The Bookworm's Guide to Dating

by Hart, Emma

  I dragged my lips from hers and over her skin; peppering kisses down her jaw and over the curve of her neck. She tilted her head back so I had easier access, and I dropped tiny little kisses all over her collarbone down to the swell of her chest.

  Wrapping one arm firmly around her, I splayed my fingers between her shoulder blades and pushed her back. Her nipples were already hard, and there was a sharp intake of breath when I flicked my tongue over her right one.

  She reached between us. My muscles clenched as her fingers brushed my lower stomach, and she curled them so she was able to slip them under the waistband of my sweats and pull them down.

  “No underpants!” she muttered.

  I brought my lips to hers and said back, “You’re a fine one to talk.”

  She giggled into the kiss and adjusted herself so she could free my cock. It jerked with a mind of its own when she wrapped her hand around it, and in that moment, I was entirely at her mercy.

  If she demanded I come, I’d do it on the fucking spot.

  “You’re still wearing pants,” I murmured, fighting back a moan at the sensation of her thumb rubbing the head of my cock and spreading the pre-cum that was there. “You should have worn a dress if you were gonna do this.”

  “You dragged me on you.” She took my lower lip in her mouth and gently sucked.

  The moan escaped.

  Jesus fucking Christ, I was going to die.

  “Take off the damn yoga pants, Kinsley, or I am going to tear them off you.”

  She climbed off my lap, holding onto my cock for a second longer than necessary, and turned around.

  I lifted my hips to pull my sweats down, and Kinsley carefully hooked her thumbs in the waistband and slowly pulled the thick band down over her hips. The movement revealed black cotton panties lined with lace—panties that wouldn’t look sexy on anyone but her.

  And she was taking fucking forever to pull them down.

  Slowly, slowly, slowly. It felt like an age before I saw the light flesh of the tops of her thighs, and it was only then, when her yoga pants were wrapped around her thighs, that she moved to the panties.

  She did that even slower.

  Over the curve of her ass.

  “Keep it up,” I said gruffly, wrapping my hand around my throbbing cock. “And I’m going to turn you around and bend you over the back of the sofa.

  Her head jerked and she looked back at me. “You wouldn’t!”

  Sounded like a challenge.

  I wasn’t one to pass one of those up.

  I got up and grabbed her, wrapping my hand around her lower arm to shove her around to the sofa. She put up no fight thanks to the fact she’d fucked about so much taking her pants off, and it was easy for me to bend her over the sofa.

  Then yank down the clothes that were in my way.

  I removed them entirely, tugging them over her feet and throwing them to the side. She wriggled in front of me, something I wasn’t completely sure wasn’t deliberate, and the desire I felt for this woman flew through the roof.

  I grabbed her ass so firmly it was almost a slap, and I climbed onto the sofa next to her, using one leg and my hand to keep her in place. My fingers slid easily between her legs to where her pussy was wet and ready, and she gasped when my finger made contact with her clit.

  I toyed with it for a moment, enjoying the way she reacted so fervently to my touch. It was how I’d felt when she’d had her hand wrapped around my cock—like she could ask me to blow up the world and I would.

  I kissed her neck as I moved my hand and positioned it to slip my finger inside her. I eased one finger inside her, testing it, and then used a second. She moaned and arched her back, angling her hips so I could fuck her easier with my fingers.

  So I did.

  I pumped my hand, pushing my fingers inside her, sliding through the wetness of her pussy as if it were nothing. Her breathing was so heavy she was almost gasping, and her muscles clenched around me again and again.

  She reached down and wrapped her left hand around my cock, jerking her hand in response to my own movements.

  Mother. Fucker.

  Her hand around my cock felt so fucking good.

  I gripped her neck and kissed her hard, pumping my fingers into her. Her moans vibrated across my lips, and my balls tightened as she stroked my cock quickly.

  No.

  I wasn’t going to come like this, and neither was she.

