Carry You Home.

warning: mature content.

McKinley and Josh settled for a small diner that wasn't a far drive from Churchill Downs. It was simple, nothing fancy or written weird on the menu, the classic diner foods that you might expect.

Josh sat across from McKinley in a booth towards the back, watching her, more like staring at her. If anyone seemed to be star struck, it was him. He couldn't believe how casual she was acting, sitting across from him, as if she regularly gets hit on by up and coming celebrities at horse tracks. He watches as she shivers and subconsciously glides her hands up and down her arms to rid herself of the rising goose bumps.

Without thinking Josh shrugs out of his plaid top, handing it to McKinley over the table.

"Thanks, it's freezing in here," she says while pulling her arms through the sleeves, they come down well past the tips of her fingers and hangs off of her like loose skin, but Josh found it even harder to divert his eyes from McKinley.

"I think I'm going to have a grilled cheese sandwich and a strawberry milk shake. What about you?"

Josh gazed down at the menu that he hasn't bothered looking at yet. The first thing that popped out to him was the breakfast platter. "I think I'll get some pancakes."

McKinley smiles at him, "I'm more of a waffles kind of girl."

An older lady, maybe mid-sixties came and went with their orders leaving them for the time being alone.

"So, did you come to Kentucky just to see the derby or what?" Josh asks honestly curious.

Josh watched as she nods her head, taking both her lip between her teeth until there is only straight line left in its place. "Yeah, I'm sort of on this mission to cross off everything on my bucket list. I want to visit every state," she tells him.

"Is it just you?" He asks and McKinley nods again. Josh was impressed. It takes guts and courage to go at things alone. Not many people can do it, they'll get lonely. Maybe she's lonely. "What states have you been to so far?"

"Almost all of them, I just have California, Washington and Ohio."

"I live in California," Josh tells her.

"I thought you lived in Union?"

"I did, that's where my parents live. I bought Ellen Degeneres, and Heath Ledger's old house."

"Ellen is a lesbian that has a talk show, and Heath Ledger died right?" McKinley asks and it's Josh's turn to smile and nod. "Sorry, I know I'm super lame for not keeping up with who's who."

"No, it's kind of refreshing talking to someone who doesn't know or doesn't care who I've bumped elbows with at different times in my life."

"So you're like actually famous? If I look you up on Google, I can read your life story?" McKinley laughs, already pulling her phone out of her purse.

"Go ahead, if you read anything crazy, it's not true."

McKinley pulls up Safari on her phone. "What's your last name?"

"Uh, Hutcherson," Josh say then quickly spells it out for her.

McKinley scrolls through the different links, reading the description before moving onto the next one. A large smile plays across lips and she giggles with each new thing she reads.

"Let's see, your middle name is Ryan. You were born on October twelfth. Your brother’s name is Connor, but I knew that. You're parents’ names are Chris and Michelle. Aw, you're five foot six."

"Five foot seven, give me the extra inch," Josh says defensively.

McKinley laughs loudly, still going through the pages of links that she could link on to find out more about this handsome stranger. "Oh you were an N*Sync fan, I'm sorry but whatever this is, is over," McKinley says sorely, even with a giant smile.

"Don't tell you were a Backstreet Boys fan."

"I was, I loved A.J. McLean. There was something about his tattoos and bad body persona that made my heart jump out of my six year old mouth."

"Well don't get all crazy but, I have a few tattoos myself, and I ride a motorcycle."

"Oh, say no more," McKinley fans her face with her hands, pretending to be out of breath.

Their dinner came and as they ate and drank their shakes they continued the playful conversation that they were having, finding it easy to talk to one another. Josh had convinced McKinley to talk about herself, since she could easily find anything she wanted about him via the World Wide Web.

So she told him her age and birthday; she'd be turning nineteen at the end of this month. She mentioned that she graduated school at sixteen because she hated it, and the day she turned eighteen she packed her bags and boarded a plane for New Orleans; that is where her fifty state adventure began. McKinley told Josh that her dad is a general surgeon while her mom is a sales director. She's an only child and it was lonely growing up, kids she went to school with would pick on her for being so little until she met her best friend, Olivia, then they left her alone.

Even though both of them had long finished their dinner, and the plates were removed from in front of them and Josh had already paid for the bill, the two of them sat at the booth for hours and continued to talk. McKinley didn't want to part ways, she knew that once they said good bye, she'd never see him again. Maybe she'd give in and rent one of the movies he's been in from Redbox but she'd never talk to him again. He'd go back to his fast and luxurious lifestyle in the Hollywood Hills while she drives her rental car up to Ohio to see what it has in store for her.

Josh felt his phone buzzing in his back pocket. He saw Connor's name and photo flash on the screen before apologizing to McKinley and answering it. "What?"

