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"Sorry I can’t sleep in Cam’s bed Too weird"

I limped into the extra room and eyed the full-­size bed that had a blue comforter neatly tucked in "Isn’t this Ollie’s old rooaze was quick, but I didn’tin all the exposed flesh Cam’s shirt slipped off one shoulder and the etting an eyeful of my undies

He looked away as he widened his stance by the bed "Cam actually replaced the bed and stuff because the old one belonged to Ollie Sometimes I stay here"

"You sure?"

Jase chuckled "I would not sleep in the same bed as Ollie unless it’s been disinfected"

My lips twitched "That’s mean"

"Uh, you didn’t want to sleep in his bed either," he pointed out as he faced me "That boy has been around His bed has had rin

His eyes lightened "There they are"

"What?"

"The di the one on ht "I love the,to do with the liquor The warmth lasted until I climbed into the bed that smelled like fresh linen and Jase disappeared back into the apart soed the comforter up onto my shoulder and curled onto my side, my back to the door When I closed s and li, noa life over Tears pricked at my eyes and spilled over Debbie and I weren’t extremely close, but that didn’t seem to matter My heart hurt for her anyway

I heard the door shut softly and quickly wiped at ht beside the bed turned off and there was the sound of clothing rustling and falling to the floor My heart stuttered The bed dipped and Jase rose up behind me Somehow, in the darkness of the rooers found the tears onas he curled his body aroundhis arm arounds, but it was like half of my body was in a pile of snohile the other half was cozied up to a fire I tried closing ain and I shuddered

"Don’t think about it" He tightened his ar her," I admitted after a fewthere--­" I cutHe shifted behind me, and I focused on the way he felt, tucked so close, his body so warm and hard I could lose myself in him Once the idea formed, it seeet, even if it was for only a little while

I wiggled my hips, and I felt hiruff

My cheeks burned when I spoke again "Make ainstfor?"

"You," I whispered

He took another deep, dragging breath "Tess"

"I feel so cold" I rolled onto my back and turned my head toward him Our faces were inches apart "I don’t want to feel that way Please, Jase, I want to feel war there Please Take it away Even if it’s just for right now"

I , brace and all, slipped between his legs, and I folded ainst his hard chest Before he could tellhim At first, he didn’t respond, like I had shocked him with my boldness I tried to remember if I had ever been the one to initiate a kiss before; other than the night after the party, I didn’t think I had been And even that night, I hadn’t kissed hi soic event left a bad taste inthe other bad feelings I didn’t want to experience

His lips were firm and warently following ueswarmth down the front of my body Tiny flaripped my upper arms and anticipation swelled, about to burst as I felt hiainst my hip I expected hiether, buthe lifted me off hiether in the shadows, taut and harsh "Not like this, Tess"

That’s not what I wanted to hear I pressed roan in a way that hs He shuddered as I dippedhis bottom lip I sucked and nipped at the flesh until his hps punched up, grinding against h ht now To forget To be war, I was onbetween hhihtrapidly "We are not going to do this"

I rocked rees"

He choked on a laugh

When I htened "Don’t you want round out "I alant you I’ve wanted you for years I want you in every position known to ainstlike that, when you just want to forget what you saw and what you’re feeling"

Heart pounding, I stared up into his eyes "Our first time?" I repeated dumbly, as if it just occurred to me that we hadn’t done the deed yet

"I want you to only be thinking about me I want you to focused onto escape sorip "I don’t ill happen between us to ever be overshadowed by so in so h the haze He watched ? My face started to cruize, baby" He dropped a sweet, quick kiss onthis is the fking hardest thing I’ve ever done"

I willedand then filled with tears When they spilled over, it didn’t have anything to do with Jase putting the brakes onwhat I needed to feel right then and there--­sorrow, pain, confusion, and hurt It all whirled together, for a maelstrothe back of my head He seemed to knohy the tears came, and he held me to him until I tired myself out and slipped into the sweet oblivion that was nothingness

We had to have slept for hours,half of the day away, because when I opened ht streamed in from thebehind the bed

And eren’t alone

What the?

The cobwebs of sleep cluttered my head as the rest of the room came into view My brother stood at the foot of the bed, hisopen The top of Avery’s red head appeared, and her wide brown eyes peeked over his shoulder I blinked slowly What were they doing here? Was I dreahtmare?