29. Tori
29
TORI
“Did you like the movie?” Lucas had the hotel card key in one hand, and the plastic bags from the thrift store in the other.
I’d wanted a way to pass the hours without having to think about the wedding tomorrow, so when Lucas suggested a movie, I was grateful. “Yes, I did.”
Neither of us mentioned the movie night back at his house that had ended so badly. Or the fact that we’d held hands for the last hour of the movie today.
Lucas tried several times to get the key to swipe correctly. I hoped we wouldn’t need to go back to the front desk, because they hadn’t been very helpful—at least not in terms of letting me switch the room to my credit card. However, they had at least given us a handful of travel-sized toiletries like toothpaste, deodorant, and toothbrushes.
Finally, the little light turned green, and I went in. Behind me, Lucas hit the lights, and we both continued further into the room—until we stopped dead, staring at the queen bed.
Which was the only bed.
I sighed. “How hard is it to count to two?” Nothing was going right today, so I probably should’ve expected this.
“I’ll get them to switch it.”
“Don’t bother.” I caught his arm as he turned to leave. “They’ll just tell you no. It’s a big bed, and I’m tired… let’s just stay here.”
“Are you sure?” His cheeks went red, his voice full of concern. For some reason, that made me want to smile. This was the version of him I knew from last year. Kind. Considerate. Slightly shy.
Every so often, I wished Kyle hadn’t moved back into the house and triggered the anger I’d seen from Lucas so often this semester. Except then I wouldn’t have gotten to know Kyle as well, and I didn’t want that. So really, I just wished that they got along, because I liked them both. Thank god neither of them seemed to have a problem with Jayden—we already had enough to deal with.
“I’m sure,” I said.
“All right.” Lucas hovered awkwardly in the middle of the room, glancing around like he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He drifted toward the desk, picked up the hotel notepad, then put it back down. Meanwhile, I pulled out the thrift store clothes and started hanging them up on the coat rack by the door, smoothing out wrinkles that probably wouldn’t come out anyway.
Lucas plugged in his phone at the bedside table. “Do you mind if I take a shower? That way, we won’t both need to in the morning.”
“Yeah, good idea.” We were going to have to leave fairly early to drive back to Macon in time for the wedding.
While he was in the bathroom, I sat at the edge of the bed, legs crossed, trying to distract myself by scrolling through my phone. But I couldn’t focus on anything I read. The sound of the shower was steady behind the door, and somehow, that made everything feel more real. He was in there, hot water hitting his naked body, and soon, he’d be in the bed next to me.
And then that led to a thought that hit me like a ton of bricks.
I was still trying to process when I heard the knob of the bathroom door rattle.
Steam poured out when opened. “Lucas, I just thought of something. We?—”
My voice abruptly cut off as I caught sight of him. He’d put back on his black jeans, but the rest of him was bare. His flat stomach. His broad shoulders. His strong arms.
Wow.
Had I ever seen him shirtless before? I was pretty sure I hadn’t because I would’ve remembered this sight. A flutter danced low in my stomach as my heart rate jumped around.
Lucas was drying off his upper body with a thin white towel, and though I had all the time in the world to pull my gaze away, I didn’t manage it. He stopped dead when he caught me staring.
“It was really steamy in there, so I didn’t want to put my shirt on yet.” He jerked his head in the direction of the bathroom, where I could see that the mirror was fogged up. “What were you saying?”
“Oh. Um. It’s just that I—we—I mean we should have?—”
He frowned, the towel in his hands stilling as he stared at me, possibly wondering if I was having a stroke.
“We don’t have anything to wear to bed,” I got out in a rush. “I should’ve thought of that at the shop, but I didn’t, and now… now I don’t know what to do.”
Before the shower, he was the nervous one, but now that I was, he was calmer and steadier. “Probably not very comfortable to sleep in jeans.” His gaze dropped to my legs. “But you could wear my t-shirt, though it’ll be pretty big on you. And I’ll just sleep in my boxers if that’s not going to bother you.”
