Backwoods Backwards

Seventeen

"Lacey, are you there?"

Perry's muffled voice crackles from under me.

Panicked, I try to calm myself back down as I realize it's coming from my phone, which had been shoved in the butt pocket of my shorts.

Somewhere along the line here I must have butt dialed my best friend by mistake.

"Lace?" Perry sighs over the phone. "I'm sorry about today. I really am. Will you please just talk to me?"

Duke came to this conclusion at the same time I did, because now he starts to laugh, low at first but soon very capable of gaining volume.

Afraid of giving Perry a reason to suspect foul play and lies from me, I grab Duke's head and yank him down, nearly pushing his face into my chest in the process, in order to cover up the sound.

If anything, this only makes Duke laugh even more.

I wiggle around under Duke, agitated. "Shut up," I hiss quietly, tightening my grip on his hair.

He hisses in response. "Not so hard, Lacey," Duke complains.

Feeling my pulse beat rapidly out of control, I shift around again, the movement enough to bring him at eye level with my exposed stomach, to reach underneath myself for my phone.

With Duke still chuckling at the situation, I bring my phone to my ear. "Now's not a really good time, Perry," I mutter into the receiver, my voice strained.

Glancing up at me with his signature smirk, Duke unbuttons my shorts and makes as if to start sliding them down my legs. I try to stop him, but with only one hand, it's futile.

"You called me," Perry points out, bringing my attention back to him.

"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly mean to," I grit out, trying to ignore Duke's hands, which are on my hips and moving higher now that he's managed to toss my shorts away.

"You okay, Lacey?" Perry asks suspiciously. I can picture the frown spreading across his face. "You sound funny."

You've got no idea, Perry.

"Like I said," I manage after a minute. Duke's lips are back to my neck and climbing up slowly, teasingly. "Now is not really a good time." I have to bite my lip to hold back a content sigh when his mouth moves to the tender spot behind my ear-- my weakness.

"But-"

"Look, I have to go," I interrupt him, feeling like I'm going to burst if Duke doesn't stop teasing me. "We'll talk later, Per."

"Promise?" He asks for reassurance.

I nearly groan out loud, I'm getting that impatient.

"Yes, Perry," I growl out, suppressing another sound. "Gotta go."

And I hang up before he can stop me again.

Holding himself up by just his arms, Duke stretches out above me, looking down. Apparently he's done teasing me for the moment.

"Got any more calls to make?" He jokes, winking.

Obviously not.

Scowling at him, I press my palms against his chest and shove him back. He doesn't budge an inch. "Shut up."

His shoulders shake with suppressed laughter. "I just want to know right now before things get too far here-"

Emitting some kind of annoyed sound, I slide my hands around his neck and pull his head down to mine, brushing my lips across the corner of his mouth.