Page 32 of Mr. Frosty Pants
Joel laughed. “You.”
“The kiss was that bad?”
Joel’s insides turned gooey and hot, and he turned his face away. His throat closed up, and his hands went clammy. “You know it wasn’t.”
“Excuse me? I didn’t hear you.” Casey leaned closer, cupping his hand around his ear. “What did you say?”
“I liked it, okay?” Hope and want tangled up together and snaked through his gut, scaring the shit out of him.
“I could do it again,” Casey whispered. He touched Joel’s chin lightly, rubbing against his unshaven morning stubble. “Let me do it again.”
Joel quivered and loosed an embarrassing sound as Casey leaned in and kissed him tenderly. Casey’s tongue teased his lips open, and the tang of mustard exploded in his mouth.
Casey glided a hand to the back of Joel’s neck, holding him in place as he slipped his tongue between Joel’s lips and stroked sweetly, making him shiver, touching places that Joel had no idea could feel so awake, enervated, and needful.
The sweep of the tip of Casey’s tongue along the top of Joel’s mouth felt almosttoogood, and he trembled. His nipples peaked, and blood rushed in his groin, making him hard. He whimpered and pulled back, out of the wet, tender bliss of Casey’s kiss.
His cock thudded against the restriction of his jeans as he held Casey’s strong biceps to keep him from leaning in for another. “Wait,” he whispered. “I need…” He trailed off. He didn’t know what he needed.
“A smoke?” Casey’s wet mouth glistened as he smiled.
Joel snorted and lowered his eyes, trying to control his breathing. He wanted to tug Casey in closer and try that kiss again, but it was all so much. So overwhelming.
And why was Casey even here? Joel didn’twantto feel these things. Not if Casey was just leaving again—if Joel was some sort of experiment like hookups and cigarettes.
Casey leaned back. “I’m moving too fast. You’re freaking out.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty, well… I’m shook.”
Casey whispered, “I can see that.”
“You’re an asshole. Coming here and stirring this up in me.”
“Maybe I am.” Casey rubbed his hands soothingly up and down Joel’s arms. Joel trembled as Casey whispered, “Let’s go on a date. Dinner and a walk. Downtown. Tonight.”
Joel’s head spun wildly. “Tonight?”
“Yeah. I’ll pick you up at your place. What time?”
“A date?” Joel couldn’t wrap his mind around his life all of a sudden, and typically stubborn Casey didn’t seem to be asking so much as expecting. Joel should say no just for form’s sake. Just to prove he could.
But there was no way he’d ever do that. Not now. He wanted to find out about Casey’s idea of a date more than he’d wanted anything in years.
“I’m going to romance you.” Casey smiled, touching Joel’s chin again. “I know they still have ice skating in Market Square for the holidays. Have you been?”
Joel squeezed his eyes closed, willing his mouth to say no, to tell Casey to fuck off with his romance and his amber eyes and his sweet smiles. Instead, he said, “Brandon takes over today around five. I need to go home and take care of a few things, but I can be ready by six-thirty.”
“Perfect.”
Joel groaned as Casey’s lips found his again. How did he do that thing with this tongue? It made Joel shiver and lean in closer.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I need help with a tree.”
Joel jerked away to see Angel standing by the door with one dark brow raised and a shit-eating grin on her face. With his mouth wet and his heart racing, he rose shakily from the table, only to realize that his cock was hard and pressing against the front of his jeans. He jerked his jean jacket closed and buttoned it up over the evidence of what Casey Stevens’s mouth did to him.
“I’ve got work to do,” he said huskily. “You should go.”
Casey stood and started bagging the leftover food. Joel realized he hadn’t eaten his entire sandwich or more than one of the cookies. He regretted that Casey was probably just going to throw it away. But if he stayed even a second longer on the patio, if he asked to keep the leftovers so that he could put them in the small fridge in the back office for later, he’d end up kissing Casey again.
