“Oh my God. Why?”
“He supposedly wanted to create a new challenge people could do and post online.”
A new—The explanation is even more ludicrous than I imagined. I was lucky because, despite having lost everything in the fire, I had Josh. But what about people who have no one to come to their aid? “What was he thinking?”
“He claims—although it didn’t sound like it was verified—that someone promised to give him a thousand dollars if he could do it. The security footage the cops got shows the kid starting the fire, but nothing of this supposed other person.” She shrugs. “He probably made it up when he got caught. Trying to shift the blame or something. Anyway, according to the kid, the fire wasn’t supposed to spread. It was just supposed to burn a little, and then he was going to put it out, but his fire extinguisher malfunctioned.” Zoe rolls her eyes.
“His lawyer should’ve advised him to shut up.” Josh would have.
“Probably. But some people just think they’re too clever for the police.”
“What a fool.” The kid’s life is basically ruined, and all over a stupid internet challenge.
We gossip some more until Zoe gets a call and has to go to handle some kind of personal emergency. I wave her goodbye, then head back home. The traffic’s sort of crappy. Although it was sunny in the morning, dark clouds are slowly forming in the sky. I check the weather app at a red light—rain is expected in the afternoon.
Crap.Better get back before the roads get slick. I love watching rain, but hate driving in it. The roads get too slippery, visibility drops and people in Southern California drive like idiots. And if there’s an accident, the traffic becomes impossible.
The clouds have spread over almost the entire sky by the time I drive through Josh’s gates about an hour later. For some reason, my heartbeat starts to accelerate.
I clench and unclench my hands around the steering wheel as I kill the engine in the garage. Leaning my head against the headrest, I breathe at a steady pace, willing my heart to settle. Instead, it only beats faster, almost like I’m having a mild panic attack.
Did the update about the fire upset me more than I expected? Hard to believe—my reaction seems too over the top.
Calm down, Ailee. Think of something soothing. Like an ocean.
Instead, my mind conjures Josh’s intense, dark eyes. Those beautiful lips that make me weak in the knees. His scent, which drives me crazy. His specially formulated bath products that turn me on every time I shower because they remind me of him.And how much I wish I could bury my nose in his neck and inhale.
My breathing shallows.Am I actuallypanting?Sweat mists over my skin, and I put a hand over my chest. If heart conditions ran in the family, I might assume I’m having a heart attack or something.
I open the door and stumble out of the car. The air in the garage feels colder than it should. Am I having some kind of reaction? But all I had was that Americano. I’m definitelynotallergic to coffee, and I’d better stay that way!
My hands shake. I open my purse for an EpiPen, then stop. I’m not having trouble breathing. I’m panting, but getting the air in just fine. Still, something’s not right. My skin is too tight and tingly. The air enters my lungs cold, then leaves overheated. My knees tremble.
I stagger toward the door to the house. My nipples ache inside my bra, and my thong chafes my inner thighs. I bite my lip to contain a groan as the friction sends tiny, tingling shocks through me.
What the hell?How can I get horny from underwear chafing? It should be uncomfortable, not arousing.
But the flesh between my legs slickens, the heat becoming unbearable.
I reach under my skirt and yank the thong off before it turns me into some kind of deviant. Clutching it in my fist, and praying that a cold shower will take care of these weird sensations, I start toward my room…
…and come to an immediate, abrupt halt when I catch sight of Josh dozing on the sofa. He’s topless. One arm is thrown over his forehead, and it’s as though a kind of halo surrounds him. His muscles should be softer and less defined in relaxation. But they remain hard and ridged, from the broad shouldersto the thick chest and tight abs. My eyes roam over his body shamelessly, etching the masculine perfection into my brain.
The gray sweatpants drape over his crotch, creating an even more obvious outline of his cock. From the position of the shadows, he’s sporting an erection. It’s thicker and longer. Hot sparks run through me, and I bite my lip to contain a low moan welling in my throat.
My mouth waters as delicious shivers run through me. I want to suck the cockhead into my mouth and see how it feels. I want the taste of him on my tongue.
What’swrongwith me? I don’t understand where this urge is coming from, but I feel like I’ll die if I don’t have him in my mouth. I crave it like air. The ache between my legs intensifies, and my fingers twitch with the need to touch him.
I tiptoe toward him, my legs trembling. Anticipation and need course through me. His chest rises and falls, his mouth relaxed and malleable.He called me beautiful, but he’s the beauty.
I want to wake him up with my mouth. But not with something as clichéd as a kiss. I want to pull his cock into my mouth, then run my tongue over the head. And when he opens his eyes, I want to have my way with him. Ease the painful ache building inside me.
I put a hand on the back of the sofa and lean over Josh. This position makes me feel powerful and naughty. He looks so innocent in sleep, his impossibly long and thick lashes lying demurely just above those high cheekbones. My fingers long to trace every line on his body, from the strong column of his neck to the collarbones and pecs and the defined section of his abs.
Biting my lip, I lower my trembling hand until it hovers over his waistband. His body generatesso much heat. I slide a single finger under and pull it down with a slow, delicate touch.He isn’t wearing underwear.
His cock springs up, as though relieved it’s been liberated from confinement. The sight is even more impressive than I imagined. Thick veins line an impossibly thick and long shaft. The head is perfectly plum-shaped, and dark purple from so much blood pooling there. The tip drips with precum.
