Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two
Sam
Iwoke up warm.
That was the first thing I registered. The heat of another body pressed against mine. the odor of sweat and musk clinging to the cool morning air inside the tent. My brain struggled to shake off the haze of sleep, to piece together why my pillow felt suspiciously like a broad, very real chest.
And then I remembered.
Liam.
Last night.
The way he touched me. The way he let me touch him. The way we moved together like we’d been doing it forever, like this was inevitable. Like we weren’t just two idiots who had spent the last few months circling each other, pretending this wasn’t where we were heading all along.
I shifted just enough to glance up at him. He was still out, his breathing deep and even. His hair was a wild mess, lips parted slightly, his face relaxed in sleep.
God, he looked softer like this.
I let my fingers ghost over his forearm, the morning quiet wrapping around us like a blanket. I could stay like this. Just for a little longer.
But then Liam grumbled, voice rough with sleep. “If you keep staring at me like that, I’m gonna start thinking you caught feelings.”
I huffed a laugh, rolling my eyes. “Shut up.”
He cracked one eye open, smiling sleepily. “What? Not my fault I’m irresistible.”
I shoved at his shoulder, but it was pointless. The man was a damn boulder. “Coffee,” I muttered instead.
Liam groaned, rubbing a hand over his face before stretching, the shift of his body pressing his morning wood against my hip. I swallowed, hard.
Liam’s voice was still sleepy. “You gonna take care of that for me, sweetheart?”
I snorted, rolling away. “Get your ass up and make coffee.”
The sun had barely crested over the treetops by the time we stumbled out of the tent, stretching the sleep from our limbs. Liam got the fire going, and I set up the percolator, both of us moving in sync, like we’d done this a hundred times before.
We sat side by side, nursing our mugs as the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air, the quiet sounds of the campground waking up around us.
Liam nudged my knee with his own. “So.”
I arched a brow over my mug. “So?”
His grin turned upward slowly. “You gonna admit last night rocked your world, or do I have to spell it out for you?”
I let out a scoff. “You were the one moaning my name, Carter.”
Liam chuckled, taking a sip of coffee. “I do recall something about you begging me to go harder.”
I sputtered on my next sip. “You’re full of shit.”
Liam leaned in closer, his voice dropping. “Am I?”
I hated how good he looked in the morning light. Bare-chested, his hair still a mess, his eyes full of mischief and something softer just beneath it.
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head as I stood from my chair. “Are we going to the pool or what?”
Liam smirked, stretching his arms overhead, his toned, hairy chest on full display. “I thought you’d never ask.”
But before we could head out, there were things to do.
Cleaning up the coffee cups from our lazy morning by the fire, grabbing towels, sunglasses, and stuffing a couple of bottles of water into our bags.
The sun was already climbing high, promising another scorching day, and I wasn’t about to suffer a dehydration headache after last night’s activities.
“Lotion first,” Liam announced, shaking the bottle in my direction with a grin.
I groaned but didn’t argue. Skin cancer and wrinkles weren’t the vibe.
“Turn around,” I ordered, squirting sunscreen into my palm. Liam gave me a smug little smirk before turning, his broad back on full display.
And fuck, his back!
I dragged my hands over his shoulders, smoothing the lotion across his skin, working it in with slow, firm strokes.
I knew Liam’s body. I had seen it and had touched it in every way now.
But there was something different about this.
Maybe it was the sunlight filtering through the trees, highlighting the golden undertones in his skin.
Maybe it was the way he stood there, so fucking relaxed, letting me take care of him.
Or maybe it was just that I wanted him again.
The more I touched him, the harder I got. My dick stirred, thickening in my swim trunks, and when I shifted my stance, Liam felt it.
Because the fucker pushed back into me.
His ass pressed against my crotch, slow, tormenting. My breath hitched, hands pausing for half a second before I forced myself to keep going, smoothing the lotion over his lower back, my fingers just barely dipping beneath the waistband of his trunks.
“Sam,” Liam murmured.
I swallowed hard. “Shut up.”