“It won’t bother me.” My voice was a little faint, but he didn’t comment on it. “I’ll, um, I’ll go get ready.”
I fled for the bathroom, closing the door behind me even though it was hot and humid in there. I needed a moment. Sharing a bed with him was one thing. It was a big bed, and there was plenty of room. Sharing a bed while not wearing very much—that was something else entirely. But, as much as that idea freaked me out, in both good ways and bad, he was right. Jeans wouldn’t be comfortable. I doubt I could even fall asleep that way.
But I didn’t see how I’d be able to fall asleep next to a nearly naked Lucas, either.
As I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I tried to get a hold of myself. Lying next to him in a big bed wasn’t even as intimate as lying next to Jayden in the hammock. Except—it felt like it was. Men and women had sex in beds, unlike hammocks where they’d probably end up tangled up and possibly in traction if they tried it.
But still, this was Lucas. My friend. A good guy. A good guy with surprisingly sculpted biceps, and an eight-pack of abs, and that sexy five o’clock shadow…
Crap.
This was bad. I shouldn’t be thinking about him like that when I was about to climb into bed with him.
I pulled my bulky sweatshirt over my head. Lucas’s white t-shirt was hanging on the hook behind the door, and when I picked it up, I caught the scent of his aftershave. It was something familiar, a scent I couldn’t quite identify, but I liked it.
When I put it on, it covered me almost to my knees, so I felt brave enough to unhook my bra and pull it out from the armholes. There was no way I’d be able to sleep with it digging into me. I kept my jeans on, though. I’d take those off right before climbing into bed.
The lights were off when I came out of the bathroom. The room should’ve been dark, but there was a beam of light coming from between the heavy drapes, presumably from the parking lot.
“I couldn’t get it to close all the way," Lucas said. He was already in bed, the covers halfway up his bare chest. Was he really only wearing boxers?
“It’s fine. Like a nightlight.” I moved to the other side of the bed.
“Or a spotlight,” Lucas grumbled, and I chuckled.
It took me a long moment, but finally, I got brave enough to take off my jeans. Then I quickly hopped into bed, pulling the cover up as fast as I could.
Except now the sheets and blankets were stretched out between our bodies like the top of a tent—with nothing between us.
I scooted around, turning on my side to face him, acting like I was seeking out a more comfortable position, but really, I was surreptitiously tugging on the covers so that there was some slack between us. That made me feel a little less exposed. And it also allowed me to stop thinking so much about his body.
Mostly.
I closed my eyes, relaxed my muscles, and I let my mind drift.
But it did no good, because I was hyper aware of everything Lucas did. He wasn’t even moving, but I could hear him breathing. I could feel the way the mattress dipped on one side because of his weight.
“Tori?” His voice was soft, but I was so attuned to him that it sounded like he was using a megaphone.
“Yes?”
“This feels really weird, right?”
“Yes! I know it shouldn’t, but it does.”
We laughed softly, and I was pathetically glad that it wasn’t just me feeling this way. “We’ve been friends for a long time. We’re both adults. This isn’t a big deal.” I paused. “So why does it feel like a big deal?”
“I don’t know, but it does for me, too.”
I sighed loudly. “This is ridiculous.” But since I was nowhere near sleep, we might as well talk. “Thank you for driving down here with me.”
“You’re very welcome.”
“You didn’t have to. I mean, as we said before, last night was… what was it again? Overwhelmingly uncomfortable?”
“Yeah.” He hesitated. “Tori?—”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned Natalie.”
He let out a breath of air. “I said some things I shouldn’t have also.”
“Mine was worse. I should’ve just spoken for myself rather than for a woman I’ve never met. I’m very sorry for dragging up such a painful subject.”
“That’s not on you. I bring it up practically every time I see Kyle. I just can’t help it.”
“I wish… I wish things were better for you two.”
“I think that’s a wasted wish at this point.”
Hearing him say that hurt. His relationship with Kyle had nothing to do with me, but… they were both my friends. I liked them both. And I hated that they were always at each other’s throats.
