Page 51 of Hunter

Charlie laughs—soft, surprised, a little breathless. The sound vibrates against my chest and goes straight to my dick.

“I don’t do dates either,” he says, still facing the enclosure.

I pretend shock, letting my hand slide a little further along the railing so my arm is almost around him. “This is a date?”

Charlie turns his head just enough to look up at me, that crooked smirk back in full force. “Um, you’ve rescued me, fed me, and brought me to the zoo. If it’s not a date, I’m not sure what to call it.”

I grin down at him, letting my chest press more firmly against his back now that he’s given me the opening. “Guess I’m better at this than I thought. Didn’t even realize I was wooing you with cheap falafel and snow leopards.”

He snorts, but he doesn’t pull away. If anything, he leans back into me a little more, the heat of his body searing through our combined shirts.

“Wooing?” He tilts his head, looking up at me through his lashes. “That’s a big word for a stray dog. You sure you’re not just trying to get another chance to suck sauce off my lip?”

My voice drops, for his ears only. “If I wanted my mouth on you, Charlie, it wouldn’t be on your lips.”

His breath stutters. I feel the shiver run through him where we’re pressed together. For a second, the flirtation thickens into something heavier, something that makes the air feel too hot for a spring afternoon at the zoo.

“I’m positive that would be close enough to fucking to be considered fucking.”

“Pity.”

The word slips out before I can stop it.

His eyes widen slightly, then darken. He lets out a short, breathless laugh, but it sounds wrecked. “Pity? Really?”

I lean in closer, my chest fully against his back now, and brush my mouth against the shell of his ear as he turns his head back to the cubs. “Yeah. Pity. Because if I ever get my mouth on you, it won’t be quick, and it will not be in public. And your lips will only be the first stop I make.”

I feel him tremble against me. His fingers tighten on the railing until his knuckles go white. For a long moment, neither of us moves. The snow leopard cubs are still playing behind the glass, but I couldn’t care less. All I can focus on is the heat of Charlie’s body, the way his breath keeps catching, and how he’s not pulling away, even though we both know he probably should.

“You’re really dangerous when you talk like that,” he murmurs.

“You like it.”

He doesn’t deny it. Instead, he turns his head just enough that our cheeks almost brush. His voice is soft, almost shy, but there’s heat threaded through it. “Maybe I do. Maybe I’m more fucked up than I thought.”

I slide my hand from the railing to his hip and tug him back against me, thumb slipping under the hem of his cropped shirt to brush against his smooth bare stomach. His breath hitches again, catching in his throat.

“Tell me to stop,” I say against his ear, giving him one last out. “Say the word and I’ll back off.”

Charlie is quiet for a second. Then he leans back into my touch, pressing his ass against me just enough to make my jaw clench.

“Say what exactly?” he whispers.

Fuck.

I’m so hard it hurts, and we’re standing in the middle of a goddamn zoo. But right now, with Charlie warm and trembling against me, I don’t care. I want to ruin him. I want him to ruin me right back.

I press my lips lightly to the side of his neck, not quite a kiss, just enough to feel him shiver again.

“You are such a pretty fucking boy,” I murmur.

Charlie makes a soft, helpless sound that goes straight to my cock.

We’re both completely fucked.

And neither of us seems interested in saving ourselves from it.

Chapter 21