Page 35 of Burn It Down

“Hud, toss me a couple bottles of water,” Phoenix demands, instantly sober. Guess he wasn’t as drunk as I’d thought. I hear the seal break on the bottle cap and feel a hand slide behind my head. Moving my hat, I look over to find Phoenix on his knees next to me, about to pour water down my throat.

“Hey, man, it’s not that bad. I didn’t mean to worry you.” A fresh wave of guilt piles on top of my shame.

“Sit up. You still need to drink this.”

Knowing arguing with him won’t get me anywhere, I do as he says and press the bottle to my lips. He opens the second one and pours it over my shoulders, letting it run down my back.

“Fuck that’s cold!” I try to lean forward, but he stops me with a hand pressed to my chest.

“Deal with it. No one’s having a heat stroke on my watch. Especially not you.”

“Why not me?”

“Because I need the Maserati for a date next week.” Phoenix grins and I shove him off me.

“If no one’s opposed, I could use some air conditioning and shade, myself,” Hudson says.

Knox must agree because he starts the boat and Dylan comes to sit next to me.

Fuck, I can’t even look him in the eye.

He knocks his shoulder into mine and I clench my jaw. “Was my singing that bad?” he jokes, forcing me to look right at him.

“What? No, of course not. It was actually pretty good. I’d love to learn Spanish.”

“I can teach you.” His voice melts into the wind whipping around us and I almost miss it. When I don’t answer right away, he leans back against the side of the boat, his hands clasped in his lap.

“Follow me,” I instruct as I stand and head toward the back of the boat. It’s not like we’ll have any real privacy back here, but as it is currently, Knox is literally right behind us, facing us, and Phoenix is sprawled out on the opposite bench seat.

I make eye contact with Hudson and nod my head toward the newly vacated seat at the front of the boat. Thankfully, he takes the hint and moves, leaving the seat behind Knox open for Dylan and I, which means everyone’s back is to us now.

I didn’t have a plan when I told him to come back here with me. I still have no idea what to say. I’m losing my mind to lust and I don’t know how to get it back.

Hell, I’m not even sure I want it back.

I lean over so he can hear me, but I keep my voice low so the other guys can’t. Dylan presses in closer until my lips are almost brushing the shell of his ear.

“It’ll be earlier than planned when we get back. You want to grab something to eat?” I’m reaching. Desperate to extend this precious day any way I can.

He looks hesitant and I know he’s thinking about work. I lean in again to try and convince him to say yes when our boat bounces through the wake of a passing vessel and my lips make contact with the skin just below his ear this time.

A shudder rips through him and he immediately drives the heel of his hand to his dick.

He closes his eyes. “Shit. Sorry. I can’t really control that,” he explains as if I don’t know how boners work.

My exhale is harsh and loud and I’m still leaning into him, unable to pull away. The feel of his bare shoulder against my bare chest is too fucking good. “No need to be sorry.” Everyone else on the boat has disappeared except the man sitting next to me.

Slowly, Dylan turns his head to look at me. “Jake, I don’t mean to be weird, but unless you back up, I don’t think this is gonna get better any time soon.”

I snap out of my haze in time to see Dylan retreating. He turns away from me and slides farther down the bench seat, putting more space between our bodies. Questions slam into me from all sides.Does he think I’m offended? Could it be possible that I turn him on like he does me? What would it be like to suck on his bottom lip?

Fuck, now I’m makingmyselfhard.

Not wanting him to hide from me, I lightly tap his thigh with my fist. “Just one dinner. Please?”

He stares at me a full ten seconds before answering. His chest is rising and falling quickly, distracting the ever-loving fuck out of me. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

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