Somewhere in the middle of their conversation, Jonah was struck by the sudden urge to kiss Laurie. It wasn’t a new feeling by any means, but it occurred to Jonah that right then he actually could. Out there in that meadow with no one else around, there was nothing to stop him. Laurie lay on his back with his arms behind his head. At some point he’d removed the shirt he’d been wearing, and the pale gold skin of his smooth chest was on full display. His jeans rode low enough on his hips that Jonah could see the waistband of his boxers. Jonah’s fingers itched to reach over and tug them all the way down, spring that cock free and put his mouth on it, suck and tease until Laurie came, right there in broad daylight with only the lemon yellow sun as a witness.
Laurie was halfway into relating a story his professor had told during a lecture the previous semester about his time working as a profiler for the FBI when Jonah leaned down and stopped the flow of words with his lips. To Laurie’s credit, he didn’t miss a beat. Maybe he’d even been waiting for it. He opened for Jonah at the first touch, letting Jonah’s tongue probe and explore and slide against his. Laurie tasted like melon and peanut butter and Jonah thought that might be his new favorite flavor combination. He felt Laurie’s calloused fingertips skim across his nape and trail down the center of his back. Then, without being sure exactly how it’d happened, he was lying on top of Laurie, cradled between lean thighs, with those same fingers buried in his hair as the kiss went from honey-slow to blazing hot and out of control.
Jonah whimpered into Laurie’s mouth and ground down against him. He’d forgotten to pack one essential item (lube), but, hell, they could improvise, and he had to admit there was something incredibly romantic about the idea of losing his virginity in a sunlit field of flowers and sweet-smelling grass. But Laurie seemed to have plans of his own. His hands left Jonah’s hair and moved to the hem of his shirt. He tugged until Jonah was forced to break the kiss so that Laurie could pull it over his head and toss it aside. Their mouths reconnected, heat and need in every nibble and brush of lips, as one of Laurie’s arms slipped between their bodies and his fingers went to work on Jonah’s jeans.
Jonah kissed him until Laurie had bared both of their cocks, but the moment Laurie fisted them together in one hand and started up a leisurely stroke, Jonah ripped his mouth away and buried his face in the curve where Laurie’s neck met his shoulder. “Oh, God.” His hips jerked forward and he shamelessly rubbed himself against the velvety hardness of Laurie’s dick, a ragged, gut-punched groan tearing from his throat. Good. So fucking good. Jonah had never felt anything like it.
When Laurie picked up the pace and added a little twist to the downward stroke, Jonah sank his teeth into Laurie’s shoulder to muffle his cries. Yes. Oh, hell fucking yes. He liked that right there, maybe better than anything else they’d done so far. Except for the kisses. Those kisses made him lose his mind. Speaking of which…
Jonah lifted his head and crushed Laurie’s mouth under his. Laurie made a sound Jonah couldn’t even attempt to describe—a moan, a plea, a prayer—and suddenly the quick, jerking pulls got a whole lot smoother as the evidence of Laurie’s orgasm eased the way. Jonah lost it then, at the feel of Laurie’s come on his cock and the slickness of that firm grip as it moved steadily over his rigid flesh. He came, kissing Laurie so hard he’d be surprised if their lips weren’t bruised later, and it was like he hadn’t come in months. It went on and on, and the kiss kept going, too, until it was either pull apart or suffocate, and even then Jonah only paused long enough to draw in a few deep breaths before he kissed Laurie again.
After a few more minutes of deep, lazy kisses, they finally broke apart. They cleaned up with the napkins Jonah had packed and settled on the blanket again. Jonah curled against Laurie’s side, content to just lay there in silence. He wasn’t aware of closing his eyes, but he must have dozed off because the next thing he knew the play of Laurie’s fingertips along the length of his spine brought him slowly back to wakefulness.
Jonah blinked at Laurie, groggy and half-dazed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
Laurie smiled. “No worries. You were only out for a few minutes.”
“Really?” Jonah asked around a yawn. “It felt longer.” He stretched and sat up. “What time is it?”
“Three.”