"It's almost midnight, we want to go home," he heard Connor's whiny voice coming from the other line.

"Really, midnight?" He checked the small clock in the corner of his phone and saw that he only had minutes until it read twelve. "Wow, I didn't know. Give me a few more minutes then I'll text you where I'm at."

Josh hung up the phone, not bothering to say good bye or even wait for a response from his bother. He didn't want to keep Connor or Avan waiting for him much longer, but he wasn't ready to part ways quite yet.

"Sorry, that was Connor, he wants to go home."

"That's fine," McKinley drew her lips into her mouth again, see seemed confused about something. Josh was going to ask her what was wrong but she made a popping sound with her mouth then continued to speak. "I don't do this, at all. But if you want I can give you a ride back to your parents’ house, if you want. You said Union was north of here and I was going to go to Ohio tomorrow anyways, I can just leave tonight. I mean, if you don't want to leave yet."

Josh smiles. No he didn't want to leave at all. "You don't mind. It's like an hour and a half drive."

McKinley shook her head no as Josh calls his brother back. "Hey, go ahead home. I'll see you later."

Josh hung up the phone again before Connor had a chance to protest. He knew that he would. Both him and Avan would try and tell him that it's a bad idea to leave him dependent on a girl he doesn't know to get back home. But Josh does know McKinley, he feels like he's known her his whole life, like she's his right arm or something.

After another short hour of talking at the diner, and ignoring a couple calls and text messages from Avan and Connor, McKinley suggested that they get her bags and check out of the hotel she's staying at. Josh happily obliged, holding her hand to help her out of the booth, and not letting go of it until they reached the car. But as soon as they unfolded themselves from her small rental car, Josh place one of his hands on the small of McKinley's back and fitted his ball cap low on his head with his other.

When McKinley felt Josh's hand slide down her back to rest just above her butt, goose bumps engulfed her entire body making her pull Josh's flannel shirt closer to her body. She had to fight the urge to turn around and kiss him right there in the middle of the deserted lobby. McKinley hasn't felt like this before, the fluttery feeling her heart is making is a whole new territory. She's made sure that these types of things are held out at arm’s length, she's always had a good reason too. But now, in the confines of her small hotel room, McKinley's brain is far too hazy to remember what that reason was.

She watches Josh as he looks around the room. The only thing that shows any signs of life is the two large suitcases by the window and the tattered bear propped up against the hotel pillows.

"He's cute," Josh points at the bear.

McKinley quickly picks him up, wrapping her arms securely around the stuffed bear’s torso. "Don't make fun, Mr. Wiggles has been through a lot, he sleeps with me every night."

Josh puts his hands up in defense and grins, "Lucky Mr. Wiggles."

McKinley bit back her grin. The urges to wrap herself around him were almost too much now. She knew that if she wasn't careful, they wouldn't leave for Union until morning, but part of her, most of her, all of her was okay with that.

"So," Josh said as he takes his hat off and sets it off the dressers, and shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

She would resist him. McKinley set down her teddy bear back on the bed and shrugged out of Josh's shirt he gave her in the diner. She's no longer cold, she's way too hot. "Here," she hands it to him from an arm’s length away, careful not to get too close to him.

Josh hesitates taking his hands out of his pockets to grab his shirt. He shoved them deep inside his jeans for a reason; he didn't want to do anything he'd regret. Not that he would regret anything at all, but she might not want Josh to do any of the things that were racing through his thoughts.

He couldn't help himself though, he's a boy. Stupid and filled with raging and uncontrollable hormones. Being in a closed and private area with McKinley didn't help any Josh trying to control himself. And when she took off his top to reveal her smooth, pale shoulders and arms, Josh knew that he was a goner. He wasn't getting out of her tonight without making some sort of move.

Their fingers met once Josh reached for the green and blue checkered shirt, and instead of grabbing it, his fingers wrapped around McKinley slim wrist quickly, pulling her against flush against his body. Josh's lips found McKinley's quickly as they shared their first kiss. It wasn't like any of the previous first kisses that Josh has shared with old girl friends. Those kisses were always chaste and innocent, placed like a period at the end of a date. This kiss though is intense and feverish, quickly becoming sloppy and urgent as McKinley drops the shirt to the floor and brings a hand to the back of Josh's neck the other hand pulling him closer to her by his belt loops.

Josh's lips trail along her jawline to ear then down her neck and across her collarbone until he places a simple kiss on the elephant necklace that sits in the hollow space of her throat. His hands travel down her sides, raking the light material of McKinley's dress up as he goes, finally resting his hands firmly on her lace covered backside and giving a squeeze before pulling her up against his body until her feet come up and off the ground.

