Every Little Piece - By Kate Ashton Page 0,12

sizzled in my stomach. I clung to him, to this moment. My hands slid up and my towel dropped. This time, I lightly traced his cheek. “I like your scruff.”

He pulled away and for one intense moment his blue eyes pierced mine. No word was spoken, but he felt it too. He had to. I didn’t break our gaze, and he reached out and pulled his thumb across my lips. Then he leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

Moments like those made me fantasize about spending the night with Seth. Him and me. Naked. What it would feel like to be next to him, skin on skin, touching, kissing. But then that made me think about our future and commitment. Ugh. I wondered if Seth had talked about the fall and his plans with Carter. Did he fear the changes coming after tomorrow? Hopefully, I’d find a chance to talk to him tonight. Poke around in his head to see if he saw me in his future. I wasn’t necessarily thinking forever, but at least into next year.

He kissed my cheek and then led me around the corner of the house and into the small storage shed.

As soon as the door shut behind us, I pulled her to me. I’d been alone with her a million times, but tonight, an electric current ran through the air. Or maybe it was just through us as I nudged her toward a giant inner tube, my mouth hungry against hers.

She struggled a bit. “What about everyone else?”

“They’re big kids. They can deal.” I sucked on her bottom lip and then dropped to kiss the soft skin on her neck. Her grip on my arms tightened. I had this down to a science. I knew when to be gentle, when to be driven. I knew the sensitive spots on her neck that drove her crazy, and I knew when she just wanted to be held. We lowered ourselves onto the tube, my weight crushing her. I pulled back but she grabbed my arms and kept me in place. She kissed me and then rolled over so she was on top.

“Oh, baby, I love it when you take charge,” I murmured the words against her skin.

Shivers rippled across arms and through my body. Her damp hair fell down around me and her exposed breasts skimmed my chest. She played the tease, hovering just above me but not touching or kissing.

I groaned. Not that I didn’t ask for this.

“I love it when you’re at my mercy,” she said, lowering and skimming her lips across mine.

Her touch, her feel, everything about her was pure sweetness. I wanted to lose myself in her for a few minutes and forget my pathetic life.

“Hey!” Jamie was at the door, knocking.

Haley jumped away, but I dragged her close again. “Door’s locked,” I whispered, then called, “We’ll be right there!”

“Yeah, right. Don’t take too long!” Jamie said, stifling laughter.

This time, I stopped kissing her like a man about to be stuck on a desert island with nothing but a volleyball, and held her close. Her heart beat through her shirt and matched mine. Closeness settled between us, and I couldn’t imagine ever not being here, next to her.

“You know, Haley,” I said, playing with her hair. I tugged on several strands, teasing, and then dropped my hand to her back. My fingers trailed slowly up and down. There was so much I wanted to say, to tell her what was going on, but the words wouldn’t come. Not tonight.

“What?” she asked, pulling back a little as if she was scared of what I’d say.

I decided that if we didn’t get moving, she was going to see right through me and ask questions until I was forced to tell her the truth. I rolled off. “Let’s go before they drag our butts out of here.”

I probably should’ve told her everything, but spilling the ugly family drama didn’t seem like something to slip in between goodbye kisses. Would there ever be a right time for it? Maybe not. But the night before graduation was definitely not it.

“Hey, are we going to drive around town forever?” Carter asked and fiddled with the radio.

“Name a place ’cause I’m out of ideas.” I steered toward Main Street. My fingers drummed against the wheel as Carly’s words repeated in my head.

I let the guys fight it out. They tossed around some ideas and then settled on pizza before the party.

Jamie punched my shoulder. “Here it is, man.”

I pulled in