He’s got his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, and he turns to look at me. “That was completely epic, Ryne.”
“Yeah. I think I wanna do it again.”
He cocks a single eyebrow in my direction. “Youthinkyou do?”
I blow out a breath. “I know I do.” A slight flush suddenly covers my cheeks and I blame the exertion I put my body through. Delayed exertion flushing. It’s a thing. Totally a thing. We both roll over on our sides and face each other.
Dacen pats my cheek. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”
I dig my pointer finger into one of his dimples and then kiss the spot. “Only when I’m embarrassed, huh?” The next few words on the tip of my tongue vanish as I get a look at his grin and those bright blue eyes shining with something that I want to see more of. Much, much more. Dacen’s hair is disheveled and strewn haphazardly against my pillow. I move a strand and his grin softens.
“Nah, not just when you’re embarrassed. Remember you are, in fact, the guy I was attracted to in the midst of the not-so-friendly welcoming you gave me when I moved here.”
“Wasattracted to? As in past tense?”
He snorts. “Past and present tense. Future tense too, if you’re lucky.” He winks, and damn if that isn’t one of the sexiest things I’ve seen paired with his messy hair and kiss-swollen lips. “And for the record, I want to do that again too.”
I lean forward and kiss those lips, I can’t get enough of him, smiling against them before I pull back. I am still so out of my element with Dacen, but I’m exactly where I need to be. My initial attraction to him what seems like eons ago was like a giant slap in the face, a wake-up call, a big sign with flashing lights and arrows, pointing out two very important things: I was an unhappy bastard, floating through life and not taking any of the kinds of chances that really mattered, and I didn’t know myself as well as I thought. And ever since then, these actual feelings I’ve developed for him—me, Ryne, closed-off bastard having feelings, imagine that—they’ve come on so strong it was more than a little scary, but just what I needed. The thought has me smiling again.
Dacen rubs my chest with one hand. “What’s so funny?”
I cover his hand with mine. “I like you so much.” I love him, I definitely love him. It’s the sixth thing from the list I made Dacen, but saying it for the first time right after sex, at least for the first time while he’s awake to hear it, seems tacky so I keep it to myself for now. The look on his face is comical. I definitely sound like I’m talking nonsense.
“And that’s funny?”
A small laugh bubbles up inside me. “Yeah.” I squeeze his hand gently. “Yeah, it is.”
* * *
I spotRoman and jog over to where he’s standing in the diner parking lot. “Hey Rome, sorry I’m late.” This evening the guys and I are grabbing dinner and then getting into whatever kind of trouble sounds good. I didn’t want to leave Dacen to come, but it is what it is.
Roman looks down at his watch and back up at me, studying my face carefully. “Five minutes late, but Ty and Evan aren’t here yet anyway.”
The intense stare makes me self-conscious. His dark, calculating gaze slowly moves over me, down my wrinkled t-shirt and baggy sweats, and then back up again, pausing to take a painstakingly meticulous look at my face and then up to my hair. I run my hand through it and down the back of my neck.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on me?” I swipe a hand through my hair again and wipe my cheek, then my mouth. Pulling my hand away it’s empty. “What?” I repeat.
“You look like you’ve been thoroughly fucked.” Roman puts a hand to his chin and taps it as he walks around me slowly, then shakes his head. “Actually, no. You look like you’ve been the one doing the thorough fucking.”
“There’s a difference in the resulting look?”
“Definitely. Now the question is, who is it you’ve been off fucking that’s made you late to our standing weekly gorge-fest. You’re never late. Ty and Evan? Yes. You? Never.” I flush and glare at him. He grins at me. “Five bucks says I can guess who made you late.”
“Five bucks says you should shut the hell up, Roman.”
50
Ryne
Monday after last period I meet Dacen as he walks out of calculus and we head down the hall toward our lockers. The guys are hanging around mine, waiting for me. Roman eyes us as we walk up, or more specifically, he eyes Dacen’s hand that I hold in mine.
“So you guys are together-together now? Not just banging each other’s brains out? That cheesy shit you pulled actually worked?” I grin at Roman’s question.
“Way to go, Sutton!” Evan exclaims. “You finally got your head out of your ass for once.” Tyler smacks him on the back of the head jokingly.
“Fucking finally,” Roman mutters. He raises an eyebrow and his lips twitch like he’s trying not to laugh.
“My ass is completely head-free, fuck you very much.” Beside me, Dacen starts to laugh and it takes me a moment to catch up. “Real mature, D.” I reach behind and squeeze his butt. He grasps my hand in his again as his laugh settles.
