Toward the end of the song, Ford reaches behind his head and tugs off his sweatshirt. My mouth dries, because in the process, his shirt rides up, revealing a whole hell of a lot of his abdomen, including a hidden tattoo…over his ribs.
A compass.
Holy. Shit. It’s him.
FireInMyVeinsis Ford.
I was right.
A layer of goosebumps pops up over my arms, the hair on the back of my neck standing up as the sweet confirmation settles deep in my groin. The man I’ve been talking to—the mystery man with the nice cock—is Captain Ford Wesley. And the best part? I may be just now figuring out who he is, but he’s known who I am. Ford’s beenknowinglyflirting with me.
Not some random guy on an app.
Me.
Fuck me, that’s so goddamn hot.
What a dirty, sneaky man…
Every part of me wants to call him out on it right this second, to quit wasting time and get to ripping each other’s clothes off, but I know I can’t. Not yet. Somehow, I manage to school my features and continue on with the night. I’m not sure how much time passes, but eventually, I step away from the group in search of something to drink. Flipping open the lid to one of the coolers, I pull out a bottle of water. It’s late, and if I don’t want to wake up with a pounding headache in the morning, I need to hydrate with something other than beer and tequila. I prop my ass on the edge of one of the tables as I crack open the bottle and down a few gulps as I try to figure out a plan of action.
Twisting the cap back on, I set it beside me, then grab the pack of cigarettes out of my pocket, deciding now would be as good a time as any to enjoy a quick smoke break. Nobody on Remi’s crew smokes, and they all have no problem reminding me how bad it is for me any chance they get. I take a long, slow drag, letting the smoke and nicotine fill my lungs while my gaze takes in the sight before me. Everybody except Remi and Millieis back in their chairs, amusement gleaming in their eyes as they watch the drunk pair slow dance to Paramore’sThe Only Exceptionand serenade one another.
After a moment, like he can sense me thinking about him, Ford’s eyes slide over and lock onto mine. An electric buzz courses through my veins as a smirk tugs on the corner of my mouth. He holds my gaze for a few seconds before shifting his focus back to Millie and Remi. It’s impossible to miss how his jaw pops and the harsh way he swallows, causing his Adam’s apple to bob in his throat. Even though I have all the proof I need to know, without a doubt, that the man I’ve been talking to is Ford, getting him to admit it out loud is going to feel so fucking satisfying.
And I’m going to do just that by the end of the night.
The anonymity has been fun, but now that I’m certain the guy is Ford, somebody I’ve always been attracted to, somebody I’ve hung out with before, and somebody who has known this entire time who he’s talking to, makes this so much sweeter…and hotter. Taking one last drag, I put out the cigarette, tossing the butt in the trash as I wrack my brain on how this should play out. I could always take the straightforward route by pulling him to the side and telling him what I know. In my experience, being blunt and to the point is often the way to go. However, this situation is different. Knowing what I do about Ford—about how flighty he’s already been on the app, and about his past—I quickly decide that plan wouldn’t work for a multitude of reasons. Whatever I do, it’ll have to be smooth and careful. If I spook him, I run the risk of scaring him off. Or worse, embarrassing him. Neither of which I want to do.
My desire to pursue this man is still a huge fucking mystery to me, though. Sure, Ford is sexy as hell, but even before knowing his identity, I was drawn to him. And yeah, I alreadywanted to fuck Ford, but this feels…different. I wanted to fuck Ford in a one-and-done type of way. A conquest. A fantasy come to life. But this guy, the man from the app… Well, he intrigues me in a way that doesn’t feel one-and-done, which isn’t like me at all. Yet knowing all of that, I still can’t let it go. I’m like a dog with a bone. Honestly, though, itdoesmake sense. Getting laid has never been hard for me, and not even in a conceited way either. I’ve always been a more naturally flirtatious person, so finding somebody to get sweaty with typically doesn’t require a whole lot of effort on my part. And don’t get me wrong, sometimes that’s exactly what I need—a quick, easy release—and usually what I prefer. Something I don’t have to think too hard about. But this isn’t something I can get easily. This guy—both the man from the appandFord, the man in real life—is someone I have to put in effort to get.
It’s been too fucking long since I’ve had to do any chasing, and that’s usually half the fun. So, the reason I’m hyper-focused on him, so intrigued by him, and why I’m so adamant about fucking him, is because it’s a challenge.He’sa challenge.
Andfuck me, if I don’t love a good challenge from time to time.
It’s not long before we call it a night. After James puts out the fire and we tidy up the campsite, everyone heads to their respective tents. As soon as I have mine zipped, an idea forms. An idea that erases any bit of tiredness I was feeling a moment ago. Quickly stripping down and sliding into my sleeping bag, I reach for my phone and pull up the chat with my not-so-mystery man, my heart pounding as my thumbs fly over the screen.
KnockinBoots: You up?
My lips curl into a grin when his response comes through not even a minute later.
FireInMyVeins: As a matter of fact, I am.
KnockinBoots: Are you as horny as I am? *evil smirk emoji*
FireInMyVeins: Maybe…
Arousal floods my system, and I swallow thickly, my cock throbbing beneath the covers.
Here goes nothing…
KnockinBoots: Well, maybe I can help you with that…
Eleven
Ford
KnockinBoots: Well, maybe I can help you with that…
