His breath hitches, the space between us shrinking with every beat. Then, just as quickly, the spell is broken by Dominic and Elijah reappearing beside us, flushed and laughing, slipping effortlessly back into our orbit as if they’d never left.
Dominic flashes a small amber bottle, the glass catching neon, holding it out like a dare. “Who’s ready?” he calls, his eyes sparkling.
Elijah glances skeptically around the bar. “Aren’t we a little old for poppers?”
Dominic scoffs dramatically. “Excuse me, we’re in our prime. Bad decisions only improve with age.”
“Well, twist my arm.” Elijah shrugs, leaning in to seal the bottle to his nose, and inhales; his eyes flutter, chin tipping back like the ceiling just kissed him. He passes it to Dominic, who double-pulls, nostrils flaring. Color blooms under his skin as if someone lit him from the inside.
“Hayden, care to indulge in our collective lapse of judgment?” Dominic purrs, wicked and delighted.
I’m half expecting Hayden to decline, but to my surprise, he reaches for the bottle. “I’m nothing if not ceremonial.”
I choke on laughter as he inhales with elegance.
“Oh, he’s a keeper,” Dominic murmurs, elbow to my ribs, as if we’ve both just witnessed a miracle.
Hayden’s gaze is smoldering as he brings the bottle up to his noseagainand inhales, slow and deep, eyes on me the whole time, like he wants me to feel it happen. His lashes lower, and the exhale parts his lips like heat leaving a body.
He passes me the bottle, our fingers brush, and my whole body lights up at the contact.
“And here I thought I couldn’t be any more surprised by you.”
He tilts his head. “I’ve been known to partake. Especially when I want to feel everything. They quiet the world, leaving only sensation.”
Of course that’s his answer.
I tip the bottle to my nose; the chemical sweetness hits, sharp as a match strike, and I pull it into me. “I just like how everything feels like too much and not enough at the same time. Or that I’ll crawl out of my skin if someonedoesn’ttouch me.”
My heart hammers as I inhale, and I feel like someone has poured sunlight and sin into my bloodstream. My skin’s too tight, my vision blurred around the edges, and all I can feel is Hayden. Every nerve writes his name and I could cum just from the sound of his breath against my neck.
Hayden exhales, eyes glued to mine. “Is that what you want right now?”
I grin. “More than anything.”
Without missing a beat, his hands lock at my waist and drag me in until there’s nowhere left to go, every tantalizing line of him pressing deliciously against me. Dominic and Elijah again fade into the crowd, laughter sparking off their skin like static.
“That,” I add, tilting the bottle to my nose and breathing in deep once more, “and they make me…”
“…horny?” Hayden finishes, leaning in closer.
“Insanely,” I breathe, the word almost a confession.
His mouth ghosts my ear. “Good,” he says, a promise I’ve already earned.
It hits me immediately, a wave of dizzying heat surging through my chest, my heart hammering in response. My head tips back instinctively, eyes fluttering closed as warmth floods me, pooling low in my belly, sending every nerve ending into overdrive. The music,fuck, the music courses through me, pulsing hot beneath my skin, as the bar smears neon. The only thing in focus is Hayden’s mouth, his breath, his hands.
Alive, skin buzzing, hunger coiling low like it’s been waiting for a signal.
He moves with me effortlessly, hips aligning to mine, slow and seductive. His body feels unbearably good, each point of contact sending sparks spiraling through my bloodstream. His bulge presses firmly against mine, and I roll my hips against it before I can stop myself. Chasing the drag of him like friction is oxygen and I’m struggling for air.
Through the haze, I spot Dominic and Elijah a few steps away. Dominic’s hand cups Elijah’s jaw as they kiss, completely lost in each other. I watch them and my whole body goes molten, hips pressing tighter against Hayden. I wanthimto watch me watch the way Elijah touches Dominic. Like he’s seconds from unbuttoning me with his teeth.
There’s something incredibly sexy in seeing them like this. My goofy best friends transformed, reminding me of their intimacy, their passion.
Hayden notices, lips curving into a smirk. “Careful. Am I discovering a new kink of yours? Do you always like watching?”
Heat floods my cheeks, and I tilt my face toward him, laughing against his jaw. “Maybe it’s them,” I tease softly. “Or maybe I canfeelwhat they’re feeling.”
