Heat Wave: A Summer Loving Anthology Page 22

  “What do you think would happen on the other side?”

  “The other side of what?”

  “Of friendship.”

  I tried to think about his question. What would happen if we crossed that line? Would I lose him as a friend? Or could I find a love so incredible, that nothing, not even our impending separation, would come between us.

  “I don’t know.”

  “That’s what scares me, Lil. You mean more to me than anything else in this world. More than Denver, hell, you’re my family. If something were to happen between us and it didn’t work, I couldn’t risk losing you.”

  I knew what he meant. It was something I didn’t want to risk myself, but after the one kiss we shared last night, I also didn’t want to risk not seeing what would happen.

  “We’re here for another week and a half. What—what if we just let things happen? What if we let whatever this thing is we are feeling for each other, play out and see where it leads us? If at the end it doesn’t seem right, we promise to remain friends? No matter what happens we always have that?”

  “I—I guess we could see,” I replied both excited and scared at the prospect.

  “Promise me, Lil. Promise me that no matter what, we will always be friends.”

  I turned over my shoulder to look at him and he pressed a kiss to my temple causing me to close my eyes and relish in the feel of his lips on me.

  “I promise,” I said as we sailed through the air. Wind in our faces, and his arms wrapped securely around me.

  ***

  “OH MY GOD!” Krista said as she came running up to me, holding her hand out. “Corey asked me to marry him!” I got up from being perched on the sand next to Jason and tried to remove my hand from his, but he wouldn’t let go. Instead, he stood up and approached Krista with me. Krista threw her arms around my neck ignoring the fact that Jason had a secure hold on me.

  “Congrats! That is amazing!” I squealed completely happy for my friend. Corey came walking up with a huge grin on his face.

  “Congrats, man,” Jason said, cupping Corey on the shoulder.

  “We’re celebrating tonight. We are getting dressed up and going out. Dinner, dancing and a night of debauchery,” Krista said. The smile on her face was contagious and I couldn’t help but join her.

  We all walked back to the beach house. Corey and Krista in complete bliss in front of us, blissfully unaware of Jason and I holding hands walking behind them.

  “I can’t wait to actually dance with you tonight. I am dying to actually get to hold you,” Jason leaned over and whispered. Butterflies filled my stomach and I felt completely giddy from his words. His warm breath fanned my face and I had an ache for him to kiss me again. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it since it happened last night.

  “Me too,” was all I managed to say. Jason lifted our clasped hands to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss on the top of my knuckles.

  Back at the house, Krista and I took our time getting ready, taking extra care in our appearance. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and a tight black dress hugged every one of her curves, making her look like walking sin. She was absolutely gorgeous and I had no doubt Corey’s jaw was going to hit the floor when he saw her.

  I decided to wear my hair up in a messy, yet styled bun. My dress was the same color as the setting sun and strapless. The bodice hugged against my skin and then settled loosely around my hips to flow just to mid thigh. I wore a pair of strappy sandals and lathered on a layer of my favorite vanilla bean scented lotion over my freshly shaved legs.

  “You look amazing,” Krista said, as she looked at me in the mirror as she put in her earrings.

  “You do too. I am so happy for you and Corey. I knew it as going to happen sooner or later,” I laughed.

  “So you and Jason are really going to give this couple thing a go?” She asked, turning around and resting her backside against the dresser.

  “Yeah, I think so. I—I just still can’t believe it. I feel like this silly teenager. My stomach is in knots and my palms feel sweaty. This isn’t just any other guy, Kris. This is Jason. My Jason.”

  “That’s what makes it so perfect, sweetie. He is your best friend. You know each other inside and out. You know the best qualities in each other and also your faults, yet you still love each other.”

  “I don’t know about love…”

  “Oh trust me honey, you love him. I think you’ve always loved him. It’s just taken you a while to realize it.”

  She paused for a minute and then a small smile tipped from the corner of her mouth.

  “So…are you gonna…you know?”

  “Gonna what?”

  “Quit being coy, Lilly. Are you going to go all in? Like as in sex and stuff? Or are you going to just date?”

  Wow. I hadn’t really thought about it. Well, that’s a lie. I’ve completely thought about it. I’ve seen Jason naked before. Hell, we’ve skinny dipped with friends in high school before, but I never really thought of it as being sexual back then. Now, God, just the thought of his hands on parts of me made my skin flush and my nerves kick into overdrive.

  “Okay, that stupid grin on your face says it all. Go for it girl. I couldn’t be happier for you.”

  I didn’t realize that I was actually smiling, but I guess I was.

  “What do you say we go show those boys of ours a good time?” She winked at me.

  ***

  Jason

  TWO EMPTY BOTTLES of champagne and empty plates of food sat in front of us as we laughed at something stupid that Corey was saying. As much fun as I was having, I wanted nothing more than to get Lilly alone so that I could touch her. Hold her. Kiss her. My lips were practically on fire with the want and need to feel hers on mine. My body hummed with anticipation and I had to mentally tell myself to calm down. See, now that I was allowed to touch her, it was all I could think about, but I needed to go slow. This was completely new to both of us. Even though we have been best friends nearly our whole lives, we were like strangers getting to know each other in a different light.

