Chaste (McCullough Mountain) (23 page)

“I
don’t know what to think.”

“I
think you know exactly what I’m thinking and I’m pretty sure your thoughts are
running the same direction.”

Her
lips parted, preparing to spew out a lie, but his mouth dropped onto hers
cutting off her words and verifying the truth. Her blood heated as he claimed
her mouth. It was a short, but meaningful kiss. Their history together
resurrected all in that simple gesture that marked her in front of everyone.
When he pulled away they were both breathing fast.

“Come
with me,” he said, pulling her through the crowded dance floor into the night.

She
followed him at a clipped pace, her heart racing beneath her ribs. With their
fingers laced together he led her past the lake where couples were already
gathering by the shore on blankets for the display. They tore through the lot
of cars parked on the gravel and grass and didn’t stop until she saw Kelly’s
truck parked haphazardly under a tree.

Her
arm jerked as he tugged her forward. Her back went against the truck and then
he was kissing her again, this time hungry, deep kisses, and she loved it. Her
arousal screamed like a teakettle slowly heating and finally letting out all
that steam.
Yes!

His
strong body blanketed hers as his hands dragged over her clothes. Sweet heaven,
how had she ever given up his kisses?

His
hand gripped her bottom and she lost a flip-flop as she was lifted off her feet
and pressed into the metal of the truck. Her skirt hiked up and Kelly’s body
filled the space between her legs.

“I
don’t like seeing another man dancing with you, Ashlynn,” he growled. His mouth
worked over her jaw and found an extra sensitive spot.

Her
hands gripped his shoulders and her body came alive as he rotated his hips. Oh,
God, not this again. Commonsense told her to make him stop, but she couldn’t
form the words—didn’t want to—not when her libido was clearly running the show.
She moaned and his fingers grazed up her thigh, crossing the invisible line
into forbidden territory.

He
seemed to know it, too. His mouth ripped from hers and he pressed his face into
her neck. His breath was hot against her skin as he breathed her in. “Fuck,
Ashlynn.” His hand tightened on her leg, squeezing her thigh.

Her
head fell back and he slowly loosened his hold, lowering her feet to the
ground. Her skirt was hiked up to her hips. She shoved it down with shaky hands
and quickly searched to make sure they were alone. “I lost a shoe.”

He
ducked and found her flip-flop. Even the press of his fingers on her ankle was
enough to make her moan. She turned away when he stood again.

“Ashlynn?”

Her
eyes shut. Nothing had changed. They both knew it. “What, Kelly?”

“I’m
not sorry.”

She
laughed, but her body was too excited to really grasp humor. “Okay.”

His
fingers touched the back of her arm and fell away. “I know this doesn’t change
anything, but it also goes to show you nothing’s changed.”

Her
brow tightened and she turned on him. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I
think you’re feeling plenty.”

Her
lips pursed. “So…was this just to prove a point? That I want you? I didn’t need
the demonstration, thank you very much. Thanks for interrupting my dance.”

She
pivoted in the direction of her truck and he cursed. “Ash, wait.” He caught her
arm and tugged her to a stop. “I don’t know why I said that.”

Because
it was true. Nothing changed. Time didn’t make her desire for Kelly fade and
apparently his desire was still just as potent, so was his need for more. “I
don’t know what you want from me.”

“I
don’t know either.”

“Do
you like torturing us this way? No matter how many times you kiss me like that,
we’ll always hit the same dead end.”

He
dropped his arm and looked to the gravel. “I know.”

And
that was all there was to be said. After six weeks they’d ended up right back
where they started. “Goodbye, Kelly.”

His
eyes met hers, but he said nothing. There were no proclamations of affection or
commitment. He was absolutely correct. Nothing had changed.

* * * *

His
name was Davis and he was an IT guy for some place Ashlynn had never heard of.
She’d decided to throw herself face first into the dating world to erase the
memory of Kelly once and for all. Having recently felt his touch and realizing a
momentary lapse was all it would ever be, she needed to shed that part of her
heart and start fresh.

The
day after the summer celebration she’d plunged into the profiles on the dating
site and sorted through the possibilities like a collector of baseball cards.
The list of compiled stats read like a who’s who of bachelors in Center County.

Davis
wasn’t the highest scorer on her list, but he was one of the few who replied to
her email. He made between twenty and forty thousand a year, not that his
income was a huge deal, but he was employed. He was Catholic, from the next
town over, only two years older than her, and he wasn’t bad to look at.

They’d
emailed a few times, mostly polite chitchat—Where do you work? What do you like
to do in your spare time? How long have you been single? And then he’d asked
her to dinner.

She
waited at the table that night and sat up a bit straighter when she thought
she’d recognized him.
Hmm…he doesn’t look five-ten.
She shook the
thought away and smiled as he approached her table.

“Ashlynn?”

“Davis?”

He
smiled. He hadn’t smiled with teeth in his pictures and she was a little
shocked at what she saw, but he still wasn’t ugly. Besides, she wasn’t the
superficial sort. It just irritated her when she suspected someone purposely
attempted to be misleading. Even she had updated her profile picture to one
where she wore her glasses. She was done pretending to be something she wasn’t
and not interested in playing games.

They
settled in at the table and a waitress brought them drinks. When Davis didn’t
immediately jump into conversation, she was grateful for the menu. The waitress
returned only a few minutes later and took their order along with their menus.

Having
her shield removed, Ashlynn smiled awkwardly. “Sooo… What’s happening in the IT
world?”

