“Not everything, but we’re getting there.”
“I’m fairly certain you’re the only guy she would be moving that fast with.”
I think about what Dalton said. He’s right. I’ve had my hands everywhere on her body, and there’s no way in hell she would’ve let another guy do that this fast.
Shit, she even tried to tell me today that she wasn’t sure if she should stay over this weekend, and I tried to talk her into it. If I witnessed another guy treating her that way, I would kick their ass, so I shouldn’t think it’s OK for me to do it.
McKenzie
Luke has been different lately, and it’s beginning to worry me. He hasn’t joked around as much or been near as affectionate. He’s still sweet but something’s off.
Last I heard, Liv hasn’t spoken to him since he told her off the other day. Maybe he’s more hurt by it than he lets on. I decide to confront her after one of the classes we have together.
“Liv, wait up.”
She slouches her shoulder before slowly turning around. “What?”
“Look, please don’t take this out on Luke. He’s only desperate for us to get along again. He misses you, too.”
She sighs and looks away. “He really hurt my feelings, but everyone keeps reinforcing what he said. It seems I’m the only one who doesn’t want you two together.” She glances back at me.
“I didn’t mean what I said about not missing you, Kenzie, but I’m upset. I feel as if you both have stolen the other one from me.”
“Liv, it isn’t like that. Please try. I miss you so much, and I hate that you haven’t shared with me about Dalton.”
She tries not to, but a devilish smile appears.
“I do owe you for that one. He’s amazing. I’ll think about it.”
I grab her and hug her, giving her no choice but to let me. “Oh, thank you. I want us to be close again.”
“I have to go. Have fun with my brother this weekend. I know you’re the reason he got out of going to see our grandparents. If I didn’t love you both so much, I’d rat you out.” She smirks and walks away. There’s hope yet.
At the end of the day, Luke is waiting for me at my locker. “Guess what,” I say excitedly.
“What?”
“I had a breakthrough with Olivia. She was actually semi nice.”
“I knew she’d come around eventually. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah.” I take his hand and walk to the car. He doesn’t say anything on the way, and when we get inside, he doesn’t try to kiss me.
“Luke, what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve barely touched me the last couple of days. I normally can hardly get the car door shut before you’re trying to kiss me.”
After Luke begins driving, he takes hold of my hand but doesn’t speak. “Luke, you’re scaring me.”
“I’ve hardly touched you because I’m trying to slow us down.”
“Oh, no, you’re having second thoughts.”
“Lord no, Kenzie. I want nothing more than to be with you. I meant I’m trying to slow us down physically.” He glances over while he drives, looking to reassure me with his eyes.
“OK. Can I ask why the sudden change?”
“I thought about it, and you and I wouldn’t be moving this fast if we were with other people.”
“True, but we also know each other in a way we would never know any other guy or girl we started dating.”
“I’m trying here, Kenzie, so please don’t convince me otherwise.” I watch his grip on the steering wheel tighten.
“That’s not what I want. Did it ever cross your mind to ask me?”
“We’re slowing down.”
“But you sound mad about it,” I say, pulling my hand away.
“I’m not mad. I’m–I’m sexually frustrated, but that’s my issue, not yours. I know I was going without before, but I wasn’t kissing and touching you then. I didn’t have your body against mine, and I wasn’t smelling your sweet skin.”
Luke releases my hand, and now both of his are gripping the steering wheel firmly.
“I don’t want to slow down,” I say.
“I know you, Kenzie. You’ll do it to please me.”
“I should get to make my own decisions. I appreciate that you’ve been protecting me my whole life, but it’s ridiculous that you’re trying to protect me from you.”
“We’re slowing down,” he says as he throws his car into park.
“Like many other times, you confuse the hell out of me, Luke.” I get out and slam the door before I march to my house.
I understand he’s trying to be considerate of my feelings, but I want him as much as he wants me, so it shouldn’t be an issue now that I’ve told him.
Chapter Eleven
Luke
It’s six o’clock, and my dad and Liv are getting ready to leave to go stay with my mom at my grandparents. Since Kenzie said Liv was coming around, I feel the need to apologize to her, so I go to her room.
“Sis, can I come in?”
“Sure.”
I open her door and see her packing a small suitcase on her bed. “I thought you might try to stay home, too,” I say to her.
“Why? Then I’d be here with you and Kenzie. I figured that would be weird.”
“Liv, please accept this,” I say exhaustingly.
She stops packing and puts a hand on her hip.
“I’m trying.”
“I’m sorry for what I said in the cafeteria.”
“It’s fine. You were right; I was treating her badly. Growing up, when it was only Kenzie and me hanging out, it was great.
“When it was only you and me, it was fun, but I always felt out of place when it was the three of us, which was often.” Liv plops down on her bed.
“Liv, we never tried to make you feel that way.”
“Well, I did. Now, I feel like I’ve completely lost the both of you. I always worried this would happen.”
“Kenzie and I both want to spend the same amount of time with you as we used to. Dalton could hang out with us, too. It would be cool.”
“I’m not there yet, Luke, but I’m trying to accept it. I have to finish packing. I’ll see you Sunday.”
