Page 24 of Matched (LSU #5)

“ C ome on.” Nate jerked his head towards the lounge. “We can start in there.”

“ Now ?”

“Yeah.” His jaw was set, his mouth a hard line. “The sooner, the better.”

Even though I’d verbally agreed with his idea, I wasn’t mentally prepared for it. The thought of seeing Nate with someone else made me feel physically sick, but he was right when he said that we needed to do something. This was a stupid plan, but who knew? Maybe it would work.

I followed him back into the lounge, watching as he scanned the room. In front of the bay window, the furniture had been pushed aside to create a large space for dancing, and after a brief pause, he headed towards a group of four girls on the edge of the dance floor area.

“Zoe,” he said, turning that stupidly sexy smile on a pretty girl with long, glossy blonde hair.

She instantly returned his smile, stepping up to him and placing a hand on his arm as he dipped his head to her ear to say something too low for me to catch over the loud music filling the room.

She responded with a giggle and then said something about the football match that made him smile wider.

I didn’t react outwardly, but all I wanted to do was pull him away from her and take him somewhere far away where we could?—

No . This was why I was going along with his fucked-up scheme.

Just friends .

Nate raised his head, his gaze flicking to mine for a second before he glanced back down at Zoe. “This is my friend Charlie.”

All four girls turned to look at me, and so I pasted on a grin, hoping it didn’t look as fake as it felt. Fake it ’til you make it, right? “Hi,” I said.

“Hi. Do you happen to be single?” One of the girls stepped forwards, suggestively looking me up and down. I looked over at Nate. His expression was shuttered, but as he held my gaze, he slid his arm around Zoe.

“Very single,” I said, still looking at Nate. Something flashed in his eyes, but he turned back to Zoe before I could work out what it was.

“We’re both single,” he murmured, and somehow, I heard it clearly over the music.

Okay. This was the plan, and this cute, forward girl was making her interest known. Time to give her the attention she deserved.

“I’m Charlie. Want to dance?”

It took less than five minutes for me to realise what a mistake this was. My dance partner, Kate, was gorgeous, and before Nate, I’d have been into her. But instead, all I could focus on was Nate dancing with Zoe, his eyes fixed on mine, burning into me with an intensity that took my breath away.

I couldn’t. Fucking. Deal with it.

“I’m really sorry,” I said to Kate, releasing her. “I can’t—I need to go.”

I twisted away from the dancing students, blindly shoving my way through the crowd.

Out in the hallway, the number of bodies had increased, blocking my way to the front door.

I turned on my heel, running up the stairs instead, taking two at a time.

Anywhere was better than being here, surrounded by so many people.

By some miracle, the bathroom was free, and I launched myself through the open doorway, slamming the door closed behind me. A twist of the lock, and then I collapsed forwards, planting my hands on the counter on either side of the sink.

The sounds of the party were muffled by the thick wood of the door, and my breaths came loud and fast in the silence. I hung my head, swallowing around the sudden lump in my throat.

Three raps sounded at the door.

Then another three.

“Charlie.”

I closed my eyes, my hands trembling as I gripped the counter harder. No. He couldn’t be here.

Three more raps on the wood, heavier this time.

“Charlie. Let me in.”

Resigned, I opened my eyes. Refusing to look at my reflection in the mirror, I turned back to the door and twisted the lock.

As soon as the click sounded, the handle turned, and then Nate was locked in the bathroom with me.

“I can’t stay away from you,” he rasped, crowding me up against the sink. “I tried. Couldn’t even last five fucking minutes.”

“I—I left. You were still dancing.”

“No. I was about to break away from her—I was , I swear—and then you left. You just fucking left me there.”

“I wasn’t leaving you . I couldn’t stay.”

“I know.” He lowered his head, his nose skimming over mine as his harsh exhales hit my skin. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. It was a stupid, pointless plan.”

“Yes, it?—”

I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before Nate kissed me, and everything was right in the world.

“Sorry. I’m sorry. It wasn’t fair of me.

I’m sorry,” he murmured between kisses, his hands cupping my face as his mouth slid over mine so sweetly.

My legs were weak, like my muscles had forgotten how to work, so I gripped his hips for support, my fingers working their way under his T-shirt until I was touching bare skin.

