The kiss was deceptively sweet. Every touch was so gentle that Kit didn’t realize how well he was caught until he could barely breathe. Until Holden had already invaded his very lungs, each soft movement another tightening of invisible chains.
Kit didn’t notice Holden’s hands falling to his hips until Holden pushed his shirt up an inch. Not too much, just enough to tease Kit’s exposed skin.
Holden kissed the corners of Kit’s lips. “You taste even better than you look, darling.”
The endearment short-circuited Kit’s brain. Panting for breath, Kit grabbed Holden’s arms. He meant to pull Holden away, but instead he just held him. The skin-to-skin contact was electrifying.
“Someone could see us,” Kit whispered. Was there a rule against making out in the library? Kit wasn’t sure. Maybe that sort of thing was okay in universities. He’d never had reason to check.
“Let them.” Holden’s thumbs rubbed Kit’s bare stomach, the softness of his touch entirely at odds with the intensity of his focus. “One look at you, and they’ll know why I couldn’t control myself.”
Holden leaned in again. Kit bit his lip on a shameless moan as Holden kissed a wet line along his jaw, then down his neck. First a breath exhaled against Kit’s sensitive skin, then the press of lips just as soft as the breath. Kit’s pulse soared with the tenderness.
Holden’s hands never left Kit’s waist, but every soft touch crept into every part of Kit’s body. He was already so keyed up from the teasing at the table.
Kit couldn’t hold back his whimper when Holden’s teeth edged against his neck. Holden latched on with the slightest pressure. There was barely any pain, but Kit knew the bruise on his neck would last.
Maybe that idea shouldn’t excite Kit so much.
Kit stared up at the stark gray ceiling, until Holden left his neck. Holden kissed Kit’s lips again, surrounding him in sweetness.
“I got a little carried away.” Holden fingered the side of Kit’s neck. “Will your boyfriend mind?”
The question woke Kit from his breathless daze. He hadn’t even thought of that. He hadn’t thought about James or Darius, anyone else except Holden, since the moment Holden grabbed him.
Kit licked his lips. “He might be annoyed. He might like it.”
Because James had shared just fine with Darius last night, and he was clearly open to the idea of sharing in general. But emotions weren’t always rational. Hypotheticals were one thing. The reality of a stranger’s mark on Kit’s neck might be something else entirely.
Kit was new at this whole relationship, dating, admitting-his-feelings thing. But he wasn’t new to irrational obsessions.
He had a feeling this wouldn’t be aproblemproblem, though.
Kit just shrugged under Holden’s heated gaze and admitted, “Even if he’s annoyed, working it out will probably be pretty hot.”
For just an instant, the atmosphere changed. Holden’s jaw tensed, and a chill shivered across the back of Kit’s neck.
But Holden relaxed the next moment. His frown wasn’t angry—just concerned. He gave Kit some space and lifted Kit’s chin with a finger. “If he gives you trouble… ifanyonegives you trouble, you call me, okay?”
“I will,” Kit said, and Holden’s smile was worth it. So was Holden’s dismay when Kit grinned back and added, “Now, shouldn’t you finish that essay?”
“You’re brutal,” Holden complained, but allowed Kit to lead the way back towards their table.
Rubbing his neck dry with his sleeve, Kit reflected on Holden’s offer. Kit had lied so easily. If James gave him trouble, Kit would probably just try to disappear again. Darius and Bishop were both James’s friends before Kit met them. And Holden didn’t know that James was an experienced revenge killer. Much less Darius. An ordinary college student threatening them was amusing, but kind of sweet.
Kit would prefer none of his guys come into actual conflict with each other. At least while Kit was still deciding what exactly he wanted to do with all of them.
And what he wanted all of them to do with him.
Hopefully Holden’s plans didn’t include more semi-public library teasing. Kit wasn’t going to be able to take much more of that.
But Kit didn’t even make it back to the table. Instead, he noticed a familiar face at the next table over. He recognized thepixie cut and the charms on her phone—Joyce Takahashi. The girl from Marco Fernandez’s astronomy class.
The girl Marco cheated on his girlfriend with.
“You get back to work,” Kit said, tugging Holden’s sleeve. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He half-expected Holden to insist on following him. But Holden just winked. “Sure, darling. Don’t take too long.”
