CHAPTER EIGHT

“How about a movie?” Jeremy asked as they headed down the hall toward dinner. “We could head over to the Stars and Stripes?”

The Stars and Stripes Drive-In Theater was located near San Marcos. She’d been plenty of times with her family, and a couple more times with friends or the occasional date. Nothing much had ever happened, but she didn’t think he was inviting her because he wanted to see the show.

“I’ll go,” her cousin Hank piped up from behind them.

Christina groaned inwardly.

Jeremy stopped and turned around. He leaned against the wall, effectively cutting off the smaller man’s path. “You don’t wanna go to the movies,” he said, his voice sounding casual.

“Sure I do,” Hank said. “I hear they’re playing that new superhero movie.”

“I’m pretty sure you want to stay here,” Jeremy countered. “I think drive-ins give you a headache.”

Hank shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—“

Jeremy grabbed him around the shoulders, putting him in a headlock and then rapidly running his knuckles over the top of her cousin’s head.

“Ow! Quit it!” Hank struggled and Jeremy let him go.

“See, you got a headache already.”

Hank rubbed his head and narrowed his eyes. “I see how it is. Fine. Go to the stupid movie. I hope you choke on some popcorn.”

Christina rolled her eyes. Boys were such idiots. But at least Jeremy’s method had been effective.

After dinner, the two of them piled into Jeremy’s old pickup and headed to the theater. They were quiet along the way, but whenever he wasn’t shifting gears, he was holding her hand.

The movie was boring, some kind of superhero story with a convoluted plot line and too many explosions. Jeremy put his arm around her and she scooted close to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

The loud sound of an onscreen gunshot made her jump, and Jeremy’s grip tightened. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers as she turned her face up toward him. Beautiful wouldn’t began to cover how the man looked. He was every wicked hot fantasy she’d had.

The kiss started out as sweet, but it seemed that neither of them could restrain themselves for long. Soon the movie was forgotten, and the kiss consumed her.

To Christina it seemed like the moment he touched her before, her lust pushing from zero to full throttle. After almost giving herself to him on the dirty barn floor, she’d passed the point of no return. She no longer wanted to wait to feel the bliss engendered at his rough fingertips. She wanted them now. Later. All the time.

“Maybe we should slow down,” Jeremy said, his voice hoarse.

“Maybe we should speed up,” Christina countered, reaching up to run her index finger down his t-shirt.

He swallowed visibly, his eyes following her finger as it hit the waistband of his jeans and started to slide underneath.

He groaned and he grabbed her hand, pressing it to the outside of his jeans as he leaned in for another long, probing kiss.

“Maybe you’re right,” he said, licking at her lips. “I want you so goddamn bad it hurts, you little tease.”

The windows fogged up as they continued to kiss and tease each other. He was being careful, and she could tell. She let out soft whimpers of frustration as he unbuttoned her blouse ever so slowly and leaned down to flick this tongue over her nipple through the thin material of her lace bra. Her nipples ached, and she arched up to meet him.

“Your breasts are perfect,” he said as he nipped at her gently. “Big as my hand and perky, with the most responsive little nipples.” As if to accentuate his point, he pulled the cup of her bra down and captured her nipple between his lips, tugging on it.

Christina thrust her fingers into his hair and clenched them, holding on for dear life as he made love to her breasts. The soft panting filling the cab was coming from her, which should have been embarrassing, but it seemed to kick his hunger up another degree.

He ran his hands down her stomach, and she was thankful she'd thought to change before they'd left. She wore a button-up blouse and a strategically chosen skirt. It had a little flare and hung to about an inch above her knees. It was perfect for allowing Jeremy to run his hand up her thigh, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind him.

He stopped before he reached what she assumed was his final target, leisurely tracing little circles on her inner thighs. She inched forward, wanting to force his fingers to do her bidding.

"Easy," he said with a slow drawl. "You're so eager to get to your destination, you don't appreciate the journey along the way." He blew in her ear and she shivered. "Trust me," he whispered. "It'll be better this way."

Christina had never been on a first name basis with Patience, so it took everything inside her to hold still while he teased her. After an eternity, he slid his fingers forward. As he traced along the seam of her mound outside of her panties, he ran his tongue slowly up her neck. He continued his torture, just one finger, tracing up and down. Up and down.

"Please," she whimpered, her thighs trembled. Desire burned through her center, and it called with it anger and angst to get things moving. They could be slow about things their next time together.

Another finger joined in the torment, moving slowly up and down on the outside of her lace panties, teasing her, taunting her. She held her breath, time freezing in the second his fingers slid under the lace to touch her, skin to skin.

He teased her slit, just as before, and Christina moaned feverishly. If he doesn't get down to business soon, I'll die of desire.

"I can feel how badly you want this, how impatient you are." Jeremy's voice was like molten metal. "It's making me so fucking hard, Christina. Touch me." It wasn’t a request, but a demand. Something about the way he said it had her on the edge of orgasm. It wasn’t going to take much to nudge her over.

