Page 44 of Want Me
“Two peas in a pod, I see.”
I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
* * *
I returned a half hour later,one angsty nut lighter. It hadn’t even felt good. I’d sat in the darkened driveway and busted it out by sheer force and friction, thinking the rush of endorphins would kick in and make me feel better the way I did at the end of a workout. Instead of thinking about Eric, the only visual I’d permitted was of a porn scene I’d watched the other night where two guys and a chick went at it under some bleachers after a football game.
After, I tossed the wadded-up fast-food napkin I’d cleaned myself up with into the trash and carried the boxes toward the door. Maybe I did feel a little lighter actually. Maybe these next four days didn’t have to be as horrible as I was making it out to be in my head. Eric had supplied the logical resolution I’d failed to think of. It all made perfect sense. I didn’t want to get caught with him. Eric didn’t want me to hate him if we did. Made perfect fucking sense.
“Come look,” Mom said, as I came back into the kitchen with the wine. She and Eric were standing next to each other at the island with his phone between them. I came around the side of the counter, setting the boxes down, and leaned in see as Eric thumbed through his photos, stopping here and there on various images I couldn’t make out from where I was. My shoulder brushed up against his when I jigsawed in next to them. I ignored the alluring warmth and scent of him and was proud of myself. It was just a fucking body, after all.
“That one’s my favorite,” my mom said, as Eric paused on a complex line drawing of a skyscraper. “Such detail.”
“From one of my core classes. Architectural drawing.”
“Well, you’re gifted at it.” She flashed Eric a smile and he explained the concept, his elbow rubbing up against mine, maybe on purpose, maybe not. I couldn’t be sure, but I took a step backward anyway and picked up the bottles of whites I’d brought in with me and the case of beer I’d grabbed last minute. “Gonna put these out in the garage fridge.” My mom nodded absently, still focused as Eric scrolled through photos.
When I returned, she was filling bowls with vegetable beef soup. “I assume you’re going out tonight, so you two better load up on the cornbread. No passing out at the table tomorrow.” She handed a bowl off to Eric as my dad wandered in. “Has Nate ever told you about the time I found him passed out in the backyard?”
“Eh, the kid was just getting some early-morning sun.” My dad clapped me on the shoulder with a wink.
“Surprised the crap out of me. Almost made me spill my coffee.” Her expression was warm with good humor, though.
“I’ve known him to turn up in some surprising places before, yeah.” Eric flashed me a wicked grin, and I cleared my throat.
“You’re one to talk.”
* * *
The Barrel was packedwith other college kids home for break, and we were lucky to get a table, though we were mostly only using it as a landing spot for our buckets of beer as we traveled back and forth between the pool tables and darts.
Eric and I had already taken down Paul and Mike in pool, and everyone seemed cool with one another, even if Eric was a little quiet. I kept catching myself observing him, gauging for signs of boredom or discomfort. College wasn’t high school, though, and mostly we were about hanging out and getting drunk. Mike, who was probably the most outgoing of us all, was the only one who actually attempted to converse with Eric beyond the usual game banter happening as we kept track of the screens scattered over the bar. Jensen leaned up against the table next to me as I cracked a new beer and passed one off to Eric, as well. He and Mike were both staring at one of the screens.
“Here comes Shana and her crew.” Jensen inclined his chin toward the front door over my shoulder.
Before Eric, that would have sent a thrill of possibility straight to my dick. Shana was hot, and we’d fooled around before on breaks here and there. It’d always been great. I twisted around to look toward the entrance as the group of five spilled through. Shana was a tall, willowy blonde, and cool as hell. I’d had a huge boner for her in high school, but she’d dated some college douche through most of it. I had no idea what had happened to him, but it obviously hadn’t worked out in the long run. Shocker.
She waved to us as they approached the bar, and sent a wink my way that I returned with a grin. Not that my dick was more than half-heartedly interested. Eric and Mike had turned around and were now watching, too. “Any idea who that dark-haired girl is?” Jensen asked generally.
“No clue.” Mike cocked his head, his eyes narrowing. “Maybe a friend who came home with her?” He nudged Eric’s shoulder. “There you go, dude. Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
Eric laughed, but it didn’t sound at all genuine, and he shot a look over at me that I met with a shrug and a smile as the girls closed in, loaded down with glasses and the shitty sweet shots that came in test tubes and tasted like sugar water and chemicals.
Greetings and hugs went around, and then the girls distributed the shots and we all drank up.
An hour later, I had a good buzz going. Our whole crew did. My pool game was getting sloppy, and Jensen was regularly hitting the wall instead of the dartboard, so we took the next logical step, joining the other revelers on the dance floor. Not five minutes later, Jensen was making out with the hot dark-haired girl, who turned out to be a cousin of Shana’s, while Mike danced with a girl who hadn’t come in with Shana but I thought I vaguely remembered from another high school. Shana stuck close to me, and she, Eric, Mike, and her other friend Leslie kinda danced in a group together until Mike and Leslie paired off, leaving the three of us.
An awkward shuffle ensued, and Eric turned like he was about to head back to the table when Shana reached out and tugged his shirt at the same time she snagged mine, pulling us in closer as she laughed and shouted over the music. “I don’t consider three a crowd.” She twined her arms around Eric’s neck and then rested her head back on my shoulder as we moved and yeah, it was fucking hot, the way her body pressed against mine, and I could feel the three of us slip into the tempo and synchronize.
Shana ran her hands through Eric’s hair and let her eyes fall shut with a happy hum that reverberated against my chest. Eric’s amused gaze locked to mine, a smile ghosting his lips. His hands were anchored to Shana’s hips, while mine fell just above, along her waist. But somehow, as we moved, our hands ended up half-intertwined and overlapping and my palms started to go damp.
I wondered what Eric was like with women. Was he as dominant or softer? Did he tell them to get down on their knees and take out his cock, or was he the one on his knees, lifting up a skirt, unbuttoning jeans, pressing his mouth to their skin with his hands all over the place doing their wicked magic as he said, “Come for me?” The vision curdled in my stomach at the same time it aroused me.
Eric blinked slowly at me, that enigmatic hunter’s gleam to his eye as his thumb brushed over my knuckles just once and then vanished so quickly I wasn’t sure whether or not it’d actually happened or if I’d just imagined it.
I sucked in a breath, barely suppressing a groan as Shana wriggled between us, her eyes flashing open as she smiled. “You’re both very much enjoying this.” I knew what she meant. My hard-on was prodding her ass shamelessly. “I’d be down, if you two are. I’ve always wanted to with two hot guys.”
Oh Jesus. Not that I wasn’t considering the potential in some parallel universe. It’d be kinda hot maybe? No, it would. It would definitely be hot. A flare of possessiveness in my stomach lodged a different argument, though. I might be too greedy, and it wasn’t worth entertaining for long, because I sure as shit wasn’t in the mood to do it now. Would Eric? I studied him openly. I bet he would. Dude was a fucking libertine. I had no problem imagining him in the middle of some orgy. Shit, he’d probably be leading it. Was there a leader for orgies?