One Night (Friends #0.5) (9 page)

“You don’t strike me as the type to be this…”

“Crazy?” I supply for him. “Weird? Pushy?”

He cracks a smile, his eyes lighting up and I suck in a breath. Now is not the time to freak out over the beauty that is Jordan Tuttle. I need to remain calm. Focused. Normal.

Ha. Let’s see if I can actually keep my crap together.

“Bold,” he offers. “You’re always so quiet in class.”

“That’s because I don’t want anyone to notice me,” I admit.

“I notice you.” He hesitates. Reaches out with his free hand and pushes a wayward strand of hair away from my forehead. “I have for years.”

Okay. He can’t just go and say things like that. His words make my heart feel like it just tripped over itself and they give me this weird hope. I should be devastated tonight. Crying my eyes out over Thad and Tara’s betrayal and while yes, I did cry over their betrayal and I drank too much beer and acted the fool for all of about ten minutes, I don’t feel sad at this particular moment.

No, I feel excited. Intrigued. Blown away.

I need to focus on the blown away part because come on. He doesn’t like me. He’s just trying to make me feel better. He knows I’m upset over what I discovered and he’s offering me comfort. That’s all.

But when does he offer comfort to anyone? He doesn’t give a crap about girls and their silly feelings. He’s too self-absorbed, too wrapped up in his own issues. He’s selfish. Everyone says so.

Everyone.

“Don’t lie to me, Tuttle.” My voice cracks and I clear my throat, fighting the urge to close my eyes when his fingers continue to blaze a path across my face. They drift over my cheek, along my jaw, his thumb coming perilously close to the corner of my mouth. Then they’re sliding into my hair and he cups the side of my head. I feel his breath flutter across my face when he whispers two words.

“It’s Jordan.”

My eyes slowly open to find his face right in mine. So close I can count every eyelash, can see the faint scar in the corner of his right eye. He’s watching me expectantly, like he’s waiting for me so I say something brilliant.

“Huh?”

“My name. Don’t call me Tuttle.” Now he does touch my mouth with his thumb and oh, wow, I wanna melt. He dips his head and comes closer, his mouth hovering just above mine and it takes everything within me to keep my eyes open. I want to remember every second of this moment. Closing my eyes might mean I’ll miss something. “Call me Jordan.”

“Jordan…” I start but the next word is silenced.

By his lips.

*****

I don’t know about you, but Tuttle makes me swoon. There. I said it. I’m #TeamTuttle :) Let me know what you think of the chapter and don’t forget to comment/vote/share this story with your friends! We are getting down to the last six chapters before ONE NIGHT ends and then JUST FRIENDS is out on September 13th! Thank you all soo much for reading this story. I appreciate each and every one of you!!! ❤️

I couldn’t resist kissing her. I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve noticed her for years. I have. Even when we were younger and I was nothing but an irritating thirteen year old, awkward as hell and uncomfortable with the way Amanda Winters made me feel every time I looked at her.

She made my heart pump a little faster, my head would spin and this sort of hunger would form low in my belly that had nothing to do with food. She’d smile at her friends and I wished she’d smile at me like that. She’d swing her long, smooth dark hair over her shoulder and I wanted to touch it. Run my fingers through the silky strands and hear her sigh with pleasure.

Yeah. Weird thoughts for a thirteen year old but I couldn’t help it. I’ve wanted Amanda with an almost painful longing that’s gone on for years. A longing I’d shoved deep down inside of me, hoping I’d forget all about it.

But opportunity presented itself and here she is, in my arms, my mouth on hers. And she tastes like heaven.

Heaven and beer and the faintest hint of something sweet, that must belong only to her. I give in to my long repressed urges and touch her hair, thread my fingers through it and the strands are as soft as I’d imagined. I keep the kiss on the chaste side, not wanting to push too hard in case she bolted on me. She did just happen to see her boyfriend boning her best friend earlier. That’s some straight up bullshit right there, and I don’t want her to think I’m taking advantage of her in her fragile state.

Hell. I wonder if she does I’m taking advantage of her.

I realize quick she’s not reacting to my mouth on hers. Her entire body is stiff, like she’s frozen solid and I know I’ve either scared her or freaked her out. I pull away from her lips and stare at her face, willing her eyes to open.

