by Tijan
He scowled, going back to the table and pouring another drink for himself. He looked over. “You want one?”
Did I?
I was almost done so I finished it and stood, taking my cup to him.
I handed it over, letting our fingers brush. I didn’t look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me. They were smoldering, and I felt my body heating.
Then he pulled the cup away.
“So we’ve established that you’re out here because you were hoping to be camping with a ghost.”
I looked up.
That stung, but he was right.
That was why I was out here. He studied me until I nodded.
“And I’m out here avoiding talking to a guy that I don’t even know what to call anymore because he ain’t here for me. I’m just the excuse.” He whistled under his breath, finishing my drink and handing it over. He picked up his cup and held it out. “Let’s toast.”
I frowned, but held my cup up to his.
“How about we toast to losing our virginity in a tent?”
I coughed and sputtered out, “What?!”
“Just kidding.” He clinked his cup to mine and took a sip. “I’m not a virgin. Don’t worry.”
14
Blaise
She lay in front of me, and all I wanted to do was touch her.
That wasn’t true. I also wanted to lift her shirt up, show more of that little bit of waist she’d revealed as she turned away from me. She wore tight yoga pants to bed, and I wanted to move in, slide my hand inside them, and push them down. Then I wanted to cup her ass, because I could see a glimpse of her thong—pink and dainty looking. I groaned to myself.
My hard-on had a life of its own.
It wanted me to move closer, grind against her… And whose fault was it that we had to sleep next to each other? Mine. What a fuck am I? Apparently, you needed more than booze and food for camping. You needed things like sleeping bags and blankets, and things to brush your teeth—not that I was really worried about that. I could slip away to the gas station back up the road and do my business there.
Aspen had suggested we share the sleeping bag. It was that or I had to sleep in my Wagon. California nights could get cold, so here I was, a little drunk, and Aspen looked wasted after her three glasses. She had at least a decent buzz happening.
That was then. This was now.
I was awake and sober. Painfully sober.
Fuck, man. Fuck.
That bathroom make-out sesh was back in my head, replaying over and over again. Every little moan she’d made, the way I’d cupped her breasts, stroked her nipples, and grabbed them with both hands. Who the hell wouldn’t? She had a great rack, but now I was all sorts of regretting that because all I wanted to do was roll over on top of her, lift her shirt, and kiss those breasts while I slipped a finger inside her. Maybe two. Probably three. I wanted to wake her all the way up....
But I wouldn’t. I was fighting a boner the size of the redwoods surrounding us, but I had to be a gentleman. Because apparently, that’s what I’d signed up for when I decided I was going to be Aspen’s friend.
Friend. God.
Gag.
I was not a friend to girls. I banged them, or at least I fingered them. Friends? Hell to the no. So why was I out here? I could’ve gone to Zeke’s. He’d mentioned a rave in the desert, and I could’ve gotten lit up a whole different way. But I was here—in fucking boner rager agony—and Aspen was sleeping.
She was snoring. It was soft and cute-sounding, and there was that word again. Cute. I did not do cute.
“What’s your damage?”
I grinned, hearing my words come from her. Guess I woke her up.
She flipped over to glare at me. “I can’t sleep because I can hear how tense you are.”
My grin deepened, and I raised an eyebrow. “You want to know my problem?”
“Yeah.” She got settled, tipping her head to look up at me.
“Fine.” I looked down. “It’s not me that’s tense. My rager is working double-time, and you’re its techno music, if you get my drift.”
She frowned, glancing down.
“I have a massive hard-on for you.” There. I spelled it out.
She flushed, her eyes going round, but her lips curved up. She enjoyed this attention from me, and fuck me—that just made me want to torture her more. I was starting to live for her reactions, so I moved forward. I went slowly, giving her the option to pull away or stop me, but she never did.
Her teeth sank into her lip. I about jizzed my pants.
Cute.
Fuck.
She was all cute, and hot, and sexual, and I wanted to breathe her in, the more I was around her.
I rubbed against her, and she still didn’t stop me. That felt good. That felt real gooood. Reallly good.
Her eyes closed, and she moaned, and that was it.
I slid a hand under her shirt, moving it up, and rolled her to her back as I loomed over her. I was grinding against her, and I felt her holding her breath as her legs opened a little bit more for me.
Hell yeah. I moved all the way over her.
This was going to go bad fast, but who was I to stop us?
I settled right between her legs, and I pushed in and up. She gasped. It was like touching heaven again. I hissed, needing to let some of the tension out, as my fingers discovered she had no bra.
No bra. Was that a sign? Who was I talking to?
My fingers found her nipple as I thrust against her. Her legs wound around my hips, and she began moving with me. Now we were getting it on, and I couldn’t hold back anymore.
Dipping down, I found her lips.
