Page 73 of Every Hidden Truth

“Shut up!”

As I sulked, he laughed, and I reached under his shirt and twisted his nipple.

He yelped, jumping back. “I imagine it wasn’t the jerking off but what you were jerking off to that gave it away?”

“You would assume correct, sir. You owe me three articles of clothing now. Payment for humiliating me.”

Snickering under his breath, he stripped out of his undershirt and peeled both socks from his feet. How many layers was this boy wearing?

“I’ll throw in the belt for free.” He waggled his tongue childishly as he tossed the leather aside. “Your turn.”

“I want a story of equal humiliation. Go.” I took my socks off before he answered, but I knew he wouldn’t leave me hanging.

As he nudged my knees open, he knelt between them. His hands massaged my calves over my jeans as I fastened my hands behind his neck.

“Equal humiliation, huh?” he asked, and I nodded. “I guess I can share my first sexual experience. It’s pretty embarrassing.” I nodded again with a Cheshire grin, and he rested his forehead on my knee. “Okay, I was fifteen the first time I kissed someone—my neighbor, Jackson. He, uh, wasn’t really into guys, but he liked me for some reason.”

I ran my fingers through his hair as he raised his head, smiling through his shyness. “When he didn’t have a girlfriend, sometimes we’d make out and stuff. Um, and the one and only time I jerked him off, he, uh, offered to return the favor, you know?” I nodded, knowing already where this was going. “But I said he didn’t have to. I played it off like it was no big deal, like I’d only wanted to take care of him. I didn’t want him touching me because I, uh, I’d already come in my jeans.”

We cracked up, and I peppered his burning face with kisses. “Aw, you sweet, pure little candy cane.”

“Shut up.”

Cutting him off, I kissed him and hummed happily when we abandoned our questions for more pleasurable activities.

20

Hung Like a Stallion

Later, after my mouthhad done things to him and his mouth had done things to me, we lay in his bed, catching our breath. His head rested on my chest, one of his legs lying between mine. I stared at the ceiling, trying to collect my scattered, blissed-out thoughts.

We were naked, and as the sweat cooled, goosebumps erupted across my skin. I held Ben tighter in an attempt to soak up his body warmth. With a happy sigh, he snuggled closer, knee rubbing between my legs in a way that—unless he was aiming for a second round—would end badly.

“You okay?” he asked, and I nodded.

I ran my hand through his sweaty hair. “Uh-huh. I’m so good.”

“I have skills,” he said smugly.

“And I very much enjoyed them,” I admitted, and he laughed.

He drew designs on my chest, finger circling my nipple. “Me lying like this isn’t too much, right?”

My hand faltered. “What do you mean?”

“Lying on you like this,” he said, angling his head to look at me. “It doesn’t trigger anything, right?”

I hadn’t even thought of it. “No. No, I like it.”

Ben smiled. “Good.”

Lunging up, he kissed me, and I smiled as I tasted myself on his tongue. We kissed lazily, naked bodies tangling. I’d never cuddled like this before, and it was nice. The closeness, the lack of barriers, it was intimate in a way I’d never experienced.

Sure, I’d had sex before, but it hadn’t been like this with Eli. We’d hook up, then he’d send me on my merry way. There had been no intimacy there. Just two bodies working toward physical release.

But Ben kissed me like he could spend eternity doing so and never need anything else. He touched me like I was something important, something precious. He looked at me like I was the center of his universe.

I wasn’t used to being important to people; I wasn’t sure what to do with it. So I held on tight.

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