The Boy on the Bridge

by Sam Mariano

  Someone like Hunter.

  I didn’t think it would be him because he hated me, but now it can be. Maybe that’s all that matters. Maybe I shouldn’t overthink it.

  No longer awkward due to conflicted feelings and virginal hesitation, I lean up on my tiptoes and press my forehead against his. I close my eyes for a moment, just enjoying the closeness.

  “You know what?”

  “What?” he asks.

  “A wise man once told me to go big or go home.”

  His perfect lips curve up. “Oh, did he?”

  I nod, easing back a little, but staying within kissing range. “Mm-hmm. He was a reasonable man, too. Fully willing and able to compromise when the situation called for it.”

  “Anything else you like about this guy?” he asks, playing along. “Sounds like I might wanna beat him up.”

  I try to bite back a smile, but I don’t try very hard. “There is this one other thing.”

  “I’m listening,” he says, his tone playful as he mimics my words from the library.

  “It’s been a while so I can’t be completely sure about the veracity of this one, but if memory serves…”

  “If memory serves,” he murmurs, locking an arm around my waist and pulling me closer.

  I meet his gaze, a playful glint in mine. “I remember him being a really good kisser.”

  It’s all the invitation he needs. Whatever weight I inadvertently added to his shoulders, either it fell off during our back and forth or he figured out how to carry it.

  He brings his face so close to mine, I can scarcely breathe.

  He cradles my face in his hand, gazing at me with so much affection, my heart feels like it might explode.

  His voice sends shivers down my spine as he playfully murmurs, “Let’s see how good your memory is.”

  And then he kisses me.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Riley

  Two trillion monarch butterflies somehow find space inside my stomach.

  They flutter madly, almost violently as Hunter presses his lips against mine.

  Just like the first time, his kiss starts off slow and gentle. Hunter has the most perfect lips—soft and overpowering at the same time. When he kisses me, I can’t even breathe. It shouldn’t be so incapacitating, but the way he tastes my lips, the way his mold so perfectly against mine as if chiseled by the Gods for this specific purpose…

  I can’t breathe, can’t think. All I can do is hold onto him. I feel his hands slide under my ass, feel him pull me tightly against him.

  A thrill shoots through me when I feel how hard he is already, knowing it’s because of me.

  All the resistance melts out of me. He didn’t even have to reason with me, he could’ve just kissed me and my “I’m not sure” would’ve turned into “yes.”

  My heart races as his hands roam my body. I want to explore his body, too, but it’s hard to focus on anything when I’m being so thoroughly kissed.

  “God, I love your mouth,” I murmur against his lips when I finally need to take a breath.

  It’s the wrong thing to say if I wanted a break. He pushes his fingers through my hair, gently tugging my head back and crushing his lips against mine.

  His kiss is like being pushed under water with no warning. A burst of panic ripples through me. I’m gripped by enough awareness to know I could drown in these waters and I need to escape. But it’s like being drowned by a Siren. Who needs air if it means leaving him?

  When his lips leave mine again, he looks down at the buttons on my shirt with fixed intensity as he slips the tiny discs through their holes. “Do you know how many times I’ve thought about doing this?”

  My heart flutters happily. “I’m surprised you had time with all those gorgeous Italian girls you seemed to be juggling,” I murmur.

  Hunter smirks, his eyes glinting with amusement as they meet mine. “You kept tabs on me, huh?”

  My cheeks heat, undercutting my denial. “I didn’t keep tabs on you… I checked in on occasion.”

  “Mm-hmm,” he murmurs, unconvinced, as he frees the last button and pulls my shirt open. His gaze drops to my breasts. They’re still covered by a nude-colored bra, but I have a feeling not for long as Hunter tugs off my white button-down top.

  “I missed you,” I admit. “I wanted to see if life was good for you in Italy.”

  He slides his hands around my back to unclasp my bra. “It was better than I expected it to be.”

  “I want to hear all about it.”