Josh turned towards the bed and deposited McKinley onto it, climbing onto the bed after between her thighs. Their lips touch only briefly before Josh pulls away, taking turns kissing, nipping and teasing McKinley's chest with his tongue. She allows him to push down the small spaghetti straps that keep the dress up, down her arms until it pools around her waist leaving her in a black, strapless bra, which in one quick maneuver, is thrown off the bed.

Josh wastes no time palming both of McKinley' breasts. Kneading and pulling on her nipples until he hears he let out a sigh of relief. They don't match the rest of her petite body; she's bigger in the chest than her loose fitting dress let on. Perfect and round, only spilling out of Josh's grasps slightly. He hesitates before dipping down to attach his lips to one of the pert gumdrops.

"Oh God," McKinley sighed as Josh sucked on her gently. She could feel both his grin against her inflamed skin and his erection hard against her inner thigh. McKinley groaned as her hips started to move on their own accord, creating friction against his denim covered hard-on.

McKinley found herself as she boldly began to pull Josh's gray shirt up and over his head, putting a stop to the assault on breasts. She worked quickly on Josh's jeans as they brought their lips back together, fighting for dominance with each other's tongues. McKinley popped the button and pulled down the zipper, then used her feet to push the jeans around his ankles where Josh's shoes prevented them from coming all the way off.

She heard Josh give an aggravated sigh before pulling away from her and into a standing position so he can rip the shoes as well as his socks from his feet, and then tackled her sandals. "How the fuck?" He mumbled to himself trying to slip the piece of leather from the tiny buckle.

McKinley sat up, shimmed out of her dress before pulling her foot up to the bed to take off her own shoes. Once she was done ridding herself from her shoes, she placed small, innocent enough kisses on Josh's firm, hard stomach trailing down to the hem of his boxers.

She wasn't entirely sure what to do when she pulled down the thin material to release him. Timidly she kissed the very tip of him, then fit him into her mouth the best she good. Josh let out a hiss of air, clutching her hair in between his fingers tightly before loosening his grip, but only slightly.

Josh could tell that she was nervous so guided her up and down himself until she got a hang of the movements and allowed herself to explore that area of him freely. He couldn't take much more, he wouldn't last long.

Quickly, Josh moves out of her reach, pushing her shoulders to have her lay back on the bed. It was Josh' turn to make her feel good. McKinley propped up against her elbows locking eye contact with Josh a he slides her lacy boy shorts down the length of her legs until they drop out of sight. They keep eye contact, neither one daring to blink or look away as Josh pulls apart McKinley's legs until she is wide open for him.

Josh watches her as he blows lightly on the little bundle of nerves before flicking it gently.

"Ah!" McKinley threw her head back, gripping onto the covers as Josh began his tortuous work. She wanted to bring her hips up to him, or clasp her thigh firmly around his head but Josh kept McKinley in place with his strong hands.

Josh could feel her tensing up around him and her moans and pleas were growing louder with each stroke of his tongue, but he wasn't going to let come just yet.

"No!" McKinley shouted as Josh stopped his assault on her altogether. Josh laughed lightly, bringing his lip back to hers; she could taste herself on him, before he got off the bed again.

It had been habit to carry protection in his wallet from dating his ex, he wasn't a spur of the moment guy but he thanked all the Gods that he this with him today. Josh ripped open the packet open with his shaky fingers before sliding the clear rubber onto him.

Josh positioned himself at her opening before slowly sliding into her. Not all the way at first, McKinley is much too tight and tense to take him in one swift movement. Josh placed sweet kisses on the sides of her lips before kissing her fully on her mouth.

"Are you okay?" He whispers in her ear, refusing to move out or into her further before getting the okay.

McKinley nods, shutting her eyes tightly to prevent them from tearing up. "Yeah, I just need to adjust. Keep going."

That was all he needed to pull out then slowly slide back into her and a pace that allowed her to adjust to him fully. In no time, McKinley relaxed, the quickening motion making her groan out in pleasure.

Josh went from lying horizontal on McKinley to kneeling vertically. Gripping onto her hips harshly, bringing her to meet each of his thrusts. There would be times where she would grind her hips into his once they came together, making him let out a guttural moan.

"I'm close," McKinley said as she drug him back down to her until their lips connected. Josh was close too, very close.

Josh quickened his pace, dipping his fingers between their two bodies to her nub and rubbing it. This caused McKinley to arch her back, pushing their bare chests together, and give a cry. She was done, tightening around Josh then exploding, sending her into euphoria. Josh was right behind her, his member pulsing before shooting out into the condom, collapsing onto McKinley.

Josh rolled over onto his back, reaching down to discard the condom onto the floor; he'd worry about it later. McKinley pulled herself against his side, lying on his chest as her fingers play with his light dusting of dark chest hair. It didn't take either of them long to fall asleep, with their deep breaths the only thing that fills the silence that surrounds them.