Page 49 of His For the Summer

“I can’t stop thinking about what Jay and Parker might be doing,” I admitted.

Ben smiled.“I see the way Jay looks at you.You have nothing to worry about.”

Now I was the one blushing, my cheeks burning hot as I thought about Jay looking at me in a way that spoke volumes about our connection.I didn’t hate that idea, but I wondered if Ben was reading more into the situation than was truly there.

Later that night, as I lay in bed, I found myself unable to sleep.The cabin was quiet and empty without him, echoes of owls and other night creatures outside the only sound.I rolled over, burying my face in Jay’s pillow, inhaling his familiar scent.It brought both comfort and a deep sense of longing.If I felt like this about one night alone, how was I going to survive when we parted ways at the end of camp?A voice in the back of my head told me that didn’t have to happen, but I pushed it away.I didn’t want to get my hopes up.It was better not to expect much of people.

My thoughts began to spiral, replaying images of Jay and Parker together, their laughter echoing through my mind.Despite my earlier resolve to trust Jay and focus on the present, my heart couldn’t shake the nagging feelings of loneliness and worry.What if the bear came back?What if Parker and Jay sought comfort in each other’s bodies?My mind spun disaster scenario after disaster scenario, and I couldn’t seem to stop it.

“Please, let him be okay,” I whispered into the darkness, clutching Jay’s pillow tight against my chest.

As sleep finally began to claim me, I hoped for sweet dreams of Jay, a temporary escape from the uncertainty that plagued my waking hours.

The next morning, I dragged myself to the dining hall, my body heavy with exhaustion.The aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread wafted through the air, awakening my senses.Ben was already there, sipping his coffee and engrossed in a book.

“Rough night?”he asked, his eyes trailing over my face as he set his book down.

“Fuck, how tired do I look?”I asked, smiling ruefully.

“There are some dark circles.It’s really not a big deal.”Ben was obviously lying, and I shook my head, chuckling softly.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I admitted, stirring a spoonful of sugar into my coffee.“Kept worrying about Jay.”

Ben nodded sympathetically.“I have a bit of insomnia myself,” he confessed.“But I’ve got just the thing to take your mind off things.”He pulled a book from his backpack and handed it to me.“It’s the first in my series.”

“The Mages of Aleron again?,” I read.“Book one: The Ogre’s Way.Thanks, but I don’t know if I like fantasy.”

He pressed my hand around it.“You’ll like this.Trust me.”

“Why?”

He chuckled.“It’s a story about a gay ogre who falls for a sexy, straight mage on a quest and seduces him.”

“You read gay books?”I asked.

“I’m pansexual,” Ben said, shrugging.“I figured that out because I love hot sex scenes in books, any kind of hot sex scenes.This one is super steamy.”

“Thanks,” I said, raising an eyebrow at the provocative cover art.Despite my initial skepticism, I couldn’t deny the appeal of losing myself in a sexy story.Maybe it would provide a welcome distraction from my pining for Jay.

“I’ve got the whole series.I’m on Book 3, so you can read Book 2 next.”

Later that day, both Ben and I found ourselves utterly captivated by our respective books as we led our campers to the arts and crafts cabin.The atmosphere was buzzing with creative energy, but we were too absorbed in the risqué exploits of the mage and the ogre to pay much attention to the chaos unfolding around us.

“Wow,” I muttered, my cheeks flushed with arousal as I read an explicit scene.Images of Jay as the mage, getting fucked by a big ogre cock, danced through my mind, fueling my desire for him even more.I shifted in my seat, feeling uncomfortably horny.

“Good stuff, huh?”Ben grinned, clearly enjoying his own book just as much.We shared a knowing look, a new bond forming between us.Who knew?All this time that Ben was lost in his book, he was reading about sex.

“Wait, are all your books… like this?”I asked.“I may need to borrow more.”

“Not all, but a lot of them,” Ben said, grinning.“Some have straight couples, or sapphic couples.”He blinked and looked up.“Oh, wow.”

“What?”I asked, following his gaze.And okay, both of us reading a steamy book while we were supposed to be working hadn’t been the best of ideas.

Unbeknownst to us, our campers had taken full advantage of our inattention and were gleefully flinging paint and glitter everywhere, turning the once-orderly cabin into a colorful disaster zone.Glue-smeared hands left sticky trails on every surface, while markers, scissors, and scraps of paper lay strewn across the floor like casualties of war.

We exchanged sheepish glances before setting our books aside and surveying the mess before us.As laughter bubbled up from my chest.A glob of glitter glue splattered across my shirt, and I glanced at Ben, who was laughing so hard he was crying.

“Maybe books aren’t exactly the answer,” I said.

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