“Permission to approach your side in order to share my body heat,” I stated robotically. “In a completely non-sexual way, of course.”
“Fine.” Her voice was small. “But only because I’m so cold.”
Smiling, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her toward me so my body curved around hers—my chest against her back, her butt resting on my hips, my knees tucked behind hers. I kept my arm around her middle and inhaled the summer-day scent of her hair. I closed my eyes and felt seventeen again, bursting with reckless energy and stupid ideas. I recalled walking around at the Cherry Festival with friends and seeing her in that bikini, sash, and crown, posed above that dunk tank. Her legs were crossed at the ankle, her knees side by side, her thighs pressed tightly together.
But she’d opened those thighs for me tonight, hadn’t she? And she’d tasted better than a dream.
“Quit it, Gianni.”
“What?”
“I can feel you getting hard.”
“Sorry. I was thinking about earlier. I’ll try to stop.”
She was silent a moment. “What were you thinking about, specifically?”
I smiled. “The way you taste.”
“Oh.”
“Your hair smells good, and something about it reminds me of summer, so I started thinking about the Cherry Festival, and picturing you in your bikini, and remembering how hot you were sitting up there, and how your legs were all pressed together like a good girl’s, and then I remembered the way you spread them open for me, and my face was buried between them, and—”
“Jesus. So that’s how it happens.”
“That’s how it happens.” I continued to get hard, and I knew she could feel it. “Want me to let you go?”
“I’m—I’m not sure. Now I’m getting all confused.” She squirmed a little, which only made things worse. “You are nice and warm. Can’t you just make it go down?”
“Maybe, but I’d rather make it go in and out.”
She laughed, which surprised me. “Think about something unsexy.”
“I’m trying. It’s not working.”
“Well, we’re not doing it again. One free blizzard bang is all we get.”
“What’s a blizzard bang?”
“It’s a sort of hall pass you get during really bad weather to make questionable sexual decisions.”
I laughed. “But it’s a one-time use?”
“Yeah.”
“Too bad.” I held her closer and started kissing the back of her neck, fully prepared for her to push me away or tell me to stop. When she didn’t, I slipped my arm inside the shirt she wore, placing my hand on her bare stomach.
“Oh God,” she whispered. “Don’t make me want this again.”
“Should I stop?” Slowly, my palm slid up her rib cage.
“Yes.” But she took my wrist and moved my hand over her breast. “I have so many reasons why this should not happen.”
“Such as?” I played with the hard peaks of her nipples.
“We’ve known each other too long.” Her hand snaked back and brushed over my hip.
“Definitely.”
“We don’t get along.” She slipped her hand between us.
“Nope.” My eyes closed as her fingers wrapped around my erection, which grew thicker in her grasp.
“We’re total opposites.”
“Well, you know what they say about opposites.” Heat prickled all over my skin as she worked her hand up and down my shaft.
“If I give in to you again, you’ll hold it over me for the rest of my life. You’ll remind me constantly that I couldn’t resist you, and then I’m just like every other girl you’ve ever been with.”
“Ellie, for God’s sake.” With my palm still covering her breast, I kissed my way down the curve of her neck to her shoulder. “You’re nothing like any girl I’ve ever been with. And I don’t want you to give in just because I wore down your resistance.”
“No?” Her breath was coming faster.
“No. I want you to give in because it’s what you want. Because it will feel good. Because even though we’re total opposites and not friends and I love giving you a hard time, you know I will always have your back.” I tugged her shoulder, rolling her toward me so we were face to face. “Our history might not be perfect, but it goes back a long way.”
“It does,” she whispered.