Eighteen
Kaleb
I’ll never admit it aloud, but Avery is right: After the initial shock from breaking through the cool surface, my body acclimates to the temperature rather quickly. Though, from the shit-eating grin on his face, he’s well aware of it.
Guess I’m not the only smug bastard between the two of us.
Knowing we can’t stay in here forever unless we want to risk hypothermia, I move away from the ledge we jumped from, swimming closer to the falls. Avery’s right behind me when I glance over my shoulder, his gaze fixated on where the water pours over the looming cliff.
“It looks like we can go behind it,” he finally shouts over the roaring water.
My eyes narrow in laser-like focus on one section of the falls that’s a bit more translucent before determining he might be right. It’d make sense too, seeing as it was named Veil Falls.
Gesturing toward the falls, I duck below the surface and swim beneath the pouring water, only to pop out inside a cave on the other side. Avery’s head pops up a few feet away from me, and he lets out a soft laugh while he takes in our surroundings.
“Did you know this was back here?” he yells, motioning around the cave we’ve found ourselves in.
Shaking my head, I glance around the hidden grotto cut into the earth, a sense of awe and wonder filling me. Had I known, I would’ve gladly braved the freezing water to do some exploring over the past few summers. It’s things like this that stem my deep love for nature. Finding hidden gems, completely untouched by humans.
Earth at its purest.
We venture farther back into the cave, still close enough to the entrance for light to shine through the opening of the falls but deep enough for the sound of rushing water to start fading into the background. The water is more shallow back here, barely hitting our chests now, with the ground sloping up toward rocky ledges carved along the grotto walls.
“Feel free to offer your apology at any time,” Avery says, a hint of smugness in his tone that would’ve grated on my nerves a few days ago.
Now, it just makes me wanna toss playful jabs right back at him.
“And what would I be apologizing for, exactly?”
“Oh, I don’t know. For calling me dramatic and insane, to start.”
I laugh. “Why would I apologize for telling the truth?”
His hand swipes at the water, sending a playful splash of it right at my face. “You dick. Take it back.”
Laughter bubbles up from my chest at the indignation in his voice, and I barely have the chance to wipe my face before two more splashes land, blurring my vision. Instinct kicks in, and I swipe my arm across the surface, sending a wall of water flying in his direction.
It’s once I catch sight of his playful glare that I realize my mistake. But it’s too late, because—
“Oh, it’s fucking on.”
He lunges at me seconds later, and I don’t have time to do anything before two hands grip my hips and drag me beneath the surface. I do my best to wrestle myself free from his hold and swim for the edge of the cave, but Avery’s arms lock around me like a vise until I can’t do anything but writhe against him.
We break through the surface a few moments later, both of us gasping for air, but he makes no move to release me. Water drips from his hair and cascades down his face, carving a path that my eyes greedily follow.
Fuck me, he’s…beautiful.
“I’m still waiting on that apology.”
I lick a stray drop of water from my lips and shake my head. “Not happening.”
He lets out a sharp scoff and grumbles, “Of course not.”
A small smile pulls at his lips, though, and my stomach rolls the same way it did earlier. With a feeling I now recognize as anticipation. But for what, I have no clue.
“Planning to force it out of me instead?” I ask, still a little breathless.
His gaze drifts down to my lips, locking there for a minute while his Adam’s apple bobs. The heat and desire in his eyes speak louder than any words ever could, and from the tension lining his jaw, he has no intention of letting them spill from his lips at all.
He doesn’t need to, though.
He wants to kiss me again. Or for me to be the one to drag his mouth to mine.
I’ve caught the same look a few times since getting each other off in my cabin, but he’s never done anything about it. There’s been a little bit of flirting and plenty of banter, which only adds to the sexual tension crackling between us, yeah. Physically, though? We haven’t crossed that line again.
Until now.
Letting desire guide me, my hand curls around the back of his neck and I pull his mouth to mine.
He’s frozen for a moment, just long enough for the thought of oh, I fucked up to run through my head. But then he melts into the kiss, matching my fervor with his own. My tongue slides against the seam of his lips, coaxing him to open for me so I can dive in for more. His soft moan sends a zap of lust straight to my cock before he parts them, and I swallow it down like a man dying of thirst.
