I tapped my chin. “I wonder what I’ll have to do for you to let me see you in it.”
His eyes locked on mine, the humor melting from both of us. Our waitress approached with our food, but he kept his gaze on me. Then his mouth tipped at the corners and his lips moved.
“Be soft.”
He wanted me to be soft. The crazy thing was, I imagined maybe I could be with him.
“Maybe,” I mouthed back.
I wasn't soft. That wasn’t me. Not because I wasn’t capable, but because it had never been safe for me to be that way.
But I could try.
“No.”
“Okay.”
I could try.
* * *
I gave Lock a hug by his truck. He was stiff, and so was I, but I was trying this being soft thing, and that seemed to be something people did. They hugged their friends hello and goodbye.
“Best burger ever,” I said.
Theo tugged me back to his side. “I agree. Fucking delicious.”
Lock nodded once. “Don’t spread it around. Some greedy asshole will swoop in and try to make some green off it.”
“Maybe the owners want to make some green,” I replied.
“Maybe.” Lock put his hand on the door of his truck. “And they might. I just don’t want any part in destroying the good that’s already there.”
Theo patted his heart. “Secret’s safe, man.”
My eyes bugged. “Who am I going to tell?”
Lock climbed into his truck without another word.
“I like him,” I said.
Theo grunted.
“You like him too.”
He could deny it, but Lock was quietly likable. He told us about his job, his major, the piece-of-shit house he lived in off campus, the small town he was from in Northern Cali. He did this all in as few words as possible, which I appreciated. I also liked watching him eat. He packed away the food, tucking it in the small, soft gut he carried—which only made him more of a teddy bear—but he looked like he truly enjoyed everything he put in his mouth. I could’ve seen him starring on one of those Food Network shows where they went around to divey restaurants to taste test massive portions of local fare. His groans of pleasure would get all the housewives in a tizzy.
So, maybe I had a tiny crush on Lock. Not that kind of crush, but yeah. Lock was a whole thing.
“He’s fine, but he was in my way. Now, he’s out of my way, I don’t need to spend time talking about him.”
Theo took my hand, and we walked across the parking lot to his car, which he pinned me against. My breath stuttered at the intense sweep of his gaze over me, and I forgot Lock ever existed. It was just me and Theo now.
I tipped my head back, giving him the permission he was seeking. He wasted no time in taking my mouth, slipping his tongue between my lips to give me a deep, wet kiss.
My fingers fisted his T-shirt. He took handfuls of my ass, flattening me against him. He kept kissing me, groaning into my mouth, and I kissed him back. He tasted like mint and icy water. I licked the inside of his mouth, taking his flavor with me, mewling for more.
Theo could kiss. He kissed the hard out of me and found my soft. He lapped at it until I felt like I was going to fall apart and shatter into a thousand pieces in his arms. It wasn’t quite dark, we were in a public parking lot, but when his hand slid inside my shorts, I didn’t stop him. Then he pushed my underwear to the side, and I opened my legs a little wider, inviting him in.
“Tell me to stop, Tiger,” he murmured against my lips. “Tell me you don’t want me touching you.”
I grabbed his arm and held it tight to my belly. “If we get arrested, I expect you to bail me out.”
I felt his smile even as his fingers drew a line along my slit. “No one’s gonna see you. This is just for me, baby.”
My back was pressed against the car. His body shielded mine. I was clothed. So was he. And in that moment, I didn’t care about any of it. I could have been naked and on fire so long as Theo continued what he was doing to my clit. My hips rolled with the movement of his hand, chasing his retreat until he came back to me again and again.
Theo’s breath was hot on my lips. His eyes were on mine. My palms skated down his back to the slope of his muscular ass. I dug my hands into his back pockets, holding him against me.
My head fell back into the car, lips parting on a moan. Our gazes locked as he brought me over so quickly, I might have been embarrassed if I’d cared about anything but what we were doing. Because I was coming hard on the hand of a guy who drove me to see Shakespeare, had twinkly blue eyes, and kissed me like the sky was falling and I was his only shelter.
Theo leaned deeper into me, panting on my lips, watchful eyes keeping me in place almost as much as his body. His dick prodded my hip, but he didn’t thrust or rub it on me. It was just there, and it felt perfect.
“Gorgeous,” he murmured. “You’re so incredibly hot, Tiger. You make me crazy.”
I hooked my arm around his neck, steadying myself on him. “You just made me come in a parking lot, Theodore. I think I’m the one who’s out of my mind.”
His forehead dropped to mine. “Just made you come. Still have my fingers in your hot pussy. Think you can call me my name for a minute?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I can do that, Theo.”
“Shit.” He shifted his hips, but only slightly. “I need to back up a couple steps, baby. Then I’m going to need you to get in the car and give me a minute to get a handle on things.”
He didn’t move, and I laughed, rubbing the side of his neck. “Back up. We need to get on the road after you deal with your dick. I’ve got work tonight.”
That did it. He let me go, then walked around the hood of the car after he adjusted himself. I slipped inside, drawing in wobbly breaths. That wasn’t how I’d expected the day to go, but I couldn’t say I was mad about it.
I shifted in my seat to watch Theo circle the car, the ache between my thighs pulsing with aftershocks. No, I wasn’t mad about it at all.
Theo finally climbed in, and when he did, he leaned over the console, gripped my chin, and laid a long, hard kiss on my lips. Then he left me with a softer one.
“Did you get a handle on it?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “That was not expected.”
“I know. That’s why it’s okay it happened.”
His gaze narrowed as he inspected me. “You’re sure?”
“Mmhmm. I think you know me well enough to know I’d tell you if I was displeased.”
That brought out a sardonic grin. “I do know that.” He put the car in reverse, backing out of the parking spot, and pulled onto the road. “What time do you have to be at work?”
“Nine. We have time.”
Two hours. It would be close, but he could drop me at the dorm, I’d grab my skank clothes, change fast, and take the bus to the club. Almost not enough time, but I’d make it.
“That’s late, so I’m thinking you must work in a club.”