23. Hunter

"Who needs a refill?" Levi rises from his camp chair and stretches his arms overhead.

There's nine of us here now.

Three of the guys graduated with Levi and Greedy and played football at South Chapel, too. They each brought someone, so in total it's four couples, plus Levi. There's Russell and Riley, Bruce and Dorothea, then Luca and Sully. Until tonight, I'd never met any of them, but they've all been friendly and really chill.

The sun set about an hour ago, and the temperature dropped quickly. The campfire blazing beside the picnic table where most everyone is seated helps combat the cold, but we're all bundled up in hoodies and blankets to fend off the cold mountain air anyway.

I've lost count of how many games of Stop the Bus we've played at this point. Luca and his boyfriend Sully are super competitive. They've insisted we play "single elimination tournament style," and are taking the game way more seriously than the rest of us.

"I'll take another beer." Russell holds his red plastic cup high.

"I'm good." With a smile at Levi, I sigh and rest my head on Greedy's shoulder.

The warmth of him seeps into me as I survey the group stationed around the table. I didn't know what to expect when Greedy invited me, but I'm far more relaxed than I anticipated I'd be surrounded by strangers.

"Do you mind if I have a drink?" Greedy kisses the top of my head as he grasps a belt loop on my jeans and guides me so close my back is pressed firmly against his chest.

"Go for it."

With a chin tip in Levi's direction, he says, "Bring me one of those fruity seltzers, Leev. Strawberry or peach, if we have it."

Levi smirks but doesn't make any other comment as he takes off toward the cooler.

"You actually like hard seltzer?" I tease.

He sweeps my hair to one shoulder, then tenderly kisses the exposed skin on the other side. "It's okay," he says, his warm breath skating over my skin. "I just don't want to taste like beer when I finally get you alone and kiss you properly."

A shiver rolls through me at the promise of a proper kiss. The sensation turns into a full-body shudder when I consider all the improper things I'd like to do with him tonight.

Levi returns and passes out drinks, then a fresh hand is dealt around the table.

I'm doing my best to focus on my cards, but Greedy makes it damn near impossible when he slips his free hand creeping under my oversized sweatshirt and grazes my ribcage with his fingertips.

Every time he shifts beside me and touches me somewhere new, it sends warmth through my spine. So much so, my cheeks are flushed by the second round.

Greedy smirks, his eyes dancing with mirth.

Levi side-eyes us both a few times, his curious gaze making it clear that he's on to our little game.

I'm so flustered I can't remember which is the discard pile when it's my turn. Fumbling, I pick up a card, only to immediately regret it.

Levi's turn is next. With a wicked smirk, he says, "Stop the bus."

I groan. My highest card is an eight of diamonds. Dammit. I shouldn't have made that last swap.

"What's a matter, Tem?" Greedy teases. "Not happy with your hand?" He squeezes my bare hip with his hand for emphasis.

Rather than sass back about how his hands are the ones causing the problem here, I wait for everyone to show their cards, then lay mine on the table. Nose scrunched, I say, "I clearly made a wrong move."

"There are no wrong moves," Greedy replies, rising to his feet and taking my hand.

"I'm already out," I say, letting Greedy guide me away from the group. "Obviously, I made a wrong move somewhere."

On the opposite side of the fire, he sits in a camping chair, then pulls me into his lap. "But if you were still playing cards, I couldn't do this."

He ghosts his lips along the shell of my ear and loops his arms around my midsection, pulling me back so I'm resting against his chest.

"If you were still playing, they wouldn't still be distracted." He juts his chin toward the group. They're not paying us a lick of attention as the game continues. "I wouldn't be able to do this without someone noticing."

One warm hand caresses my stomach, then pauses at the waistband of my jeans.

My breath hitches, and a warmth that has nothing to do with the bonfire dancing before us spreads through my belly. Greedy toys with the button of my jeans, and in response, I arch back, seeking more contact.

"Life has a rhythm," he whispers. "Everything happens for a reason, even if we don't know what the reason is right away."

Deftly, he undoes the button. Then he slowly slides the zipper down, clearing his throat to cover up the sound. Not that it could be heard over the crackling of the fire, even if his friends weren't all still engrossed in the game.

When he brushes over my panties, I whimper.

"No wrong moves," he tells me, his tone steady and sure, as he slips that hand beneath my panties and cups my pussy.

"No wrong moves," I repeat breathily.

Holding me tight, Greedy teases and explores, caressing two fingers through my sex.

"I love this," he rasps, brushing one finger through the strip of hair along my pubic bone. "I can't wait to see how pretty you are down there."

Heat erupts inside me, and my face flushes hot. The sensation is quickly followed by a full-body blush. I'm warm from the tips of my toes to the crown of my head, but the heat between my legs is blazing and intense.

I squirm in Greedy's lap, my thighs desperate to clamp shut around his hand.

I want more. Need more.

"Open for me, Tem," he whispers.

With a deep breath in, then back out, I do my best to relax. Only the ache is worse when I spread my thighs and give him more access. New sparks ignite inside me at every touch. He's lighting kindling, building an all-consuming fire as he toys with me.

"Your panties are damp. Are you getting wet for me, baby?"

Fuck. "Greedy," I practically beg.

"Shh," he soothes, rubbing the pad of one finger over my clit. "I don't want them to hear you. I'd have to stop. You don't want that, do you?"

I shake my head frantically against his shoulder. An instant later, he pulls away, abandoning my clit. The loss of contact is so acute I shudder in defeat, but a moment later, he probes my entrance, instantly relighting the need burning deep inside me.

He takes his time, teasing and playing with my lips. It's as exploratory as it is erotic. He's testing every ounce of patience I possess.

When he finally pushes in, I exhale.

"Fuck. You're so warm, baby. So fucking tight."

My inner walls involuntarily flutter.

Greedy moans in my ear. "Fuck, baby. Do that again. Squeeze around my finger and let me feel you."

I give a tentative clench, and moisture trickles from my entrance. His words and the feel of him have me so ramped up, I'm half convinced I'm floating right now.

"Do it again."

With a groan, I obey. This time he thrusts up as I do it. He must hit some sort of internal nerve, because my whole body jolts in his lap, and a surge of moisture coats his hand.

"Good girl. Just like that," he encourages. "Good fucking girl."

Of its own accord, my pussy clamps around his hand. It's so tight it aches. It's the good kind of ache—a sensation that blossoms and grows with each stroke of his fingers against my inner walls.

"Imagine that's my cock inside you," he growls in my ear.

The moan that escapes me is so loud that the second it's out of my mouth, we both freeze.

We're getting carried away. Way, way, away.

I've never done anything intimate like this in public before. As desperate as I am to share everything with Greedy, I'd prefer to do it without an audience.

For a long moment, we sit silently, silently surveying our friends across the way. Thankfully, no one has even looked our way.

"Baby, we have to stop," Greedy grits out into my hair. "If you moan like that again, I'm going to come in my pants."

I giggle, then I nearly snort, too.

"You think that's funny?" he goads, slowly pulling out of me and tickling my stomach with his other hand.

I turn back, set on teasing him in return, but before I can, he captures my mouth in a searing, toe-curling kiss.

He makes quick work of buttoning my pants. Then his lips find my ear again. "You're going to moan just like that tonight," he promises. "But next time, my cock will be inside you."