Toe the Line(43)

“That’s sort of how I feel about this summer,” I said. “I was dreading it at first, but then you gave me a reason to look forward to every day.”

“Aw…” She wrapped her hand around my cheek and leaned in for a kiss. Noelle spoke over my lips, “I think it’s my turn to make you come again.”

That would’ve been really fucking awesome, but the sound of someone getting up to use the bathroom put a stop to that real quick. I froze and whispered, “As much as I hate to say this, I think you should go back to your room before we get caught.”

“You’re right.” She frowned. “But I don’t want to.”

“I don’t want you to, either. Maybe we’ll get the house tomorrow and I can cook for you. I heard my dad saying something about renting a boat again. As long as my mother goes with them, that means we’ll be alone.”

Her eyes brightened. “Oh man, I hope so.”

I pulled her in for one last kiss and noticed an unfamiliar feeling in my chest. Despite my best efforts to deny it, Noelle was becoming more to me than I was ready to admit.

? ? ?

The following day, we got our wish. Our parents rented that boat for the day, and they left early in the morning, leaving Noelle and me alone. This might have been our last chance to take advantage of it, so I called in sick for my internship.

I’d ridden one of the bikes in the garage to the market and picked up groceries to make lunch for Noelle and me. She now leaned against the counter, watching me dice garlic, and it was probably one of the most enjoyable moments of my entire summer.

Earlier today, when I’d asked her what she wanted me to make, she’d said, “penne a la vodka.” When I asked her why, she said she had no freaking idea why she’d blurted it out, especially since she’d never tasted it before. That made me laugh, so I absolutely had to figure out a way to make it. I guaranteed that when I got through with it, my penne would become her new favorite meal.

And carefully following an online recipe, I’d managed to pull it off.

The aroma of garlic and tomato sauce filled the air. After plating the penne, I poured the creamy red sauce over each dish.

“That looks and smells so amazingly good.” She clapped her hands. “I can’t wait to devour it.”

I couldn’t wait to devour her.

We took our food outside and ate in the sunshine. Taking advantage of our parents not being around, we drank wine as well.

“What time did they say they were coming back?” Noelle asked.

“My father mentioned that they wouldn’t be home until after dark.” I took a sip of my cabernet. “Still not long enough for me.”

After we ate, I called up some Jimmy Buffett on my phone. That seemed to fit the current vibe. As “Margaritaville” rang out, Noelle made an announcement.

“I want to have sex with you.”

I nearly spit out my wine. Now anytime I heard “Margaritaville” for the rest of my life, I knew I’d think of what she’d just said.

“That was really random of me, but I feel ready, Archie.”

Her tone was confident. Noelle did seem ready. I just didn’t know if I was. In the physical sense, yes. But not in every other sense.

“There’s a problem, Noelle…”

“What is it?”

“It’s not just you. I want it, too. A little too much. That’s why I think maybe we shouldn’t. It would complicate things.”

Frustration crossed her face. “Why do you think I’m so fragile? I’ll be fine. And I want you to want it. That’s what I’ve wanted this entire time.”

I reached for her hand. “I’ve wanted you from the very beginning. This has never been about not wanting you. I want you so fucking much. I just…don’t want to end up hurting you. That’s been my hesitation all along.”

She nodded. “I understand if you’d prefer not to. I don’t want you to think sex is all I want from you. It’s not. I’ve enjoyed every moment we’ve spent together this summer and won’t forget any of it.”

“Me neither,” I said.

This day had been perfect. If there was ever a moment for us to go all the way, this was it. I felt myself weakening fast.

“Let’s go upstairs and see where things lead,” I finally said, knowing full well where that would be.

I turned off Jimmy Buffett, and we left our plates and headed inside. This was no time to be doing the damn dishes. Noelle took my hand and followed me up the stairs. We went into her bedroom, and I took my time taking off her clothes while she undressed me.

We lay down together, totally naked, and just kissed. Slowly. It was the most sensual kissing I’d ever experienced. I wanted to savor this, but with every second that passed, I became more certain we weren’t going to be able to stop this time.

We began to kiss more intensely as I slid my rigid cock against her abdomen. I loved the feel of her bare skin against mine.

“Jesus. I need to be inside you.” I looked down into her eyes. “You really want this?”

“I do,” she murmured.

Burying my face in her neck, I whispered against her skin, “Okay.”

Without breaking the kiss, I reached over to my pants where I’d conveniently placed a condom this morning—just in case. I was about to rip it open when my phone rang.