17. Beau
17
Beau
I have to drive us to a tattoo shop the next town over. Pelahatchie doesn’t have one, but we couldn’t go to it even if they did. Someone would rat us out the minute we set foot in there and despite me recommending half the shit we’ve done, I do want to keep her out of trouble. I’d like people to see her with me and not think she’s settled for less.
Tessa’s just getting ready to get out of the car when I stop her with a hand on her arm. “Wait just a minute.”
She bounces. “Come on, I’m excited.”
“ You promised I’d get to pick the place,” I remind her.
“Fine.” She slumps back against the seat. “But if you suggest my forehead or something stupid, you can turn this car around and take me home.”
I move to brush a strand of hair away from her face. “I would never dream of messing up something as pretty as this.” She stays silent as I take her hand and turn it over. “I was thinking here.” My thumb strokes over the pulse point on the inside of her wrist.
She licks those gorgeous, full lips and gives me a look that says really? “It has to be somewhere my parents won’t see.”
“Hmmm. What about here?” I run my fingers along the top of her shoulder and she shivers slightly. A little boost to my ego.
“They’ll see it in a tank top or a dress.” Was that a quiver in her voice?
I nod my head again, moving my fingers from her shoulder to the back of her neck. “Would you like it here?” I run it up and down, over and over, not caring where she gets the ink, just enjoying the feel of her in my hands.
She says breathily, “What if I get a haircut?”
I drop a kiss to her shoulder and take a deep whiff of her fruity shampoo. I’d love nothing more than to bury my face in her dark, silky hair. She smells like summer. Like the orchard when the fruit is ripe.
“You’re enjoying this too much.” Her voice is soft and languid and I don’t have to look at her to know she’s smiling.
“Right, right,” I pretend. “Placement, got it. Front or back?”
She looks straight into my eyes then, their heat burning. “Back,” she whispers. Tess leans forward in her seat, stretching out her back for me. She looks over her shoulder. “It’ll have to be my ass. It can be seen everywhere else.”
I look down her back, my eyes getting caught on where her shirt has ridden up over her shorts. “Afraid so.” My fingers miss her skin. Trailing them down her back, I slip my hand into the waistband of her cutoffs. I feel the band of her underwear, tight against her smooth skin, but I breeze past it. Just a little further, where it wouldn’t be seen by anybody. But I’d know it was there. I’d know that I put it there. “What about here?”
Tessa wiggles her hips against the seat as I tickle the spot just under where her panties would sit. “Beau,” she whines. I’ll never get tired of her saying my name.
“I think we picked a spot.”
She sits back up and just as I’m about to try to kiss her, she takes my face in her hands and kisses me senseless. She’s hot and feverish and I can only hold her to me as she moves over my mouth. I’m so stunned by her sudden desire that when she breaks the kiss, I’m pulled forward trying to get back to her lips. She slides out the door at her back and stands looking at me though the car.
“You coming or what?”
After the kiss in the car, I would have liked a moment to get my bearings. I’m still a little worked up from the feel of her lips on mine, but it’s the sound that hits me first. Despite the lateness of the hour, the shop is buzzing. Literally. There are people at almost every station and the tattoo guns hum as if they were alive. If there was a soundtrack to the blood rushing in my ears, this would be it.
We’re told to wait for a short time and Tessa flips through pages of handwriting in the chair beside me. She doesn’t seem nervous, but even if she were, I doubt she’d let me see it.
“Have you decided what you’re getting?” she asks with a knowing smirk.
“I’m not participating.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Helping with the list requires participation.”
“I’m just here for good looks and comedic relief.” I lean forward on my elbows. “If you want to talk about the more thrilling things you’ve added, we might be able to work something out.”
She doesn’t take the bait, even though she squirms under my heated gaze. “You’re really scared of needles, aren't you?”
“Scared shitless. What are you getting?”
She flips another page in the book. “I was thinking of a line from my favorite poem.”
“Lame.”
“Excuse me?” My dick twitches in my pants at her sass.
“I said, that’s lame. Tattoos are supposed to be irreverent.”
“I think you mean meaningful. And the poem is ! If it’s going to be on my body forever, I’m not getting something stupid.”
I roll my eyes, the picture of nonchalance. “You should.”
“You sure have a lot of ideas for someone who isn’t getting tattooed.”
“I think you should get a peach.”
