Page 25 of Code Word (The Atrous #3)

His pupils were blown, and that damn blush down his neck almost did me in. “Maybe I want that,” he murmured. “Maybe that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Fuck.

Then he lifted his knee, repositioned his leg, and let his legs fall open.

“So maybe you should do whatever you want to me,” he murmured.

Holy fucking fuck.

I crushed my mouth to his, hard and demanding. He took my tongue like he needed it, and somehow, like our bodies knew what to do, we aligned ourselves.

He spread his legs wide and I pressed my weight down on him...

His erection pushing against mine lit a fuse in my blood, in my bones. His hands raked all over my back, my ass, fireworks and fever, like I’d found the most addictive substance on the planet and was taking hit after hit.

I needed more.

Until Luke froze and gripped me tight.

I opened my eyes, and he was looking out to the water as if he’d heard something.. .

Then I heard it. A loud burst of laughter nearby and kids chattering. The kids from next door, probably...

Shit.

“Can they see us?” I breathed.

Luke laughed. “Dunno. But we should probably take this inside.”

The light in his eyes, his kiss-swollen lips, the feel of his rock-hard cock... Oh yeah, this wasn’t stopping.

“Good idea,” I said, jumping up, grabbing his hand, and pulling him with me.

We stumbled inside and I turned to face him just as he threw himself at me, smiling as he kissed me. My arms went around him, and not breaking the kiss, I walked him backward to the sofa.

He fell back, laughing, and he raised his knee near the backrest, a very prominent bulge in his shorts. His gaze raked down my body, to my crotch, and he licked his lips.

“Holy shit,” he breathed. “This is real, right? Tell me this is happening.”

I knelt between his legs, took his hand, and pressed it to my cock. “Does it feel real?”

He gasped and rolled his hips. “Oh, fuck yes.”

I leaned down and kissed him, slower this time, dipping my tongue into his mouth, slower, teasing. He seemed to forget what he was doing with his hand, so I pinned it above his head.

He gasped again, and then I lowered my hips to his, pushing, rolling, rocking. He whined and shuddered, grinding against me, with me.

I was gonna come like this.

Imagining us naked, our cocks together, sliding. Imagining his hand around us both. Imagining his body taking me in.

All of me .

Imagining that blush down his neck. Imagining him begging for it.

Imagining me giving it to him. Balls deep and unloading inside him.

“Fuuuuuck,” I moaned, bucking against him, holding him so fucking tight as I spilled between us.

Luke gripped my hips, fingers digging into my skin, as he arched up into me. His mouth open, his neck strained, a look of bliss on his face, and his erection surged, hot and hard, pressed against me, throbbing and shooting come on him, on me...

But his face. The look of ecstasy on his face.

Holy-holy-holy fuck.

I kissed him as he sagged, collapsing back on the sofa, his body racked with tremors. He laughed and groaned at the same time, his eyes closed, a lazy smirk on his face.

Utterly blissed out.

I wanted nothing more than to collapse on top of him, to hold him, to fall asleep on him, but we were a mess. So I dragged my heavy bones off him, and it made him open his eyes, alarmed.

Did he think I was freaking out?

I grabbed his hand and hauled him up. “Shower,” I said, not taking no for an answer.

I led him up the stairs to the bathroom and hit the water before I turned to face him.

He was looking at me some kind of way.

Uncertainty. Fear, maybe?

So I kissed him hard, pushing him back against the sink, making him yelp in surprise. I broke the kiss, resting my forehead to his. “Stop thinking I’m gonna freak out,” I whispered.

His blue eyes met mine, searching.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I added, then pulled my T-shirt off before taking care of his. I stuck my fingers under the waistband of his shorts and stopped, smiling for a moment before I kissed him again and pushed his shorts and briefs down.

I made a point of not looking down—even though I kind of wanted to—keeping my eyes locked with his as I dropped my own shorts. Then I shoved him into the shower stall, following him in, pushing him against the tiles, and kissing him under the stream of hot water.

He laughed, leaning his body forward to press against mine, one hand on my side, the other on my neck. And he looked at me, smiling, water dripping down his face, his kiss-swollen lips, and fuck-me eyes.

It was . . . hot. Dangerously so.

Feral and unbidden.

I gripped his chin. “Fuck. You shouldn’t look at me like that.”

He chuckled. “Like what?”

I growled because he knew damn well.

His tongue traced the corner of his mouth, and fucking hell, I’d never seen someone look so... seductive. And he wasn’t even trying.

