Matt and I got the boat away from the dock and, by the time I was able to get a beer and sit down, the only spot was up by Matt. Kara had Chase on one side of her and Matt’s brother Derek on the other. What the fuck? How was I supposed to talk to her?
I opened my beer and sat down with a scowl. I pulled my t-shirt off over my head and took a drink. If I couldn’t get near her tonight, how was I supposed to ask her out?
“What’s the matter, JT? Getting cock-blocked?” Matt smirked as he drove the boat out to the sandbar where everyone parked to party.
“Whatever,” I muttered and took another drink. I turned and looked back at her. She had taken off her top to reveal her black string bikini top. I swallowed hard, my gaze traveling over the curves of her breasts. I felt a stir between my legs. She stood up and unbuttoned her jeans, shimmying them down her legs. She stepped out of them and I bit my lip. Damn, the bottoms barely covered her ass, and I noticed Chase and Derek checking her out.
I clutched my beer can a little too tight, causing it to crinkle loudly. Matt snorted and rolled his eyes, but the rest of the group was oblivious to me. Fuck, this was not going how I hoped at all.
Matt turned on some music, and the girls began to dance to the latest song by Jason Aldean. Soon Chase and Derek were dancing with them. I finished the rest of my beer and got another one. Booze might be the only thing to get me through this evening.
I watched Derek carefully as he danced with Kara. He got behind her and was grinding against her, much like she and I did the other night. When they finally sat down exhausted, he sat next to her again–this time with his arm around her shoulder, clearly staking his claim to her.
I didn’t know too much about Matt’s brother Derek. I knew he was older and went to school in Milwaukee. I wasn’t even sure what he was studying. Maybe Kara preferred a college guy to someone like me who got his hands dirty at work every day.
We got to the sandbar and I helped Matt anchor the boat. When we were done, we jumped in the water with a holler. The cool water felt refreshing after working in the heat all day. I tried to ignore Kara and Derek, wanting to make the most of the beautiful night.
I was soaking in the water with my eyes closed when I heard someone swim up to me.
“Hey you.”
I opened my eyes and Kara was floating nearby. Her hair was slicked back and wet from going under the water. Her swim suit clung to her, and I could see the outline of her taut nipples through the fabric. I was glad the bottom half of me was under water so she couldn’t see the tent that was forming in the front of my shorts.
“Hey,” I replied, not sure what to say to her.
“Having a good time?” she asked and got a little bit closer. I watched the water bead on her tanned skin. I so wanted to pull her against me and run my tongue along it.
“Sure,” I shrugged and took a long drink of beer. “You seem to be having fun.” I glanced over at Derek, who was talking to Chase and Matt animatedly about something.
She turned around to see where I was looking and then whipped back around. “I’m not with Derek. I actually think he’s a jackass.”
“Could have fooled me,” I said, instantly feeling sorry for sounding like such an asshole.
She didn’t say anything, but I could see the hurt in her eyes. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt her. “I’m sorry.” I swam closer to her before she went away. “I can’t help but notice the way he’s looking at you.”
She bit her lip. “It’s okay. To be honest, I’ve been trying to get away from him this whole time so I could come over by you.”
“Really? I thought maybe you preferred college guys,” I admitted.
“No.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
“Good.” I smiled at her. “I was really bummed because I thought you like me.”
“I do like you,” she said quietly.
“And I like you.” All I had to do was lean over a little bit and I could easily kiss her. I didn’t want to cause issues with Derek, though. I would use this chance to ask her out instead. I took a deep breath to gather my nerves. “Actually, I wanted to ask you something.”
“What?” she asked, her eyes wide. God, she had the biggest brown eyes I’d ever seen. I had a feeling they had brought more than one man to his knees.
Before I could ask her out, Derek came up behind her and pulled her under water. Fucker. She came up and wiped her eyes, swimming away before he could grab her again.
“Asshole!” she exclaimed and swam over to Brittany.
Derek laughed, and I wanted to punch him in the face. I bet he was one of those stupid jock frat boys in college who thought every woman wanted to sleep with him. I was relieved to find out Kara was definitely not one of them.
The two girls got back on the boat and chatted while the rest of us tossed a football around in the water. It was dusk when we packed it up and headed back to shore. I still didn’t get to sit by Kara, but this time she sat on an edge with Brittany on the other side of her.
We all helped Matt put the boat back on the trailer. On the drive back to his place, Kara ended up in Matt’s truck with Brittany and I had the rest of the crew in mine. Maybe she didn’t like me as much as I thought.
Back at Matt’s, Chase decided to stick around for a few more beers. The girls decided to head home, and I wasn’t in the mood to hang out anymore either, so I left. I managed to follow Kara down the road and suddenly her hand was out the window, waving me next to her. Was everything okay?
As I pulled up next to her, she slowed down and I rolled down the passenger window of my truck. “Do you want to come over?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said, trying not to let on how excited I was that she was inviting me over.
“Great.” She beamed at me. “My grandparents live on the lake, and tonight is a perfect night to sit out by the water. Follow me.”
