“I won’t say anything yet, then,” she said, still not clarifying. I hated this, feeling like I danced on the edge of a knife. If this was what Harper had dealt with in coming to us, I had that much more respect for her.
“But…” I continued, waiting for Susie to drop the gut blow somewhere here.
“But what, Wy?” she asked. “You remember that Harper’s bi, right? I’m not unused to the whole coming-out thing.”
The relief I’d been waiting for rushed through me. I let out a heavy exhale. “Thanks, Sus. It was a bit unexpected, and he’s…young.”
“How young? Please tell me this isn’t some midlife crisis where you’re dating a pre-college guy.”
“Twenty-five,” I said, bracing myself.
“That’s old enough to have the basics figured out,” Susie said. “I wouldn’t sweat it. Yeah, he’s closer to Harper’s age than yours, but we also had a kid early, you know? Our timeline was always a bit discombobulated.”
“I wouldn’t change our past for the world, though.” I clutched the phone a little tighter, my chest warming.
“Neither would I,” she said. “But do me a favor and tell Harper sooner rather than later. She’ll probably be ecstatic you’re part of the rainbow mafia like her.”
That I wasn’t sure about, because even if she was fine with that, fine with the age, Rory was still her coworker and friend. Some lines were too complicated to cross.
“I’ll tell her soon,” I said because that was the damn truth. I was fast reaching the point of no return. The more time I spent around Rory, the more certain I became that what I felt for him was more than desire or curiosity.
He was the combination of Susie’s comfort that I missed and the thrill of attraction I’d long-since given up on. And god, I’d put my dating life on pause for so damn long, I didn’t want to miss the chance for the potential that percolated between us.
Yet if it broke Harper’s heart, I wasn’t sure I could continue.
All I knew was that Rory and I needed to sort things out. “Talk to you soon, okay? I’m heading out for a date with him now.”
“Have fun, Wy,” she said. “I’m glad you found someone.”
If only I could keep him.
Even though tension simmered inside me, a lot of the weight had disappeared after my talk with Susie. Which was good, because I wanted to enjoy every ounce of this evening with Rory.
We’d hung out several times already, but all of them had been casual and none of them an actual date. Mostly because I hadn’t realized my immediate attraction at first, just the craving to be by his side.
I hopped out of my truck, even though it was cold. The brisk air would help me right now anyway. I’d showered and thrown on somecologne, but dressed for a hike in jeans, a flannel, and a sturdy coat, along with the backpack I’d brought. Sure, this wasn’t the club where we’d be able to get hot and heavy with each other, but damn, I wanted some time alone with him, to see if this truly had the potential I thought it did.
The parking lot wasn’t full with the crisp temperatures, so when Rory’s car entered the lot, he pulled right up next to mine.
The quick flash of his grin from the car was all it took for my heart to start racing.
Rory slipped out of his car and strode up to me, and just…goddamn.
The late-afternoon sun did him all the favors, and I couldn’t look away. His dark hair swept across his forehead, styled with some product, and the black tank top paired with the leather jacket only enhanced his bad-boy look. However, I knew Rory well enough to understand that despite the brazen comments, the lack of impulse control, and the snark, he was genuine andfunin a way I’d been drawn to from the start.
“You trying to give me literal blue balls?” Rory asked, tilting a head at the trail up ahead. “What about me says I’m the outdoorsy sort?”
“What if I promise to warm you up plenty later?” I asked, my voice coming out husky.
Rory’s eyes flared. “Sold. The only way I could be even more on board is if you promised an all-night exploration.”
I leaned against my car, slipping my hands into my pockets. “What, you want me to fuck you the whole night long? What about bend you over my knee again?”
“That’s what I’m offering,” Rory said with a lascivious wink. “And bend me overany time you like.”
Fuck, everything about him was so damn alluring that I couldn’t resist. I pushed off from my car, closed the space between him, and pressed my lips to his. The fact we were doing this out in the open, where anyone could see us, settled in my veins, but even the slight edge of worry didn’t conquer the lust burning through me, the need to claim this man any way I could. His lips were soft against mine, and he melted at once.
I tugged Rory’s body to me and slid my tongue into his mouth, set on devouring him. The heat of him offset the cold from the breeze perfectly, and I savored the velvet feel, the taste. He let out a soft moan, and it shot pure electricity through my veins. God, I couldn’t get enough of him. My cock had already woken up at the feel of his body, the sweet surrender he offered. My balls throbbed, the memory of our last orgasm together too strong.
