Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
SPENCER
The day is muggy and hot, with the only saving grace being the constant breeze from the ocean. “Party tonight!” I holler across the backyard to Jake before I toss the football to him. It’s only a week into summer vacation, and I’m already sick of work. A good party is exactly what I need.
Especially getting to see Tate again. I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately. Dreaming about him, too. Those riotous blond curls, sultry blue eyes, and his sexy-as-sin mouth that always has something smart to say.
Jake jogs over with the football in his grip.
“Oh yeah? Where?” His dirty blond hair is nearly to his chin now, and he’s got a Crescent Bay University baseball cap on backwards.
Jake works part-time at one of the surf shops on the boardwalk and mainly uses it as an opportunity to chat up the tourist girls.
I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t been fired yet.
“At Tate and Daija’s,” I say calmly, knowing full well that they never have parties at their place, and he’s probably going to freak out. Jake has been obsessed with Daija ever since he first laid eyes on her freshman year.
“No fucking way! Did she invite me? Like me specifically?” he asks with so much hope in his eyes that I unfortunately have to validate instead of crush.
“Yep. She did.”
“Fuck, yeah!” he shouts before doing a random fucking backflip in excitement.
I shake my head at his antics. We’ve been best friends since middle school, and Jake has always been a daredevil and an idiot. He’s going to break his neck one day if he’s not careful. “Don’t be a dumbass tonight,” I warn. “Daija’s already out of your league.”
“Ouch, bro.” Jake clutches his heart. “That hurts.”
I shrug because it’s true.
“I won’t do anything to ruin the night. Scout’s honor.” He holds four fingers up with a V-shaped space in between, like that alien dude from Star Trek, knowing I used to be a Boy Scout.
Ignoring his rage bait, I snatch the football from him. “Good. Because they invited us to come over early. Go long!”
“What?!” Jake hollers, leaving his mouth hanging wide open.
“Go long,” I repeat with a smirk, pumping the football between my palms.
“No. No. Before that,” he retorts, circling his fingers around each other.
“They invited us over early. Now, run!” I command, pulling my arm back as he takes off with a loud, excited laugh.
“Hell yeah, bro!” Jake shouts, running toward the back of the fence.
When he’s almost there, I let the ball soar straight to him. Jake jumps into the air, catching the football effortlessly and spiking it to the ground. It bounces up and over the fence, probably landing near the driveway.
“Whoops!”
“You can go get that!” I call out, cupping my hands around my mouth like a megaphone. “And if it hit my Jeep, I will kick your ass!”
“Nah! Your alarm would have gone off!” he shouts back with a laugh before jogging over to me. “I’m gonna get it in a minute, Spence, so calm your tits. I just wanted to ask you one more thing.”
I huff with impatience. “What?”
“You gotta admit, Daija must like me a little bit. Right?” he asks with a disarming smile that always gets him out of trouble.
“I don’t know, bro.” I shake my head, not wanting to fall into that trap.
“I think she does. Why else would she invite me to come over early?” He frowns, and I almost feel bad for what I’m about to say, but he needs to hear it because he needs to be chill tonight.
“Because you’re my roommate, and Tate invited me over early, so you have to come if we’re riding together,” I say matter-of-factly.
“Whatever,” he grumbles. “So what about you and Tate then?”
“What about us? We’re just friends,” I reply quickly, sounding way too defensive to my own ears, but it’s the complete truth.
We’re just four friends who haven’t seen each other in a while, and who want to hang out and catch up before the party starts. Nothing weird there at all, and I’m afraid he’s reading too much into it
“Mhm. Sure,” Jake retorts with a smirk.
What a smartass.
My brows dip, and annoyance coats my skin like a prickly wool sweater. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You can tell me if you like guys, bro. It’s not even a big deal. You know I’m cool with it. Shane, Toby, and you are my best friends. I’ve got your back. All of you.”
I’m not doing this right now. It’s none of his business.
“Nothing’s going on with Tate and me. I haven’t even seen him since Shane and Toby’s going-away party. Same as you. We’re friends. That’s it. You can’t just ask people if they’re gay, Jake.”
“Spence. You’re not just people, and I didn’t ask that. I know you like girls. Trust me. But I also know that you and Tate have mad chemistry.”
