Page 30 of Beautiful Crazy
“Basically.” I breathe out a laugh, suddenly nervous this story might be too much information, but it’s too late now. “One of my buddies in college was in a frat, and we were at a fundraising event where we all had entirely too much to drink, but college guys, what’s new? Anyways, I snuck off with this girl I was seeing at the time, and we started fooling around behind this huge tree, literally probably thirty feet from the rest of the party.”
Her eyes widen as she leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Uh-ooooh. Did you get caught?”
I nod. “By campus security.”
“Shut up!”
“With my pants literally around my ankles.”
Gemma throws her head back, letting out a full belly laugh that’s contagious. I can’t help but join in with her, reliving the horrifying moment when the middle-aged security guard got an eyeful of my cock at full mast.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh,” she says through fits of giggles. “But holy shit, that’s the best thing you could’ve told me.” Wiping the moisture from her cheek, she asks, “So, what did you do?”
“What any normal, drunk college guy would’ve done. Asked if he wanted to join.”
That just makes her laugh harder. “You did not!”
“Oh, I sure as hell did. The guy got so pissed, I thought he was going to call the real cops on me.”
Holding her stomach, she sits up, inhaling deeply as she catches her breath. “Fuck, that was great. Definitely juicy. Did that get rid of your outdoor kink?”
I rub a hand over the scruff lining my jaw, lifting my brows. “Eh, not really,” I admit with a shrug.
With that, I have the pleasure of watching her cheeks pink up as she peers over at me curiously. And suddenly, all I can think of is what it would be like to do something a little risky like that… with her. Would she be into that?
Whatisshe into?
Finally, she brushes a stray strand of hair off her face and says, “I’m learning so much about you tonight,Mr. Windward.”
I don’t know why, but hearing her say my name like that makes my cock hard, especially paired with the way her big, glassy eyes watch me, laugh lines crinkling around the edges of them.
I’m hyperaware of the way my body’s drawn to her. How she’s shifted toward mine. Not for the first time, I wonder, as my gaze dips down to her mouth, what it would be like to kiss Gemma. What those full, pouty lips would feel like underneath mine. What her tongue would taste like. The sounds she would make as I devoured her.
My mouth dries as we gaze at one another, not saying anything for a moment. This moment feels different. Deeper. Like, yes, we’ve been flirting, but this… this makes me want to lean in and capture her mouth. It makes me want to find out the answers to all those questions and more.
The song changes, and I completely forget it’s even still playing until her lips part and a breathy sort of gasp comes out. “Ilovethis song so much,” she gushes, her hands coming up to clasp in front of her chest.
Luke Combs’s “Beautiful Crazy”fills the air, and blame it on all the wine I’ve had tonight, but I find myself standing and holding out my hand to her as I say, “Dance with me.”
Eyes trailing from my hand up to my face, a smile tugs on her lips a few moments before she slips her soft, warm hand in mine. As I pull her to a stand, her free hand comes to my shoulder as mine lands on her hip. Being this close to her feels like a privilege. Heart pounding, our bodies sway slowly to the music, and I can’t take my eyes off her.
As I take in the woman in my arms, my chest tightens. The one who’s been through so much more than I could ever imagine. The one with the bright, warm smile, and the eyes that are so full of light despite all the hurt she’s experienced. The one who is still soft in a world that should’ve made her hard.
“I’m so happy to have met you, Gemma.” I breathe the words quietly, needing to say them.
Her throat works as she swallows, eyes poring into mine. I don’t know when it happens, but suddenly, I realize that we’ve stopped swaying. The air around us vibrates with an intensity that hits me right in the stomach. Unable to help it, I bring my hand up to her face, brushing a strand of hair away.
Lips parting, Gemma’s breath hitches as she leans into me, her breasts pressed against my chest as they rise and fall with her breaths. My heart stalls as I watch hergaze flick to my mouth before it comes back up to my eyes, and it’s all I need to make up my mind.
Dipping my head down, I barely have time to brush my lips against hers before I hear it.
We both freeze, not yet pulling apart. Gemma’s eyes are locked on mine as we wait, seeing if we hear it again.
And we do.
This time, louder.
“Shit,” Gemma mutters as we step apart. “He’s probably having a nightmare.” Smoothing her hands down my thighs, she looks up at me apologetically. “I’m so sorry, but?—”