Page 124 of Whistle

He left me staring at the strong column of his throat and the underside of his stubbled chin while his laugh rose to the ceiling. Every angle of him was enticing, every part of him an easy distraction…

“Wait. You want to take me somewhere? You’re coming too?”

“Mm.” He confirmed.

He wasn’t asking me to leave. He was asking me to go with him. Butterflies filled my stomach, bouncing around in drunken flight. “Where?” I asked, knowing it didn’t matter because I’d go anywhere with him.

“Get dressed, and I’ll show you.”

I pushed at him, and he let me up. Anticipation made me buzz, filling me with a lightness that wasn’t there just moments ago. “Can I still wear your shirt?”

“You gonna throw it in the toilet again?”

“Depends. Are you going to piss me off again?” I fired back.

His laughter followed me into the closet.

28

Coach (Emmett)

“What the hell is this?” Bodhi groaned the second I turned into the parking lot. “I thought we were going somewhere good.”

I shot him some side-eye. “If you want all of me, this is where you’ll find it.”

Fuck, I was apprehensive about this. Nervous even. I hated the feeling, having banned it from my life a long time ago. I worked hard to give zero fucks. To keep my world small. So opening it up, opening myself up, was more uncomfortable than taking a piss on an electric fence.

Can’t say I ever pissed on an electric fence, but it seemed more pleasant than this.

Bodhi’s finger pressed against the glass as he pointed to the natatorium. “This is where I’ll find all of you?”

“Maybe not all,” I amended. “I mean, I think you already got some.”

The heavy suggestion in my tone was not lost on him, and I did enjoy the way he squirmed a little in the seat and pressed his thighs together.

“Why here?” He wanted to know.

“Because this is where I spend most of my time,” I answered, shutting off the engine of the Mustang. “And because if I’m gonna give up everything… you are too.”

Alarm flashed over his features, and his blue eyes turned wary. “I didn’t agree to that.” He shook his head adamantly.

Leaning over the center console, I crowded his space. “You think you can take and not give?”

“W-what do you want?” he stammered.

“Everything.”

He whispered, “I can’t give what I don’t have.”

Something about his nervousness made me feel more sure. “Let’s start with a swim, then.”

He was still in the passenger seat when my feet hit the sidewalk, and even though it was dark, I could feel his stare through the windshield. Going around, I pulled his door open, resting my forearm on the frame. “Let’s go, Goldilocks.”

Surprisingly, he slid forward, only to be forced back with a grunt. “Shit,” he swore beneath his breath.

Amused, I leaned into the car, my hand brushing across his waist as I reached for the latch to his seatbelt. He stilled and stared, his absolute attention making me lean in just a little more. Oh, I loved taking over his personal space, claiming even the air he breathed. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted everything.

I did.

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