She pulls her shirt over her head when I set her on the bed, lips parting as she watches me undress. When my knees hit the mattress and I pull her below me, a cherry red flush creeps up her chest, staining her creamy skin. My lips follow its path, feeling the heat that warms her, stoking the fire between us.
“Garrett,” she whispers as I unhook her bra, sliding the straps down her shoulders. She’s got the teensiest freckles dotting her skin here, barely noticeable, but I notice everything about her. I press my lips there, then nibble along her collarbone, finding the hollow spot at the base of her throat as she quivers below my touch. “I want to…I want to have sex with you.”
My body stills, lips hovering on her neck, and my cock betrays me by throbbing where it rests, right against the spot she says she wants me.
But she doesn’t really.
“Jennie…”
Her fingers fall from my hair, and she shifts, like she’s trying to hide, like she doesn’t know how badly I want her.
My hand slides along her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “Stop. If it isn’t clear enough, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than inside you.” My eyes move between hers, noting the uncertainty, the insecurities, the fear. “Tonight is not the night. You’ve had an overwhelming day, and you’re feeling vulnerable, and that’s okay. But I want you to want me because you actually do, because you’re certain about it. I won’t take something from you unless you’re without a doubt ready to give it to me. And you’re not, Jennie.”
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “But what if you get bored of me?”
“Jennie.” Burying my face in her neck, I chuckle softly, then tug her lip free. “Today I used one of your dildos to fix a dent you put in your brother’s car, then watched you moan over every single bite of your dinner and lick your fingers clean. Being with you is like watching my favorite TV show. I’m always on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what comes next.”
She beams. “I’m your favorite?”
“My fucking favorite.”
She tangles her fingers with mine. “Can you show me?”
I do, five times over, showing her all my favorite spots on her body, whispering against her skin about everything she does that makes my life better. Later, when her body curls into mine and my fingers dance down her spine, she opens her mouth and tells me what really happened earlier today.
“That’s bullshit and you know it, Jennie,” I say when she finishes. “You got that job offer because your teacher thinks you deserve it, not because of who your brother is, and not because you follow the rules.”
She traces her name on my torso with the tip of her finger. “It’s hard not to think about it when someone puts the thought in your head. I hate doubting myself.”
“And in doing so, you gave Krissy exactly what she wanted. She wants you to second-guess your talent. She wants you to be as insecure as she is. Because in the end, that’s what it comes down to. She’s insecure and jealous.”
“Do you think that’s why she doesn’t like me?”
I lift a shoulder. “I bet Krissy doesn’t even know why she doesn’t like you. Because it’s got nothing to do with you and everything to do with her. She’s got her own shit that needs working through.”
“It makes sense. It’s just…sometimes it feels like I don’t fit in with anyone.”
“You weren’t made to fit in, Jennie. You stand out way too much to hide in the shadows.”
She lays her warm cheek on my shoulder. “Thank you, Garrett.”
I tickle her neck with the tip of her braid. “For what?”
“For talking to me. Listening to me. Helping me. But most of all, for trapping me in a closet and forcing me to play with you.”
“I’m not sure that’s quite how that went.”
“The orgasms have been wonderful.”
“Wonderful enough to ditch the toys?”
“Oh, Garrett.” She gives me a pitying, humoring laugh, patting my chest. “Let’s not get carried away. Men don’t vibrate.”
“Maybe not.” My tongue flicks over that spot below her ear. “But real men make you vibrate.”
Giggling, she snuggles into me, and soon she’s sound asleep in my arms. I turn on Netflix, telling myself I’ll wake her up after and walk her home. But the longer I lie here, the more unwilling I am to let her go.
She’s stunning, a breathtaking masterpiece with chestnut waves tumbling out of her braid, splayed over her neck, dark lashes resting against her rosy cheekbones. I don’t know what she’s dreaming about, but the more her nose scrunches in her sleep, the more she sighs happily and smiles, the more I hope to God it’s me.
I can’t stop myself from picking my phone up and hitting that red Record button. I want to see this face exactly as it is right now, whenever I want to, and when an hour’s passed, I decide to say a big ol’ fuck you to the rules. I turn off the TV and settle into the darkness, pulling Jennie tighter to me.
Her hand coasts up my arm, fingers sinking into my hair. “Garrett?” she murmurs. “Do you want me to go?”
“I want you to stay.”
I wait for her to argue the way she likes to, to say it’s not a good idea. But instead, after a moment that seems to last forever, she shoves her leg between mine.
“Thought you said I snore.”
“Nah, you’re being extra cute in your sleep tonight. I took a video so I can remind myself next time you’re acting like a brat.”
She laughs, then stills. “A what?”
“A video. Don’t worry; I hid it.”
She shoots up, nearly hammering me in the face when she flings herself over me, slapping at the lamp until it floods the room with light, making me all squinty. “Delete it.”
I rub my eyes with my fists. “What?”
“Delete it. Now.”
“You can’t see anything. It’s just your face. You’re doing this cute thing with your nose, all scrunchy, kinda like a bunny, and you keep smiling, and—Jesus, Jennie, watch it.” Her knee narrowly misses my balls as she crawls over me. She rips my phone from the charger, swiping frantically through my photos, searching for the video.
“Where is it?” She shoves it against my chest. “Delete it. Right now.”
“Okay, Jennie. I’ll delete it. Calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.” She storms around the room, snagging her underwear and fumbling her way back into them. “You don’t take a video of someone without their permission, Garrett! What the fuck were you thinking?”
What was I thinking? I was thinking I wanted to feel like she was beside me the next time I’m hundreds of miles away from her. “I guess I wasn’t,” is the lame excuse I offer, rolling off the bed. I show her my phone as I delete the video. “There. It’s gone.” She pulls her shirt over her head, and I follow her into the hallway, cupping my balls, wishing I wasn’t naked right now. “What are you doing?”
“Leaving.”
I rub my temple, right where a headache is forming. “I thought we were gonna…you were gonna…stay?”