Page 25 of Irreconcilable Attractions (Westwend Boys #1)
Derek
Ever since realizing I was into men, and particularly into Colton, I hadn’t been very good at keeping my feelings in check.
Part of me had been expecting to feel more freaked out about this revelation.
My new identity should have been more shocking but, somehow, I felt more at peace.
Like my feelings had just been waiting for me to catch up with the program.
But the idea of losing Colton as a friend?
That freaked me out. I could tell myself till I was blue in the face that I was going to keep acting the same, but the reality was harder than that.
But, then I’d been ready to kiss Colton in that bathroom.
I was going to kiss him. He’d looked so sweet, standing there with small smudges of charcoal across his cheek and chin.
Those green eyes of his had been like a sea of soft meadow grass—inviting and safe.
I hadn’t ever felt so drawn to another person before in my life. His hand in mine had felt so right.
The interruption had been frustrating to say the least, but the heat in Colton’s eyes told me that this was a pause, not an ending.
In the back of my mind, a part of me was screaming to think before taking this step.
Our friendship deserved for us to talk first, but the promise of his lips on mine drowned out any worries I had.
Just as we were about to find a more private place to ‘talk’, Charlie burst through the backdoor, lifting his spatula in the air like some agent of retribution.
“Derek Hammond!” If his red face and flared nostrils hadn’t been a clue to how pissed he was, his voice certainly was. My dick deflated almost instantly at the abrasive tone. I’d heard Charlie raise his voice, get pissed, and cuss up a storm before but it’d never been directed my way.
“I could have sworn, boy, I told you to watch the burgers.” His footsteps pounded against the wooden floors, each one more menacing than the last.
“Oh shit.” Colton breathed, stepping away from me slightly.
Oh shit was right. I’d completely forgotten about the grill while trying to get Colton cleaned up. The burgers were one of the main staples of the barbecue from what I remembered during my internship.
“I’m so sorry, Charlie. How bad is it? Are they all hockey pucks?” I shot him an apologetic look, hoping it would be enough to quell some of the obvious anger.
Charlie studied my face for a moment before glancing over at Colton suspiciously. His eyes ping-ponged between us, causing a trickle of unease to travel up my spine.
“Well, they aren’t edible, that’s for sure.” He sighed after a moment, seeming to find whatever he was looking for between us.
“I’m really sorry, Charlie.” I tried again, glancing at Colton for some sort of back-up here. I couldn’t exactly tell him I’d been about to furiously make-out with his son in the hallway bathroom. Colton just gave me a mournful look before glancing back at his dad.
“I’m sure you are, which is exactly why you’re going to help me make them again.” Charlie had gone full-on dad- mode on me, fists on his hips, and standing to his full height. The stern look on his face said that there was no arguing with this verdict, but I still opened my mouth to protest.
I had been this close to finally finding out what Colton tasted like, and I wasn’t going to let the chance slip through my fingers if I could help it.
But it seemed like Colton had other plans.
He placed a hand on my shoulder, sending me a small smile.
“Find me when you’re done.” He whispered as he passed.
Charlie let him walk away and suddenly I was tempted to tell him that his son had been a major distraction regarding those patties, just to keep Colton close.
But instead, I watched his round ass as he walked through the backdoor toward the party outside. Had he always had such a killer bubble-butt? Damn, it was nice to look at.
Before me, Charlie cleared his throat and I was pulled back to the reality of the situation.
“Yeah, sorry Charlie. Of course I’ll help.” I plastered a grin on my face. He still seemed ticked off, throwing a glance over his shoulder, but just shook his head.
“Let’s get to it. You do not want a mob of hungry Westwendians after you. Donald’ll be writing about you in the Daily for something other than your new employment.”
I winced at that. Westwend was a small town and news traveled fast. I definitely didn’t want to be known as the guy who ruined the Shaffer Family Barbecue.
Charlie and I got together all the supplies to make more patties, quickly getting them prepped and placed on the grill. By the time the last one had been made and passed out, the sun was hanging low in the sky.