  “Wanna dance?” I leaned in and whispered in her ear. I loved that she wore her hair up, leaving her neck exposed, because I wanted to bury my nose in it as I held her body next to mine.

  “Absolutely,” she said with a smile and it turned my insides to jelly. She was naturally beautiful. Even though I noticed that she put special attention in her appearance tonight, because I’d be stupid not to, she was just as gorgeous in a tank and cut off jeans.

  We rose from the table and made our way out to the dance floor in the restaurant where there were several other couples already swaying to the soft music that filtered through the speakers. Krista and Corey followed us and the moment Lilly entered my arms, I was in heaven. The slow jazzy tune washed over me and I gathered her as close to me as I could.

  “You look stunning tonight if I haven’t told you.”

  She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and played with the hair at my nape. I concentrated on the way she rubbed it between her fingers and lightly scratched my scalp with her nails. The sensations shooting straight to my groin and I sighed from the fucking phenomenal feeling.

  “Oh it’s only about the tenth time you’ve told me. You don’t have to keep saying it,” she giggled, her voice vibrating through my chest where her cheek laid against my chest.

  “I’ll tell you as many times as I like. But you are. Stunning.”

  “Thank you,” she said snuggling deeper into me. I buried my nose in her neck where I have wanted to be all night. I pressed a kiss to the soft flesh just below her ear and I heard her sigh as tiny goosebumps formed on her skin beneath my lips.

  “Think Kris and Corey would care if we ditched them? We could go take a walk on the beach.”

  She lifted her head from my chest and looked up at me, her eyes dazzling with some of the same emotions I was feeling. She then looked over at Krista and Corey who were trapped in their own little lovesick world and then back to me
before smiling and nodded.

  I took her by the hand and led her over to the table and deposited a wad of cash on the table to pay for all of our food and drinks and then led Lilly out of the restaurant.

  It was a clear, warm night as we made our way down to the water’s edge and we both removed our shoes so that we could get our feet wet.

  We were silent for a while, the only sound surrounding us was the waves as they crashed upon the shore.

  “Do you feel weird about this?” I asked squeezing her hand in mine.

  “I don’t know, maybe some. I think it’s just because it’s so new. But it is a good weird. Tonight has been amazing so far. I still feel like we have that best friend dynamic, but with a little something extra.” I stopped walking and tugged on her hand to bring her in close and dropped my shoes in the sand so that I could have both of my arms to hold her. Pushing a wayward strand that had fallen from her bun away from her face, I then caressed her cheeks with my thumbs.

  “I’ve been waiting all day to do this,” I admitted and then pressed my lips to hers. The same tingle of sharp current ignited when our mouths touched. Immediately, she opened to me allowing me to slip my tongue inside to get a taste. Champagne and strawberries. It would become one of my new favorite flavors.

  We tested each other with our kiss, getting to know the way our mouths formed perfectly together. I loved the way her nails dug into my biceps and I grabbed the back of her head to pull her in closer. I drew small circles on her bare back just above the top of her dress, enjoying the way her soft skin felt beneath my fingertips. I couldn’t help but notice how incredible it felt to feel her soft curves pressed against me, but I needed to gain control, otherwise I was going to end up ravishing her right here on the beach.

  “God, I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I wanted to do that, Lil,” I admitted, as I pressed my forehead against hers and tried to find my equilibrium.

  “More times than I care to admit,” I added.

  “I’ve thought about it too. I used to get jealous when you would go out with other girls. Mainly jealous because it took your time away from me. I loved all the times in high school when you would come over and we’d stay up late and watch movies or just talk for hours. I think I wanted to kiss you then.”

  “I never felt anything even remotely comparable with someone the way kissing you makes me feel. God, Lil, you make me feel amazing.”

  I kissed her again, craving her taste. Needing the warmth of her mouth on mine. I could stand there on the beach all night long and make out with her, but I also knew that if we rushed things too quickly, it could end up bad.

  “Lil, we should probably stop,” I managed to say between kisses.

  “Hmm hmm,” she replied still peppering small kisses on my lips. I traced her jaw with my mouth and she tilted her head to give me access. I kissed the tender spot where her shoulder and neck met and was rewarded with the sexiest moan I’ve ever heard. I couldn’t believe this was happening. This was Lilly. My best friend Lilly, yet it felt so right, like it was inevitable that we would end up this way. Somehow, it felt like we had always been together, but now we were allowed to express our feelings about it.

  I stopped kissing her neck when I felt my hand brush the curve of her breast. As badly as I wanted to make love to her, I knew we needed to cool things off.

  So I did something unexpected. I grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground and ran with her out into the water, both of us fully clothed.

  “Oh my God! Jason! What the hell?” She exclaimed but with laughter in her voice. The cool water hit us and I took us out far enough to reach our chest.

  “I just wanted to get you wet,” I said smiling a devilish smile at her and her reaction was to hit me in the chest with her palm. I faked hurt.