Lucas was staring straight up at the ceiling, but he shook his head in a bemused way. “We should really get some sleep. We’ve got to drive to Macon tomorrow—and then drive all the way back home.”
“Yeah.”
There was silence for about two minutes. Then I heard his voice again. “Have you ever felt less like sleeping?”
I laughed. “Not that I can recall. What should we do? You’re the smart one.”
“Only about school. Very much not about this situation.”
There was more silence, during which I tried that relaxation technique where you ease the tension in one muscle after another. However, perhaps I was doing it backwards, because I was just getting more tense.
“I do have one idea,” Lucas finally said.
“What’s that?” I was hoping that great brain of his had come through somehow.
To my surprise, he rolled onto his side, facing me, and lifted the covers between us. For a moment, I thought he was letting me look at his chest and abs again—which I was more than willing to do—but then he patted the mattress next to him. He wanted me to slide over.
“I figure that if it’s going to feel weird anyway, I’d rather have it feel weird with you close by rather than over there. If that’s what you want.”
Without giving myself time to think, I scooted over. His nearness made my pulse race, but it somehow felt less awkward than before. My head rested on his bicep up near his shoulder, and I pressed against his side, feeling his warm, smooth skin against me. There wasn’t really a good place for my hand—I couldn’t very well put it on his legs or boxers—so I rested it lightly on his abs. Those taut, ridged abs that I’d never seen before, let alone touched.
His arm wrapped around my shoulder, and he held me close.
My fingers kept gliding over the panes of his flat stomach, and I had to force myself to stop. Then curiosity got the better of me.
“Have you been working out?”
He laughed softly, and I felt his breath stir my hair.
“Not as much this year, but last year I spent a lot of time at the gym. Everything was just so fresh and raw with how things ended with Natalie, and I found that working out helped. When you’re pushing your body to its limits, it leaves less time to brood.”
“Wow. I didn’t know you spent much time at the gym.”
“Guess it took a while for the results to show.”
“Honestly, I didn’t notice last year, but I did this year.”
“Only because I’m lying next to you in just my underwear.” His tone was rueful.
“No, it’s not that. I noticed the first week of the study group. You look good.” I was glad we weren’t looking eye to eye when I said that.
“Last year was a bad year overall, but I found working out kind of addictive. If we ever get the basement cleared, Kyle’s idea of putting some gym equipment in there isn’t a bad one. Doesn’t mean we have to use it at the same time.”
If I got a vote, I was all for him continuing to work out. His abs felt so good under my palm. His bicep was too firm to make a comfortable pillow, but it still felt good to be nestled against him, skin to skin. Or nearly so.
“Can I ask you another question?” I ventured.
“Sure.” He squeezed my shoulder. “If we can’t ask questions in the dark, in bed, when can we?”
“Was she… was Natalie your only girlfriend?”
The muscles of his stomach clenched, and I was afraid I’d upset him. But after a moment, he nodded.
“I went on a couple of dates before I met her, but yes. She’s the only woman I’ve ever slept with, if that’s what you’re asking.”
I could feel my cheeks heat up, but somehow the darkness and his closeness were making it a little easier to be honest. “Yes, it was.”
“Can I ask about your dating history—or whatever you want to call it?” His body tensed.
“There’s not a lot to tell. I’ve never been in a real relationship like you have. I went out with a couple guys last year. Nothing ever came of it.”
“Yeah, I remember you telling Amanda about one of them. And before you came to Langley?”
“There was a guy in high school, my senior year. We, um…we slept together twice. It was… I don’t know. It was over very quickly. Not quite how I imagined it would be.”
“So not exactly the first time every young woman dreams of?”
“Not unless she dreams of doing it in the guy’s childhood bedroom while his parents barbecued out back.”
Lucas winced. “Ouch.”
“The barbecue was good, though.”
He laughed, and I snuggled closer to him, my head resting on his shoulder. His breath hitched briefly, and I could feel his lips lightly touch my hair.
It was weird, but it felt less awkward being pressed up against him like this than it did lying two feet away.
And now that we were so close, I wanted to be even closer.
“Lucas?” I whispered.
“Yes?”
