Present Perfect(53)

Brad and I continued to hang out. Technically, we weren’t dating, but I have fond feelings for him. You can’t spend as much time as we did together, doing the things we did together, and not develop some affection for the other person. He was simply a distraction, though, an extremely hot distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. He was fun and helped me get my mind off of Noah and Brooke, kind of. Even though I cared a lot for him, I knew I would never feel for Brad what I felt for Noah. I don’t think I’ll ever feel that way about another guy.





Brad and I were at his house one afternoon studying. He never talked much about his family, but I always got the impression that he was pretty much on his own. He and his mom were the only two living in this huge house. His parents had gotten a divorce when he was 10 years old and his older brother, Peyton, was off attending law school.

Brad’s parents were both lawyers. The few times I had been over at his house, his mom was never there. There always seemed to be a big case she was working on. It appeared his dad was the same way. There were several times when Brad called me to hang out on the weekend because plans with his dad had suddenly been canceled. I got the feeling neither of his parents were interested in giving him any of their time.

I tried to talk to him about serious subjects a few times, but he always made a joke of it and changed the topic. Our relationship was fun and breezy, nothing serious.

We had been studying for about an hour when Brad leaned over to me on the sofa and started nuzzling my neck, trailing soft kisses up and down. It made me shudder.

Against my neck he said, “I’ve exercised my brain enough today. It’s time to exercise the rest of me.”

He pulled the book I had resting on my lap away and tossed it on the coffee table. My eyes closed as I tilted my head to the side. Even though Brad and I didn’t have a very deep relationship, my body always responded to his touch.

Breathlessly I said, “We really should be studying. We have that big exam we need to get ready for.”

Grabbing my waist he pulled me over on to his lap. “I got something big you need to get ready for.”

I burst out laughing as he showered my neck with quick little bites as his arm snaked around my waist.

“You have got to be the cheesiest high school senior ever.” Removing his lips from my neck, he looked at me with a suggestive smirk. Leaning in, he nipped at my bottom lip between each clipped sentence. “Admit it. You crave it. Ache for it. Lust after it. Have a thirst for it that can’t be quenched.”

“Alright, already, I do find you charming, but only a smidge,” I said, my laughter dying down as a warm sensation took over my body.

Sapphire eyes pierced mine, holding a different more intense look. Brad’s gaze went from my eyes to my lips, and then back. The air in the room shifted. Passion and desire emanated from him.

Sliding his hand behind my neck, he pulled me to him. Our lips touched and slowly began moving against each other. His tongue thrust into my mouth and caressed mine. I got lost in the all-consuming feeling of his movements.

Suddenly, the front door flew open and Brad’s mom came barreling through the room.

Mrs. Johnson was a striking looking woman with the same dirty-blond hair and piercing sapphire eyes as Brad. I had only been around her briefly a few times, but she had this incredible presence that demanded you pay attention when she entered a room.

I quickly scooted off of Brad’s lap, smoothed my hair, and adjusted my clothes before his mom had a chance to figure out what we were doing.

Brad looked annoyed. He ran his hand through his hair. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

Never looking up, she sorted through the mail while talking a mile a minute. “I was bombarded with calls at the office. I have a huge case coming up and couldn’t get anything done with the constant interruptions. You two go ahead and finish whatever you were doing. I’m going to lock myself in my office.”

Tossing the mail on the small entryway table, she started walking away, throwing her words over her shoulder. “Bradley, remember I’m not to be disturbed for any reason. Pretend I’m not here,” she said as she exited the room.

“That’ll be easy,” Brad muttered.

He stood, extending his hand to me. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“My room,” he said as he flashed his megawatt smile. “I want to be alone with you.”

I was a little hesitant because of how intense things seemed to get earlier. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Brad. I didn’t trust myself. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about having sex with him. Plus, he had a way of getting me to do things I didn’t normally do. I had done more physically with him than anyone else. He made me smile and laugh a lot. He was always sweet to me and I loved making out with him. I had a strange uneasy feeling in my gut because his mom was here.

Brad held my hand, pulling me behind him as we climbed the stairs. When we got to his room he opened the door and stepped aside to allow me to enter first. It was a typical high school baseball player’s room. Trophies lined a big bookshelf and baseball pendants lined the wall. On his desk sat his laptop. He had a huge TV, a dresser, and bed.

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, giving me a gentle kiss on my cheek. “You know what?” he asked playfully.