and Jack were expected for dinner. They’d been trading weekends between Portland, Oregon, where she worked, and Whispering Oaks, where Jack taught at the high school. Anne had finally found her soul mate—especially after Jack had popped the question. Come September he’d join the family. Lucas hadn’t seen Anne this happy, well, ever.
After Lucas finished working on the Mustang he took a shower, planning to show up right on time so as not to seem antisocial.
“Dinner’s ready!” His mother called out just as he finished getting dressed. He congratulated himself on perfect planning.
Lucas nearly skidded to a halt when he saw Jocelyn sitting at the dining table next to his sister. How was he supposed to face Joss in broad daylight and not react when all he’d thought about since last night was being naked with her?
“Here.” Mom handed him a baking dish filled with lasagna. “Take this to the table for me.”
“Good evening,” Jocelyn said, a teasing tone to her voice.
“And good evening to you, too.” That was as flirty as he’d allow, not ready to advertise their new status as lovers. After putting the dish on the table, he sat next to her and across from Anne, who had a suspicious expression on her face, as if adding up two and two.
Could everyone tell?
“Jack, how’re you doing? I hear congratulations are in order.” Lucas reached across the table to shake Jack’s hand to distract himself.
“Yep. Finally got Anne to come to her senses,” Jack said.
His parents couldn’t have looked happier if they’d won the million-dollar lottery.
Anne blushed, then kissed Jack on the cheek.
Lucas flashed back to their conversation in the garage where she’d asked him if he believed in finding a soul mate, glad she’d found hers.
Normal dinner chitchat—sprinkled with a fair share of wedding talk—ensued, but it took all of Lucas’s control to keep his eyes off Jocelyn. She’d worn a cute little black top that had several slits on the sleeves, giving a peekaboo view of her shoulders. And now he knew those shoulders all too well. Damn, she knew what she was doing, and it nearly drove him nuts.
Finally, dinner was over. Lucas had hardly gotten through it when his dad interrupted his thoughts. “Does everyone have time to play a board game with me?” Kieran said. “I’ve been going stir-crazy being cooped up in the house all the time.”
“Sure,” Anne said. “I’m all packed and Jack’s going to take me to the airport.”
From the look on Jack’s face, Lucas got the impression Jack may have wanted a little more private time with Anne before he sent her home. Long-distance relationships had to suck. Every chance they got, Anne and Jack looked at each other or touched. She’d talk and lean into him. Jack actually ate his entire dinner single-handed because his other arm was around Anne, stroking her shoulder as if never wanting to let her go.
“I’d like to, too,” Jocelyn said, causing Lucas to mirror Jack’s not-so-excited expression.
“Let’s play that game where you fib about stuff and try to get others to believe you!” His mom went rushing down the hall to the closet where they stored their family games.
“What about the dishes?” Lucas heard himself ask, sounding incredibly lame.
His mother was back in a flash, board game in hand. “Forget about them for now. You can help me wash them later. Right now it’s so nice to have the family together.”
The family. Hmm. Was she counting Jocelyn as part of their family? Lucas started feeling boxed in, like he needed to get outside for some fresh air. He glanced at Jocelyn, who must have picked up on his discomfort.
“I’ll be Lark’s substitute tonight,” she said.
His dad smiled, obviously thinking about his youngest daughter all the way back in Boston. His favorite, as Anne and Lucas had decided early on.
A half hour into a less-than-exciting game, everyone got sidetracked with cookies and ice cream. Jack and Lucas brought the last of the bowls out. Lucas handed one to his father, and they smiled at each other.
Lucas could tell how much it meant for his dad to have the family around.
“Do me a favor, Lucas,” he said. “Bring out that photo album I put on my dresser.”
Oh, God, no. He wasn’t planning to embarrass and bore everyone with family photos. Lucas hid his initial reaction. “Sure. We gonna see pictures of you with mutton-chop sideburns?”
He heard his father’s boisterous laugh as he retrieved the singled-out family album, deciding not to take any sneak-preview peeks.
“Here you go.”
With great pride, his dad shared photos of the kids from twenty years ago: Anne skidding down the Slip ’n Slide with Mom looking on and clapping; Lark on the old swing set, feet extended, high in the sky; Dad tossing a pitch to Lucas, earnestly holding the bat, his tongue at the corner of his mouth in concentration; Jocelyn and Lucas skinny-dipping in the backyard blow-up six-inch-deep wading pool.
Very different from the last time he’d seen her naked.
“See here?” his dad said to Jocelyn. “You were always at our house, like our fourth kid.”
Jocelyn blushed, taking the photo album to see how many pictures she was in. Lucas smiled, remembering how she was always hanging around their house.
The old photos sparked a handful of memories for everyone, and they also made Mom’s eyes shine with moisture.
“Lucas, do you remember the time you got me in trouble for laughing in Sunday school?” Anne said, spooning ice cream into her mouth.
“He did that to you, too?” Jocelyn said, licking the back of her ice cream spoon without a clue how much that turned him on.
How had he gotten so many people in trouble in Sunday school? He pulled in his chin. “Who, me?”
“You used to pretend to lisp when we sang hymns.” Anne giggled with the memory.
Lucas laughed along with everyone else, catching his mother’s adoring eye. He lifted his shoulders. “What can I say? I had a knack.”
After everyone finished dessert, Jack and Anne had to leave. He noticed Jocelyn hanging around the door with them. She’d worn straight-leg jeans and boots with a whole bunch of buckles on the sides. Combined with that top, she looked sexy as hell. Walk her home, idiot.
“Joss, wait up, I’ll walk you home.”
After everyone said their goodbyes, Lucas and Jocelyn strolled up her steps. Memories of everything that had happened last night flooded his head. He needed to take a step back and process what it meant to have crazy sex with a lifelong family friend who just happened to be the girl next door.
“You want to come in?” Jocelyn said, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Or maybe it was just the porch light.
“I better not. We could get in trouble in there.”
“That’s kind of what I was hoping.”
He lifted a clump of her hair and placed it behind her shoulder. “I don’t want my parents to know everything that goes on in my life. Maybe we need to be more discreet, you know?”
She tilted her chin up and because he couldn’t resist, he brushed his lips over hers. He wanted to plant hot kisses all over her body, watch her writhe with pleasure the way she had last night—but not tonight. Not when Mom and Dad were next door waiting for him. He couldn’t let things get out of hand until he figured out what having sex with Jocelyn meant.
She playfully pushed his chest away. “Okay, then. Not tonight, honey. I have a headache.” Her challenging grin did the trick.
He grabbed her wrist, tugged her close and covered her mouth. He breathed in her marshmallow scent with their open and heavy kisses, wanting to eat her up, pushing her against the front door, leaning into her. Her hands were as busy as his, finding his buns and squeezing, pulling him closer and closer.