  His lips curve up. “Maybe not right now.”

  “Are you sure? I’m an excellent multitasker,” I tell him as I peel off my bra and toss it off to the side.

  Hunter shakes his head at me, grabbing me around the waist and tugging me close so he can bend his head and kiss the swell of my bare breast. “I promise you all the Italy pillow talk you desire as soon as we’re done.”

  I miss a beat as he presses those incredible lips of his to my skin. “Be careful what you promise,” I say with some effort as my heart rate picks back up. “I could keep you here all night, and this isn’t our house.”

  “Talk until sunrise if you want to. No one gets through that door until I say they do.”

  “Mm. It must be nice to have your power,” I tease.

  “It is,” he says with a roguish smile.

  I smile back, working my fingers through his hair as he shifts his attention to my breasts. A sigh of pleasure escapes me as that wonderful mouth of his moves across my sensitive skin, eliciting a collection of thrilling sensations I’ve never experienced before.

  I’ve explored my own body a bit, but I’ve never even been tempted to let anyone else touch me.

  Well, not since that night Hunter was in my bedroom, but I knew I wasn’t ready for it then.

  I’m not sure I’m ready now, either, but I’m not sure I could ever feel ready for this. I’m excited for it now, even if I know it’s a little—a lot—reckless.

  He’s not even my boyfriend. It seems unfathomable that I should let someone who isn’t even my boyfriend be my first, but… it’s Hunter, and that trumps boyfriend.

  His mouth closes around my nipple and I gasp, a shock of pleasure shooting right through me. Hunter’s grip on my waist tightens. He keeps me close when I’m tempted to squirm away.

  “Do you have a condom?” I ask abruptly.

  His tongue flicks over my nipple, sending another lightning bolt through my body. He looks up at me, only unlatching his mouth long enough to say, “Sure do,” then his mouth is on me again, melting what’s left of my sane, rational brain.

  I never knew boobs could elicit such pleasure. It’s probably more intense because it’s Hunter. I open my eyes and look down to remind myself it’s really him, he’s really here, and this is really happening.

  His mouth moves lower. He kisses his way down to my belly button. I’m still wearing jeans, so he starts to unbutton them.

  As much as I want him, a thrill of fear shoots through me. That reluctance reemerges without his mouth on mine. A little voice in the back of my head whispers that there’s something off, something not quite right. That maybe I should stick to my first feeling that this isn’t the time or place for this.

  “Wait,” I say again, reaching for his hands and pushing them away. He got me unbuttoned, but the panic set in again when he reached the zipper. I break away, knowing I need to get some distance from him so I can think straight.

  Unfortunately, he knows that, too.

  “No,” he says, grabbing me and pulling me back against him.

  There’s nowhere to run, anyway. The bedroom isn’t that small, but Hunter has me cornered by the bed and the wall. Now he pulls me back against his hard body. My eyes close as he slides his hand down my stomach and goes for the zipper again.

  “You’re not running from this,” he tells me, almost absently kissing the shell of my ear as he tugs down my zipper. “I’ve been waiting for this and so have you.”

  �
�I have not,” I deny, even though I’m not confident in the words as they leave my lips.

  “No? Why haven’t you fucked anyone else, then?”

  Looking back at him with the driest expression I can muster, I tell him, “Because you told all the guys not to fuck me.”

  He rolls his eyes but doesn’t deny it. “That’s not why. Don’t try to pretend you don’t feel it between us, Riley. You feel it, just like I do. There’s something here, something… unbreakable. A pull neither one of us can resist, no matter how much we think we should.”

  My heart skips a beat. As he says those words, he grabs my jaw and tilts my head back so it’s resting on his shoulder. His lips find my neck and my ability to reason takes a critical hit.

  Then his hand slides down the open front of my jeans. Cupping my pussy in his hand, he says, “This is mine. I was always meant to take it first. It doesn’t matter when or where it happens, Riley, it only matters that it’s you and me.”