Her brows furrow. “Why?”
“Where did all this start?” I motion between us. “In a peach grove. ”
“Could you keep it down? I don’t think they heard you in the back.” She hisses sarcastically.
I shoot her an impatient glance and continue in the same volume. “ Every time you looked at it, you’d remember how much fun we had this summer.”
“Someone thinks very highly of themselves.”
“Don’t give me the princess routine. Admit it, you’ve had fun so far.”
I’m imploring her to give in as she looks away, making me wonder. After a few seconds, she says. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay, I’ve had fun.” She gives me one of her rarest smiles, where her whole face lights up before she remembers she’s smiling for me. I’m practically beaming myself, the joy on my face enough to blind someone. We’re so caught up in each other that we don’t notice the burly man who approaches us.
The tattoo artist has to clear his throat to get our attention. “Ready?”
We follow him back and Tessa whispers over her shoulder, “I’m still getting the quote.”
“Fair enough,” I chuckle.
We make small talk while he sets up. Tessa sits cross-legged on the black leather table and I catch her sneaking glances at me while she chats. Maybe that’s because I’m peeking right back.
“What have you decided on?” the artist asks her.
“I think I’ve changed my mind.” She wrinkles her nose. “Could you do a small sketch instead of script?”
He nods. “Sure. What of?”
She shows him a picture on her phone, but from where I’m sitting I can’t see it. He sketches for a few minutes, then motions for her to lie down on her stomach. When they work on the placement, trying to get it just right, I have to look away from his gloved hands on her. The dude is totally professional, but a twinge of jealousy makes me tense anyway.
“Take a look,” he tells her and she hops off the table to look in a small mirror on the wall.
When she stands, the purple dye on her skin catches my eye. It’s the wrong shape. From here, it almost looks round. I tilt my head, trying to get a better view and walk over to the mirror with her. “What is it?” I ask.
“Peaches,” she says, looking at me through the mirror. When I bend down to inspect where she’s pulling her shorts halfway down her plump ass, I shake my head in disbelief. Sure enough, there’s a small cluster of peaches and simple leaves about to be inked into her skin. “It was a good idea,” she says. “So was kissing you at the pond.”
This fucking girl.
So far this summer, I’ve watched the girl of my dreams skinny dip and I’ve gotten to kiss her a few times, too. I’ve ridden a July Ferris wheel to the top and talked to her of pretty flames and fireworks. I’ve taught her a dance or two and given her a scar. I’ve witnessed her brave her first tattoo and laughed like a loon at so many of the things she’s said. But tonight might take the cake.
Without realizing, I’ve been cataloging each of her moods. I can sense when she’s pensive and needs her space. She gives subtle clues when she’s itching for a fight and I don’t mind giving her one. I’ll take as much of her sass as she wants to throw at me as long as it means I get to keep her by my side. I’m not afraid of her moods because I know her well enough by now to have seen her at her happiest. But when I picked her up from her house after the sun went down, it was with mischief written all over her face.
“What now?” I ask, grinning when she climbs inside. She doesn’t bother being prim and proper anymore. As she has so many times since we started hanging out, she plants her feet on the dashboard and levels me with a playful look.
“I’m bored.” I can hear the smile inside those words. This is how she starts when she’s ready to cross something else off the list. I fight to keep the excitement at her spontaneity from showing.
“You don’t look it,” I say, giving her a once-over. Tess isn’t bored, but she sure is something. Her worn cowboy boots are tapping on the dash, a sure sign that she’s ready to get into some trouble.
“You feel like crossing something else off?”
“Depends on what you have in mind. I’m running out of things to do to keep you entertained.”
Heat blooms in my stomach thinking of all the things we’ve done together. Half the time, she suggests an activity that really is on the list, such as driving down backroads at full speed with the headlights off. My girl loves the thrill of the wind blowing through her hair.
But other times, the times I’ve come to anticipate the most, her eyes go a little steamy and she bites that full, bottom lip in a way that makes me hard instantly. We still haven’t had sex, but we’ve come pretty close to it in the name of crossing something off. I suspect none of the things we get into when she’s like this are actually written down, but I’m okay letting her pretend.
“Mr. Peterson plowed his back field,” she says casually.
“And?” I have a feeling I know where this is going, but I feign ignorance.
“You wanna get a little dirty?”
