Me: No.
Skylar: Even though it’s Haven territory?
Me: We won’t get caught. It’ll be fine.
It took her a long moment to answer. I could imagine her fiddling with a strand of hair, turning the idea over and over in her mind, trying to decide. I figured I’d give her another little nudge.
Me: Come on, Sky. This is low-key Tilikum prank stuff. Perfect for a beginner. I promise nothing bad will happen.
Skylar: Okay. I’ll come.
Me: Awesome. I’ll pick you up at seven.
Skylar: See you then.
Feeling exponentially better, I pocketed my phone, then tossed a pebble in the meandering river. Tonight was going to be fun.
Skylar answered the door already wearing her coat. She gave me a hesitant smile as she stepped out and shut the door behind her.
“Hey. Thanks for coming with me tonight.”
“Thanks for inviting me.”
Our eyes met and we just looked at each other for a few seconds. I wondered if I should say something else—bring up last night again. But if she wanted to talk about it, she probably would. Girls always brought up the subject when they needed to talk about their feelings or whatever. I waited, giving her a chance to say something if she needed to. She didn’t, so I figured we were good.
Being near her again made my dick stand up and take notice. I covertly adjusted myself as soon as she turned to walk out to the street.
Man, the things this girl did to me.
We went out to my truck and headed for the drive-in. It was in a big clearing at the end of Icicle Road, out where an old Haven Timber Company sawmill had once been. I’d been out here a bunch of times, just to see if I could sneak in and watch a movie without getting caught. It wasn’t too hard, and I always slipped ticket money into the concession stand window so it wouldn’t be stealing.
But tonight, I didn’t need to see if I could get in without being seen so I could watch a movie on Haven turf because of a dare or just to prove that I could. Tonight, I needed to go deeper.
“So what’s the prank you guys are planning?” Skylar asked as we drove toward the edge of town.
“We want to hijack the movie and play one of our own.”
“You mean like a bad movie or something?”
I grinned. “No, I mean our own movie. We’ll shoot one, starring us.”
She smiled. “That would be pretty funny.”
“Right?” I was getting excited just thinking about it. “The trick is, we don’t know for sure if they have a digital projector. Movies used to be sent out on those big film reels, but according to Levi, it’s all going digital now. But the drive-in mostly shows old movies, so they don’t necessarily need to upgrade. We heard a rumor that they just got a new digital projector, though. And if they did, it’s game on.”
“Wait.” Her smile disappeared. “How can you tell if it’s a digital projector?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. We’ll probably have to break in to the projection booth.”
“I don’t know if we should do that.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll only do it if we won’t get caught.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I have a sense about these things.” I winked at her. “Trust me.”
She twisted her hands in her lap. “This makes me very nervous. I was with Ginny when you texted and she kind of talked me into coming.”
“High five, Ginny. You can stay outside if you want, but you don’t have to worry. I won’t let anything bad happen.”
She glanced at me again, clearly not convinced.
“What’s the worst that could happen to us?” I asked.
“We get arrested for trespassing and my divorced parents who are currently living together get in an enormous fight over who’s going to come bail me out of jail and then I have to live with the fallout because the thing that made them snap was me?”
“That’s… kind of specific. Are your parents fighting a lot?”
“Not exactly. They’re mostly picking at each other and sometimes things get tense. But I keep wondering when they’re going to blow up.”
“How long do you think your mom will be living there?”
“I don’t know. She hasn’t said anything specific to me, but I assume she and my dad have talked about it. She’s looking for a job, which makes me think she wants to stay in Tilikum.”
“That’s pretty cool. You could have both your parents close.”
“Yeah, it would be. Although right now, I’m wondering if this town is big enough for both of them.”
“Well they are living under the same roof. That’s gotta be tense.”
“So tense. I know I’m overly sensitive to… well, everything. But I feel like the entire house is charged with electricity. I’m surprised my hair isn’t standing on end.”
I opened my mouth to tell her she could always come hang out at my house if things were getting a little too real at home. But I figured I’d steer clear of that topic for now. Too soon.
I turned onto Icicle Road, but took another immediate right onto a narrow dirt road and pulled over. “We’ll park here and walk through the trees. Someone might recognize my truck if I get too close, and the walk isn’t bad.”
She nibbled on her fingernail. “You’re sure we won’t get caught?”
I hesitated for a second, thinking about it, and slowly nodded. “I’m about ninety-percent sure.”
“I guess those are pretty good odds.”
“Really good.”
“What would it take for you to not go? Like if you thought it was only fifty-fifty, would you still do it?”
“Fifty-fifty? Yeah, easy. Although maybe not with a broken leg. I’d want to be fully mobile in case I had to make a run for it.”
“Make a run for it? That’s not helping my anxiety.”
I reached over and took her hand. “Sky, you’ve got this. We’re just going to go take a look around. Besides, you did hit me with your car. You kinda owe me.”
She smacked my arm. “That’s so not fair.”
