Burning Love., Emily Zimmerman. [best books for 7th graders txt] 📗

You should have called someone! Called me for Christ sake! I would have put my foot so far up his ass it would come out his mouth!” she said.
I laughed. “So you’ll stay away from Gram?”
“Yes! The bastard can drown for all I care!” she said.
I relaxed and hugged her back, relief flowing through me. “So, onto a lighter, yet so much hotter topic.” She nudged me playfully. “You’re living with Mr. Hunk over there?” she stage whispered.
I laughed softly, looking around to see if he was coming. “Yes, I’m living with Dan-“
“Dan?” she asked, looking at me in shock. “Does he know you call him that?”
I looked at her in confusion, cocking my head to the side. “Of course. Why?”
“Honey, he doesn’t just let anybody call him Dan. He likes you.” She said with a knowing smile. “The only people who call him Dan are his best friend and Linda.”
I stared at her in surprise, but before I could say anything, Dan strode into the room. “I hope I’m not interrupting, but Blake just called, he said he’d called you but you didn’t answer. He said he had to cancel Saturday; an emergency came up, his sister Rosalina is in the hospital with a baby. He said he’d call as soon as he was free to make new plans.” I could see his eyes smoldering with disapproval and…jealousy? But he kept his face smooth.
I nodded and looked at Lillian as her hand landed on my arm. She stared at me in shock, “Blake?” she asked bluntly.

I giggled and glanced at Dan. “I’ll tell you about it later.” I said.
She checked her watch. “I should go anyway, I just came to visit you. I’ll call you later Cupcake.” She said.
I nodded and walked her to the door, hugged her, and closed and locked the door after she got into her car.
I didn’t have time to react before I was spun around and pushed against the door, pressing himself against me. “I like you a lot, babe.” Dan said in my ear, using his new nickname for me.
A soft moan escaped my lips before I could stop it as his hands slipped under my shirt and trailed up to the small of my back. I was afraid my clothes would catch fire with how hot this man was. “Really? I had no idea.” It was half playful, half truthful.
I’d suspected that he felt something for me, but I hadn’t known what. And what does ‘I like you a lot’ mean anyway? What am I supposed to think?
“Babe, it’s hard to believe. I don’t kiss a woman like that for shits and giggles.” He growled.
I shivered. “No doubt.”
He trailed kisses down my neck, pulling the shoulder of my shirt down so he could place a long, lingering kiss there. I sucked in a sharp breath and felt him smile against my skin.
He leaned up and pressed his lips to the corner of my mouth. “Bastard.” I muttered, making him smile.
“Oh I’m sorry, I must’ve missed my mark.” And he pressed his lips to mine.
“Much better.” I mumbled between kisses.
He chuckled deeply and tightened his arms around me, slipping his leg between mine and deepening the kiss. I ran my hands up his chest, up to his wide shoulders, and into his hair. He growled and grinded against me, making me gasp, this seemed to be his goal, because he thrust his tongue in my mouth.
He explored my mouth in a slow, sultry dance of his tongue. My fingers combed through his soft, brown, rugged looking hair and wrapped my arms tightly around Dan’s neck. I barely registered him breaking the kiss so he could rip my shirt off through all the lust. Before I knew what was happening, my hands acted on their own accord and slipped under his shirt, lifting it over his head.
It was as if we weren’t in control of our bodies anymore. I knew this was wrong, but I couldn’t stop myself. I admired his perfect chest, all the way down to his six-pack-stomach. His jeans sat dangerously low on his hips, and I could see his obvious arousal.
I ran my hands down to his stomach, tracing each muscle until I reached the top of his jeans. Dan leaned his forehead on mine and a low rumbling sound came from his chest. I shivered and leaned my face up, pressing my lips to his. He kissed me slowly, his hands sliding up my abdomen. Before he could reach my breasts, the home phone rang, breaking us from our intimate position. It was only then that I realized that I was about to do. I grabbed my shirt from the ground and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.
I didn’t meet Dan’s eyes; I just turned and walked into the living room. I slipped on my shirt, picked up the phone and pressed the call button. Pressing it to my ear, I worked to make my voice pleasant. “Hello.” I said, glad my voice didn’t waver.
“Hi, can I speak with Skylar?”
“Aunt Mabel, this is Sky.”
“Oh! You sound just like Linda on the phone. I just called to tell you that your mother will be coming in tomorrow to look at the house. I’m going to take her through, and I was wondering if you’d like to join us?” she asked pleasantly.
God help me, I was still thinking about Daniel and the kiss we shared, I could barely concentrate on anything else. “Uh…sure.” I said.
