Page 67 of The Moon Also Rises
“Yes, I noticed those earlier during our fake quickie,” he says and I can almost smell his obnoxiousness.
“Rami, I’m not going to beg.” I detach my fingers and fold my arms across my chest.
“Beg me for what?” Rami steps closer, so close I can smell his soft spiced scent and feel the warmth of his breath on my lips.
“I’m not going to beg you to stay,” I say, my gaze flitting between his eyes and his mouth.
“That’s a shame,” Rami says lifting his hand to push back the hair that always falls on my forehead. “I think I’d like to see you beg.”
“Fuck you,” I say before I pounce on him.
Chapter Twenty
Rami
You can be friends with someone and do this, right? It’s totally normal to feel like you need to kiss your friend more than you need to take a breath. And yet, oxygen doesn’t come easily or quickly enough after a few minutes of my tongue hungrily doing battle with Jake’s. I pull away and slide my mouth to his neck, my lips brushing against the rough stubble on his jaw on their way down. As I kiss and suck and nibble on the soft skin under his chin, I take in more air waiting for the increased oxygen levels to dilute some of the desire I feel. But it doesn’t happen, not when Jake has his hands on my backside and is practically purring, the noise vibrating against my teeth on his neck.
“Jake, stop me at any time,” I tell him. I need him to know it’s okay to stop me. In fact, part of me will be grateful. Just not a part of me that’s big enough to stand up and do it alone.
“Fuck it,” Jake whispers and I am not even sure if he’s talking to me. “I don’t know why, but I want you too much to stop this.”
His words are like lighter fluid dousing the flames already in me and making them fire up tall and blisteringly hot. It makes sense that I’m feeling so turned on, because there hasn’t been anyone since Michelle, and our final years were not like this. The desire was diluted and rare, tainted by everything else happening around us. For nearly two years since I left the States, all I’ve had to satiate myself is my hand and that got boring fast. Relieving myself was just that – scratching an itch, quickly and efficiently – but there is nothing perfunctory about the way Jake’s fingers are clawing at my back as if his nails want to cut through the black cotton of my shirt. There is nothing boring about the way he just nipped at my earlobe before sucking it into his mouth. Wanting Jake and discovering his body for the first time – his narrow waist, his tight butt cheeks and the firm thigh that is now between my legs – it’s not surprising that the desire is so fiery hot. It’s new and exciting and such a long, long time coming.
That’s why I’m so incredibly turned on. That’s why I’m going to ignore the warning signs telling me this could be a bad idea. That’s why I’ll deal with the consequences another time.
But right now, I’m going to take Jake’s hand and…
“Ugh, traffic bollards, the room is spinning!” Lionel’s voice calls out.
“Shit,” Jake hisses as he rests his head on my shoulder.
“Indeed,” I agree as I take a half-step back and use a hand to quickly rearrange my trousers.
“It’s okay, Lionel,” Jake says as he rushes to his friend. “I’m here. Put your foot on the floor. There you go. That should help ground you.”
“Did I fall asleep? Where’s Lulu?”
“Lulu, I mean, Luigi is asleep in the guest room,” I say, coming to stand behind Jake who is kneeling beside the sofa. “Would you like to join him?”
“I don’t think I can move.” Lionel flops his forearm over his eyes. “I think I drank too much.”
“It’s a fine hypothesis.” Jake nods as he and I share a smile.
“I’ll get you a glass of water,” I say and move to the kitchen to do that. When I bring it back, Jake is holding Lionel’s hand and stroking his forehead. I’m gripped with momentary panic. No more than that, it’s fear. Fear that Jake still has some of those feelings for his friend that he almost certainly had only a few weeks ago.
“I think he’s gone back to sleep,” Jake says when I’m behind him again.
“I’ll put this here by the bowl,” I say placing the glass on the floor.
Jake tucks the blanket up a bit higher on Lionel’s body and then pushes up to stand. He turns so we’re facing one another, and I’m about to say something, make an excuse and suggest I leave, but I see his eyes rake down my body and up again. So I wait.
“Where were we?” Jake asks with a smirk.
I cough. “I was about to take you to your bedroom, undress you and do unspeakable things to you.”
He cocks one of his over-used eyebrows. “Unspeakable, hey? That’s a shame. I quite like a bit of dirty talk.”
I echo his brow pop back at him as I hold out my hand. “Duly noted. So, shall we?”
