When Brad told me that his parents were going out after the game tonight, we immediately started planning something we could do with the girls. Not brave enough to be alone with them in the house, we came up with blankets in the back of our trucks. Actually, it’s an idea I got from Dad. He’s told me story after story about how he and Mom used to do this when they were dating. Aves liked the rooftop date, so I figured Dad was on to something. I could’ve told her what we were doing, but I like to surprise her. It’s the smile she gives me. That night on the rooftop, her smile was blinding and all for me. It’s something I’ve come to crave from her.
Sliding my arms under her legs, I lift her from the truck. She giggles. “Hold on, babe.”
“Can I open my eyes now?”
“Almost.” I manage to kick the door closed without dropping her and carry her to the bed of my truck. I have the tailgate down, and the makeshift bed and pillows are calling our names. Carefully, I sit her on the tailgate. “Okay, open.”
She blinks her eyes open and I wait for her vision to adjust. “What are we doing?” she asks.
Time to see if the old man’s idea is a good one. “It’s just us. Well, Brad and Harley are over on the other side. We just… I just wanted to spend time with you. We thought it would be cool to lie out here and watch the stars for a few hours. Just until curfew. Brad’s parents won’t be home until late, so we thought tonight was as good as any.”
She looks across the field at Brad’s truck and then back to me.
“Turn around, Aves.” I point to the bed of my truck.
Slowly she turns her head. “Dylan,” she whispers.
I step as close to her as I can, resting my hands on her hips. “You up for watching the stars, Avery?”
She turns back to face me, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Dylan Knight, you’re a romantic.” She smiles. It’s the one that lights up her entire face, the one I was hoping for.
Pulling her into a hug, I whisper in her ear, “Just for you, beautiful. Just for you.” We stay in this spot, in this moment, under the stars with her in my arms for what seems like hours even though I know it’s mere minutes.
“What are we waiting for?” I step away from her and she swings her feet up on the tailgate of the truck. I watch as she slips off her tennis shoes and crawls into the bed before lying back on one of the pillows.
“I’m not sure how comfortable it’ll be. I used like five blankets,” I say, hopping up on the tailgate and sliding off my shoes. I crawl into the bed of the truck and lie beside her. “Come here.” I open my arms and she settles her head on my chest as I wrap my arm around her.
“It’s perfect.”
I run my hands through her silky blonde hair. It’s so damn soft. I close my eyes and just feel—her soft hair, her soft body pressed into mine. The boys and I brought home a win and here I am with my girl under the stars. This is the perfect ending to the night.
“Your eyes are closed,” she says, lifting her head.
“Yeah, just taking it all in.”
“How can you take the stars in with your eyes closed?” she asks, resting her head back on my chest.
“Not the stars, Aves. You.”
“Me?”
I rest the hand I was running through her hair on her hip and give it a gentle squeeze. “Yes, you, Avery Stanton. Can a guy not just sit and enjoy holding his girl?”
“You mentioned that earlier.”
I know what she’s asking, and I’ve been waiting to have this conversation with her for weeks now. “I did.”
We’re both quiet. I’m trying to decide how to bring it up when she finally breaks the silence. “Am I your girl, Dylan?”
Slowly I shift to lie on my side and she does the same. I need to be looking at her for this part of the conversation. “I guess we haven’t really established titles. I think we should change that tonight.” I tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She doesn’t say anything, her eyes watching me. “Avery, you’re all I think about. You’ve quickly become the most important person in my life. Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend? When I call you my girl, I want to know that you know what that means. That you’re it for me.”
I watch as a lone tear trails down her cheek. Leaning in, I kiss it away.
“Yes,” she whispers as her lips find mine.
As gently as I can without breaking the kiss, I lay her back on the bed of blankets. My hands roam her body, over her breasts, down her stomach. I slide my hand under her shirt and slip my index finger under the waistband of her jeans. Her breath hitches. I trail kisses down her neck, tasting her. Avery buries her hands in my hair, holding me in place as I devour her. “Dylan,” she breathes.
I trail my fingers up her belly until I reach her bra-covered breasts. My mouth waters at the thought of tasting her there, my vision blurring at the idea of seeing her creamy white mounds. My cock grows stiff at the thought of the sounds she’ll make as I slip her sweet nipple into my mouth. I cup her breast, bra and all, and she moans.
I need more.
Pulling away, I look into her eyes as I trace the swell of her breast under her shirt. I want more, but I don’t want to push her. I would never push her. I’m just about to ask her how far she’s willing to let me go when she sits up and pulls her shirt over her head. I look over at Brad’s truck; no way am I taking the chance of anyone seeing her like this. Avery takes it a step further and efficiently renders me speechless when she reaches behind her back and unclasps her bra, her eyes never leaving mine as she slides the straps from her shoulders. She holds it in place, almost as if she’s asking for permission.
