I’m silently staring at him, waiting for anything to make sense, when he shucks off his pants and then his shoes. Then he’s standing before me in nothing but his briefs, looking back at me with a coy smile.
“I think we need a little cooling off, don’t you?” he asks. Then with a wink in my direction, he turns toward the pool and dives headfirst into it. When he pops back up, I laugh.
“You’re out of your mind,” I say.
“Aye. But we only have a few more days together, Shelby, so take your clothes off. Let’s go swimming.”
Smiling down at him. I do as he says, not hiding the fact that I am still sporting a pretty hard erection. But I don’t want to hide it from him anymore. I want him to see it, even if he never touches it, even if we never go through with his little offer. I want him to see this, becausethis is me. I’m attracted to him, and I might be for the rest of my life.
And for the first time, I realize I’m okay with that.
Chapter Twelve
Colin
Water drips from Declan’s brows, and I can’t take my eyes off it. He’s hoisted himself out of the pool and is sitting on the edge while I continue to float calmly in the deep end.
That kiss we shared has put me under some sort of spell. He’s given me more than my imagination ever could. Now I know the taste of his lips and the feel of his tongue against mine. These memories will be locked in my mind forever, and I can access them whenever I’d like.
I don’t think I’ve ever been more content.
He seems at ease too, not erratic and uncomfortable from unexpectedly making out with his male best friend. I don’t know what that kiss meant for him, and I’m not sure I want to know. I’m blissfully unaware and would rather keep it that way than learn that he hated it or only did it for me.
“I can’t ever go back to our room now,” I say with a laugh, remembering those rugby oafs who chased us into this gymnasium.
He glances around at the large room before saying, “This looks cozy. We can just sleep here until we graduate.”
I laugh as I use my arms to quietly paddle back toward where he’s sitting. “I was worried about not doing a single sexual thingbefore I graduated. Now I’m afraid I won’t do a single sexual thing before Idie.”
“Ach,” Declan huffs. “I won’t let him hurt you. You’re not going to die.”
“Easy for you to say,” I reply as I reach the edge.
“All right, fine, Shakespeare,” he says, splashing me with a kick of his foot. “What exactly would you like to do before you die?”
My fingers grip the edge of the pool as I stare up at him. “What do you mean?”
“If you’re going to perish at the hands of an angry rugby player tonight, what would you like to do before you die?”
“You mean sex?” I ask, my throat feeling suddenly thick with nerves.
“Aye.”
My eyes rake over his half naked form for a moment as I let that question settle. Is he being serious? If I say what I want, is he implying he’ll give it to me?
“Well,” I reply before clearing my throat. “I’d like to suck a dick at least once.”
Declan leans back on his hands, nodding as he stares off into the distance. He looks as if he’s contemplating something. Eventually, his eyes meet mine.
“All right.”
My lips part as my brows pinch inward. “All right, what?”
“All right, you can…you know…” He glances down quickly at his own dick before looking back at me.
I let out a cackle that echoes in the near-silent confines of the empty gymnasium. “It’s not a joke, Dec. I’m being serious.”
“So am I,” he argues. “And I’m not just saying this to get my dick sucked. You can trust me. I’ll tell you exactly what to do so when you hook up with some guy after uni, you know you’ll be good at it.”
