by Ella Fields
Something moved over his face, and his grip on my chin became firmer, as did the hardness I could feel digging into my lower back.
I shivered as his fingers crawled over the fabric, tickling, rubbing, until he’d reached the edge, and then he pulled.
The elastic snapped, and a bite of pain met my lower hip. I ignored it, my opened legs trembling as his fingers snuck beneath the weakened cotton and found me.
“Shit.” The word was a wheeze, his eyes shutting. His swallow was loud next to my ear, but no match for the thudding tempo of my heart. “Fuck me. Shit.”
It was all I could do to sit still as he slid his fingers through me and began rocking into my back. I never thought having someone touch me there would feel like this. That it could feel a thousand times better than doing it myself.
“Dash,” I croaked.
His gaze snapped to mine, his chest heaving, each inhalation lifting my body with it. “Do you think he was doing this?”
I nodded, then grabbed the side of his face, wanting his lips on mine. Our teeth and tongues started a slow dance in gentle torture, while his finger pressed against where I was most swollen. Sweat beaded at his temples and slicked down my spine, but we didn’t stop. I wouldn’t have let him if he’d tried.
“It’s …” I tore my mouth away, my eyes struggling to stay open. I was all but lying over him by that point, draped over him like an electric blanket about to catch fire.
“Coming?” he asked, then probed my entrance. He inserted the tip of his finger while the other ran tiny circles over me. “God, look at you.”
I took one ragged breath after another, panting as my thighs started to quake. A pitiful sound left me, and I became impossibly lax against Dash, feeling him hot and heavy against my slick back while a thousand mini earthquakes rocked through me and tossed my brain into glittering confetti.
Dash cursed, and when my eyes reopened, the world crashing in like a tidal wave, I turned as he scooted back. My saliva thickened as he undid his pants, pulling himself free.
Reality took a step back when I gazed at the bobbing, angry, thick looking steel his hand wrapped around. “You weren’t joking about the she said thing.”
He chuckled, but then the sound broke off. “Ah, fuck, I’m gonna come any second. Wanna put your mouth on it?”
I licked my swollen lips, then crawled over his legs, feeling the cool air on my bare thighs. “What do I do?”
“Lick it, suck it, deep throat it, kiss it, squeeze it, fondle it. I’m not picky.”
I laughed, and with his pained grin, I felt like there was no pressure to perform to a certain standard. Practice is practice after all.
I grabbed him, rubbing my thumb over the engorged head. “Wow.”
“You’re good for my ego.”
“Well, considering the last time I saw it, it was the size of a twink—”
“Don’t finish that sentence. Let’s start with licking.”
Laughing again, I lowered my head, swiping my tongue up the underside of his shaft. I stopped when I heard purring, and it wasn’t coming from Dash. Peeking over to the other side of his bed, I saw Church kneading the bedding, his bright yellow eyes on us. “Church is watching.”
“He’s fine. Ignore him and love my dick.”
I swiped my tongue under the head, tasting salt, and he twitched, then cursed as I pulled away. “He’s judging us, Dash.”
“Church, fuck off.” He nudged the cat. Church hissed, then plopped to the floor and stalked off toward the bathroom.
I pinched my lips, then wrapped my hand tighter around him and decided to try to put him out of his misery. My mouth took as much of him as it could fit, and then he jerked, cursing and groaning as hot liquid squirted down my throat.
I coughed, swallowing quickly to keep from vomiting, then swiped below my lip. “God. Yuck.”
Dash peeked one eye open, a satisfied curl to his upper lip. “Fucking awesome.” He dragged his hand through his hair, exhaling a rough sigh. “What’s next? I should be good in a few minutes.”
“I need to go. Mom’s probably going to be home soon.” I smacked my lips together, cringing as I crawled off the bed to fix my skirt and straighten out my shirt.
Dash sighed again. “Fine, just give me a minute.”
I smiled as I headed into his bathroom to rinse my mouth.
