Page 20 of Starting Over with You (Beer League Belles #2)

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

Kenni

Twenty-three years ago…

“You can’t be that weird band geek going into high school who has never been kissed!”

I give my best friend a bored look as I wipe down my flute that apparently makes me a weird band geek.

Or maybe it’s the fact that they’d already lost their virginities by my age and I haven’t even been kissed.

In my defense, between school, band, and no one being able to get past my sister and best friend, how am I supposed to kiss anyone?

Daddy with a shotgun has nothing on Missy and Sadie.

“I love Drew Barrymore and she’s a hottie, but you will not be the walking version of Never Been Kissed ,” my sister adds, shaking her head as she looks through her yearbook for ‘potential candidates.’ “We need someone who isn’t a dick, but who can kiss.”

“Only dicks know how to kiss,” Sadie snorts. “There’s gotta be something wrong for them to rock your socks off.”

I roll my eyes. Don’t get me wrong; I’m boy crazy just like these two.

I want to kiss someone. I want to feel that spark and that flutter in my chest, but it just hasn’t happened.

I’m sure that’s okay, and it’s not like I’m not practicing.

I kiss my Backstreet Boys posters every night.

Brian Littrell is the hottest of the group with his blue eyes that remind me of…

I clear my throat as Missy says, “I feel it should be Seb. He’s hot as fuck but also dorky.”

My eyes widen as I quickly shake my head. “No way. I can’t do that to Noelle.”

They both roll their eyes. Everyone knows that Noelle is crushing hard on Sebastian. She has a diary where she draws little hearts with N+S in them. If he’s somewhere, she’s usually around with her eyes all dopey for him. Unfortunately, Seb doesn’t pay her any mind.

“She needs to just climb him like she’s a little bear,” Sadie says, leaning in beside Missy to look at her yearbook.

“He’d probably push her off. He doesn’t want anything to do with her.”

My heart drops at that, an ache forming in my belly.

I know how much Noelle likes him, and it sucks that he doesn’t feel the same.

At least she’s had her first kiss. It wasn’t him, but rumor is he beat up the guy who did.

I sigh deeply as I take apart my flute and put it in its case before the door opens, and, like always, my pathetic heart stops.

Dean Moore.

Sadie’s younger brother.

And a total dreamboat.

His brown hair is slicked back like he just got out of the shower, his curls wild against the back of his neck and some tendrils falling along his cheekbones.

He’s massive in her doorway, his Wranglers hanging low on his hips while he wears no shirt whatsoever.

Everyone makes fun of him for dressing like a cowboy since he’s a hockey player, but he is a cowboy.

He works at a ranch an hour away on the weekends, and then he stays on all summer to be a ranch hand on his great-uncle’s ranch.

His granddad did the same, as did his dad, so it’s only right for Dean to follow in their footsteps.

As he leans on the door, my eyes drift down to the hell of an eight-pack that he’s smuggling around, and the sight makes me all tingly.

He’s a year older than me and treats me like I’m his breakable little sister.

Really, he treats all of us like that, while Sadie and Missy are a year older than he is .

His sky-blue eyes look annoyed as he sets them on Sadie. “Sae, why in the hell aren’t the dishes done? You know Dad is gonna be home soon.”

Their dad works for the forest rangers and puts in real long hours. Or so he says. My dad said he’s hurting so much over the death of his wife that he doesn’t want to be home. Which, in his opinion, is why Sadie is buck wild.

Not that I’m thinking of Sadie. Nope, my eyes are moving along Dean’s body and wondering why the hell he isn’t starring in a music video because he’d be number one on TRL.

Even if it’s a country video. I lick my lips, but then I look away quickly when he directs his gaze to me. “What the hell are you three doing?”

I look over at Missy and Sadie, because if they tell him what we’re really doing, I’m going to freak out.

It’s bad enough they know I’ve never been kissed; I don’t need Dean knowing.

The moment my eyes settle on them, though, I beg for the Lord to come down and save me because they are shifting their gazes between Dean and me, obviously up to something.

Damn it.

Missy slams the yearbook shut as she shoots to her feet.

