CHAPTER 19
brEVAN
The domes come into view, and beyond them are the mountains. I’m never going to tire of this view.
“Did you bring your bathing suit?” Kendrick asks.
I glance at him, confused about this question. How does this fit into the conversation? “Yes?”
He chuckles. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Pretty sure.”
“Would you like to join me in the hot tub, Brevan?”
Oh. I should really begin taking notes on my paper for Coach, but I have a feeling I’m just going to be staring at the mountains anyway. I’ve only been in a hot tub once, and it was divine.
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you get changed and come back to my dome? We’ll enjoy the hot tub for a while, and maybe I can help you think about your paper.”
“Okay, thanks,” I say, grinning.
We split ways, and I hurry to the dome to change. I don’t change exactly. I just slide off my pants and swap out my underwear for my swim trunks before putting my pants back on. Grabbing my quick-dry towel, I leave again for Kendrick’s dome further down the line.
He’s just stepping outside in nothing but his swim trunks and sandals when I walk around the wooden privacy wall. I didn’t realize how well they keep the area private until I’m behind it. Is ours like this, too? Admittedly, I haven’t been paying much attention.
In his hand is a tray with dried fruit and nuts.
Kendrick smiles as I approach, and I’m not sure why, but my stomach erupts with butterflies.
He’s attractive, isn’t he? I return his smile while studying him.
The gray at the side of his head and throughout his facial hair is really handsome. His eyes are super beautiful, too.
He has a softer exterior than the guys I’m typically surrounded by, though those guys are all football players. Mostly the guys I work out with since we work on the same muscle groups together for our positions.
I love his shape. While I don’t spend a lot of time checking people out, I think that Kendrick might be one of the most attractive people I’ve ever seen. I love his soft spots. My fingers itch to touch him and the hair on his chest.
Wow. What? I shake my head as I turn my attention to getting out of my winter gear and clothes. The air isn’t nearly as cold as it was yesterday, thankfully, but it’s also not warm. I quickly get into the water when I’m down to my trunks.
Kendrick’s eyes are on me the entire time. His gaze almost feels like a caress, and my entire body heats. Maybe that’s from the hot water I sink into. A jet is right on my back, and it feels really good. I sigh and sink further down.
He’s still watching me. Heat fills me when I meet his eyes across the water, and I think I need to catch my breath. It’s just the hot water. That’s why I’m feeling this way. Though I’m not sure that’s the explanation for why my cock is getting excited. I suppose it could be the bubbles.
“You’ve mentioned a couple of times that you have a brother,” Kendrick says.
I nod. “Cody. He’s a few years older than I am.”
“Is he back home with your grandmother?”
“No. My grandma died a couple years ago. It kind of felt like she was waiting for me to get into college and get settled before dying.”
“Oh no. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks. It was a really rough summer after she passed. It was just after my first year, and while this sounds a little selfish, I wasn’t sure where to go or what to do for the summer. Without Grandma, I didn’t have a home to go to.”
“Where did you go?”
“I stayed on Cody’s couch for a couple of weeks while I waited for Coach to answer my email.
Then I remembered he said that his emails are a black abyss where things get lost, so I texted him asking if he knew of any football camps that I could get into.
I spent most of the summer at camps, and in the few days between, Coach got permission for me to stay on campus. ”
“Is that what you’ll be doing this summer?”
“I graduate this year, so I hope that I’ll be drafted. Otherwise… I don’t know,” I admit.
“You said a librarian needs a master’s degree. You could begin that,” Kendrick suggests.
“I will, but I don’t think the courses will start until the following fall. But maybe Coach will let me tag along and help with football camp or something. I don’t know. I’ve tried to put into the universe that I really want to be drafted.”
“I should catch more games,” Kendrick says, almost to himself. “I know that we have some amazing teams, and I don’t get out nearly enough to support them.”
“You’re busy. I imagine that CAP took a lot of time to put together.”
“It did,” he says, inclining his head in agreement. “But I have a team. This isn’t all me. I can definitely afford to take a couple hours off to support my athletes.”
“I think we’d love that,” I say, smiling. His leg brushes mine, and for some reason, my dick jumps. “Sorry,” I say quickly and move to give him more space.
“Don’t be. It’s fine.”
His leg brushes mine again, and I find it difficult to catch my breath as I stare into his eyes. My dick is totally misbehaving right now, so I try subtly adjusting myself to discourage the bubbles from teasing it. I think that’s what’s happening here.
Even though the water is hot, I feel his skin against mine as if it’s hotter. Not burning. But hot. I feel it seep into my body.
“If you could choose a team to play for, which would you choose?” Kendrick asks.
I grin because football is a comfortable subject.
We talk for a long time. The sun begins setting, and the air gets colder. We’re both hunkered down in the water until it brushes our chins to keep as much of us out of the freezing air as possible. But there’s no mistaking that we’re going to have to get out into this cold.
