“Let’s go inside,” my mom says, cutting off our staring competition. We’ve drawn a crowd, unnoticed in our bubble, and my mom’s looking at me curiously. I clear my throat, not wanting to touch that conversation with a ten foot pole.
We trail in behind her, and being the last one in, I shut the door. Closing out the sounds of the neighborhood preparing for the festivities tonight. Raiden whirls around on me when our parents move towards the kitchen, the two of us standing off in my parents living room as they rummage around looking for something alcoholic. If I had my guess.
“Let me see,” he demands, pointing at my hand wrapped in the bandage and I exhale a frustrated huff.
“No, Raiden. I’m fine, and I don’t want you to see it.”
“Why?” He snaps and crosses his arms, glaring up at me.
“Because, tiny dancer.” I trail my good hand down his face, tracing the blush he has on his cheeks down to the pulse point thundering in his neck. I press on it with my thumb, feeling the resoundingthud thud thudunderneath his smooth skin. “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.
“But I obviously am.” He means his words to come out harsher, but they’re breathless. Barely a whisper of air between us as his eyes glaze over. I press harder against his neck, and then adjust my hand to where I’m cupping the front of his neck. He swallows, his Adam’s Apple bobbing against my palm.
“I know you are, and I love that about you. But hear me when I say this.” I lean in closer to him, keeping the grip on his neck and placing my mouth right beside his ear, feeling the tickle of the metal dangling. “I’m not going to let you see it,” I cut off his admonished gasp by trailing my lips across the shell of his ear. “Not because I want to keep it from you, or because I think it’ll gross you out. I don’t want you to see bad things, especially bad things that happen to me. Okay?”
He doesn’t say anything, and I know he’s still pouting. “Come on tiny dancer, say you understand.”
“No,” he mutters petulantly. But he cocks his head to the side more, rubbing his ear more firmly against my mouth. I nip it, just a small warning bite, nothing hard enough to break the skin.
He gasps loudly and pulls back. Raiden is staring at me, his mouth agape and his pupils blown. “Our parents are–”
“Obviously distracted, I would hear them if they moved from the kitchen.”
Raiden looks skeptical, but the arousal I see in his eyes doesn't lie.
I lean back close to him, and this time he doesn't move. I brush a kiss across his delectable lips, unable to hold myself back any longer. His lips taste like cherries, so fucking sweet.
“Be careful, I have lip tint on.”
Ohh. So that’s why his lips look even more inviting today than usual.
“I guess I better be careful not to mess it up.” I bypass his lips, kissing his cheek and over to his ear. Leaving featherlight kisses against his skin as I clear a path down to the pulse point from earlier. “But you have to be quiet.”
His moan is low as I lick a stripe up his neck, tasting the floral lotion he used earlier and a hint of soap from his shower. He tastes fresh.
“Fuck. You taste so good.”
He wraps his arms around my body and yanks me to him, pressing his lithe body against mine. His cock is hard in his Beauty costume and I want to take a picture of him and keep it forever. The wrecked look on his face, his swollen lips, his needy body. All of it is too much.
“There’s so many things I want to do to you, but we can’t here,” I tell him. Arguably, we could probably find a way to continue this but I would rather not with his parents and my parents at risk of walking in at any moment. “Can you come over tonight?”
“Pick me up?” He pants, his chest heaving and pushing his tight nipples against the thin material of the spandex.
“Deal.”
25
JERICHO
In my need for Raiden, I completely forgot that I agreed to hand out candy with Liam at his house before we go to my parents’ for the party.
With a sad sigh and a forced smile, Raiden watched me drive away. I watched the figure of him in my rearview mirror until he disappeared from the distance.
Sitting with Liam and Jojo on the front porch of his house while he excitedly hands out candy to people stopping by, I feel a strong pain of guilt. He’s so happy, his smile bright and he talks to everyone who stops. He’s so sweet, and I’m awful. I’m going to have to crush him.
I tried to tell myself on the drive over that it’s better in the long run to get it over with quickly. There’s no point in drawing it out when I’ve already mentally checked out of the relationship. I’m just waiting for the right moment, and sadly that’ll be tomorrow.
But tomorrow we’ll all be happier.