Jonah glanced over at Laurie, who was still reclining on the blanket, loose and relaxed. “You want to see a movie?”
“Sure.”
“Cool. But I think we should play a game first.”
Laurie’s lips quirked. “What kind of game?”
Jonah grinned mischievously. “Hide-and-seek.”
Laurie laughed. “What are we, ten?”
“Oh, no, this isn’t your ordinary hide-and-seek. We play best two out of three.”
“Yeah?” Laurie smirked. “And what are the stakes?”
“Winner claims a boon from the loser.”
“Keep talking.”
“A sexual favor,” Jonah went on, his body stirring at the expression on Laurie’s face. “The loser has to comply, no matter what it is.”
Laurie’s smile took on a decidedly wicked cast. “You sure you’re brave enough for that?”
Jonah returned that smile with an impish grin. “I’m brave enough for anything you can dish out.”
“We’ll see,” Laurie murmured as he sat up. “I hide first. Give me to the count of fifty.”
Before Jonah could reply Laurie grabbed his shoulders and yanked him close for a quick and dirty kiss that ended with a playful nip to Jonah’s lower lip. “For luck,” he whispered, and then he took off.
For a moment Jonah was too stunned to move, his mouth stinging, his cock once again on red alert. The sound of Laurie’s laughter in the distance snapped him out of it. He closed his eyes and started counting from ten, figuring he’d wasted at least that long sitting there like an idiot.
When Jonah finished counting, he searched for almost ten minutes before he finally admitted defeat. He called out to Laurie and was surprised by a rustle from the trees a few feet behind him. He turned and watched as Laurie dropped to the ground with bits of leaves in his brown hair and a smug smile on his face.
“My point,” Laurie said, his hazel eyes sparkling with humor. “Wanna try again?”
Jonah lifted his chin. “Damn straight I do.”
Laurie’s smile broadened. “See if you can actually find me this time.”
Jonah rolled his eyes and turned away to start counting again. That time he did find Laurie, and he was proud when it took him less than five minutes. Laurie still seemed happy, despite his loss, and Jonah couldn’t resist sneaking in a good luck kiss of his own.
He went off to find a hiding place as Laurie began to call out numbers from his position near their picnic blanket. Eventually he decided on the old barn. It might have been an obvious choice—and that explained why Laurie had avoided it—but Jonah had never said that he didn’t want to be found. In fact, he was more than a little excited by the thought of what Laurie might ask of him when he lost. Smirking to himself, he walked to the farthest stall from the door and settled down to wait. Come and find me.
****
It took Laurie all of five seconds to figure out where Jonah had gone. He shook his head and crouched to grab one of the water bottles from the picnic basket. Let the kid sweat it out for a few minutes, he thought as he drained half the contents in one long gulp. Jonah was so transparent. It was kind of cute, really, and Laurie was totally willing to play along. Between work and school, he didn’t have very much time for fun. Jonah was undeniably that. Not to mention sexy as hell. Laurie couldn’t remember ever having reacted to anyone so strongly and they hadn’t even had full-on sex yet. At the rate they were going, Laurie wondered if he’d survive it when they did. Damn if it wouldn’t be worth the sacrifice one way or another.
Laurie tossed the water bottle back into the basket, and made his way to the barn. He tried to keep his steps light as he checked the stalls, but by the time
he neared the last one, he knew that if Jonah was there, he’d probably heard him coming. His suspicions were confirmed when he paused a couple of feet away and Jonah suddenly shot out of the stall and ran past him. Laurie burst out laughing and spun around to give chase.
He caught Jonah just outside the barn door. Jonah feinted left and then tried to bolt in the opposite direction, but Laurie was ready for him. He blocked Jonah’s escape and crowded him until he’d backed Jonah against one of the barn’s exterior walls.
Jonah’s face was flushed. He grinned as Laurie braced an arm on either side of his shoulders. “Guess you found me,” he said, reaching out to set his hands on Laurie’s hips. “So what are you going to do with me now?”
