He unzips his backpack and pulls out a thick textbook.
揧ou do own one of those, huh??
One side of his mouth quirks up as he also gets a notebook and pencil, then shifts to get comfortable.
揥e can go inside if you want.?
揂re you kidding? This is awesome.?
揙kay.?I抦 pleased he likes it. 揥hat areas do you still need help with for tomorrow??
He adjusts his hat and gives me a sheepish grin. 揂ll of it. I haven抰 looked at it since the last time we studied.?
揙-kay.?I hold my hand out for his textbook.
He places it in my palm, and I flip through it to refamiliarize myself with the material.
揥e could work some problems,?I suggest.
揌it me.?He flips his notebook to a clean page.
I give him a problem, and he jots it down.
With his eyes on the paper, he asks, 揌ave you even taken probability and statistics yet??
揘oooo.?I smile. 揃ut I spent some time this past week looking up anything I didn抰 know.?
He looks up and grins. 揧ou did that for me??
揑t抯 no big deal.?
揂re you kidding? That might be the nicest thing anyone抯 ever done for me.?He points the end of his pencil at me. 揝weet Daisy. Told you. It fits.?
Together we work through problems until the sun has set, taking the heat of the day with it. I rub my hands together and then bring them to my face.
Jordan packs up his stuff and then scoots forward, his knees bent. He takes my hands and covers them with his own. His thumb glides along the pulse point on my wrist. 揑 should get going.?
揥hy did you kiss me??The question spills out with no regard for my ego. If he says he was drunk and doesn抰 remember it, I might have to jump from this tree house.
揑 wanted to,?he says simply.
揥hy??
He chuckles lightly.
揑抦 not fishing for compliments. It just doesn抰 make any sense.?
揟hat抯 your problem.?His long fingers wrap around my wrists, and he tugs me closer. His minty breath hits my lips, and he stares at my mouth as he says, 揝top trying to make sense of everything.?
There抯 an unspoken challenge in his words, or at least that抯 how I take it. I inch forward. He lets me come to him, but he reassures me with more soft caresses where he holds my wrists.
My mouth hovers near his, my breaths shallow and my heart hammering in my chest. I bring my lips to his in a ghost of a kiss. And there they are, the tiny sparks all over my body. I tremble everywhere, and Jordan groans quietly, bringing one of his hands to the back of my neck.
I forget to be timid. I forget that we don抰 make any sense because it feels so damn good.
His tongue strokes mine in the same rhythm of his thumb along my neck. I raise a hand to his cheek and lightly run my nails along the light scruff and then higher where I thread my fingers through the thick locks of dark hair. He lets me explore.
He抯 a good kisser. Playful but intense. Gentle nips and then hard presses of his lips over mine as he steals the air from my lungs.
He pulls me between his legs and wraps his arms around my waist. His fingers dance at the hem of my T-shirt, caressing bare skin and sending goosebumps racing up my side. I want to be closer still, and press into him until his back is against the wall of the tree house and my boobs crush into his chest. My nipples ache at the contact, and heat rushes between my legs.
揇aisy!?Violet抯 voice is slow to register above the blood pounding in my ears. When she calls my name a second time, I jump back.
I scramble off Jordan and fix my clothes and hair before answering her. 揥e抮e studying in the tree house.?
She comes to the bottom of the ladder and looks up. My cheeks are on fire, but I hope she thinks it's just the cold air.
揟ake a break and come inside. I have a surprise.?
19
JORDAN
Climbing down from a tree house with a boner is a new experience. Thankfully it deflates at record speed as Violet gives us a weird look.
揥hy were you studying up there??she asks. 揑t抯 freezing out.?
揑 like it up there,?Daisy protests. 揥hat抯 the surprise??
揑 finished your dress.?
Daisy stares blankly at her cousin as we follow her inside the house.
揊or the Wallflower Ball,?Violet adds.
揟he what??I ask, brows raising.
揑t抯 a formal Violet masterminds and has not-so-lovingly named.?Daisy does a cute little eye roll to accentuate her comment.
揑t抯 going to be epic,?Violet tells me. 揓ocks aren抰 allowed.?
揌ey,?Dahlia calls from the living room, where she抯 holding up a yellow dress. 揑抦 a jock.?
揝orry, most jocks aren抰 allowed,?Violet corrects.
揟his the thing Liam roped me into helping set up for??I ask Daisy.
揧eah.?She nods, then turns back to her cousin. 揂nd what do you mean you finished my dress. I thought it was already done.?
揑t was, but I think this one might be more you.?Violet waves to Dahlia. The closer she comes with that dress, the bigger it seems to get. So much lace. I think it might swallow little Daisy right up.
揥ait. Is this厰 Her words trail off as she takes the dress from Dahlia and clutches it to her chest. 揤iolet, you didn抰！?
My gaze pings between them. I抦 not sure what抯 going on, but it抯 obvious Daisy is pleased by the dress. I抦 not sure I抳e ever seen her so unabashedly happy. Her eyes are fucking twinkling, and her smile is so big. Daisy smiling big like that is really something. And I want to see more of it.
She hugs Violet around the neck. 揃ut you worked so hard on the other one.?
揑 know, but every time you put this one on, you look so happy. I hemmed it, and Dahlia helped me add the jewels around the waist. Do you like it??
揕ove,?she says. 揑 love it.?
I drag my backpack up to my shoulder and squeeze Daisy抯 bicep. 揑抦 gonna go. Thanks for your help.?
Nodding to Violet and Dahlia, I start for the front door. I suck in the cold air and let it fill my lungs. Dammit. I kissed her again.
Actually, she kissed me. Sweet Daisy made a move on me. I never thought I抎 utter those words. I thought I抎 be good as long as I held myself back, which I was doing a pretty fucking epic job of until she started talking about us kissing.
I抳e barely made it to the end of the driveway when Daisy calls my name and jogs after me.
揑抦 sorry,?she says.
揑t抯 okay. I抦 good. I studied more for this test than any other in my life.?
揘ot about that. That we were interrupted,?she says with a shy smile.
揙h. Well, I抳e got another ten minutes if you want to make out in your front yard.?Shut the fuck up, man.
She laughs. Damn, that sound shouldn抰 get to me the way it does.
揑 should get back inside, but, uh, we could meet up tomorrow if you want.?She blushes. 揟o study, I mean.?
揑 have a group project thing tomorrow night.?
揙kay. No problem.?Her smile dims.
揥hat about tomorrow afternoon? I have a break after practice.?
And there it is again. Her lips curve up. 揝ure. I抦 done at two.?
揕et抯 do it at my place.?Liam is the perfect cock block for this scenario. I can spend time with her, but I definitely won't kiss her again.
揙kay.?
揝ee you then,?I say, and as I walk away, I realize that being the reason for that smile is the best part of my whole day. I take another step. 揝end me some pictures in that dress??
Her grin widens. 揥e抣l see.?
When Daisy shows up to study, Liam is in the shower. It抯 perfect because it means we can set up in the living room and not my room where there抯 a bed. Getting her near a bed would be game over.