Chapter 7
SEVEN
DAVID
It wasn’t to my original plan at all, but I wanted to take Josh somewhere I hadn’t taken anyone before.
Having worked at the university for so long, I was able to frequent the botanical gardens just off campus.
It was one of my favorite places. I’d never met a plant I couldn’t kill, so it was best I left the gardening to other people, but I loved coming here.
“Have you ever been here before?” I asked as we neared the large black metal gates.
“I haven’t. Honestly, I’m not sure I knew it even existed.”
“There’s only about an hour until they close up for the night, but that’s enough time for a quick tour.” I swallowed a lump of nerves. “If you like it, we can always come back another day.”
“I like it already.” Josh assured me, not a hint of a lie on his face.
God, I wanted to kiss him. I’d wanted to kiss him all night.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off his mouth. Hell, I’d have settled for holding his hand, but I was trapped in this unwelcome bubble of not-quite-brave-enough.
I was still cringing internally from when I’d whacked my knee on the underside of the table, rattling our dishes, drawing attention from the whole restaurant.
Real smooth.
Glad to see that age hadn’t improved my game at all.
We rounded the corner to where the paved path turned into a compact dirt trail.
Instead of grass, the garden sported moss and a low-growing variety of clover.
Josh stopped and I watched him rake his gaze over the lush surroundings.
He gaped at the flowers, the trees, the lush vegetation, then let out a breath and looked at me.
“I’m a bit pissed off that I never knew about this place until tonight.” Josh looked around at the way the paths diverged, then he turned to me. “Where do we even start? This place is huge.”
“Sadly, we don’t have time to see everything before closing time.”
“Then take me to your favorite place.” Josh slipped his hand in mine like it was the easiest thing in the world. He was far braver than I was, that was for sure. Something must have flashed on my face, because he tried to pull his hand back.
“Sorry, I should have asked about your stance on PDA.”
I tightened my grip on his hand so he couldn’t escape. “That look you saw was me wishing I was brave enough to have grabbed your hand first.”
Josh stepped a little closer, letting his fingers relax against mine. His hand was soft and warm and fucking perfect.
“Are you going to show me your favorite spot now?”
“Yeah, come on.” I tugged him down the path, taking a right. We stopped frequently so Josh could read the information plaques that were dotted along the trails.
“It always fascinated me, you know, how ancient people knew what plants to eat.” Josh had stopped to admire the milkweed and its historical usage in medicine.
“How did they know which ones would kill you? That’s pretty ballsy trial and error.
This root makes you horny, but this flower’s seeds will kill you.
I’d hate to have been their guinea pig.”
“These two mushrooms look nearly identical. One is good with eggs and the other will kill you in the most agonizing way possible. I’ll keep getting my mushrooms from the produce section, thanks.”
“Look at us, a couple of non-adventurous eaters.” Josh laughed and dropped my hand, then slid in next to me, wrapping an arm around my waist.
He was shorter than me, but only by a couple of inches. Tucked against me now, I could tell that his body was firmer than mine. Made up of hard muscles and tight angles, he felt so fucking good pressed up against my side. I let my arm drape around him in return, savoring the closeness.
“It’s just ahead,” I said to him. Anticipation thrummed under my skin.
This place was special to me, practically sacred.
I’d come here all the time over the years to this particular spot especially.
I didn’t know what compelled me to bring Josh here except this was where I felt the most peaceful, and I wanted to share that with him.
If we’d have taken the other path, we’d have ended up in the same place, but the way the path to the right went, it went past my spot and it wasn’t until the path backtracked that you came upon the giant weeping willow.
When we rounded the corner, I made sure to watch Josh’s expression as the tree came into view.
“Holy shit.” He gasped. “How did I not see the giant fucking tree?” Josh’s mouth hung open and he gaped at the tree. It was an impressive specimen, even as far as weeping willows went. The branches draped down low, almost sweeping against the ground in some places.
“I can see why this is your favorite place.”
“Oh, we’re not quite there yet.” Feeling giddy, like a school kid with a secret, I tugged at Josh and prompted him to follow me. Grinning like a fool, I led him between the leaves and under the canopy of the willow fronds.
The tree created a curtain of greenery that obscured people from view. The ground underneath was covered in a sparse layer of fallen leaves and dirt. The fading sun made it through the gaps, creating patterns of dappled light.
