Page 127 of Dove
He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “Right, sorry. I can’t seem to think straight with you sitting just a few short inches away looking so fucking sexy in that dress.”
My belly flipped as I blushed. His stare was a bright spotlight on me, making me want to put on a show, as long as it was only for him. It had me rethinking our agreement to be on ourbest behaviorand place his hand back on my skin, only a little higher this time. No doubt Josh was a bad influence on me, but I couldn’t say I minded, not when I’d experienced some of the best orgasms of my life with him.
Slowly, I widened my legs. Marginally, just enough so I could guide his hand where I knew he’d be eager to explore. Under my lashes, I watched his Adam’s apple bob and his mouth go slack.His eyes were alive with hunger, a hungerIplaced there. Seeing it never got old.
Josh’s fingertips grazed the fabric of my underwear, and he groaned, as if pained.
“Fuck, baby, you’re soa?—"
Someone laid on their horn behind us, causing us both to jump so badly we nearly hit the roof. Josh snatched his hand back from mine, curling it around the steering wheel as if he hadn’t been touching me at all.
Mortified, I realized the line in front of us had moved along and we’d been holding up everyone behind us.
Josh laid off the brake and coasted forward. “Fucking Teslas,” he grumbled, eyes glaring daggers into his rearview. I couldn’t help the tiny smile that cracked on my face at the irony of that statement, not when what he was driving blended right in with the cars around us.
The line of traffic steadily continued forward, and Josh’s hands stayed where they were, curled around the wheel. Slumped against the passenger door, missing the warmth of his hands against my tingling skin, I could almost feel the phantom touch of his?—
I glanced down.
No, not a phantom touch at all. Josh’s hand was back on my knee, a respectable distance from where it had once been, yet a weighted reminder that there was nothing I’d deny him, if only he asked.
But there was one thing he’d yet to ask me for.
He didn’t have to; it was already his. It’d always been his.
And tonight, I decided, I wanted to give it to him.
Just beyond the town square was a grassy lot where we were directed to park. It was so full we were clear back near the tree line, sun glinting off the rows and rows of cars stretched out before us. It was almost laughably easy to spot the locals’ rides in between the visitors.
A lady wearing white pumps,actually pumps,stepped out of the car beside me. Her kids jumped out dressed in matching outfits, looking like an Instagram ad for a high-end children’s boutique. She sneered down at the grass, scoffing into the phone held up to her ear.
“This parking lot isn’t evenpaved,” she snipped in disgust, slamming her door. “Why am I always left taking them to these things by myself?” She paused, listening to a reply. “Youwere supposed to bring them to this, David.Youpromised them,not me.I’m not the one who needs to try harder to be present for this family.”The man on the other end of the line must have been defending himself because I could hear the buzz of his reply through her speaker. “Then you should have told them to reschedule your meeting because you had plans.Boys!” She snapped her fingers at the giggling kids, who were crouched over, poking at a frog. “Let’s go!”
I shook my head in disbelief as I got out of the car.
“Yikes,” Josh commented, closing my door for me. He’d waited until the woman had stomped past before rounding to my side. “Looks like trouble in paradise.”
I watched the boys’ flounce along after their mother, who ended the call and shoved the phone into her oversized purse, until they disappeared amongst the maze of vehicles. “I think it’s kind of sad.”
“Sad?” Josh sounded confused. “Why?”
“Clearly she wanted him to be here with them.” Through the aggravation in her tone was clear disappointment. I wondered how many times she’d been left to take her boys alone to these kinds of things, how many unfulfilled promises she’d been left making up for, how many timesshe’dbeen let down in the process.
A faint touch along my cheek had me turning toward Josh. His eyes were soft, crinkled at the corners. “My little empath.”
“She seems lonely.” I could understand that a little too well.
Josh’s dark eyes scanned my face, and like usual, read me like a book, down to the footnotes in fine print. His thumb brushed over the curve of my cheekbone. “You’ll never be lonely again, Dove.”
I laughed lightly despite the sharp pain that lanced my heart at his words. “You can’t promise that.”
“Watch me.” The sheer confidence in his voice had my stomach swooping and the strength threatening to leave my knees.
He didn’t give me a chance to reply before he took my hand and pulled me along behind him. The light fluttering in my middle was replaced by a curl of panic. I dug the heels of my wedge sandals into the grass and yanked my hand back. “Josh, we can’t.”
His grip stayed firm in mine as he locked our fingers together. “We’re too far back to be seen by anyone we know, and none of these people pulling in are from around here.”
Even though he had a point, I still hesitated.
