2

"Can you hand me a knife from the draw on your left?" Mr Williams asks me. We are in the kitchen while the others are in the sitting room enjoying the party. I'm the host so I don't get to lounge around and eat snacks and play party games. I have to hang around in the kitchen and make sure everyone is catered for. Mr Williams offered to help me cut the cake—something I've never done before.

I hand him the knife, leaning against the counter. "I'm sorry about what happened in the driveway. We didn't mean to get so carried away."

"It's nothing I haven't seen before," he says, chuckling. I can tell that he's trying his best not to make things awkward. He's a dad. He doesn't talk about things like sex to kids. "I just...I really hope you're using protection."

"We haven't really...been doing anything..." I shouldn't tell him, but I want him to think I'm a good girlfriend to his son. That I'm responsible. I wouldn't do something so stupid. "I mean, we've talked about it. But I don't think anyone of us is ready yet."

He pauses. Then rubs the back of his neck. Beyond awkward at this point. "T-that's good to know?"

"Here," I say instead, wanting nothing more than to change the subject. "Let me help you carry this inside."

"Yes. Okay." He divides the cake and places the slices on paper plates that I carry out into the living room.

Micah jumps from his seat, hugging me from behind. He1 steals a plate from me. "Chocolate? My favourite. Thank you, baby. You know me so well."

"Arent they just adorable?" Shay says, rolling his topaz eyes. He leans into Ashlae. Then kisses her cheek. "We can be that cute. Can't we?"

"Why do I suddenly have the feeling this was just an excuse for all of you to have sex in my house?" Mr Williams says, following me out of the kitchen. "Landon, you're sharing a room with Ashlae—for the rest of the summer."

"Lighten up, Mr Williams," Shay says. "I would never dare. Ashlae would. But I would never!"

"Oh, so convincing," Micah says. He's on his second slice of birthday cake and has managed to get it all over himself. He reminds me of a big baby some days.

I help him clean his face with a tea towel in the downstairs bathroom. "Are you enjoying the party so far?"

"Yes," he says to me, kissing me. "I'm enjoying myself very much."

"Good," I say. I lean into his kiss. "I'm also never planning anything again. I feel so stressed out right now. I didn't realize it would be so demanding."

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter now," I say to him. "Everything worked itself out."

"I don't want to be the only one that's having fun," he says.

"It's your birthday, that's kind of the point," I argue.

He hides his face in my neck. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yep," I say. "Now, let's get back to the party."

"Do we have to?" he breathes against my neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses on my skin.

I sigh. My fingers comb through his hair. "Yes, we have to."

"Really?" his tongue is hot against my ear. "I kind of wanted to continue what we had going on in the car."

"What if your dad catches us?"

"We'll be quiet," he insists, pushing me up against the bathroom wall. I wrap my legs around him. I don't think we'll be quiet, but I don't tell him that. Instead, I pull him closer to me and kiss his mouth. He groans.

His hand disappears into the front of my denim shorts, fingers teasing me. I jerk into him.

"Micah," I whimper into his mouth. "Please."

"I know, baby," he says to me. "I know."

I can't help the sounds that escape my mouth when he slides inside of me. My nails are digging into his back, but I have the idea that he's not close enough to me. I want him closer. He feels so good when he's close. "Just like that," I gasp. His pace is gentle at first. I can't take it. The way he touched me is so much better than I imagined. I grind into him. I hid my face in his neck, trying to keep myself from screaming. I can't think straight. I know Mr Williams is just down the hall with his sister and Shay. But it feels like we are the only two people in the house.

"Is this okay?" he asks me.

"It's perfect," I moan.

There's a knock on the bathroom door. Micah rips himself away from me, pushing my body behind him. Ashlae stands in the doorway. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she's got a smug smile on her face. "So, then, when am I getting that niece or nephew?"

Micha groans. He's annoyed by her teasing. "Get out!"

"I have to pee," she says to him.

He grabs my hand and pulls me out of the bathroom. "Then we're leaving."

"Have fun, kids," she yells, closing the door behind us.

"I think we going to have a lot of trouble getting any alone time this weekend," I say to him. I'm about as frustrated as he is. "There are too many people at your house."

"We should have stayed at the dorms," he groans.

"I don't think your dad would have let you," I say. "He really wanted to see you for your birthday."

"I know," he says to me, hugging me. His hands rub my back. "I'm just really annoyed right now. I want us to be alone. When does the party end?"

"Well, we've already had cake. I think it's the appropriate time to lie and say you're tired and going to take a nap," I reason. "Right?"

He kisses me. "Right."