The panty melting grin he gave hit low and she felt it all around. "No problem."

Twenty minutes later, they were leaving Roxie's. Alyssa had a new job starting next week thanks to Ben. "Thank you so much, Ben! I really needed this job."

A sly smiled slid across his face. "Wanna take a little ride?"

"Sure. Where to?"

"Nowhere special. Just this little back road I know about." He opened his arm and ordered, "Come here."

Alyssa scooted over to Ben and curled into his side. "Damn, girl. Those legs . . ." He said, and grasped her thigh. It was a little harder than what she was used to, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it. As Ben turned off to the right and drove through a secret trail in the woods, he said, "How's about I grab a few beers and we hang down by Whiskey River?"

She smiled cheekily at Ben and said, "Let's do it."

The sun had set by the time Ben dropped her off. With her mother still at work and all her school work caught up, Alyssa plopped down on the couch and flipped on the television. But before she could change the channel, glaring headlights shined through the windows and bounced around the living room.

Someone was pulling into her driveway. With a sigh, Alyssa stood up and threw the door open, the bright headlights nearly blinding her. The truck turned off and she heard a door slam.

"What the hell, Alyssa? Where've you been?"

Alyssa stepped outside, walking toward John. Where has she been? He said it as if she did something wrong.

"Why did you ignore me? I've been trying to call you."

Alyssa was still a little tipsy from the beers, but she wasn't going to let John walk all over her. She marched right up to him with her chin up. He may tower over her, but she wasn't going to back down.

"First of all, you have no say in what I do. I can hang out with whoever I want, when I want."

John waved his hand, arrogance written all over the motion.

"Second?"

"What?"

"You said 'first of all,' so what's second?"

Alyssa thought for a minute. "Second was that you're not my boyfriend so I don't have to answer to you," she said, and then let out a loud sigh. "Ben was helping me look for a job."

As John leaned down and inhaled, she turned, backing up to the side of his truck. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Are you drunk?" John asked, his voice laced with accusation.

"What business is it of yours?"

Grinding his teeth, John said, "While drunk? He took you job searching while drunk? That's real smooth." He shook his head in disgust. "He's no good for you." How many times had he told her already?

"Oh," she crossed her arms. "But you're good for me, right?"

John brushed an exhausted hand down his face. "That's not what I'm saying. He's bad news, has an abusive drunk father, and is always in trouble. I don't like that you were out drinking with that white trash."

"Well that's too bad for you, because I had fun with Ben. He even got me the job."

John took a step forward, a sneer pulling at his mouth. "I don't want you hanging out with him."

"You can't tell me what to do," Alyssa spat back.

Another step and he had her boxed against his truck. "Think about what you're doing."

"What's there to think about?" she shrugged. "We were just having a little fun after he helped me out."

"Alyssa," he breathed on her neck. "I thought you didn't like a little fun, said nothing good could come from it," he questioned with a raised brow.

Even in the darkness, John's eyes stood out. They bore into her, touching her intimately and warming her body as they traveled down to her parted lips. A lopsided grin tugged at his mouth as he leaned down for a kiss.

He was just mere inches from her mouth, her heart pounded in her ears.

Quickly, she moved her head to the right and ducked under his arms. A flirtatious laugh escaped her. "I don't think so, country boy." She waved her finger at him.

Alyssa was beginning to get under his skin. Taking a deep breath, John kept his head between his arms that were still propped against the truck and stared at the ground. Her teasing voice was working him up and she knew it. John wanted Alyssa. He wanted her more and more each minute they spent together. Maybe a quick fuck would get her out of his system for now.

"Girl," he said lowly. "You better run."

"What's that, country boy?" Sarcasm was woven in her high pitched voice. "I didn't quite hear you."

John raised his head just enough to peer over his flexed arm. "I said, you better run."

With doe eyes, she responded. "Oh, yeah? What are you going to do?"

"Once I get my hands on you, I'm not going to stop." Her eyes lowered and her smile faltered as he went on. "And if I remember correctly, you liked my hands on you." A devious grin lit up his face.

Alyssa was stuck in her place as John stood to his full height. "Please, don't get ahead of yourself. It wasn't that great." She was totally lying.

His brow quirked up, challenging her. "I'm going to count to three," he took a step. "And you better be gone."

"One."

"Johnny . . ."

"Two." He took another step closer and she booked it.

"Three!" John chased after her to the back of the truck. They were going in circles and laughing at the same time.

"John!" she panted. "I don't want to play your stupid game."

"We don't always get what we want. But I know all about that, don't I?"

John stopped running and ducked so she couldn't see him. He got low and looked under his truck for her feet.

"John?" Her whisper carried through the night air. She stood on her tiptoes looking for him and he covered his mouth to stifle his laugh.

"Where are you?"

Another circle around the truck, a few large steps, and he was catching up to her. He said nothing, just creeped as quietly as he could to where she was. Even in the dark he could still see her little feet.

"Where are you?" she asked again, her hand on the hood of his truck.