“I know, I’m terrible,” I said with a grin. “How about you think of this as book research.”
“But I’m not writing about anyone breaking into a drive-in theater.”
“Do you write about people breaking in to other places?”
“Well… yeah.”
“Now you’ll have firsthand experience.”
Our eyes locked and a surge of heat swept through me. God, she was hot. The memory of her lips was still seared into my skin. That pretty little mouth had been on my neck, whispering in my ear. I’d only gotten a taste of her and fuck it had been good.
Too good.
Maybe too good to resist.
I wasn’t sure whether I was going to win or lose this battle, or what winning or losing even meant. Because right now, the only thing I could think about was what Skylar sounded like when she was coming, and I wanted to make her do it again.
Bad idea, Gav. Don’t steal another cookie.
“We should get moving,” I said, finally. “We need to get in and out before the movie ends.”
Skylar nodded, but I didn’t miss the blush that hit her cheeks.
I loved a challenge, but holding myself back from her was turning out to be some masochistic shit.
A couple of slow breaths of cold night air helped clear my head. I put on a baseball cap and situated my crutches under my arms while Skylar got out and shut the door.
“Can I put you on flashlight duty?” I asked. “It’s hard to do anything when I need my arms and legs just to walk.”
“Yep, I’ve got it.” She pulled out her phone and turned on the light, shining it in front of us. “Are you okay to walk through the woods in the dark with those things?”
“Sure, I’ll be fine.”
“You say that a lot.”
“What? That I’ll be fine?”
“Yeah.”
That was an interesting obse
rvation. “You’re probably right. But it’s true.”
“Okay, Gavin Bailey. I can’t quite believe you talked me into this, but lead the way.”
We crept through the woods, watching out for debris or other hazards that might make me fall flat on my face. When we got closer, we could see the glow of the movie screen, lighting up the clearing. The theater was at the end of the two-lane Icicle Road, a big turnaround providing the only way out. Cars were lined up in arc-shaped rows facing the screen and a building behind them housed the concession stand. Above that, the projector room.
I scoped things out as we got closer. There was a dilapidated chain-link fence surrounding the grounds, but I knew from experience there were at least three places where you could sneak in, the biggest one right in front of us.
“Okay, here’s the plan,” I said. “We’re going to go through that hole in the fence and stroll in like we belong there.”
“Aren’t people going to recognize you?”
“If they get a good look at me, yeah. But everyone’s paying attention to the movie.” I fiddled with the brim of my hat. “And the hat helps a little.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I’ve done it before. The key to this kind of thing is to act like you belong. Then no one notices you.”
She took a deep breath and blew it out through pursed lips. “I’m actually a little bit excited.”
“See? This is fun.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to go that far.”
I nudged her with my elbow. “You’re going to do great.”
“What happens once we’re in?”
“We have to play things by ear. I’m pretty sure the projector room guy comes down sometimes, so I’m hoping we get lucky. Otherwise I’ll make something up and hope he doesn’t realize who I am.”
“This is a very loose plan, Gavin.”
“I’m good at improvising. It’s fine.”
She took another deep breath. “Let’s get this over with before I lose my nerve.”
We made our way closer and ducked through the fence. I knew the risk of someone recognizing me was higher because of my crutches. I’d been seen walking around town with them. But there was nothing I could do about that now.
Besides, Levi and Logan had said they didn’t think I could do it. I had to prove those dickheads wrong.
The smell of popcorn grew the closer we got to the concession stand. Skylar walked close to me, and from the corner of my eye, I could see her darting nervous glances at our surroundings. She was so fucking cute.
Most people were in their cars, watching the movie. A handful of customers lingered around the front of the concession stand with bags of popcorn, candy, and big cups of soda. We paused near the side of the building, far enough away that we were outside the circle of light surrounding it.
“What do we do now?” Skylar whispered, turning her face up toward me so I could hear her.
“We wait for an opportunity.”
“What kind of opportunity?”
“I’ll know it when I see it.”
It only took a few minutes. The back door of the concession stand opened and a guy walked out holding a bag of popcorn, then shut the door behind him. A girl materialized from the shadow of the building. He kissed her, then handed her the popcorn. They left in the opposite direction. My instincts tingled.
“I’d bet anything that’s the projector guy,” I said, keeping my voice low. “This is our chance.”
We hurried to the back of the building and luckily the door wasn’t locked. I went in first, doing my best to keep the noise from my crutches to a minimum. The kids running the concession stand were in the front and luck was on our side once again—the stairs up to the projector room were right next to the back door.
Skylar came in after me and we went up with no one the wiser.
The projector room was smaller than I thought it would be. And darker. In the dim light, I could make out a desk with a computer, a bunch of cluttered shelves, and a big movie projector broadcasting tonight’s film onto the huge screen.
Fuck yes. It was digital.
“Wow.” Skylar turned a slow circle, taking in the room. “It’s kind of creepy up here.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“Is that what you were looking for?” She pointed to the projector.
“Exactly.” I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures. “This is perfect.”