Lust exploded in me. Shit, I wanted her. I wanted her so bad. This wasn’t like with other girls. She was more somehow, and I groaned. I couldn’t stop touching her. My lips opened over hers, commanding her, and she responded. She was so fucking good at that. My tongue slid inside to find hers, and as we kissed, I showed her how I wanted to be inside her in a whole other way.
I moaned. “You’re amazing.”
She didn’t respond, but her body started shaking. She grabbed my shoulders and moved to clutch my head.
She wrapped her legs tighter around my hips and lifted up against me, grinding herself on my dick. I slid my hand under her ass, palming one of her cheeks and lifting her even farther off the ground.
Okay. Enough of this angle.
I shoved up, bringing her with me, then did some maneuvering until her legs were over mine, her arms around my head, my tongue in her mouth, and my cock trying to get through those hot yoga pants. I could feel her breasts rubbing against my chest, and this was officially the best camping trip I’d ever gone on.
I smoothed my hand down her side, working my fingers under her waistband, but I paused, giving her time to refuse.
I felt like I was going to explode, but I needed to touch her. I had to take care of her. Still, I waited, and when I didn’t move fast enough, she took my hand, guiding me farther into her pants.
I grinned, nipping at her lips. “Hell yeah.”
She laughed. “Shut it.”
There she was, using my words against me. I was fast on my way to hard-core crushing on her, but then everything faded because my fingers were between her legs, and this right here was enough to let me die happy. There’s nothing better than touching your girl, stripping her, and making her combust all around you. I was about to finish that job, and I sank a finger inside.
She grasped my shoulders, moaning against my mouth, and then she was moving with me.
I slipped in a second finger.
She rolled her hips, riding my hand like a pro, and this was better than my own climax. I kept thrusting, playing her body, pulling away from her mouth and going down to find her breasts. I ran my tongue around her nipple as she shuddered, her fingers raking through my hair.
Nothing better, ever, than having your girl writhing against you and knowing you’re about to make her see fucking s
tars. I could feel her getting there; she was close. Her body tensed, her legs growing tighter around me. She was almost climbing me, and then, I felt her body snap. Her head fell back.
A guttural sound emerged from her, and she came all over me.
Best goddamn camping trip ever.
I held her close, easing her back down, because we were so not done. I nipped at her neck, giving her sweet, tantalizing kisses as she melted for me.
Then she came alive and her hand went into my pants, her fingers wrapping around me.
I pulled away from her mouth. “You don’t have to do that.”
She tightened her hold on me, just briefly, and she began to slide up and down. “Shut up, pretty boy.”
She rolled me over, straddled me and sat up. I wasn’t expecting any of this, but man, I loved it. I was loving this a whole lot, and then she made me see stars.
15
Aspen
I had kissed guys before, but nothing like what happened with Blaise in my tent. No way, and I was embarrassed. But I also wasn’t embarrassed, because he was so nice about it all.
This morning, he’d still been nice about it, waking me up with more kisses and those fingers moving inside me once again.
He never pushed me. Not once.
After I came, he kissed me on the lips and said, “I’m running to the gas station. Be back with morning coffee and donuts.”
That was twenty minutes ago.
While he was gone, I went to the river to wash up. I changed clothes and began putting everything away. I knew Blaise would go back today, and I knew there’d be a fight if I tried to stay. So I was giving in, but it wasn’t because of him. To be honest, I didn’t know why I was giving in. Maybe it was because I couldn’t feel Owen, or maybe I’d lost the desire to camp after last night.
Whatever the reason, I had most of my stuff put together by the time Blaise pulled back up in his Wagon.
He got out, flashing me a smile—a drink holder with coffees in one hand and a bag of donuts in the other as he came down the trail. He took in the near-empty campsite with a slight frown before setting the coffees and bag on the table. “You actually giving in on the camping thing?” He straddled one of the benches.
I went over and hopped up, my feet coming down just beyond his opened knees.
He lifted one of the coffees for me. I took it, our fingers sliding against each other, and we shared a look that made my insides sizzle.
“I figured if I didn’t, you’d send up your brother and Bren.”
He grunted. “Shit. I never thought of them. They’d be perfect. They’re huge pains in the ass.”
I hid a grin, sipping my coffee and almost groaning, it was so good. He unwrapped one of the donuts and slid it over to me.
Seriously sweet. Who knew?
“Can I ask about them?”
He smiled, picking up his coffee. “I’m fairly certain you know them better than I do. Maybe I should be asking you.” His tone was teasing, but those words packed a punch.
“You don’t know your brother that well?”
“Cross?” He frowned. “No, just that he hates me.”
Oh. Damn. “He hates you?”
He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big thing. I’m still hung up on finding out the whole daddy lie, you know?”
“Oh.” I thought a moment. “Your brother was nice to me the night I helped them. He and Bren were. The tall one was okay, but the other one was kinda mean.”
Blaise’s eyes blazed. “What’d he say to you?”
“Nothing you haven’t.”
He scowled. “That pisses me off. I can be mean to you because I like you, but he can’t.”