“Dean, I need your help,” Sadie says, standing up. Dean stands straighter, his eyes darting around the room in search of the danger he thinks is here.

Sorry, buddy. There is no danger.

“Run, Dean,” I mutter, and his eyes cut to mine.

I swear he was Superman in another life. He’s always there to save someone. He looks me over, not in the way I want, before he looks back at Sadie. “What’s wrong?”

Missy has the most innocent look on her face before she points to me. “Did you know that my poor, pathetic little sister hasn’t had her first kiss?”

Dean’s brows draw in before he glances over at me. I don’t miss the way the tops of his ears turn bright red before his face follows suit.

God, he’s hot.

He moves his gaze from me to our sisters and arches a brow. “Okay?”

“You have to kiss her,” Missy demands, and his eyes widen.

“What— ”

“We need someone we trust, someone who will make it good for her and not take advantage of her,” Sadie pleads. “Do you really want us finding some random to kiss our sweet baby? She needs someone good and kind but who doesn’t want her like that.”

Missy points to Sadie. “What she said. We could get someone to do it for us, but what if they try to sleep with her? She’s so na?ve, she’d do it.”

I hold up my hand. “I’m right here.”

They don’t even spare me a glance, but Dean does and I’m instantly breathless.

I press my hand to my stomach as his eyes drop to my lips then rise to meet my gaze.

There is something in his eyes I’ve never seen, and all it does is make him even hotter.

My heart is basically a kick drum as I’m locked in his gaze.

The silence is thicker than mud, but no one says a word as he continues to stare at me.

I feel exposed and all kinds of hot, but thankfully, he says, “Go do the dishes, Sae. And Missy, go help.”

My heart is bursting out of my chest. They squeal before rushing out of the room in a fit of giggles. When the door shuts, he moves his hand to lock it, but those sky-blue depths don’t move from me. “Tell me. You want this?”

My mouth goes dry, and I don’t know what to say. Do I want to kiss Dean Moore?

You bet your sweet ass I do.

I swallow hard and nod. “I do.”

“You sure? I can say I did it and leave.”

His voice is rough, gritty, and every single inch of my body is on fire. “I want to.”

He nods, and then he’s moving toward me.

I’m a thick girl, some might say I’m a fat-ass, and no one has ever looked at me the way Dean is right now.

His eyes glide along my curves like I have the body of Britney Spears instead of looking like I ate her.

I’m burning from the inside out as his eyes cut up to mine.

His lips quirk at the side as he comes to a stop before me.

I’ve been on the tall side since I shot up in sixth grade, but Dean towers over me, and my head falls back some to keep my eyes on his.

I feel like I’m coming out of my skin as he reaches out to push my hair off my neck.

His fingers dance along my shoulder to my collarbone, and I whimper like a touch-starved loser. His lips part in awe.

“You’re so beautiful, KenniLeigh.”

Yeah, I think I just passed out. He cups my throat, pressing his thumb into my pulse point before he leans in, his eyes never moving from mine as he asks, “You sure you want to give me your first kiss? It’s a special thing.”

I nod slowly. “I do.”

He licks his lips, and my body goes wild for him.

Unable to wait, I rise onto my tippy-toes and press my mouth to his.

His lips are soft, warm, and I feel the moment the shock of me kissing him wears off.

His other hand comes around my waist, pulling me closer as he moves his lips with mine.

His body is hot against me. His chest is burning through my thin cami, my nipples going hard at the mere contact.

It’s not one kiss—it’s like a hundred before his tongue slides along the seam of my lips.

I open for him on instinct. Our tongues touch, and I almost explode.

He tastes so damn good. My whole body goes taut when his hips jerk into mine.

Holy shit, he’s hard. He groans against my lips and then rips his mouth from mine like I shot him or something.

I open my eyes, my lips still parted, but all I see is his back as he hauls ass out of the room.

I stand there shocked and unsure what I did wrong.

Did he not like it?

’Cause I did.

And I want more.

But obviously, he doesn’t.

Dean looked at me tonight just like he did the day he kissed me.

That has to be the reason that moment is playing on repeat in my head as Missy drives us home.

Not that I don’t think of it often anyway.