At least I didn’t think he was.

He was just . . . happy. Sated.

God, he was doing something to my heart. Making it thump and feel so big that it knocked against my ribs.

Now, I’d been with a lot of women.

Like, a lot.

I’d been in a monogamous relationship for almost two years.

But none of them made me feel like this.

None.

My heart felt jittery and far too big and utterly amazing.

Then he took the soap and put it to my chest, as if he knew what I was thinking, what I was feeling. He washed me, his eyes drinking all of me in, and I swear I fell in love with him a little more .

Or a lot.

Like it solidified or cemented, or something. Me only realizing recently that the love I’d had for him was real, and now I knew for a fact it was true.

“What’s wrong,” he whispered. “Your eyes changed. The way you were looking at me changed.”

“I’m in love with you,” I blurted out.

“Oh,” he said with surprise. “Okay. I love you too.”

“No, I’m in love with you. I don’t just love you. I’ve always loved you. I just never realized, you know. Like I explained everything yesterday. I only just realized what kind of love. But now I know. Luke, I’m in love with you.”

His eyes searched mine, his cheeks blooming pink. “Oh.”

I took his hand and put it to my chest, his palm against my sternum. “It’s beating crazy right now,” I breathed.

He stood up to his full height, slid his hand around my jaw, and kissed me. “I’m in love with you too. Always have been.”

“I’ve never felt this way,” I admitted. “Not about anyone. Never in my life. I’m in this, Luke.

You and me. I don’t care what anyone says or thinks.

I’m not gonna freak out and bail, so stop thinking that.

It’s like every time you open your eyes you expect me to be freaking out or gone.

I dunno. But I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me now.

There was a no-refunds policy in the fine print. ”

He laughed but it faded into a sigh. “I’ve wanted this for years, and I’ve dreamed about being with you, about you doing things to me...” He shrugged. “So it’s kinda hard not to expect the fantasy to disappear when I open my eyes. I’m sorry.”

I put my hands to his neck, my forehead to his. “It’s real. I’m real. What I feel is real.” Then I made a face. “And the water getting cold is real.”

He laughed and shut the water off and we got out of the shower, taking our towels and drying off .

I’d be lying if I didn’t cop a look at his junk. Not blatantly ogling, but he was naked, and I wanted to see...

He stopped drying himself and held the towel out to the side, giving me an unimpeded view. “Better?”

I stared then at his dick, his balls, then drew my gaze up his body to his face. “Much better.”

He snorted and went out into his room, giving me an excellent view of his ass as he walked away. Firm and perfect.

Oh fuck yes.

And it struck me then, really struck me, how not odd I found all this.

How it wasn’t weird, how I wasn’t freaking out. I’d just had a dry-humping session with a man, and it was one of the hottest things I’d done.

Feeling his erection, how his hard cock slid against mine...

It was hot.

“You okay?” he asked. When I looked at him again, he was now wearing clean shorts. “You spaced out there.”

“Just thinking,” I said, walking out into the room. I handed him my towel, so I was completely naked before him.

He looked. Twice. Then he swallowed thickly before his eyes met mine. “Thinking about?”

“How un-weird this is. I’m not just saying that I’m not weirded out to make you feel better or to reassure you.”

“Oh, okay, thanks?”

I snorted. “I mean it. I just had my first sexual encounter with a dude, and it was one hundred percent hot with zero weirdness.”

“Zero weirdness.”

“Right? It was hot. And I keep having these... thoughts.”

“Thoughts about what?”

“About what we can do next. What I want to do. It’s like I’ve had the sexual-awakening door kicked open.

But it’s not even about just sex. I feel it here,” I said, hand over my heart.

“ I can’t even explain it. Am I overthinking this?

” Then I thought about it and tilted my head. “Or is this me freaking out?”

Luke blinked, then chuckled and threw some shorts at my chest. “Maybe we could have this conversation when you’re not stark naked.”

I pulled on the shorts. “Better?”

He nodded, still smiling. “I don’t think you’re freaking out.”

“Me either. I’m...” I shrugged again. “I’m happy. Like, legit happy. Not the kind of happy that makes you smile or laugh, but the kind that makes your heart feel weird.”

“Weird?”

I nodded. “Too big and stuttery. And stupid.”

“Weird, stuttery, and stupid.” He stood in front of me and poked his index finger into my chest. “You wanna be careful, Blake. Sounds like love.”