Clutch Player

by Ash, Nikki

  “Harper,” he prompts. “Say something.”

  “I want to, but I’m afraid if it doesn’t work out, we’ll lose our friendship.” And I really need our friendship.

  Landon chuckles, and then his body is removed from mine. I hear rustling, and then the room is illuminated by his cell phone flashlight. “So, you’re friend-zoning me?” he asks with a smirk.

  I glance down and find the lamp on the floor. Reaching over, I pick it up and set it back on his nightstand. Landon kneels on the ground and sweeps up the broken bulb pieces with a piece of paper, then drops them into the trash can.

  “I’m making sure I don’t lose you as a friend,” I tell him once he’s done and back to looking at me. “You’re important to me. Really important.”

  “You’re never going to lose me, Harper,” he says, his eyes not leaving mine.

  “That’s not true. In four months you’ll be drafted into the Majors and I’ll probably never see you again.”

  Remaining on his knees in front of me, he cups my cheek with his hand. “Maybe all we have is four months, but I still think it’s worth pursuing. I like you, and I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to take you out for Valentine’s Day and hold your hand in the halls. I want to kiss you and touch you and spend these next four months with you. Even if that’s all we have. But if that’s not what you want, I’ll accept being your friend. I’ll take you however I can get you.”

  His words. They shoot like an arrow straight to my heart, splitting it wide-open. Everything he mentioned, I want too. We’re young, and we may not be forever, but we can still spend the time we have together.

  “Okay,” I tell him. “These next four months I’m yours.”

  Landon’s lips curl into a boyish grin. “I like the sound of that. You’re mine.” He leans in and his mouth presses against mine for our first kiss. His lips are strong yet soft, and I find myself leaning into him, wanting to deepen the kiss. My lips part, and Landon’s tongue slides through, darting into my mouth. I suck on it, and he groans, pulling back. “And I’m yours,” he whispers.

  Five

  Harper

  Landon: On my way

  Me: I’m ready!

  Today is Valentine’s Day, which happens to fall on a Saturday, so we have no school and Landon just so happens not to have any baseball. He won’t tell me where we’re going or what we’re doing to celebrate the holiday, but he did tell me to pack an overnight bag—which he apparently approved with my mom ahead of time—and to wear a sexy dress but comfortable shoes. Typical man… doesn’t he understand how fashion works? I had no clue what to pack, so I ended up shoving half my closet into my luggage before I put it all back and packed a couple different options. I also packed a bathing suit in case there’s an indoor pool. It’s been cold as hell lately, so if wherever he’s taking me has an indoor pool, he’ll be getting some brownie points.

  Before I head downstairs, I take one last look in my floor-length mirror. I’m dressed in a simple yet sexy spaghetti strap black dress that ends a few inches above my knees. It’s tight up top but flows at the bottom. It should be worn with a pair of heels, but instead, I’m sporting a pair of ballet flats. My hair is down in waves, and my makeup is on the light side.

  Grabbing my small overnight bag, I make my way downstairs, setting my bag next to the front door. The house is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Something I’m not used to. Since my dad moved out and in with one of his drinking buddies, the fighting has thankfully stopped, but in its place is my mom, hidden in her room, crying at all hours of the day and night.

  The divorce is messy because of the house and credit cards, and my mom has hired an attorney she can barely afford to try to keep her from owing money she hasn’t spent. I haven’t seen my dad since he moved out, and sadly, I think that’s for the best. The man I used to look up to is nothing more than a drunken shell of himself. Before he left, I begged him to go to rehab, but unfortunately even his own daughter crying and begging wasn’t enough to stop the downslide he’s on.

  I step up to her closed door and sure enough, I can hear her muffled sobs. I should knock and ask if she’s okay, but every time I do, she just tries to hide it. She has a lot on her shoulders, and I hate that I can’t do anything to help her. But I’m only a junior in high school. I’ve started applying to several local businesses to get a part-time job. Unfortunately, the town we live in is small and most teens who get a job hold onto it.