He chuckled, low and rough, then turned his head slightly, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to my shoulder.
Then, just to be a menace, he let his lips drag down my arm before taking the sunscreen from my hands.
“My turn,” he murmured, voice dark with amusement.
I turned around, expecting him to get right to work, but instead, his hands skimmed over my back first, palms warm and firm as they traced the muscles there, mapping me out like he was memorizing every inch.
A slow, lazy stroke over my shoulder blades. A drag of his fingertips down my spine.
And then his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against him, his chest flush with my skin, his breath warm against the curve of my neck.
I felt him. All of him. The hard lines of his body pressing into mine. The firm heat of his cock, thick and unmistakable, against the small of my back.
I swallowed hard.
My own hand moved almost of its own accord, reaching back and down until my fingers brushed against the fabric of his swim trunks.
I felt the solid, heavy shape of him beneath and curled my hand around it, giving his thick manhood a firm squeeze through the material.
A low groan rumbled in his chest, and I felt a surge of power, my fingers beginning to stroke him, to map out his length and girth.
Liam dipped his head, lips brushing against my shoulder.
Then again, higher this time.
A slow, open-mouthed kiss against my skin.
Then another.
His breath fanned over the damp curve of my neck, making me shiver, making me tilt my head slightly, unconsciously giving him more room.
He lingered there for a moment, just long enough for my body to react, for my pulse to pick up, for my hands to twitch at my sides, wanting to reach back and hold him in place.
But then, just as I was starting to lean into it, he backed away, putting the smallest amount of distance between us. My hand fell away, empty.
My skin felt too cool in his absence.
Liam chuckled. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Then, without another word, he poured lotion into his palms and started smoothing it over my back, working slow and steady, like he hadn’t just spent the last thirty seconds driving me out of my mind.
And then he turned me around.
His hands spread across my chest, rubbing in the lotion with slow, steady movements, his thumbs grazing my nipples, feeling as they hardened under his touch.
My breathing hitched.
His fingers slid lower, smoothing over my abs, down my stomach, and right into my swim trunks, palming me with a lazy, practiced ease.
“Can’t have this beautiful cock getting burned,” Liam murmured, lips brushing my jaw.
I sucked in a breath, heat pooling low in my stomach as his fingers encircled around me, stroking just enough to make me ache.
Unable to stop myself, I turned my head, leaning in, catching his lips in a brief, heated kiss. Just a press of mouths, enough to taste him, to let it build.
Liam groaned softly against my lips, his grip tightening for the barest second.
Then he pulled back, smiling as he let go, snapping the waistband of my trunks against my skin with a wicked glint in his eye.
“Patience, gorgeous,” he murmured, voice dripping with amusement. Then he winked. “Alright, now we can go to the pool.”
I stared at him, pulse hammering, every muscle tight with tension.
Liam just laughed, tossing me my sunglasses before grabbing his towel.
I took a deep breath.
Shook my head.
And followed him out into the sun.
The pool was already filling up by the time we got there. Men of all ages, shapes, and sizes soaking in the last full day at camp, drinks in hand, laughter carrying over the water. It was a scene, but I barely noticed any of it.
Because Liam was all over me.
He floated up behind me, arms loosely around me, his hairy chest pressed flush against my back. I could feel everything. His muscles, his warmth, his dick half-hard against the small of my back.
“Relax,” he murmured, chin resting on my shoulder. “You’re stiff.”
“Gee, I wonder why,” I grumbled.
Liam just chuckled, his fingers splaying over my chest, thumbs brushing slow, gentle, circles over my skin. I let my hands rest over his, feeling the strength in them, the steadiness.
I closed my eyes for a second, just taking it in.
This felt good.
Comfortable.
Dangerous.
After a while, I moved to the ledge, settling on the submerged seat, and Liam slotted himself between my legs like it was the most natural thing in the world. His hands slid up my thighs, resting just above my knees, and for the first time, it didn’t feel like we were trying to play anything off.
He was mine in this moment.
And I fucking liked it.
“Holy shit.”
