Young Annabelle Series: Young Annabelle, the Truth About James, What My Heart Wants (13 page)

I stared out the window, watching everything swish by as we drove to God knows where.

CHAPTER 9

Warm skin caressed my neck as I lay on my side.

I felt a strange buzz slide along my body from head to toe as his arms encircled my waist. He leaned into my neck even more, pressing his lips beneath my ear.

His tongue slipped out and licked my skin as he continued to kiss, savoring every inch of that tender spot. My eyelids closed as my head leaned back, embracing the mind altering ecstasy of his touch, a touch that my body welcomed eagerly – desperately.

My God!
A hum reverberated deep within me as I felt an amazing sensation crawl over every inch of my skin.

Some parts more than others.

Jesus, what am I doing?

His kisses were creating a trail from my ear to the base of my neck. My eyes popped open and I tilted my head to the side to allow him easier access around my neck. Heat steamed between us as he shifted to allow me to move my arms around his waist.

Trust him?

I grinned, remembering what he’d said back in the car. If only I knew what he was thinking, would I have willingly gone along with him?

I ignored the question.

It didn’t matter anymore, the decision was already made and my body, mind, and soul were experiencing the highlights of that decision.

I needed this, the touch of someone who cared for me enough to want me to feel like this.

Lately, the world hadn’t been interested in what makes me happy. Mom and Dad, Charles and Katherine were only interested in their own happiness, despite how it made me feel.

I remembered walking out this morning, finally having had enough of their selfishness, of their willingness to do whatever they wanted when it came to their bright ideas.

It felt good – too good – to finally allow myself to embrace what being selfish was all about.

Here I was, lying on James’ bed, in his room, all alone, while his parents were away with his half-brother and half-sister.

When he’d pulled into the driveway of his house and turned the car off, he’d informed me that his entire family was out doing their version of summer fun. Meaning they wouldn’t be back until nightfall.

Oh shit!
I’d worried at the thought of being alone with James in his house. What were his expectations, did he want to do more than kiss? And what were we exactly? I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to act like some booty call for him.

You’re a virgin; you’re a long way from a booty call!
I’d reminded myself and laughed. I convinced myself to go in anyways and if I got to a point where I was uncomfortable, I’d simply kick him in the balls and leave.

Done!

I laughed, remembering what I’d planned to do to him in case he crossed any imaginary line. At the same time I realized how close my knees actually were to his balls. Very close.

“What’s so funny?” James murmured into my skin, not bothering to stop his task of tasting my neck.

I tightened my arms around his waist, pulling further into his hold.

“It’s nothing,” I muttered as I pulled myself up to his neck and kissed along his jaw line.

He moaned softly as I rolled my tongue across his skin, I could feel his body shiver in response.

“You like that?” I did my best to sound seductive. I had no idea what I was doing or whether I was doing it right, all I knew was my body approved whole-heartedly with these things I was doing to him.

James leaned his head back and I moaned disapprovingly at his lips leaving my skin. He pressed his body into mine and I fell back on to the bed while he hovered above me. I stared into his eyes as his hand trailed across my waist to my arm, finally resting at my chin and tilting it back.

He leaned in, his beautiful green eyes never left mine as our lips touched. His hand left my chin and rested alongside my bust, only an inch separated him from exploring regions of my body no one had ever experienced. Ever!

I began the feel the heat of my anxiety as his hand itched to be closer to my boobs.

What the hell does he want to do with my boobs? I touch them all the time; they just feel like squishy balls…but not like water balls…more like jello balls.

I felt the weight of his body sink further into my body; he began kissing open-mouthed, his tongue playing with mine without worrying about whether it was invited to. My head was pushed into his pillow – he was kissing me like a man who’d just gotten out of jail and hadn’t seen a woman in years. He was hungry for whatever I was willing to give him – hungrier, taking whatever he set his sights on.

His hand shifted to the left and, as soon his fingers realized where they’d successfully land, began massaging my jello ball. My eyelids fluttered at the first caress, the first movement of his fingers as they kneaded into my breast.

Even through shirt and bra it felt amazing.

That familiar sensation from earlier increased its buzz around the lower half of my body. As his hand rapidly massaged my breast, I felt a strange heat ride along my belly button, turning into a painful yet pleasurable feeling. I moaned loudly against his devouring lips. James paused to stare down at me, a wild look in his eyes. He breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath. We’d been kissing for close to an hour. He sat back on my hips and pulled his baseball uniform up over his head. I caught the first glimpse of his ripped stomach and the sight of his six-pack sent my body quivering.

I was suddenly conscious of the stickiness of my t-shirt, heated from our prolonged embrace. I stared impatiently at him while he slid the shirt off; it was taking way too long because my body craved his heat and touch desperately. The ten seconds it took was far too long for my body to tolerate being without him on top of me.

“You like what you see, Fireball?” James purred seductively, leaning back into me.

I didn’t respond with words, instead I grabbed him around his naked waist for the first time and pulled him towards me with urgency. He pressed his lips back into mine, moving with a pace that rivaled where he’d left off, then surpassing it as the kiss intensified into a necessity to remain alive.

Vital to his survival.

The force made my head tilt further and further into his pillow until there was nowhere else to sink to – the mattress was too strong for me to dent into it.

