Julie moved her hands between them, pushing against his chest. He straightened his arms, lifting up, continuing to rock his hips into her. She wanted to watch him now see how he looked as he made love to her. And it was love. She could see that in his eyes. Fine, there was lust there also, but it was the intoxicating combination of the two that was throwing her into sensory overload.
She looked down between them. He knew just how to handle her body, how to take care of her. She lifted into him, matching his rhythm. “God, Matt….”
He smiled softly at her.
“More,” she told him, her voice barely audible. It was hard for her to talk now. “More.”
Matt started to move faster, still steadily and evenly, but faster. She closed her eyes, letting herself drift into this. She ran her hands over his arms, his shoulders, his chest, starting to lose any bit of inhibition that was left. The only thing to do now was to let herself be pulled into this almost semi-conscious place, a place that held only the two of them and their craving, sensation, need. There was nothing else now.
They must have stopped the world. They just must have.
Julie listened to Matt. She could easily be overcome by his sounds. The small growl that escaped his lips as he started to grind harder into her. The change in his breathing that told her he was getting closer. The quiver in his voice as he said over and over that he loved her, that he wanted her completely, that she felt impossibly good. She wanted to stay like this forever. But with the way Matt was working his body against hers, she knew he was close. Julie wanted that so much for him. It didn’t matter that it was beginning to sting and that maybe she was using her hands on his waist to pull him in more than she should. She wasn’t going to slow down. After everything that he done to her and for her tonight, she wanted to give him as much pleasure as she could.
They were moving together now so smoothly. Julie wrapped her legs around his, and Matt groaned again, louder now. He slid one hand under her back, bringing them even closer together. “Matty,” she whispered to him. Julie gasped as his whole body tightened. She listened to him, took in his sound and the way he moved against her as he started to shake. She knew she would never get enough of this.
Eventually, he slowed. The minute that he caught his breath, his mouth found hers again, and he kissed her while he recovered, staying inside her. Julie trailed her hands through his hair, cradling him, loving him.
Matt took his lips away and sweetly rubbed his nose against hers. “You’re all right? I didn’t… hurt you? I’m sorry if… God, you felt so… mind-blowing. Everything about you is totally amazing. I got a little lost there for a bit.”
“I couldn’t possibly feel better right now.”
Still joined together, they stayed quiet, snuggling and drawing out the moments that came with the calm after the fervor. There would never be another moment just as significant and valued in the way this one was. They both knew that. They would find other moments—maybe even better ones—but none with the exact tone as this one.
Afterward, when it was time to leave that precious place, Julie glanced at the bag on the floor. “So, that’s one down, seventy-nine to go?”
Matt laughed. “I might need a minute. I can’t wait to go through your rather extensive collection, but I might need a minute.” He stroked his lips across her collarbone. “But until then, I’m sure we could find something else to do. Besides, you might be sore?”
“A little,” she admitted.
“Maybe I can help with that. For instance….” His mouth never left her skin as his lips trailed to her shoulder. She almost stopped him when he lifted his body so that he was no longer against her, but then those kisses found her breasts, later traveling down her stomach and not stopping until he was settled between her thighs. “If I were to do something very, very gently, perhaps I could distract you from any discomfort.” Matt moved his hands underneath her, lifting her into him.
As much as Julie admired his outstanding genius when it came to everything math, computer, and physics-related, she was much preferring the divine application of his smarts when it came to other things.
“Yes. I… I think that might work.”
And then they were both done talking.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Jessica Park mines the territory of love’s growing pains with wit, sharp insights, and a discernible heat and heartbeat. Her previous novels include Flat-Out Love and Relatively Famous, and her NA book, Left Drowning, will be out July 16, 2013.
Please visit Jessica on her website, Twitter, and Facebook for the latest news and silliness.
Left Drowning , Coming July 16, 2013
Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.
This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.
Acknowledgments
Once again, Jim Thomsen provided lightning-speed editing and unfailing cheering throughout my writing career.
How Lori Gondelman catches the things she catches will always astound me, and I am in awe of her proofreading skills. Liis McKinstry and Maria Gowin also swooped in at the last minute to do final reads, and they are now stuck with me for life.
Without David Pacheco, my characters would be posting about weather and meals. So a big thank-you goes to Dave for writing all of the status updates for Flat-Out Matt and sharing a bit of his genius. Also for bailing me out and making me laugh. His ego will totally stay swollen for more than four hours now, but you should still follow him on Twitter @whatdoiknow.
Andrew Kaufman got me through tough writing days because he knows how to “listen to Jessica, damn it!” He also has quite the Celeste fixation, which both she and I enjoy to no end.
Tremendous, unrelenting love to In Like Lions for allowing me to use the lyrics to “Shallow Cars.” James Bridges (guitarist and songwriter for ILL) wrote this gorgeous song, and I cannot recommend the band’s music enough.
Massive gratitude to the entire team at Amazon Children’s Publishing/Skyscape for the enthusiastic support they’ve given Flat-Out Love.
Most of all, thank you to my fans, whose Facebook and Twitter rallying for Flat-Out Matt absolutely stunned me. I could not have written this without you.