She put her hand on her chest, a little smile gracing her lips. “My heart’s beating so fast.”
“I told you it would be fun.”
“So this is what you do for fun?”
I glanced around at the cramped room. “Well, I’ve never broken into the projector room at a drive-in before, but yeah, basically.”
She laughed softly and my eyes were instantly drawn to her lips. Those sweet, soft lips I’d tasted last night.
I knew what would make this night a lot more fun.
As if she could read my mind, she stepped closer. A look of resolve passed over her features, that little hint of fear dissolving from her eyes.
Our magnetism was too strong. I couldn’t escape its pull.
Or maybe I didn’t want to.
I leaned down, meeting her lips with mine. I knew I shouldn’t—knew I was going to regret this later—but I couldn’t resist. One taste of her and I was already addicted. I needed more.
With a low groan, I delved my tongue into her mouth. All the unsatisfied lust from last night ripped through me, making my cock strain against my jeans. She gripped my sweatshirt, lifting onto her tip toes, and I could feel her hunger. Her need.
Her hands moved lower and she brushed my cock through my pants. I hissed in a breath, that light touch enough to make every muscle in my body tense in anticipation.
What was she going to do?
I sucked on her lip, letting it scrape against my teeth. She cupped me harder and I groaned into her mouth.
“Fuck, Sky. What are we doing?”
“What are the chances we’ll get caught?” she breathed against my lips.
“Probably fifty-fifty.”
“I’ll take those odds.”
She unfastened my pants, lowered the zipper, and sank down onto her knees.
“Holy shit.”
Apparently I’d gone commando today—not so much a conscious decision as the result of needing to do laundry. Totally worked out in my favor. She looked up at me through her thick lashes and her tongue darted over her lips.
“Fuck,” I growled.
I wanted to ask her if she was sure about this, but my brain was completely short circuiting at the sight of her on her knees in front of me, lowering one side of my jeans to expose more of my very hard cock. Plus, she looked pretty fucking sure.
I’d just trust her on this one.
The million-and-one reasons I shouldn’t do this with her were nowhere in sight. She was about to suck my dick and there was a pretty good chance we could get caught. The combination was fucking crack to me. Impossible to resist.
Heat ran through my veins as she pulled my cock out of my pants. Parting her lips, she slid the tip inside. For the first time, I was glad I had these damn crutches. I wouldn’t have been able to stay standing otherwise.
Her mouth was warm and wet. She took me in deeper, holding my stiff length at the base. Fuck, that felt good. She started to move faster and my eyes rolled back. I probably needed to be quiet so the kids working the concession stand below didn’t hear anything, but it was hard to hold the groan in my throat.
Without warning, she plunged down on me, surrounding my cock with her wet mouth. My shoulders hit the wall behind me. Even with crutches I couldn’t quite stay on my feet. But Skylar was fucking relentless, drawing me in and out of her mouth like a woman on a mission.
A mission to make me come.
She was going to succeed. Fast.
My orgasm built, the shock of her aggressiveness and the danger of getting caught making
this the single hottest thing I’d ever done in my life. The pressure in my groin grew, tension surging through me. Skylar plunged down on me, over and over, my cock sliding in and out of her mouth.
Then she looked up at me again, those sweet brown eyes glinting with wickedness.
And I came fucking unglued.
I barely had time to give her a strangled warning. “I’m coming. Fuck.”
She didn’t stop. If anything, she doubled down. I watched as my glistening cock pulsed in her mouth, throbbing as I came down her throat.
My heart felt like it might beat right out of my chest. I took a few heaving breaths as I came down the other side.
She slid me out of her mouth and lightly swiped her thumb across the corner of her lips.
“Holy shit, Sky, that was the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever done. Or seen. Or anything.”
Still leaning against the wall, I grabbed her hands to help her to her feet, ready to hug her or kiss her or maybe just rip her pants off and fuck her right here. She bit her lip, a hint of shyness returning to her expression as she stood.
“Did—”
Whatever she was about to say died on her lips and her eyes went wide.
I’d heard it too.
Someone was coming up the stairs.
21
Skylar
My eyes widened and my heart skipped. Someone was coming.
Oh my god, I’d just given Gavin Bailey a blow job in the projector room at a drive-in, and someone was coming up the stairs.
Gavin’s dick was hanging out of his pants, still semi-hard, which was kind of blowing my mind. But this wasn’t the time to contemplate how quickly he could be ready for round two after an orgasm. We were about to get caught.
“Your pants,” I hissed, lunging at him to put his dick away.
“I got it.” He tucked himself back in his jeans, then buttoned and zipped them.
“What do we do?”
“I’ll think of something.”
More steps outside.
“Is there a window?” I asked, feeling frantic.
He looked down at his cast. “Um.”
“Right. Oh my god.”
The door opened and a guy wearing a sweatshirt and jeans stopped dead in his tracks. “Who are you?”
Rushing In: A Small Town Family Romance Page 17