Page 70 of Dear Mr. Brody

“It’s time for bed, kiddo.” Van started down the hall, turning he said, “I shouldn’t be long.”

I waited for him by the sliding glass doors that led to his backyard, stealing a peek of the sky. The stars disappeared behind thick clouds, the oak tree branches that lined the right side of his fence yawned and swayed in the breeze. I stepped outside to get a better look, walking out onto the porch. I leaned over the railing and the clouds parted, revealing thousands of tiny pinpoints of light as they broke through the cobalt blue veil.

Warm arms wrapped around my waist, and I hummed as Van pulled my back to his chest. “You don’t have to leave yet.”

I leaned my head to the side, shivering as his teeth nipped at my skin.

“What about Anne?”

“She’s already asleep.”

“That was fast,” I said and turned to face him. “I’m guessing the massive amount of carbs she had for dinner helped?”

He rested his hands on my hips as he laughed. “I think that might’ve been a factor, plus the story I read to her, she’s heard it a few times.”

“I think it’s cute you read her stories.”

A light breeze rustled through his hair, and he looked up at the sky. “I think it might rain.” Van stepped back and took my hand in his. “Come on, I want to show you something before it storms.”

A twinge of excitement pinched inside my stomach as he led me to the center of his yard. Smiling, he kicked off his socks and shoes and I did the same, the cool blades of grass soft against my bare feet.

“What are we doing?” I asked, confused as he let go of my hand and sat down on the ground.

He patted the space next to him and I sat down too. “I bought this house for the backyard.”

“It’s huge.”

“I thought about putting in a pool, but I didn’t want to ruin this.”

“Ruin what?”

He leaned back onto his elbows and looked up at the sky. “This.”

I followed his line of sight and sucked in a breath as the panoramic view unfolded all around me. Those tiny points of light had expanded once we’d left the confines of the porch, surrounding us. The sky seemed almost close enough to touch, and all I could think about was a scene fromThe Lost Boys.

“This makes me think of Pan and Silas,” I said and leaned back next to Van.

Our elbows touched, the heat of his skin drawing me closer until my thigh pressed against his too.

He looked at me, his lips curling up at the corners. “How so?”

“Remember, Pan rescued Silas from King Juno’s dungeon, and—”

“That’s right, and they barely escaped and hid from Wendy in that field.”

“It was the first time they kissed.” I pressed my lips together as his eyes fell to my mouth.

“‘How easy it would be… to get lost inside the stars with you,’” he quoted one of the lines from the book, and a goofy-ass smile broke across my face.

“Damn. Pan was a smooth motherfucker.”

Van’s head tipped back as he laughed openly, and hell if I didn’t want to bury my face in the hollow below his Adam’s apple, feel the sting of his stubble on my lips. Like the weight of my stare had touched his cheek, his laughter subsided, and he turned his head. With only the dim light from the porch behind us, his gray eyes seemed silver. We both leaned in, slow and gradual, every inch closer, the pull between us beat like a drum. He rested his back in the grass, my body covering his. Van’s hands fell to the curve of my ass, and I pressed our hips together as I tasted the maple syrup on his tongue. Holding myself up with my palms, I kissed him as he held onto me, his hard dick rutting against mine. He swore, shuddering below me, his fingers gripping the back pockets of my jeans, pleading for me to move faster. A cold drop of rain splashed against the heated skin of my neck, and then another, trickling down the side of my cheek.

Breathless, I rested my forehead to his shoulder. “Shit.”

Van pushed his hands into my back pockets and lifted his hips, his voice rough and desperate as he spoke. “Don’t stop.”

I raised my head as the rain started to fall in earnest, his hair already damp, his eyes wild. My shirt stuck to my skin, the humid scent of dirt pulled into my lungs with every ragged breath. “What about—”