Page 41 of Riding Pine
Lukas drops his head with a groan. “I can’t with you sometimes.”
Laughing, I slip away from him and trot backwards towards my car. “Oh yes, you can. Multiple times.”
Lukas smiles with a shake of his head, and the way his gaze follows me as I walk to my car draws a sharp exhale from my lungs. It’s still heated, but there’s another layer as his lips tilt and his scar smiles with him.
A fondness.
My feet stumble, but I recover as my heart takes off at a rate far too fast to be healthy. “Drive safe! I’ll see you soon!” I shout before turning and jogging back to my car.
Once inside, I release a shaky breath. Is that what it’s like to care? Or have I just found a man who loves sex as much as I do?
After putting the car in gear, I intentionally take the longer way to Lukas’s apartment and call James on speakerphone.
“Hey, Ben! How was the first beaver appearance?”
“It was great. Seems like I was a hit, and I met a few players. But I, uh…have to tell you something.”
“You know you can talk to me. Are you coming home? It feels like I haven’t seen you for a week.”
Probably closer to two weeks since James and I have spent any amount of time together, actually. My best friend is woefully out of the loop in my life. That’s all my fault, though.
“Uh, listen…the guy I did the handstands with and had the best sex ever? Remember him?”
“You saw angels. I remember.” James laughs.
“His name is Lukas, and he tracked me down. I’ve been with him a lot. I’m talking more than a first date and multiple mind-blowing orgasms a lot. I like him, James.” A small laugh bubbles out. “A lot.”
“I knew you had a crush! When do I get to meet him?”
“Um, this is the awkward part, James. He’s a hockey player on the Aspens.”
“Ohhhh…I bet he’s all…oh shit, does he know about the beaver gig?”
Leave it to James to put the pieces together immediately.
“I told him. I couldn’tnottell him, you know? We went on an actual date, and that’s when I found out after we’d already fucked several times and I just…holy shit, James, you have no idea how different he makes me feel.”
It’s not love or anything. I barely know the guy, but it’s a refreshing change from my usual pattern of one-night hook-ups and mostly satisfying sex. Lukas brings something more. There’s something under the surface that, for the first time in my life, I want to explore.
“So you really like the guy and it’s not just seeing angels when you orgasm?” James chuckles. “But seriously, is that why you’re calling from your car?”
“Yeah, I just need to hear that I’m not doing anything wrong. He was fine keeping the mascot thing secret, but I don’t think I want to screw this up.”
Pulling into the visitors’ parking lot at Lukas’s building, his bulky figure leans against the building, waiting for me. My skin heats watching him. That perfectly sexy giant of a man is waiting for me. It makes me want to strut like a damn rooster in the henhouse.
“I say, chase the hottie. Life is too short. But maybe come over soon so we can talk this out.”
“So this is okay? I’m not horrible for making him keep a secret?”
“He made the choice, Ben. You were honest about it, and he’s okay with it. If anything were to go south, it’s not on you.”
That’s what I needed to hear from him. Just one person to confirm I’m not an asshole for telling him the truth.
“Thanks, James. I needed some reassurance. I’ll see you soon.”
“Anytime, Ben.”
After locking my car, I almost sprint across the parking lot to Lukas. He grins as he holds out his hand for me, and I slide mine inside his. The hand that might spank me even. Good lord, maybe I am sex obsessed.