Though he was the one locking me in place moments ago, I quickly take control and slide my hands over the globes of his ass, loving the way they feel beneath my palms, before cupping the back of his thighs. I lift him in my arms, allowing his legs to wrap around my waist while his hands find purchase on my shoulders. Our cocks are aligned now, bumping against each other while I shift us until he’s pressed backed into the cave wall.
The hard lines of his body, drenched in icy water, mold perfectly to mine like a pair of matching puzzle pieces. And now that I have him right where I want him, I lose all sense of control.
“You feel so good pressed up against me like this,” I murmur between kisses and nips. “Makes me want to take my time and tease you until you’re begging me for more.”
God, just the thought nearly has me coming undone.
Sliding my hands up a little, I knead the globes of his ass, palming each one while I roll my hips into his. The moan that leaves him could put a porn star to shame, and it stokes the fire raging inside me more.
My lips leave his and skate over his jaw, carving a path along the ridge of it before pressing a kiss to his throat, just below his ear. He trembles ever so slightly as my lips continue exploring his damp skin, working their way down his neck and over his collarbone.
His breathing is quick and shallow, even a bit shaky, and I’m not sure if it’s from the cold, nerves, or pending excitement.
Hell, maybe it’s a bit of all three.
The tips of my fingers inch closer to his crease, still over the soaking wet fabric clinging to his sculpted ass. His grip on my shoulders tightens when I gently slide them up and down his crack while allowing my mouth to explore his neck. His breathing kicks up a notch too, and at first I think it’s the desire causing him to hold on for dear life. But when the cords in his neck tense beneath my lips too, I recognize it as another emotion entirely.
Fear.
Freezing my ministrations instantly, I lift my gaze to collide with his once I manage to drag my mouth away from his icy skin.
“You good?” I pant, giving him a quick once-over.
I feel his cock twitch, and while his dick may have an obvious answer to my question, it’s clear from the tension now lining his body, his mind may disagree.
“Why would you think I’m not?”
Because your body feels like a rubber band ready to snap, for one.
“Just making sure,” I reply, holding his gaze. “Have you ever—”
“What? Had sex?” Avery bites out, taking my thought and running in his own direction with it. “Because, yes, I have. Obviously.”
I roll my lips inward in a piss-poor attempt to hide my amusement, particularly about the obviously part. It’s quickly become apparent that nothing is as it seems when it comes to Avery Reynolds.
“I was gonna ask about anal play, but I’m glad to hear you’ve swiped your V-card. Congratulations, by the way.”
I can’t stop the smart-ass comment from slipping out, and honestly, teasing him might not be the best move right now. In fact, there’s a huge likelihood for it to backfire, sending us straight back to where we were a couple weeks ago.
But if it can decrease his apparent anxiety by even a fraction, then I guess it’s worth the risk.
“Oh.” His cheeks take on a slight shade of pink as his teeth worry his lower lip. “No, I haven’t. But I have a feeling you already knew that.”
“Suspected,” I murmur softly. “But it doesn’t have to go any further than this, especially if we’re just gonna end up in a weird place after.”
His eyes snap back to mine, hardening to ice in an instant. “If you’re just gonna assume I’ll regret it, then maybe you’re right; we shouldn’t do this.”
Wait, what?
While I’m busy trying to catch up with his line of thought, he attempts to get out of my hold. I don’t let him go though, tightening my arms around him and keeping his body firmly pressed to mine.
This is what he does, I’ve come to realize.
He gets in his head and lashes out in the moments where he feels his control over a situation starting to slip. Like a caged animal terrified of being backed into a corner, he’s willing to do what it takes to get free. Most of the time, that means fighting his way out.
But it’s about time he stops reverting back to that instinct.
“Could you just chill for five seconds without taking everything I say to an extreme?” I challenge, pinning him with a hard stare. “I was asking because I don’t want to push past a boundary you’re not comfortable with. Not because I’m judging you for what you may or may not lack in experience.”
The frustration in his stare starts to thaw, icy gaze becoming pools of the sky’s reflection once again. It’s fascinating, watching it melt away before my eyes. Feeling the tension lining his body slowly release as he relaxes in my hold.
“You’re right.”
