Free Fighting the Flames by Leslie Johnson

than he cared to admit. Sarah was a sure thing. He’d had his fair share of one night stands before. One more wouldn’t hurt. Besides, it’s not like he was dating Jess or anything. An image of Jess flashed in his mind: her big brown eyes and sun kissed face, her plump pink lips and that tiny dimple when she smiled. He took a deep breath, resigning himself to the idea of going home and jerking off. “Thanks, but I can’t. I’ve gotta be up early.”
    Sarah ran her hand down his torso and grabbed his crotch. “Are you sure?”
    Ryan removed her hand. “No. But you go have fun.” He walked away. Christ, what was wrong with him, turning down sex like that? As he climbed into his truck, he wondered if he’d ever be able to have sex with another woman again. He shook his head. No other woman could ever satisfy him like Jess could. Ryan drove home slowly, glad he’d shifted to drinking soda hours ago. At least he still had half a brain left.
    He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, the fifteen minute drive took him half an hour. When he finally made it home, he was surprised to find Jess outside, sitting on her porch, staring up at the sky. Why the hell was she up so late? He hesitated for a moment. Should he go over and talk to her? Or simply say hi and go to bed? He walked over and sat beside her. “You’re up late.”
    She rested her elbows on her knees and looked at him with a smile. His heart raced and his cock thickened at the sight of her. It was a bad idea to come over here, he thought, especially considering how horny he was and how badly he wanted to take her to bed.
    “I couldn’t sleep,” she said after a moment. “Looks like you had fun tonight.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    She laughed. “Its two-thirty in the morning, you haven’t stopped smiling since you got home, and I know you’ve been drinking.”
    “Oh really?” He raised a brow. “And how do you know I’ve been drinking? I stopped hours ago.”
    “Because your cheeks flush when you drink. Right now they’re rosy pink. You smile all the time and when you do, your jaw softens and you get that dimple in your chin. And your eyes get hazy. When they get like that, they remind me of that stretch of beach we found, the one that was clear except for the hint of green seaweed.”
    Ryan was dumbstruck. He had no idea she been so observant, so mindful of him. It was flattering. He flung his arm around her shoulders. “Okay, you got me. Maybe I didn’t taper off soon enough.”
    She chuckled. “I’m glad you had a good time.”
    “It would’ve been better if you’d been there.” Jess sat silently. Ryan worried he’d said the wrong thing, although he noted she hadn’t asked him to move his arm.
    “Maybe next time,” she said. “Don’t drive next time. Call me and I’ll pick you up.”
    He couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
    Jess stiffened at that but didn’t engage. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder. He instinctively kissed her forehead and then immediately regretted it. Friends didn’t kiss other friends. He had to remember that. She tilted her head and looked up at him. Their lips were close. It would be easy for him to kiss her right now, to feel her hot breath mixing with his, to feel her soft lips parting for him, to feel her tongue slide over his.
    “Jess,” he whispered and licked his lips. She didn’t move and it was getting harder by the second for him not to lean down and kiss her. The look in her eyes told him she wanted it just as much as he did. “You should get some sleep.”
    “You’re probably right.” She still didn’t move though.
    Ryan caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and he held her gaze for several long moments before he finally asked, “What do you want, Jess?” She didn’t have to say anything. Her actions told him what he needed to know. Jess leaned in toward him, licked her lips, and her eyelids fluttered closed.
    Ryan