Peggy
I raced outside as soon as Dash’s Rover pulled up with my lunch bag scrunched in my hand.
After climbing in, I stuffed it into my bag, then flipped the visor down to finish applying some mascara as he took off.
“Watch it,” I said, almost poking my eyeball out when he drove over a roundabout instead of around it.
“You don’t need that shit anyway.”
I ignored him and quickly dipped the wand in to slick some on my other lashes. “What’s that smell?” It was citrusy and woodsy at the same time.
Dash tossed his cigarette out the window. “New aftershave.”
Shoving my mascara inside the front pocket of my backpack, I peeked over at him. His collar was pulled high, as per usual, but his hair didn’t look like his typical I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-like-this mess. Today, it was a strategic mess; golden blond strands swept over to the right as though he’d fingered them just right for five minutes in front of the mirror.
He was clean shaven, which wasn’t always the case. He wasn’t one to shave every day, but rather, he would let the overnight growth shadow his defined jawline. His cheekbones were starker, more prominent, and the strong line of his nose begged a finger to trace it. I wasn’t sure if it’d always been that way, or if, after what we’d done together, I’d started paying more attention.
“Not that I’m complaining or anything, but why the hell are you staring at me so damn hard?”
“Your face looks extra smooth,” I lied, kind of. Extra smooth? God, I was so awesome.
“I’m just going to file this random ass conversation away as too fucking random. Moving on,” he said, driving over the bridge and turning right to the school. “What are you going to tell your almost boyfriend? That you have a ‘best friend with benefits’ situation going down, and you no longer require his attention?”
I snorted, grabbing my bag and unclipping my seat belt as he drove through the school gates. “That would be a huge hell no.” Once he’d parked, I opened the door, jumping down and swinging my bag over my shoulder.
“Why?” He slammed the door and grabbed his bag from the back.
“What do you mean why?” We crossed the lot and stepped onto the grass, my boots sinking into the plush green.
Dash took his time to answer as I stared ahead, looking for Daphne, Willa, or Byron. “I just don’t get it. You and me—”
“Yo, Thane!” Lars jogged over, his shirt undone and flapping in the breeze. He was wearing a wifebeater underneath. Slowing once he’d reached us, he jerked his head at me. “Sup, Pegs.”
I waved, then saw Daphne standing with Willa on the steps. “I’ll see you later.”
I skipped away, ignoring the heat from Dash’s glare on my back.
“I heard she was making out with Coach Lenton after school,” Daphne said, licking ranch from her fingers.
Dash and his friends were sitting in the back corner, tossing food wrappers and crushing soda cans. Annika from the cheerleading squad sidled over, standing next to where Dash was sitting on top of the table with his legs apart. A biting sensation pricked at my stomach when she placed her hand on his leg, her pretty oval face scrunching with her forced laughter.
Willa dropped her fork, snapping my attention away from Dash. “No way.”
“Who are you talking about?” I resumed picking at my sandwich.
“Kayla. Apparently, she’s making the rounds.”
I looked back over at Dash, who was scowling at Annika—not that she seemed to care.
A thud hit the table next to me, and my nose pricked as I caught a whiff of Byron’s cologne. I’d seen him in ch
emistry this morning but had only returned his wave.
He straddled the bench seat, his eyes alight. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
I offered a smile. “How are you?”
He blew out a breath. “Been dealing with some shit at home. I was going to text you last night, but it got too late. I had to hit the gym to make up for missing practice.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Though he didn’t sound so sure. “Just had to make sure my mom went to some appointments is all.”
They must have been important if he was skipping school and practice. “She okay?”
“Getting there. So,” he said as he stole a fry from Willa’s plate, “what have I missed?”
Willa and Daphne shrugged, the former saying, “Oh, not much.”
I sucked my lips and peeked over at Dash, who was now scowling at me or, rather, Byron.
“You free to chat tonight?”
The bell rang and students started throwing their trash out before heading to the doors.
“I suppose I can be.” Yep, I was great at making myself a little less unavailable.