I swallow hard. “I’ve never seen you more beautiful.” My voice is gruff. “The moonlight is shining on this blonde silk.” I reach out and push her hair over her shoulder, exposing her even further. “This creamy flawless skin. You’re glowing.” I trace the swells of her breasts as she holds the cups of her bra in place.
“I’ve never done this, Dylan.”
I pause. “You don’t have to now,” I tell her, and I mean it. I would never force her.
“I want to.” She looks to her lap. “I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know it’s going to hurt, but…”
“Hey.” I place my index finger under her chin and lift until her eyes meet mine. “We’ll only go as far as you want, but I’m not making love to you tonight. Not here in the bed of my truck. Not with our friends just across the field. You deserve better. When you tell me you’re ready for that, we’ll be in a bed where I can worship you.”
That must relax her, because the next thing I know she’s pulling her bra all the way off and tossing it beside us on top of her T-shirt. Reaching behind my neck, I grab my shirt and pull it off. It’s not something I’ve ever done before with a girl.
I’ve had sex with one person, and it was quick in the back of her car this past summer. My jeans were around my ankles while she slipped out of her shorts and straddled me. Brad and I went to Bracken University for a college visit, and a few of the guys on the football team invited us back to a party at their house. Two BU cheerleaders latched on to us, promising the guys to show us a good time. It was over just as fast as it started, which was a good thing since Brad’s parents were waiting for us at their hotel room. We quickly called a cab and headed back having both lost our virginity that night.
There’s something about Avery that makes me want to do it all with her. Experience everything life has to offer. I want to brand her skin with mine. I want to do whatever it takes to remind her that she’s mine.
With a shaking hand, I run my fingers over her side and under the swell of her breast. I watch as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Unable to resist, I run the pad of my thumb over her nipple. It hardens at my touch. “Can I kiss you here?”
She nods, not opening her eyes.
Leaning down, I run my tongue over her nipple, much like I did with my thumb. She sucks in a breath. My hand finds her other nipple while my lips latch on and suck deep. She arches her back, which spurs me on. I nip, lick, and suck as I take my time, not willing to rush this. Her hands are buried in my hair, holding me to her. When I come up for air, I knead the nipple that was just in my mouth with my fingers and latch on to the other. I know in this moment that I will never have enough of her.
“Dylan.”
“Yeah, baby?” I say, releasing her nipple. I lie down beside her and pull her chest against mine. The sensation of skin on skin is like nothing I’ve ever felt. I close my eyes and try to brand this moment into memory. I never want to forget what this feels like, what she feels like, her bare breasts pressed against my chest. My cock is screaming for release, but I’m content to just hold her. I’m not the most experienced, but this is all new to her; she needs to know that this, just holding her, is good too.
A ringing from her pocket echoes into the night. “My alarm,” she sighs.
“Hey, this isn’t a one-time thing with us. You’re my girl now. We made that official, so there’s gonna be more of this, more of us in our future.” I kiss her quickly and pull us both into a sitting position. “Let’s get dressed so we can get you home.”
“I want to stay here with you.”
I cup her face. “I can’t have you getting in trouble, because I need to be able to see you every day. I need my Avery fix.” I hand over her bra and shirt while I pull my shirt back on as well. Just as she’s pulling hers over her head, I see Brad’s headlights starting toward us.
I push my feet into my shoes and hand Avery hers, then grab the blankets and pillows and toss them in the back seat.
“You two about ready? They have just under thirty to get home,” Brad says, stopping his truck next to mine.
“Yeah, we’re right behind you.” I lift Avery off the tailgate and set her on the ground. She’s already in the truck, sitting right in the center when I join her. When we reach Brad’s, the house is still dark; I breathe easier knowing we’re in the clear. I turn off my truck and face her. “Thank you for tonight, Aves.”
“I had fun. I mean, I didn’t know it could be like that, you know?”
I do an internal fist bump that she liked it just as much as I did. “It’s because it’s us, Aves.” I kiss her one more time before sliding out of the truck and walking her to Harley’s car.
Once the girls are on the road, Brad and I stand there like lovestruck fools until we can no longer see Harley’s car. “This is becoming routine for us,” he laughs.
“What’s that?”
“Standing here watching them leave.”
“Yeah.”
“She like it?” he asks.
“She did. What about Harley?”
He grins. “Your old man knows his shit. You got any other good ideas?”
“I’m sure he does.” We head into the house and off to bed. I stare at the ceiling waiting for Avery to text me that they made it home okay.
Aves: We made it to Harley’s.
Me: Good. Night, beautiful.
Aves: Night, Dylan.
I toss my phone on the nightstand and drift off to sleep thinking about my girl.