“Do you think we could… I mean, just once before we go to sleep… could you maybe give me a kiss goodnight?”
I couldn’t look directly at his face. Maybe I was embarrassed by asking so boldly, or afraid of rejection. But I wanted to kiss him again. Last night at the library, he’d been the first man of the three of them to kiss me, and it felt good, but I’d been nervous during the first round. I hadn’t really gotten to properly enjoy it.
Then later, I felt guilty when I did enjoy kissing Jayden and Kyle so much. This would be like getting a second chance with Lucas. Hopefully it wouldn’t end with either of us getting upset and storming off.
Lucas twisted toward me, and he brought his other hand over and put his finger under my chin, tilting my head up. My eyes closed as he leaned in, and then I felt his warm breath—minty from the toothpaste—flowing over me. His lips brushed past mine once, and then twice, just barely touching. And then he moved in.
He kissed me slowly, taking his time as his lips moved over mine. The steady pressure of his mouth sent shivers down my spine, and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. His kiss was both gentle and insistent, and it was different from anything I’d experienced before. There was no rush, no frantic grabbing. Instead, Lucas moved deliberately, savoring the moment as though we had all the time in the world.
I’d asked for a goodnight kiss—a simple thing, but he was giving me what I’d really wanted.
I relaxed into his arms, sinking deeper against him, my hands raking across his warm skin, pulling him closer. God, the muscles of his back felt every bit as defined as the ones on his chest and abs. How had I never known he had such a great body?
Every brush of his lips made me more aware of just how strong he was, how solid he felt. Arousal steadily built up inside me. I loved feeling his bare skin and wished the fabric of the t-shirt weren’t between us. I wasn’t ready for that yet, but it was still a tempting thought.
He was doing amazing things with his tongue, and I clenched my thighs together at the thought of what it might feel like to have his head between my legs—not that I’d ever experienced that before. But that thought intensified the throbbing ache between them, and I pointed my toe and slid it up his calf, teasing softly.
He responded by deepening the kiss, claiming my mouth in a way that almost claimed my soul as well. I moaned and then, without really considering the wisdom of it, I threw my leg over his, bringing our bodies even closer together.
That’s when I felt how hard he was, his erection straining against his boxers and pressing into me. I rolled my hips, pushing mine closer to his.
He paused for a moment, just long enough for both of us to catch our breath. It was too dark to see his green eyes, so I closed mine when he leaned in again. His mouth met mine with another gentle sweep, and I couldn’t help thinking he was so good at this it almost wasn’t fair. He kept throwing me for a loop. Last year, he was Lucas, my sweet, smart, and slightly nerdy friend. This year, he was a guy who was often angry—at least after Kyle had moved in. And now he was the man who knew how to rock my world when he kissed me.
How was I supposed to reconcile all that? I couldn’t… so I pressed my hips up against his, clinging to him, savoring the way he tasted on my lips.
Just when I thought we’d continue forever in this blissful embrace, he shifted his weight. Without breaking contact, he rolled me onto my back so that he was leaning over me—and his knee pushed between my legs. Oh god. The heated skin of his muscled thigh pressed right to my center, with only the flimsy panties in between. I clutched at his back and his hair as the kiss grew more intense. My blood sped up—and pooled in my core.
I moaned, and he pushed his thigh more firmly between my legs. Without conscious thought, I ground into him, whimpering and holding him tight.
Then his hand landed on my hip, squeezing gently—then sliding under the t-shirt. A delicious chill ran along my spine, and everywhere he touched, my skin sizzled. All the while, he never stopped devouring my mouth. I’d never had a kiss last this long in my life, and I’d never have thought I’d want one to.
But now I knew better.
His hand slid up my side, under the shirt, and then his fingers wrapped around my ribcage—right below my breast. I froze. His mouth stilled on mine, as if waiting for my reaction. After a long moment, I ran my fingers through his short hair, pulling him closer. My back arched, and his hand rose higher, his thumb gliding to my nipple.