I realized the area around my breast was vacant, he hadn’t returned to massaging it. I searched my body for his hands as my eyes remained closed and my lips were busy matching his intensity. But the fire of his touch wasn’t enough to distract me when I felt my t-shirt beginning to slowly rise. Cold air blasted my skin while his fingers lightly caressed it. I let hi
m have that tiny sliver of skin, my stomach was still covered after all. His fingers began crawling up underneath my shirt.

“No,” I murmured into his kiss. My arms unlocked from around his shoulders and slid down to where his hands were. I tried to tug them out, no match for his strength, but he stopped moving and pulled back on his own. Once his hands were off my stomach, I pulled my t-shirt back down to cover the little bit of skin that was showing.

“What’s wrong?” He was panting and looking confused.

I propped myself up on my elbows and rested my back against his headboard.

It’s time to call it quits.
I ordered myself.

“Nothing, I just think we’re going way too fast.”

He slid off me and rolled over onto to his side of the bed, leaning into me, his arm encircling my waist.

“What?” James panted wildly. “We just started.”

I glanced down and saw him shamelessly pouting at me.

“Calm down,
Tiger,” I laughed, shaking my head. 

“Back to ‘
Tiger’, huh? If that’s what you wanted all this time, then why didn’t you say so? I’ll show you ‘Tiger’,” He said cockily, squeezing my waist with his arm to pull me closer to him.

“I’m thirsty,” I announced suddenly, angling slightly away from him.

“I’m sorry, what a horrible hostess I am. Would you like a glass of water?” James playfully responded in an exaggerated voice.

“Yes, I’d love a cup of water,” I responded, mimicking his mock-politeness.

He jumped up and crawled off the bed. “One cup of water, coming up.” He opened the door and sauntered out, not bothering to put his shirt back on. I sat back and watched his half-naked body walk down the hall to the stairs.

Damn, he’s cute!

I grinned widely and mentally patted myself on the back. Not too shabby, even if this was just a little bit of fun.

I wasn’t putting myself out there
.

I knew this was just a bit of fun for him too.

He was too good looking and when school started there would be a bevy of beauties lining up to be his arm-candy. I knew I wasn’t ugly, but I was definitely not arm-candy material.

I imagined the two of us walking side by side in school – we just didn’t match. I was overweight and average looking while he was tall, muscle-bound, and extremely good-looking. Yes, he acted like a stupid asshole most of the time, but with those physical attributes the hot girls at school wouldn’t care how he acted – they’d think anything he did hot.

Just like you do!
I scolded myself, realizing I was just as bad. I accepted his faults or, rather, pushed them to the side when it came to experiencing the benefits of being the aim of his current affections. I was a fraud; whatever I stood for instantly took a back seat, and not gracefully either – I practically kicked my instincts and morals to the curb whenever I was around him. Little by little, he cracked whatever shields I had.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

My eyes flicked up and see James standing in his doorframe with my cup of water, staring at me.

I gave him a small smile and shook my head innocently. “I’m not thinking about anything but your cute ass.” I ostentatiously gave his body a once-over,
grinning from ear to ear.

“Well,
that makes sense,” He laughed and brought me the cup.

I gulped down half of it then placed it on his side table.

“Thanks,” I said as he crawled on the bed beside me.

“N
o problem, anything you want,” He responded sweetly.

He’s nice.

I stared straight ahead as the realization hit me: if he kept treating me like this, I’d fall deeper and deeper and when it all came crashing down, what would I do then?

“So, you live here with your dad and step-mom?” I asked, changing the subject.

“That’s right,” He replied hesitantly.

“How’s it going so far?” I continued.

He let out a long breath and waited a few seconds before responding. “It’s temporary.”

“That’s it?”

“What do you want me to say? My mom wanted to go traveling with her new boyfriend, so I got shipped to my dad’s and have to spend my senior year at a brand new school. Is that enough for you?” His sweet voice had turned bitter.

“I take it you miss your old school? Bet you were Mr. Popular back there, huh?” I turned to face him and watched as my comment changed his pissed expression into a big grin.

“Of course!” James exclaimed. “I was the man!”

“Bet you had a line of ladies after you,” I laughed, nudging his shoulder.

“Oh, the ladies.” He pretended to sniff back his tears. “Those poor girls, what are they going to do without me there to look up their skirts?”

I could do nothing but grin and shake my head at him.

“They must have had a funeral for you when you left.”

“Yes, they did, actually. I heard it was really sad.” He pretended to sniffle more and I couldn’t help laughing. He shifted his body closer to mine and wrapped an arm around my waist. I sank into his embrace, comfortable being close to him again. He rested his head on my arm.

“Your turn,” He whispered.

“My turn?” My body was distracting me by welcoming back the familiar sensations that his touch triggered.

“Yeah. I ask, you tell.” He lips gently caressed my arm.

“Okay,” I answered softly.

“What happened this morning?” As he asked, he squeezed his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

I paused for a few seconds.

I didn’t know how much I wanted to share.

I certainly didn’t want his pity. But it would be kind of nice to talk about it to someone besides Jenna. I hadn’t known James for that long, but from the beginning I’d felt very comfortable with him.

Even though he made me nervous.

I might not have any chance in the real world but, right now, it felt right to just go with it and just see what happens.

You’re with him now, that counts for something.

“My mom was just harassing me about my food. It’s been like this since the beginning of summer. So this morning I just had enough and cracked. I yelled at her and my dad then left the house not telling them where I was going or when I was coming back,” I explained tiredly.

“Was it like you wanted to run away?” James asked sounding like he understood exactly what it felt like to be harassed by parents.