Past
“Aw, they’re beautiful.” I took the bouquet of roses before Parker kissed me senseless. I loved it when she locked her fingers behind my neck and pulled me closer.
“Where are you taking me on this secret date?” she asked.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her firmly on the mouth. At my house, we could be ourselves. My dad wasn’t due home for another twenty minutes so, for the moment, we were alone. “I was thinking of taking you to the swimming hole.” Her pout was too cute not to kiss. Max was having a barbecue at his house so I knew most people would abandon the swimming hole for his giant pool and free food. “Everyone we know will be at the party, so we don’t have to worry about a bunch of people there. Plus, I get to see you in that amazing bikini and have you all to myself.”
She crinkled her nose and kissed my neck. “I must really love you if I’m going to splash around in muddy water.”
I smiled. “The water’s spring-fed so I promise it’s not muddy.” She raked her nails across the back of my head. It felt so good my knees threatened to buckle. “We’ll head to Max’s after we’ve had a few hours to ourselves.” She gently pulled me down the hall to my bedroom.
“What are we doing?” I was equally panicked and excited about what she had in mind. We’d been on several dates and we’d reached the hooking up stage of our relationship. I was careful not to do anything she was uncomfortable with, but so far, I’d done everything right.
“I have to change into my bikini.” Parker’s parents didn’t allow her to wear a bikini, so she stashed one here. She raised an eyebrow and my heart leaped in my chest at the possibilities. I didn’t think we had enough time to fool around, but I was willing to see how far we could get before my dad got home.
“And I’m going to help you every step of the way,” I said.
Parker was shy and uncomfortable about her body. I understood because I was very self-conscious about my height and my muscles. But I thought she was perfect.
She found her bikini in my dresser and took it into the bathroom. I was sad that she shut the door, but I sat on my bed and waited for her to come out. She did not disappoint. I held my breath when she opened the door.
“How do I look?” she asked.
I pulled her so that she stood right in front of me. “You look incredible.” I ran my fingertips over her flat stomach and placed a soft kiss above the waistband. We both were shaking. “This is my favorite thing you’ve ever worn.”
She smiled shyly and put her hands on my shoulders. “I want to look good for you.”
My blood rushed to my face and spread out to all my sensitive spots, making them pulse with heat and desire. I ran my hand up the small valley between her breasts and brushed my fingertips over her soft cleavage. Most of our previous make-out sessions were over our clothes, in the back seat of my car, and in the dark. This was new. I put my hands on her hips and pulled her closer to my mouth. “Is this okay?”
“Definitely okay,” she said.
I ran my tongue alongside the hem of the top before she got frustrated and pulled the material to the side. I didn’t hesitate. Her skin was hot against my mouth. Chill bumps spread over her skin and her nipple hardened as I kissed my way over to one breast. I held back a moan when I felt the softness and hardness on my tongue for a hot moment before she pulled away.
“I’m sorry. I went too far,” I said.
“No, Sutton. Your dad’s home. I just heard the garage door open.”
She scrambled back into the bathroom and I raced to the kitchen on wobbly legs. I opened the refrigerator as though looking for a snack.
“Hey, kiddo. I thought for sure you’d be at Max’s party by now,” Dad said.
“Parker’s changing into her swimsuit now. I’m just hungry.” Food was the last thing on my mind. I pulled out a bowl of grapes. “How was your golf excursion?”
He was in a school district fundraiser to collect scholarship money for students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend college. I was proud of myself for sounding and acting normal when my body tingled with desire.
“It was good. We came in second, but we raised about five thousand dollars.”
“Dad, that’s amazing.” I dialed it down when I realized I sounded a bit too enthusiastic. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“I’ll fix the sink in the utility room, and probably take a nap. It’s been a long day.” We both turned when we heard footsteps. “Hi, Parker,” he said.
I could only grin and blush.
“Hi, Mr. McCoy. How was golf?” She had slipped back into her shorts and T-shirt and looked as innocent as she did when she first got here, even though she wasn’t. We weren’t. My cheeks flamed at the memory of what just happened in my room.
“It was fun but I’m tired. Have fun at Max’s. I’m going to take a shower.” He kissed me on my forehead and left the kitchen.
I stared at Parker.
She smiled shyly at me. “That was close,” she said.
That was everything. It was perfect. She was perfect. Every part of me fluttered when our eyes met.
“That was amazing,” I said.
The tension left her shoulders as she walked over to me. “Your dad has terrible timing.”
I kissed her softly. I couldn’t tell which one of us was trembling. It was a big moment. “The worst.” I looked into her blue eyes and saw love. We said “I love you” last week, but it felt like the words didn’t do justice to the feelings inside me. Three little words weren’t strong enough to describe how she affected me.
“I’m looking forward to this special place that we’ve never been to before even though we’ve been dating for over a month.” She was teasing me.
I loved her so much. I was trying to keep my cool, but it was hard. I found love. I found what my mom and dad had and here I was standing in my kitchen eating a grape and trying not to cry. I coughed to dislodge the lump in my throat. “Me, too. Is there anything you need?”
She touched my cheek. “Just you.”
This emotional roller coaster was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. I kissed her again, tasting her warmth and eagerness. “What are you doing to me?”
“The same thing you’re doing to me. Now let’s go before your dad catches us. The water will cool us off.”
Happy that she felt it, too, I practically skipped out to the car. The swimming hole was fifteen minutes away. As soon as I put the car in drive, Parker reached for my hand and held it in her lap. Warmth radiated from her bare thighs.
“I’m going to warn you now that the water is cold. Like scream at the shock cold.”
She looked at me in alarm. “You know I hate being cold.”
I pulled her hand up to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “I promise to keep you warm.”
She squeezed my hand. “I know. Even if we don’t go in, time with you is always amazing.”
“What time do you have to be home?” I asked.
“Nine.”
“Oh, my God. I’m surprised they didn’t offer to drive you to Max’s and pick you up.” I rolled my eyes.
Her parents didn’t like me and told Parker to find other friends. She was on the cheer team, after all. I wanted to talk smack about them, but I also didn’t want them to screw up this amazing high I was on.
She squeezed my hand three times. I sighed and instantly forgot about her awful parents. Three squeezes meant “I love you.”