“Great! I’ll let you go sweetheart. We’ll meet up at Uncle Sam’s coffee shop at one. You know that little old place we used to go to when you were little?”
“Yeah. Yeah I know the place.” I said, plopping myself down on the couch.
“Okay.” And she hung up.
I rolled my eyes and set the phone back on its stand. Dan must’ve gone back to his room, because he didn’t follow me. I got up and decided to see what was behind the house. I ran into my room and changed. My legs felt better, they didn’t hurt when I walked, and the burn on my arm was close to a scar now. I slipped on some tight jeans and a long sleeve shirt, it was cold out today.
I went to the kitchen and looked out the window of the back door. The forest behind the house was not really a forest at all; it was more like a park in your own back yard, trees shaded the entire place. I grabbed the handle and opened the door. Fresh air rushed in to the house, the smell of fresh pine and maple trees made me smile. I walked out on the patio and breathed in fresh air, leaning my arms on the railing. It cleared my mind, made me think clearer about this whole thing going on with me and Dan.
Dan and I couldn’t be together, if John found out, he’d kill Dan, and possibly beat me to death in a blind rage. And I probably shouldn’t even be going on a date with Blake, but Blake was charming and I felt okay just having dinner with him.
Dan was obviously looking for something more. Something that I couldn’t give him. Lord knows I was attracted to him, a woman would have to be dead not to be attracted to Daniel, but I couldn’t act on that attraction. John was playing games with me right now, but soon he’ll tire of his games, and he’ll come for what he claims is his. Me.
I sucked in a deep breath of fresh air to calm myself and was startled by Dan’s voice behind me, “Here, I made some hot chocolate.”
I turned around and smiled at Dan, trying to act as if what happened back there didn’t happen. “Thank you.” I said, taking the mug he held out for me.
He gestured to a two-person table on the other side of the deck. “Would you like to sit?”
“Yes. Thank you.” I said as he held out a seat for me.
He sat down across from me and silence slipped over us both. He sighed, staring out at the forest. “What are we doing?” I asked finally.
He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, the corners of his mouth tipping up slightly. “Strange, I could have sworn we were enjoying the morning air.” He teased.
I gave him a dry look. “You know what I mean. What did that-” I gestured in the direction of the foyer. “-Mean?”
“It meant that we’re extremely attracted to each other.” He shrugged as if it meant nothing.
I rolled my eyes. Obviously. “Yes but what does it mean for…US?” I asked.
He studied me for a few minutes, his eyes and face not showing anything. “I don’t know what it means for you, but I know what it means for me.” He said.
I cocked my head to the side. “And what does it mean for you?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I love you.” He shrugged.
My heart stuttered in my chest and my hand froze halfway to picking up my mug. I looked at him, his posture was relaxed, face casual, but his eyes were smoldering as they bored into mine.
“Don’t get too upset. It’s not the love that slaps a ring on your finger and calls you Mrs. Havens.” He said.
I paused before saying, “then what kind of love is it?”
“It’s the kind of love I know I can’t act on.”
“Because of John?”
“I couldn’t care less about John. I know I can’t act on it because you and I both are not ready for a relationship.”
“So what happened in there was a lapse in control and won’t happen again.” I said.
He smiled. “I said I couldn’t act on my love for you. I didn’t say I’d never touch you again.” He said.
I crossed my arms, trying to hide the shiver that unwillingly ran through me. “It can’t happen again. Daniel, you have to think of what could happen if John saw us in that…position!” I said, a blush creeping up as I thought about it.
His smile faded and his eyes darkened. “Like I said; I couldn’t care less about what John thinks.” He said.
“Well I care! He’ll kill you!” I said, my voice raising an octave.
“Babe, did it ever occur to you that my well-being is not much of a concern to me?” he asked.
I blew out a sigh in frustration and glared at him. “Well it’s a huge concern for me!”
He growled and slammed his hand down on the table. “You shouldn’t worry about me!” he yelled.
“Well too bad because I do!” I yelled back.
I stood and without another word, tromped down the stairs and into the grass. I walked far enough away that he couldn’t see me and leaned against the large trunk of a tree, staring at the leaves above me. He loves me, but he knows I’m not ready to get into that kind of relationship...the problem was…I loved him back.
I ran my hand through my hair and cursed under my breath. This was bad; this was very, very bad. I had to distance myself from him! What happened in the foyer could not happen again, period.
I sucked in a deep breath and blinked the tears away from my eyes, distancing myself from Daniel was going to be a hard thing to do, especially since he didn’t want to distance himself from me. I noticed something gleaming in the distance and my head snapped over in the direction of the gleam, it was coming through the