He loomed over, all hard-bodied man. “I finally get to put my mouth on you wherever I want.”
“So confident you’re gonna win?”
“I’ve already won.” Tell pressed his lips to hers and let the kiss linger. No tongue, just the warm tease of his mouth. “I trust you know how to play horse?” he murmured between soft smooches.
“Yes. But I get to shoot first because you’re going down.”
“Or I’m goin’ down on you.” Grinning wickedly, he handed her the ball. “Show me whatcha got, hot lips.”
Georgia had always hated that nickname, but coming from Tell in that husky male rasp…made it sound sexy. Standing on the right side of the basket, she shot and the ball bounced off the glass to the other side.
“Tough break. My turn.” Tell performed some fancy dribbling maneuver around her. Stopping beneath the basket, he took the shot.
Nothing but net.
“And the crowd goes wild.” Tell spun a circle, pumped his fist into the air, then passed her the ball.
Okay. She could do this. No sweat. She lobbed the ball at the basket and it dropped in. She must’ve had a surprised look because Tell laughed when he high-fived her.
He snatched the ball and lined up at the free throw mark. He bounced the ball four times and then let it fly.
Swish.
Dammit. She’d never make that shot. Georgia felt Tell move in behind her at the free throw line; his breath tickled her ear. “Don’t forget. It was four bounces before the shot. If you don’t do it exactly right, you’ll earn a penalty.”
She faced him. “That’s not in the rules.”
“There’s one thing you oughta know about me, sweetness. I make up my own rules.”
Tempting to break the rules just to see what he’d do. But Tell probably expected that. She dribbled four times and sent the ball into the air, only to watch it bounce off the rim.
“And she earns an ‘H’. Better luck next time.”
For the next two shots, Tell remained in the same place at the free throw line. He aced both baskets, which added an “O” and an “R” to her score when she missed both hers.
Tell slam-dunked the next one.
“Now that, Tell McKay, is just plain mean. I’m short. I need a ladder to make that shot.”
“Or some help.” He handed her the ball. “Hold on.”
“What?” barely squeaked from her mouth before Tell wrapped his arms around her thighs and hoisted her up. “Omigod, I weigh too much for you to be lifting me.”
“Bullshit. Now dunk that ball in the basket.”
Using both hands, she slammed it in the hoop. She released a loud whoop and kept her eyes on Tell’s as he allowed her to slide down his body slowly enough that every hard inch of his upper torso pressed into her thighs, belly and chest.
When they were eye to eye, Tell muttered, “You’re just so goddamn tempting I can’t help myself,” and snared her mouth in a kiss.
Tell McKay kissed the daylights out of her. Even after he finally let her feet touch the ground, Georgia still had that floating sensation.
“I could get used to seein’ that dazed look every time I kiss you.”
“I could get used to you kissing me like that,” she shot back. “But I know what you’re doing.”
“What?”
“Cheating. Trying to keep me off-balance.”
“Yep.” He flashed an unapologetic grin. “And I’m even gonna let you take the next shot.”
“Only because you believe I won’t make it.”
He walked backward with his hands out. “So prove me wrong.”
As Georgia scooped up the ball, she had a brilliant idea. She dribbled the ball until she reached the free throw line. Then she turned around.
“Georgia, what are you doin’? You’re facing the wrong way.”
“I know.” With her back to the basket and her feet spread wide apart, she swung the ball between her knees and threw it over her head. She spun quickly, watching the ball hit the backboard, sloppily rimming the bucket before it dropped in. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She skipped toward Tell, taunting, “In your face, McKay.”
“You think I can’t do it granny style, hot lips?”
“I’m sure you can. Just as I’m sure you’ll make a crack about preferring to do it doggie style.”
“Guess you’ll find out, won’t you?”
Georgia cooed, “I’m game for that right now.”
Tell let the ball drop. He stalked her, but it wasn’t like she tried to get away. He bent down and slapped his hands on her ass. “Jump up and wrap your legs around my waist.”
“But—”
“Do. It. Now.”
That bit of bossiness coming from him was hot. Soon as she moved, he lifted her, keeping a firm grip on her ass. Georgia emitted a little yelp, clutching his shoulders as he walked her backward until her upper body rested against the steel post.