"Right here," he said in her ear.

A shriek echoed through the air and she jumped. Turning around, she slapped his chest. "You jerk! You scared me!"

John laughed loudly and then wrapped an arm around her back. "I told you I would get my hands on you. I wasn't kidding." He pushed her up against his truck with his body and held her face between his hands. .

"Do you know what I want right now?" he asked. "To kiss you."

"You . . . you said that it was a mistake last time."

"I did, but you read the text I sent you after."

She nodded.

"I wasn't lying. One kiss wasn't enough. Maybe I need one more and that's it."

"Maybe . . ."

Then he smashed his mouth to hers. She gripped his wrists and held on tight, kissing him back. John couldn't take it any longer. Weeks had passed since there was any contact between him and Alyssa. He wanted her something fierce, his body craved hers. Every chance he got with Alyssa, she went in the opposite direction, acting as if she didn't want his touch. She was keeping him at arm's length just like she had with everyone in her life. And he was about to put a stop to it . . . or at least try to.

"Since we're on the subject, I was thinking, you don't have a boyfriend, I don't want a girlfriend, how about we try out the friends with benefits thing?"

Oh, John was smooth, laying on his thick southern drawl a little deeper here. She almost agreed that instant.

"That is the stupidest idea ever, John. Friends with benefits never works for anyone."

"Such a pessimistic outlook you have. Take a chance."

"With you?"

"Well, I'm sure not talking about one of my friends, or sleazy Ben." John's gaze turned hard, matching his voice.

"Johnny . . . What if it ruins our friendship? I like you. You're the first real friend I've had in a long time. I don't want to fuck this up. I even like Jace and Ford."

When he stayed silent, she said, "I don't know . . . I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not? We're friends who just happen to have a little chemistry. There's no harm in it."

"It's just that-we're friends, and I don't want anything to ruin our friendship. The benefits would."

John turned serious. "Alyssa, has our friendship been strained or awkward since we kissed last time?"

Alyssa glanced to the side. "Well, no."

"Then there's your answer. Nothing is going to happen to us."

"That was just a kiss, though. You're asking for way more."

"We'll start off slow then. I want you, and I'm pretty sure you want me."

He'd told her that the first kiss they shared had been a mistake-and it was. It had been a mistake because with the way she was staring at his mouth made his dick grow hard, and all he could think of was kissing her deep and seeing how far they would take it. Would she push him away? Or would she pull him closer? Maybe he needed to kiss her once more and that would be enough to tame the fire growing inside him right now.

Or would it only inflame it?

She contemplated for a moment. The last thing she wanted was a relationship and seeing as she has chemistry with him, she took a chance. "I guess we can try it out."

John reached behind and fisted her hair in his hand. He yanked her forward and closed the distance with his mouth.

Alyssa panted, gripping the back of his shirt. "What are you doing?"

"I just sealed our deal with a kiss." John stepped back, and she almost reached for him. He noticed her little step and grinned.

Alyssa puckered her lips together. "Jerk."

"See you later, sugar."

She huffed. "That southern drawl of yours is trouble, you know."

John winked. "I know. The girls seem to love it. Sometimes I even lay it on thick."

That shut her right up. All she could think about was Sarah in that moment, working her red lips and huge breasts. Where did this jealousy come from?

"Alright . . . You want to play like that? Fine. The boys around here seem to like blonde hair, short shorts and tanned legs, which I have plenty of." She winked back "See you later, playboy."

Alyssa sashayed away, adding a little extra sway to her hips knowing John was watching. Not even a second later, a strong arm wrapped around her stomach and she was pulled up against a solid chest. A flood of sensations ran through her. John was the first to ever evoke an emotion from her with his touch. His hand pressed tight to her stomach, and she found herself liking the feel of him much more than she should.

"Alyssa," he breathed through her hair. "Don't play with me like that." He nipped her ear. "I've wanted you since that day at your house weeks ago, and watching you walk away like that, teasing me, makes me want you even more. So much more I would take you right now if I could."

"What did I do?" she asked innocently. John pressed her against his truck again, her hands flattened and held her up.

John's hand slid down her shorts and cupped her pussy, his fingers fanning out and skirting across her creamy thigh. She squeezed her legs together and arched her hips back, her ass pressing into his cock. "I think you know exactly what you were doing." He thrust into her from behind and she groaned. "You're lucky we're outside or else I'd fuck you right now. You have no idea how bad I've been dying to get inside you. So instead, how about I just get you off a little until later?"

John began rubbing her clit in circles. "Johnny . . . you can't." She rotated her hips on his hand, wanting more.

"Do you really want me to stop?"

She shook her head. "No," was a whisper on her lips. "But what if someone sees us?" She was so close to finishing. Just a little more . . .

"No one will." He whispered in her ear.

"Johnny . . . I'm close . . . right there . . ."

The painful ache in John's dick forced him to step back and not finish off what he started. He had to or else he would have pulled her into his truck and fucked her senseless.