by M. W. Muse
Don squeezed my knee. "Um . . . rock, country, and adult contemporary," he said, but his voice sounded strangled.
I was watching what I was doing on his ear, but the sound of his tone made me look at his face. Oh. He was enjoying me rubbing the lotion in. I chuckled.
"Sorry, I was just trying to rub it in for you." I dropped my hand. "No need to be sorry." He smiled.
The parade had started, but I could tell Kim and Emma were focused on the action behind them, not in front of them. When Chloe's float passed, she skillfully threw candy right at us, and when it was over, Don took my hand and helped me down the bleachers. Once we were free from the crowd, he put his hand around my back, and we went in search of Chloe. We didn't have to look long.
"Hey guys, I need to go change, and I'll be ready. Meet you at the concession
area?"
"Sounds good."
Don and I headed that way, but he left me in front of the food vendors to go put the lotion in his car. Of course, Kim and Emma would find me there alone.
"What's the story?" Kim asked as she walked up to me, leaving Emma trailing behind. So now she wanted to speak to me.
"We're dating." "How long?"
"He asked me out after my birthday."
Kim was about to bark another question when her eyes focused behind me. I assumed Don was walking up.
It was him, because when he reached me, he kissed the back of my neck and moved his lips around to my ear as he stepped beside me. I smiled crookedly at Kim.
"Sorry it took me so long," he murmured.
Still smiling, I turned to him. "That's okay. I've been visiting with Kim and Emma."
He flashed his eyes at them and smiled; then he looked back at me as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Let's go get a snack."
We said our goodbyes to our leeches and got in line at the corndog vendor. "I really don't care for Kim," he said while we were waiting.
"Yeah, I can't stand her."
He stared at me incredulously. "Then, why are you friends with her?"
"I'm not. Not really. Kim wants to be Chloe's friend, so she tolerates me. Emma's not as bad, though. Why don't you like Kim? Not that I care. I'm just curious."
"She's superficial."
"And?" That wasn't a big news flash. "And I don't like the way she looks at you." "I'm a big girl."
He smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, you are." And the Kim and Emma conversation was dropped.
We got Don's corndog and found Chloe. Zach was already with her. He was very good-looking, and Chloe was simply glowing. We did all the introductions and walked around the park. The guys hit it off and played some of the vendor games while Chloe and I talked—but not about our dates; they were always in earshot. We ate all kinds of junk food, played miniature golf, checked out the bands, and enjoyed each other's company. It was a great day. But very hot.
When Chloe wanted me to go with her to the ladies' room, the guys walked us over and stood outside, which I thought was very sweet of them.
"So what do you think about Zach?" she asked when we got into the restroom. "I think he's great! He's nice, charming, and so very handsome. You picked a
great guy, really."
"He kissed me last night!" she squealed. "I've been dying to tell you all day." "What?" I was happy for her but a little jealous.
"I know. I couldn't believe it. Season, oh my gosh, he is the best kisser!"
"Wow. I'm really happy for you. I'm ready for Don to kiss me. He's having a pool party at his house tomorrow, and I'm hoping my little bikini will push him over that edge." I giggled.
"Oh, I'm sure." She laughed. "C'mon. Let's get back to our guys."
Don and Zach were chatting by a tree, waiting for us to come out. We walked up to them, and then we all went to find a seat for the fireworks display.
Don and I sat on a slight hill, but Zach and Chloe went farther back, hoping to get a better view. I was glad because now we could enjoy the show alone.
"Are you having fun?" Don whispered. "I'm having a great time." I glanced at him.
He reached up and stroked my cheek. "Good, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." "Are you having a nice time?"
"I'm always having a nice time when I'm with you."
Don stared at me with intense eyes, and my heart started racing. I reached up and gently wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. I did it to distract myself from his gaze, but his lips parted when I touched him, and he started breathing heavily.
