“That's it?” I blew air out of my lips. “That's pretty normal for a teenage boy.”
“Oh, there was nothing normal about it. I would jerk off into the chimney, and I'd always sing, in my head, 'Santa Claus is coming.'”
I laughed so hard, chunks of doughnut flew from my mouth. Smith handed me some bottled water, but I couldn't swallow, because of the laughter, and soon the water came flying out of my mouth as well.
Finally, when I'd pulled myself together, I said, “You just made that up. I should have known. Ask a writer for a secret, and he'll tell you a doozie.”
He shook his head. “I could never make up anything as strange as the truth.”
“Good, because if you're lying, I'm going to spank you.”
His eyes widened, then crinkled around the sides with a big smile. “Let's go find a quiet place behind a tree.”
A woman—Cassie—approached us then, saying, “You made it!”
Smith shoved the box of doughnuts into my hands without looking at me, and gave Cassie a hug. A moment later, we were being led over to the spot she'd staked out near the band stage, complete with a picnic blanket spread across the lawn.
My heart jumped as I spotted her brother Callum, looking just as hunky as I'd remembered, all black tousled hair and blue eyes.
I took a seat next to him and checked out his stack of books. To my surprise, one of the paperbacks was a Smith Dunham detective novel.
Callum said to Smith, “Would you mind signing one for me? I know it's dorky, and you probably get tired of people asking ...”
Smith took the book proudly and produced a pen from his pocket. “Of course I don't get tired of it! That's for authors much older and crankier than me.” He winked at Callum. “Why do you think I always carry a pen?”
The band started up again, putting a damper on conversation.
Smith took a seat on the blanket, cross-legged, next to me.
He complained about his jeans being too tight, but I assured him they looked so good, a little suffering on his part was worth it for me. I squeezed his leg and eyed the bulge behind his zipper, looking forward to getting him out of the jeans.
Callum was hunky as well, but Smith was with me, and he was being so sweet, asking me every ten minutes if I had enough bug-repellant lotion on me, or if I needed more water.
All around us, people were laughing and drinking. So many teenagers were making out on blankets, you could practically smell the raging hormones in the air.
Callum kept staring at us, like the silent make-out police. Whenever Smith moved a hand onto my thigh, or squeezed my calf, Callum's eyes went to the hand, his expression serious.
I was watching Callum watching us, but Smith interpreted the situation differently. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Stop looking at that young buck next to you, or I'm going to get jealous.”
Callum stood to go get us some wine, and, just to goad Smith, I took a leisurely stare at Callum's muscular butt.
I turned back to Smith and very innocently said, “I'm just enjoying the lovely Vermont view. I'm a tourist. Here to enjoy.”
With Callum gone, we had some privacy, as Cassie was talking to some other pretty girls at a nearby blanket.
Smith's hands darted up under the hem of my blue dress, and he pinched the flesh of my pu**y between his thumb and forefingers. I inhaled sharply, surprised by his boldness, though in the crowd of people and the noise of the live band, nobody was paying attention.
He licked his lips and made eye contact with me as he swirled his thumb over top of my panties. I hadn't been aroused, but my body turned on rapidly, heat radiating from my pu**y to my belly, my eyes fluttering with pleasure as he stoked those nerves, kindling the fire.
“Smith,” I said.
He cocked his ear my way. “I didn't hear the magic word.”
“Please.”
He grinned and kept rubbing me, giving me wicked pulses of pleasure. He leaned in and kissed me, thrusting his tongue in between my lips.
I moaned into his mouth, my pulse throbbing in my neck. I had to push him away before someone saw, but I didn't want to. I couldn't even ask him to stop, because I didn't want him to.
He pulled away from my lips and brought his mouth to my ear. “Wait until it gets dark,” he said, his voice low and throaty. “And I get these panties off.”
I caught myself moving my pelvis, rocking against him, and I pushed his hand away, embarrassed.
“That's enough,” I said.
“For now.”
I adjusted the hem of my dress and pulled my knees together, adjusting my position.
“You're so naughty,” I said to Smith.
He beamed, looking just as proud as when he'd been asked for his autograph.
A little boy and a little girl, about ten and probably twins, came by with baskets of roses for sale.
Smith whipped out his wallet and bought a red rose for me and a yellow one for Cassie, who'd just returned to our blanket. They were just single roses, and yet, the look in Smith's eyes was so tender when he presented them to us.
“I'm the luckiest man in the world, tonight,” he said. “Sitting here with two beautiful girls.”
Callum returned, with plastic cups of wine for all of us.
Smith said to Callum, “I should have got you a flower, man! What color rose is for a bromance?”
Callum looked up thoughtfully. “Pink?” He handed out the cups of wine and then reached behind him and produced three pink roses at once. “For my beautiful sister,” he said, handing Cassie the first rose. “You make the whole family proud, and I know one day I'll be asking for your autograph.” He handed the second pink rose to an amused-looking Smith. “For my bromantic pal, the bestselling author and all-around great guy.” Lastly, he handed the third to me. “And for our new friend. You inspire me, with your beauty and your grace.”
I fanned my face, which only brought more attention to the fact I was blushing.
Smith put his arm around me and said, “Admire her beauty and grace from afar, or the bromance is over.”
We all laughed at this, but Callum kept looking over, his expression hungry.
I felt guilty for enjoying the attention, so I kissed Smith tenderly on the cheek.
The band played until dusk, and then a trio of clowns appeared to make balloon animals for the kids who hadn't yet fallen asleep in their sleeping bags.
As the clowns were finishing, the fireworks started. All four of us lay on our backs on the blanket, enjoying the show high overhead, laughing at the crowd's oohs and aahs and then eventually joining in with our own.
After the fireworks, some of the families with younger kids packed up and went home. The crowd thinned, with many of the teenagers running off to find trouble. With everyone in the park, they had the run of the town, and they knew it.