Page 6 of Something Unforgettable

“That’swhy you’ve been hesitating like a kid on their first pony ride?” He shook his head while giving Xavier a look that was too amused to be sympathetic. “That boy is so gone on you he can hardly speak when you’re in the room.”

“He’s shy,” Xavier started. There was no way…but Nick was already shaking his head.

“No. I mean yes. But he talks. You should hear him and Micah when they get going.” Nick reached out and laid a hand on Xavier’s shoulder in mocking consolation. “He gets tongue-tied around new people and guys he thinks are ‘hotter than the sun.’ His words. Guess which one you are, buddy.”

Xavier’s body tightened, itching with the need to track down Finn immediately. He looked past Nick, seeking out the object of his interest but not seeing him right away.

“You’re sure he didn’t make up a boyfriend to get rid of unwanted attention?”

“Xavi,” Nick said, finally serious. “You’re like a magnet. When you’re in the room, he can’t take his eyes off you.”

And here Xavier had been avoiding looking too much, lest he make Finn even more uncomfortable. Turned out, he’d just missed his interest being returned.

He found Finn again as he and Micah collected tall, colorful drinks from the bar. The boys were pink-cheeked and giggling. Micah tripped a little and Finn’s hand shot out to steady him. Despite being the smaller of the two he was mostly successful, though their drinks sloshed dangerously.

Now that he’d stopped fighting it, Xavier knew the magnetic pull went both ways—he couldn’t drag his eyes away. It was only slightly less distracting than the way his palms tingled with the need to touch. Was Finn’s skin as smooth as it looked? Would he let Xavier run fingers through all that dark, wavy hair and push it out of those beautiful eyes? He swallowed as said eyes searched the room and then landed on him.

Finn froze, for once not ducking his head or looking away. Instead, he flashed Xavier a quick grin and then—fuck, kill Xavier now—his tongue, red from his drink, flicked over his lower lip. Micah leaned in and said something in his ear that made Finn’s eyes slide away and his shoulders curl in.

Xavier tensed. Had Micah upset him? He was about to head in their direction and— Well, he wasn’t sure what he’d do when he got there, but he wanted that little grin back on Finn’s lips. Before Xavier could move, Finn’s chest heaved with a visible breath, then he shoved his drink into Micah’s hands and marched across the space between them, brow furrowed. He ducked around a chatting group and came to a stop just a few feet short of Xavier.

“Hi,” he said, Xavier having to read the word off his lips.

“Hi,” Xavier returned, trying not to let his amusement show.

Finn was drunk, his eyes glassy but determined. He took another step toward Xavier, then another, until there were inches separating them instead of feet and he had to crane his head back to see Xavier’s face.

“I, uh.” He licked his lips again. A blush raced up his throat and landed in his cheeks. Xavier’s hand was halfway to caressing the flushed skin before he could stop himself.

He waited for Finn to find his words. A moment ago he’d looked like he was on a mission, but it was possible he hadn’t gotten further in his planning than saying hi.

“I want to go on the mechanical bull,” Finn finally blurted out. “Will you come with me so I don’t fall?” He gave Xavier a hopeful look that, even if Xavier had been so inclined, would have dissolved any protest.

Xavier looked toward the machine. Another young man was clinging to its back, partway to the floor but still holding on with a death grip to the bucking plastic. Finally, the guy hit the padded ground. Xavier winced, then almost startled at a cool hand squeezing his forearm. Finn tugged to get his attention again.

“Not like that. Micah promises they’ll go slow for doubles.” His hand rubbed absently against the hair on Xavier’s arm and Xavier’s skin tingled at the innocent touch. What would happen if he pulled Finn closer and took that hand in both of his until he warmed the boy up? Like he could hear Xavier’s thoughts, Finn swayed toward him, his other hand coming up to toy with the bottom button on Xavier’s shirt. “Please?”

Fucking hell. Xavier was going to be riding a mechanical bull with a hard-on at this rate. As skeptical as Xavier was about the safety of the contraption, he couldn’t say no. What if Finn asked someone else instead? He caught one of the wandering hands and—rewarding himself for his restraint so far—drew it up to press a kiss to the back. Finn’s eyes went wide, and his drink-stained lips parted.

“Gladly,” Xavier told him, then wove their fingers together and steered him toward the person taking sign-ups.

They didn’t have to wait long for their turn, which Xavier thought a beaming Micah had something to do with. Then they were wobbling across the thick mats and to the bull’s side. It felt natural to curl his hands around Finn’s waist and lift him to straddle the bull, making him squeak and then laugh. Xavier grinned and took advantage of his height to hop up behind him. Any thought of keeping an appropriate space between them fled the moment the bull moved and Finn slid back, his denim-clad ass fitting perfectly in the vee of Xavier’s hips and reminding him of his budding arousal. There was nothing to be done other than wrap one arm around Finn’s waist and grip the rope on the front of the bull with the other, bringing their bodies flush together.

“Shit,” he growled as the next forward motion of the bull made them slide on the slick plastic.

Finn yelped and grabbed for the rope as well, catching Xavier’s arm instead. “Oh my god,” he laughed as he tried to wiggle back into position, his delectable ass rubbing against Xavier’s interested cock. “Don’t let me fall,” he said, craning his head to look back at Xavier, his eyes bright with laughter. It took everything Xavier had not to close the distance and kiss his pouty lips.

“I promise,” he told Finn instead, squeezing him close and gripping the damn bull as tightly as he could.

The next few minutes were pure torture as Finn wiggled and laughed—at one point moving his free hand to grip Xavier’s thigh, palm way too close to where Xavier would love to have it. Their friends cheered from the sidelines as the operator slowly upped the movement of the bull until, even with Xavier’s longer than average legs, it was impossible to hold on.

Their dismount was more of a stumbling tumble when Finn’s hand shifted and grabbed Xavier’s cock through his pants. The bolt of sensation made Xavier groan and he temporarily forgot he was the only thing keeping them on the damn ride. They slid off the back and Xavier landed on his feet, but the momentum made him lose his balance and before he knew it he was on his back, still tightly gripping Finn, who was sprawled across his chest. Their lips were only inches apart and Xavier felt Finn’s shuddery breath as their eyes locked.

Then Finn closed the remaining distance between them.

Finnregisteredthethrobbingin his head before he was entirely awake. At first, he tried to convince his body to go back to sleep. This wasn’t his first hangover. Sleeping through the worst of it was the best solution.

A minute later he bolted upright, then almost keeled over onto his side when his stomach heaved and rolled. Oh god. What was in those drinks? He groaned as the throbbing, rolling nausea subsided, then carefully cracked one eye open. Ugh. Dammit. Sunlight streamed into the otherwise dim room through a crack in the curtains. He could make out the edges of his dresser and bedroom door. He groped for his pillow and dragged it under his head, mind racing.

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