Page 25 of Conception
The way she’s eyeing mine? I think the feeling’s mutual.
“Wow.”
It’s barely a whisper, yet that one word gives me satisfaction I’m not sure I’ve ever known. It also makes me want to scoop her up, take her to bed, strip off that tiny bikini, and give her a whole other reason to utter the word over and over again.
When Amelia’s gaze moves up to mine, I catch the sight of her green eyes sparkling in the sunlight. “That was…”
I grin down at her. “I know.”
A slow smirk parts her lips. “It’s scorching out here, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.”
“I…uh…” She pauses, letting out a deep sigh. “I’m wet.”
My grin spreads across my face. “I know that, too, princess.”
She rolls her eyes, even as her shoulders shake in laughter. Hands come to my chest as if she’s about to push me away. My hands capture her wrists, holding her in place. When our eyes lock, I rock against her—ever so slightly, as not to put on a show.
“You wanna give me a minute before I embarrass myself in front of our audience?” I ask.
The corners of Amelia’s eyes crinkle with her answering smile. “I’m a little disappointed that you think you can keep ahold of me like this and still deflate the situation.”
“Babe, I don’t think holding you close is going to deflate anything. It’s just an excuse to hold you longer.”
She surprises me when she lifts onto her tiptoes and captures my lips again. I’m about to dive in deep, but all too quickly, she drops back down to the sand and gives me a wink.
“If we’ve only got the summer, Knox, you don’t need any excuses to hold me. Or kiss me, for that matter. As far as Goldman’s concerned, that kiss was pretty hot, but I think we can do better if we want to be in the top five.”
This girl. I’m not really sure what to think of her.
On one hand, she seems prim and proper, like the girls I grew up with at my prep school in Belle Meade. On the other hand, I’ve seen her long-ass legs in Daisys then today’s outrageously sexy bathing suit, and she doesn’t shy away from me, not even a little. Then again, she blushed last night at mere innuendo. Whatever it is that makes her tick, I want to know it all. Do it all.
I’m about to lower my head to try again, because at this point, I could spend the entire summer doing nothing but kissing Amelia and be totally okay with it, but she gives a slight shake of her head.
“As much as I’d love to continue this right now,” she says, “I’m not one for an audience. And considering I know it’s probably Sunny who interrupted us, she’d be far too captive of said audience if given the chance.”
I glance behind Amelia and see that she’s right. The girl from behind the bar is standing there with Joe, who’s trying to turn her towards the water and away from us, to no avail. He shakes his head, to which I nod my thanks. At least the guy tried. I gather Amelia in close, wrapping my arms around her shoulders then give her a quick kiss on the top of her head.
If I can’t continue to kiss her out here, it’s an opportune time to get to know her a bit better. With my erection still prominently on display, I quickly sit on her towel then draw her between my legs. It’s pressed against her back, but I can’t help it. As much as I want to rove the expanse of her taut stomach or along the curves of her thighs, I take her hands into mine instead, playing with her fingers. She shivers when my lips come to her ear.
“Okay, so now that I’ve tasted you, I want more than just a little nibble, but like you said, not in front of an audience. So how about we talk and get the basics out of the way while your friend pretends she’s not waiting for us to start screwin’ on the sand for her viewing pleasure.”
She scrunches her nose and it’s so damn cute that it makes me want to kiss the hell out of her again. “Basics? What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters, you were drinkin’ last night, so that means you’re at least nineteen, though you don’t seem like a girl straight outta high school.”
She nods. “I turned twenty-one back in March,” she informs me.
“Twenty-two for me.”
For the next few minutes, we go back and forth, and I’m surprised to learn she lives not far from where Clay and Maria go to school in Knoxville. It’s a fact we both gloss over, that I visit the place often to hang out with my brother. I’m not trying to give her any hope that this thing will go beyond the summer by letting her know I’d be within arms’ reach.. I’m relieved that she doesn’t seem to mind, and I know that summer luck has struck me by putting her in my path.
I look to the side to see the paperback she was reading. Since we have similar tastes in Goldman, I pick it up, whistling when I read the cover.
“The Gloryhole Killer?” I ask, unable to hide the amusement in my voice. “So this is what had you so engrossed earlier that I was able to sneak up on you? Come on, Amelia. You read enough of these books and you should know better. A beautiful girl alone on a deserted beach in the middle of bumfuck Tennessee? Could be a recipe for disaster.”
Amelia cranes her neck to look back at me. “For your information, I’m usually very vigilant. And I wasn’t alone. Not until about an hour ago when Sunny, Joe, and Sam went to cool off.”