“It’s okay.” I stroked over his sides, mouthing at the hint of stubble on his jaw. One of his hands slid around to my nape as the other lifted my chin so he could kiss me again, his tongue licking into my mouth as he deepened the kiss.

“Charlie. Fuck. What are you doing to me?” he gasped, tearing his mouth away. His eyes were wild as he stared at me, his chest rising and falling rapidly against mine.

The half-second glance I gave my reflection in the mirror told me everything I needed to know.

I was just as affected as he was on the outside as well as on the inside.

“Tell me this is real.” I needed to hear the words.

“Tell me we’re not gonna go back to being in denial.

I know you can’t give me anything, but I want—I don’t want to pretend this is going to go away.

Because it isn’t. Not for me.” This thing between us had been building ever since we’d first been matched, and even though, logically, it was pointless, who gave a fuck about logic?

He groaned, pressing his face into my throat as he wrapped his arms around me. “It’s real, and I’m sick of pretending that the thought of you with someone else doesn’t cut me into pieces.”

I exhaled. In and out. In and out, as we clung to each other, caught in this bittersweet situation where we knew we couldn’t stay away from each other, but there was no future for us. No present, either, not with things the way they were.

The odds were stacked against us, but he was here with me right now. He’d come after me without hesitation, and that had to mean something.

I wanted him. More than I’d ever wanted anyone.

“Nate.” I rocked forwards, making him aware of the effect his nearness had on me.

“Fuck, Charlie.” His hands lowered to my ass, caressing me like he’d done in The Game Room. Except this time, there was purpose to his movements as he pulled me closer, his equally hard cock rubbing up against mine. “I wanna suck you off so badly.”

My jaw dropped. “ Really ?”

He raised his head, his dark eyes boring into mine. A smirk tugged at his lips. “Yeah, really.No need to sound so surprised. I wanna suck your dick, Charlie B. Are you gonna let me do it?”

I swallowed hard. My dick was throbbing, leaking precum into my shorts. “Uh. Th—that would be a yes. No guarantee I won’t come in five seconds flat.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” he said as he dropped to his knees in front of me. My legs almost gave out at the sight of him kneeling at my feet, all tousled dark hair, blown pupils, and that sexy-as-fuck mouth wet and red from kissing me. I had to grip the counter to hold myself upright. Ludicrous.

Licking his lips, his gaze dropped to my erection. Leaning forwards, he stroked his fingers up my length, through my shorts, before he pressed a kiss to the tip.

My dick jerked, and I exhaled shakily.

“Okay?” He pressed another kiss to the tip.

“Please. I can’t.” These light touches were driving me crazy. How could he affect me like this?

Cool air hit my thighs as Nate lowered my shorts. I had to shut my eyes when his mouth closed around the head of my cock, the image forever burned into my brain. I was going to come so fast.

He licked over the tip with a low groan, and I gasped, my death grip on the counter the only thing holding me upright.

My whole body was on fire, every one of my nerve endings lighting up as he took more of my cock into his mouth, his hand closing around the base to stroke in time with the movements of his mouth.

I was only human, and Nate was so fucking sexy that I didn’t stand a chance. My balls drew up, and I only had a second to tug his head back with a shaking hand before I was coming, my release striping his chest, his throat, and his face.

“That was?—”

“That good?” Nate’s gaze raked over me, no doubt taking in the way I’d collapsed against the sink and couldn’t even form full sentences. “Not bad for my first attempt.”

“Naaate.”

“Hmm?”

A loud pounding at the door shocked us both out of our bubble. I frantically pulled my shorts up, and as my eyes lowered, I swore under my breath.

“Nate! Your T-shirt.”

We both grimaced, taking in the mess I’d made of it.

“I’ll get it wet. Pretend I spilled beer on it,” Nate said after an agonising silence. “That’ll work.” Turning on the tap, he began splashing water on himself. It would’ve been funny if I weren’t so stressed about what or who waited for us outside.

“Okay. Yeah. Uh. My house is next door. Want to borrow a clean T-shirt?”

“I—”

The banging started up again.

“We need to leave,” Nate hissed, flicking the lock. The second he’d done so, the door flew open, and a bleary-eyed guy staggered inside.

“We were just—” I stammered out.

“Bruh, I don’t care. Get out because I need to take a piss,” he slurred, and I could work with that. Grabbing Nate’s wrist, I tugged him out of the bathroom and back down the stairs.