Chapter Thirty-Nine

So This Is…

Larkin

"Do you think they liked me?" I asked Seb nervously as we drove away from his parents' house later that afternoon.

He glanced over, settling his big hand on my thigh. "I know they did. Why wouldn't they?"

I squirmed in my seat. "Because I talk too much when I'm nervous and it's probably annoying. And I… They might think I'm too… young for you," I added timidly. "Immature or whatever."

Seb frowned, shaking his head. "Larkin, that's not… It's the other way around. I worry constantly that I'm too old for you. This kind of age gap…" He wiped a hand over his face, brows still pinched. "There's just naturally going to be a power imbalance."

I made a face. "What do you mean by power imbalance?"

His jaw tensed a little, eyes fixed firmly on the road. "I just have more experience than you. In everything, not just relationships. I just worry about… inadvertently pushing you into things you're not ready for."

"You haven't pushed me into anything," I said quietly. "I approached you about the lessons. I asked you if you wanted this to be… you know, more. A relationship. If I was so easily pressured, I would've had sex a long time ago, Seb. It's not like I haven't had plenty of opportunities. I didn't feel ready, so I didn't." I swallowed, reaching over to grab his hand. "I felt ready with you. You never made me feel pressured about anything, Seb. Including this becoming more. This is what I want. I just want you ."

He let out a shaky breath and squeezed my hand, throat working as his chin dipped in a nod. "Alright."

I looked down at his long fingers as I played with them absently, before blurting, "I like you so, so much, Seb. I… more than like you. Do you… know what I mean?" I peered over at him nervously, hoping he'd get what I was trying to say.

Seb's face tightened, a muscle in his jaw ticking wildly. He blinked rapidly, then pulled over to the side of the empty road and drew the car to a stop.

His wide shoulders heaved with a shaky breath as his hands slipped off the steering wheel. The car was totally silent until he hoarsely asked, "Do you?"

"Yes." I felt hot under my clothes, blood pounding in my ears.

He nodded, his throat bobbing convulsively until he looked over at me. His eyes were burning with emotion, features still tight as he raised our linked hands to kiss my knuckles.

"I do too."

My breath hitched, mouth trembling a little. "R-really?"

"Yes. I've—" He stopped and swallowed again, his brows pinching as he gazed at me. "I love you, Larkin."

I had to clamp my lips together as the back of my throat started to ache. Wow, the actual word sounded so… big. Terrifying, but amazing. I found my mouth stretching into a huge grin as I leaned over awkwardly and flung my arms around his neck.

I was still smiling as I kissed him, wishing we weren't in the car on the way to Holt's birthday party so I could climb into his lap and just cling to him for as long as possible.

Pulling back, I licked my lips and shyly said, "I love you too, Seb."

His brows pinched again before he crushed his mouth back to mine, big hands cradling my face. The kiss quickly grew deep and desperate, and we only stopped when a car passed us on the road and the driver honked their horn.

Gurgling a laugh, I pulled back and grinned at him. He smiled back, stroking my cheek with his thumb, then leaned in for one more kiss before sitting back and loosing a slow breath.

"Guess we better get to the bowling alley to set up, huh?"

"Yeah." I was suddenly filled with restless, overjoyed energy, wanting to bounce in my seat as Seb checked his mirror before pulling back out onto the road. "And by the way, I don't think there's any power imbalance, because I'm deciding what we're doing tonight."

His mouth twitched. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." My belly clenched with nervous excitement. "After the party, we're going back to your place and you're going to fuck me. All night. You're going to work your knot inside me and lock us together. No arguments, dude. Okay?"

He huffed in amusement, reaching over to squeeze my thigh as he murmured, "Yes, sir."

—

"Oh my god. Seb." I cackled with laughter after opening the final box of party supplies. Looking over my shoulder, I saw him hanging up the last of the HOLT banners between the lane screens. "Seb!"

"Mm?" He glanced back, arms still stretched up over his head. I tried not to get distracted by the sliver of tanned skin visible as his T-shirt rose up his lower back, revealing those dimples and the freckle to the right of his spine. I wanted to lick it. I mean, I already had done several times over the last week, but I wanted to do it again.

"Come look at these." I grinned at him, then pulled out my phone as he made his way over so I could snap a pic of the box's contents and send it to Hans.

A warm hand slid onto my lower back as Seb stopped beside me. Instinctively, I leaned into his big body as I lifted the top shirt off the stack. It was short-sleeved and bright pink, with two lime-green panels down the front.