“With you? Absolutely, but what that’s got to do with old Mr. Peterson?”
She rolls her eyes so prettily. “You wanna go mudding? Maybe do a couple of donuts? Get your mind out of the gutter,” she teases.
I start the car. “If you make me roll this Jeep, Firecracker. You’re going to owe me big time.”
She giggles and rubs her palms together like she couldn’t possibly be any happier. She’s effervescent and soon a chuckle rumbles out of me too. I’ll never tire of keeping her entertained.
“Beau!” She whisper-shouts, though we’re in the front seats alone. When I glance her way, she points through my open window. “There are lights, look!”
It’s past eleven, but the people around here go to bed with the setting of the sun, so we figured we were in the clear. I guess we’re not anymore.
“Just one more time around. Please, Tess.” I make pouty lips at her.
“Are you ever going to call me by my actual name?”
“You want to talk about that now?” I snap.
She looks like she wants to argue, but glances again at the lights coming closer and smacks my shoulder instead. “Hurry up then. Go! One more before they come over the hill!”
Gunning the gas, we take off for the middle of the muddy field and I jerk the wheel to the right, spinning us in a tight circle. The ride is bumpy and fast and I feel the wheels come off the ground for a split second. When I look over at Tess in the passenger seat, I know better than to think she’s scared. She’s holding on to the roof through the open window and squealing herself hoarse. She loves this shit and I’m more than happy to oblige her. Before I can blink, she hoists herself up to sit on the side of the door, her legs the only thing still in the cab.
My heart rate skyrockets. “Tess, get your ass back in here!”
I reach to grab one of her boots, but she ignores me and kicks her feet, laughing like a lunatic as I pull out of the turn and head back to the road. The headlights coming after us crest the hill and I push the pedal to the floor, hoping against hope that we’re too far away still for them to make out my Jeep.
“Go! Go! Go!” Tessa screams at the top of her lungs.
This time, I manage to pull her foot until she swings back down into her seat. She’s laughing so hard, she snorts and her cheeks are flushed from exertion. I have to brace two hands on the wheel to keep from pulling her into my arms.
“You’re fucking crazy, you know that?”
Her green eyes sparkle as she raises an eyebrow. “But I’m not bored anymore.”
“Well thank God for that,” I say sarcastically. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“I just want to feel alive, Beau.”
I nod, understanding completely. But I don’t tell her that for me, none of these risks are necessary. She’s what makes me feel alive.
We weren’t followed but I drive around anyway to make sure. The adrenaline flowing through my veins has lessened only slightly and it has everything to do with the girl sitting beside me. As we ride, her fingers have been making lazy circles on my jeans. Her hand started out on my knee, but has been rising higher and higher since we pulled back onto the main road. I wonder if she’s even aware she’s moving upwards, but it’s fucking distracting and I haven’t heard a word she’s said for the last five minutes.
Honestly, I’ve been distracted for weeks now. I’ve been shit at helping my dad with the grove lately. We’re right in the middle of harvesting and distribution season and I’ve fumbled so many things. Dad’s scowl and annoyed shakes of the head have pretty much become a permanent feature of his because I can’t get Tessa Fucking Jennings out of my head. She’s constantly on my mind and when I’m not with her, I wish I was. While I’m supposed to be working, I’m daydreaming of her long, dark hair running through my fingers, her fruity scent and the lush curves of her body.
Damn, it’s hard to get anything done like this. I think of her at breakfast, when I’m in the shower, when I’m working, and all I want to do is sneak over to the pond to see if she’s out there. She’s made good on her promise of making this hard on me. Every time we get close to taking it one step further, she’s pulled back. I’m starting to think she gets an evil sense of enjoyment out of torturing me. Tess may be a virgin, but ironically, she’s edging me to within an inch of my life. I’ve barely seen the new tattoo and I’m itching to get my hands on her again.
I’m mildly aware of my cock swelling in my jeans, but I don’t do anything to stop it. As high as her fingers have reached by now, she’ll discover it soon anyway. I sneak a discreet glance at her in the passenger seat and she’s wearing a sensual smile, staring down at the bulge in my pants. I’d love to see her in that smile and nothing else. Her eyes skim slowly up my body, making all my muscles tense, coming to rest on my hand on the wheel. I grip a little tighter, subtly flexing.
“You were saying?” I tell her, going for nonchalance I don’t actually feel.