“It’s like another universe in here.” His voice was quiet, almost a whisper.
“It’s magical. It’s like a whole other world.
” He looked straight up, admiring the way the tree had formed its twisted limbs to create such a wonderful shield.
And having enjoyed that sight for years myself, I kept my attention on him.
Josh called the space magical, but I thought he was the one wielding the magic wand.
Maybe he’d put a spell on me. I’d been unable to keep my eyes off him all night.
His mouth had captured my attention from the moment I met him.
Did his lips feel as soft as they looked?
What would he taste like? These were the questions I couldn’t stop asking myself.
And Josh must have caught on. I mean, he would have to be a fool not to notice. He lowered his gaze, averting it away from the canopy and looked at me instead.
Josh’s tongue poked out of his mouth, and it wet his lower lip before disappearing again. Oh, how I wanted to chase that tongue with my own. The need to kiss him was making my head spin. I’d thought about little else all night.
“David?” he said as he moved to stand in front of me. Our bodies were almost touching. Only the barest amount of light could pass through them. “Are you ever going to kiss me?”
His words made me tremble. What if I was bad at it? It had been awhile. What if it wasn’t like riding a bike? Could a person forget how to kiss?
“Or… do you not kiss on the first date?” Josh asked, somewhat softer. More tentative.
I hated that my hesitation affected him in a negative way. I could practically see him curl in on himself.
“Good thing this isn’t our first date.”
The courage to kiss him came from somewhere deep inside me. I took it slow, wanting to savor that last bit of anticipation that swelled up between us, like the crescendo before the apex of a song.
The first brush of my lips against his was as soft as a flower petal. And then I kissed him again, moving my lips against his. I cupped his cheek, felt the barest amount of stubble along his jaw as I tipped his head back just a little so I could deepen the kiss.
Then it was like a switch flipped and our tender first kiss turned from a spark into an inferno.
Heat roared up under my skin as Josh pressed his body against mine.
He reached up and grabbed my face in both of his hands and took over the kiss, licking his way into my mouth, demanding entry with his tongue.
Letting him take over was the easiest thing I’d ever done.
Josh was a force of nature, and I was at his mercy.
My knees almost gave out when his hands moved from my cheeks to the sides of my neck.
Fingertips danced along the sensitive flesh below my ears.
I never knew a kiss could feel like that.
Like I was being taken apart and put back together at the same time.
I wound my arms around his waist and pulled him closer, relishing the way he felt against me. The way he let himself press against me, the way he moaned into my mouth. God, I was so fucking undone already, and all from a single kiss.
It went on for a while, until we couldn’t breathe. Until every rational thought had fled my brain leaving me empty of everything but the constant thrum of want surging through my bloodstream.
“God, David.” Josh exhaled, his breath hot against my skin. “The things I want to do to you.”
“So do them,” I said before I lost my nerve.
I craved him in a way I’d never craved anyone.
Not that I could remember anyway. Sure, there’d been other people who’d lit me up, but they were tea lights compared to him.
Josh was the sun. Impossible to ignore, too bright to look at directly, and so fucking hot I could barely stand it.
“Here?” Josh’s question was quiet, but his hand snaked down my chest. “Are you sure?”
“Uh-huh.” The power of speech was rapidly evading me as Josh’s hand traveled lower, then skimmed across the front of my pants.
He gently cupped my dick in his hand, then gave it a gentle squeeze as his lips tracked kisses up the column of my throat.
“You can say no. We can take this somewhere else. Some place safer.”
There was no such thing as a safer place. Not where Josh was concerned. He was a swift-moving river, and I was just caught in his current, unable to get free. Unwilling to try.
“I’m sure,” I told him, meaning the words.
It was risky, what we were doing, but I was powerless to stop it.
Okay, I wasn’t powerless. A simple word would have sent us in a different direction.
But I didn’t want him to stop. I was desperate for him and his mouth and his hands and his attention.
He had a way of looking at me that made me feel like I was the only person on the planet.
He flicked my pants open and snaked his hand inside, as he pressed his lips against mine again and slipped his tongue inside. My brain short-circuited, and all I could think was that Josh was going to ruin me. And I was going to let him.
And I was going to enjoy every single second.