Outside the cafeteria, he pulled me down the hall, and I squeaked as he crowded me against my locker. His hand softened around mine, fingers curling and causing a herd of tingles to spread up my arm. “Not gonna lie, I was kind of disappointed that you didn’t even text me yesterday.”
I struggled to meet his gaze. “Well, I wasn’t sure if you’d have wanted me—”
“You still wanna do this?” His eyes dropped to my lips, then lifted to mine, questions filling them. “Because I really like you.”
Did I still want to do this? I did. At least, I was pretty sure I did. “Yeah, of course.”
He lifted my hand to his lips, and Dash made a gagging sound as he passed us.
I sent his back a scathing look. Byron’s fingers gripped my chin, directing my focus back to him. “Ignore him. He’s just jealous.”
I reared back, almost smacking my head into the locker. “Jealous?” I laughed, loud and shocked. “I don’t think so. He’s just an ass.”
Byron’s gaze narrowed on mine, then he shook his head. “That too. Come with me to the party tomorrow night?”
Damn. I’d almost forgotten about that. I still needed to tell Mom I was sleeping over at Daphne’s. “As opposed to meeting you there? I’m getting ready at Daphne’s.”
“Whatever you want,” he said, his arm finding purchase on the locker behind my head, his head, his entire body moving closer to mine. He ran a finger down my cheek. “I’m thinking I just might make this thing between us a bit more official.”
My stomach did a backflip, and I hoped my eyes weren’t bulging. “You are?”
He nodded, his finger reaching my lips and tracing them. “Wanna kiss you so bad.”
“Yeah, well you can’t,” Dash said. Then Byron was shoved away. “She needs to get to class before your Romeo ass lands her with a late slip.”
Byron’s hands and jaw clenched.
I wanted to slap Dash, then tug at his stupid, perfect, messy hair. “What the hell, Dash? Don’t shove him.”
Dash moved me aside, then opened my locker to grab my history book. “I was clearly doing you a favor. Thank me when you’re not late.” Since when did he care about being on time for class? Slamming the locker, he didn’t even let me look at Byron, so I waved over my shoulder as Dash snatched my hand and hauled me with him to class.
“What was that about?”
Dash didn’t answer me. He flipped his book open and tugged his glasses from his shirt pocket, sliding them on as Mr. Andrews addressed the class.
I kept sneaking glances at him, but as the clock ticked on at the front of the room, and Mr. Andrews started getting amped about ancient Egyptians, I found myself going back to the same thing.
More official. Did that mean what I think it meant? I was pretty sure it did. And cue the storm of butterflies flapping and bouncing in a drunken jig inside my stomach.
It was happening. He was my boyfriend.
Oh, my God.
After school had finished, I found Daphne and quickly went over the plan. I’d meet Byron at her place or near her place and catch a ride with him. However he was getting there.
Daphne was grinning like the Cheshire cat. “Your first official boyfriend.”
I frowned at that. “Let’s not word it that way again, okay?”
She laughed, and then I raced off to the parking lot, climbing inside Dash’s car which was already parked in the drop-off zone.
“What’s got you smiling all weird like that?”
“Can’t a girl smile?” I put my seat belt on, shoving my bag between my knees.
“Depends on what’s made her smile, if you’re asking me. Which you did. So who? Or what?”
I didn’t see the point in not being honest. My excitement was too real. A blazing inferno of exhilaration. “Byron wants us to be official.”
The car jerked as Dash hit the brakes too hard, almost running up the ass of Annika’s Skoda in front of us. “Sounds riveting.”
“So are you going to Wade’s tomorrow night?”
“I hadn’t planned on it, but I’m guessing you have?” He turned out of the school. “What’s your mom going to say about party number two in a matter of weeks?”
“I’m not telling her.”
Dash was quiet for a beat, and the silence, usually comfortable between us, became stifling. I rolled the window down and tried to think of something to say that’d smooth the pensive, hardened edges to his features. “What are you doing this afternoon?”
