Page 81 of Withered

He kisses me again and then follows me down. He strokes my right breast while sucking on the other. He licks it with his tongue, sucks on it, and then playfully bites on it. He pinches the other one, and I shriek in pleasure. This is too much to handle. He showers the same attention on the other breast, and I use my time to touch his abs and shoulders.

“Jake,” I call him out of breath.

“Yeah?” He looks up from my right breast, the nipple popping out of his mouth like a child’s mouth. The scene is so erotic yet amazing.

“Please don’t stop,” I plead. My mind is constantly chantingstop, but I don’t want to.

“I have to. If I don’t stop now, there is no turning back,” He tells me, and I get what he means.Am I the one rushing here?

After one more kiss, he gets up and lies beside me. His tattoos shine brightly, and my gaze is drawn to the ones on his chest. The clock and the tree, with a bird flying away

I prop myself on one elbow, and my breast bounces, catching Jake’s eyes. He grunts and pulls the cover over me. “There, all is well,” he says.

“Was that for me or you?” I ask with my eyebrows raised.

“That was for me.” He sounds irritated in a good way. “One look, and all I want to do is fucking suck and lick them again.” He grins.

My gaze returns to his tattoos, and he asks, “What are you thinking?”

“Why do you have so many tattoos?” My gaze shifts from his tattoos to his green orbs.

“No one has ever asked me this before. Some of them are just random,” he says, “while others have their own story.” He sounds distant.

I don’t press further, but he surprises me by asking, “Which one do you want to know about?”

“You don’t have to tell me,” I say.

He shrugs. “I might as well. Go on.”

“Let’s start with this clock. It’s fascinating.” My eyes are glued to the broken clock.

“I got this one randomly, but it reminds me of how I wasted my time. It’s like, you don’t value time, and then all you can do is regret that phase of your life,” he explains.

I nod in understanding. I want to know more, but I don’t want to push him too far. “What about this tree that has no leaves? And why is there a bird?”

The tree tattoo starts from his abdomen, with the branches spreading across his stomach and the small bird flying away from the tree. As if it was sitting on one of the branches and just left?

“That’s quite a story. Perhaps later? You should sleep; it’s getting late.” He stares at me.

I respect his decision. At least he said later rather than no.That’s a start.The fact that he is telling me is sufficient.

I close my eyes and fall asleep, but not before I feel a light, feathery kiss on my forehead.

It’slunchtime,andweare both happily munching on our food when Kristy says, “You look happy today.”

I smile. “I am happy.” Last night’s events are still fresh in my mind.

“Oh, hell yes,” Kristy says, before wondering, “Am I missing out on something?”

I give her a sly grin. I enjoy having the upper hand from time to time, but I eventually tell her everything. That doesn’t mean I can’t build suspense. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Kristy shouts, attracting a few eyes to our table.

She glares at me, expecting me to spill everything, but her gaze wanders to something behind me. I turn around to see what everyone is staring at. Jake and Tyler walk into the cafeteria as if they own it. They turn every head on their way.

Everyone, including Kristy and I, is fixated on them both. As my gaze meets Jake’s, he is already glancing my way. He is wearing his usual outfit, and this guy looks like a goddamn model without trying. He keeps eye contact, nearing us. Tyler takes a seat beside Kristy, and Jake takes a seat beside me.

“Hey.” He pecks my lips, startling me and everyone around us.

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