Page 42 of Twisted Minds

“What are you doing!?” He’s probably going to throw me off this fucking thing. This has to be the least sexy thing anyone has ever seen.

“Don’t panic,” Hunter whispers. Trusting him, I squeeze my eyes harder. I’m surprised I don’t crush them behind my eyelids. His strong hands pull me onto his lap, and my stomach dips asthe cart sways. I latch onto him tightly, like a koala, as I bury my face into his neck.

Hugging me tight, his hands work slow circles along my spine. “I’m so sorry.” He kisses my hair line. “I didn’t know it was this bad or I wouldn’t have asked.”

“I hate heights.”

He chuckles warmly. “Yeah, I understand that now.” He holds me tight. This ride seems fucking endless. We have to be almost done, right? “We’re almost at the top.”Oh, fuck me. Kissing the side of my face, he watches me as I open my eyes just enough to see him. “It wasn’t this bad on the hill.”

“It was dark.” I take a deep, spine-steeling breath and open my eyes wider, keeping my attention just on him and nothing else. “I couldn’t see, it was dark. Fuck, this is awful. I’m going to pass out. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” He cups my face, looking right at me. Right through me. “Focus on me. You’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that. This fucking thing is welded together with hopes, steel, and wishes.”

“You’re right. I don’t know. I can tell you what I do know, though.” I focus on him, on his bright brown eyes. This close, I can see flecks of gold swirling in them. I can’t help myself, putting a hand on his jaw and feeling the scruff of his beard beneath my fingers. I’ve never been with someone with a beard before, but I am slowly loving the feeling of it beneath my fingertips.

“What do you know?”

If I focus on the woodsy scent of his cologne, I can pretend we aren’t thousands of feet in the air. He continues to stroke my cheek, and the calming touch lulls me into a false sense of security. “I know that you look so good tonight. That sweater hugs your body, and I love seeing my name across your back. And those jeans . . . fuck, your ass looks great in them.” I smile.“I love the way you look in sweats but wearing these . . .” He rubs my thighs. “It’s like a present wrapped up tight just for me.

“I also know that despite our insane best friends, and this, I’ve had the best time tonight. You’re very brave for doing this. I should have taken you more seriously about the heights thing. I’m sorry.” Leaning forward, he kisses me softly, and I barely register the slightly swaying cart. “Don’t stop kissing me, baby. Just focus on me.”

Pressing my lips harder against his, he distracts me as the cab jerks, rising again. This time I barely register the movements. We kiss and I couldn’t give a single shit about what’s happening around us. Languid and slow, Hunter kisses me stupid. We jerk to a stop and Hunter looks behind me. I freeze. “What?”

“We’re at the top.” I squeeze him again, fitting my face into his neck, but this time it’s not out of fear. I kiss his neck and breathe him in. “If I hold you, do you want to see?”

Swallowing, I don’t know. I kind of do. Hunter makes the fear less debilitating. “Maybe.”

“I got you.” Fuck, I believe that. Moving slowly, I turn, sitting in his lap facing forward. His arms wrap around me, holding me against his chest, and Hunter kisses the side of my face then rests his chin on my shoulder. “Open your eyes.” Reluctantly I peel them open, nearly biting my tongue as I look out over the park. Holy shit. Damn. Holding me tight, Hunter keeps me there with him. “Pretty, huh?”

“Y-yeah.” I look down at the people below us and my stomach clenches. They’re just tiny little dots moving around. Leaning back against him, I tilt my head back and he kisses me again, plunging his tongue inside my mouth. My fingers find his hair. Growing hungrier with every swipe of his tongue, I don’t even notice we’re moving until Hunter pulls back laughing. “What?”

“We’re almost at the bottom.” Shit, we were kissing for that long? Not surprising. Time melts away when his lips are onmine. I freeze, looking around as the ground below greets us. Not meeting any of the eyes of the fair goers, I slide off his lap. My cheeks burn. “Not so bad, huh?”

I lean in for a kiss, smiling. “Don’t ever expect me to do that again.” He laughs then pulls out his phone and shakes his head. “What?”

“Just Sawyer. They made it back to the dorms. He’s walking Noah to his room then calling it a night.”

“I guess we can’t hope for our best friends to fall in love, huh?”

“Guess not.” Hunter clicks his tongue. “I wanted to ask. Do you . . . want to come back to my house tonight?”

“Your house?” He nods. “Like, to sleep?”

Hunter’s grin grows feral, and the liquid heat in his eyes makes my stomach swoop. My eyes do a slow crawl over his body. I want to put my mouth on every gorgeous inch of him. “I’m sure we’ll get around to it.”

sixteen

Mark

My head hits the wall. Hunter’s weight pushes me against it, and I barely have time to even think about the dull ache before his mouth is back on mine licking hungrily into my mouth. I feel frantic. Everything is happening so fucking slow and so damn fast at the same time.

Pulling off my lips, he bites my neck. My fingers fist his hair. Hunter licks a scorching path across my throat. I feel like I’m going to combust. When we got here Hunter had a one-track mind, leading me into his room after saying goodbye to his roommate’s brother, Xavi. Thankfully, Jamie was nowhere to be found.

I squeeze his biceps as he lifts my shirt over my head. His lips find my nipples, and fuck, I’m going to come before we even get started. He drops to his knees, fumbling and cursing as his frantic fingers find the button of my jeans, and all I can do is watch him, stunned at his desperation. Unbuttoning my jeans, he lets them pool at my feet, and I step out of them quickly, tugging on his shirt and lifting it off his body to expose thegorgeous muscles beneath. Jesus, I’ve always hooked up with smaller guys on the muscle spectrum, but damn, just damn. His strength, those muscles. Fuck, it’s sexy.

Teasing the hem of my boxers, he wastes no time pulling them down, and he lets out an audible groan when my cock springs free, hard and ready between us. Leaning in, Hunter kisses my hip, the top of my thigh, looking up at me then leaning in and nosing along my pubes. Another low growl leaves his lips. Fuck, I want this to last and hurry along at the same time.

---