As if to silence me, he speaks softly when he replies. “Then we better start doing our movie nights at your place so we can break it in.” A lot of options came to mind. None of them involve watching a movie.
We go back to watching the movie, but my eyes won’t focus on the screen. They repeatedly stray toward my friend. I love how a cheesy grin spread across his face when he found one of the jokes funny. Or the severe expression he got when one of the characters was in peril.
His eyes never leave the screen. Getting me to sit through an entire movie had always been a challenge. Hell, most of the time, I couldn’t make it through a single TV show episode. My regular restlessness isn’t the problem tonight, though. I need to talk to Nathan about my feelings, but I’m scared to fuck things up between us. Somehow, we rescued our friendship after that kiss years ago, even though we were clueless kids. Indeed, as adults, we both could be mature enough to handle this.
“I’m going to grab another beer. Do you want anything?” I need a minute and a little bit of space to refocus.
“Sure. Thanks.” His gaze doesn’t leave the TV when he answers or when I stand up and walk toward the kitchen. The fridge’s cold air helps pull me out of my daze. The pull I feel toward Nathan isn’t going away. If anything, it gets stronger each time we’re together, and I’m running out of platonic excuses to touch him. God help me, though; I couldn’t keep my hands off him. Ever since we rekindled our friendship, the partof me that wanted more had kicked back in—this time with a vengeance.
And what was stopping me this time? Last time, it had been my family. They would disapprove, and I couldn’t risk losing them. Not when I still had a whole year of high school left. Now though? It no longer held the same weight. They still wouldn’t approve, but it wasn’t enough to hold myself back from something I sincerely wanted.
“Did you get lost? You’re missing the best parts.” Nathan’s voice carries over the sound of swords and yelling on the TV.
“Coming.” I return to the living room and relax on the couch again, opening one of the cans and passing it off to Nathan. If I’m a little bit closer to him now, who could blame me?
Chapter Thirteen
NATHAN
“That’sway cheesier than I remember, but it does hold up.” I turn toward Colt as the credits start to roll. He’s wearing a big smile, and I swear he’s closer to me than he was a few seconds ago.
“Does that mean I get to keep picking the movies?”
“For now.” I recognize the trap he’s setting, but I’m not agreeing to anything.
I lean across to grab the remote, stop the credits, and turn off the TV. My knee bumps up against his, and I draw a sharp breath. My body is keenly aware that he’s been close to me for the last ninety minutes. I stop leaning into him but let my knee stay against him. I set the remote on the arm of the couch. Even through my thick jeans, I feel the heat of his body, and my dick takes notice. If this is how my body responds to an innocent touch, what would it be like to really touch him?
Those thoughts don’t quell my libido. “So, did you have a second movie picked out, or do you need to get going?” If it was three in the morning, I would still find another movie. Sleep bedamned. At this point, I might not be ready to talk about my feelings, but I’m also not prepared for tonight to end.
“I don’t know, Grandpa, do you think you can stay awake until…” Colt glances down at his watch with an exaggerated arm movement. It presses his body a little closer to mine, and I bite back a moan. “Eleven o’clock if we put something else on?”
“I think I can keep up with you, whippersnapper.”
He shifts his body so that not only our knees touch but also our thighs. The scent of Colt’s pine shampoo wafts toward me, and I resist leaning my head against his shoulder.
“I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your beauty sleep.”
All the blood is in my dick, or at least that’s the best excuse I can come up with for my next move. I grab one of the throw pillows and smack his shoulder. I mean it to be gentle, but it hits with a loud thump and more force than anticipated. I gasp and cover my mouth. Colt sits there, staring at his arm, saying nothing. When he turns to look at me, his eyes are wild and intense. “I’m so?—”
He leans in and captures my mouth with his own to cut me off. It shocks my system, and my mind grinds to a stop. Colt Addington is kissing me.
Our seats are too far apart, and I’m twisted to face him, and I can’t remember what to do with my hands. I don’t care about any of that right now. All I want is for him to keep kissing me. His lips are so warm and soft; I don’t care. I’ll sit here all night doing that if he lets me.
He pulls away a bit, and I move my hand to the back of his head to pull him back. This time, when his lips press against mine, I open for him and run my tongue over the seam of his lips. He opens and lets me explore his mouth gently. I’ve dreamed about this for so long and don’t intend to rush things. His hands close over my hips and pull me a few inches closer. When I finally pull away, we’re both gasping for air. My chestheaves as I press my forehead against his. “Well, that was a surprise.”
“A good one?” His voice wavers, and I rush to reassure him.
“A very good one.” I sit back but move my hand to rest on his thigh. I need a connection between us. “My brain is having a little trouble catching up, though.” We sit silently for a few seconds, our ragged breaths slowing. He slides his hand over mine and interlocks our fingers. “I’m not sure what this is exactly.” I bite my lip. A kiss could be just that. Or he could be lonely and want friends-with-benefits arrangements. My mind runs through all the possible scenarios, trying to guess where we might land.
“What do you want it to be?”
Nope, I went first years ago; it’s his turn. “You kissed me, and I think you should go first.”
“I like you. A lot. I know saying it like that makes it sound like I’m a teenager with a crush, but honestly, that’s how I feel around you.” He squeezes my hand. “I’d like the chance to get things out between us. Take you on a real date; Maybe even kiss you some more.”
“A real date, huh?” My face hurts, but I’m smiling so much I can’t stop it. “I like the sound of that.”
“Is that a yes?”
