When It’s Real by Erin Watt

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lilbabyblue@Gracie33Dawson OAKLEY FORD WAS AT A HOUSE PARTY IN ES 2NITE!!!!

Gracie33Dawson@lilbabyblue WHAT????? how do u kno?

lilbabyblue@Gracie33Dawson my couzin goes 2 TJH. She got 2 meet him!!!

Gracie33Dawson@lilbabyblue omg. *dying of jealousy

I kick my shoes off and then collapse on Vaughn’s bed fully dressed. She stands in the doorway, laughing at first, but then her expression becomes serious.

“What is it?” I ask as I make myself comfortable.

“Are you…um…sleeping over?”

The blush on her cheeks is so frickin’ cute I have to fight the urge to lunge off the mattress and kiss her. Instead, I prop my hands behind my head and say, “Do you mind? It’s almost three and I’m exhausted.”

“What about Ty?”

“He’s fine crashing on your couch.” Vaughn was surprised to find him at her house when we got home, but I wasn’t. Ty followed us to the party and sat in the Escalade until we were done, but I didn’t tell Vaughn because she would’ve wanted him to come inside, which I didn’t want. The dynamic would’ve been messed up.

Vaughn bites her lip. “That couch is way too small for him. He’s going to be so uncomfortable.”

I love that she’s worrying about my bodyguard. The girls I dated in the past didn’t give a hoot about the comforts of the “staff.”

“He’ll be fine,” I assure her. “Trust me, he’s slept in worse places.”

“Still. I’m going to get him some blankets.” Vaughn hurries out of the room.

I hear her footsteps in the hall then the creak of a door opening. I’m too lazy to go downstairs and help her, so I just lie back and think about everything we did today. The barbecue. Seeing my mom. No, hanging out with my mom. That was surprisingly…fun. And that party tonight was awesome. I’ve been to hundreds of parties, but I can honestly say that this one tops them all. Vaughn’s friends were so laid-back, and that jam sesh was righteous. I’m feeling so inspired right now that I almost wish I was in the studio, laying down some tracks.

But if I was in the studio, then that means I wouldn’t be in Vaughn’s bedroom. On Vaughn’s bed. I wouldn’t be smelling the sweet scent of her shampoo on her pillows, or running my fingers over the soft bedspread that she sleeps under every night.

She returns a few minutes later, grumbling under her breath. “Is he always this difficult?”

I grin. “Ty? Yeah. Why? What’d he say?”

“He said he’s fine sleeping without a pillow. Who doesn’t need a pillow?” She sounds horrified. “I gave him one anyway, and a blanket, and I put sheets on the couch, so hopefully he’s comfy. I offered to leave the night-light on in case he gets up in the middle of the night, and he laughed at me for a whole minute.”

I laugh, too, because the thought of Ty needing a nightlight is hysterical.

Vaughn hesitates at the foot of the bed. “Um.” She visibly gulps as she sweeps her golden-brown eyes over me. “I need to get ready for bed.”

“Who’s stopping you?” I drawl.

“I’m not changing in front of you. What kind of girl do you think I am?”

Mygirl, I want to say, but I don’t want to make her more nervous than she already is. I know what she’s thinking—that I’m staying over so the two of us can…you know. But that was never my intention, and I’m quick to tell her that.

“I can sleep on the floor if you want,” I offer.

“What? No, that’s ridiculous. You won’t be comfy!”

I fight a smile. “You have a weird obsession with other people being comfortable,” I inform her.

“Gee, Oak, I apologize for being a considerate person. Fine, sleep on the floor like a dog if you want.”

“Nah, I’d rather snuggle up with you. But if you want to think of me as a dog, I wouldn’t mind it at all if you rubbed my belly and petted my hair.”

Her cheeks turn crimson again. She walks over to her desk chair and snatches a couple items of clothing off the back. “I’m going to brush my teeth and change into my pj’s. If you want to wash up, there are extra toothbrushes in the bathroom, but I’m using it first so you wait your turn.” She darts out of the room again.