The sound of the first firework exploding in the sky distracted me from his glorious face, so I gazed up to watch the first several explosions of brilliant colors.
"Wow," I whispered and turned to Don to share this with him.
He was staring at me. I wasn't sure if he ever looked away to watch the fireworks. I stayed locked on his gaze, his face glowing with the vibrant colors shooting in the sky. But the sounds of the explosions became muffled by the sound of my heart crashing in my chest.
Don reached up and gently stroked my face. We were both breathing hard. He leaned in slightly, glanced at my lips, and flashed his eyes to mine.
The voice in my head screamed in excitement. There would be no interruptions this time. He was finally going to kiss me. There was no doubt in my mind. It was already hot out here, but now my body felt overheated as my blood rushed in anticipation.
Don slid his hand from my face to the side of my head, his fingers reaching my hair. He put his other hand on the other side of my face, still leaning in. I wet my lips, leaving them parted. He kept his eyes on mine as he moved closer and then slowly closed them as his lips touched mine.
I could no longer hear the fireworks that I knew were exploding all around us.
Don kissed me so very softly at first, barely touching his tongue to mine. I could feel his hot breath in my mouth, and I tingled all over. As the kiss slowly became more intense, we both started gasping for air; his breath washed over me. I reached up, grabbed his arms, and clutched him closer to me. He tilted his head to the other side, kissing me passionately.
He tasted so good. There was no fantasy that could top this reality. All that mattered to me was that Don was kissing me, and it was the best experience of my life.
The last firework must have gone off because people were clapping around us.
The intensity of our kiss slowed, though our breathing did not. He slowly pulled his lips away and leaned his forehead against mine, leaving his hands on my face. We sat there for several seconds, waiting for our breathing to return to normal. I was still clinging to his arms; I felt like I would fall back if I let go of him. My body felt so feeble in his gentle embrace.
"Definitely, wow," he whispered.
I had forgotten the last thing I said was wow about the fireworks. I wanted to say something now, but I was still breathing too heavily. I just nodded gently.
I slowly released my hands from his arms and took a deep breath to try and steady myself. Don moved his head so that he could look me in the eyes.
"You are so beautiful."
I tried to smile, but my lips trembled too much. I shook all over, and I hoped he wouldn't notice.
People were walking around, leaving the park, and I realized Chloe must be nearby. I glanced to the side, and there she was. She and Zach were standing about twenty feet away, giving us some privacy. She knew what we'd been doing because when my eyes met hers, she grinned.
Don watched me, but when I sighed, he followed my gaze. "I guess they're waiting for us."
"Yeah," I breathed.
He helped me up, and we walked over to Chloe and Zach. "Did you two enjoy the show?" she asked teasingly.
"It was magical," Don said, and I could feel his eyes on me. I just nodded at Chloe.
"Zach's taking me home. I'll see you later."
Don and Zach did the macho fist bump thing before they left. Then Don took my hand and walked me to his car. I was still dazed. On the way home, he held my hand and stroked the back of it with his
thumb. Every now and then, he'd lift our joined
hands and kiss the back of mine. I was so wrapped up in the kiss we'd shared, it was amazing that I even remembered our plans for the next day.
"What time do I need to be at your place tomorrow?"
"I can come get you. The party starts at one o'clock, but I need to set up everything. How does eleven sound?"
"Eleven's good."
When we got to my house, Don walked me to my door.
"Thank you for going with me today," I said, looking into his eyes.
"Thank you for asking me. I had a wonderful time." He stepped closer to me and rubbed my arm.
"Me, too." I was barely audible.
Don dropped his arm from mine and put both around my waist, pulling me against him. I stretched up on my toes and put my arms around his neck, playing with his hair. He shivered at my touch, released a low moan, and then kissed me again.
"I have to go," he finally said, breaking away from our kiss. "I know."
"I'll be here in the morning."
"Are you coming earlier than eleven o'clock?" I teased.