Laurie made a valiant effort at resisting as Jonah tried to pull him closer, but the sight of Jonah’s tongue slicking across his lower lip had him caving faster than a house of cards in a monsoon. He traced the same path it had taken and then nibbled at the corner of Jonah’s mouth. “You’re a little cheat. Running is against the rules, didn’t you know?”
Jonah’s soft, breathy laugh made Laurie’s cock twitch. “Maybe you should punish me then.”
Laurie slipped one of his thighs between Jonah’s legs and had to bite back a groan when Jonah immediately started to rub against him. “Yeah? Would you like that?”
Jonah shuddered, his eyelids drooping shut. “Yeah. I think I would.”
“So maybe I shouldn’t then,” Laurie said, even as he reached down to cup Jonah’s ass and drag him even closer. “Wouldn’t be much of a punishment if you enjoyed it, would it?”
Jonah’s grip on his hips tightened, urging Laurie to move faster. “Do whatever you like. Later.”
“Yeah.” Laurie gave in to him, loving the way Jonah trembled and moaned as the speed of their movements increased. “Later.”
CHAPTER 5
“So who all is going to be at this thing?”
“It’s a rave, Jo. You never know who’s gonna show up.”
Laurie glanced over his shoulder at Jonah, who sat alone in the backseat of Marc’s Intrepid as Marc navigated the unnamed country roads that led deeper into the hilly forest at the edge of town. Jonah gave him a tiny, suggestive smile as Marc kept talking. Laurie shook his head, but couldn’t help smiling back. He and Jonah together at a party in the woods where alcohol and Lord only knew what other mind-altering substances would be available probably wasn’t the best idea, but when one of the fly-fishing guides had told them about the rave, he never once considered leaving Jonah behind. Outside of work, they hadn’t spent much time apart since their picnic last week. Jonah was still in possession of his V-card, as he liked to call it, but that was a mere technicality in Laurie’s opinion since they’d done just about everything else.
As hot as all of the fooling around was, Laurie knew this thing they’d started had already gone beyond that. He wasn’t sure exactly when it’d happened, but there’d been a moment the day before when Laurie looked at Jonah and realized he wasn’t just some friend with benefits anymore, if he ever had been in the first place. They were in a relationship. Without either one of them really acknowledging it, they’d become a couple. Because people in sex-only arrangements didn’t spend hours and hours just talking, didn’t hold hands and snuggle at the movies, didn’t fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms after nothing more than a few kisses. And they definitely didn’t look at each other the way that Jonah looked at him.
Laurie was surprised their co-workers or Jonah’s grandparents hadn’t caught on. For him, the affection in Jonah’s face whenever their eyes met was blindingly obvious. If Marc hadn’t known what was going on, though he was still pretending otherwise to spare Jonah any embarrassment, Laurie knew he would’ve been able to guess. It was a good thing that he’d come clean to Marc before it even started because Laurie thought they were both probably doing a piss-poor job of hiding the fact that they were involved. That was okay, though. Laurie and Jonah were both out to their families, so it wasn’t as if that part would come as a shock to anyone. And maybe their relationship wouldn’t either. But if Laurie had anything to say about it, Marc was the only person who would ever know the particulars about how they’d gotten together in the first place.
Half an hour later they parked the car alongside dozens of others and made their way toward the massive bonfire they could see through the trees ahead. Laurie and Jonah settled on one of the huge logs that surrounded it while Marc went off in search of beer. It was really too hot for the bonfire still, but the woods would be pitch black without it, even if everyone had brought lanterns along. And the heat did nothing to prevent Jonah from pressing close to Laurie’s side.
Jonah put his mouth right up to Laurie’s ear to be heard above the frenetic techno music that pulsed from the giant speakers on either side of the makeshift DJ booth across the clearing. “So are you ever going to claim your prize?”
Laurie grinned. “Only when you least expect it.”
“I think tonight would be a good time.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, see, that’s the thing about being the loser.” Laurie leaned into Jonah and nipped at his earlobe. “You don’t have any say.”
Jonah shivered as Laurie’s tongue soothed away the sting from the bite, but in the next second he stiffened and subtly shifted a few inches away.
