Free You Before Me by Lindsay Paige

“Last, but definitely not least.” Inch
by inch, Ryan leans forward until she is close enough to press her
lips against mine. “But mostly these.”
    She kisses me then, just as slow but
even more intense then last night. There's too much sexual tension
between us. I'm already turned on, and Ryan knows it because her
lips lift a little against mine as she rests fully in my lap. These
basketball shorts aren't hiding anything either. Ryan tastes minty,
but the longer we kiss, the more I taste her. She lets go of my
hands to hold onto my shoulders instead. My own don't even bother
going back to her hips. They head straight for those toned thighs
of hers that I want wrapped around my waist.
    The silky smoothness of her skin
disorients me more than anything. I have just enough clarity to
keep my hands from exploring because the moment they do, I'll be
lost in her again. Ryan withdraws from my lips, kissing my jaw,
before going to my neck. That beautiful shoulder is in front of me,
so I start from the right, kissing and sucking my way to the crook
of her neck while her lips travel to nibble on my ear.
    “Gabe?” She breathes.
    I hum against her shoulder in
response.
    “Let your hands move.” I feel her
hands over mine, lifting the fingers a little. “Your grip is too
tight.”
    That clears some of the haze, and I
pull away to see her giving me a small smile. “Sorry.”
    “It's fine.” The moment clashes as
Aretha starts singing about respect. Ryan sits upright, looking
down at our hands, and I lean back into the couch. After a moment,
she peers up at me from underneath those lashes, her red hair
framing her face perfectly. “I'm sorry. I don't mean to keep
putting you in situations where you feel the need to restrain
yourself. I'm not exactly used to people holding back. Am I really
that bad that you would feel guilty about me? Because that's how
you felt after our date, isn't it? I don't understand why you keep
coming back if I made you feel that way. I-”
    “Ryan, stop talking.” I
intertwine our hands again. “ You didn't make me feel guilty. I made myself-”
    “Because of what you did with me,” she
interrupts, her voice monotone. The next thing out of her mouth is
full of emotion though. “What you're most scared of, Gabe? That's
practically me. I'm not the kind of girl that guys show off to
those who matter to them. I'm the You-Only-Need-One-Date girl, and
before you even say something, I'm perfectly happy being that girl.
My point is that you, your hopes, dreams, and personality are the
complete opposite of the kind of girl I am. That's why I don't
understand why you're here.”
    I think carefully about what she said
before I respond. “I'm here because you are more than a type or
kind of girl. There's always more to a person than that, and you
aren't excluded. I know that there is more to you than sex and more
than a personality that keeps you in a certain
category.”
    “But you're concerned,” she interrupts
again. Softly, she curiously adds, “Can you tell me what about me
has you worried?”
    “You really want me to tell
you?”
    “Of course. It's good to be aware of
my faults.”
    My brows come together, confused.
“Your faults?”
    “Just tell me, please.”
    “These things aren't your faults,
Ryan. It's what makes you who you are, and I don't see anything
wrong with that.” She nods, but I can tell she doesn't believe me.
“But if you really want to know, I'll tell you. All of these things
scare me, sure, but I like these things about you too, okay?” Once
she nods, I continue. “You're beautiful, and you have a very
tempting and gorgeous body. It's almost too much considering your
age. You know how to use this body very well and being pulled over
when you're half naked doesn't bother you at all. Then there's how
I'm six years older than you and that wouldn't sound so bad if your
age didn't end with 'teen'.
    “You're still in college while my
lifestyle is way different than that.