Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
I push up close to Lance, my abs against his hoodie, the zipper cool on my flesh. “Clever little fuck,” I say. “I definitely underestimated you. Is this what all this has been about? You taking my cock so that you could pull one over on me?”
“I’ll have you know I didn’t even have to use that to make the prank happen. It was Ash’s idea, and he’s smart as hell. He’s been watching TikTok videos to figure out how to crack the locks. Also, in case you missed it, Crews from Omega Psi works at the gym, so it wasn’t difficult to sneak in the back.”
“Then I’m guessing Keegan’s idea to get Crews to help us wouldn’t have worked.”
“Damn right. Pissed?”
“Impressed.”
“Not as impressed as I am with you in these,” he says, gripping my ass again.
“Oh, you thinking you want a turn back there?”
His eyes narrow. “Nah. I’m discovering I’m a greedy bottom for that dick.”
“That’s awfully convenient since I’m pretty sure I’m a greedy top for that ass.”
“Sounds like a good fit.”
We share a kiss, and I draw him closer. “I want to sneak you up to my room and get you out of these clothes,” I say, “show you how proud I am of that prank. But we do have to stay at the party for a little while, right?”
“Oh, fuck yeah. I want you and your guys strutting around in these for a few hours before I let you have at this ass.”
I can’t help smiling, and it’s not just because I want to dick down Lance. It’s that fun part of him that I enjoy even more than the sexy stuff. That part that Ryan’s already picked up on.
“So…” I say, “there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I was curious if you’d want to…I don’t know, head to the fall festival with me one day. I know you like that, and it doesn’t have to be a big deal, but I’m enjoying what we’re doing, and you’re obviously enjoying it too.”
He laughs.
“What?” I ask.
“You tease me about one-word responses, and here you are with verbal diarrhea. I’m pretty sure you’re asking me on a date.”
My cheeks flush.
“And now you’re blushing.”
“Well, I’m wearing these sexy lacy briefs you picked out.”
He eyes me skeptically. “Pretty sure it’s because you’re asking me out and it’s making you all feely in a way Ty Lancaster isn’t used to.”
I shake it off. “I do want to take you on a date, Lance Fehn.”
“This isn’t just because you know I’m datey as fuck, is it?”
I consider my reply. “Maybe a tad.”
His smile fades.
“No,” I say. “I do want to do things you like, but it’s not only because of that.”
“You don’t date, though, remember?”
“Yeah, and I didn’t fuck dudes either, yet here we are.”
He laughs. “Here we are.”
We share another kiss, and as he pulls away, he says, “Fall festival could be fun…”
25
Lance
“You’ve barely touched your lunch,” Mom says, which must be a surprise since I usually would have devoured all my chicken teriyaki and Thai popcorn chicken by now.
“And you keep checking your phone,” Dad notes in a way that’s more accusatory than observational.
“You’ve been doing stuff like this for the past few weeks every time you’ve come to visit.”
Ty and I agreed to have our date this afternoon, which has me excited and nervous. I figured I could swing by for lunch with Mom and Dad, but now I’m realizing I’m too distracted for them not to notice. It doesn’t help that they know me better than most people.
“Okay, okay,” I say. “Maybe enough of the third degree.”
“This is first degree, at most,” Mom insists with a loving smile.
“Well, the last text I got was from Ash. He’s staying with his boyfriend for the weekend, and he thinks Frat Cat’s been acting off, so he asked me to check on him when I get back. Happy?” At least it’s the truth, even if I would have rather it’d been from Ty.
“I hope everything’s okay with Frat Cat,” Dad says. “But you can pretend all you want. We know how you get. I’m just gonna say it. You’re crushing on a girl.”
I chuckle nervously. “Well…not a girl, Dad, but nice try.”
I’m surprised at how effortlessly that came out…I came out.
Mom’s jaw drops, and Dad’s mouth makes an O shape.
He takes a moment before he says, “There it is, I guess.”
“When were you going to tell us?” Mom asks. “No, I’m sorry, that’s not what I should have said. Scratch that. We love you. We care about you. Thank you for telling us. And when in the world were you gonna tell us?”
“Today…?”
I certainly didn’t plan it, but I didn’t have any intention of lying to them when they brought it up.
“It’s been a couple of months of trying to figure things out with this guy, and he’s really cool. We’ve been hanging out, but we just decided to go on a date today, and I’m nervous.”