When they do, she’s watching me with a wariness that worries me. I also can’t help but wonder who she’s more afraid of-me or herself. “Why did you kiss me?” she asks, her voice a faint croak. She clears her throat and averts her gaze, her cheeks going pink with embarrassment.

“Did you not want me to?”

She meets my gaze once more, her teeth sinking into her lower lip for a moment before she says, “Your timing is awful.”

“Because you still have feelings for the asshole who cheated on you with your best friend?”

Amanda’s eyes go wide before she bursts out laughing. “Nothing like getting right to the point,” she says once the laughter dies.

I shrug one shoulder. Don’t say anything. We’re still lying on my bed, our bodies so close I can feel the warmth of her body radiate toward mine. I could lean right over and settle my lips on hers and make her forget that loser boyfriend of hers for good. Slip my arm around her waist and pull her flush against me. It wouldn’t take much at all to push this farther.

But I won’t. I should keep my distance and let her make the next move.

She bends her head, her hair rustling against my pillow she’s lying on. Will it smell like her when she leaves? Holy shit, my thoughts about her make me feel like a perv. “It hurts, knowing that they’ve done-that. I would’ve given him whatever he wanted too. He just never pushed the issue. I was perfectly willing. So why did he mess around with my best friend?”

Anger swells up inside of me and I stuff it down. She was perfectly willing to give that asshole whatever he wanted and he still went off and cheated on her. What was wrong with the guy?

If she were mine, I’d treat her like a goddamn princess. If she were mine, she’d never doubt how I felt about her. I’d do my best to show her how I feel every damn day, just to bring a smile to her face. Just to make her happy.

“But I shouldn’t talk about that sort of thing with you, right? Like you’re even interested in me, but you know what I mean. And talk about tacky, considering I’m rambling on about my stupid boyfriend and you just kissed me. Not that it was much of a kiss…” Her voice drifts and I slip my fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face up so she has no choice but to look at me.

“Not much of a kiss?” Her words are a challenge and I’m ready to conquer. “You weren’t impressed, huh?”

She makes a cute little face. “I think you kissed me just to shut me up.” Her voice drops. “Or because you feel sorry for me.”

“I feel sorry for you?” I drop my fingers from beneath her chin. This girl has no clue.

“Well, yeah. I’m me and you’re you and here I am at your house, a drunken sad mess and you feel bad, right? Just watching out for me, which makes you a stand up guy, seriously. All of my past thoughts about you being a complete jerk are banished for good, so thanks for that.”

I’m incredulous. “You really thought I was a jerk?”

“Well, duh.” She rolls her eyes and giggles. I’m thinking she might still be a little buzzed. “You’re the one who basically said so earlier, right?”

“Right.” I just thought she was going along with me. Or maybe remembering our early middle school days, when I had a giant chip on my shoulder with my parents’ names scrawled across it. My bad attitude got me into a lot of trouble back in the day.

“So thank you.” She smiles and reaches out to touch my chest and I swear to fucking god, her fingers burn through the thin material of my T-shirt. “For being so nice to me tonight. You’re really sweet. I’m just glad I didn’t throw up on your bed or something awful like that.”

I capture her wrist with my fingers before she can yank her hand away from my chest. I hold her there, my thumb skimming the soft skin of her inner wrist. Her eyes go wide again and her breaths quicken the longer I touch her. I’m not letting her go. I can’t leave it like this.

“You think I’m sweet,” I say.

She nods, her eyes luminous in the dim light of my bedroom.

“And that our kiss was less than impressive,” I add.

She doesn’t nod at that statement. Smart girl.

“Oh, and you think a guy like me can’t like a girl like you,” I remind her. “Why is that?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“You have an idea, Mandy.” I scoot closer, my legs brushing against hers, my grip still tight on her wrist. “Tell me why.”

She says nothing. Just stares at me with those wide, unblinking eyes, a shuddery breath escaping her.

I release my hold on her wrist and slip my hand around her neck, cupping her nape. She sucks in a breath, her eyes falling closed when I lean in close, my mouth at her ear as I whisper, “Tell me why I wouldn’t be interested in a beautiful, smart, funny girl like you.”

