Rush: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 1)(45)
My thoughts drift to that Facebook post I’d inadvertently seen. If Ellie monitors Bianca’s Facebook, then she obviously knows about the post. Since no one felt the need to tell me—not Ellie or Spencer—then I can only take that to mean it’s none of my business. Honestly, I thought I would feel relief knowing that Ellie was aware… That’s not the case and I don’t know why.
I force a smile. “That’s smart.”
“It’s also necessary.” Ellie pulls her orange juice closer. “I want her to have some freedom, but I also want to know that she’s safe. She and I talk about it all the time. She’s a smart kid; she gets it.”
“She takes after her mother,” I tell her.
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” Ellie says, sipping her juice. “I never took any of the classes she’s taking. I preferred to have less homework.”
“I was the same way.” I lean in again. “Now, Scott, he was the one who dove headfirst into all those advanced classes.”
“Did any of you ever dye your hair pink?”
That makes me smile. “No, but I remember one time Scott shaved lines in his eyebrow. I think it was a thing.”
“How is that a thing?” Ellie laughs, a strong, throaty sound that goes right to my dick.
“No idea. How is pink hair a thing?”
Ellie shrugs and I see more of the tension in her shoulders dissolve. “When I asked her about it, she told me that it’s the cool thing right now.” She cocks her head to the side. “I don’t want my kid to be cool.”
“You’d prefer if she was boring?”
“Of course. Boys don’t like boring. I don’t want the boys to notice her.”
“I’m pretty sure they already have.” I don’t know that for certain, but I remember being a kid. Girls were all I ever thought about when I hit junior high. Well, girls and hockey, but they sort of went hand in hand.
“Don’t you dare say that,” she hisses with a chuckle. “I’d like to go on being oblivious.”
Ellie is the least oblivious person I know.
Since it seems I’ve managed to break the ice, I settle in to enjoy the conversation with Ellie—as well as our first official date.
Ellie
A virgin on prom night.
That’s exactly how I felt at the beginning of this date. I honestly have no idea how I made it through breakfast with Kingston. Thankfully, he made it relatively easy.
Once Kingston got me talking about Bianca, my nerves settled, and we spent the last two hours laughing and joking, and what had started out as a date turned into something far more interesting and significantly less stressful. Even now, as I sit in his truck on the way back to my place, I don’t want it to end. We’ve had so much fun.
Kingston pulls the truck into the driveway and puts it in park. When I release my seat belt and turn toward the door, he stops me with a hand on my arm.
“Not yet,” he says, his voice low and sexy.
I turn back to face him, and I know he’s going to kiss me.
At least I hope he’s going to kiss me. For the last couple of hours, I’ve thought about that kiss no less than a dozen times. Really.
His eyes lift to mine, then drop back to my mouth.
Yep, he is definitely going to kiss me.
And when he reaches over and pulls me toward him, I don’t resist. I don’t want to. The only thing I want to do is get lost in this man for a little while. Kingston makes me feel safe, he makes me feel desired, but most importantly, he makes me feel. I could so easily get addicted to kissing him. The way his mouth feels on mine, the strength in his hand as he gently cups the back of my neck, the soft growl that rumbles in his chest…
“Ellie… Christ. I could eat you alive.”
Yes, please.
I can’t voice my thoughts because his mouth is on mine once more and I’m drowning in the glorious sensation, overwhelmed by him, his kiss. It’s as though he really can’t get enough, but I know how he feels. If we could do this for the rest of the day, I damn sure wouldn’t complain.
I’ve never been kissed like this.
Never.
But what gets me is the fact that he isn’t pushing for more. I can sense his hesitancy in his posture. I know he wants me, possibly as much as I want him, but he isn’t rushing things, isn’t trying to take this any further than kissing. I’m not sure that has ever happened to me. I love it. Love knowing that I don’t have to feel pressured for more when I know it isn’t the right time. Not yet.
One day, though. One day very, very soon, I won’t be able to handle only kissing this man.
Where the hell did that come from?
It isn’t like me to want something more, but with Kingston … I definitely want more.
From a sexual perspective, of course.
Not a relationship.
I’m certainly not in the market for that, and perhaps that is what makes this so perfect. Kingston is my friend, and this has been set up beforehand, so we know how it will end. No strings, no broken hearts, no expectations.
Perfect.
Very much like his kiss.
When he pulls back, his warm hands cup my face and his forehead rests against mine. He’s breathing deeply, as am I. There’s a firestorm of sexual energy swirling around us. It’s causing my body temperature to rise and those dormant butterflies in my stomach to take flight.