16. Travis

SIXTEEN

CALEB REEVES AND his stubborn ass were going to be the death of me.

If I had to stand here and watch him deny his body's blatant reaction to me one more fucking time, I was going to explode.

"Gotta go." I slipped out from beneath the arms of… Shit, I hadn't actually caught his name, but it didn't matter. East's not-so-brilliant hookup idea was the last thing on my mind as I watched Caleb retreat down the hallway.

This is the problem. One look at Caleb and you're back where you started.

"Piss off," I muttered, ignoring the warnings and red flags as I closed in behind the man trying to leave.

Look at that. He's leaving you. He wants nothing to do with you.

Close enough now to touch, I reached for his elbow and pulled him into an empty nook off the hallway, taking him by surprise. He jerked himself out of my grasp, but the second I pushed him up against the wall and he saw it was me, he went still.

Fuck, he was so damn gorgeous, even with the confusion radiating off him that fused with desire so tangible I wanted to reach out and take it. Did he want me to? Or did he just like to watch?

I took a step closer but kept from pressing my body against his the way I wanted to. For now. I couldn't promise my patience would last very long, but he was already spooked by what he was feeling, that much was obvious.

"Caleb," I said. "Where you goin' so fast?"

He swallowed, his eyes dropping to my lips."Go. Please, just go. I'm leaving."

"Because of me?"

Caleb's breaths were unsteady, but he managed to scoff. "Get over yourself."

"Why would I do that?" I placed a hand on the wall by his head and leaned in by his ear. "When you get hard every time you watch me. Last night… Tonight…"

"No…"

I knocked his foot aside, spreading his legs so I could slip one of mine between them. The second I closed the space between our hips and felt how hard he still was, a strangled curse ripped from my throat.

"No? So this isn't for me?" I shifted to rub against his erection, and his eyes slammed shut. "It sure feels like it is."

"Does it matter? Yours isn't for me."

Was that an admission? It sure felt like one, but with his eyes shut, it was difficult to tell.

I lowered my head again, and when my breath whispered over his ear, his body went as stiff as his cock. "Now, we both know that's not true."

Caleb's eyes flicked open. "Do we? You seem to be putting it in a different person each night lately."

"And that bothers you?"

"That…" Caleb trailed off as he lowered his gaze to where my hips were pressed up against his. "That tracks with you. You've never been able to keep your dick in your pants."

This was too fucking sweet. Caleb was jealous.

"Been keeping track of that, have you?"

"Pretty hard not to when you keep taking it out in front of me."

"I'd say you're pretty hard for me whether I take it out or not." I tilted my head to the side, daring him to argue. "But aren't you tired?"

"Tired?"

"Of fighting this."

Caleb swallowed, but other than that he didn't move a muscle.

"It's been how many years?" I asked, sliding my leg up the inside of his. "And you're still trying to act like this"—I rubbed my thigh against his balls, and Caleb's hands clenched at his sides—"isn't for me."

"It's just a reaction."

"Mhmm." I leaned in. "A reaction to me."

Caleb licked at his lower lip, and our faces were so close I almost felt his tongue. But no, I wouldn't do that, not until he asked or maybe begged.

I'd made the first move that night years ago, and I'd be damned if I did it again.

"What was it that did it?" I drew the back of my fingers down his bicep, and Caleb shivered. "The way I touched them? Did it remind you of that night?

Caleb's eyes darkened, his breathing uneven now as I let my fingers on the wall find his hair and gently play with the stands.

"Or maybe it was the way I pushed their hair back, the way I did with yours, wanting to see your face right before I kissed you?" I ran my eyes over his flushed cheeks. "You had the same red cheeks that night as you do right now."

"Travis…" Caleb's voice was deeper now, arousal making it hotter, grittier, sexier. "You need to?—"

"What? Stop?" I raised a brow. "Tell me to, and I will."

The beat of the music throbbed in the distance, making the ache between my thighs intensify. Or maybe that was just the way Caleb looked seconds away from pouncing.

"Or I can put us both out of our misery and touch you." When my mouth barely brushed his jaw, he trembled. "Kiss you…"

I lowered my hand to his waist, wanting to feel his bare skin under my palm, but settling for holding him any way I could get him. And to my surprise, he didn't push me away. It only made me bolder, and I rocked my hips against his, slowly at first to see if his body would respond, and then with more pressure, teasing his cock to come and play with mine. He moaned, dropping his head against the wall, and then I felt his fingers wrap around my forearm, holding tight like he was going to wrench my hand off his waist.

But that didn't happen. He thrust his hips forward to stroke mine and match my pace, and fuuuck. I didn't know if all the blood rushing to my dick was going to make me pass out or come in my goddamn pants.

I slid my hand down his waist to the curve of his ass, getting a nice handful of him as I hauled him against me. The friction of our cocks, his hot breath on my neck, the scent of his soap and cologne filling my lungs on every breath… It was overwhelming. Perfect. So fucking hot I couldn't believe this was really happening, that the soft grunts coming from Caleb weren't just my imagination.

I needed more, and I didn't care where we were. He was finally giving in, and nothing was going to ruin this.

"Kiss me." I grazed my teeth along his jaw and reached down between us, unable to stop myself from stroking him. His dick pulsed, thick and hard and heavy in my palm, making my mouth water with the need to taste him.

Fucking kiss me.

I pulled back, giving him the chance to make his move.

Do it.

I teased the head of his cock through his pants, and the dam burst. A growl reverberated from Caleb's chest seconds before he clenched my top in his fist and jerked me forward. My mouth landed on his before I could take a breath, but the instant I realized what he'd just done, I snapped out of my surprise and took control.

Sweet, sinful lips opened under mine, and I nipped at them, needing a quick taste before I dove in. Caleb grunted as I thrust my tongue deep inside.

The fingers on my forearm tightened, and when he pulled my hand even harder against his body and pumped his hips forward, I groaned with pleasure.

Had I died and gone to heaven? Or did I pass out somewhere after drinking myself into a coma? Because there was no way in hell Caleb was fucking my hand, was there?

I swept my tongue around the hot interior of his mouth, memorizing the taste of him. He was just as potent as I remembered.

God, why did it have to be him that made me lose my damn mind? One taste and I was ready to get on my knees and beg him to be mine forever. But Caleb was nowhere near that with me. Hell, he probably didn't even realize what he was doing right now, just that it felt really fucking good.

He'd flattened his hand over my heart now, stroking up the bare skin of my chest as he sucked on my tongue like he'd never get the chance again. The real kicker? He could do that whenever he wanted—all he had to do was ask.

"Caleb," I whispered against his mouth as I kissed my way up his jaw to his ear. "Let me touch you."

His head fell back against the wall, a moan leaving him as his fingers dug into the skin under his palm.

"Let me make you feel good. Let me give you what you want."

And yeah there I went, begging.

Caleb lifted his head off the wall, his eyes finding mine, and as I squeezed his cock, about to follow through, his fingers tightened, halting me.

Fuck. I knew that look. It was the same look he'd given me the night of our parents' wedding. The one that told me he was confused as shit about what he'd just done, and even more confused that he'd liked it.

But before I could say anything, he pushed me back a step and snatched his hand away. He blinked those gorgeous, dark eyes as though trying to focus and touched his fingers to his lips.

Then, before I could get a word out, he slipped out of the nook and started off in the direction of the doors. I made a move to follow, but as if he sensed I wouldn't be letting him get away that easy, he stopped and turned back to me, holding up a hand.

"Don't."

One word. That's all it took to stop me in my tracks as I watched him disappear through the crowded dance floor and head home.

To our home.