Page 44 of Switch Pitching

“James,” stammers Ethan, piercing the silence. “Say something.”

He trails off, or at least I think he does because the second he spoke, my eyes centered on his mouth and the rest of my vision fell into a blur. All my attention went straight to his lips, and now I can’t focus on anything else. They look so soft.

And so irresistible.

Blood rushes in my ears as I close the space between us and crash my mouth onto his.

Ethan’s breath hitches. The moment our lips touch, it’s like the room shifts and my body takes over. Our kiss is soft and almost impossibly gentle, but it builds.

My mind, which is barely rational most of the time, isn’t keeping pace, and I’m way too into this. But as I open my mouth to take a breath, Ethan pulls away, and it takes every scrap of my self-control to not dive back in. He looks as shocked as I feel.

“Bad idea,” he mutters, his voice shaky. “Bad fucking idea.” He trails off, reaching down to pick at a loose thread in the couch fabric.

I scoot toward Ethan and he tilts his head up, neither of us knowing what to say. His face shifts between a dozen expressions before he opens his mouth, slowly, to break the silence.

“James,” he starts. “You should get some sleep. You can blame this on having a few drinks and we can move on.”

“I didn’t have anything to drink,” I say firmly. It’s impossible to tear my eyes away from Ethan’s soft, full lips that were brushing against mine only a few seconds ago. He parts them slightly to take in a ragged breath, and another surge of energy runs through me.

Ethan closes his mouth, forming a firm, straight line, and I swear I’ve never seen anything so enticing before. My insidestwist with confusion and a desperate urge to return to what we were just doing.

The couch is rough beneath my knees as I shuffle even closer toward Ethan. “What happened was amazing, and I want to kiss you again.”

Ethan jolts his head back at me, and I see the slightest hints of a confused smile appear at the corners of his beautiful mouth as he nods. I don’t need anything else, and I lunge forward, wrapping my fingers around the back of Ethan’s head to pull him into me. Our mouths collide once more, the tense knot in my stomach bursting open to release a tidal wave of pure heat.

Ethan reaches an arm around my back and pulls me in while tracing circles inside my mouth. I wrap my tongue around his and it’s like we fuse together. Our first kiss was gentle, but this one is raw and intense. My hands travel down Ethan’s back, my fingers firmly squeezing the hard, textured wall of muscle.

I let out a weak moan, which brings me back to reality.

What the hell is going on?

I’m kissing my best friend. That’s what’s going on.

Ethan’s tongue flicks between my lips, and just like that, I’m swept up. This is so different from any kiss I’ve experienced before, and it isn’t just because Ethan’s facial hair is scratching my upper lip. It’s so hot, and I can’t ignore my rapidly hardening dick as I continue to lose myself in Ethan.

This feels so right.

17

ETHAN

Hold up.

James is making out with me. James is straddling me on the couch, devouring my mouth like he’s starving. And somehow, I’m not completely freaking out.

He’s sober. And he says he wants this.

None of this makes any fucking sense, but it doesn’t have to. My heart is pounding so hard, but I don’t care. I’ve wanted this for far too long.

Thoughts and reason don’t matter right now. I desperately slide my tongue into James’s eager mouth, slowly and deliberately exploring him. My hands slide down his back, roaming around on top of his smooth black sweater. That amazing cologne still lingers on James even though he showeredtwicetoday, clinging to his clothes and mixing with remnants of the spicy clubhouse shower gel.

Our kiss slows, becoming softer and more tender. I open my eyes and pull back so I can see him. His eyes are still closed, his lips are slightly parted, and there’s a faint blush on his cheeks that’s showing through his tan.

He’s so damn hot that I think I’m gonna combust.

“James,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “This is crazy.”

His eyes crack open, and he looks at me, eyelids hooded. “Yeah, it is,” he murmurs, a small smile spreading across his lips. “It’s crazy good.”

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