I scratch my head and start out the door.
“Luke.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you serious about being with Kenzie? This could destroy her if you’re not.”
“Yes, Liv. I’ve always wanted to be with her. I was too chicken to do anything about it and too afraid of this right here happening.”
“I’m the reason you haven’t been together.” My sister bites on her nail and stares off. She has to accept this, and I believe she will eventually.
“Liv, are you ready? We have to get on the road. Dalton’s here,” Dad says as he approaches the doorway.
“I’ll go talk to him,” I say, leaving my sister and Dad alone.
“Hey, man. What’s up?” I ask Dalton when I reach the family room.
“I wanted to tell Liv bye one more time.”
I smirk at him. “Yeah, you give me shit about Kenzie, but you have it bad for my sister.”
His face turns red, and he runs a hand across the back of his neck. “Yeah, I do. Want to play ball after she leaves?”
“Um, that’s cool.”
“Wait, is Kenzie coming over?” he asks, smiling.
“I don’t think so. We can play.”
“You can tell me. I don’t want to cut into your time alone.”
“No, bro, it’s cool.”
I do need to make things right with her, but I don’t have a clue what to say. I don’t want to wait to have sex, but don’t chicks want to be able to say they waited awhile?
***
After I play some basketball and shower, I check my phone and see I have a text from Kenzie.
Kenz: Don’t make me stay here by myself. I get scared, and I would’ve made plans with a friend if I had known you we
re going to misplace your balls.
Me: You’re getting a major tickling, and your guilt trip isn’t flyin’.
Kenz: You don’t care that I’ll be sleeping alone all night in this house?
I groan.
Me: You’ve done it before.
Kenz: Yes, but if someone breaks in on this night, you will feel so responsible after rejecting me like you have.
That little shit.
Me: Get your cute ass over here.
She doesn’t respond, but I can picture the grin on her beautiful face. I knew all along that she would end up here.
I rub my hair with the towel and throw on a pair of black athletic shorts. I swing open my bedroom door, and there stands Kenzie with that sparkling smile.
“It was unlocked.”
“Damn, you look adorable and sexy.” Her hair is in pigtails, and she’s wearing a thin, lavender tank top without a bra. She has on matching pajama pants that have dark purple hearts on them. Kenzie has always been girlie. “And you look this way on purpose.”
She points at me. “Please, look at you. You don’t even have a shirt on.” I watch her scan me up and down before her cheeks turn rosy. “And your shorts ...”
“What about them?”
Stepping closer, she plants both her hands on my hips. “They set right here, low on your hips, and it’s hot as hell.” She gazes up at me and drags her bottom lip through her teeth.
I grab her face with both hands and slam my lips to hers. I can’t help it. She’s adorable and sweet, sexy and seductive, and she’s mine. All mine.
Her hands yank me closer and our kiss deepens. I’m trying to keep hold of her face since my hands want to wander. I finally can’t resist and glide them down her arms as my mouth moves to her neck.
“You play dirty, but I like it,” I whisper.
“I want you, Luke.”
“We have plenty of time, Kenz.”
“What if we don’t? You don’t know that for certain.”
“Let’s lie in my bed and watch a movie.” She groans and tugs me closer, trying to entice me by rubbing against me. “Come on, we’ll watch something on TV, so we can make out during commercials.”
“OK ... for now.” The way her piercing eyes gaze up at me with longing, like I’m the only person in the world, makes my heart beat faster. I love McKenzie Baker. I believe I’ve loved her all my life.
McKenzie
Luke and I lie on his bed and watch TV. Holding up his end of the deal, he makes out with me between commercials, and the later it gets, the harder it’s becoming to stop.
We try to cool our hormones with distractions like soda and chips, but they don’t delay the roaming of our hands and mouths for long.
“We should go to sleep, Kenz,” Luke says at eleven. “You have to get up early to beat your mom home from work.”
“I left her a note that I was staying the night here. She doesn’t know Liv is out of town.”
“I’m corrupting you.” He brushes hair from my face, his fingers finding a way to touch me at all times.
“No, I’m doing the corrupting today.” I climb off the bed. “Up, let’s get underneath the covers.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him before he shakes his head and smiles.
He groans like I’m forcing him, but I know better since he’s up in a flash, helping me pull them back. I start removing my pajama pants since I have the thin shorts on that match.
“What are you doing?” Luke asks anxiously. His eyes wide.
“Chill. I have on shorts.”
“Yeah, if that’s what you want to call them.” He frowns before he switches the light off and climbs into bed. It’s dark besides the glow coming from the television.
“Do you remember some of the sleepovers we’ve had?” I ask.
He smirks. “I recall none of them being this exciting.”
“I remember when we were like five, Liv and I would put makeup on you.” I begin to giggle. “Oh my gosh, that one time, we even got you to wear a dress.” My eyes are watering now from laughing.
“Kenzie, that is not funny,” he says, fighting a laugh. “I already owed you a tickle session. What is up with you today?”
Luke is on top of me fast, tickling my waist with one of his hands. I’m gasping for air between giggles. He won’t stop, so I stretch up and kiss him.