He gripped her fingers, cupping himself with it and squeezing. She swapped him away and ran her palm down his thick length, rubbing him over his Wranglers. He exhaled loudly and lifted his hips as she picked up the pace.

"Slow down, Speed Racer," he said with a chuckle. "Focus on the sensation." He slid his middle finger into her tight entrance, the sensation of him penetrating her almost more than she could handle.

Oh my God. So good.

"You're so wet, baby" he said, his tone drenched in lust. "And so warm and tight. Perfect."

She was reeling, his fingers inside her taking her to heights she'd never achieved on her own. Masturbation had always seemed a bit overrated. She tended to touch herself only when the need got too great not to. It had always been perfunctory, nothing like what he provided.

And his words, they were having an effect she couldn't have anticipated. Every phrase and clause just turned the heat up higher.

"So beautiful, baby girl" he crooned. "Do you know how hard it's been, sleeping in your room and not ravishing you every night?"

"Almost as hard as it's been for me, I imagine."

Jeremy laughed softly. "And then today in the barn. If your Pa hadn't come hollering, I would have taken you right there in the dirt."
Christina inhaled sharply. She would have let him. He did something to her that she didn't understand but didn't dare question. It felt too damn good.

"Your body pressed against mine," he said, his fingers picking up their pace as they probed her. "The taste of your tongue on mine. Irresistible."

Christina's thrusted her hips, rubbing herself against the palm of his hand as a million images blasted through her mind. He rubbed the rough pad of his thumb over her clit before pressing against the little bundle of nerves and tapping it.

"You feel so good," he said into her ear, then gently bit her lobe. “You like what I’m doing to you?”

"Yes. Don't stop," she begged as her climax swirled deep in her belly.

His pace increased, one finger plunging into her, his thumb rubbing and rubbing. She closed her eyes as stars appeared. Her worry over what she looked like, how her cries wounded, how wet her pussy was, how he would see her… they were all but gone. Greed took over and all she wanted was the explosion that belonged to her.

"Come for me," he whispered, and just like that, she did.

She opened her mouth to scream but he put his lips over hers, sealing her cry in between them. He kissed her gently, bringing her down softly and loving her in a way she didn’t know was possible. He wasn’t crass or vulgar, but strong, good, incredible.

When she finally opened her eyes, he was grinning at her. "So beautiful." He lifted his fingers to his mouth and licked them. "Sweeter than stolen honey," he said with unfeigned relish.

Christina body contracted and pleasure shot through her core again. She wanted more. She wanted all of him. This man is addictive. He's dangerous.

He kissed her neck. "You're lucky you're in my truck. If you weren't, I'd take you right now, under the stars."

Christina's skin was flushed, beads of sweat slickening her limbs. Yes please, she thought. More!

"Take me home," she said.

He turned to her, his face alarmed. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, patting his arm reassuringly. "You seem to have an aversion to taking me in your truck, so take me home, then take me.”

His jaw dropped and she laughed.

"Don't play with me, now," he said, hints of a scowl appearing.

"I'm not," she said, then boldly ran her hand up his thigh and over his cock. He'd grown harder. How was that possible?

Jeremy turned on the truck and fired out of the theater parking lot like his ass was on fire. "If you're trying to get back at me for teasing you, I swear I'll--"

Christina scooted closer and ran her tongue around his ear. "I'm not teasing, cowboy."

Jeremy coughed nervously. "Put on your damn seatbelt and sit back or you'll kill us both for sure."

She wasn't sure what was fueling her resolve, but having come this far, she couldn't turn back. When they got home, she would finally find out what all this passion was building toward. She couldn't wait. It seemed she wasn’t the only one.

Christina watched him as he navigated his truck down the bumpy country roads. In the dim light of the cab, he looked like a god in the shadows, his jaw locked, muscles flexed.

His breathing was rapid, his fingers slapping rhythmically against his leg. He shared her nervous energy, her desire for more.

He glanced over to her, his eyes piercing deep inside, making her feel like maybe this wasn't just for the summer. Maybe this was something more powerful, more intense.

It had to be. There was no way she would be able to handle it when it ended with him.

He reached out and took her hand. "You got a wild look in your eyes, like a horse about to bolt. Attack of the jitters?"

She swallowed. She could back out now, save herself the heartache that laid ahead.

He stared at her in the darkness, his eyes glowing in the light of the dashboard. Christina realized in that moment that, no matter what happened, she trusted Jeremy to take her virginity and show her how to make love. He was the one. Period.

It had always been him.

"Not at all," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"We've come this far," he said, echoing her own thoughts. "Are you brave enough to go farther?"

"I'm so brave I got two backbones." One of her father's favorites.

Jeremy laughed, which helped to cut some of the lingering tension between them.

But before long, it had seeped back in again. This thing between them demanded attention. She couldn't stand another night of wanting and not having. Tonight things were going to change.

Forever.