“Yes.”
I shoved him toward the house, and he spun and glared at me. Dark shadows passed over his face from the trees moving in the slight breeze. But his anger was clear even in the darkness. “I told you, I’m not going in.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “You do realize we’ve been walking for hours, right? And there’s nothing here. Nothing, Rowe. Not one sign of another human being in these woods, except for the five of us.”
“I can’t shake the thought he’s here somewhere, just waiting for me to give in.”
“If he was here, he’s not now. And honestly, the more I think about it, the more I think Ripley’s friend is of the imaginary variety.”
“He’s not a liar.”
I glared at him. “I never said that. Kids make up their own friends all the time, especially when they’ve suffered a trauma.”
Rowe’s fingers clenched into fists. “So now I’ve traumatized him by bringing him out here?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Is that seriously how you’re going to take what I said?”
“You said it!”
“The kid’s mother died. He might have been too little to remember her but he still knows that the other kids at school have a mother and he doesn’t. He still has that loss.”
“And that’s my fault, too, isn’t it? I didn’t protect her.”
“You know that’s not true. If Zye had been out here in the woods, talking to Ripley, why wouldn’t he have just taken him?”
“Maybe he wanted to get to know him, build a trust between them so when he does take him, he won’t be scared.”
I laughed at the absurdity. “Are you hearing yourself? That’s what you’d do, if you were planning on kidnapping a child. Because you’re a decent fucking human being. Zye isn’t! If he’d been out here, he would have slapped a hand over Ripley’s mouth and carried him off without a second thought to the kid’s well-being. He’s not here, Rowe! He never was! Now would you please come the fuck inside with me?”
Rowe and I glared at each other, chests rising and falling in unison.
And suddenly we were back in that supply closet in the prison, too close to each other, our breaths mingling, everything we wanted forbidden.
Except nothing was forbidden anymore.
His gaze dropped to my lips, and that was all the invitation I needed.
I grabbed the back of his neck and hauled him in, smashing my mouth down on his.
He groaned at the contact, immediately opening, his tongue seeking mine. Need, hot and heavy, rose deep within me, and like he knew, he fumbled for my zipper, frantically trying to get my fly down while yanking my shirt up. I helped by fisting the back of it and pulling away from him just long enough to get it over my head, before we were back at each other’s lips, desperately kissing away every bad thing that had happened today.
The need didn’t ease up when Rowe freed my dick from my underwear and stroked me until I was thick and hard in his hand. Our tongues moved together, until I was so turned on, I was thrusting into his hand just to find some relief.
I kissed his lips, his jaw, his neck. I dragged his shirt off, tossing it to the ground somewhere in the dark. “Fuck, I want you,” I murmured.
He groaned in answer, pumping my dick harder.
I pulled away before he could make me come and pushed my hand down into his shorts. His cock was hard and perfect. I wrapped my hand around him, taking out all the frustration, fear, and now desire on his shaft. I worked him until the head of him turned slick with precum, and he was rolling his hips in time with the movements of my hand.
“Fuck, Heath. I’m going to come if you keep doing that.”
I pressed my lips to his bare shoulder, watching his abs flex while he fucked my hand. “Good.” I bit down on his shoulder, way harder than I would have if he’d been a woman.
His groan of satisfaction nearly had me orgasming. His hot spurts of white liquid covered my hand, and I jerked him until he was completely dry.
I ached to fuck him. But we stood there in the quiet night while he came down from his release. Slowly, he raised his gaze to me, the fire that burned there now only one of passion. All the anger gone, and only a desire for me, and the way I made him feel, left.
He wrapped his hand around mine, still covered with his cum, and guided it to my dick. I hissed as I gripped myself, my fingers slick with Rowe’s jizz. God, it felt good. Wet and warm, and when he took over, I closed my eyes and gave in to the sensation. I needed more. I wanted to do things with him I’d never had the desire to do with other men. And every time he looked at me, I was sure he could tell.
Instead of saying what I really wanted, I bit out other words against his lips. “Need to kiss you.”
Our lips met again, and there was less smashing of lips and teeth and more falling into each other. He kept my erection hard with expert flicks of his wrist, while I walked him backward, kissing him until his shoulders hit the tree.
The need to own him, dominate him, rose sharp and swift, and I channeled it into the kiss. But all too soon it overpowered the limp chokehold I had on it.
I gave in.
I grabbed Rowe’s wrist, taking it away from my cock, and used it as leverage to spin him around and push him chest first into the tree. He gripped the bark with both hands, his face turned to one side to watch me over his shoulder. His breath came in short, excited pants that had precum leaking from my tip again.
“Tell me to stop,” I groaned, pressing my dick to his ass.
He didn’t say anything.
I ground on his entrance, the tip of my cock nudging, testing him. “Fuck, Rowe! Tell me to fucking stop or I’m taking you here, in the middle of the woods, like some savage who can’t control himself.”
“Then fucking kiss me while you do it. Cos I’m not saying no.”
Goddammit.
He gripped the tree and drove back against my erection, the head of me nudging inside. I froze, both at how tight he was and because I didn’t want to hurt him.