Page 87 of Troublemaker: The Big Picture Edition

“I guess,” he says, contemplating this. “They smell funny. But not like farts or anything.”

I can’t stop staring at Alex’s hands. One’s holding the cone that he’s biting into and one’s on the steering wheel, as he drives us to his house. He’s a good, safe driver. “I looooove the way books smell.”And I want those hands all over me.“That smell comes from the paper and ink and glue. There are actually quite a few chemicals involved in the making of a book, and different kinds of books smell different because black and whitepaperbacks use different chemicals than photography books, for instance.”I want that man to drive into me. Good and fast and hard.“And when the book gets older, everything breaks down and wafts into the air even more. I find the smell of books really comforting. I think that whenever I’m at a library, I just feel like I did when I was a happy kid. Everything’s in its proper place. You always know where to find what you’re looking for, but you’re always going to find something new and wonderful in a book.”

I wonder if Ryder can tell that I’m rambling because I’m horny.

Because his dad certainly can.

Alex is grinning. He’s keeping his eyes on the road but grinning because of me. He licks his fingers when he’s finished consuming his sugar cone, and I’m wondering if maybe Ryder needs a nap or something. Something to keep him preoccupied while his sexy daddy does something about this intense dull ache between my legs. I lift up the hem of my sweater dress a little to scratch an imaginary itch on my thigh. Alex catches this out of the corner of his eye, blinking.

I give him a look—keep your eyes on the road, Sexy Daddy.

“Yeah, I like it too,” Ryder finally says. “Sometimes I like fart smells too though. Is that weird?”

Alex and I laugh. Nothing like a little fart talk to keep the libido in check.

Alex reaches over to squeeze my bare leg, just above the knee.

Or maybe not.

I finish my cone and make sure Alex sees me licking the remnants of gelato from my fingers when we’re at a stop sign.

I had always tried so hard to be as unsexy as possible when there were kids around, but it seems like it’s impossible for me to feel unsexy when I’m around Alex.

“You can go now, Dad,” Ryder says. “There aren’t any cars coming.”

“Right,” Alex says, tearing his eyes away from my mouth and my fingers. “Just being extra careful.”

When we get to Alex’s house, we all go out to the backyard so Ryder can play with Atticus. The teepee tent is still up, and I’m reminded of that first night here with Alex. It was only a week ago, but so much has happened since then. So many orgasms. So many dirty words. So much opening of my heart.

“Hey, why don’t we go inside and feed Atticus now,” Alex says to Ryder. “Then we can watch a movie.”

“What movie?” Ryder asks hesitantly.

“Whatever you want. You get to choose.”

“Yessss!Home Aloneone and two! It has to be both! Can you stay for both, Miss Stiles?”

I want to tell him to call me Emilia when we’re not in school, but there’s too good of a chance that he’ll still call me that in class. And that wouldn’t be good. “Yes. Atticus and I have nothing else planned for the day. We love those movies.”

After feeding Atticus in the kitchen, we get settled in the screening room. Ryder and my dog sit on the sofa in the front row, on a slightly lower level, and Alex stretches his arms out along the back of the sofa behind me. On the sofa that I blew him on a week ago. I slap my forehead and shake my head, thinking about it. I was such a nervous dork back then.

I feel Alex’s fingers on my arm, just below my shoulder, and shiver. I don’t know if we’re supposed to wait until it’s Ryder’s bedtime, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep my legs crossed this tight. I’m probably giving myself varicose veins.

By the time we get to the part where Kevin’s parents are on the plane, Alex tells Ryder we’re going to the kitchen to get some snacks. Ryder asks for cheese and crackers but doesn’t look away from the screen. His dad takes my hand and leads me out of theroom, shutting the door behind us. I have never been so excited about cheese and crackers.

He pulls me down the hall a few feet and then pushes me up against the wall, cupping the back of my head with his hands and kissing me.

He whispers into my neck. “We have about ten minutes. Until the scene where Kevin’s asleep and surrounded by half-eaten junk food. That’s when Ryder always wants something to eat.”

“What? But that’s when the thieves show up and things get really exciting.”

He reaches down and slides his hand up my inner thigh, under my sweater dress. “Actually, things are getting exciting right now.”

CHAPTER 34

ALEX

“Are you sure?” Emilia whispers as I pull her down the hall to the kitchen. “We should wait until he’s asleep. What if he comes looking for us?”