Learning to Live (The Infinite Love Series Book 1) (25 page)

Because we are in our senior year, and Topher hasn’t exactly been passing his classes, I’ve been tutoring him personally so he will be able to graduate at the end of the year. Oregon State University offered him a full ride football scholarship if he can get his act together. I want to see to it that he does. I’ve already been seeing improvement in the short time I have been working with him, so I am hopeful.

I still haven’t shown Topher my bucket list, but each week I have shared a few more items off of it in hopes that we will be able to tackle them. I know it’s unrealistic to think I can conquer everything off of the list, but I refuse to stop trying until it’s too late.

It’s Friday night, and I drop by Topher’s house so we can spend a lazy night in together. We’ve been out nearly every weeknight and even weekend. We’ve been looking forward to getting comfortable, and simply watching a movie. It also gives us a reason to use his family’s theater room. I could spend every day at Topher’s, and never get bored from how much there is to do at his house.

“Where’s your dad?” I ask as I pop a few popcorn kernels into my mouth. Topher is leaning over, popping a Blu-ray movie into the machine, and I am enjoying the view. When he turns around, I try to act stealth, but the smile that immediately forms on his lips tells me I’ve been caught.

“He’s out with Clarke.” He puts the movie case on top of the player, and then begins inching toward me. “Were you just checking out my ass?”

I can feel my cheeks growing hot. “What? No.”
Definitely.

He lifts his eyebrows. “You totally were.” He chuckles. “You don’t need to lie. I check yours out all the time.”

“You do?” I ask, much too eager sounding.

He nods, a grin still plastered across his face.

“I’m a guy, can you blame me?”

I pull the blanket which is wrapped around my legs up close to my mouth, grinning into it.

He bends over in front of me, his eyes boring into mine. “To be honest, I’ve been checking you out in one way or another since before we started dating.”

“You have?” I ask in disbelief.

He nods. “You have one hell of a rack.”

I can feel the blush spreading from my cheeks down my neck. “You’re terrible!” I say, chucking a few kernels at his face.

He dodges them, and then moves the bowl to the coffee table.

Instead of separate seating like an actual theatre, their room is set up more intimate, with a few couches scattered about. He places his hands on either side of me, and leans in to kiss me. His lips press against mine, sending electricity traveling throughout my entire body. He maneuvers me so that we are laying down, and he is on top of me, our legs entangled with one another’s.

We continue kissing passionately, ignoring the movie altogether. He moves his lips between my collarbone, my neck, and my ear nearly driving me crazy. I’m panting heavily, feeling the warmth between my legs. As his hunger for me increases, he begins to rub against me. I can feel his hardness beneath his jeans, and it makes me smile knowing I turn him on.

“Hey, I have an idea,” I say breathlessly.

He stops moving for a moment, pulling back to lock eyes with me.

“What?”

“We’ve never used your hot tub before…” I trail off nervously.

He smiles back at me mischievously. “You want to go in the hot tub?”

I can tell I’ve excited him because he’s still erect through his jeans, and he has now moved completely off of me and is standing.

I shrug. “Yeah, why not? It’s Friday night.”

He nods. “Okay. I need to go get my swimming trunks.” Just as he is about to run out of the room, he curses. “Shit.”

“What is it?” I ask.

“You didn’t happen to bring a bathing suit with you, did you?”

I shake my head. “Forget your trunks. Let’s go in our underwear.”

His eyes widen as a smile plays on his lips. “Seriously?”

I nod, feeling the familiar flush of my cheeks. I can’t believe I’m being so bold.

He shrugs his shoulders. “I think that’s a fantastic idea.”

He grabs us two towels, and we head out to their large backyard where the hot tub sits next door to their pool. He drops the towels on the ground as he removes the cover. It is probably no warmer than forty degrees outside, so we are both in winter clothing, but I immediately begin pulling at my sweater, lifting it over my head. I watch as his eyes linger on me intently, disappointed when he sees I have a spaghetti strap on underneath.

He tosses his hoodie off and to the side, his shirt immediately following. His body is one I will have dreams about long after tonight. His pecks, his abs, it’s what girls like me fantasize about. I’m nervous about him seeing my body. I’m not exactly skinny, but I’m not obese. I like to think that I’m simply fluffy. I definitely don’t have a flat stomach likes the girls he’s used to, but I’ve grown to accept my body over the years. My love handles, the bit of skin that hangs over my jeans…it’s all part of what makes me who I am. I just hope he doesn’t run the other way when he sees it.

Slowly, I lift my spaghetti strap off. His eyes immediately travel to my problem areas, but he doesn’t look disgusted. It’s a step in the right direction. I see his eyes scan back up my stomach and directly to my chest. Thank God I chose to wear my black lacy bra today. It’s the only one I have that is even semi-sexy.

He reaches for the button of his jeans, and slips them off, leaving him in a dark grey pair of boxer-briefs. I can see the outline of his manhood pressed up against his underwear clearer now, and I have to avert my eyes. I fumble with the button on my own jeans, and pull them off as well, leaving me in my hot pink and white polka dot undies.

