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Back Lurkers Save as PDF
Chapters (20)
  1. I.
  2. – 1 –
  3. – 2 –
  4. – 3 –
  5. II.
  6. – 4 –
  7. – 5 –
  8. – 6 –
  9. III.
  10. – 7 –
  11. – 8 –
  12. – 9 –
  13. – 10 –
  14. – 11 –
  15. – 12 –
  16. IV.
  17. – 13 –
  18. – 14 –
  19. – 15 –
  20. Acknowledgments

They sped uphill toward Santa Claus Lane. When they got to her block, he parked the car on the side of the street and undid his seat belt. He leaned across to her suddenly, and her natural mechanisms pulled her back against the window.

“No, no, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid. I just want to ask you. Was that your secret desire? To kiss him?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice rattled.

“Remember, now that I’ve unlocked your face, I can tell your every thought . . .”

She swallowed. His face was only inches from her.

“And for the record, that was a bogus story he told about wanting a dad. Which is why I gave him grief for it. I know what he really wants. He told me—it’s you.”

Darting forth, he pressed his lips against hers, systematically kissing her upper lip, then her lower lip. She tasted the cool mint breath strip she’d seen him place on his tongue like a communion wafer. His lips were shockingly soft. She tilted her neck back instinctively, and felt herself pinned to the seat.

“Part your lips. Just a little.” He nudged his warm tongue inside her mouth, and she gasped, stunned by the urgency of his intrusion. She tried to get her own tongue out of the way but it kept rushing back to meet his. He cupped both sides of her jaw with his hands and kissed her deeper, producing the kind of sucking noises she’d heard in movies. The way he held her face, she felt she was levitating. This kissing thing . . . it almost didn’t matter who was kissing her, she could do this kissing thing forever.

Slowly, one of his hands reached down her neck toward the opening of her T-shirt. And she wanted it, she wanted him to put his mouth where his hand was. And to rub his hand between her legs.

Then, he withdrew. The sudden retraction was more violent than a slap.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Rose . . . I got carried away.”

“No, don’t apologize. It felt really nice.” Her lips were still on fire.

“You could say I was In The Moment.” He gave her a bashful schoolboy’s smile, which made him seem twenty years younger. Cute. He’s actually cute. He drew her hand to his crotch, and she turned her eyes away instantly. She didn’t want to see it, yet she didn’t move her hand—she needed to know. Her fingers felt him inside his pants, stretching the fabric taut like a dog in a snake’s belly.

“Think of Arik tonight.”

He started up the car and neither of them said another word.

– 9 –

– 9 –

ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Rosemary watched the truck pull up in front of the house.