The backyard was cast in a soft, golden glow that was so common during a Texas summer.
Cicadas called off in the distance, finally audible again after the thrum of the party had died down.
Most people had made their way to the front yard to get ready for the fireworks show, but a few stragglers mingled about. One of them being Colton Shaffer.
He was standing with Chris in the corner of the yard, sipping from a red solo cup and laughing as she animatedly talked.
I watched him for a moment, admiring the way his golden hair shone even brighter in this lighting.
How had I been so blind to how attractive he was before that basketball game?
A shiver ran up my spine at the memory of those silver barbells in his dusty pink nipples.
God, I wanted to touch him. And to finally kiss him.
Making my way over, I shoved my hands into my pockets, trying to subtly adjust my dick that had chubbed up at the idea of getting my lips on Colton’s.
He looked up as I approached, his smile morphing from casual and fun to something mischievous.
Chris looked over her shoulder at me, a cocky smile spreading over her face.
She patted Colton’s arm and turned to walk away, shooting me a wink as we passed.
“You survived.” Colton took a small swig from his cup after I reached him.
“I did.” I agreed, shifting slightly. The few hours between our bathroom encounter suddenly had me nervous. Would Colton brush it off like it had never happened? We needed to talk about it, but I knew I wasn’t crazy for reading between the lines earlier.
“You ready to talk?” I asked, the note of uncertainty in my voice clear even to my own ears.
He nodded, then motioned for me to follow him into his parents’ house.
Inside, it was eerily quiet compared to the bustle when we’d come through this very space earlier.
Every step sounded deafening to my ears, my brain unable to avoid the uneasiness I felt.
I knew where I wanted this conversation to go, but the actual outcome was entirely unpredictable.
I had no idea what I wanted to say or even how to say it.
As we rounded the banister to head up the stairs to the second floor, I shot a glance out the large windows by the front door.
The front lawn was littered with portable lawn chairs, every one having a person perched in them while they waited for the sun to finally slip past the horizon and darkness to give rise to the ever-anticipated fireworks show.
When we reached the top, Colton led me into a tidy office space that was sparsely furnished with a desk, chair, and some decorative plants.
We made our way inside, him going straight to lean against the desk with his arms crossed, and me coming to a stop in the middle of the space after shutting the door behind us.
For some reason, I needed some distance between us.
Maybe in case this didn’t go the way I hoped?
My stomach flipped when our gazes locked—nerves and excitement in equal measure.
While Colton had seemed calm and collected out in the yard, his eyes gave away the uncertainty he too was feeling as he studied me.
“I’ve been going over it in my head since my dad dragged you away, which honestly, isn’t the best thing. But, I don’t think I was alone in feeling things in that bathroom earlier.” He looked at me through his lashes, chewing on his lower lip.
The feeling that had been swirling around in the pit of my stomach melted away at his words. While Colton wasn’t navigating the same uncharted waters I was, we were both trying to make our way toward each other. Relief flooded over me at that realization.
“No, you weren’t.” I confirmed, a small smile on my lips.
Colton visibly relaxed at that, leaning his head forward a bit before looking back up with a grin that split my chest wide open.
“Thank fucking god.” He sighed heavily, pushing off the desk.
He was only half an inch closer than before, but the waves of lust that rolled off him felt like they bridged the physical distance between us. His eyes that were once cautious and searching were now molten with heat .
“Can I kiss you?” He asked.
I nodded dumbly. It wasn’t an unexpected request, but it set off a swarm of butterflies in my stomach, my throat clogging with the myriad of emotions coursing through me—desire, excitement, and gratitude.
Gratitude that he was willing to take this step with me, and that he took charge of the situation.
Colton crept closer like how one would try to approach a skittish deer.
It was like he was giving me time to change my mind, to back out and pretend this never happened, but my body thrummed with the excitement of finally kissing him.
Each step sent waves of fire through my veins.
His eyes never left mine, and the desire in them mirrored my own.