Read Online Against All Odds by Kels Barnholdt - Free Book Online Page B

minutes later I find myself pulling him back toward me.
    “Don’t stop,” I moan into him. And for a few more minutes he doesn’t. But then all too soon he’s pulling away again.
    “What are you doing?” I ask frustrated.
    “I should go to bed. I have to be up early.”
    Is he kidding? The only place I want him to go is up my shirt again.
    “Stay a while longer,” I tell him.
    He shakes his head. I don’t get it. He’s never one to stop first. And he’s definitely not one to stop after ten minutes. That’s when I notice how heavy his breathing still is and how hard he’s trying to steady it. He doesn’t want to leave. He just doesn’t trust himself to keep kissing me tonight.
    “Oh, I get it,” I say sitting up and pressing my chest up against his back. “I’m turning you on, right?”
    He doesn’t say anything and I start to rub my hands up and down his shoulders. I start to kiss his neck slowly, using my tongue in certain places. He lets me do this for a minute and then releases a little sigh, “Victoria, you need to stop.”
    Him calling me by my real name, not Shell, snaps me out of it. I lean back against my pillow and let him gain control of himself, allowing myself to do the same.
    After a few minutes he gets up from my bed. “Try to get some sleep, okay?” I nod as he shoots me a small smile.
    Then he’s gone and all I can see is the darkness.

    ***
    “I think I’m in love,” Angelina declares throwing her body down in the chair next to me.
    “Oh gosh,” I tell her smiling, “You guys don’t waste any time.”
    She sighs and opens her lunch bag. Today she has baked ziti with garlic knots.
    Their family is so Italian it’s ridiculous. She pops open her ziti and takes a big bite.
    “He’s beyond nice to me,” she tells me still chewing. “I didn’t even know he liked me, but he does! He has for over two months!” She says it like it’s the most exciting thing in the world. I just shake my head.
    The truth is, I am really happy for her. She’s my best friend and she deserves to be happy. Just because I’m kind of alone doesn’t mean I have to be bitter toward her about it. Besides, I’ll have someone soon enough. I wonder if Matt Russo has any idea what he’s in for?
    “I’m really so happy for you,” I tell her.
    She bites her lip. “I invited him to eat lunch with us today. I hope that’s okay.”
    I pretend to think about it really hard. “Oh, I guess it’s okay.”
    She throws a piece of pasta at me and I jump back.
    “So are you going to actually eat something today or what?” Angelina says nodding to the empty space in front of me.
    Dustin sits down next to her, which saves me from the third degree about my poor eating habits. It’s one I’ve heard over and over again and it’s growing old. My own father doesn’t worry about my eating habits this much, my best friend definitely shouldn’t have to. Not that my dad worries about anything I do, but still.
    Angelina’s face lights up at the sight of Dustin. “Hey!”
    Wow, way to play it cool there Angelina. If Dustin notices her excitement it doesn’t faze him since he’s clearly just as happy to see her as she is to see him.
    “I brought you an extra garlic knot since you liked them so much the other night,”
    she says grinning.
    His face lights up and I feel like I might gag. She holds the garlic knot out and stares at him adoringly. But then her eyes travel just a fraction to the left and she frowns.
    “I need to talk to Melissa Donavon about something for newspaper. I’ll only be a minute.
    Promise me you’ll still be here when I get back?”
    Dustin grins. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    Angelina pats his leg and gets up as Dustin turns his attention to me.
    “So,” he says sliding his body over a chair next to me, “how’s the article on the boys tennis team coming?”
    Dustin is actually pretty cute. Not cute in an “I want to kiss you” type of way, but rather in an “oh, look at the