Out in the Surf (Out in College 9)

And I hadn’t even kissed him yet.

I swallowed hard, then gently pressed my mouth to his. Luca didn’t move. He didn’t try to deepen the kiss nor did he pull away. I knew immediately that he was giving me a chance to change my mind before this subtle exploration turned into something more. While I appreciated the gesture, I wasn’t going anywhere now.

I tilted my chin slightly and licked his lips. Luca growled. He stayed perfectly still, though I could feel tension rolling over him in a needy wave. It should have been enough to set off internal alarm bells and remind me that Luca was a powerful, masculine dude. He was strong, fit, and undeniably male.

Luca was my height, but he outweighed me by at least twenty pounds of sheer muscle. The contrast of his obvious strength with this soft touch was heady stuff. Asking for more might be like unleashing a genie from a bottle. It could be more than I could handle.

There was only one way to find out.

I pushed my tongue between his lips and slid it alongside his. Fuck, this was good. Intense and immediately consuming—the way bad ideas sometimes were. But this was good. Very good. I didn’t want to miss a single detail, like the friction of his scruff, the intoxicating smell of his cologne, and the oddly compelling taste of beer and cinnamon.

I dove deeper still, twisting and sucking until my experiment felt more like a true exploration. Damn, I liked this. A lot. I nipped his lower lip and licked it better, savoring him like a fine wine.

Luca groaned…a low, needy sound that seemed to come from his toes. That was my only warning before he grasped my face between his hands and backed me against the shadowy side of the building.

He cradled my chin with one hand and braced himself on the wall with the other, effectively shielding me from the street and caging me at the same time. The rough stucco dug into my shoulder, but I didn’t move a muscle. He surrounded me, taking up every inch of space and breathing room. He didn’t care if anyone noticed us and honestly, neither did I.

“Now what?” I rasped.

Luca didn’t answer. He just smiled—a lopsided, roguish upturn of the lips that should have pissed me off or at least made me want to take over. But he set his thumb on my bottom lip, rubbing it before licking it, then driving his tongue inside.

He immediately turned up the heat and challenged me to keep up. He was rough and demanding one moment, tender and almost sweet the next. And I was right there with him, responding with a hunger I’d never felt for anyone…ever.

I didn’t want to come up for air, but eventually the need for oxygen broke what had to be the hottest kiss of my life. I studied his chiseled features in the shadows and did a quick mental analysis. Was I okay with this? Did I feel different? Yes and yes.

Yeah, I was okay with this. More than okay. And if I felt different, it wasn’t a negative. I felt like I’d met my match. Not in a romantic sense. For fuck’s sake, I barely knew the guy. No, this was more about discovering I had an innate appreciation for an even exchange of power. Apparently something in me responded to rough kisses and dominant manhandling…as my raging boner could attest.

My cock pulsed behind my zipper. The urge to adjust myself was strong, but I didn’t want to draw attention to my condition. And no, I wasn’t going to peek at Luca’s crotch. No way. I had to play this cool.

I straightened from the wall when he stepped aside, eyeing me warily. No doubt he expected me to freak out. That wasn’t going to happen, but when an awkward silence stretched between us, I willed him to break it, ’cause I sure as fuck didn’t know what to say.

“What time do you want to meet tomorrow?” Lucas asked in a gravelly tone.

“Seven.”

“No fucking way.”

My lips twitched in amusement. “Eight.”

“Eight thirty,” he countered.

I pulled my keys from my pocket. “Fine. Meet me at the surf shop.”

“You’re not going back to the bar?”

“Not in the mood. See ya.”

“Wait.” Luca moved under the streetlamp. The hazy illumination had a halo effect that made him look like a superhero making an unexpected appearance in the nick of time.

“What is it?”

“Are we cool? You’re not gonna freak out or plan my surfing demise, are you? By the way, don’t even think about pawning me off on another instructor. If you’re not suited up and ready for action, I’m not playing.” He furrowed his brow and made a face. “That sounded very sexual, but—”

I barked a laugh. “I’m fine, Luca. I’m not freaked out at all. Don’t worry, I’ll be there.”