Out in Spring (Out in College 6)

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Cozy up, ’cause this could take a while.” I flexed my knuckles and started to reach for the first bar, but paused instead. “Or do you want to go first?”

“No, thanks. I’m not good at anything that requires coordination. And those bars are germy. I have Purell in my pocket, but when I fall—”

“I’ll catch you,” I intercepted. “YOLO, Nedster. I don’t want to go back to that party, and I don’t really want to go home. And you don’t either.”

“I don’t?”

“Nope. You’d rather hang out with me.” I waggled my brows comically.

I jumped from the pirate ship before he could argue, then pointed at the bar above me and motioned for him to get moving.

“What about the blanket?” He chuckled when I rolled my eyes. “Okay, fine. But I want to change the rules. If I get to the other side without falling, I should get another prize.”

“Another one? That seems kinda greedy, but all right,” I teased, crooking my forefinger.

“Here goes nothing.” Ned sighed as he stood, glancing from the row of bars to me and back again. He clutched the first one with both hands…and immediately fell.

I caught him around his waist and held him closer than necessary, so he brushed my chest before his feet hit the ground. I didn’t let him go. I stared at his mouth and licked my lips. “It’s okay. Try it again.”

“Um…all right.” Ned let out a nervous chuckle as he set one hand on my shoulder and the other on the bar.

I let go when he gripped both hands around one bar, then reached for the next. And the next. At the halfway mark I cheered him on with a loud whoop, pumping my fist in the air and counting down the bars left. Five, four, three, two…

He dropped like a lead balloon…and sure, I caught him again. But let’s get something straight. Ned wasn’t a small person. Sure, he was on the skinny side, but he was at least six feet tall. I didn’t exactly “catch” him. It was more a matter of pulling him against me and holding on. I fully admit that my maneuver was premeditated. But my goofy, off-the-cuff quest to steal a few more minutes with my crush backfired big time. I didn’t count on my body’s reaction. My dick swelled and my heart accelerated. He had to feel my erection. It was hard to miss. Pun intended.

I swallowed hard and brushed my sleeve over my nose. “Maybe we should, um…”

He nodded, but he didn’t move. And neither did I. I couldn’t. Some kind of strong energy gripped me and kept me frozen in place, staring into his pretty eyes like a lovesick fool. The longer I stood there, the more exposed I felt. Like he somehow knew I’d hoped we’d end up here like this.

Ned bit his bottom lip and let out a ragged rush of air. “Yeah, we should go, but—oh, fuck it.”

He sprang forward and crashed his mouth over mine. I sucked in a breath of surprise, but I’d had a crush on this guy for years. I wasn’t going anywhere now. I regained my balance and threw myself into the kiss. It was a rough fusion with some harried groping until I angled my head and pulled him closer as I licked the seam of his mouth and pushed my tongue between his lips. Damn, he tasted sweet. Like soda and peppermint and Ned.

I couldn’t get enough of him. But I didn’t want to rush this either. It took serious effort not to overwhelm him with a clumsy maneuver that would send him careening into the playground equipment. I twirled my tongue around his, then sucked it before nibbling his lips. Ned hummed into the connection, drawing me closer with roving hands and greedy kisses that left me wanting so much more.

So, yeah, when he bucked his hips and our hard-ons collided, I went a little crazy. I grabbed his ass and pumped my hips, groaning into his mouth as pleasure coursed through my veins. I hadn’t done this in so long. At least two years. I’d almost forgotten how much I liked grinding against a hot guy.

But Ned wasn’t just any guy. And getting arrested for public indecency probably wouldn’t endear me to him. So instead of palming his erection through his khakis, I broke for air and held his shoulders, panting like I’d just run a marathon.

“Hey.”

Ned blinked wildly as he refocused. “Oh, I’m sorry. I—”

I shut him up with a harsh kiss. “Don’t you dare apologize. This just isn’t the best place to do the things I want to do to you.”

He narrowed his gaze and inched back. I hooked my fingers in his belt loop to keep him close while he figured me out. Should be easy, I mused. My cock was a steel pole, nudging his equally hard one. There was no mystery here. I wanted him. He had to know it.