“Well, I think we’re learning.” The breeze helped to dispel some of the humid air and the heat. The rain might have washed out their game, but it had a nice cooling effect on the weekend. But the sticky air and warmer temps returned. We were probably still in for a few weeks more of overwarm weather.
“I hope so,” I admitted. “I don’t know that I want any more whack me in the back of the head lessons.” If nothing else, the past weekend had left me reeling with its incredible peaks and desperate valleys. “I just want—I want to write the perfect essay. I want to finish school with the right GPA, and if I have to, I’ll take the SAT again.”
“Frankie, you got a 1550, you don’t need to take it again. That’s a good score.”
“But it’s not the highest score, and I need all the help I can get.”
“Your essays are good, and you have notebooks of writing you can submit as a portfolio. You’ve been writing some of the best pieces since freshman year. You’ve got good grades, you’ve got life experience, they would be fools to turn you down.” The absolute confidence in his voice buoyed me.
“You’re really good for my ego,” I said.
“Good. You ready to head back to my place, or want to ride around the lake some more?”
Both were tempting. “I’m good with either,” I admitted. “But first…” I leaned forward and he met me halfway. This time, I initiated the kiss, nibbling against his lower lip before teasing my tongue against his. His mouth opened so generously, and it was like falling and being caught in the same breath.
My stomach clenched as the tingles radiated out from where our mouths connected, and I leaned into him. Ian flexed his hand against my side and let out a low groan, before lifting his head. “I think back to my place where I can kiss you in comfort.”
I laughed. “We still have homework.”
“I know,” he agreed, nuzzling little kisses to my mouth. “But we also have a pool and swimming together is a good thing.”
Another shudder passed through me at the memory of being in his lap in the pool. Licking my lips, I tilted my head back and let him kiss past the strap of the helmet to my neck. The problem was the helmet was heavy, and I started to tip.
Chuckling, he balanced me and nudged my head up. “Definitely home. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Injured in make-out accident,” I intoned, eyes widening. “We’d never live that down.”
“Well, Bob, we’re down here at the lakefront where two teens decided that sitting astride a motorcycle while wearing their helmets was the perfect spot to re-enact every teen movie ever—except the sun was still up, there is no backseat, and our intrepid heroine fell over because the helmet she was wearing weighed too much. Fortunately, the helmet also protected her head from the hit it could have taken. So keep in mind kids, when we say safe sex, this wasn’t what we had in mind, but it is effective.”
I gaped for all of about three seconds before laughter swamped me. It was both horrifying and hilarious. Ian’s grin spread, infectious in its brightness, and he squeezed me closer.
He let out a happy sigh and then brushed my lips with another kiss before turning to start the bike. I settled against his back, arms around him and relaxed in a way I hadn’t been. Some of the day lifted away as he got us moving, and we did another circuit of the lake before he cut away and toward his place.
Unlike the last few times, his parents were already gone when we got there. Relief invaded me as he cruised the bike into the garage. Climbing off, I loosened my helmet. Fast on the heels of relief came guilt. Ian’s dad had done me a solid, even if it had been humiliating to have him see those pictures.
After hooking our helmets onto his bike, Ian slid his arms around me again. This time when he dipped his head, I could wrap my arms around his neck. He was all solid muscle and enthusiasm. With every lick of his tongue against mine, I clung tighter. This close, there was no way to miss the press of his erection or my own response. My nipples tightened as fever and chill raced in equal measure over my skin.
I was aware of everything. The spicy hint of the aftershave he used, the way his clothes smelled like him, the warmth of his skin, the faint rasp of stubble beginning to grace his jaw. The way our clothes rustled as we rubbed against each other. The solid grip of his hands as they clamped on my hips, then he lifted me—backpack and all—so I wasn’t tilting my head back or straining. Thighs hitched to his hips, I sank into the kiss.
I needed to breathe, but I didn’t care. One brief break for a rush of air, and then his mouth was open to mine again. My heart beat out a rapid cadence when he dragged his teeth lightly over my lower lip. Finally, we broke the kiss, but his forehead pressed to mine and we were panting in tandem.
Even in the shadows of the garage, his blue eyes were intense and his pupils huge. I had no idea what mine looked like, but I ached from kissing and wanted more in equal measure.
“Much better,” he managed in a rough voice that sent shivers eddying through me. Somewhere in all of that, he’d cupped his hands on my ass and held me in place. “Hey, Frankie,” he whispered.
“Hey, Ian.” I ran my fingers through his hair, unwilling to take my hands off of him, even if we needed to move. Honestly, I lost track of time, and if not for the fact I’d started to sweat, I might have been content to just stay there, staring at him as we tried to get our breathing under control.
“Hi, Angel,” he said as he carefully set me down. A thrill went through me at the nickname. After a briefer, but no less heated kiss, he turned me around and gave me a little nudge. “Go on inside and give me a minute.”
I paused to glance at him. “Are you okay?”
“Yep,” he said. “But I think I need about fifty laps in the pool.”
Oh.
I bit my lower lip, but before I could say anything, he made a shooing motion. “Go find a suit and get changed. We can swim and cool off,” he said before adding in a low mutter, “in more ways than one.”
Not wanting to make him more uncomfortable, I headed upstairs. I stared at the door to his room for a minute, then the guest room. It would be just as easy to walk in there, strip off, and let him walk in and find me, or I could do what he asked me to do.