Laurie looked around and spotted Marc coming around the bonfire with a trio of beer bottles in hand. Luckily, Marc seemed to be totally engrossed in whatever the tall, tight-bodied blonde at his side was saying and hadn’t noticed Laurie’s minor slip up. Knowing about it was one thing, but seeing it would be quite another and that was one thing Marc had specifically mentioned during their talk. He had enough respect for his friend to try to honor his wishes, though it sure would be easier if Jonah was a little less hard to resist.
The song changed to one Laurie recognized and Jonah turned toward him, face alight with excitement. “Wanna dance?”
Laurie shook his head sheepishly. “I don’t dance.”
“Too bad.” Jonah stood when his brother arrived sans the blonde from before. He snagged one of the beers from Marc’s hand and drained it with a speed that had even Laurie blinking. He handed the empty bottle back and grinned. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Marc laughed and dropped onto the log beside Laurie. He handed Laurie one of the beer bottles and tossed the one Jonah had finished behind them. “You’re not going with him?” he asked in a casual tone as Jonah disappeared into the crowd of writhing bodies just outside the sitting area that surrounded the bonfire.
Laurie shrugged. “Let him do his thing. You know I can’t dance worth a damn.”
Marc snorted. “True.”
“What about you and that blonde?”
Marc took a long pull from his bottle and gave an appreciative sigh. “Oh, I’ll be seeing her later.”
That time Laurie snorted. “I’m sure you will.”
****
Jonah had no idea how long he’d been dancing. Song after song passed by in a blur. He sucked down another couple of beers and grooved with anyone who happened to be nearby. Male, female, it didn’t matter. He loved to dance and he was going to live it up while he had the chance. At that moment his partner was a guy with inky black hair and a multitude of piercings. His eyes were wild and Jonah knew he had to be on something, but Jonah didn’t mind until the guy crowded him and pressed something to his lips.
Jonah jerked back and shook his head. “No.”
“Come on, baby.” The guy lifted his hand again. “It’s just a sugar cube.”
“I said no.”
“Don’t be like that. It’ll make you feel really—”
“You heard him, Rick.”
Jonah stilled at the familiar voice. Travis stepped up beside him and suddenly “Rick” was all apologies. The guy took off through a gap in the crowd and Jonah turned to face Travis. He hadn’t seen much of him since the incident with Laurie at Beckett’s. Travis still popped into the shop
occasionally, but he didn’t linger as he had before and he wasn’t anywhere near as flirty. Right then, though, his arrogant smirk was at its highest wattage. He looked good; Jonah couldn’t deny it. Even in his grease-covered mechanic coveralls, Travis was still gorgeous. Out of them and wearing a clingy T-shirt and even clingier jeans, he was downright devastating.
Jonah crossed his arms across his chest, appreciative of Travis’s looks, but not affected by them as he might have been before. “Hey, Trav.”
“Jonah. Long time no talk.”
“Yeah.”
Travis made a production of glancing around. “Who are you here with?”
“Marc and Laurie.”
“Ah.” Travis’s smile twisted with amusement. “You up for a walk?”
Jonah bit his lip. He had no real interest in taking a walk with Travis, and he didn’t think Laurie would like it if he did. But he was still wondering what the deal was between Travis and Laurie, and there would be no better source than the proverbial horse himself. Finally, he shrugged. “Sure.”
Travis inclined his head. “Follow me.”
Jonah obeyed, trailing behind as Travis wove his way around the dancing couples and the other people who appeared to be doing some approximation that consisted mainly of uncoordinated flailing and jumping.
They moved deeper into the woods, away from the light of the bonfire. Travis stopped when it was just bright enough for them to make out each other’s features in the near-darkness.
Jonah leaned back against one of the trees, the roughness of the bark digging into his skin through the thin material of his shirt. “Since we’re not walking anymore, I assume you have something to say.”
“More like do,” Travis murmured. He approached until he was close enough for Jonah to feel his body heat. “I seem to recall making you an offer the other week. I’m still up for it if you are.”
Jonah clucked his tongue and gave Travis a considering look. “Well, as I was about to tell you that day before we got interrupted, I’m not interested.”
Don't Read in the Closet volume one Page 59