“Ummm, okay then,” someone said. “I guess I’ll just go see if Hunter is here yet and let you two be.”
Guilt singed the edges of my senses, making me break the kiss and look at his friend, who was already working his way through the crowd.
“Lo siento,” I managed to say, trying to sound remorseful.
Jake smirked. “You’re not sorry.”
“You’re right I’m not.” He smelled amazing, a mix of sweat, musk, and something else that had me leaning in to nip his lower lip. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Yeah, same. Isaac just brought me to hang out. We’re meeting up with his friend Hunter.” He darted his gaze away. “I, uh, stopped by to invite you actually and left you a message.”
I paused. “You wanted me to join you?”
The flash of lights in Jake’s eyes was intoxicating. “Yeah.”
I smiled and leaned in to be sure he heard me. “It was just a crazy week at work. Two coaches were out sick. Trust me, I wanted to call.”
Jake pulled back to look at me. “Yeah?”
I heard so much in that single word. All his hesitancy, uncertainty, hope, and joy.
“Definitely. Dance with me?” I asked, reaching for his hand.
Our bodies barely broke contact as we made our way further into the crowd of people on the dance floor. Isaac was there, sidled up to a dark-haired man, swaying to the music. He gave us a knowing look when he saw us, then introduced us to his friend.
“This is Hunter. I’ve known him since we were kids.” Hunter appeared to be no older than twenty-five, and though they stood close, I could tell they were nothing more than friends. Hunter smiled at us, bobbing his head to the beat of the song. Another couple on the dance floor seemed familiar, too, but I couldn’t be sure.
“That’s Amelia and Brad,” Jake confirmed when I asked. “Brad works with me. You might have seen him at the concert.”
Amelia turned as soon as she heard her name and smiled. I recognized both of them now. “Ah, yes.”
We stayed with Jake’s friends for a while, dancing under the flashing, colored lights. It was exactly the kind of carefree fun I needed after a stressful week. Eventually our attention became less focused on the others and more focused on how our bodies moved together. Jake gave me a playful, knowing look as he stepped even further into my space, gripping my sides as he slid a thigh between my legs. I loved that Jake didn’t give two fucks about who saw us or what they thought.
His eyes were dark as he swayed his body against mine, his breath warm against my skin. And just like that, no one else existed. It was just too damn easy to get caught up in this guy. His laugh, his eyes, his lips… they were a magnetic force commanding my attention. Jake made me fly yet kept me grounded all at the same time.
It wasn’t long before my simmering attraction turned into a burning need for more. Everything I did became more deliberate, my touches more purposeful. I wanted to be as close to Jake as possible and could tell by the way he dipped one hand into the back pocket of my jeans to squeeze my ass, pulling me impossibly closer, that he felt the same. He used his other hand to slide under my shirt at the same time he thrust his hips hard against mine.
Just as our kisses began to deepen into the “get-a-room” territory, one of my favorite Indigo Rose songs began playing over the speakers. Jake immediately broke apart, smiling wide, and it was all I could do not to kiss him again. The lyrics to Temporary Sunshine were a bittersweet reminder this wasn’t meant to be anything more than a little fun. Whatever warmth this beautiful man brought to my life wouldn’t last. Reedsport wasn’t my home, and Jake wasn’t meant to be mine, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d ever be able to hear the song again without remembering this moment. Without remembering Jake.
An urgency to make the most of our time together had me pulling him even closer. “Please tell me you drove,” I said in his ear.
He gave a small shake of his head. “Hitched a ride with Isaac.”
“Fuck.”
“How’d you get here?”
“My friend Rome,” I said.
“WillRomecare if we ditch him?” he asked with extra emphasis on his name. Did I detect a bit of jealousy?
“Rome won’t care. We can stay here for the night and head back tomorrow,” I suggested.
He shook his head again. “We both have to work tomorrow, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get up that early to get back in time. Come on, we’ll catch a Lyft ride if we need to.”
To our surprise though, Rome handed me the keys to his car when we met up with him to say goodbye. He was at least four beers in, so Emory had already offered him a bed. When I asked how Rome would get back in the morning, Emory had waved a hand, saying he’d give him a ride. The knowing look in their eyes made it pretty clear just how obvious Jake and I were being, but I couldn’t find it in me to give a shit. I wanted him.
We piled into Rome’s car, our lips instantly colliding into one hot and heavy make-out session.
