Page 91 of After You

And dropped thehose.

Hannah had come out of the house to help. Apparently. And her clothes weren’t dry yet. Apparently. Or she was just trying to drive him crazy. And she’d been rummaging through the dresser in her old bedroom. Apparently.

“I didn’t know you actually had bikinis,” he told her, crossing the grass quickly.

“I only wore them to lay out in the backyard,” she said as he got close enough to practically stand on her toes. “Not really appropriate for river or pool parties.”

He didn’t touch her. Once he started, he wasn’t going to stop. But he definitely let his gaze roam over every inch. “We didn’t really go to river or pool parties.” He wasn’t sure why he said it, but he realized it wastrue.

Hannah nodded. “Iknow.”

“And we never really went to the Come Again,” he said. They hadn’t been old enough for most of the time they’d lived here, but they just hadn’t socialized the same way other people their age had. There had been bonfires at the river, and parties at people’s houses while their parents were away, and make-out sessions on Klein’s Hill and in the dark corners of the haunted house. They’d gone to school dances and some of the festival events, of course, but most of their time had been spent at home. One of their homes. Along with their families.

“Just that one New Year’s Eve when we were home from college,” Hannah agreed.

The first New Year’s Eve they’d both been twenty-one. He nodded. “Yeah. We weren’t really party people.”

“We were more home-and-family people,” shesaid.

Exactly. They really had been. He still was. Very much so. Which made tonight feel very…perfect. They were at her parents’ house doing some work while her dad took her grandmother out and her mom worked. And then he and Hannah were going to go home together.

“You ready to go?” he asked.

She glanced over at the garden hose that was still gushing water. She smiled. “Are youready?”

“Girl, I’m not sure I’ve ever been more ready for anything in my life.” Which should have maybe given him pause. He was ready to leave a job not yet done? He wasn’t sure he’d ever done that before.

But his answer made Hannah’s pupils dilate. “You didn’t get veryfar.”

“I ran over to Alice’s to get my truck,” he said, gesturing toward the driveway.

Hannah grinned and stepped closer. “You didn’t even start on the windowsyet?”

“I needed to be sure that truck was ready to go the second those clothes weredry.”

“I don’t think they’re quite dryyet.”

“Well, it probably doesn’t matter they’re a little damp…we’re going to be taking them off soon anyway.”

She nodded. “Good point.”

Five minutes later, he had his not-quite-dry clothes on, Hannah had pulled a T-shirt on over her bikini, and the cooler and sleeping bags were in the truck. Unable to keep from touching her, Kyle reached across the seat for her hand as he pulled out of the driveway.

“I left Mom and Dad a note that we’re going out and to let Grandma know,” Hannahsaid.

Kyle nodded. “Don’t want her to worry.”

But neither of them mentioned how thrilled Alice would be, or that she would now absolutely have her hopes sky-high. Of course, Alice wasn’t the onlyone.

Kyle gripped the steering wheel tightly and worked to not squeeze Hannah’s hand just as hard. The sex had been…too good. As Derek would say, Kyle had now been seriously laid. He wasn’t sure there was any getting overit.

“I need to text Derek my number,” Hannahsaid.

“I already did.” Kyle didn’t mention the you sure you know what you’re doing? that he’d gotten in reply.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

Whether or not it was a good idea was another question.

---