Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
SAM
Day Four
‘If we’re going to double-date with them, we have to convince them that we truly are a couple,’ I say, working behind the coffee counter to make Will’s caramel latte. Will looks up at the dusky sky, lost in thoughts that I’m trying to pull him away from. He’s been quieter than usual.
Will perks up as the machine hisses and the milk steams. ‘What are you thinking?’
About that boat trip. About how you made me rock solid.
Mum had to shout my name a few times today, because I was lost in the rocking motion of it all. Quite literally, in some senses. I swear the room still sways. When I messed up a fifth customer order, she’d told me to snap out of it.
‘What do we like to do?’ I ask him.
‘Play—’
‘Don’t say play video games,’ I say, laughing. ‘No. What do we like to do that is sexy?’
Will drums his fingers on the table. ‘Maybe you should tell me what your ideal date is.’
I place Will’s latte in front of me, busying myself with making a cappuccino. Mainly to distract myself from the way he’s staring at me, and the way he’s making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge, taut with excitement.
‘For me, I don’t want fuss,’ I say, before clearing my throat. Why is it so hard to say what I like? ‘I like being outdoors. So, if he can join me there, then that’s even better.’
Like how we swam together. I chance a glance at Will, seeing that he’s cocked his head.
‘What’s with that grin?’
Will feigns a shocked expression. ‘I’m not saying anything.’
Coffee made, I come from around the counter, heading towards him. ‘Why don’t you tell me your favourite date?’
‘Oh, no, I’m enjoying listening to yours.’
‘I’d like to take a guy on a hike, show him the sights, see him take it all in. Then sit with him, watch the sun set. Talk. Maybe we could have a picnic, or a drink. We’d simply sit together. Enjoy each other’s company.’
Like how we pressed together in the ocean. How he definitely felt my dick hardening as we touched. I’m sure his responded, too. How I could have kissed him, and I’m sure he would have wanted to kiss me. But that might risk ruining our rekindled friendship, and I don’t want that to happen.
‘And what if you take someone on a hike and they hate it and then you get to the … I don’t know, summit or whatever, and you find that you have nothing to talk about.’
I cock an eyebrow. ‘That didn’t happen when we went to the Acropolis.’
‘You saying that was a date?’
I baulk at this, choking on my coffee, and he moves towards me, as if to ease my discomfort. I hold him off, tears in my eyes.
‘Cool,’ Will says. ‘Real smooth.’
‘I’m saying those would be the dates we go on. Hypothetically.’
‘Of course,’ Will says. ‘And my ideal date is sitting in a coffee shop.’
His words feel like a weight dropping on the table, thudding between us.
‘But it would be better if I had a cake, not going to lie,’ Will adds.
I laugh, easing my shoulders. ‘So, our dates are easy, then?’
‘Excuse you. I’m anything but easy.’
‘I’ll have to find out.’
‘You already know, seeing as we’re dating,’ he says, but he searches my expression.
I sip my drink. ‘Yeah, I guess I would.’ I pause. ‘What about kissing?’
He lowers his latte, a line of foam above his lip. ‘What about it?’
I move closer, trying to be seductive, but the chair squeaks as it drags beneath me, and we both wince. My coffee spills over the rim of my cup, and I sigh. ‘Sorry.’
The line of foam above his lips makes me lick my own. I reach out, as if to clean it for him, but think better of it. Taking a napkin from his saucer, I place it between thumb and finger, and dab at his mouth.
‘Sam,’ he says, his voice high.
‘Sorry,’ I say again, slow, low.
Shit, why did it come out so guttural?
Will’s Adam’s apple bobs, and I watch it with desire.
There. All gone. No foam left.
Will’s eye wanders over me with a lustful stare, dipping to my chest. He clears his throat, but his voice still comes out choked. ‘What do you mean, kissing?’
‘Well, we should probably know how to kiss.’
Will swallows. ‘We know how to kiss.’
I lower my hand, so that my knuckles graze his bare knee. ‘Each other.’
Will’s jaw tenses. ‘How hard can it be?’
He’s trying his damned hardest to fake bravado, and I want to rip that off him. He doesn’t need to pretend to be anything other than my fake boyfriend.
‘Well. Do you go to the right or do I?’ I ask, my heart racing at my own daring questions. ‘Do we use tongues or do we kiss lightly? Do we—’
‘Sam, are you asking to kiss me?’
Good boy. Got there eventually.
‘For hypothetical, experimental, research reasons, of course. For science.’
Will peers at me, and I hover where I’m sat. He glances at his nails. ‘So…’
My knees jiggle and I rest my elbows on them, looking at my coffee mug. ‘We could just talk about it, I guess. It’s not like we’d really—’
‘Sam, will you just kiss me?’
Before I can doubt it, before I can overthink it, I reach for him and snake a hand behind his neck, pulling him towards me.
Our lips bump into one another, and my eyes fly open.
Hesitating over whether or not I should apologise, I feel Will melt into me, his lips forming the perfect kiss.
Relaxing, my chin brushes his as I adjust, kissing him with a light touch.
It’s enough to make me vibrate, blood rushing between my thighs.
His hands find my shoulders, a flick of his tongue against my own, and I move to kiss him again, suddenly overcome with needing to be closer. Only my lips rest on something solid.
His cheekbone.
Will giggles, and blushing furiously, I lean back.
‘Oh God, I’m sorry.’
But Will’s laughing, flushed himself. ‘So, I suppose our kisses are awkward.’
Moment gone, I force a chuckle, reaching for my drink and taking a huge gulp.
‘We need to work on that,’ I finally say. ‘I promise I’m better than that.’
Will smirks. ‘You plan to kiss me in front of Ollie? Make him jealous?’
I try to save face by being the cool dude who is unflustered, running my hand through my hair, but every move I make is clumsy. ‘Yeah, something like that.’
‘Then we definitely have to get better at that.’
‘One more time?’
‘One more time.’ Will breathes.
His head tilts back, his questioning kiss lingering for just a moment.
I think of going further, of unleashing the passion that’s behind my touch.
He lets out a soft moan, enough to almost send me into overdrive.
He’s driving me crazy already. Our kiss becomes certain, hungry.
His tongue flicks mine, but only briefly.
God, I could risk it all. But I swing back, bobbing my head at him, as if we’ve completed some business transaction. ‘Quit while I’m ahead.’
His wide eyes look lost, but he nods. ‘Better?’
My voice escapes me in a growl. ‘Better.’
‘Still room for improvement. Might have to do that more often.’
Jesus, this man is going to ruin me.