She swallows, but says coolly, “Please. Like you were actually listening. I doubt my travel plans make you hard.”
“Anything involving you makes me hard.” I grin. She knows it’s true.
“This has to be uncomfortable.” Her hand flattens over my dick and I groan with pleasure when she rubs me through my jeans. “You should let me help. It could be one more thing off the list.”
“You’ve given head before.” It comes out as a statement because surely, she’s gone down on someone. Tess may never have had sex, but she’s not a nun. As uncomfortable as it is for me to imagine, she’s far too sensual to be so inexperienced.
“Yeah, but not road head .”
Before I can feel more than a twinge of annoyance at the way she said yeah so casually, she leans between our seats and grasps the buckle of my belt. “Tess, wait. Let me find a place to pull off.” My voice is desperate, even to my own ears. But she puts a hand on my stomach and pushes me back in the seat.
“Nope, I need you now. Keep driving.”
I don’t put up much of a fight as she works to get my dick free of my pants. She tugs on one of the belt loops and I raise my hips slightly so she can push them down. When she’s got all of me out, she pauses, eyes widening. I can see her thinking about how she’s going to make this work with my size and her mouth. Unknowingly, she licks her lips and just the thought of her mouth on me dries my own completely.
“You’re into this?” I ask. I don’t trust myself with more than a few words.
“I’m into making you feel good.” She presses a quick kiss to my lips before getting on her knees in the seat and bending over my lap.
I swear to God, I try to watch the road, but the way her cute little ass is sticking up in the air, it takes a serious effort. Tess strokes me with her hand and if that’s all she does, I’ll be perfectly happy. Until she licks the broad head of my dick experimentally. She swirls her tongue around the ridge and I try not to squirm but when she sucks my cock into her mouth, I give up trying to stay still.
Once she’s gotten it wet enough, she bobs up and down, taking more and more into her warm mouth with each stroke. I lean my head back against the seat, groaning at every pass of her tongue. I’m barely driving, ridiculously below the speed limit, but I don’t care. I hit the back of her throat and suck in a sharp breath. I think she’s going to come back up, but the little minx pushes down farther, taking my cock impossibly deep. She gags herself with the most obscenely beautiful noises I’ve ever heard and I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“If you don’t stop making those noises, I can’t be held responsible.”
“Eyes on the road, McAbee.” She chuckles softly and brushes her wet lips over the sensitive head of my cock before taking me to the back of her throat again in one smooth motion.
I nearly lose it then, her enthusiasm almost as enjoyable as her mouth is wrapped around me. Almost. She bobs a few more times.
“Seriously, Tess. I’m startin’ to think you want me to come down your throat.”
She hums and gags, not caring at all for how tightly I’m clinging to my self-control. I have to touch her and all I care about is getting my hands on that gorgeous ass that wiggles every time she deepthroats me. With one hand on the wheel, I shift and slide my hand into the gap of her shorts at her lower back. Her skin is so soft, so warm as I squeeze her ass cheek.
“Does this make you wet?” I whisper and she moans. The sound swelling my dick further in her throat. “If I slide my fingers around to this gorgeous pussy, will I feel how much you love my dick in your mouth?”
“So cocky.” She laughs around a mouth full.
Tessa moves faster, harder, and all I can feel is her throat constricting with each thrust. My release is so close. So close. She knows exactly what I need and wraps her hand around my balls, massaging them as she hurtles me closer to the edge.
I don’t know how we don’t wreck as I shut my eyes tight and come apart at the seams. I groan through my entire orgasm and she takes it all like such a good fucking girl, swallowing everything I have to give her.
When she sits up with a triumphant look on her face, I’m still shuddering. She kisses me chastely and sits back in her own seat, strapping her seatbelt back on. She stares straight out the windshield with the prettiest smile on her face.
“Oh, no you don’t.” I pull off the side of the road. Thankfully, we were crawling past cornfields when she made me come and now I tear through the stalks until we’re hidden in plain sight. I slam the Jeep into park and pull her to me, not caring at all that I can taste my own release as I kiss her. “Get those shorts off, now. If I don’t have my face between your legs in three seconds…”
She wiggles furiously, shoving her jean shorts off and climbing in the backseat, naked from the waist down. God, that’s a glorious view. I dive after her and she giggles as she grabs my face to kiss me again. I swear it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.