Like he said, your first kiss is a special thing.

You never forget the first guy you kissed, and to this day, I can still taste his lips.

He used to chew that Big League Chew bubble gum, the shredded kind that was designed to make you feel like you were a baseball player, and he tasted just like that .

I’m not sure what I’m feeling…or even how to handle these feelings and thoughts.

I want him, badly, but can I sleep with him and stay friends?

I’ve always been attracted to him, always felt this tether to him, but I never felt like he wanted me in the way I lusted after him.

Tonight was different, though. It felt like he wanted me and I’m down for it, but will that cost us our friendship?

Then again, he apparently doesn’t do relationships.

Without looking away from the sparkling black sky, I ask, “So, Dean hooks up a lot?”

Missy snorts. “He hasn’t ever had a relationship. Sadie thinks he’s broken.”

“Broken?”

She nods as she turns onto her road. “Yeah, he remembers how bad it was for his dad when they lost his mom, so he doesn’t want that kind of pain. Hell, when his other granny died, his Mom’s dad went a wee bit crazy. I don’t think Dean is made to love anyone but Skyye.”

“Understandable,” I say softly, remembering how broken the whole family was when they lost Juniper, who was killed in an accident coming home from Knoxville. It was a dark time for all of us, honestly.

“For sure,” she agrees as she pulls into the driveway of her sweet little home. “Love that for him, but he needs to settle down. Skyye notices he isn’t with anyone.”

“She doesn’t care,” I insist as we get out. “He doesn’t need anyone to be a good dad to her.” Missy gives me a look, and I hold up my hand. “I don’t mean that how it came out.”

Her eyes narrow a bit, but then she shrugs. “Fine, but he’s so good. Someone would be lucky to be with him.”

She’s not wrong.

“He told me he hasn’t found the one.”

She rolls her eyes. “He hasn’t even tried,” she says as she reaches for the door. Then she pauses. She looks over her shoulder at me. “So, you spent the whole night with him?”

I roll my lips, a little nervous to answer. “Yeah. ”

She eyes me, and I swear it’s all over my face that I had the best night ever. “Did you try anything?”

I gawk at her. “No! We drank and danced.”

And exchanged very heated looks, but no one needs to know that part.

She swallows, and I almost feel like she wants to say more, but the door opens and Nyle looks between us. “What the hell, Missy?” I sigh deeply as he continues. “You just left, and I find out it’s to go out with your sister? I don’t like this.” His eyes move to mine. “You’re a bad influence.”

Call me an asshole, but I laugh. Hard. “Okay, Nyle,” I say as I pat his chest and walk past him.

He pushes my hand away. “I don’t like this,” he repeats. “If you are going to bring my wife home at all hours of the night, I don’t know if you can live with us.”

“Nyle!” Missy complains, and I keep laughing.

“I’m serious. This isn’t healthy for Skyye.”

“The only thing unhealthy is your need to control my sister’s life,” I snap as I narrow my eyes to slits. “But I’ll tell you this, no one will ask me to leave but Missy.”

“This is my home too.”

I glare, but Missy steps between us. “That’s enough. She is my sister, and she is welcome here. You don’t like it, you can leave.”

Before anyone can say anything else, Skyye’s door opens and she yawns loudly. She looks around the room, and I try to fix my face. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I say, slipping out from behind Missy and going toward her. “Can I cuddle with you?”

She reaches for my hand, and I take it, my sweet niece threading her fingers with mine. “Yeah, come on.”

I don’t look back or even say a word. I shut Skyye’s door before taking off my pants and getting into bed with her. There is a huge body pillow between us, and we both cuddle into it as her sleepy blue eyes meet mine. “Did you have fun? ”

I smile as I move her hair out of her lashes. “A blast. Your dad was there.”

She grins. “Yeah, he goes dancing on Thursdays.”

“He still has some sick moves.”

“Please,” she laughs. “I hear that enough from my friends.” I cackle as I cuddle in deeper to the pillow, and her lips curve up in a sleepy smile. “I’m glad he had you to hang out with. I bet it made him happy.”

My heart squeezes in my chest, but I keep it to myself how happy it made me.