Page 36 of Forever After Fall

He lets me come down from my high, kissing me softly for several moments while I catch my breath. I brush my fingers through his hair as he puts my panties back into place and licks his fingers clean. As he rises to his feet again, I expect the swell of possessiveness to fade. That maybe, just maybe, all of that stuff in my head about wanting him more than just for now to float away the same way I feel like I might. But it doesn’t.

“Well, that was…” I fade into a quiet laugh, and he kisses me tenderly in response. “I’d make it a joke about being a fantasy, but I think Bo might have ruined that a bit.”

“Do you have a fantasy?” He kisses me one last time before he pulls back to study me, waiting for my response.

“I don’t think so.” I shrug. “Should I?” It’s a white lie. I have one. I even have one that specifically involves him, but confessing that right now feels too big. Too heavy. I need to float not sink into oblivion right now.

“I figure everyone does.” His eyes drift over my face and down to my lips.

“Do you?”

“A few.” He kisses me again, and this is new, even for us. Casual kisses after what we did feel like more than what a couple of strangers would do in the dark.

“Are you going to tell me them?”

“When you dream up a few of your own.” He gives me one last slow kiss. “You tell me when you’re ready. Until then go get some lunch.”

SIXTEEN

Bristol

I’m leaning against Anson, my body pressed to his side, and my fingers dig into his shoulder as I turn my head to whisper into his ear.

“What if we just snuck back to your truck at intermission?” I ask as the backs of his knuckles brush over the tops of my thighs just under the hem of my dress. It’s boyfriend behavior. Especially out in public like this. But I’m not about to stop him

“I think someone might figure that one out.” He grins. “Also, you do know it’s halftime and not intermission, right?”

“Same difference. It might be worth it though, right?” I look up at him with a devilish grin, and his eyes are fixed on me. Before he can respond, though, something grabs his attention, and he takes a sharp step away from me like we’ve been caught in the act I was imagining.

“Bristol!” Marlowe’s greeting comes from directly behind me, and I whirl around with a smile plastered on my face. “I wondered if you were going to be here tonight.”

“I didn’t know you were!” I state the obvious. It’s one thing to be tempting fate with half the town at the opening home game for Purgatory Falls High football. It’s another to be right in front of my friends who know me.

“I donated a big basket of treats and some gift certificates for tonight’s raffle.”

“That’s so sweet of you!”

“Speaking of raffle, I need to go put in for my tickets.” Anson nods off in the direction of the concession stand. “Marlowe.” He tips his cowboy hat in her direction, and she nods back at him before he disappears.

“Here, sit down. We’ve got plenty of room.” I pat the bench we were just standing in front of. Our blankets and my water bottle are already splayed out across the metal seat to save our spot for the game.

“You sure I’m not interrupting something again?” she asks as she sits, giving me a skeptical look.

“I told you that was a misunderstanding. It was dark, and we couldn’t find the light switch. Nothing untoward was going on.”

“And just now?”

“Just now?” I pretend not to understand her meaning. Was I really that obvious?

“You looked like you were having a pretty intimate conversation just before I got here,” she explains.

“An intimate conversation about third downs and run plays.” I repeat some of the things I’ve heard Anson say tonight hoping it sounds legitimate.

“Sports talk must be a secret turn-on for him then,” Marlowe jokes.

“What?” I continue to pretend to be naive as I take a sip from my water bottle.

“He was looking at you like you just offered to go fuck his brains out behind the bleachers.” She looks at me with concern as I choke on my drink and waits for me to resume normal breathing before she continues, “So something about women talking sports must be a thing for him. Are you okay?”