Worth the Fall by Mara Jacobs Page A

feel both better and worse. “Here,” he said, tucking his chin down to where he sat. “Or there?” He bobbed his chin in her direction.
    Holy crap, this was going to happen. Whatever “this” was. She quickly thought out all the ramifications, did some calculations and realized she just needed to turn her mind off for the duration. Yeah, it wasn’t a smart move. She’d just been named the class valedictorian earlier in the day, in theory proving her smarts, but…she wanted this.
    “ Here,” she said with more confidence than she felt. She moved back on the seat to give him room.
    The truck cab was huge—which had been so convenient when he ’d played taxi to the whole group—with a bench seat that now seemed very small when his large body moved across it.
    He shifted his legs so that they were splayed into her side of the foot area. He slid a foot under hers and lifted so that she moved her legs, one sliding up on the bench, one dangling below. He wedged in, allowing her leg to move behind him, along the back of the seat.
    He was so close now she could smell his scent. A little bit of smoke from the bonfire, the outdoors, even the detergent his mother used on his clothes. A heady combination that had her breathing even more heavily.
    He reached out slowly, tentatively and put his hands on her waist, catching fleece and denim. The blanket slid from her lap to the seat beside her. As he lifted her slowly, she realized where he wanted her, and put her knee down to leverage herself up enough to straddle him, which she did while he slid under her, essentially taking her spot in the passenger seat.
    His right hand left her waist and dropped down, fumbling for…oh, the seat went back. She’d never known that. But why would she.
    It didn ’t lie down flat, but it did give his long legs more room and tilted her into him in the most delicious way.
    She ’d had a few boyfriends through high school, and many make-out sessions, but was still a virgin. Somehow she sensed with Petey that this was going to go beyond a make-out session.
    It wasn ’t like she had a master plan of when she was going to “lose it” like Lizzie did. She probably would have by now, but she hadn’t felt any particular drive to go further when making out with her boyfriends at the time.
    Now, she definitely felt the drive to go further. And they’d barely touched. She couldn’t imagine even being coherent enough to say stop when Petey put his hands on her body.
    If he ever did.
    His head came up from the back of the seat. Even straddling him and sitting up a bit on her knees, she only came up to eye level with him. But it was enough, because it was lip level, too. And oh, what soft lips he had, she realized as he brushed them against hers. It was quick and tentative. And then again, with just a bit more pressure. And then a third time that had her wishing he’d just do it, already.
    But no, he pulled back, took her face in his hands and held her until she looked at him.
    “Yes or no?” he asked. It would seem to be his final question of the night. And the most important.
    She licked her lips, happy to be in this position—literally—but not thrilled about having to call all the shots. She guessed it was kind of chivalrous of him, but really, couldn ’t he just start ripping her clothes off?
    “ Yes,” she said and leaned forward. His hands slid from her face to the back of her neck as they kissed. One hand squeezed, surprising her…in a good way. She squirmed a little and his touch eased.
    “ Sorry,” he whispered, but before she could tell him it was okay—preferred, in fact—he was kissing her again. Their mouths fit perfectly. And she loved that his body was so big and strong. Very Darwinian, she thought randomly, but she wanted this big, strong boy to cover her up physically. To be on top of her. But she just didn’t know how to convey that message.
    So she kept kissing him, which he seemed to like just fine, if his growing