  Instead of knocking, I go to the kitchen and find a piece of paper in the junk drawer so I can write her a note telling her I love her and I’ll text her once we’ve arrived to wherever it is we’re going. Since she’s approved for us to spend the night away, I’m assuming we’re going somewhere far enough that he’s asked if we can spend the night because it’s too far to drive back the same day.

  There’s a knock on the door, and when I open it, Landon is standing on the other side dressed in a powder blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The color looks amazing against his naturally tanned skin and tattoos, which are peaking out. He’s wearing black dress pants that mold to his muscular thighs, and shiny black dress shoes. He looks extremely sexy, and the only place I want to go is to the hotel room so I can explore everything I know is underneath those clothes. We’ve only been officially dating for a couple weeks, and Landon is insistent we take things slow, but he can’t possibly think he can show up here looking the way he does and take me to a hotel, and we’ll continue to move at a snail’s pace. If I have to seduce my boyfriend, then so be it. Our time until he graduates is limited and I want to make the most of every day we have together. We don’t know if or where he’ll be drafted, and for all we know, it can be across the country.

  “Jesus, Harp. Look at those legs.” Landon runs his tongue along his bottom lip. “It’s like they go on for days.” He steps forward and gives me a tender kiss. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”

  “Happy Valentine’s Day,” I murmur against his lips. “You look so handsome.”

  His lips curl into a sweet smile. “You ready to go? We have a long drive ahead of us.”

  “Any chance you’re going to tell me where we’re going?” I ask in a flirty tone, hoping he’ll give in.

  “Nope.” He grabs my bag for me, and I close the door behind us, throwing my purse over my shoulder. It has snacks, my sketchpad, and my CD collection.

  After throwing my bag into his car, he comes around and opens the door for me to get in. Once I’m situated, I find the CD I’m looking for and push it into the player. Then, I pull my sketchpad and pencils out of my bag so I can draw.

  Landon gets in, buckles up, and then takes off. We talk about school and me trying to find a job as he drives through town. When he hits the highway, I pay attention to the signs and right away, I know where we’re going.

  “New York?” I shriek, and a chuckle rumbles through Landon.

  “I should’ve made you close your eyes,” he jokes.

  “For the entire four-hour drive?” I laugh. “Why are we going there?” There are so many possibilities. I’ve only been to New York a few times. My last visit there was a couple years ago, just before my dad lost his job. My parents took me to an art exhibit I was dying to go to and we made a weekend out of it. It was during that trip, I decided I wanted to go to NYU. The city is so fast-paced compared to the sleepy town we live in. I imagined taking the subway everywhere, checking out all the art museums, and getting lost in all the culture the city’s filled with. Unfortunately, now that my dad has cashed out my college fund, I won’t be able to attend any big university unless I get a scholarship. I know I can get accepted, but do I really want to graduate in debt? My mom thinks I can probably get some financial aid since my dad isn’t working and has no income, and she isn’t rich by any means. I won’t know, though, until next year. For now, I’m just keeping an open mind, focusing on school, and making sure my grades are good.

  “It’s a surprise,” he says, shooting me
a playful wink before he refocuses on the road.

  “Fine.” I huff in fake annoyance.

  The next couple hours, while Landon drives, we sit in comfortable silence, listening to my CDs while I sketch in my notepad. We do this a lot at his house or at the park. I love how comfortable we are with each other. We don’t need constant conversation. We’re okay just sitting next to each other, being around each other.

  “What are you drawing?” Landon asks, sneaking a glance over to my sketchpad.

  “You.” I turn the paper around to show him. It’s a profile view of him. His chiseled jawline with a few day-old stubble. His messy brown hair. And his kissable neck.

  “You’re going to make an amazing art teacher one day,” he says. “You’re so damn talented.”

  “You make it easy.” I set my pad and pencil down and shift in my seat, so I can reach over the console and kiss him. I pepper kisses along his cheek and jawline and work my way down his neck, careful not to distract him too much from driving.