  Damn it all, he’s right. Or maybe he’s wrong, but he’s so persuasive, I’m having trouble keeping my thoughts straight.

  Then he pushes a finger into me and the last vestiges of my resistance melt away. I gasp as he strokes me, my nerves so sensitive that just the caress of his finger about sends me through the ceiling.

  “Hunter,” I say on a gasp, sinking back against him.

  “Yes, Riley?” he purrs in my ear, teasing my clit with his fingertip.

  “Oh, God,” I groan, gasping again.

  “Your pussy feels so good,” he murmurs, kissing the side of my neck. “Like silk. It’ll feel so good around my dick.”

  Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, my bullied, isolated, exiled common sense screams something about a condom.

  The common sense gets lost, drowned out by a thrilling wave of pleasure as Hunter fingers me. I can’t believe how good it feels. It’s never felt this good when I touched myself. I’ve never been wound up so tightly, so quickly.

  “Hunter,” I moan again, leaning back against him. It sounds like a plea or a complaint. It’s both. His finger feels so good, but I want more. I want all of him.

  He kisses my neck. “You want more?”

  I’m so glad he can read my mind tonight. I can’t say anything of substance or think my way through an open door. Another sharp jolt of pleasure shoots through me as he teases me. I want to come, but…

  My stomach twists and turns, a line of tension running tight through my entire body as he toys with me. I can feel it everywhere. It makes my legs shake. I don’t know how much longer I can stand upright with him touching me like this.

  “You want me to fuck you, Riley?”

  His words send another sharp jolt through my already overstimulated body. I close my eyes, rocking against his hand. His finger slides a little deeper, he rubs a little harder.

  My heart pounds. I need something to hold onto, so I reach back and grab onto his neck. I pull his face closer and he kisses my neck more hungrily, the intensity of his kiss ratcheting up as he fingers me faster.

  “Oh God,” I cry breathlessly, taking short, shallow breaths as my legs tremble beneath me. “Hunter…”

  “You’re not saying no.” He punctuates his observation by lightly biting my neck, then kissing the spot he just bit. “Can I fuck you, Riley?”

  I can’t hold on anymore. Throwing my head back and arching against him, I cry out, grinding against his hand and riding the wave of release.

  I feel weak in the aftermath. Hunter pulls his hand out of my pants and locks his arms around me. Shudders are still wracking my body when his warm, amused voice hits my ears.

  “I’m gonna take your silence as a yes.”

  A memory hits me—a treasured one I’ve thought a lot about over the years. That day we were alone in his bedroom for the first time.

  Hunter always made me think about doing things I never thought about doing before, even back then.

  He’s a temptation I don’t really want to resist.

  I want to play it out, though, so even though I know my answer is yes, I answer back, “That’s a dangerous precedent.”

  I can hear the smirk in his voice as he presses another soft kiss against my neck. “Tell me no, then.”

  I can’t tell him no.

  I don’t want to.

  My insides feel all warm and fuzzy.

  I turn around to face him, my gaze locking with his.

  I bite down on my bottom lip, then I sit on the bed and scoot back to make room for him.

  His beautiful eyes glint with victory, his perfect lips tugging up like the jungle cat that got the cream.

  I feel soft and happy as Hunter joins me on the bed. I don’t panic this time when he pulls my jeans down and off my body. When he hooks his fingers into the waistband of my panties and tugs them down, too.

  My heart starts to beat fast again when I realize I’m completely naked and he’s still fully dressed. I figure he’ll undress now, but he’s too busy drinking in the sight of me.

  A bit self-conscious, I squeeze my legs together right before his gaze hits on the spot between them.

  His gaze shoots to mine. He has the audacity to look bereft. “What is this fucking shit?”

  I bite back a smile, then I curl up on my side and cover my breasts with my hands. “Stop looking at me.”

  “Never,” he says, moving up behind me.

  “You’re looking too hard,” I tell him. “You’re making me shy.”