  I slid my fingers out of her pussy and moved, making her release my cock. Moving so I was behind her, I took my cock in my right hand and palmed her ass with the other, maneuvering her into position so I could fuck her properly.

  Kinsley dropped her forehead onto the back of the sofa, and I eased my cock into her wet pussy. She took it easily. She was more than ready for me, more than ready for me to fuck her into oblivion where nothing but she and I mattered.

  My fingers curled into the skin at her hips and dug in deep, holding her hips in the position I needed them. She arched her back, perfecting the position, and I thrust into her, burying myself deep inside her with each jerk forward.

  She cried out in pleasure, clenching her pussy around my dick. It was like a trigger switch, and all pretense of control flew out of the window. I pounded into her like it was the last time we’d ever be together, like I needed to brand myself onto her, as if I would have to remember this for-fucking-ever.

  I fucked her hard and ruthlessly, unforgivably, and she responded in kind. She ground her hips and pushed into me and took everything I gave, giving it all right back for the split seconds I hesitated.

  My orgasm hit me hard, clenching every single muscle in my body until I could barely breathe. My balls felt like they were in an iron vice, and I was a second away from stopping when Kinsley cried out and pressed her ass against me.

  I pumped into her a few more times, just as firmly, and rode her orgasm out with endless clenching around my cock. It was almost enough to make me come again, but she sagged onto the cushions in front of me, her body falling limp.

  I was as spent as she was. I relaxed on top of her while still trying to hold my own body weight so she wasn’t crushed. My forehead rested against the back of her shoulder, and my hot, heavy exhales spread across her upper back as I tried to regain control of myself.

  Her own were muffled by my sofa, and I reluctantly pulled back after a minute so she could raise her head and breathe again. Pulling out of her was like losing a comfort blanket—she was so hot, so wet, so comfortable, that if we were in bed, I’d have happily fallen asleep buried deep inside her pussy.

  I dropped to the sofa, and she did the same, falling in the same direction I had. I caught her as she flopped and held her against me, laughing breathlessly as I did so.

  Kinsley groaned as she pressed her face into my neck. “Now I need a shower and I have no clean underwear.”

  “Didn’t stop me earlier,” I murmured into her hair.

  “Be quiet. You didn’t wear underwear in the hope you’d get laid.”

  “Same reason you didn’t wear a bra, then.”

  “Nope.” She moved and nestled further into me, resting one arm over my body. “I didn’t wear a bra because bras are prison devices.”

  “I completely agree.”

  “You would.” She poked me. “I’m stealing your shower. And your clothes. And leaving in the dead of night.”

  “Excellent.” I smoothed my hand over the top of her head, pushing wayward wisps of hair from her face. “Plenty of time to do that again, then.”

  ***

  There were so many fucking balloons here that I had whiplash.

  Mind you, there were so many ducks that I had it, too.

  I resented every single second that I was here. It was the first time Kinsley and I had been around Colton since we’d solidified our relationship, and we’d barely spoken two words to each other.

  We’d always been friends, so we were really running the risk of going too far to the other direction. If we
didn’t talk at all, it’d look weird.

  Not to mention it didn’t help that Saylor, Holley, Tori, and Ivy were here. Not that Ivy was able to talk to anyone except all the elderly ladies who wanted to caress her pregnant belly, but she was well-guarded by her fierce grandmother, Rosie.

  It was Tori and Agatha everyone was worried about.

  Despite what Tori said, she and Agatha were two peas in a pod. If anyone was going to cause trouble, it would be one of them.

  I slipped away from the crowd to where Kinsley was hiding on a bench behind some bushes. “What are you doing here?”

  “Avoiding Mabel and her bonnets,” she whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear. “She wants me to help adjust some for the ducks, but the last thing I want is to stab her duck with a pin.”

  “Yeah, for sure.” I looked around at the sight before us. “What’s going on?”

  “You just got here?”