I blink, unable to stop a smirk from forming. “I’m sorry, what was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”
“I’m not saying it again,” he mutters, the definition of indignation.
A laugh bubbles up from me now that the tension has eased again.
Avery Reynolds, always having to be the most stubborn one in the room.
I don’t let it deter me, though, and I slowly slide my fingers beneath his underwear until the pads brush over the top of his crease.
“Now that we’ve established that, I’m gonna ask you again. Are you good with this?”
There’s a beat of silence where our gazes stay locked and I continue teasing his skin lightly with my fingertips before he whispers, “I’m okay with trying it.”
That’s all I needed to hear.
A sharp intake of breath leaves his lips when I press his back harder against the rocks, and my mouth is back on his in an instant, swallowing the sound down like nectar. I make quick work of his underwear, peeling the soaked fabric down his legs before tossing it on one of the nearby rocks.
The icy water is the last thing on my mind now. The cold doesn’t even register anymore.
Every inch of my body has been lit on fire from touching Avery.
“I want my mouth on you while I do it,” I rasp, then steal another kiss.
From the low moan that tries escaping between our fused lips, he’s more than okay with the idea.
Shifting us, I press Avery’s body up onto one of the rocky outcrops, leaving only his legs dangling in the water. His cock is at the perfect height for me now, the hardened length glistening with water droplets where it rests against his lower abdomen. The sight has my own dick throbbing with need.
Lust takes control as I take him in hand, giving him a gentle stroke.
A soft curse leaves him, and I glance up to find his heated gaze locked on me, a mixture of anxiety and desire.
“If you don’t like something, tell me to stop, and I will. Okay?”
There’s a beat of silence, and I almost think he’s going to back out, before he releases a harsh exhale and nods.
Perfect.
Grinning, I lower my mouth to his skin and carve a path over his lower abdomen with my lips and tongue, lapping up stray droplets of water along my way. My hand jacks him in slow, even strokes as I do, twisting around the head of his cock each time until my mouth reaches him.
“I’m gonna make this so good for you, baby,” I murmur before flicking my tongue over the crown. “Maybe even the best orgasm of your life.”
He starts to laugh, but it quickly turns into a groan when my lips wrap around him, sucking just the tip into my mouth. My tongue pays special attention to the spot beneath the head, pressing and rolling against the sensitive nerve until his cock twitches between my lips.
His fingers immediately slide into my damp locks, holding me there as I tease his crown. I take my time with it, swirling my tongue around the head before licking his shaft down to the root and then coming back up again.
“Shit, Kaleb,” he hisses, fingers tightening painfully in my hair.
Oh, baby. You haven’t seen anything yet.
After a few more minutes of teasing him with my mouth, I pull off and lift one of his legs from the water, allowing the back of his knee to slide down my arm until it’s draped over the crook of my elbow. His body naturally slips toward me from the movement, his lower back scraping over the rocky surface until his ass hangs over the edge.
He’s spread open for me now; breathless and panting. Completely at my mercy.
And fuck, it’s gotta be one of the sexiest, most erotic sights I’ve ever seen.
Raising my hand to his lips, I brush my fingers over the kiss-swollen flesh and smirk before whispering a soft command.
“Suck on them.”
Heat flares in his gaze as he parts his lips and takes them in his mouth, obeying the order. His tongue swirls around the digits, sloppily coating them with his saliva while I hold his gaze and return to my own tormenting task.
But I want even more.
I want him writhing from my touch until he comes harder than he ever has in his life.
Pulling my fingers from his mouth, I slide the hand between his cheeks and swirl the pads against his hole. He tenses at the sensation, but with a few measured sucks of his crown, he relaxes against them again. It’s only when he’s losing himself in the pleasure of my lips around him, making tiny thrusts up into my mouth, that I finally press one finger past his rim.
“OhfuckingChrist,” he moans, the words coming out in a single breath.
Humming around his length, I start working him open with slow, shallow pumps, taking my time with it, all the while teasing his cock with alternating deep sucks and teasing licks. I want him primed and ready to explode when I finally peg his prostate, sending him hurtling off a cliff into freefall.
It doesn’t take long for Avery to start moving with me, rolling his hips up and sliding himself farther between my lips before sinking back on my finger. Using his hold on my head to take what he needs, focusing on the pleasure I’m giving him.