I nodded and let her take off before following her. My heart was pounding in my chest, thinking about being alone with her. Should I kiss her? Or was it too soon?
We pulled into the driveway of her grandparents’ cute little cottage on the lake. There was a single light on in what I assumed was the living room and also the porch light. She parked next to an old Buick and I stopped behind her. She got out and smiled, waiting for me to walk to her.
“Let’s go out to the dock.” She looked up at me and waited for me to nod before turning to walk around the garage to the backyard.
I almost gasped when I saw the view from the backyard. It was a small private lake that was so still it looked like glass. The moon was full and so bright; it was perfect.
“I love it back here,” she said with a sigh, as we walked out onto the huge dock above the water.
“I can see why,” I said. We approached two chairs and then some sort of bench for two. I wasn’t sure where to sit at first. I wanted to sit by her, but I didn’t want to assume anything. She made it easy for me, sitting on the bench and patting the empty spot next to her for me to sit down.
“I’m sorry you thought I was with Derek tonight,” she said, looking out on the water. She turned to look at me. “I know him a little bit from school. He goes to Milwaukee, but I’ve run into him in Madison a couple of times. He always hits on me, and I think he just assumes I’m interested in him this summer.”
“Are you?” I asked, scared to hear the answer.
“No.” She shook her head emphatically. “I’m interested in someone else.” She grinned at me, and I laughed softly when I realized she meant me.
“Are you now?” I teased, sliding my arm across the back of the bench. She leaned back into me, her shoulders touching me.
“Mmhmm,” she said and snuggled against my side. “I was trying hard to blow him off and get to you, but it was hard on that tiny boat.”
“Yeah, I wanted to go over and pull him away from you, but I figured that wasn’t a good idea,” I admitted.
“He probably still wouldn’t have gotten
the hint. He’s a moron,” she snorted and leaned her head back against my arm. I could smell a hint of her floral shampoo.
We sat quietly for a while, enjoying the peacefulness of the night. She sat up suddenly with a grin. “Let’s go swimming.” Before I could answer, she had stripped off her shorts and shirt down to her bikini and jumped in the water.
I got up from the bench and took off my t-shirt. This time I wasn’t going to let her get away.
Chapter Five
Kara
“This Kiss”
I licked my lips when he took off his shirt. Even though it was dark out, I could make out his six-pack by the light of the moon. Yeah, I had ulterior motives in suggesting we go swimming tonight. I didn’t get to check him out as much as I wanted to earlier this evening, since Derek was in my face constantly.
I was so annoyed with him the whole evening. I ran into him while I was in school at a few parties, and he was always so all over me. He had a hard time taking no for an answer. He never crossed the line, but I always had to be firm when I turned him down and usually had to tell him a few times. Our latest encounter was no exception.
I wasn’t used to making the first move with guys, so I surprised myself when I suggested JT come over. I wasn’t ready to say goodnight to him, and I felt that we had been cheated on having time together. I wanted more time with him. The view from my grandparents’ is so gorgeous I wanted to share it with him.
The first night back I must have sat there for a couple of hours, enjoying the peace and quiet. It was nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city and slow down. I realized I had made the right decision by coming here for the summer.
JT jumped in and disappeared under water. I had no idea where he went, but all of a sudden I felt his hands on my hips. I squealed when he popped up to the surface, his arms wrapped around my waist.
“Shh,” he laughed. “You’ll wake up your grandparents.”
I closed my mouth, stifling my giggles, painfully aware of his fingers on my lower back. I pressed my scantily-clad breasts against his chest and ran my hands down his back. I wanted to kiss him so badly. I wasn’t sure what he was waiting for. Maybe an engraved invitation?
“So tell me, Kara, how come a girl like you doesn’t have a boyfriend?” He pulled me closer and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He was hard, and his erection was pressed into my core. Oh my god, this was torture!
“How come a hot guy like you doesn’t have a girlfriend?” I retorted.
He chuckled and shook his head. That’s it; if he was too shy to make the first move, I was going to. I clutched his face in my hands and pulled his lips to mine. I caught him by surprise and he didn’t react at first, but soon his arms got even tighter around me while his lips moved over mine. He snaked his tongue into my mouth, letting it dance with mine. I moved my hands to the back of his head, letting them play with the hair at the bottom of his neck. His fingertips played with the edge of my bikini bottoms, and I willed him to move them lower.
He tore his lips from mine, his breathing ragged. “I’ve been thinking of kissing you since the moment I saw you,” he confessed, pressing his forehead to mine.
“You have?” I asked, surprised by his admission.
He closed his eyes and nodded. “Fuck, yeah.” He brushed his thumb along my lower back. “Kara, I hate to leave you, but I think I better go. If you kiss me like that again, I may not be able to stop.”
“Who said I want you to?” I whispered. I wasn’t a girl who slept with a guy on the first date, but there was something about JT that seemed so right. I had never felt such a deep connection with someone after only a few days. It didn’t help that he has a killer body and we were both half naked.