“You like me?”
His scowl vanished. “I mean…” He shrugged. “I was thinking making you come last night and this morning kinda conveyed that message.”
“Yeah, but you don’t date.” Aw, crap. Here it was. I hadn’t meant to bring us here, but I guess I needed to know the parameters. Whatever that meant.
He got all serious, leaning forward. “I don’t date. I mean…” Regret crossed his face. “But I can’t say we’re only friends either. I’m…” He expelled a ragged breath. “Man, I don’t know. My last talk like this was with Mara when I said, ‘I’d like to continue boning you, but if you need an exclusive handle, I’ll walk.’ She was fine with it, but you’re not like that.” He watched me intently.
My throat felt tight. He was right.
I wasn’t like that.
I’d thought maybe I could be, but I couldn’t. Knowing he’d been with me last night and this morning, and that he could be with her tonight made me want to die.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not that girl,” I murmured.
“Well,” he said softly. “Fuck me then.” He leaned closer, his hand on my knee. “I don’t want to be just friends.”
“I don’t want to be another Mara.”
He flinched. “You’re not. I don’t know what this is, but I know you’re not that.”
Could he… What was he saying?
He looked away and pressed his lips together. “How about we shelve this? Come back to it later, and I promise not to touch anyone else until we know exactly what we’re doing.”
“Really?” But what does that mean?
He nodded, finishing his donut in one bite and standing. “I can’t promise a relationship; I know that much. But I can promise you I won’t touch anyone else right now. That’s all I can give you. I’m sorry.”
Well, damn. Seeing no other choice, I dipped my head in a nod. “Okay.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
I was confused, but he wouldn’t touch another girl. Okay then. I tried to smile. “Why am I suddenly terrified?”
“Fuck if I know.” He picked up his coffee, finishing that too, and looked around. “Why don’t you finish packing everything up, and just point me at things you want carried to your car? I can do that much to help.”
So that’s what we did.
I finished packing up what was left, and then pointed.
He carried everything to Maisie, and after I had a hard time getting something to fit, he took over packing her up too. His phone went off the entire morning, but he ignored it. There was one last coffee, and I was grabbing the last bag when I saw him duck into Maisie, putting it inside for me.
Then he held his keys in the air, grinning at me, and I felt all sorts of heat between my legs. He watched me come over to him, his eyes darkening as he looked me up and down.
He whistled. “You do camping good.”
A stifled a laugh. That was funny.
“Thank you.”
He grinned, bending down to press his lips to mine. “Wanna race back to Fallen Crest?”
Fallen Crest. I felt a sudden wave of nerves. “Uh…”
His grin faded. “What?”
“About Fallen Crest—when we get back there…” I swallowed over a lump in my throat. “What’s the plan? Because your friends scare me.”
He shrugged. “They scare me too.”
“Blaise.” I was getting frustrated. “This isn’t a joke to me.”
“I know.” He tipped up my chin. “I pretty much gave you the one promise I can give. Can we see how things go? I won’t let anyone mess with you.”
I tried to ignore the sudden burst of tingles in my chest, but dammit—he was in there, and making me feel things I wasn’t ready to feel. I never thought I would feel stuff like this, or have someone like him wanting to kiss me. And that’s all he was giving me, I reminded myself. We were more than friends, and he wouldn’t touch someone else, but relationships took more than that.
I’d have to go back to my same existence and what? Wait for him to show up? Make visits?
Then again, maybe that’s what friendships were like?
“Okay.”
His eyebrows darted up in surprise. “Okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I mean,
I don’t have friends in Fallen Crest. I’m out of practice for this stuff. All my friends at Hillcrest lived in the same building as I did, so it was different.”
He frowned. “Okay then, I guess.”
I’d started for Maisie when he caught my hand and pulled me in. His head dipped, and his mouth was on mine. A full minute later, he let me go, and my knees were shaking.
“That’ll last me a while. I’ll call later.”
He’ll call.
Okay then.
He’ll call.
I could do this… Couldn’t I?
But he said he’d call, so there was that. He was going to call.
16
Blaise
Zeke answered after the first ring.
“Yo! Where the fuck you at, bro?”
I grinned. Always the same from him. For some reason, that settled me.
“Hey, I need a favor.”
He belched into the phone. “Name it.”
“Nice.”
“Whatever. You missed the best rave last night.” He whistled.
I could hear voices, but they were fading, and a second later, they were gone.
“Talk to me. What do you need?”
“Where are you?”
He belched again, then laughed. “We had tacos earlier. Guess the peppers aren’t sitting right with me. But what do you need?”
“I’m not sure.” I explained about my mom and Griffith. “If he’s still there, I either need you to hold me back or be my alibi.”
I could almost hear him smiling. “Yeah, man. Anything for you. You want just me or should I grab Conway and Ashlome too?”
I paused, but there was nothing else there. “Hey, Zeke—”