He sighed. "I might. I don't know if I can wait that long to see you again." "I'm sure you have plenty to keep you busy in the morning."
"Yeah." But he didn't sound convincing. "I'll see you tomorrow."
I watched Don drive away before going into the house. Tomorrow wouldn't arrive fast enough.
Chapter 15
I slept soundly and got up bright and early the next morning. After I showered, I ate breakfast before I took my time getting ready, leaving my hair down since it'd be getting wet anyway and putting on a little waterproof makeup. I painted my toenails to match my bronze swimsuit and sandals and put on a pair of jean shorts and a white, sheer top so that my bikini top could be seen through it. I threw my sunglasses in my hair, and I was ready.
Don showed up promptly at eleven o'clock. When I opened the door, his eyes popped, and he gasped. He definitely liked what he saw. He put his hand on the doorjamb as he tried to compose himself, but he seemed to be at a loss for words.
I wasn't too distracted by his reaction to my outfit not to notice how hot he was. He had on his swimming trunks with a fitted T-shirt. Don may not be a god like Chrys was going to be, but he sure did look like one.
When we got to his house, I helped set up.
"So who all's going to be here?" I asked as I put out some of the food. "Just some friends."
"Do you have any family coming over?"
"Nope. Mom's spending the day shopping with my grandma. She left after making all the side dishes."
"So what's the occasion?" I wondered. The Fourth was over, and it wasn't like it was his birthday.
"This is the first Saturday that we were all able to get together. Several of the guys are going away to school, so this is like their farewell."
We finished setting up just as Don's guests started to arrive. I stayed by his side as he introduced me—as his girlfriend—to all his friends. I recognized the ones from school, but many of his friends didn't go to our school, and most of them brought dates. They all seemed very nice. Of course several of the guys were rowdy, but I expected as much.
Don left the front door open, so new guests could come right in, and we headed for the backyard, which was full of people whose names I didn't remember. I stayed by Don as he cooked the burgers and hot dogs; sure, I didn't really know anyone, but I also didn't want any of the single girls to get any ideas.
We were almost finished when I heard his backdoor open. I looked up and saw Chloe walking out.
"Chloe? What are you doing here?" Zach walked out behind her. "Don invited us."
I turned to Don, and he was smiling. "I said friends were coming. Your friends are my friends." He leaned down and kissed my forehead.
Zach walked over to chat with Don, and I walked over to Chloe and hugged her. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
"I didn't have a chance. Don invited Zach while we were in the restroom last night. Then after the fireworks show, you were too tongue-tied to speak." She giggled.
We walked over to one of the side tables and visited while Zach helped Don finish cooking. A couple of Don's friends who came in late walked over and talked to us. I thought it was nice of them to try and include us with the rest of the crowd since we obviously didn't know everyone as well as the two guys manning the grill.
One of the guys was taller, and the other one was more muscular. At first, I thought they were just being polite, but then I realized they were hitting on us. I was too shocked to put a stop to it, so Chloe was the one to break it to them.
"You two seem like really nice guys, but we already have boyfriends." She tried to let them down easy.
"Nobody said nothin' about boyfriends," the muscular one said. Chloe and I were speechless at the change in his tone..
"Besides," the taller one added, "even if you really do have boyfriends, they're not here. I know just about everyone here, so I'd know if either of you was already taken."
"I think you'd like to take a swim with me," the muscular one said as he grabbed my arm and tried pulling me out of my chair..
My shock wore off, and I turned to glare at him as I suddenly found my voice. "You're wrong," I snapped, yanking my arm away.
Out of nowhere, Don was at my side.
"What's going on, Dave?" he asked the muscular one. Don was trying to defuse the situation, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was about to knock out this Dave guy.
"Take it easy, Don. Mike and I were just trying to make new friends," Dave said. Mike must be the tall one. From the look Don shot him, Mike was going to be kissing the concrete with Dave.