I take a deep breath, releasing it with a huff. I can’t deny the truth in his words. I’m drawn to Tate’s energy, but I’m not discussing my sexuality in the backyard with Jake. “Go get the football and worry about your own love life. Stay outta mine.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jake laughs, jogging over to the gate.
“I’m heading inside. I’ve got a few errands to run before tonight. Make sure you latch the gate behind you.”
“You got it, Dad!” Jake hollers back from the other side of the fence.
Shaking my head, I grab my keys and leave for the liquor store to buy a bottle of tequila. I know Tate and Daija love margaritas, so I can’t go wrong with it as a party gift.
With Jake’s words echoing in my head, I space out on the drive and barely remember how I got there.
You and Tate have mad chemistry.
We pull up to Tate and Daija’s apartment building, parking up front since the party hasn’t started yet, and the lot is nearly empty. Jake knocks on the door, and we hear a muffled come in, so I hesitantly turn the knob, realizing it’s unlocked for us.
“Hello?” I call out as Jake and I step into the foyer. I lock the door behind us, and we both slip off our sneakers.
“Hey, guys! Come on in!” Daija shouts from the kitchen, and like a sailor to a siren’s song, Jake is called to her, leaving me standing in the living room alone. “Tate’s down the hall!” Daija yells before a stream of giggles flows from the kitchen.
Shaking my head, I wander down the hallway to find Tate and scold him for leaving the door unlocked. Before I make it farther than a few steps, the bathroom door flies open, and a billow of steam pours out.
I freeze in my tracks. My eyes are the only part of me capable of movement, and they shamelessly devour his wet, glistening body. His blond hair is darker than normal, dripping onto a slim yet toned chest, and without warning, his towel suddenly drops to the floor.
My sharp intake of breath practically echoes throughout the quiet hallway. Narrow hips and a defined V lead down to a nicely proportionate cock. He’s hairless and smooth and way too sexy. It should be illegal to look this fucking good.
I slowly meet a pair of bright blue eyes, wide with shock. We stare at each other for a moment as the tension between us builds until we’re standing on a precipice we can’t come back from. His pupils start to dilate, and his gaze zeroes in on my lips.
“Tate! Are you ready to decorate yet?” Daija hollers from the kitchen, effectively breaking our trance.
He quickly bends down and grabs the towel, slipping by without touching me. He doesn’t wrap the towel back around his waist, instead strolling into his bedroom completely naked and unbothered.
My eyes lower to his plump ass, fascinated by the shape, and certain he has a very specific workout routine to achieve it. I follow him to his room, standing in the doorway without entering, and still incapable of speech.
His body is incredible.
Tate spins around, folding his arms across his bare chest while his semi-hard dick hangs tauntingly between us. “Well, now that you’ve seen mine, I think it’s only fair that I get to see yours.”
Fuuuck.
This feels like a fever dream.
“You want to see my dick?” I ask just to be sure.
“Yeah, big boy,” Tate taunts, stepping closer. “You already threatened to show me once. Don’t tease me twice, honey.” He trails a feather-soft touch down my forearm, sending a shockwave of desire straight to my cock.
As if on autopilot, I reach for my belt buckle, slowly undoing it, followed by the button on my jeans, and then my zipper. I slip my thumbs into the waistband of my boxers, ready to free my thickening cock when a sudden shout interrupts us yet again.
“Tater tot! Guests are arriving in twenty minutes. Move it!” Daija yells, breaking up another moment.
I shake the lust from my brain, snapping back to reality and turning away from his nakedness in order to give him some privacy and hopefully gain the ability to speak.
Tate laughs breathily. “Oh, how chivalrous of you," he says sarcastically, since I obviously got my fill of his body already. “So, you gonna make me a margarita with that?” he asks, acknowledging the top-shelf tequila in my hand. “Assuming that’s for me?”
“It is. Strawberry?” I ask confidently, knowing that he and Daija drink them all the time.
“Yep,” he says, popping the p. “Sugar on the rim, please.”
“I’ll meet you in the living room,” I say quietly, glancing over my shoulder one last time and catching a glimpse of his bare back as he steps into a white lacy thong.
“Thanks, boo,” he says with a smirk, peering over his shoulder at me as he adjusts the tiny scrap of fabric between his cheeks.
I slip out of his bedroom, shutting the door behind me and closing my eyes as I take a deep breath. Holy fuck, he’s sexy. Once I get my hands on him, I’m not sure I’ll be able to say no to anything he asks of me.