Page 26 of Run to Me
My forehead rubs over his and I tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. “Not at all. It felt a little weird at first, but I’m sure you thought that about my fingers too the first time.”
“It still feels kinda weird sometimes, but fuck do I love it. I think I’d like your cock too.”
I nearly swallow my tongue. “Jesus. Who even are you lately? Such a filthy mouth you’ve developed.”
“Just be glad you’re not in my head.”
I laugh, pressing a brief kiss to his lips. “I kinda wish I was now. You never have to censor yourself around me.”
“No? You might regret saying that soon.” He smirks, tucking himself into his pants and sliding back into his seat.
“Let me be the judge of that.” I zip up my own pants after wiping myself off the best I can with napkins from the food bags.
He hands me some wipes from his glove box to clean my hands after he’s done, then we grab everything we need from the car, including the food, and start our short hike to what he says is the best spot here. Many rocks and a short trail later, we reach a waterfall, and Nate lays out our towels. We eat, watching the water, and somehow it manages to be both loud and quiet, the splashing and splattering sounds mixing with a gentle breeze of wind.
I’m really glad he chose to come out here rather than return to the house. He was right about us not needing walls to kiss and hold hands. Out here we’re free in all ways. I don’t feel trapped or suffocated and I can reach for Nate whenever I want. No limitations. The best of both worlds. A group of people join us by the water, before floating out on inner tubes and paying us zero attention.
They don’t know who we are, so can’t hold any kind of judgment, and it’s nice to finally get to enjoy kissing Nate around others—for what we have to be as real to them as it is to me. I’m not making this up. This isn’t some dream. Nate’s not only mineto me and him, he’s mine in their eyes too. We’re not just some dirty little secret out here.
His fingers tugging at mine drag me from my thoughts. “Come swimming with me.”
Without another thought, I let him guide me forward, the cold water shocking to my skin at first. Shivering next to me, he pulls me deeper, our feet still touching the bottom when we reach a small waterfall. Looking from me to the steady stream, he smiles. “Want to go under with me?”
With my gaze following his, I hesitate for a moment, and then say, “Yeah. Might as well while we’re here, right?”
He squeezes my hand tighter, taking a deep breath. “On the count of three, then. You can’t let go of me no matter what, though, okay?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“One,” he calls out, keeping his eyes on me. “Two.” His chest moves quickly, his nails poking into my palm. “Three.” He rushes forward and I hold my breath, tightening my grip on his hand as we’re submerged in water. The heavy pressure squeezes me at first, cold and pricking at my skin, then just as it gets to be too much he steps back, tugging me with him, and we both gasp for air. Laughing, he gives his hair a shake, droplets going everywhere, and I duck, still holding his hand. I hold it as he spins us around in the water, while he takes us back under the fall, and when he’s ready to lay out in the super-shallow end.
Head tilted back and face flushed, he closes his eyes, soaking up the sun’s warmth, and I lean in closer to him. He’s my sun, and the risk of being burned from getting too close has never been more tempting. People come and go while we stay where we are, chatting about nothing and everything at once.
“If you could pick anywhere in the world to go, where would it be?” He opens his eyes, flashing me a smile.
“Here.” I tug him closer to me, nearly pulling him into my lap and he snorts.
“No. Really. The sky’s the limit. Money isn’t an issue and you can literally visit anywhere for an entire week.”
I twist my lips, pretending to give it more thought. “Still here.”
“Is that your final answer?”
“Yes. Right here and right now.”
“Then it’s mine too.”
Eleven
Jace
“You should pay attention to the movie. We can’t keep coming back to see the same one,” Nate says, tilting his neck away from my ravenous mouth. I don’t listen, and just continue to lose myself in the taste of his skin, licking along the pulsing vein in his neck.
“Jace. The movie.”
I shake my head, nipping my way to his mouth. Our tongues seek out one another, increasing the hunger we both share, and the movie on the screen falls away with the rest of the world. His hand tugs at the front of my shirt, his teeth knocking against mine. Our breaths are heated, mouths sloppy and wet.
Gasping for air, we break away and I kiss the tip of his nose, stroking his cheek. “You know I didn’t come out here with you for the movie.”