  “Oh, yeah. I dropped those balloons and ran. Have you spoken to your brother?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. He was here with Grandpa when I arrived. It’s over with Amber, and I think it’s for real this time.”

  I blew out a long breath. “Is it bad that I’m happy about that?”

  “No,” she said slowly, staring out in front of us. “I am, too. Their relationship was unhealthy and toxic. They’re in different places and want different things, and sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you love someone.”

  I said nothing for a moment before I nudged her, drawing her attention, and winked. “Come on. We need to get back out there before someone gets suspicious that we’re both missing.”

  Groaning, she let me pull her to her feet. “Only because you’re trying to hide with me. Talk about unfair.”

  I laughed and walked out ahead of her, stepping into the carnage. I was swept away by my grandmother who looped her arm through mine and led me across the green to the other side of the pond.

  “You’re being obvious.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I grunted.

  “You and Kinsley,” she whispered, patting my hand. “You can’t go sneaking off when Colton is around unless you’re willing to let him find out.”

  I let out a deep breath and looked around. My gaze found Kinsley instantly. She was not far from where I’d left her, surrounded by her friends, and laughing.

  And beautiful.

  So. Fucking. Beautiful.

  Her dark hair swung around her shoulders as she laughed, and she wrapped one arm around a now-sitting Ivy who had her hands rested protectively on her bump.

  She was protecting her, too, keeping her safe from the well-meaning but invasive pensioners who loved nothing more than babies and bumps and little knitted booties.

  “You look like you’re fallin’ in love,” Grandma said, lowering herself onto a bench to watch the duck parade. “You need a new poker face. Yours sucks.”

  “If you weren’t my grandmother, I’d tell you where to shove that.”

  “I know. It’s why I like being your grandmother.” She grinned, resting her hands on her lap. “Now sit here, shut up, and watch this stupid thing Mabel put together.”

  I took a seat next to her as everyone else congregated in this area. Eventually, I was forced to the side to perch on the arm of the bench as the other older members of the group demanded the bench seats.

  Seats I was happy to give up.

  Kinsley stepped in behind me and leaned down. “They know,” she hissed into my ear.

  “What?” I said out of the corner of my mouth.

  “Holley and Saylor. Ivy knew, but Rosie let it slip. I couldn’t deny it.” She leaned forward on the back of the bench as if she just needed to rest, but her lips were right by my ear. “Rosie bullied me into admission,” she whispered. “She won’t say anything, but we need to figure this out and soon. Before it’s too late.”

  In a risky move, I reached back and squeezed her hand. “I know, babe. I know.”

  She straightened up, taking her hand back in a manner that wasn’t so obvious. Still, she held the back of the bench where her fingers still brushed against the back of my shoulder in a weirdly comfortable kind of way.

  She was there.

  Right there.

  And it was nice.

  Not as nice as having her curled up against my side as we watched this stupid fucking duck parade, but here we were.

  “Has it started yet?” Holley stepped up next to me and fiddled with the cap on her water bottle.

  “Nope,” I said, leaning back into Kinsley’s hand.

  “You’re being obvious,” she muttered.

  Kinsley obviously heard because she snatched her hand away just in time for the parade to begin. I felt the loss acutely—it was a weird comfort to lose, but I knew why.

  I was becoming attached to her in a way I’d never allowed myself to before.

  Despite what I’d said to her, I was absolutely falling in love with her.

  With her laugh. With her smile. With her eyes. With her touch.

  With her rants about books that had been turned to movies.

  Every single thing was ripe for the picking, and my stupid fuckin’ heart was plucking them off one by one.

  I wasn’t about to say that out loud. It was only two or three days ago I’d told her that I wasn’t falling for her, that I didn’t love her, that I would one day but not yet.

  This ‘one day’ was too soon.

  “Grandma!” Saylor snapped. “We told you that one was a male! Why is he in a dress?”

