A Piece of Heaven (Allendale Four 1)

Anderson leaned back in his seat and drank from his coffee cup. “Oh, that’s right.”

I looked between the two of them. “What? You’re okay with this?”

A hand squeezed my leg under the table. I had no idea who was doing the squeezing. “Sure. Who wouldn’t want to see you dressed up?”

I blushed. Charming bastard. “I don’t want to go with just one of you.”

“I don’t mind going stag.” Anderson nodded toward Jackson. “I’ve never taken a date before. We usually just go alone, hang out, party afterward. This year you can go with Jackson for appearances, but otherwise it’s no big deal. We’ll all be there.”

“Fine,” I said. “If this is what you guys want.”

I stood, going to the line to get a refill. A moment later, Anderson bumped my elbow. He leaned over and whispered, “Are you upset?”

The line moved and I moved with it, pushing my cup to the server. “Refill please.” I made sure no one from school was watching. “No. I’m just not big on dances, and I think it’s going to be hard with you all there and not being able to be myself all night.”

He looked over his shoulder at Jackson. “Welcome to my world.”

True. I picked my drink up off the counter.

“Don’t worry, though,” he said, low and a little threatening. In the best possible way. “I suspect we’ll all find ways to make the night special for you.”

My stomach turned inside out, not from his words but the look on his face. He looked hungry and horny and I felt like a lamb on the way to slaughter. I squelched my inner virgin and summoned my best, most confident, fake-experienced woman. “Promise?”

I was rewarded with a smirk. “Promise.”

Chapter 17

"Remember when you had that ripped Clemson T-shirt?"

I was lying on the floor of Thompson's living room, on my stomach. Our homework was spread between us. We used another joint assignment as an excuse to spend time together after school. This question took me by surprise. "Um...yeah? My cousin gave it to me."

"You wore it all the time. It was so threadbare. I sat one row over and two seats back from you in Mrs. Case's class. I could see your bra strap through the rip near your collar. I had dreams about that white cotton bra strap for months."

I looked at this boy-man lying across from me. Gorgeous and confident. He was always so smug. Right now, his green eyes sparkled every time he looked between the paper he was writing on and my face. Anderson just revealed he had been fantasizing about me for a really, really, really long time. "That was in the eighth grade."

"Yeah."

"You were thinking about my bra in the eighth grade?"

The tips of his ears tinged red. "Yeah."

"I, um..." I was speechless. Anderson pushed the books out of the way and tugged me to an upright position. He beckoned me with a finger and after I moved to him, he arranged me in between his legs. My back was to his chest and his was flush against the couch. His fingers pulled back the collar of my shirt and he ran a finger over the satin strap.

"Still hot."

"Really?" Genuine question. Boys are so weird. Walking around in sexy clothes I got. Bra straps and ratty shirts? Nope.

"Absolutely," he admitted. He was so honest. Always. I was nothing but. Having such intense anxiety made it hard to be truthful. I didn’t want to lie. It just seemed easier. He wasn’t done. "Although, I never knew your packaging would change so much."

I looked down at my tank top and short skirt. On the floor like this, the hem barely covered my ass. His lips were on my neck and my insides turned to mush. Burning, twisting, overwhelming mush. We rarely had time alone like this--most of our kisses and touches were on the sly. But Anderson's parents weren't home. Like that, unease mixed in with the hormones. I was still a virgin. Did he know that? Did he care? I eyed his mother's living room floor, wondering if this would be where I lost it. Surrounded by antiques on a soft gray carpet.

"Anderson," I started, "I, uh, oh, oh..." God, his mouth was amazing.

My heart was pounding so hard and I was pretty sure I could hear his, as well—feel it, rather—vibrating from his chest and then across my back. I felt Anderson move my hair and he placed another kiss on my neck, then nibbled and a lick.

“You taste so good.” His forehead fell against my back and he took the deep breath I knew meant he was trying to control himself.

Let go, I wanted to tell him. I’m ready.