At his compliment, Laura’s face burst into flames. He thought she was pretty. Why did he have to and say those kinds of things? Why get her hopes up and then mention Violeta?
“Well, I’m glad you think I’m pretty,” she said instead, smiling, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. “You’re handsome, too, you know.”
Josh’s smile was slightly pained. “You don’t mean that, Laura,” he murmured. “How long until we get to the park?”
Laura looked at Josh, taking in the forced smile on his features. “I don’t really say things I don’t mean, Josh, unless I’m being sarcastic,” she said seriously. “I think you’re handsome. Extremely so. Haven’t you seen all those girls at college swooning at you? You’re rather oblivious. And we’ll get there in a few more minutes.”
Josh stared at her for a couple seconds, disbelieving but touched… and flustered. Maybe one day she’ll——
No. It was too good to ever happen.
“I don’t think any of them swoon..”
Laura snorted. Had he ever paid attention to her?
“Like I said—oblivious,” she winked, walking behind him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She jumped on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck, her heels clutched tightly, her feet still touching the ground. “Carry me. The ground’s too cold.”
Josh stumbled to one side, catching himself on the exterior wall of an apartment building before he could fall. Swallowing thickly, he hooked his hands under her legs and lifted her up. “O-Oh. I—Okay.” Her warm body was pressed to his, legs and arms wound around his body… he nearly lost it right then and there.
Laura closed her eyes, a shiver escaping through her when he hooked his hands under her legs. It was stupid how far she was going just to be so close to him. Laura didn’t seem to care. She merely tightened her hold around his middle and buried her face in his neck.
He even smelled so goddamn good. Was there anything this guy was incapable of?
“I’m not heavy, am I?” She questioned quietly. “I do eat a lot.”
Her mouth was on his neck—her legs were wrapped around his waist—
Josh nearly lost it. Dizzy and disoriented from her closeness, he sucked in a sharp breath, unconsciously tightening his hold on her. “You’re not—You’re not heavy,” he breathed, closing his eyes.
Why was she doing this to herself? The girl didn't even know. She breathed him in, closing her eyes. Her mouth was pressed against his skin and God, she wanted it to be there for a kiss, not for… this.
And he was stuttering again, stumbling over his words. Perhaps he was annoyed with her. Of course, he was. She had just jumped on his back without permission. Of course, he would be.
"I can get off if you want," she said, loosening her hold on him. "We're nearly there, anyway."
No. His heart hammered wildly in his chest, screaming out its aversion to her suggestion. “Stay,” Josh murmured, tightening his hold even farther. “Please. I mean—If you want.”
Her mouth was hot against his skin and it was driving him insane. All he wanted to do was gather her up in his arms and kiss her until she collapsed, until she was just as driven by a want for him as he was for her.
But this attraction—it ran much deeper than the surface. And he couldn’t do that to her…
Laura almost collapsed against him. He wanted her to stay. He didn't want her to get off. Her heart began to hammer wildly in her chest, her body unnaturally warm. Was he able to feel her how fast her heart was running? Did he realize it was because of him that it was like this? Did he realize just how badly she wanted him to pin her against something and quench the desire brewing inside of her? She wanted him so badly.
It was insane. And his hands on her legs. Everything was driving her mad.
"I think I like it here," Laura responded, swallowing, tightening her hold on him. "So I'm staying."
Josh was struggling to put one foot in front of the other by now. He wanted nothing more than to crush his mouth against hers, to cup her warm cheeks in his hands, to trail soft, loving kisses along her jawline. Each step was a mental battle, each breath more painful than the last. I like you, he thought, again and again and again. So much, Laura.
Closing her eyes led Laura to imagine his mouth on hers, so she opened them again. Her breathing was slightly ragged, body flushed with desire. She didn't remember wanting a man as much as she wanted Josh at this moment. She shuddered at her thoughts, hoping Josh would think it was because of the cold and not because of him. How she wanted to tell him to kiss her, tell him she liked him. But she couldn't. His heart was with Violeta, not with her.
"Ah, we're here," Laura mumbled, disappointment lacing her voice. She wanted to be pressed up against him a while longer.
Josh let her slip from his back, fingers trailing over her skin for a split second more before he pulled away. “Are you cold?” he murmured in askance, slipping his unbuttoned flannel from his shoulders (he was still wearing a t-shirt underneath). “You can wear this if you’re cold.”
Laura sucked in a deep breath when his fingers trailed over her skin before he pulled away. Then he was taking off his shirt and she burst into flames.
