Page 4 of First Puck

“I just didn’t think it was important,” I mumbled, shying back from him on the log. But his hand suddenly shot out, gripping my chin.

I sucked in a harsh breath, my heart soaring into my already tight throat as his thumb tugged at the side of my lip.

“Um…Brad?”

I thought the moment was going on forever. I was frozen there as Brad traced the sensitive line under my nose. The coarse pad of his thumb dragged against my stubble, and I could almost hear the scrape of skin on hair.

My lips parted, ready for him to do whatever he wanted with me. He loved hugging and climbing all over his friends, but it was rare for him to do anything like this.

Until he released me, and all the air I’d been gasping for flooded back as he lifted his thumb to his mouth.

“You had some beer on you.” He grinned, not breaking my gaze as he pressed it inside his mouth and sucked.

With the music and the shouts and laughs from the crowd around the fire, he probably wouldn’t have noticed my moan. But I still clenched my fingers around the bottle to stop a single sound coming from me.

And suddenly, like he hadn’t just sent me on a one-way trip to a hard cock, he started again.

“Alright, fine. It’s cool,” he said, spoiling the moment as he easily brushed away a scene I was going to have inconveniently flashing in my mind for months.

“Look, let me have a chat with the girls, okay? I’m sure Suzy’d be down. Why don’t you just ask her?”

I was looking at him wide-eyed, my brain catching up to his words with heat hotter than the thick spring air burning through my veins.

“Brad, I—” I croaked, but I didn’t get to finish.

“Hey! Brad! Tasha says we can do shots off her ass!” a teammate shouted from the other side of the fire, cutting me off.

Brad spun instantly and yelled back, “No way! I’ll be right there!”

He threw a glance over his shoulder. “Sorry, man,” he said as he swung back to me, his eyes softening like he always did just for me. “Are you alright with me going? I don’t want to leave you here and all…”

I didn’t know what else to do apart from numbly nod. I loved the way he checked in with me whenever he could, but I also had to remember he had the attention span of a newt.

“Are you sure? It’ll be the first shot at a party after high school!” He beamed.

I shook my head, swallowing the disappointment weighing in my stomach like a stone. “Nah, you go ahead. I’m enjoying the quiet.”

He said everything was better with me, but it was obviously everything apart from Tasha. And her ass.

“Alright, but I bet she won’t keep her ass open for long.” He shot me a wink.

I glowered at him, and he laughed.

“Come on, I know you hate it, but you can’t deny I sound awesome.”

“Sure, whatever,” I replied, lifting my beer so he could clink it again.

“Hey, man, I know you don’t like these parties, but I’m still glad you came.”

I lifted my bottle to my lips so I didn’t have to reply, especially because his voice grew deeper and took on a tone that sent shivers through me. The reason I came was just for things like that.

“Tasha’s waiting, Brad. You don’t want to miss out.”

He perked up, and I got one last grin before he turned and sped off.

I focused on the slow wash of the waves against the lake shore so I didn’t have to watch him jog off toward greener, curvier pastures.

I could have stopped him and actually told him I needed to talk to him. I knew he would sit down and chat with me, hanging out with me for the whole night if I wanted it, all while his gaze strayed back to the party. And I didn’t want him to feel like I had trapped him.

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