  My lips stop at the spot on his neck where you can feel a person’s pulse, and I suckle on his flesh. He groans but doesn’t stop me. One of his hands finds its way to the top of my thigh and he runs his fingers across my skin, eliciting goose bumps. I kiss my way up his neck and nibble on his earlobe.

  As his hand trails under my dress and settles under the thin material of my panties, rubbing circles across my now-throbbing clit, mine finds its way to his pants. I unbutton them and then pull the zipper down.

  Landon’s breathing becomes labored. “Harper…”

  “Shh… just focus on the road,” I whisper, licking around the outside curve of his earlobe. We’ve kissed a lot the last couple weeks, but we’ve yet to take it any further than that. A squeeze of a breast here and there, but no touching under the clothes… until now.

  Reaching into his pants and boxers, I pull his dick out and stroke it up and down, while I pepper kisses along his ear, cheek, jaw, and neck. Because I needed to reach over, my legs are closed, but that doesn’t stop Landon from working my clit with his fingers.

  His dick goes from semi-hard to rock solid under my touch as I stroke his entire length up and down. I’ve never felt a dick before. Landon’s is soft like velvet, and I wonder how it would taste. When my thumb glides over the tip, I feel a bit of stickiness. It must be pre-cum. I use it to help create friction as I continue my strokes, all while Landon works me up high and higher. I’ve never had an orgasm before, so I don’t know what one feels like, but I’ve read about them in my magazines, and Melissa’s told me about the ones she’s had, in full detail. Before I can think any more about it, my body tightens of its own accord. My legs begin to tremble, and my girly parts tighten.

  “Oh, God,” I moan out as my entire body is rocked to the core by Landon’s fingers.

  “Fuck, Harper.” Landon groans. His fingers flit across my clit again, but it’s too sensitive. My hand leaves his dick so I can pull his hand away, and he chuckles.

  “That was…” I sigh. “So good.”

  Landon grins, obviously pleased that he got me off. Which reminds me… I glance down and get my first glimpse of him. He’s still hard. Wanting to reciprocate, so he can feel as good as I do, I wrap my hand around him and go back to stroking him.

  “Harper, you have to stop,” he pleads, his voice strained.

  “What? Why?” Why wouldn’t he want to feel as good as me?

  “I’m going to come, baby. It will get all over my clothes and I didn’t bring a change of dress pants.”

  Oh… well, there’s no way I’m going to leave him hanging, so there’s only one thing to do…

  After unbuckling my seat belt, I lean over, careful not to bump his steering wheel, and take care of Landon the same way he took care of me. Making sure not a single drop spills onto his dress pants.

  “Are you freaking serious right now?” I squeal when we arrive at our destination. We’re currently standing in the middle of New York University at the Gallatin Art Gallery. It opened after my last trip and I’ve been dying to check it out. It’s filled with art from the students, faculty, and staff at NYU. I mentioned it once to Landon and he must’ve been paying attention.

  “This is amazing.” With tears in my eyes, I throw my arms around him for a hug. “Thank you.”

  We spend the next few hours walking around, checking out the art. I know from our conversations, art isn’t really Landon’s thing, but you wouldn’t know it as he discusses each work of art with me. I don’t like to compare him to Richie, but they’re the only two guys I’ve dated, and when we got here, while I was excited, I kind of expected him to behave the way Richie once did when I begged him to go to an art show with me. He complained how boring it was the entire time, until I finally had enough and told him we could go. Landon, on the other hand, hasn’t complained once, giving me his full attention the entire time.

  When we’ve seen everything twice, he tells me we have to get going if we’re going to make our dinner reservations, but promises me if I want to come back again, he’ll be glad to bring me.

  Dinner turns out to be an upscale steakhouse that’s located at the bottom floor of the hotel we’ll be staying at. Before we go to dinner, we check in and head up to our room. It’s a gorgeous suite with a large comfy-looking king-sized bed in the center.

  “I think we should skip dinner and go straight to the dessert,” I say, eyeing the bed.