"Taylor got bowling shirts made for everyone." I snorted, holding it up so he could see the patch on the back.

Holt's Ball Hurlers was proudly displayed in cursive around a graphic of two copper bowling balls and a single grey pin. Arranged in the exact way I would've arranged them if I'd been the one to make these.

"Looks like a dick and balls." I snickered, then froze as my mouth twisted into a grimace. "Oh shit, you don't think it's meant to look like Holt's dick, do you? His skin is grey… Does Holt have metallic balls? What ?"

Seb chuckled, taking the shirt from me and turning it so we could see the front. "He certainly acts like he does. Look, this one's yours."

"What?" I perked up and grabbed the shirt to examine my name neatly stitched in loopy handwriting on the left breast. "Noice. I'm def wearing mine, but I doubt Holt will wear his."

"He will to make Taylor happy," Seb said dryly. "Even if it ruins his outfit. Which I'm very interested to see later."

I snorted, peering back at the bar area to make sure none of the staff were around before I started unbuttoning my shirt. "Me too, but Taylor probably convinced him not to dress like Hogbody again."

Seb held the shirt out for me, his eyes darkening and drifting down my frame when I pulled my pink one off to put it on. I grinned at him, slipping my arms into the short sleeves. It was way too big for me, but I kinda liked the look.

"Aw, Taylor even remembered to get wing slits put on the back for me. He's the best."

"Well, he rented out the whole place for tonight, so I assume he knows everyone will want to be comfortable."

"Yeah." I finished buttoning it and looked down. "Noice. Gonna put yours on?" I asked slyly.

Seb's mouth twitched into a crooked smile. He dutifully lifted the shirts out of the box and looked through them, being way more careful than I would've been not to mess up any of the others.

I pouted when he started pulling it on over his T-shirt. "You're not gonna take your shirt off first?"

"I don't need to." He grinned back.

"Yeah, but… you still could."

After a pause, he huffed and took the bowling shirt back off. "Alright, fine. Only because I'll probably get hot in both."

"Exactly," I said absently, already distracted as he tugged his T-shirt over his head and handed it to me. I clutched the warm fabric, staring at his flexing pecs as he slipped the bowling shirt back on and started buttoning it.

How long did we have to stay at this party until we could go home and fuck?

"How do you look so much hotter in yours?" I whined. Seb's was nicely fitted, although the short sleeves did strain against his huge biceps without any room.

He chuckled, picking up both our discarded shirts and neatly folding them. "You look plenty hot. Trust me. I'll go put these in the car. Is there anything else still in there that I need to bring in?"

"I don't think so." I looked around. "All the decorations are up. The cake and all the snacks and stuff are out. Taylor said he's arranged for a fuckload of pizza to be delivered at around nine."

"Taylor knows how to organise a party. Pizza and custom bowling shirts."

I snickered, pointing at the stack of cone-shaped party hats resting beside the food. "And hats. Holt's gonna lose his shit when he sees Taylor in a party hat again."

Seb chuckled, kissing the top of my head as he passed me to head out to the car. While he was gone, I moved the box of shirts onto a table and took a photo of the alley to send to Taylor so he could see that everything was ready. He replied with a thumbs up and confirmed that he and Holt would be getting there at about seven-thirty. Everyone else was scheduled to be here by seven at the latest.

I sat down on one of the hard, uncomfortable plastic seats as I waited for Seb to get back. When I heard the low rumble of his voice, I peered over to see him talking to Kelly, one of the cyclops working tonight, at the counter. She passed him something before he turned and grinned at me, making his way over holding two sets of bowling shoes.

"Kelly's going to open a lane for us to play while we wait."

I jumped out of my seat with a grin. "No shit? Shweet. I want to get some practice in so I'm not completely terrible when everyone else gets here."

When I realised what I'd said, and how it could be related to another very specific situation, I flushed and gave Seb a wincing look. But he just huffed in amusement and ducked his head to kiss me, then passed me the smaller pair of shoes.

"I can teach you," he said with a smirk as he sat down to pull his on.

My dick twitched. I was kind of glad my bowling shirt was too big for me, because at least it covered my crotch. Clearing my throat, I sat beside him and tugged off my boots.

"You are a great teacher." I looked over at him with a shy grin. "Better boyfriend, though."

An uncharacteristic blush stained his cheeks as he grinned back at me, then leaned in. I couldn't stop smiling as he pressed his lips to mine.

Yeah. This was definitely what I wanted.