  I looked over toward the ugly brown duck we’d all insisted was a male—that our Internet searches had insisted was a male. He was in a pink dress and yellow bonnet that was undoubtedly Mabel’s pick, and he was hobbling along in the front of everyone else.

  This was… alarming.

  One duck wore a tuxedo-style outfit, complete with bow tie. The one that followed was in a floral blue dress and apron right out of Little House on the Prairie, and the one after that was a duckling in a pink tutu and—

  A unicorn horn?

  I was done here.

  I moved to get up and disappear from this shitshow, but Holley and Kinsley both stopped me with firm hands on my shoulders. Instead, I was forced to watch the rest of what could only be described as duck abuse disguised as a parade.

  Well, maybe abuse was a strong word.

  The ducks looked happy.

  You know, if ducks could fucking look happy.

  The balloons were just a painful addition to it all.

  Off they trotted, one by one, dressed in their stupid little outfits, all on their parade. I had no idea what I was watching, truly, or what the purpose of this whole dumb thing was.

  It was pretty funny, yeah, seeing ducks toddle along like that, but still stupid.

  Thankfully, not long after that, everyone else lost interest, too. The primary reason for it had been to raise funds for the retirement home. I wasn’t going to comment on the fact that the pond and ducks probably cost more than they raised in this fundraising drive, but hey.

  I was smart enough to know the pond and ducks would be written off as a tax expense somewhere or someway.

  We all dispersed as the parade finished once and for all. Amanda appeared to round the ducks up and send them back to their huge pen that included their house and hopefully for them, their freedom from their costumes.

  Poor little things.

  The rest of the crowd congregated in various areas. Some by the food, some by the duck area, and some headed right to the parking lot.

  I know which group I wanted to be in.

  “Grandma, why don’t we get you a cup of coffee?” I asked, looping her arm through mine.

  She snorted. “You mispronounced gin.”

  “All right, let’s see if there’s gin out here.” I knew better than to argue with her, so I took her inside to her room where I poured her a gin and tonic.

  Grandma sat back and sipped, plopping the slice of lem
on in by herself.

  Well, it was a quarter of a lemon.

  She sank back into her chair and glared at me. “I will never forgive you for putting me in this place.”

  I held up my hands. “Not my choice, Mom and Dad’s.”

  She grunted and finished the rest of the G&T like it was water and lemon. “You’re too obvious,” she said, slamming the glass down and getting up. “Stop looking at Kinsley like she’s the crown jewels before Colton finds out.”

  I stared at her for a moment before I walked out of her room. She was in a bad mood today, clearly, and I wasn’t going to listen to her.

  She was right, but that didn’t mean I had to abide by every word.

  I headed back outside. There was a commotion over by the pond, and I rushed over there to help handle it.

  “You stole my moment!” Mabel shouted, jabbing a knobbly finger in Agatha’s direction.

  I’d missed something.

  “You didn’t get to the stage!” Agatha yelled back.

  Rosie snorted. “Neither did you!”

  “I pay too much for this abuse!” Mabel waved her cane in the air. “You hear that, White Peak? I’m moving out and I’m taking my ducks with me!”

  “Ladies, ladies.” Randy stepped into the foray escorted by Colton. “Let’s calm this down.”

  “Can she do that? Take the ducks?”

  I jerked at the sound of Kinsley’s voice next to me. “Probably not,” I muttered.

  Agatha jerked in our direction. “What are you two whispering about? Your next soiree?”

  I froze.

  Kinsley recovered faster than I did and snorted. “Soiree? What are you talking about, Agatha?”

  “We all know you’re sleeping together!”

  Every single person in the area froze.

  “Do you now?” Randy drawled, covering for us. “Don’t you think it’s time for your meds, Agatha?”

  “Oh, shut up, Randolph!” Mabel said. “You know your granddaughter is seeing your grandson’s best friend! You’ve been keeping it secret like we have! Don’t deny it, you traitor!”

  Everyone in the immediate area froze.

  At least that’s how it felt.

  Especially when Colton approached me.