I sit up, peel my shirt over my head and toss it onto the floor. Then I shove my jeans down my hips, leaving me in a pair of black boxer-briefs. I realize that this is my first sleepover with a girl. I’ve never let anyone spend the night at my place or any of my hotel suites. I suddenly wonder if W ever slept in this bed and my hands curl into fists. I hate the idea of that loser sleeping with Vaughn, even if he wasn’t sleeping with Vaughn.

“Oh.” A squeak sounds from the doorway. Vaughn’s gaze darts from my face to my underwear and then back up.

“I made myself comfy,” I say, hoping the magic word—comfy—will make her stop fidgeting like that.

It does. Kind of. She’s still blushing as she climbs onto the bed, but she doesn’t ask me to put my clothes on. She’s wearing enough clothes for the both of us anyway. Flannel pajama pants and an oversize pink T-shirt with the words…I squint…

“I’m sorry, but does your shirt say Bennett Family Fun-Time Weekend?”

She sighs. “Don’t judge me. It’s not my fault that my parents were dorks.”

“Nuh-uh, babe. You’re the one who’s choosing to sleep in that monstrosity. Take responsibility for it.”

“But it’s so soft,” she protests. “It feels nice against my skin.”

I tug her toward me. “You feel nice against my skin,” I say thickly, and then I slide one bare leg between her flannel-clad legs and nuzzle her neck with my chin.

She makes a breathy sound. “What are you doing?”

“Holding you. Got a problem with that?”

“I thought you were tired…”

“I’m never too tired for this.”

Her laughter vibrates between us. I love the sound of it. I love that I’m the one who summons it out of her.

I groan in displeasure when she sits up. Oh, good, she’s only leaning over to turn off the light. Darkness bathes the room, but her curtains are sheer so there’s plenty of moonlight shining through them, illuminating Vaughn’s pretty face.

“Do you want to get under the covers?” she whispers.

My mouth runs dry. I cough. “Uh, sure.” I know that’s not an invitation to…do stuff, but it still succeeds in confusing my body. I angle my hips away to spare us both any embarrassment. She’ll probably freak out if she realizes I’m turned on.

The bedsheets rustle as Vaughn and I slide under them. This time I don’t even have to reach for her—she nestles against me willingly, one warm hand resting on the center of my chest.

“Your heart’s beating superfast.”

Shit, I was hoping she wouldn’t notice that. But she’s so close to me, and she smells so good, feels so soft and warm, that I can’t help but be affected. My lips go as dry as my mouth. They even start tingling.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

I run my fingers through her hair. “I’m great.”

There’s a long pause. “You are. Great, that is.” Her soft breath tickles my shoulder. “Are you too tired to kiss me?”

Her teasing voice makes me chuckle. “I was trying to be a gentleman.”

“I don’t want you to be.”

Her whispered response sends my heart soaring.

I roll over so we’re both on our sides. Her eyes gleam in the darkness, and she licks her lips. It’s so hot that I shudder. My heart hammers so fast and so hard that I’m afraid she might be able to hear it. But if she does, she doesn’t say anything. She leans closer until our lips are an inch apart.

I touch her cheek then bridge the rest of the distance and press my mouth to hers. Oh, man. It’s always like this when I kiss her—that incredible sense of belonging, a fierce jolt of pleasure as her lips melt into mine. She tastes like toothpaste and something sweeter, something uniquely Vaughn. We’re breathless by the time we break apart, but our mouths don’t stay idle for long. Before I can speak, she kisses me again, and those amazing sensations rise up all over again.

“Oak,” she whispers.

“Mmmm?” My hand moves up and down her slender hip before resting on her ass.

“This feels nice.”

I laugh hoarsely. “Yeah, it does.” We kiss again, long and deep, our tongues dancing. “I…”

I’m falling in love with you.

In a miraculous feat, I manage to hold back those words. They’d only scare her off, and I don’t want anything to ruin this perfect moment.

Vaughn gasps when I cup one of her soft breasts. “Oh,” she says, and there’s wonder in her voice.

I’m so gone for her. So. Gone. I’m not sure how I end up on top of her, or when my body starts slowly grinding against hers. I’m mindless, overcome with need for her. She loops her arms around my neck and kisses me hungrily.