  Hunter grabs my wrists, tugging my hands away from my breasts and rolling me onto my back. In one smooth move, he climbs on top of me and pins my wrists against the bed beside me. “Nuh uh. We’re not doing that.” Dipping his head, he kisses the soft mound of my right breast. “These are mine. Mine to look at, mine to taste.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t recall signing the deed over to you. Did you get it notarized? I think there was a problem with your paperwork. Have your lawyer contact mine, we can work out the details.”

  Hunter smiles fondly, shaking his head at me. “You’re such a fucking nerd.”

  “I’m just saying, I never put on your necklace,” I tease. “I didn’t agree to this ownership business.”

  He slides his hands up my wrists and our hands interlock. “You talk too much.”

  “I thought you liked when I talked.”

  “I do, but this isn’t the time for talking.”

  Dropping my voice lower to mimic his, I say, “It doesn’t matter when it is or where it is, Hunter. It only matters that it’s you and—”

  Before I can finish mocking him, he crushes his lips against mine, shutting me up rather effectively.

  I unlock our hands so I can free mine. Once they’re free, I wrap my arms around his neck and close my eyes, reveling of the feel of his lips on mine. I think I could kiss him forever and never tire of it.

  The intimacy of our position seeps into me, softens me up even more than the orgasm did. I want to touch him everywhere, explore every inch of his body.

  I start with his face. I keep one arm locked around his neck to keep him close, but I slide the other one along his jawline. Hunter likes a clean-shaven look, but right now he’s got a little scruff. It’s rough against my soft fingertips.

  All sorts of lovey confessions bubble up to the surface, threatening to escape when Hunter looks up at me. I need to shut me up, too, so I kiss him again.

  As we kiss, his hand roams my body. His fingers skim my side, he palms my breast, traces the curve of my collar bone with his thumb. He touches me like we have all the time in the world.

  His exploration reminds me that I want to do that to him, too. The memory surfaces of him in only swim trunks, dripping wet when he got out of the pool. If he gets to look at me and touch me all over, I should get to do that, too.

  With that thought in mind, I reach for the buttons of his orange button-down shirt.

  Orange. My lips curve up. Not a color I would ever pick out, but it looks damned good on him. His skin is still dark wi
th the tan he probably has leftover from running around shirtless in Italy.

  Unlike me, Hunter isn’t a bit shy about getting naked. I suppose he’s more used to it than I am. Hell, he had strangers photographing him shirtless in Italy, so I’m sure this is nothing for him.

  I admire his unwavering confidence as I push the shirt back and tug it down, but then I drink in the sight of his bronzed, perfect chest, and I see he has absolutely nothing to be shy about.

  I can’t help sighing as I look at him. His tan makes me aware of how pale I am. It’s summer, but it might as well be winter judging by the looks of me.

  “What?” Hunter asks, watching my face.

  “You’re too sexy for me. I’m not sure I can deal with all of this.”

  He grins, leaning in and stealing a quick kiss. “Quiet, you.”

  “I’m serious. Can you do something to make yourself a little uglier? Maybe you could get glasses,” I say, cocking my head as I try to envision what he would look like.

  “I look hot in glasses,” he teases, dipping in and stealing another kiss—my jawline, this time.

  “Of course you do,” I mutter. “They probably just leave people with the impression that you’re smart, too. Which you are,” I say, like an accusation. “One person shouldn’t have so much going for them, you know. It’s not really fair.”

  “Life’s not fair,” he says unapologetically. “Some people have more, some have less. I have you and you have me, what else matters?”

  I sag with defeat. “You can’t say things like—”

  He silences me with another kiss.

  I’m out of things to say, anyway. I let him sweep me up in his kisses. Every touch causes the temperature of my blood to rise as it courses through my veins.

  When he grabs my waist and pulls me tighter against him, I go to lock my leg around his hip and realize he’s still wearing pants.

  I break away from his lips and look down just long enough to find the button of his jeans. He kisses me again as I feel my way to the zipper and drag that down, too.