“What did she say?”
“‘What if the pics got out, Autumn? What if they were splashed all over social media? It could happen, considering how famous your dad is.’ That was enough to convince me. She said the same thing to Ava,” I explain.
“Damn, guess I’ll just have to see it live and in person then.” He tugs on his lower lip with his thumb and index finger as he gaze drops to my lap, something I haven’t seen him do in a while.
I forgot how much I liked it.
“You’ve already seen it live and in person,” I remind him, teasing.
“Yeah, but I want to see it again. And again and again and again.” He settles his big hand on my thigh, then slides it up, beneath my skirt. “Your skin is so smooth.”
My breath hitches in my throat. Ben and I may have made out in his car or mine pretty much every weekend, but we never went very far. I always figured he took it slow out of respect for me. But maybe he didn’t feel the spark either.
Right now, with Ash’s hand on my thigh, it feels like he could set my skin on fire.
“Come here,” he says, his voice deep. Seductive. “Come sit on my lap.”
He pushes the seat back to give us more room, and then I’m climbing on top of him, my arms around his neck, fingers buried in his soft hair. My knees are resting on the seat on either side of his hips, and when I lower my torso so our bodies are pressed close together, Ash closes his eyes on a moan.
“I’ve missed you so damn bad,” he murmurs.
I watch him, mesmerized by the way his eyebrows crinkle, his eyes tightly shut. Most of the wounds on his face have faded completely, and I sort of miss the dangerous air they gave him. The stitches were taken out just yesterday, leaving him with an angry scar the doctor swore would fade with time.
I run my finger over the scar, dropping my hand when he flinches. “I like your scars,” I tell him when his eyes slowly open.
“You’re the only one who does,” he says with a faint smile.
“I like everything about you.” My voice is somber, as are my emotions. This feels like a serious moment. One I don’t ever want to forget.
“Yeah?” He runs his hand over my hair, tugging on the end of my ponytail. His full lips curve upward, and his eyes never leave mine when he says, “Pretty sure I’m falling in love with you, Callahan.”
My lips part as I stare down at him, and then we’re kissing. I can’t not kiss him after he says something like that. Something so monumental. My heart is soaring. I have everything I could ever want, right here, right now…
“I’m falling in love with you too,” I whisper against his lips, just before he kisses me again, his tongue teasing my lips. “It’s probably too fast to say that.”
“Nah. We’ve been playing around at this relationship thing for long enough.” He deepens the kiss, his tongue stroking mine, his hands everywhere at once, until we finally break for air minutes later, both of us breathless. “Wanna go to the backseat?”
“Let’s fold down the seats completely. I have a couple of blankets.” I bite my lip, wondering if he brought one of those condoms he stole from my brother.
He glances over his shoulder at the backseat before returning his gaze to me. “I don’t know.”
My heart drops.
“If we start messing around back there, I won’t want to stop. And we’ll end up taking way too long and your parents will get suspicious and then we’ll get in trouble. Maybe we should go back home,” he says.
I stare at him, surprised by his suggestion. He sounds so…grownup. And rational. “Okay,” I say with a nod. “But I really, really wanted to be with you in the back of my car. Just so you know.”
He groans, the sound full of agony. “Why you gotta go and say something like that?”
“You should come to my room later.” Ash opens his mouth, I’m sure to tell me no, but I cut him off. “They won’t know. We’ll be quiet. Come on. Please?”
We remain silent for a moment, studying each other, and I try my best to convey with my eyes just how badly I want him to meet me later tonight.
“Okay,” he finally agrees, just before he kisses me. Hard. “But you’re going to have to be extra quiet. You know how loud you are when I make you come, Callahan.”
Laughing, I climb off his lap and settle my butt into the passenger seat, watching as he starts the Jeep up and backs out of the spot with ease. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“I can’t believe you laughed when I said that. You’re changing.”
“So are you.”
And I love it.
Thirty-Five
Ash
It’s late. Past midnight, maybe closer to one. I’ve discovered the entire house stays up late after a football game. It’s like everyone’s hype and they have a hard time coming down. When Autumn and I enter the kitchen, the entire Callahan family is in there, even Beck, eating pizza and talking so loud, they don’t notice us when we first come in.
They aren’t mad we took so long, though in all reality we only took about a fifteen-minute detour, thanks to my speeding back to her house. Autumn squealed the entire drive home, especially when I took the curves too fast, and her road is extra curvy.
Kind of like her.
We settle at the kitchen counter with the rest of the family and I stuff my face full of pizza. Fable mentioned she picked it up on the way home and I tell her she’s a goddess, I’m that hungry and grateful. She laughs and ruffles my hair, and I catch Autumn watching us with so much emotion in her eyes, just seeing her look at me like that makes my chest tight. This girl makes me feel way too much. It’s almost scary, how she affects me.
When I admitted earlier I was falling in love with her, I lied. I’m full-blown in love with her. I just didn’t want to say it too quick, afraid I might scare her. She’s a take-it-slow kind of girl, and I’m a let’s-go-fast-faster type of guy. We’ve been moving at warp speed the last few weeks, so capping it off with a “I’m in love with you” declaration might’ve been too much.
I’ll probably spill my guts within the week. I’m not one to keep shit in.
Once everyone goes to their rooms, I go to mine and take a shower. Put on a pair of black boxer briefs and a T-shirt, mess around with my hair a bit before I give up on it. Shave my face and brush my teeth so I’ll have minty-fresh breath. Then when I’m fairly sure everyone’s tucked into bed, I grab one of those condoms I snagged from Jake and sneak through the house, creep up the stairs, and let myself into Autumn’s room.
She’s awake, sitting up in bed. There’s a tiny lamp on her bedside table that’s shaped like a flower, and it casts its pink glow throughout the room, just enough so I can see her. She’s sitting on top of the covers, wearing a loose tank, and I can tell there’s no bra underneath. Her nipples poke against the thin fabric, her hair is loose and wavy all around her face, and as I draw closer to the bed, I can smell her floral scented lotion.
“Hi,” she whispers, her big green eyes glowing.
“Hi.” I sit on the edge of her bed and reach out, skimming my fingers up her smooth calf. “You smell good.”