Turning my head, I press my lips to her neck, inhaling the scent of her hair, her skin, everything about her. A sigh escapes her when I start to kiss the soft skin there and I’m overcome with the need to devour her.

But I keep my urges in check. With Amanda, I can’t mess up. I gotta take this slow.

Do this right.

Somehow I end up rolling her over on her back and I’m hovering above her, my knees on either side of her hips, my mouth still on her neck. Her hands are resting on my shoulders, like she’s desperate to hold on for dear life. When I finally lift my head and our gazes meet, I ask, “Do you want me to stop?”

She slowly shakes her head and I lean in, running my lips along the delicate line of her jaw, her chin, her cheek. I’m trying to drive her crazy. I want her wanting my mouth on hers so damn bad, she’ll forget she ever said our kiss was just okay. What we could have would never be considered average. I know it. Just being close to her like this has me feeling like I could burst into flames at any given moment. I know she feels it too. Her entire body is trembling and I know it’s not because she’s cold.

It’s because of me.

“Tell me what you want,” I murmur against her soft skin. She turns her head so our mouths are perfectly aligned, our gazes locked, hers dazed, mine I’d guess determined. “Can you say it, Amanda?”

Her damp lips part and I stare at them, transfixed. Her tongue darts out to touch the corner and I want to groan in agonized frustration. She drives me out of my mind and she has no freaking clue. “Kiss me again,” she whispers. Hesitates for a moment before she continues. “Please?”

I waste no time. I kiss her like I’m absolutely starved for her, which isn’t too off base. The kiss deepens in an instant, our tongues tangling, one of her hands going to the back of my head, slender fingers sliding through my hair and gripping me tight. I literally growl against her lips when she tugs on my hair extra hard and she actually giggles.

Giggles.

“Unbelievable. Now you’re laughing at me,” I murmur against her giggling mouth.

“Not at you. At your growl.” She tugs on my hair again so I growl in warning and she giggles even harder. “You’re too cute,” she tells me.

“You think this is cute?” I thrust my hips against her slowly, showing her exactly what she’s doing to me and her eyes nearly bug out of her head when she feels me.

“Jordan…” My name falls off her lips just before I kiss her again. And then it’s on. My hands are under her shirt and her hands are under mine and our legs are tangled up together. We roll onto our sides facing each other, our mouths still locked and then she’s rolling again, until she’s on top of me, straddling my hips with her long legs draped over either side of me.

“Now I’m in charge,” she says triumphantly after she breaks the kiss, her thighs squeezing my hips and driving me out of my ever lovin’ mind.

“I surrender,” I tell her with a faint smile. “Use me. Abuse me. Get your revenge.”

She slips down my body, her hands busily shoving my shirt up to almost my armpits when she pauses and lifts her head, frowning as her gaze meets mine. “Get my revenge?”

I can’t concentrate for shit. Her mouth is too damn close to where I want it-on my stomach. Though I can think of an even better place she can put her mouth on me. “Yeah. For what your boyfriend and best friend did to you tonight. Use me.” That’s a good enough reason, right?

*****

Ah, Tuttle & Amanda are the cutest! It’s a race to the end now peeps - we have 5 more chapters and then ONE NIGHT is finished. And then you can read JUST FRIENDS, which comes out September 13th at all major book retailers! I can’t wait! Please don’t forget to comment/vote/share this story with your friends! Thank you for reading!!! xo

http://monicamurphyauthor.com/books/justfriends/

Em’s practically in my lap and I’m not pushing her off. We’re not going at it or anything, she’s just snuggled up so close to me that I’ve slowly hauled her in closer. Closer. Even closer…

She’s resting her head against my shoulder, strands of her fragrant hair in my face. She’s been pointing out constellations out to me for the past thirty minutes, rattling off facts that are both interesting and boring, all at once. Boring only because I’m sort of drunk and her sweet voice is lulling me to sleep.

I’m not even looking at the sky anymore. I’m savoring the sound of her voice, her soft skin as I run my fingers up and down her shoulders and arm. My touch makes goose bumps rise and she shivers every once in a while.

“You’re not even listening to me, are you?” she asks after a few quiet minutes pass and I startle at her question, my eyes popping open to find her staring up at me, her expression full of amusement.

“I was totally listening,” I lie, sitting up straighter but not giving up my hold on her.