"N-no!" she exclaimed. "I'm fine. Really, I'm fine!"
“I’m too warm in this anyways,” he tried to politely insist, wanting more than anything to see her wearing something his. “You can take it if you want.”
Laura slowly took his shirt from him, her cheeks pink. She hoped the blush she put on helped. She slipped it on, feeling its warmth flood through her. It was baggy on her, too, due to her slim figure. It smelled just like him. It drove her insane. She wanted to breathe it in, but she didn’t want to come out as a creep.
“Thank you, Josh,” she breathed. “If’s warm.”
Josh was stepping towards her before he could stop himself, hooking his fingers around the buttons of the flannels and sliding them into their respective holes. “You’ll get cold if you leave it unbuttoned,” he murmured by way of explanation, tugging her every slightly closer. The scarce inches of empty space between them closed, but… it still wasn’t enough to satisfy his craving.
What was he doing to himself?
If Laura thought her face couldn’t get any redder than it already had, she was wrong. In fact, she didn’t even need the flannel to keep her warm. Her hot body was doing just the trick, with Josh being the one lighting it on fire.
Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, desperate to escape. And then he was tugging her closer and Laura just wanted him to freaking kiss her already. This was bad. She was going crazy.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her mouth was dry, but she knew only Josh’s mouth could satisfy it. She stepped a little closer, swallowing thickly.
“Won’t you—won’t you be cold?” She asked, looking at him with wide eyes, her hand moving on its own accord to clasp his.
Josh nearly kissed her right then and there.
He leaned in, almost imperceptibly…. then froze. His eyes flickered downwards to their intertwined hands, tongue sliding over his dry lower lip.
“I’m practically a human furnace.” Swallowing thickly, he shifted her hand to his bicep, and as usual, his skin was hot to the touch. “See?”
Laura froze when he leaned in, and she swore he was almost going to kiss her. Wasn’t he? And then he stopped and Laura almost let out a growl of frustration. Why wasn’t he kissing her? He was going to do that, wasn’t he? So why wasn’t he doing it?
She nearly exploded when he ran his tongue over his lips. Laura had never felt so frustrated before. She wanted this craving to go away. She wanted to kiss him, damn it. Why wasn’t she doing it herself?
And then he took her hand and set it on his bicep. Was he teasing her? On purpose? Did he realize how she was reaction to him? Well, two could play at that.
“Then you should have just hugged me,” she pouted. “It would have warmed me up faster.”
Josh’s breath hitched.
But he lifted an eyebrow, trying (failing) to play it cool, and after a split second of indecision, he slid his arms around her torso.
Pressing someone to his chest had never felt this good. “Like this?”
Laura’s knees nearly buckled from shock. She didn’t think he would actually do it. She thought he would brush off her flirting.
But God, being held like this… it felt so good. Because it was Josh holding her in his arms, she felt so peaceful. Laura exhaled through her nose and relaxed in his hold, her eyes closed, head resting on his shoulder.
“Now that’s warm,” she mumbled. “I could get used to this.”
Josh tightened his arms around her, drawing her closer still. “Oh?” he murmured, heart pounding as he rested his chin on the top of her head. “I’ll be sure to do it more often.”
Laura breathed him in, senses becoming overwhelmed with his scent. Her legs could barely support her own weight. She was glad she had taken off her heels.
“It would be much appreciated if you do it more often When it’s snowing,” Laura wrapped her arms around his middle, stepping closer. “My personal human furnace.”
Josh sucked in a sharp breath. Her hands around his waist… god, why was the universe so cruel? This was torture, utter torture.
“Noted.” A sigh parted his lips. Can I warm up your mouth with mine?
Laura did not want to get out of his embrace, but she needed to before she did something stupid. Like kiss him, for starters.
She pulled back after a while, forcing a smile on her lips. “What do you want to do together?”
Say make-out. Say you want to make-out with me.
Josh kept his fingers linked loosely around her elbows, unwilling to completely let her go. I want to make out with you, he thought, almost desperately. Please. There’s a wall right there——let me press you against it.
“I—I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
He kept a hold on her elbows, almost as if he didn’t want to let her go. Hope bloomed in her heart. Maybe he did want her.
Or maybe he didn’t.
Ah, damn it all to Hell. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to pin her against the wall and kiss her until she’s barely able to stand or think properly. Until the only thing she could conjure would be his name.
So Laura looked up, stood on her toes and leaned towards him.
And was interrupted by her phone ringing loudly in the otherwise quiet evening.
(Hello um… do any of you have a wall I could punch?)
