“You think we could get along long enough to make one of those?”
He leans over and kisses me. Then he says very quietly next to my ear, “If I ever get to fuck you, Clifford,” he says, “you’d invite me back to do it again. I have no doubts about that.”
And my heart goes into overdrive. I almost drop my sausage dog, and he reaches out to catch it as it tumbles from my grasp. “You okay?” he asks.
I nod as I sit there trying to think. “You’re not afraid I’d try to bite your head off afterward?”
He shakes his head. “I’m telling you, you’d be begging me to do it again.”
I grin and swing my feet. “You’re awful sure of yourself.”
“We’ve always been explosive, Clifford. We’ll shake the whole house when I finally get to be inside you.” He looks over his shoulder when somebody calls his name. “Funnel cake’s ready. Be right back.”
Barbara-Claire and Junior walk up with two sad little girls trailing behind them. They motion for them to hop into the back of the truck, and they climb in with frowny faces and sagging shoulders. Barbara-Claire leans close to me. “Did I just see what I think I saw?” she whispers.
“He kissed me.”
“How was it?” she asks with a grin.
“Perfect,” I say.
Grady comes back and sets a plate with a huge funnel cake in my lap. It’s topped with what looks like strawberry syrup. “Why’d you get strawberry?” I ask.
His brow furrows. “Strawberry’s your favorite, right?”
I nod. Strawberry is my favorite. “How did you remember that?” It’s been a long time since the last time we shared a funnel cake.
“It’s you, Clifford. I remember everything about you.” He pinches off a piece of the cake and holds it close to my mouth. I take it from his fingers, and suck on the tip of his index finger as he pulls it away. His eyes close ever so slowly as he takes a deep breath. He leans close to me. “Explosive, Clifford. We would be explosive.”
He turns around and offers some of the funnel cake to the girls, which is good because I can barely breathe with him so close to me.
The movie starts, and he scoots close to me. It’s a family film, suitable for the kids, but Marcy is already asleep on the air mattress. Grady leans over and covers her up with a blanket, tucking it securely around her.
“I want one of those too,” I say so that only he can hear me.
His eyebrows arch as a grin settles on his lips. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I nod. I turn so that I’m facing him, my back against the side of the truck. He pulls my feet over his lap.
“Your feet are freezing,” he says, and he slips my flip-flops off my feet, lifts his sweatshirt, and tucks my feet underneath. Then we settle in to watch the movie with my feet securely wrapped in his shirt. Throughout the movie, he rubs my ankles, his fingers tickling lightly, and then with more strength. His hands knead my calves, and then my thighs. I grab his hands and hold them tightly.
“You okay?” he asks me.
“I’m fine.” But I’m not at all sure I’m fine. I’m confused but I’m not, all at the same time. He’s got me all twitterpated, wanting things I’ve never wanted before.
When the movie’s over, we get in his Jeep and go to Grandma’s house. My house still lacks furniture. Under the porch light, he kisses me again. His tongue slides into my mouth, and I suck on it tenderly, which makes him grab me and pull me to him, his hands cupping my butt as he lifts me, bringing me closer to him.
Suddenly, the light flickers over our heads. I groan as he unclenches his hands from my butt and sets me down off my toes. “Grandma’s got a sense of humor,” I say with a laugh. I nod toward the door. “You want to come in?”
He shakes his head. “I had better not.”
I step back onto my toes so I can speak close to his ear. “We can go to my house. Or your house. Lots of houses.”
He shakes his head again. “We had better not.” He grins at me as he bashfully ducks his head. He grins and stares everywhere but at me.
“Are you sure?”
Finally, his eyes meet mine. “I like what we’re doing.”