And my God, is it sinful to watch.
“This feels…so good,” he pants in a whisper. “Your finger. Shit, Kaleb. It’s—”
A low moan leaves him as I slowly work a second finger past his rim, cutting his thoughts off at the knees.
The desire in his gaze singes me while I lick and tease and fuck him from both sides, his eyes turning into balls of blue fire as he stares down at me. At my mouth while it lavishes his cock with attention, my fingers sinking inside him as I do.
“God, I love this view.”
Same, baby. Fucking same.
Humming softly, I drop his gaze and start working him faster. Every lick and suck around his crown has him arching for more, only for my fingers to slide in deeper when his hips drop back down. Both of his hands are in my hair now, guiding my mouth over him at the speed he wants, and damn, is it arousing.
I’d all but forgotten about my own cock, both of my hands too occupied with Avery’s body to bother worrying about it. It’s aching now, though, begging to be touched, and it has me moaning around his shaft.
“Shit,” he hisses, “Do that again, Kaleb. Fucking hell.”
Another groan works its way up from my chest, vibrating against his dick, and his hands may as well be yanking my hair out at this point. He’s thrusting his hips up into my waiting mouth in a way that tells me he’s getting close. Barely hanging on by the thinnest thread imaginable.
Until that, too, finally snaps when I scrape my teeth along the underside of his cock.
“Oh, fucking mother of holy shit,” he cries out, the long string of expletives falling from his lips, all while he’s rocking between my mouth and hand. His cock pulses against my tongue, and I take him deeper still.
With a well-timed suck and firm press of my fingers against his prostate, he explodes in my mouth. The salty tang of cum hits my tastebuds, and I drink it down greedily, making no sign of stopping until he starts coming down from his high. Even then, I’m not quite ready to release him, enjoying each lick and suck as I clean him before he tightens his grip on my hair and forces me off him.
“I’m sensitive,” he says with a breathy laugh.
I let out a soft hum and press a kiss to his stomach instead. “Fine, fine. Ruin my fun.”
As slowly as I can manage, I pull my fingers from inside him and lower his leg again. He slides back into the water between me and the rocks, his hands finding purchase on my ribs for support while he comes down from his high.
My dick is still aching for release, but I shove the thoughts to the side and focus on Avery instead.
“Was that okay?”
Shit, that came out way more insecure than I meant it to.
I mean, I know what I’m doing in this department, so I’m not worried that it wasn’t good for him—at least when it comes to physical pleasure. But there are a lot more layers to doing these kinds of things with Avery than just that. Namely, where his head is at afterward.
A harsh exhale leaves him, followed by a deep, carefree chuckle. “Are you kidding? I…” He trails off, shaking his head, then admits, “I’ve never felt something like that before.”
Though it wasn’t the context I’d been going for, I’m not ashamed to confess that I preen at the compliment. Like a damn peacock.
“Well, I told you it’d be the best orgasm of your life.” I lean in and plant a kiss to his jaw, then his throat. “And I’ll have you know, I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve that’ll make a prostate massage feel like child’s play.”
The hands on my waist tighten fractionally. “Is that an offer?”
My lips pause against his skin, and I pull back. His gaze is hard to get a read on, and I realize I have a fifty-fifty shot at answering this wrong. There’s no denying this attraction anymore, at least on my end. And God, do I love the sound of him coming undone from my touch.
Which means…
Shit, I think it was an offer.
I measure my words carefully before countering his question with one of my own. “Depends. Is it one you’d accept?”
He draws in a deep breath, blinking a couple times before he finally nods.
“If it stays between us, yeah.”
Under normal circumstances, I’d be appalled by someone wanting to keep me as some dirty little secret. I’d probably tell them to go fuck themselves, actually, because there’s not a person on this planet I’d be willing to go back in the closet for.
But this is Avery.
He’s got a bus-load of baggage to unpack when it comes to his sexuality, and he’s only just started. Who am I to judge the speed in which he does it? And honestly, despite our shared attraction and joint effort to move on from the past, there’s no fucking way I want anyone to find out I’m fooling around with him either.
Which is why I find a smile tugging at my lips as I murmur, “Then yes. It was absolutely an offer.”