It takes all my willpower to wrench my mouth away. “Are we—” I suck in some air “—moving too fast?”

Her beat of hesitation is all the answer I need. As painful as it is—physically painful—I roll onto my back and gulp in another burst of much-needed oxygen.

“We definitely are,” I say, answering my own question.

Vaughn sits up. Her hair is a tousled mess, and even in the darkness I can see that she’s biting her bottom lip, which is swollen from our kisses. “Actually, I think…” She nibbles on her lip some more. “I think…I’m ready for more.”

I try not to grab her. “Yeah? You had a beer tonight.”

“A sip of yours,” she corrects. “All I drank was water.” She exhales slowly. “I’m in charge, right?”

“Of course.” I spread my arms out wide. “I’m yours. Do what you want.”

She licks her lips and I about die. I curl my fingers into the sheets so I don’t attack her, even though I want to. Carefully, she swings one leg over my hip and settles onto my lap. This is the most exquisite torture ever.

Her finger traces the outline of the cross tat on my shoulder—the one I got after my first gold record. “This tattoo is hot. Is it bad that I think that since your mom’s name is on it?”

“Don’t talk about my mom right now,” I beg.

She nods seriously. “Good idea.” Her caress moves down my shoulder and squeezes my biceps. “You really do have nice guns.”

She acts like she wants to spend a dozen weeks exploring my body, which is great and terrible at the same time. I’m throbbing between my legs.

“Why are you breathing so heavily? Is it painful?”

Yes. Very.“No,” I lie. “It’s all good.” Just a small lie. I’d rather have her touching me than doing nothing, even if each light touch stokes my desire as surely as a soft breeze turns an ember into a raging fire.

“What should I do?” she whispers.

Her hands have moved back to my chest and I’m discovering there are areas of my body that are more sensitive than I ever imagined. Most of the time, I just want a girl’s hand on me. Or her mouth. But I’m so excited to be with Vaughn, to be near her, that every square inch of me is trembling from her featherlight caresses.

“Whatever you want,” I say hoarsely.

“But I don’t know exactly what I want.” She bites her lip again. “Can I put you in charge?”

No person in the history of Earth has moved faster. I bolt up, flip her over and cover her with my body in less time than an ant breathes. “What do you want?”

Her eyes gleam in the darkened room. “Everything.”

“You sure?”

“A hundred percent.”

“Because we can wait.” Now that I have her under me, I’m reminded of my promise to be patient. I do want to wait for her.

“I’m tired of waiting.”

Oh, thank God. I bend down and kiss her, taking the time to learn her responses. How she likes to be kissed. How a light nip at the side of her throat makes her breath catch. How a hot breath at her ear sends shivers down her spine.

I kiss her everywhere. Along her collarbone, the delicate slope above her breasts, the shallow of her flat belly. And down farther.

“I thought we were having sex,” she chokes out. Her fingers tangle in my hair as if she’s not sure if she wants to press me against her or pull me away.

“We will. But I need this first.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m dying for this.”

She lets me go and I take her, kissing her softly and then more roughly until she’s squirming and trembling and gasping. This time it’s her hands curling into the sheets.

When I can’t wait a second longer, I reach for my discarded jeans and pull out a condom, slipping it on. “It might hurt,” I whisper.

She gives me a nod to let me know that she’s with me. I press forward slowly, and a startled cry flies from her throat. I wait for her body to adjust to mine and when her legs fall open and her fingers dig into my shoulders, I move.

We both move, slowly, carefully, until sensation blurs my vision. We hold each other as the storm of emotion crashes over us. I cradle her body in my arms afterward. Her face is buried in my neck. Our hearts thunder against each other, her beats answered by mine, and on and on in a perfect, synchronized rhythm. I love this girl. So much.

“Vaughn?” I murmur before I drift off.

“Mmm?” she says drowsily.

“Today was the best day of my life.” The moment I say those words, I feel a pang of embarrassment. Did that sound pathetic? I hold my breath as I await her response.

“Good. I’m glad.” Her lips brush my chest in a tender kiss, and then we fall asleep tangled up together.