Oh god. He was good at that, too. He rolled my already hard nipple with the pad of his thumb, the pressure perfect. My breathing sped up, and I had to break away for air. Without missing a beat, his talented lips moved along my jawline and then to my throat.
It felt so damn fantastic—like he was touching me everywhere. It really felt that way. The tantalizing weight of him leaning over me. His hand on my breast, my nipple caught between his thumb and forefinger. His thigh between mine… I squeezed my legs around his, and the pressure against my clit increased.
My hips rolled, grinding against him as he nibbled my throat. Then he kissed lower, along the heated skin of my chest. His finger tugged at the neckline of the t-shirt, and my breath caught in my throat. Then my back arched upward, pressing my chest into his touch.
Lucas pulled the neckline down, but even though it was his shirt and big on me, it didn’t stretch as far as either of us wanted it to. He pushed himself up to a kneeling position, his knee still trapped between my legs. His fingers settled on the bottom hem of the t-shirt.
When he hesitated, I did it myself, the soft cotton gliding over my breasts as I slid it up. He made a strangled sound in the back of his throat, and then he was on all fours, hovering over me, his mouth zeroing in on my nipple.
Oh my god… those same lips that knew how to kiss better than anyone I’d ever met knew what to do to my breast, too. He drew my nipple into his mouth, his tongue swirling as he sucked on it with a sensuous pressure that seemed to travel down my body straight to my clit.
He caught my other nipple in his fingers again, and my groans filled the room as I ground against his hard thigh. Suddenly, the tension that had built up inside me boiled over.
My eyes flew open in shock as I cried out. My thighs clamped even harder around his, my whole body thrashing from an orgasm I hadn’t seen coming. Breathy cries escaped my dry throat as I clutched at any part of him I could reach. Then the waves of pleasure robbed me of my voice, and my back arched, my mouth open in a silent scream.
It was endless. It was too much. It was so damn good. And then I was gasping for air, my body still shaking, my brain struggling to catch up.
Lucas let my nipple slide out of his mouth with one final sweep of his tongue. “Breathe, Tori.” His hand rubbed along my side, soothing me like I was a spooked horse. “Just breathe.”
My voice returned. “Oh my god. I didn’t expect—oh my god.” An aftershock hit, and I whimpered as it reverberated through me.
“You’re okay,” he said softly. He stroked my hair, smoothing it away from my face. I finally managed to unclench the muscles in my legs, letting his go, and he moved back to his position at my side. “Everything’s good.”
He kissed my cheek gently, still brushing my hair away from my face. We were finally skin to skin, and I nestled against him. Everything about him was soothing and comforting, and it was the perfect way to come down from the explosive pleasure that had caught me by surprise.
“That’s it,” he whispered. “Deep breaths.”
I did. Or I tried to. But god, I’d never expected that. He hadn’t even touched me below my waist, but every single thing he did was deliberate and skillful and—god, I couldn’t believe I’d just come.
My eyes squeezed shut, and I put my hand on my forehead. Lucas probably thought I was some kind of sex-crazed girl who kissed three men one night and orgasmed from kissing and nipple play the next night.
Except that was true, wasn’t it? Embarrassment filled me. And somehow, despite the low light, Lucas knew that. He gave me a soft kiss on the lips.
“That was so amazing, Tori. To feel your body tremble under mine. To hear your cries fill the room. It was so fucking hot.”
“But—but…” I trailed off and tried again. “I didn’t know that was possible.” That was all I could say before I had to take a few more deep breaths to calm down.
He was still rock hard—I could feel his erection digging into my hip. I should return the favor, shouldn’t I? The aftereffects of the orgasm made it hard to think. I slid my hand down, reaching for him, but he moved back.
“Just relax, sweetheart.” He kept stroking my hair in a rhythmic fashion, and it was lulling me into a trance. Then he tugged the t-shirt down, covering me. I immediately missed the skin-to-skin contact, but it made me feel less self-conscious.
“That was amazing,” he whispered again.
And it sounded like he really meant it.
He placed another soft kiss on me, this time on my cheek. He gathered me in his arms and was still murmuring comforting things and gently touching my hair when I drifted off.