  “Well, I had a different thing in mind for that,” she said arching her brows at me. Pulling her in closer, I could feel her hardened nipples through the fabric of her dress and I groaned inwardly. This was supposed to calm my hormones, not make them worse.

  “I know, sweetheart, but I don’t want to rush this okay? It will happen. I promise, but for now, I just want to have fun kissing you. Maybe make out like a couple of teenagers since we skipped that whole stage.”

  She smiled, her pearly white teeth shining at me through the moonlight above.

  “Fine, but you know I’m not going to make this easy on you,” she admitted as she thrust her hips into mine.

  “I have no doubt.”

  Chapter Seven

  Lilly

  WE’VE BEEN IN VIRGINIA BEACH for four days and I am having the time of my life. So far Jason and I have done all the things that we would have normally done together, but it is somehow heightened by the change in our relationship. Yesterday we went snorkeling in a little cove just off the Chesapeake Bay. He touched me every chance he got. I was elated from just a brush of his fingertips on my jaw and even more from just the way he held my hand. We’ve teased and taunted each other to the point that the sexual tension between us has reached a boiling point. I don’t think I’ve ever felt desire this intense in my entire life.

  “Corey and I are going out to a club tonight. Do you and Jason want to go?” Krista asked from the hallway as Jason and I lounged on the couch watching a movie. I was nestled between his legs with his arms around me while I held a bowl of popcorn for both of us.

  “Well?” I asked turning my head to look up at him.

  “We could,” he said aloud, “Or we could stay here and be alone,” he leaned down to whisper in my ear and licking the outside of it with his tongue. I shivered and my breath came out in a rush.

  “I’m pretty tired, Kris. I think I’ll just stay in tonight.”

  “Well, I’m not one to cock block anyone. If you want the house to yourself to have wild, crazy, monkey sex, then all you have to do is ask,” she winked and then took off down the hallway toward her room.

  Jason laughed behind me.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “You are the world’s worst liar, babe. She probably knew what we were going to say before she even asked it.”

  “Maybe I am tired. Maybe I’ll go to bed now,” I huffed, faking anger and tried to rise up from the couch.

  “Oh hell no. I’ve gone to bed alone for four nights now. This time, you are staying with me.”

  “Oh, really?” I question with sarcasm.

  “Yeah, but I can’t guarantee you will be getting any sleep.”

  I chuckled.

  “What happened to slow?”

  “Fuck slow.”

  He reached for my jaw and turned my head so that he could taste my mouth, I moaned feeling my body automatically come to life just from the feel of his lips on mine.

  Jason got up from behind me and extended his hand to me. Without hesitation, I gave it to him and he was pulling me up and hoisting me over his shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” I asked as I smacked him on the ass, hard, with my hand.

  “Not giving you a way to escape.”

  He walked us into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Releasing me from his shoulder, he allowed my body to glide against his as my feet came to the floor.

  “Do you think this is okay? This isn’t something we can take back. A line that can’t be crossed. I want you to be absolutely sure, sweetheart,” Jason asked as he brushed my hair out of my face.

  “Are you having doubts or second thoughts?”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure of anything in my life, Lilly.”

  His eyes were dark as they gleamed at me through the moonlight of the room, and just from the expression on his face, I could tell he was being completely honest. The fierceness of his gaze compiled with the intense look of longing shining in his eyes, was enough to secure my decision.

  “I want this Jason. I think—I think that if we didn’t, I would regret it. I would always wonder what if. What if it could have been something great?”


  With tender slowness, his lips found mine, testing, tasting, exploring. I could feel the evidence of his arousal pressing into my hip and wanted nothing more than to caress it with my palm. But this was Jason, and for some reason all my brazen persona and flirting for the last few days had gone straight out the window. I suddenly felt very shy and very self-conscious about being so intimate with him. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to. God did I want to, but this was different. This wasn’t something we could take back. A few stolen kisses and make out sessions over the day wouldn’t break us. But this? This could sever us completely if something went wrong between us.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Jason asked as he pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses on my cheek and jaw.

  “I’m just nervous, I guess.”

  He pulled away and looked straight into my eyes.

  “You know I’d never hurt you. We don’t have to do this, Lil. I’m completely content for you to just fall asleep in my arms. But no matter what, I want you next to me as you close your eyes. I want to be the last thing you see before you fall asleep. I want to be the only thing you dream about, and the first thing you want to see when the light of day opens your eyes.”

  My heart thudded in my chest to the point of pain. I’ve had guys say sweet things to me before, but that had to be one of the most romantic and sweetest things I’d ever heard.

  “I want that too.”

  He led me by the hand to his bed and pulled back the covers so that we could both climb in. We both laid facing each other, his thumb gently stroking my jaw.

  “Tell me something I don’t know about you,” he said softly as his thumb came up to massage my lips.

  “You know pretty much everything there is to know about me, Jase.”

  “There’s gotta be something I don’t know.”

  I thought about it for a second, and there was only one thing I could really think of.

  “The day we met and you threw the mud on me?”

  He nodded, urging me on.

  “Well, I was so angry that you ruined my pretty dress. I hated you. Even though we played for a while, I still cried that night because I was so mad at you.”