Page 22 of Beyond the Summer

"It was so much easier when I could fight with you.Now that I want to do other things, I'm trapped in indecision."

He leaned down, his hand still wrapped around my jaw, and I pressed my chin up, hoping for a kiss."If it's romance you're thinking about, you need to be careful.I don't do romance, I only like to fuck," I whispered."That was Parker's mistake."

"Well, I only do romance.I'm a virgin who reads romance novels as a hobby.I've been waiting for the right person," he said, his lips millimeters from mine.

"I'm not the right person."But fuck, I wished I was.He was a virgin.I could be the only one in the world with whom he'd done this.That gave me some weirdly primal urges to climb into his lap and show him exactly what it could be like.

"That's for me to decide.Can I kiss you?"

I smirked at him."I'm in your lap.Do you really have to ask?"

"Of course," he said."Because I want you to know what it means when I kiss you.And I want you to fucking beg for it, anyway."

"What does it mean, then?"I whispered, staring into his eyes.I'd never had this much conversation about a kiss in my life.I didn't hate it.

He grinned."It means we're doing this my way.The romance way."

I blinked up at him, my cheeks and body growing hot for him.Because, after those two nights in the tent, listening to his book, I knew exactly what his idea of romance was."But I'm not the boyfriend type."

"My way or no kiss," he said firmly, leaning in close, so his breath was brushing my lips, tempting me.Somehow, I knew already that kissing Ben would be the end of everything I thought I wanted.And it was inevitable.

"Ben," I whined."You know you want to."

"Ask nicely."

I met his eyes and blew out a frustrated breath."Fine.Kiss me, please."

He was close enough that I could feel his lips curl into a smile."I knew you could be a good boy."

"I'm not a good boy.I'm a brat," I grumped.

His soft laughter against my lips filled me with a warm, fluttery sensation.His hand tightened around my jaw, controlling me, holding me where he needed me so he could devour my mouth with a slow, focused intensity that was exactly what I should have expected from Ben, and yet somehow still a surprise.He was savoring me the way he savored his books, like he wanted to memorize every sensory detail.His tongue was tasting, exploring, and owning me, his lips and teeth claiming my mouth as his own.

My hands slipped up around his neck as I arched up, suddenly needing to be closer.I hadn't known a kiss could feel like this, and I was afraid of how much I wanted more.

Too soon, he lifted his head and stared down at me, his hand tightening around my throat.

"You will not hit on Parker.Is that understood?"

"Yes," I said, smirking at him.

"Tell me why that's a rule."

"Because Parker and Ravi are falling madly in love and they're fucking adorable, and don't need an asshole like me ruining that."

"Good point, but no, that's not it."He tangled his fingers in my hair, forcing me to stay where I was.I could overpower him if I wanted to, but the thrill of being pinned like this was too sexy.

"Why, then?"

"Because you can't hit on other guys when you belong to someone, brat."Without waiting for me to argue, to insist that I wasn't the relationship type, he claimed me, devoured me, his tongue thrusting forcefully into my mouth.I whimpered and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.His hands slid around the back of my head and held me exactly where he wanted me as he ravaged my mouth.I clung to his shoulders, digging my finger into the hard muscle there, heat and arousal racing through my body, making my cock rock hard.

When he lifted his head, I whimpered, trying to press up and take more, but he held me where I was."If only I could figure out what to do with you."

"You could fuck me."

Ben laughed."No.Like I said, I'm waiting for the right person."

"And I'm not the right person?"Why had my voice come out so whiny?

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