Jason’s hands were under Riley’s shirt, while Riley trailed his fingers up and down the inseam of Jason’s jeans, and God, he wanted. But somewhere in the haze of lust, a sliver of sense broke through. It was broad daylight in a parking lot in the center of town. Elk Ridge was probably already gossiping.
Reluctantly, he broke the kiss. “Not here,” he said. “Unless you want to get banned from the diner for public indecency.”
Jason laughed, a stunned, breathless sound. “You make it hard to think straight.”
“I’ve been told that before,” Riley murmured, brushing his thumb along Jason’s flushed cheek. “But don’t worry—I’mverymotivated to get us somewhere more private.”
He pulled back and glanced at Jason’s car, then down at his hand, still resting on Jason’s thigh. “Motel?” he asked. “You want your car, or shall I drive?”
“I’ll get mine,” Jason said, voice uneven but determined.
As Jason slid his hand into the front pocket of his jeans for his keys, Riley caught his wrist. He tugged it free and then slipped his own hand into Jason’s pocket instead.
Jason groaned. His head thunked back against the seat, eyes fluttering shut as Riley’s fingers pressed just slightly too low to be innocent.
“Fuck,” Jason whispered.
“You started it,” Riley said, grinning, even as his pulse pounded with need. God, the way Jason responded—so open and uninhibited about showing his want. It wasn’t just hot. It was addictive.
Another car pulled into the lot.
Riley reluctantly withdrew his hand, plucking the keys free. He dangled them in front of Jason’s dazed face until Jason cracked one eye open.
“My door key’s in the other pocket,” Jason offered, deadpan.
Riley laughed—couldn’t help it. “Tempting. But I’d like to make it to the bed.”
“Out,” he added, gently but firmly, because if Jason kept sitting there with his legs spread like that, they’d never make it.
Jason scrambled out, fumbling his door handle in a way that would’ve been funny if it hadn’t been so endearing.
As Riley watched him walk away, long-legged and tempting, a pang hit somewhere in his chest. Part want, part something else. Something that saiddon’t let this be one night.
He yanked his phone out of his pocket and flipped it toDo Not Disturb. If Amy tried to call, she was out of luck. Nothing—nothing—was more important than the way Jason had looked at him just now.
Chapter Ten
JASON
The engine caught first time—a relief, as that wasn’t always guaranteed—but Jason sat for a moment instead of following Riley’s car out of the lot. He wanted this, but it was all happening so fast.
He’d always pictured things differently. He’d meet someone, and they’d take their time, care about one another before they had sex. And the sex itself would start with long, gentle make-out sessions where he and some unnamed guy got to know one another before finally falling gracefully into bed, where they either discovered things together or Jason magically knew what to do. That was how he’d wanted it to go for him. Yet another reason he never fit in anywhere—he was out of step with everyone else.
But nothing took away the fact he wanted this. Hereallywanted this, even if it wasn’t happening the way he’d always imagined. Even if he wasn’t sure what Riley wanted or whether he’d be enough.
Easing his car into drive, he followed Riley to the motel lot. There, he sat for an instant longer, tightening his clammy hands on the steering wheel. This was it. Moment of final decision.
And then he forced himself to let go—of the wheel, of his long-held dreams. Climbing out of the car, he followed Riley into a dark room.
The door clicked shut behind him, and for a second, all he could hear was the sound of his own breath. The drapes were drawn against the afternoon sun, and the room smelled faintly of air freshener. There was nothing memorable about it, nothing special. But it felt like something enormous was about to happen. As if what happened in this cheap motel room would change everything.
Riley stepped forward and reached up to kiss him. For an instant it was soft and gentle, and then Riley flicked his tongue along Jason’s lips. It was all the hint Jason needed to open up and let Riley in.
He was lost in the hot slickness of Riley’s tongue in his mouth, but Riley wasn’t satisfied with just that. He pulled Jason so close he could feel Riley’s cock pressing against him through their jeans, and he groaned into Riley’s mouth.
At some point, he’d shoved his hands under Riley’s t-shirt, clutching at skin, feeling his muscles, tracing down his shoulder blades. And then his explorations stopped, his fingertips digging into Riley’s skin because Riley—he was stroking Jason’s ass.
God. Jason fell further into the kiss, a little sloppy and dirty and deep as hell, because Riley’s hands felt so good. Even better than he’d thought they would, and all he could do was react. When Riley’s long fingers trailed down the center seam of his jeans, Jason hitched against him helplessly, rubbing himself against Riley, desperate.