His eyes travel down my body, and then back up to my face approvingly. My heart does a summersault. Slowly, we both climb into the scorching hot water, and Topher turns on the jets so the water isn’t still and stagnant. It isn’t more than a few moments before we are engaged in some serious tongue wrestling. Topher has positioned me so that I am sitting right on his lap, and he is bouncing me up and down. Every time my body comes down we rub against one another, and he lets out a soft moan.

So this is what messing around feels like?
It’s exhilarating and exciting, passionate and fiery.

I don’t know what is getting into me, but I’m finding guts I don’t even know I have. I reach around and unclasp my bra, pulling it off and dropping it to the ground.

“Whoa,” Topher exclaims excitedly. “We can slow down if this is too fast for you.”

He hasn’t had the chance to check out my breasts yet, when I lean into him, pressing them against his chest. “Number two, skinny dipping,” I whisper seductively into his ear.

He pulls his head back, his eyebrows raising. “This list just keeps getting better and better.”

He wraps his arms around me tightly, and then kisses me on the lips. He sucks my bottom lip between his teeth, teasing me before he sets me on the ground of the tub. I watch as he reaches underneath the water, and brings his hand back up with his boxer-briefs before he tosses them to the ground.

He stands there, waiting for me to do the same, which I do. With the bubbles from the jets, we can see the color of our skin underneath the water, but not much else. His eyes rake over my chest hungrily as he reaches out his hand, and grips my breasts softly, squeezing. I throw my head back against the surface of the water, enjoying the touch of his hands.

If I’m not careful, I’m not going to be able to stop him and I’m not sure I’m ready to go all the way just yet. His lips have moved back to my neck as his hands continue massaging my breasts, but I push him away lightly. He looks back at me with a confused expression.

“This isn’t really skinny dipping,” I say softly.

“Oh no?” he counters.

I shake my head before jumping out of the water stark nude, and making a running leap into the pool.

As I come up for air I notice Topher’s eyes fixated on me from the hot tub. Yep, he definitely just got an eyeful. “Well, are you coming or not?” I tease him.

He shakes his head to himself, chuckling before he too hops out of the tub, and makes a run for the pool.

Chapter Twenty Five

Topher

It’s Winter break, so we are out of school for the next week and a half. Christmas is in a few days, and I know one of Ciera’s goals from her list is going to a theme park. I’ve been planning this for a few weeks now, but I know that this is also the last Christmas she will get to spend with her family, so I’ve been coordinating everything with her mother.

My father asked what I wanted for Christmas, and my answer was for a miracle. It obviously isn’t something that he can make happen, so he did something else, equally as meaningful. He paid off all of the Nelson’s medical bills. They’ve been drowning in them for so long, and I know that’s why Ciera’s mother has had to work such long hours. Because of this, she was able to request some personal paid time off, and now we are on a secretive holiday trip to Disneyworld.

My father and I have been getting along better, so I suggested he invite Clarke. It’s still strange, the idea that he prefers men…but I am starting to understand that it isn’t about me. I have Ciera to thank for that.

We were able to get first class tickets and judging by the matching expressions Ciera and her siblings are wearing, I can make an educated guess they’ve never been on a plane before. I know that I need to do this trip now, because Ciera’s doctor mentioned that very soon it won’t be safe for her to fly. The pressure from being so high up in the air has the possibility to cause an aneurysm, and her safety is my top priority.

Her eyes are big and wide as she stares out the window at the white clouds below. “The pilot already announced that we are headed to Florida. Do you want to tell me where we are going now that he’s spoiled the surprise?”

I squeeze her hand in mine, bringing it up to my lips to lightly kiss it. “Nope.”

She sighs loudly, turning her eyes back to the window.

The flight is over five hours, and there is a movie on board, Maleficent. Rose and Wesley are silent as they listen through the complimentary headphones. Ciera attempts to stay awake through the entire flight, but a few hours into it, I see her drifting off. Soon enough, she is slumped over on my shoulder. Her fatigue has been getting worse as we near the date. I know we won’t be able to have adventures like this much longer.

The idea that she might not be in my life soon has been eating away at me little by little. I try to keep it to myself, I know we need to keep things positive. But in the solace of my own room, I cry myself to sleep most nights. I don’t understand why this is happening to her…of all people. She is selfless and caring, genuine and smart. Bad things shouldn’t happen to good people, but they do every day. She tells me we will meet again, in another life, in another time…but I can’t accept that. I don’t want to know what it is like to live a life without her spirit. I know it’s inevitable, but it doesn’t change the way I feel.

My father is sparing no expense on this trip. He told me a few weeks ago that he noticed a change in me. Something he’s been hoping for, wishing on. He knows it’s Ciera, and her effect on me. When the plane lands, we grab our luggage from the baggage check, and head straight outside where a white limo awaits us.