Page 9

I gave him a tiny smile, wishing I could thread my fingers through his and give his hand a comforting squeeze. “Have you ever? Had one, I mean.”

A hard crack of laughter left him. “No. I… My parents wouldn’t…”

“I get it.” After a hesitation, I let my shoulder settle more firmly against his until our arms were fully pressed together. Some of the tension left him, and he looked more relaxed when he glanced at me.

“How about you?”

I shrugged, sipping my beer. “Never had a boyfriend. Fooled around with a guy before, but never with someone like—”

I cut myself off abruptly. I couldn’t say ‘someone like you,’ because then he’d ask what I meant, and it wasn’t like I could tell him, ‘Human! I meant human!’

“Someone I really care about,” I finished instead, because it was still the truth. I knew of only one other gay ghoul. He was an okay guy, but we hadn’t been in love or anything. We hadn’t even dated, just got each other off every now and then.

“Straight people have it easy,” Ricky muttered, pulling his knees up and resting his chin on them.

I snorted without humor. “Yeah. Hard enough sometimes to tell if a guy likes other guys, let alone finding one who does that you actually like.”

Ricky turned his head to look at me, resting his cheek on his knee. “Yeah.”

I stared at him and heard myself say, “Who you’re actually, like, attracted to.”

He cleared his throat, lifting his head to sit up straight. “Yeah.”

“And who’s attracted to you too.”

He swallowed. Slowly, he let his knees drop until the right one rested on my thigh. His gaze dropped to my mouth, pupils expanding in a rush.

“Yeah,” he said hoarsely. “Yes.”

When my tongue swiped over my lips, his breath caught. I discreetly set my beer can on the floor, my heart beating a little faster as we stared at each other in silence. Neither of us moved.

Fuck it.

The only sound in the room was my shirt rasping against the wall as I leaned in. Ricky stopped breathing, but after a split second, he leaned in too.

Chapter Five

Elliot

The kiss was soft at first. I didn’t want to freak him out by getting too frisky straight away. But oh my god, it was mad hard not to grab his head, crush my mouth to his, and plunge my tongue inside. His lips were so warm. His skin smelled so good. Cautiously, I let my hand creep onto his knee, which was still resting on my thigh.

Ricky’s breath hitched, which parted his lips a little against mine. I couldn’t help but tilt my head more and let my tongue brush against them. He shivered, but then his lips were opening wider, and a low sound left me when our tongues met and slid together.

I shuddered. God, his mouth was so hot. He tasted like beer and heat and the most delicious meal of my life. I squeezed his knee before sliding my hand just a tiny bit higher until I could feel thick, firm muscle under my palm. My fingers tightened. I wanted to sink my teeth into it, then trail my lips and tongue higher…

A hoarse groan rumbled up my throat when a warm, lightly trembling hand rested on my chest, then slid up to cup the side of my neck. Fingers sifted through the longer strands of hair at my nape, making me shiver. His tongue brushed against the edge of my teeth when he timidly sank it back inside my mouth, and I shuddered again as I fought the urge to bite down. Just a little. Just to test the supple texture of the soft, slick muscle.

Ricky was a fantastic kisser, which wasn’t a surprise to me. I’d already figured out that he was pretty much perfect. His lips were soft but firm. He was still a little shy and unsure, but the longer we kissed, our tongues slicking together hungrily, the more confident he became.

My dick was already straining in my pants. Was Ricky hard too? I wanted to feel but didn’t want to rush him. But when I felt him begin to exert gentle pressure on my neck, tugging me closer, I finally moved.

We broke the kiss momentarily as I clambered between his knees in a rush. Ricky swallowed and set his can down on the floor with a thud, a fizz of beer splashing up and over the side, and he was already reaching for me as I leaned back in.

This kiss was deeper. Hotter, more aggressive as our tongues thrust together greedily. I pressed as close as possible, and we both moaned when my stiff length brushed against his through our pants. And my apron. Fuck, I hadn’t taken my apron off.

Ricky’s hips shifted restlessly. His erection nudged mine again, and he moaned helplessly into my mouth as his hands shot up to grip my sides. Trying to pump the brakes just a little, I gave him one more deep, tongue-tangling kiss before easing off.

“Doing okay?” I asked breathlessly, then couldn’t stop myself from giving his kiss-swollen lower lip a little nibble. Just a very gentle one.