Page 46 of All I Have Left

EVIE

“You should slow down,” I add, bouncing around in the seat on the long dirt road leading up to Josh’s parents’ lake house.

“You should see me drive a tank,” he notes, smiling.

It’s then I realize I know nothing about his life for the last three years. Yeah, he was in New Mexico and Iraq. That’s all I know. The idea of him driving a tank, or any other detail of his time away, intrigues me. I want to know more, get closer to him and have no secrets.

I want to ask, but with the music blaring and the roar of the wind in the cab, it’s not the right time. Maybe tonight when we’re alone. He’s singing along to “By God” by Houndmouth. I can’t help but stare at him and the way his voice carries through the truck.

Laughter leaves my lips as his engine roars around the last bend. “Did you get some driving lessons from Jameson the other night?”

“Maybe.” Grayson chuckles. “He’s pretty good.”

“It was good to see Aiden too.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Is that right?”

“Shut up.”

My first kiss was with Aiden when I was fourteen and he was sixteen.

My second was Grayson at the baseball fields, two weeks later, and he slipped me some tongue to get that first real kiss in there.

Grayson will never let me live it down that Aiden kissed me first, but he takes pride in knowing he was the first boy to stick his tongue in my mouth.

“You have no room to talk. Your first kiss was Courtney.” Do you sense the disgust in my words?

Grayson does and shakes his head, his eyes bright and wild at the same time. “A peck on the lips does not count.”

“Still, she had you first.”

His fingers touch my thigh, high, a smirk forming as he taps lightly. “No, you did.”

Smiling, my cheeks warm.

When we arrive at the lake house, the driveway is filled with cars so we end up parking on the road in a ditch.

With my bag in hand, Grayson helps me out of the truck only to glance down at my bare legs as I purposely slide down the front of his body.

He stops me, his hands on my hips, holding me between the doorframe and his body. I wrap my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck. “Why, Grayson Wyatt Gomez… are you pushing your own boundaries you made?”

He bends down to my ear, light laughter rolling through his chest. He breathes in and then out.

“I can’t help myself around you.” And then his mouth connects with mine.

His tongue slides against my lips and I sigh into him.

As he cups my cheeks, he tilts his head and deepens the kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth with fevered pace.

I love it and want so much more than this.

Running my hands down his sides, I fist his T-shirt in my hands at his chest, clinging to him in every way I can.

Our kiss doesn’t last long before he draws back, his quick breaths crashing against my face. Stepping back, he sets me on my feet, and shakes his head. He looks over his shoulder at the driveway and then sticks his hand right down the front of his shorts to adjust himself.

I burst out laughing. “Problems?”

Glaring, his eyes find mine. “You’re torturing me.”

“ You kissed me,” I point out, reaching for my bag.

He takes the bag from me. “Because you slid down my body.”

I slap my hands against his chest. “Keep this no-sex shit up and I’m going to keep teasing you.” I’m joking and he knows it. It’s nice to finally have someone looking out for me when it comes to a sexual relationship.

He takes my hand and draws me closer so that my body is flat against his chest. Tilting his head, he stares down at me. “I love you. You know that’s why, right?”

“I do.” I place my fingertips to his lips. “And I love you even more for it. Now, let’s go get something to drink.”

He releases a very slow, deliberate breath. “I need a drink for sure.”

Red clay dirt beneath our feet, cicadas singing and the humidity reminds me of our summers here.

We’d soak up every last sliver of light and then play in the shadows of the darkness.

So much of my childhood was created on this very lake and to have Grayson here with me again, relief floods through me.

I remember the first time Frankie and I came here after Grayson left, I hated it.

Everything was dull and it wasn’t the same.

Now, it’s like coming home. Anticipation swims through me, my hand in his, watching the way he walks a step ahead, keeping me close to him, his hair sticking out under the baseball cap he’s wearing.

I want to knock it off his head and run my fingers through his hair. And then make him kiss me again.

A warm breeze shakes through the cotton trees lining the road.

It’s hot as hell out even for nearly seven at night.

My boobs are sweating like crazy. I bet it’s probably a hundred percent humidity as well.

Alabama is always so hot and humid, almost unbearable by the time summer rolls around.

If it wasn’t so beautiful, I’m sure most people would stay away.

“You ready for this?” I ask, keeping step with him down the long gravel driveway.