Liam and I both turned to see Jordan standing at the edge of the pool, arms crossed, wearing a knowing grin.
I immediately braced myself.
He slid into the water, shaking his head. “So, I came back to my tent last night and heard some very hot noises coming from yours.”
Liam chuckled. “And?”
Jordan gaped at him. “And?! Now I’m wishing I had knocked on the tent and joined in.”
I stiffened, but forced a grin, my grip tightening slightly on Liam’s shoulders under the water.
Liam, on the other hand, just laughed. “Nah, you wouldn’t have survived it.”
Jordan’s eyes turned to me, then back to Liam, lips curling. “Noted.”
I didn’t know what I expected, but there was no tension or weirdness. Just Jordan being Jordan. Flirty, playful, and relaxed. And I got it.
He was charming. And hot. And funny.
But last night?
Last night, I didn't want anyone else.
Still didn’t.
Jordan ended up lounging with us for a while, effortlessly sliding into the conversation with the other campers. We swapped stories about past trips, tossed around ideas for future destinations, and laughed over the occasional wild camping tale.
But beneath the water, there was a different kind of conversation happening.
Liam’s hands weren’t exactly subtle. Fingertips grazing over my ass, a brush against my penis, casual enough to seem accidental but deliberate enough that I knew better. And then there was Jordan, just as bold, his own touches light but lingering, testing boundaries with both of us.
It was an unspoken game, a push and pull, a current beneath the surface as the three of us floated, talking like nothing was happening at all.
By late afternoon, none of us wanted to acknowledge that tomorrow was our last day.
The weekend had been too good.
As the sun dipped behind the trees, we settled around the fire pit for one last night, the golden glow against our skin. Jordan, surprisingly, stuck around instead of running off to find one last adventure. Maybe even he was spent after the last couple of days.
Dinner was simple. Grilled hot dogs, chips, and whatever drinks we had left. The conversation flowed as casually as the fire crackled. Afterward, we made s’mores, the unmistakable smell of toasted marshmallows thick in the air, sticky sweetness lingering on my fingers.
Liam nudged me at one point, a smirk playing on his lips. “You got a little… ” He reached out, swiping a thumb over the corner of my mouth before sucking the melted chocolate off.
I swallowed hard, ignoring the heat creeping up my neck. “You’re disgusting.”
He smiled. “You love it.”
And fuck, maybe I did.
As the night stretched on, the energy shifted. The quiet, buzzing adrenaline of the past few days gave way to something slower. The fire burned low, the embers pulsed red and gold as the warmth curled around us like a blanket.
One by one, people started turning in.
Jordan stretched with a groan. “Alright, boys. I’m calling it. If I don’t crash now, I might actually fall asleep in this chair.” He stood, tossing the last of his drink into the fire before winking at us. “See you fuckers in the morning.”
And then it was just Liam and me.
I pushed up from my seat, rubbing my hands over my thighs. “I should head to my tent.”
Liam reached out, fingers curling around my wrist.
I turned toward him, and before I could say anything, he tugged me close, pressing his lips to mine.
A kiss goodnight.
Simple. Soft. But something in me thawed under it, any lingering hesitation slipping away.
I didn’t care.
I wanted this.
I leaned into him, his hands found my hips, thumbs pressed lightly into my skin. The fire crackled beside us, but all I could focus on was the way his mouth moved against mine, the warmth of him sinking into me.
When we finally broke apart, I took a step back, ready to turn toward my tent.
“Ahem.”
I paused, glancing over my shoulder. Liam was still staring at me, one brow raised, his smile half-hidden in the dim glow of the fire.
“Wanna sleep with me?” he asked, voice low and wanting. “I don’t know that I can fuck again. My ass is still recovering from last night. But I’d love to cuddle against your gorgeous naked body if that would be okay.”
My chest tightened.
It should have been a joke, the way he said it, the smile tugging at his lips. But there was something else in his eyes. Something quieter. Something real.
I shook my head with a small laugh. “Yeah, Carter. That’d be okay.”
His face softened, and he reached for my hand again, leading me toward his tent.