“The temperature is going to drop more,” Kendrick says as he looks up at the sky. “Probably best to get out now.”
I nod. “Okay. Thanks for hanging out.”
Neither of us makes an effort to move yet. Maybe he’s trying to work himself up to standing like I am. Or maybe he’s lingering like I am and pretending it’s the cold keeping me here. I’m not sure I want the night to end yet. I want to keep talking to Kendrick.
“Would you like to come in?” Kendrick asks. “Warm up in front of the fire? We’ll order a bite to eat. Spend some more time together.”
I sigh. “Yes. I’d like that.”
“Okay. On three, we jump out. Ready?”
“Not even a little bit,” I say as I adjust myself to sprint up on three.
“One. Two.” Kendrick hesitates, and this time I know he’s working himself up like I am. “Three.”
We stand, though not in such a rush that we send water flying. Holy hell, it’s cold. I climb out and grab my towel to wrap around me, then reach for my pile of clothes and boots. Kendrick grabs the untouched tray of fruit and nuts, and we hurry inside.
It’s blessedly warm, but I shudder all the same.
“You can drop your clothes on the bench,” Kendrick says as he sets the tray down. “I’m going to stoke up the fire a little more.”
I do as I’m told and follow him toward the woodstove that’s blessedly giving off a whole lot of warmth. Jesus, it’s cold when you get out of hot water like that. Especially after spending so long in the hot tub. It wasn’t just a quick dip.
Kendrick shuts the stove once he’s stuffed more wood inside and faces me. Is it just me, or did he bring the heat with him? I think there’s an extra charge between us. Another heat source. I lick my lips as I watch him, and his eyes drop to my mouth.
My cheeks heat. “So… I’m told that I’m really oblivious and it would be helpful if you told me what you hope for tonight.”
A sexy little smile makes the corners of his lips curl a little.
He steps closer. “I’d like just what I said.
” His voice is quiet. Smooth. But it hits something inside me that reaches to my core.
“We’ll warm up and dry off. Have some food delivered.
I enjoy your company, Brevan, and I would like to continue getting to know you. ” He pauses, his eyes boring into mine.
My heart races and my breath is lodged in my lungs as I wait to see if he’s going to add something else. I have a strange sense of knowing that I’m going to be disappointed if that’s all he wants tonight. I swallow the lump in my throat.
“I hope to have permission to kiss you,” he says, voice softening more. “Perhaps you’d also be interested in a cuddle in front of the fire.”
A shiver of anticipation races through me, and I nod. “Can we do that part first?” I whisper. If it hangs over us without me knowing when it’s going to happen, I’m going to be fidgety all night.
His lips curl, and Kendrick closes the distance between us. His mouth touches mine. It’s soft. A question. I lean in closer, needing more pressure. I need to know that this is truly happening.
One of his hands grips my hip, and it feels like a hot iron. The other curls into my damp hair, gripping it firmly, and bringing my mouth just how he wants me.
I moan, my lips parting as I close the couple inches between us. My fingers nervously touch his stomach and then around his back. His skin is soft, his body soft too.
Kendrick’s tongue explores my mouth, making me shiver. Like my body is hot, but the air around me is cold, and I can’t stop the little full-body shakes as they move through me.
The next shiver is a little more pronounced, and I feel two distinct things—my hard cock and Kendrick’s hard cock pressed right alongside mine. Realizing it has me groaning louder as I try not to begin grinding on him like a damn animal.
“Would you like to go to my bed?” he asks into my mouth between kisses.
I nod. “Yes.”
His hands move to my waist as he walks me backward until my legs hit the mattress. I drop and scramble up the bed. He follows, and holy hell, I might combust with the way he’s looking at me. The bed is soft when I lie back. My body feels like it’s humming when he hovers over me.
Kendrick is searching my eyes. Having second thoughts? Does he want me to leave?
His hand presses against my chest, and I take a deep breath. “What do you want to happen?” Kendrick asks.
“Touch me,” I whisper, voice shaking. I don’t dare reach for him, but I want to. Instead, I grip the bedding tightly.
He comes down on me, his mouth once more covering mine. Kendrick wastes no time in fulfilling my request. His hand, slow but sure, touches my side and slides to my stomach, over to my hip. My muscles dance under him.
His body shifts over mine, and he slides to my side, keeping one of his legs between mine. A whine slips from my mouth when the pressure of his body is removed from my dick. God, when did I get so hard?
I jerk when his hand slides gently over my aching cock, bucking my hips into his touch. Encouraging him to keep touching me. More firmly. He rubs me through my trunks, dropping his hand to grip my balls.
Oh god, I’m going to come just like this. Right now. I can’t remember the last time I got off. I don’t even remember the last time I wanted to get off.
Overcome with all the endorphins, I let go of the blanket and reach for Kendrick to kiss him harder. Spread my legs a little wider. Maybe I bring my leg up so I rub his hard cock with my thigh, making him groan into my mouth.
To hell with food. This is all the sustenance I need tonight.