“Sure.” Grayson shrugs, kissing my neck. “As ready as I can be for social events.”

I wonder what he means by that. I can’t make out his words or the tone to pick it apart.

Frankie notices us walking down the driveway and the way Grayson’s arm is firmly around my shoulders the closer we get to the house. Removing it, he reaches for my hand as we step up on the wraparound porch.

Frankie grins, knowing what this means, a drink already in her hand. “It’s about freaking time,” she gushes. “You kids finally came out of the closet!”

Grayson smirks, shaking his head as we ignore her and continue walking, getting many smiles and nods from our friends and family as we entered the house. I think everyone knew at some point, Grayson and I would end up together. Honestly, I did too, I just didn’t think it would happen so quickly.

I hadn’t realized this would be a party, but I guess with it being the Fourth of July next week, I suppose it is a party.

There are so many people here that I haven’t seen since high school, and unfortunately, Courtney is here too.

And a good part of me isn’t pleased about her being here.

She’s Josh’s cousin though so I can see why but it doesn’t make me any less thrilled.

What really pisses me off is when I return from the bathroom, she’s fucking flirting with Grayson. Apparently, Shane hadn’t been enough, she wants Grayson too.

As I expect him to, Grayson politely excuses himself when he notices me. Good boy.

Sometimes I want him to be rude and yell in her face, “Get the fuck off me, bitch,” but that isn’t Grayson’s style.

He was raised a Southern gentleman, whether I like it or not.

Clearly, he won’t even have sex with me, for Christ’s sake.

I respect that about him. And there’s no mistaking that Grayson Gomez is from the south.

He has that down-home feel to him, from his accent, to the slow walk and polite manner.

When he approaches me, he hands me one of two beers in his hand. “Thirsty?”

“More than you know.” I drag my eyes down his body, smiling and make what I think looks like a cute pawing motion at him as I take the beer. By the way, it’s not a cute pawing motion. I damn near knock his beer out of his hand in the process.

A smirk ghosts his lips as he rolls his eyes. “You’re worse than me.”

I watch his face as he cracks open the beer, careful of the fizzing. “What did Courtney want?”

“Same as always.” His eyes meet mine. “Flirty hello followed by, what are you doing later.” He laughs. “She hasn’t changed much.”

“I hate that bitch.” My heart drops to my stomach. Jealousy is ugly. “I think one of her fake tits is bigger than the other.”

He doesn’t look at her. “I wouldn’t know. Never looked. And you’re adorable when you’re jealous.”

And transparent. Fuck. I scowl in her direction. “Doesn’t she realize we’re together now?”

Tilting his head toward mine, he searches my face, his voice low. “Is that what this is?”

“I mean, yeah, isn’t it?” I fumble over the words, unsure we’re ready to attach a title to this so soon.

“I want it to be.” The faintest smirk ghosts his lips, his cheeks flushed. “But it’s up to you, not me.”

Frustration gnaws at me. “Why don’t you just say what you want? You’re constantly making this about me and I want to know what you want. ”

He scrunches his nose in the cutest way. “I don’t think you want to know.”

I actually stomp my foot. “Yes, I do!”

Sighing heavily, he rolls his shoulder on the wall we’re leaning against and turns toward me, his body shielding mine from the crowd.

“I want,” his voice lingers in my ear, fading enough that I can hear the shift in his breathing.

The coolness of the beer bottle in his hand hits my lower stomach as he backs me up and flat against the wall.

“Every man in this room to stop looking at you like they want to fuck you. Me included.”

I find it hard to get out my words, but I manage. “That’s not true. My brother is here. That’s gross.”

“Shut up,” he snaps, but it’s playful, his touch slightly rougher than before. “I’m not finished.”

I laugh, rolling my eyes. “Fine. Continue.”

Licking his lips, he continues, “ I want you . All of you. Forever,” he says, his eyes raking down my body, pausing at the hem of my dress before dragging back again until he’s looking at my eyes.

Smiling, he cups my cheek with his other hand.

“The things I want to do to you should be illegal.” His finger dances over my collarbone and pushes the strap of my dress off my shoulder.

“Like right now, you smell so good I want to bury my fucking face between your legs and spend the rest of the night licking those sweet juices I dream about off every square inch of you.”

Maybe it’s the way his breath catches when he says those words, but holy. Shit. Who is this guy and what did he do with the Southern boy who entered the room earlier?