In an instant, he takes hold of my face and hair, his tongue sweeping my mouth while his fingers massage my scalp. I’m pulling on his waist, but we’re as close as we can be with clothing on.
“Luke, touch me.”
He buries his face against my neck.
“Baby, you’re not supposed to encourage me.” His hot breath covers my neck as he groans.
“If you want to wait, we will, but it’s not what I want.”
He lifts up and gazes at me. “It’s not what I want, either. What if we do more but not everything?” His thumb skims across my cheek as his stunning eyes search mine.
“OK.” I smile at him before his mouth is back on mine, and his greedy hands begin to roam.
***
“If sex feels better than that, then I don’t see how anyone gets anything else done in this world,” Luke says.
“I don’t know, either.” I shove my body against his side and place my palm on his chest. Luke and I have spent the last hour with our hands and mouths on each other’s bodies anywhere and everywhere, and it was magical.
The heat we generated binds us, and I had no idea I could feel that kind of pleasure. I believe it was mostly because I feel so comfortable with Luke. He’s gentle yet passionate, appreciating and savoring every inch of my skin. Rolling onto me, he kisses my neck.
“I believe you did free a caged animal,” he says. “That only made me want you more.”
The heat is becoming magnified, no barriers between our beating hearts. I’m not sure what age our hearts attached, but they’ve been nourishment for each other’s. Luke has filled mine with hope, kindness, trust and love. He’s kept it beating.
“I’m ready, Luke.”
“Kenz, are you sure?” he asks before he kisses my forehead.
“Absolutely. What about you?”
He gazes at me intensely, seconds ticking by.
“Kenzie, I love you. I can’t imagine sharing that with anyone else.”
I believe him. I’ve never thought anyone loved me for me besides my mother, but Luke has proven over the years that he means those words.
“I love you, too, Luke.” He kisses me, and it’s soft and sweet like him. My fingers run through his wavy, dark hair as our mouths tell each other everything we’re feeling.
“Um, I have one condom, Kenzie. I didn’t buy them because I thought it would tempt me tonight.”
“You’re funny. So, we have to get it right the first time.”
Luke chuckles, and even in the dim light, I can see that he’s embarrassed. “I’ve had it in my wallet forever. Do you think they go bad?” he asks.
My eyes widen. “How would I know? I mean, I would think if it’s in the wrapper, then it will be fine. Why were you carrying one?”
“It’s guy code.” He snickers before quickly regaining his composure. “I’m ready, Kenz, but I’m worried about hurting you. I’ve watched someone cause you pain, and I don’t want to.”
“I’ve heard it’s only uncomfortable for a minute or two. We’ll go slowly,” I say. “I know with you it will be wonderful after that.”
“I’m certain it will be, too.”
Luke
Jumping over the last few steps, I race to the front door. There Kenzie stands in her pajamas. Instead of the purple ones she had on last night, these are pink.
Her light brown hair is down, and the golden streaks are shiny. She doesn’t have makeup on, which I love since she doesn’t need it to look pretty. She glances away shyly, probably due to me ogling her.
I grab her wrist, and she giggles as I drag her into the house. “I was counting down the hours until your mom left for work
,” I say.
“I know. I was on the receiving end of your fifty-three texts.” She laughs again before she leans against my chest. “I missed you even more today. I didn’t think that was possible.”
“I missed you, too. I kept looking at the clock at hockey, and you know how much I love playing. I used to think about nothing else out on the ice, but you were all I could think about today.”
I scoop her up and carry her to my room.
“Are you sore?” I ask.
“No,” she rests her head on my chest as I take the stairs, “and I want to do it again and again.”
“Damn, Kenzie. Why can’t our parents be gone for a week? I’m never going to want to let you leave my room.”
***
My fingers continue their path of slipping through Kenzie’s hair before they graze down her arm. The sun has risen and is shining through the window, making her hair glisten. She’s been quiet for a while as she lies in my arms.
“Baby, are you OK?” I ask.
“Hmm?”
“Did I hurt you last night?”
“No. I told you it felt wonderful.”
“I thought it felt pretty amazing, too. What are you thinking about? I’ve asked you many times over the years where your mind goes when you daydream, but you never answer.”
“I reminisce of times we were together, Luke, when we were happy or sad, feeling each other’s joy or pain. It has happened often for as long as I can remember, but it’s not like I could’ve told you, especially not when Liv was around.”
“I’ve always done the same thing, Kenz.” I kiss the top of her head. “I didn’t know it was possible to feel this much love for one person.”
Chapter Twelve
Six Weeks Later
McKenzie
“Here, I wet some paper towels for you,” Amanda says. I manage to turn my head enough to see her trying to hand them to me under the bathroom stall.
“Are you going to be OK?” she asks.
“I don’t know.” Leaning against the metal sidewall, I hold the folded paper towels on my forehead. “I need to go home, but I don’t want to pull Luke out of class again. He took me home yesterday.”
“I’ll do it. As soon as you think you won’t hurl again, we’ll go to the office.”
Hearts Attached Page 7