  Landon chuckles, but shakes his head. “Not happening. It’s Valentine’s Day. We’re going to dinner.” He pulls me into his arms, and when I glance up, he kisses the tip of my nose. “C’mon, let’s go.”

  Dinner is delicious and a lot of fun. The chef cooks all the food in front of everyone and puts on a pretty neat show. Landon and I flirt the entire time, feeding each other pieces of food. We’re at the table with a few other couples, but we pay no attention to anyone but each other.

  After Landon pays the bill, we head back up to our room. Landon excuses himself to change, so I do the same. Since he’s in the bathroom, I change into my pajamas in the main room. He comes out a few minutes later, dressed in a white T-shirt that stretches across his muscular front and a pair of red sweatpants that hang low on his hips.

  “Do you need to use the restroom?” he asks, seeing that I’ve changed.

  “Yeah, I need to brush my teeth.”

  Once I’m done, I go back out and find Landon lying in bed, texting on his phone. When he glances up, he smiles and says, “Just letting your mom know we’re here.”

  “Shoot, I completely forgot.” I was so caught up in the moment, I wasn’t thinking.

  “Come to bed,” Landon says, patting the empty side of the mattress next to him. “The second movie is out now.” He points to the screen.

  “Oh! I couldn’t wait to find out what happens, so I borrowed New Moon from the library.” I snuggle up next to him. “I haven’t finished it yet, though.”

  With my head on Landon’s chest, I press play and the movie begins. We watch in silence as the vampires prepare to celebrate Bella’s birthday. When she bleeds, I get choked up, knowing what’s coming next. I’ve read to this point. When Edward tells Bella he has to move, leaving her in the woods to cry all by herself, I cry as well, as it hits me that all too soon Landon is going to be leaving me. It’s not the same situation, but I can’t imagine having to go a single day without being able to hug him and kiss him and see him.

  When Landon hears me sniffling, he pauses the movie then pulls me up so he can hold me close and wipe my tears. “What’s the matter?” he asks, his lips curved in a slight frown.

  “I’m just crying at the movie.”

  “You sure?” His hazel eyes dart back and forth between my tear-filled ones. “I’ve seen you shed tears during a movie, but not like this.” He rubs his thumb along my lower lip.

  “No.” I shake my head, wanting to be honest with him. “I was thinking about what it will be like once you leave and we have to break up.” A sob pushes its
way out. “I’m sorry. I’m just being a baby.”

  Landon smiles sadly. “You’re not being a baby, Harp.” He leans down and kisses my lips. “Maybe I’ll get drafted close by. And if I don’t get drafted at all, I can go to school locally until you graduate.”

  “No way.” I shake my head vehemently. “You’re going to get drafted. You’re too good not to.”

  A boyish grin spreads across his face. “We’ll figure it out. I promise. You think I’m going to let geography get in the way of what we have?”

  I nod in agreement, even though in the back of my head I know the odds are against us. We’re young and our resources are limited. But it doesn’t matter, because I’m already falling in love with Landon, and if it means in a few months I end up heartbroken, then so be it. Who knows, maybe he will get drafted close by and then we’ll have nothing to worry about.

  Needing to feel close to him, I climb into his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. Our mouths fuse together, our tongues uniting. We kiss for several minutes, until I feel the bulge of Landon’s hardened length. I grind down on it, and he groans.

  “Harper…” he warns against my mouth.

  “I want you to make love to me,” I whisper.

  Landon stills and pulls back. “No, baby. Not yet.”

  I feel my face fall. “Why not?”

  “I told you I want to take things slow. Neither of us has had sex before, and I don’t want to rush it. When we make love, I want us to be in love, Harper.” I’m shocked by what he’s just admitted. I knew he hasn’t had sex with any of the girls at our school, but I didn’t know he was still a virgin.

  “Okay,” I agree. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t fool around, right?” I waggle my eyebrows, and Landon chuckles.

  “We can definitely fool around,” he growls, gripping my hips and lifting me off him. He drops me onto my back and hovers above me. “As a matter of fact, I think I’m ready for my dessert now.”