Page 41 of Your Two Lips
Carrie said, “You both made it right on time. The band is starting soon.”
27
EMILY
I foundan open spot on the blanket and sat down next to Carrie, handing her the chilled bottle of Chardonnay I brought. She already had a Pinot Gris poured for me in one of those shiny insulated tumblers. Good thing I took an Uber tonight. My mouth was dry, and I gulped a much-needed drink of wine and courage.
I just told Finn Bakker, the hottest man I’ve ever seen, that I wanted him to be my sex tutor. A flush burned up my neck. Hopefully, everyone else was too drunk to notice or assumed it was the breeze. Was Finn blushing too? Maybe that ruddy pink that looked so hot on him? His body was rock solid, but his eyes and smile were soft and tender. One more absolutely sexy thing about him.
“Hey, Finn!” Carrie shouted behind me, and I saw the man sitting near Dan on the next blanket over. He nodded to several of the guys, accepted another tumbler, this one filled with beer from a nearby growler, and seemed to be unaffected by my confession.
Then Finn turned to stare directly at me, his eyes blazing that fiery blue that put me off balance. My breath rushed out on an exhale, and his eyes slid to my breasts. He knew I wasn’t wearing a bra, and I knew he liked it. Unconsciously I arched my back, my nipples pebbling into tight buds under his gaze. His eyes came back to mine, and a sexy smile appeared on the full lips I kept seeing in my dreams. He didn’t unleash the panty-melting dimples, but he still had an effect with one look, and he knew it.
The band was good. A Ska band with lots of horns, drums, and energy. As the sun got lower, people packed the little dance area directly in front of the stage. Plenty of snacks spread across our blankets were supplemented by street tacos and the best empanadas known to man from the food trucks parked on the edge of Marina Park. The waning light from the west cast the glaciers atop Mount Baker in a soft pinkish hue. The wine, the music, the cooling air, and the smoldering expression of one man all made my head swim. By the end of the evening, I was practically panting.
We all worked together to pack up the various blankets, food, and beer growlers. That was how we did things around here. Everyone worked to leave this grassy lawn as clean or cleaner than when we arrived. When you lived with land this beautiful, you had to take care of it.
“Anyone need an Uber?” Carrie, always the hostess, was getting folks together to share safe rides. My body was buzzing and my head foggy as warm fingers caressed my elbow from behind. I heard a low growl in my ear. “I can drive you home, Em.”
I froze, still facing forward. “How much have you had to drink?”
Finn brought his front to touch my back, and heat bloomed in my core. “Less than you. We have a race tomorrow, remember?” His stubble rubbed against my cheek. “I had a beer. Otherwise, I’ve been drinking water all night. My mind was on other things.” His warm breath brushed across my ear, and I leaned back against him, the crush and bustle of the surrounding crowd providing cover. I closed my eyes and inhaled his masculine scent of fresh air and sandalwood.
Heat radiated from his big body, and his solid chest was firm against my upper back. “What things have been on your mind?”
“Em.” His hand slid down my arm, and he faced me. “Can I take you home?”
My gaze met his. My heart raced. “Yes,” I said on an exhale. And he knew I was saying yes to so much more.
28
EMILY
We drove in silence,the air thick with anticipation. I couldn’t have Finn forever, but I could have him for a little while, and I would take it. This burn for him had only intensified. It pulled me to him like a rope, and I was helpless to resist it.
In my driveway, he cut the engine. The only light in the cab was from my porch and the floodlights under the two apple trees in my front garden. It was dark, but I could still see his face. He was staring forward, past my house, and over the bluff to the channel below. His jaw muscles clenched, but his voice was soft. “Did you mean what you said?”
“That I want you to teach me about more than biking?” He nodded. “Of course, I meant it.” I kept my voice steady, despite my trembling hands.
“Why?”
“What? Finn …” I whispered. “This is new for me, asking …”
He leaned in; his smolder focused on me. “What do you want, Em?”
I glanced down and steeled myself. It was now or never. I lifted my eyes to his, trying to be confident when I was anything but. “I want to experience sex. Sweet and dirty, hard and soft. I want to know about it, and I want you to be the one to show me.” Oh God, I said it aloud. “My body … I couldn’t before. I’m better now, and I want you. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re a good man, the first man who’s made me want to try.”
The fire in Finn’s eyes changed, and he brushed his hand against my cheek. “Em, you are so beautiful. Take my breath away beautiful.” He caressed my face almost reverently, and I leaned into his hand, warm and gentle, calloused and rough.
“Will you …” My voice was barely above a whisper.
He leaned closer, only inches between us. “Don’t you know by now I would do anything for you?”
“Finn …” I sealed my lips to his, and those sparks were back like a lightning strike. My hands, out of my control now, wrapped around his shoulders as I angled my body closer. I grasped at him and scrambled over the middle console, straddling his powerful thighs as he reached down to press the lever on the side, moving the seat all the way back. I was on fire. As I rubbed my center against him, his groan stoked the flame, and I opened for him.
He cradled my face in his big hands and licked into my mouth. I sank more into his already mind-blowing kiss. He growled low in his throat, causing a jolt straight to my sex. How did he do that? I loved that growl.
“Finn.” I was breathless. “Finn, please.”