That
was clearly the wrong question to ask. The following hour passed in a language
she barely understood. Davis used terms like binary, configuration protocol,
and authentication system. Basically, she’d rather have spent the hour getting
a cavity filled.

She
smiled weakly at the waitress as she cleared away their plates. Davis never
missed a beat. “…I just don’t understand how people get confused about malware.
I mean, come on.”

Ashlynn
sucked melted ice through the straw of her soda, making that annoying slurp
sound once she hit the bottom. “It is a mystery.” Dear lord, she couldn’t take
any more. “So, you’re Catholic?”

“Born
and raised.”

“Is
faith something you plan on raising your kids with?”

“Yes.
I think it did me and my sister well to have a strong religious foundation.”

Perhaps
it was the length at which he’d discussed computers that had the ghosting
affect of a lobotomy. Or perhaps it was that he’d lied about his height. Or
maybe it was because he’d commented on the waitress’s tattoos, calling them
tacky and tasteless. She wasn’t sure what made her suddenly sabotage her own
date, but it happened.

Not
paying attention to what he was talking about, she decided to commit dating
suicide then and there. “…It really wasn’t a great start to the week, you know?
But sometimes there’s no helping—”

“I’m a virgin.”

That
shut him up. His eyes rounded behind his Peter Parker glasses. “Pardon?”

“I’m
a virgin. I just thought I’d put that out there.”

His
eyes darted left then right. “Okay…”

“It’s
by choice,” she added. “I’m saving myself for marriage. I don’t do
anything
.
Nothing. I just thought you should know.”

His
expression was blank once the shock from her outburst wore off.
Dear Lord,
was that silence?
She’d expected him to ask for the check and never call.
What she didn’t expect was the weight of his fingers on hers and the sense
she’d just made things worse.

He
smiled. “I’m a virgin too.”
Oh no.
“I didn’t think there were many of us
left.” His left hand tapped the ring on his right hand, showing her what she
assumed was a promise ring of his own.

Her
eyes shut. “Fuck.” Never one to curse, but…
This has to be some cruel joke!

He
frowned. “Excuse me?”

She
cleared her throat and smiled tightly when all she wanted to do was escape this
date from hell. “I said,
what luck
.”

He
smiled back at her, confidence showing behind the lenses of his glasses.

Things
could have been so easy had he been someone else. But after an evening of
computer talk, judging the waitress, and misleading Ashlynn from the start, she
just wanted it over. As she nibbled her dessert, she contemplated things that
needed to get done around her house. Davis chatted.

She’d
zoned in and out of the conversation, nodding when it felt appropriate.
However, after twenty minutes something shifted. His words caught her attention
and she listened, emphatically agreeing with him and laughing about a similar
experience she’d had. It turned out, their virginity was the common ground they
had been missing.

Davis
ordered two coffees and they spent the next hour talking about what it was like
to be the last virgins standing. It was odd, but she felt a sort of camaraderie
for the man who dealt with as many social massacres as she had in her personal
life. They were suddenly two peas of the same pod trying to honor their beliefs
in the face of temptation.

Stranger
still, when Davis walked her to her truck he didn’t try to cram his tongue in
her mouth and only shook her hand. She was so surprised by this she found
herself agreeing to see him again that following night. She’d even agreed to
let him pick her up at her place.

When
she got home she was disoriented. Davis from the first half of her date was
dreadful. But the Davis she’d said goodnight to wasn’t that bad. Perhaps this
was what she needed, someone working with the same amount of experience she had
under her belt.

She
was lying to herself, of course, because that was what she did, but she was
determined to give dating a try. If tomorrow night didn’t go well, she’d go
back to the drawing board.

Chapter Eight

She
should have listened to her instincts.

Davis
cancelled dinner and changed their plans. They were going for drinks. Ashlynn
didn’t drink, but she still enjoyed the bar setting. Unfortunately, Davis
emailed her that morning stating he would be away from his computer the entire
day and unable to be reached. He simply stated he’d meet her at O’Malley’s at
eight.

Great.

She
emailed him back saying that wasn’t going to work, but as he’d indicated, he
was out of reach for the day. When seven-thirty rolled around and there was
still no reply in her Inbox, she reluctantly put on her khaki skirt and a plain
white T and headed into town.

Kelly
would be there. It was Saturday night after all. Still, she held a small pity
party in her truck as she waited for Davis. Her stomach rolled with
nervousness. She didn’t want to see Kelly. She also didn’t want Kelly to see
Davis, which made her feel like a terrible person.

There
was a tap on her window and she pasted on a smile as Davis waved to her.
Waving?
Really?
Sighing and keeping her mouth curved in what she hoped was a
pleasant expression, she climbed out of the truck.

“How
was your day?”

See?
He’s nice. Stop rejecting anyone who isn’t Kelly.
“Fine. How was yours?”

And
then it started—more computer talk. He earned points for holding the door, but
he might as well have been speaking another language. The pub was packed. They
had to wait by the bar for a table and unfortunately, Davis led them away from
Sue’s side of the pub and right into Kelly’s lair.

Kelly
approached and his smile faltered as Davis rested his arm over her shoulder.
“Ashlynn.”

She
was going to vomit. Attempting to play it cool, she contorted her smile into
something convincing that didn’t seem too eager. No matter what, the sight of
him always did unsettling things to her. “Hi.”

Davis
stepped up to the bar. “I’ll have a daiquiri and my date here will have a
Coke.”

Kelly
raised a dark brow slowly and she gave him a pleading look. Thankfully he
didn’t comment on her company. “That’s one
daiquiri
and one
diet
cola
coming up.”