Naked Edge by Charli Webb Page A

he holds my hips in place, digging his fingers into my ass. He slips one hand under my shirt and skims the surface of my ribs with his fingertips. The heel of his palm brushes against the side of my breast.
    I want him to touch me. Desperately. It’s all I can do to keep from turning into him. Both of us are trembling, now.  
    I’m not a virgin. We’ve made love before. He wants me. I want him. This shouldn’t be such a big deal. But it is.
    I stare into Rowdy’s eyes and remember how I used to see love and adoration reflected there. A mirror of my own feelings. Now, all I see is lust. His and mine. It’s a raw, animal hunger, demanding and reckless.  
    This is not what I want. My body disagrees. But if I let Rowdy use me, the way he’s used all those other girls, I’m afraid I’ll lose him forever. I’d rather free solo every route on The Redgarden Wall than risk that. “Rowdy, stop.”  
    He freezes then slowly slides his hand out of my shirt, tracing the same path as before, only in reverse.  
    “I’m sorry.”
    He gently pushes my hips away from his then drops his hands. “Me too.”  
    I can tell from his tone of voice that he’s not apologizing. He’s just sorry I stopped him.
    In all the time we were together, he never once made me feel guilty for slowing things down. The night we made love, he kept stopping to ask me if I was sure. I was then. I’m not now.
    Rowdy wraps his fingers around my upper arms and moves me to the side so he can step away from the wall. He leans in.  
    My pulse throbs in my neck as I lift my chin and close my eyes. His warm breath caresses my face. I lick my lips and silently remind myself to be gentle.
    He presses his cheek against mine and whispers, “Goodnight, Skylar,” then disappears into Boone’s room.

Chapter Fourteen
Rowdy

    I feel like a dick for not kissing Sky goodnight, but she’s the one that wants to take things slow. If I withhold what she wants, it might motivate her to speed things up a bit. Yep, I’m definitely a dick.  
    Skylar’s always looked at the world through rainbow-colored glasses. She needs to see me as I really am. Not as the kid I used to be. That boy died when my mother did.
    I head to the bathroom for another shower. This will be the third one today, but if I don’t rub one out, I’ll wake up with a bad case of blue balls in the morning. Or end up having a wet dream in Boone’s spare bed. I doubt he’d appreciate that.  
    My earlier shower dissipated the light scent of Skylar’s organic body wash. It reminds me of apples, but that’s not quite it. There’s also a hint of something earthy and green. Whatever it is, my dick sure as fuck likes it. I check the label. It’s chamomile. I should have taken care of business the first time I was in here, but I didn’t want to act like a perv, jerking off with her in the next room. Nothing’s changed, except the intensity of my desperation.  
    I put Boone’s bloodstained t-shirt in the sink to soak then step into the tub and pull the shower curtain closed. Skylar’s shampoo, conditioner and body wash are tucked into the back corner. I pop open the cap of her body wash and take a whiff. My eyes roll into the back of my head. Fuuuck.  
    I’m tempted to squirt a tiny amount into my palm, but that’s crossing a line too pervy even for me. I grab the bar of goat milk soap off the wire rack hanging from the shower head and lather up. I take my throbbing dick with my right hand and press my left fist against my mouth to stifle the groans, but change my mind when my mouth explodes in pain.  
    I’ll just have to try to control myself and hope Skylar and Boone can’t hear me over the rush of water. I force my eyes open so I can stay aware of my surroundings and remember to be quiet. But even with my eyes open, I still see Skylar’s face…the flush on her skin…the lust in her eyes. I still feel the way her body trembles against mine. I still hear her desperate whimpers. I still