His intense blue eyes were riveted on hers before he dipped his head. She expected fire the instant their lips touched, but Tell kissed her without hurry. Keeping the kiss soft, sweet and slow. As if he had all the time in the world to explore her mouth, to tease her tongue with little sucks and bites. To drive her to the edge of lust and hold her there for as long as he damn well pleased.
She tangled her fingers in his hair, drifting into a fuzzy state of pleasure. She couldn’t blame the heat building between them on the sun. Just this man.
They only broke the kiss because someone whistled.
Tell’s forehead met hers. “Damn.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“What are we gonna do about this, sweetness?”
“I have a couple of ideas. Explicit ideas.”
“So if I said, ‘Georgia, let’s hotfoot it to my place right now and get nekkid’…?”
“I’d race you to your truck. And I’d probably win.”
He laughed. “Guess that settles my question.”
“Which was?”
Tell studied her. “If you’re shy when that bedroom door closes.”
“No. But I’m not bossy, either.”
“Good to know. Because I am bossy.”
She expected him to laugh and say just kidding, but apparently he was serious. Very serious. She swallowed hard.
“Did you know I had a hard-on every damn day in history class?”
“Ah-hah!” Georgia poked him in the chest. “I knew studying the War Between the States got you all hot and bothered.”
“Funny girl. You got me all hot and bothered. Every time your hair brushed across my knuckles, I imagined those soft strands teasing my dick. I’d stare at the back of your head and daydream.”
“About my hair?”
He grinned. “No. Mostly about sex stuff that I had no experience with, but your cherry-scented hair played a big part in every one of those horny teen dreams. And I wasn’t the only guy in our school who got hard just from lookin’ at you. I hoped my boner would be gone by the time the bell rang. So you wouldn’t notice.”
A sudden feeling of guilt caused her to blurt, “What does that say about me, Tell? That I didn’t notice?”
“It says you were a seventeen-year-old girl immersed in her own dramas. It also says for bein’ the hottest girl in school, you were unaware of your appeal. I didn’t bring it up to make you feel bad, Georgia. I only said it because I’m hard right now.”
“I figured that out on my own.”
He laughed. “See? You’re much more observant now.”
“So how long do you plan to keep me pressed up against this pole?”
“Until my flagpole impression goes away. Just give me a minute to…catch my bearings, because we still need to finish our game,” Tell murmured in her ear.
“Huh-uh. I forfeit. You win. Now can we get ice cream?”
Tell kissed her and gently set her back on her feet. He picked up the basketball and held out his hand. “Where you thinking? Dairy Queen? Or the drive-in? Wherever we go, you cannot order a cone. No way can I hide an erection in these shorts if I watch that tongue of yours licking.”
“Too bad. I’m definitely picking that.” She yelped when he swatted her butt.
After piling in Tell’s pickup, he patted the center of the bench seat and grinned at her.
Georgia rolled her eyes, but she scooted over.
The DQ parking lot was full on a Sunday afternoon.
Tell kept his hands on her shoulders and his body tucked in close behind hers as they waited in line. He read every item on the menu to her, and made every item sound dirty.
When she turned to warn him to knock it off or else she was ordering a chocolate-covered frozen banana, he kissed her. Not a quick peck either.
“Eww, Tell. I think I saw your tongue,” a young male voice complained.
They broke the lip-lock and looked at the boy. Dark hair, blue eyes, wearing camo shorts and an orange Toby Keith T-shirt.
“Hey, Ky. Guess you haven’t kissed a girl yet if you’re still grossed out by it.”
The kid blushed. “I coulda kissed a girl if I wanted to, but who’d want to?” Ky’s gaze landed on Georgia. “Who’re you?”
“Georgia Hotchkiss. Who are you?”
“Ky McKay. Tell is kinda my uncle.” He threw back his thin shoulders, rising to his full height. “You’re kinda short. I’m almost taller than you.”
“And you’re about to get extra chores for bein’ rude, Kyler.”
The man who’d spoken stood behind Ky with another dark-haired boy of about two resting on his hip. She’d never met him, and he was probably a dozen years older than Tell, but he was obviously a McKay.
“Aw, Dad, I was just kiddin’,” Ky complained.
The man thrust out his hand and smiled. “I’m Cord McKay. Tell’s cousin.”
“Nice to meet you, Cord. Who’s the little guy?”