“Heading to the skate park for a bit, then I was going to come over and have you fondle my dick.”
I coughed out a laugh. “What?”
“You heard me.”
I blinked five times before I turned to him, still laughing. “Dash, we can’t do that now.”
“Because fuckboy Romeo says he’s claiming you?” He chuckled, the sound dry. “We were having fun. Fuck him.”
I studied his expression, the hard set to his jaw, but I couldn’t see his eyes behind his Ray-Bans. “That would definitely be cheating, and well,” I hemmed, “I like him. I don’t want to ruin things.”
“Like Kayla did,” he said. “You’re right. He doesn’t seem like the type to stand for betrayal all that well.”
A sour taste eroded over my tongue as those words sluiced through me. He didn’t. And even though I was new to this, and we weren’t official, I knew Dash was right. Byron probably wouldn’t take what Dash and I had been doing too well at all.
“I’m curious, though. What’s there to like about the guy?” Dash asked. “His horrible taste in shoes? Not to mention, Kayla’s not done with him. Drama, drama, drama.”
“It sure sounds like she is.” I opened the door when he reached my place, yanking my bag out. Leaning inside the car, I sighed. “Dash, please just let me do this.”
His elbow was resting on the door, his head tilted as he surveyed me from behind dark frames. “I’m just failing to see why you even want to.”
“I’ve already said why.”
He waved his fingers. “Yeah, you like him. Supposedly. But you know …” His head dipped, gaze moving over my body. “Too much practice never hurt anyone.”
I smirked, then shut the door. “Bye, Dash.”
Peggy
Coughing, I doused my hair in another layer of hairspray, then shoved the can down on my dresser.
I’d donned my aqua green tutu and paired it with an off-the-shoulder, ripped white T-shirt.
A text came through on my phone, and I picked it up, smiling.
Byron: one hour. :D
Me: 59 minutes :D :D
Gone was my fear of seeming too eager beaver, and in its place, excitement brewed steadily, keeping an almost permanent smile on my face. I wondered whether we’d sneak out, like Byron had said when he’d called me last night. “Find our own place to party,” he’d said in a tired y
et oh, so sexy voice.
While I wasn’t ready to hand over my V-card to him just yet, I felt more than ready to try all the things Dash and I had tried. I was confident it’d feel just as good, just as exhilarating, breath stealing, and daydream worthy, and maybe even better.
Dumping my phone, I selected some silver hoop earrings and put them on as I tried to keep my feet from dancing on the spot. The window beside my bed was cracked open to help with the fumes, the breeze drifting off the creek stirring the lace curtains.
Dash had been quiet on the way to school this morning, and I’d gotten a lift home from Daphne after he’d texted me to say he was bailing early due to a headache. I’d asked if he was okay but hadn’t gotten a response.
I was about to text him again to check when the wooden floorboards creaked with Mom’s footsteps. My heartbeat stalled, then exploded, booming erratically. She was supposed to be at Phil’s for dinner.
“Peggy,” she said, more of a sigh than a greeting, leaning into my bedroom. “Take the earrings off. You’re grounded.”
My hands fell, my heart still rioting. “What?”
“Don’t you raise your voice at me. I said you’re not going. Now get changed.”
Dazed, I just stood there. I’d asked if I could stay at Daphne’s last night, and she’d said yes instantly. I’d slept over at Willa’s plenty of times, Daphne’s a few times too, and never once had she questioned it. Hell, she’d never once said no, so it wasn’t even a matter of asking anymore, and more about letting her know what my plans were.
“I don’t understand,” I said the thought aloud.
“Wade’s party?” Her brow rose sharply. “I wasn’t born yesterday, sweetheart.”
I groaned, yanking off my earrings. “Mom, I wouldn’t have—”
“You should’ve just asked me like last time.”
“I didn’t think you’d say yes to another party, not this soon,” I pleaded, feeling my eyes water.
Her own softened marginally. “I guess now you’ll never know. Now strip and wash the makeup off. You’re grounded for a week.”