He let out a harsh breath. “Don’t tempt me.” He cupped my face with his hand and looked deep into my eyes. “I like you, Kara. A lot. I don’t want to mess this up by sleeping with you too soon.”
I was disappointed and my body was screaming for him to take me, but I was flattered he thought so highly of me. We swam back over to the dock and he got out of the water. He turned around to help me out and pulled me against him so I could feel his erection against my thigh.
“Feel that,” he growled. “Don’t think I don’t want you, Kara. You can feel the proof right there.” He slid his hands to my ass and gripped me tighter against him. “I want you so bad I ache.” He leaned down and kissed me. “And I will have you soon, just not tonight.”
I nodded and he let me go so he could put his t-shirt back on. He handed me my shorts and shirt before we both slipped on our sandals. We walked back to his truck silently, hand in hand. Before he got into his truck, he kissed me again, this time a little slower, but still full of passion and the promise of what was to come later.
“I’ll come see you tomorrow at the diner,” he said as he jumped up to the driver’s seat.
“Okay,” I smiled back, shutting the door behind him.
“Thanks for tonight.” He started up his truck, and I moved away from him so he could back up. I watched him leave, my fingers touching my lips. He was an amazing kisser. I went inside the cottage and found Grandma in the kitchen with a glass of water.
“JT just leave?” she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Yeah,” I sighed, opening the fridge to get a bottle of water.
“You really like him, don’t you?”
“I do, Grandma. I know I’ve only known him a couple of days, but it feels right.”
She sat down on a stool at the kitchen counter. “I felt the same way about your grandpa.” She had told me the story of their meeting a million times, but I never got tired of hearing it. I’m pretty sure she knew she had told me this story over and over again, but I think she also never got tired of telling it.
“It was a church function and I was sitting with my girlfriends. He was the new boy in town and everyone was talking about him. I thought he was cute, but nothing special. We literally ran into each other when he was on his way back from getting some water, and I knocked it with my hand so it spilled all over him. I felt foolish and ran off without saying anything, but in school on Monday he made sure to come talk to me. We have been inseparable ever since.”
“Your parents were okay with you getting married so young?” I couldn’t imagine getting married out of high school. If I went to my parents even now at my age and told them I was getting married, they would probably freak.”
“Oh sweetie, life was different then.” She dismissed me with a wave of her hand. “Most people got married right out of school.”
I nodded and took a drink of my water. “You’re probably right.” My thoughts went back to JT.
“I really like him, Grandma.” I couldn’t help but gush.
“He really likes you too. I could tell by the way he kept looking at you this afternoon at the diner. He was watching your every move.”
I stifled a yawn. “Really?”
She nodded and came over, hooking her arm in mine. “Now let’s get you to bed. Sunday morning is a busy time at the diner.”
She walked me to my room, giving me a hug and kiss before I went in. I had just flopped on the bed when I heard the ding of my phone from my bag. I dug it out, figuring it was Brittany, but I was surprised to see a message from JT.
I got ur number from Matt who got it from Brittany. Hope it’s okay. Just wanted to say goodnight.
A smile broke out wide on my face and I sat up on my bed, crossing my legs in front of me. I sent him a quick reply.
It’s fine. I’m glad you did.
I changed into my pajamas while I waited for him to respond. I thought about the way his hands felt on my bare skin in the cool lake water. I touched my lips again, my heart racing when I thought about his lips on mine.
My phone dinged again and I quickly reached for it.
I had a great time tonight.
I had seen him about an hour ago and I already missed him.
Me too.
I
threw back the blankets and climbed into bed when he sent a response.
Sweet dreams. See ya tomorrow.
I couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Damn, I had it bad for JT.
Good night.
***
I was up bright and early for work the next day, even beating Grandma. I made some coffee for them and sat at the table reading a book on my Kindle. I had hardly slept the night before, too excited about seeing JT again today. My body was unfulfilled too, after our brief make-out session, and it needed more of him. A lot more.
We got to the diner around 6:00 a.m., and there were already a few cars in the parking lot. Grandma wasn’t kidding when she said Sunday was busy. A lot of tourists head home on Sundays and don’t want to mess with cooking, so they stop in. I think they just want to try Grandma’s home cooking. She has quite the reputation in these parts.
Before I knew it, the place was so busy that JT was the furthest thing from my mind. The place was filled with hungry customers and even families waiting to be seated. I was on my feet constantly and didn’t have a chance to sit until almost eleven.
I grabbed a Diet Coke and a sandwich before sitting down for a break. The lunch rush would begin soon, so I didn’t have much time. The bell rang on the door and I looked up to see JT walk in. He had on his red baseball cap, camo shorts, and a green t-shirt. His face lit up with a smile when he saw me, and I waved him over.
“Just in time,” he said and slid into the booth across from me.
I nodded, chewing the food in my mouth before swallowing. “Yes.”
He reached across the table and took my hand. “I had a great time last night.”
He was running the pad of his thumb over my knuckles, making it hard for me to think and form coherent sentences. “Me too,” I managed to mumble.
Play It Again Page 3