Mason angles his hips and nudges my prostate perfectly. I drop to my elbows and cry out, not caring how needy I sound. I just need him to keep doing that.
“Are you close?” he asks, his own voice unsteady and on-edge, like he’s barely holding it together.
I nod shakily, my thoughts melting into a warm, fuzzy place where I feel inexplicably safe. “Please, please, please.”
I’m not above begging at this point. I’m desperate for it. His cock feels heavenly as it plunges into me, stretching me wide and stroking all the right places.
“Be a good boy and come for me, Hunter.”
He reaches around my waist and grabs my shaft. It only takes a few pumps before I’m coming hard all over his fist, whimpering pathetically and pushing back against him.
He releases moments later, stilling inside me as his orgasm rips through him with a strangled moan. I can feel his cock pulsing and twitching inside me as he collapses against me, spent. His heart thuds like a drum against my back.
When his breaths even out, he pulls out and grabs a tissue from the box on my nightstand. He cleans my come off his hands and peels off the condom. My gaze lingers as he tugs his sweatpants back on and tucks his pump back into his pocket, reconnecting the tubing.
He crawls back into bed and tugs me against his warm chest. His soft lips press against my temple.
“Did you like that?” he asks quietly, almost vulnerable.
I chuckle. “Obviously.”
His arms tighten around me. The room smells faintly of sweat, sex, and the floral fabric softener lingering on the duvet beneath us.For a long time, we just lie there, the steady thump of his heartbeat against my cheek making my eyelids heavy.
After a stretch of silence, Mason shifts slightly, his breath tickling my hair. “Hey… do you have any plans for the Fourth of July?”
I shake my head against his chest. “Nope.”
“Good,” he says, exhaling like he’s relieved. “Aliyah and I usually go watch the fireworks on the beach. This time she’s bringing her new girlfriend, Cam. I really don’t want to be a third wheel. Do you… want to come with us?”
My head tilts up so I can see his face. “Like a double date?”
He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kind of, I guess.”
I grin, warmth blooming in my chest. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
His smile softens as he kisses my cheek. I close my eyes, but I know the fireworks I’ll see next week won’t come close to the ones already bursting in my stomach right now.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I stare at the lineup of red, white, and blue shirts spread across my bed, tapping my finger against my mouth. I want to lean into the whole Americana vibe for the holiday, but not so much that it looks like I tried too hard. It needs to look casual—just like thisthingbetween Mason and I.
Eventually, I settle on a fitted red crop top and a pair of frayed denim shorts. In the mirror, I fuss with my hair, trying to work some texture into the straight black strands.
When the rumble of Mason’s truck pulls up outside, my stomach drops. I grab the tote bag I packed with a beach blanket and water bottle, then head out before I can second-guess everything.
Mason leans out the driver’s side window, his hair catching in the warm glow of the setting sun. “Ready?”
“Yup,” I mutter, climbing in beside him.
The cab smells faintly of his cologne, sharp and woodsy, and it makes my pulse spike.
As we get closer to the beach, the traffic thickens. People swarm the sidewalks carrying folding chairs, coolers, and sparklers. The hum of voices and distant music blends with the occasional crack of firecrackers going off early.
When we finally find a parking spot and walk the rest of the way, the beach is already packed. Blankets and towels crowd the sand, kids darting in and out of the lake while parents yell after them.
Aliyah waves us over from a secluded spot near the dunes, her braids tied back in a paisley blue bandana. Her girlfriend, Cam, sits beside her, a cooler propped between their muscled legs. Her light brown skin glows in the streaks of fading daylight, her buzzed haircut revealing a small rose tattoo at her temple. A slick of eyeliner makes her brown eyes stand out.
“About time,” Aliyah teases as we approach.
