Page 35 of The Summer Intern

I raised an eyebrow.“Ah, yes, terrifying.”

“It was!I wanted to crawl into your lap and kiss you for hours.”

My arms locked around him, smashed him against me.For three heartbeats, he stayed rigid—then melted like butter on a griddle, his arms slipping around my waist as he buried his face against my t-shirt, holding me so tight.

“I want you, Casey, just to be clear,” I murmured into his cotton candy hair as I smoothed my hands down his neck and back, trying to soothe him.“I think I've wanted you since the moment you marched into that job fair.But even if we’re just friends, I can handle that.Just let me make your birthdays special, okay?No drinking alone with Kyle.”

"Who's Kyle?"

I pointed to his text about the hot bartender, and Casey squeaked."Ignore that."He tilted his head, his eyes, still glassy, skimming over my face."Matty, were you jealous of Kyle?"

"Fuck yes.If you're sucking any hot older man's cock, it should be mine, not that asshole's."

He burst out laughing, then nuzzled my neck, his body doing a happy little shiver.“Matt.Honey.”Slim fingers crept under my shirt hem.“You are not in the friend zone.You are in the … whatever zone it is where I think about sitting on your dick constantly.”

The world tilted as I lunged forward, pinning him against the counter.Suddenly, his knee was between mine, our hips aligned in dangerous mimicry of that afternoon in the kayak shed as I framed his chin with my hand and forced him to look up at me.

“I might be still mad about the birthday thing,” he said.

“Take it out on me later.”I skimmed lips across his temple, his nose, his cheeks.“Right now, I need you to understand something.”

He went preternaturally still.

“I don’t even fucking know what mid means, but I have a feeling it’s not the right word for what is happening between us.”My mouth found the shell of his ear, voice dropping to gravel.“That afternoon in the kayak shed was the best fucking thing that’s happened to me in a very long time.You are the best thing that’s happened to me in a very long time, and I want to plan a do-over on your birthday party.”

Casey stared up at me, a slow smile spreading across his lips.Something primal uncoiled in my gut, and I grazed my teeth down his throat, urgently needing to mark him as mine.Taken.

“You are not ever speaking to Kyle again,” I growled.

“Who’s Kyle, again?”His throat bobbed against my lips as I mapped that pale column with my mouth working upward until his breath hitched.

“Happy birthday,” I whispered against his jaw.

“Said that already.”

Chin.“Happy birthday.”

Upper lip.“Happy bir—”

His mouth crashed into mine, all desperation and teeth.The taste of him—spearmint toothpaste and sweet buttercream—flooded my system like moonshine.My hands found their way under the hoodie, roaming over his smooth skin.His gasp vibrated between us.

“You’d better have gotten me presents.”His hand slid south, palm cupping me through flannel pajama bottoms.Fingertips found the barbell piercing through the thin fabric of my pajama pants.“Missed this stupid dick so much.”

I caught his wrist.“Slow down, sweetheart.You were really drunk last night.Hell, you should be puking in a bucket right now.”

He blinked up at me, lashes still clumped from earlier tears.“Secret’s out—I can hold my liquor.Or maybe I’m too fucking horny for you to assess whether or not I have a headache.”

Every muscle locked as he worked my cock through my pants, holding eye contact.He wasn’t going to slow down, even if the hangover should have been incapacitating.

“Got you gifts,” I rasped as denim pooled at my ankles.

“Better be lube.And a big dildo for me to ride while begging for Daddy.”

I blew out a breath, my dick twitching in response to that visual.“Hiking boots and a new backpack?”

His laugh punched out warm against my throat.“Romantic as a tax audit.”His tongue darted out, tasting the side of my throat.“Don’t worry—I’ll educate you on proper present protocols.”

I held him close, smiling as I thought about what was really in the package.

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