"Yeah," Mike agreed, touching Chloe's shoulder. Zach pushed him off her.
"What's your problem, dude?" Mike puffed out his chest, but he was no physical match for Zach.
I realized I needed to bust up the testosterone fest. I jumped up out of my seat to try and do just that, but Don shoved me behind his back.
"Wait," I said to Don and glanced over at Dave and Mike from behind Don's back. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Season, Don's girlfriend." Mike and Dave immediately relaxed their stances and looked at Don apologetically. "And this is my best friend, Chloe, and her boyfriend, Zach," I finished quickly.
Dave and Mike tried to mumble apologies to Don, but he just shook his head at them, not wanting to hear it. He turned around to face me.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm completely fine. That wasn't the first time I've been hit on by some self- centered punk."
"I'm sorry," he whispered and then kissed my cheek. "It's not your fault."
Don mumbled something unintelligible and then scanned his backyard. Seeking out Mike and Dave, I supposed. I grabbed his face and turned his head in my direction.
"Is it time to eat?" He sighed. "Yes." "Good. I'm starving."
He walked me over to the table on the covered patio and fixed my plate. Chloe and Zach ate with us. Everyone else was eating, swimming, or throwing a football around. When we finished eating, Chloe and Zach jumped in the pool, and they immediately started kissing each other. I was delighted to see Chloe so happy.
I stayed out of the pool to help Don clean up some of the mess. As the time passed, though, I noticed he wasn't making a move to the pool. I realized a little late that the reason was probably related to me having to take off my clothes and walking around in a bikini in front of all his friends—two friends in particular. But I wasn't going to let Dave or Mike ruin my fun.
"It's really hot," I said, leaning toward Don and moving my shirt back-and-forth, fanning myself.
He smiled crookedly at me but didn't say anything. "I think I need to jump in your pool, so I can cool off."
"I need to throw out the potato salad. It's been sitting out a while. I have some more in the refrigerator we can bring out."
"Nobody's eating right now. It can wait." "It'll just take a minute."
; Ugh. This wasn't working. I'd just have to be direct.
"Well, okay. You can join me when you get finished." I stood up and started to take off my top.
Don stood up and took both my hands into his, stopping me from taking off my clothes. He didn't say anything—his panicked eyes revealed his concern. I stared at him and then slipped my hands out of his. He just stood there watching me, so I grabbed the sides of his shirt, and with a smile on my face, I started pulling it up. He finally grinned a little and pulled off his shirt for me.
I rubbed my hand on his bare chest, and his smile grew bigger.
"I think this is my favorite outfit that I've seen you in," I joked. Seriously, he was stunning . . . absolutely gorgeous . . . but I was trying to stay focused on lifting him out of his mood.
Don laughed lightly and then sighed. "I'm sorry. I know I need to chill. I was just really bothered by—"
"Stop," I whispered, shaking my head. "The best way for you to chill is by jumping in a nice cool swimming pool."
He laughed louder at my corny joke. "Okay. But let's get some sunscreen on,
first."
He was my little advocate on skin care. He grabbed the bottle, but I took it out of
his hand and squirted some in my own palm this time. Then I started to rub the lotion on him. He squirmed at first, but I continued to rub the lotion all over his chest, back, and shoulders, trying not to think about what I was actually doing.
Then I took off my clothes and left them in the chair I was sitting in. I could tell when Don saw me in nothing but my bikini that he briefly considered dealing with the potato salad again, which I would be forced to assist with, so I acted quickly.
"Will you put some on my back?" I asked as I squirted some lotion in my palm again before handing it to him.
He hesitated, so I started rubbing the lotion I had in my hand onto my stomach and chest. I watched him while I rubbed the lotion on myself, but he was watching my hands.
"If you don't want to put it on my back, I can ask Chloe. If she's busy, I'm sure I can find someone willing," I teased as I stepped away from him, pretending to leave.
He grabbed my arm and snorted. "Turn around."
