Melting - Sean Ashcroft Page 0,54

front of me.

Hayden tossed his phone into the picnic basket and closed the lid, settling back against the tree trunk and holding his arm out. Welcoming me back.

“It can wait,” he said. “This can’t.”

I swallowed, hesitated for a second, and then shuffled back to my spot, snuggling a little closer to him this time, even in the midday heat.

Hayden held me a little tighter, tilted his head back, and let his eyes fall closed.

I didn’t understand how anyone could think he didn’t love them. He hadn’t said it, but he didn’t have to.

Everything he’d just done was the equivalent of screaming it at the top of his lungs. I’d never felt more like I mattered to someone in my entire life.

“Gimme half an hour,” he said. “And then we’re going swimming.”

24

Hayden

I hadn’t planned on breaking out the tiny, lime green speedos Marissa had sneaked into my luggage under any circumstances, but Wes and I were alone, and I knew he’d get a kick out of them.

Right now, chest-deep in sun-warmed water with his legs around my waist, I was very happy with my decision.

Wes tasted of salt and lavender lemonade as he kissed me, fingers threaded deep in my wet hair, humming into my mouth. I could feel his hard-on rubbing against my stomach as I slipped my fingers into the back of his rainbow-striped swimming trunks, thighs tightening around me as I brushed a sensitive spot.

He’d been planning to tease me all day, but two could play at that game.

“How are you so hot?” he asked, eyes dark, pink tongue darting out to lick his lips as he leaned back to look at me.

“Practice.” I shrugged, grinning at him.

Another deep, desperate kiss, a needy whimper spilling from his lips as I squeezed his perfect ass, fingers writing promises on his skin.

“I’ve changed my mind about waiting,” Wes murmured between kisses. “Want you.”

I hummed, letting this next kiss linger, licking his lips before I pulled back to take the salt and lemons with me.

“No,” I said.

“No?” Wes asked, staring at me with wide eyes.

I shook my head. “No. When we get back, I’m making you dinner. Then I’m taking you to bed. Not a moment sooner.”

Wes gaped.

“Are you beating me at my own game?” he asked, staring at me.

“Maybe,” I said, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

I had to make this one last day last a long time before I saw him again.

I wasn’t skipping any of the fun parts. Waiting included.

“Hey, you never told me what song you lost your virginity to,” I said, remembering that I’d forgotten to ask.

In my defense, I’d been distracted.

Wes laughed, hands trailing down to my shoulders as he unwrapped his legs from my waist.

“No,” he said. “Make me dinner, and then maybe I’ll tell you.”

I went to protest, but Wes kicked off before I could say anything else, splashing at me as he put some distance between us.

“And you’ll have to catch me first,” he said, ducking under the waves and disappearing.

I laughed, and followed, and wondered how the hell I’d gotten so lucky.

We dried off on the picnic blanket with Wes in my lap, kissing and touching and teasing until I’d had to beg him to stop because I couldn’t take anymore without embarrassing myself.

I hadn’t been in danger of coming in my pants—even my swimming gear—since I was a teenager.

Wes was all kinds of magical.

We picked at cake and drank beer while we cooled off, but the eager little knot of arousal in the pit of my stomach never really went away, and getting my jeans back on proved as difficult today as it had the first time—for entirely different reasons.

Wes zipped them up for me again, catching my lips as he finished and making them just that little bit tighter before the walk back to the car.

Soon enough we were heading back down the highway, sun low on the horizon making everything glow golden, and I was pretty sure I’d never had a better day.

I didn’t deserve Wes, I’d never done anything in my life that would’ve earned me this, but I was glad I had him. Glad I’d had this little slice of happiness right when I needed it most.

“Hey, pull in here,” I said, waving at a sign I’d noticed this morning.

“Here?” Wes raised an eyebrow.

“Humor me,” I said.

“What do you want with a farm?”

“You’ll see.”

Twenty minutes later, I regretted everything.

“Good duck,” I said, backing away carefully from the big, mean drake who did not like me