He licked my bottom lip. “He can wait.”
I smirked at his inconsiderate behavior. “I suppose he can.”
Anderson wove his fingers into my hair and kissed me again, this time pushing his tongue into my mouth. My back pressed against the wall. Good Lord. I always knew kissing Anderson Thompson would do me in, but I had no idea. Too many of my thoughts and actions became about him, being with him, and finding ways for his mouth to be attached to mine.
I’d learned a few things about my boys since we started hanging out more. Hayden was sweeter than anyon
e would ever know, his true personality hidden behind the size and strength of an impressive athlete. A beast on the field, commanding and sure, he changed when we were alone into something else.
Two nights ago, he showed up with a fresh slice of pie, this time feeding it to me. It quickly devolved from a snack into sticky kisses but they were the most sugary, delicious kisses I’d ever had.
Oliver was dependable. Genuine. He watched out for me and slid into the role of my bestie to make my mother comfortable. He made everyone comfortable and I’d learned to wear him like a soft blanket. A handsy-horny soft blanket. but he was so good for my anxiety. He got it, and me, like no one else had other than Justin.
Jackson? What you saw is what you got. Hot. Cocky. Incredibly skilled with his mouth and hands. Just seeing him made my skin itch. We were the “real” couple out and about and I got so used to him being there—being around—that it was easy to fall into the boyfriend-girlfriend thing with him. The two of us had it easier. We let a little of our tension out during the day. Played it up a little for the crowd and my stalker. It was delicious payback seeing Mallory and Jennifer’s faces turn green with envy when they caught us kissing in the small alcove outside the gym. And then, well, Jackson himself was icing on the cake. Getting a taste of him whenever I wanted? Perfection.
And then there was the guy whose mouth I was assaulting in the coffee shop hallway. Anderson. God. I’d waited years for this one and my patience was rewarded. His hips pressed into mine, his crotch hard. He was always hard when we were around one another. He barely hid it and the groans when we made out were a sign his patience was running thin.
That only made him hotter.
There was movement down the hall and Anderson gently pushed me away. Flushed, I heard the men’s room door swing open behind me as he made himself scarce. I nodded at the woman dragging her toddler to the ladies’ room, judgment for our PDA clear on her face, and made my way back to the table where Jackson thumbed his phone.
“What’s up?” I asked, reaching for my lukewarm cup of coffee I’d abandoned earlier.
He finished his text and placed the phone on the table. He took one look at my hair and face and rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what we’d been up to. “Making plans for us.”
I raised an eyebrow and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. We had a group text.
“We’re going out next Saturday.”
I reached for the phone to find out what he was talking about. The coy, teasing grin playing on his lips made me nervous. “What are we going to do?”
He paused and looked over my shoulder. I turned and saw Ben smiling down at me.
“I just wanted to thank you,” he said, to my surprise.
“Oh, good. For...” I prodded. I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Amber got so pissed about me talking to you that day—about homework,” he rolled his eyes, “that she agreed to work things out and stop being so wishy-washy.”
I smiled. “That’s good news, Ben. I think she really cares for you.”
He beamed. “We’ll see you guys at the dance then, right?”
Huh? “Um, no, I don’t think so.” I glanced at Jackson but he was suddenly busy doing...well, nothing, but he wasn’t making eye contact with me.
“Too bad. Oh well, thanks again,” he said, and walked off.
I turned to face my him. “Dance?”
“Winter formal. Bad music? Stinky gym? Crepe paper from the ceiling? Girls in slutty dresses?” He said all of this in his casual sexy way. I stared at him blankly. “Heaven, there are posters all over the school.”
“So? I’ve been a little distracted, you know.”
He smirked, knowing he was one of the reasons for that.
Anderson chose this moment to return from the bathroom. I could see a faint pink mark on his neck. I felt a surge of power rush through me. I thought marking territory was a male thing. Seeing that mark made me want to make more. Anderson looked at me quizzically and sat down repeating, “So what?”
Jackson leaned closer to both of us. “So, I was just telling Heaven about how we’re going to the dance next week. Winter formal.”