Page 17 of Open Liner
The term of endearment sent a flush of heat through me, and when I glanced to meet his eyes, his smirk amplified it to an inferno. Being around him was exciting in a way I didn’t feel often, though it was more the adrenaline from the concert and less of the “oh fuck my house is on fire” kind of panic. “You have no idea what you’ve unleashed. I’m the asshole who sends the daily texts.”
Drake shrugged. “As long as you don’t mind if I don’t always have immediate answers, I’m good with that.”
My heart thudded a little harder. That had been a sticking point in my relationship with Serena. She felt guilty because I sent a barrageof messages, and the onslaught was a bit too much for her to handle. Story of my life. If I toned myself down, I ended up bursting, and that wasn’t good for anyone either.
“Come on, let’s get down to the sand,” Drake said, veering to the left, where the ocean glittered nearby. The crash of the waves soothed my soul in a way little else did, and combined with the crisp, salty nighttime air, I was more aware of everything around me. Hard not to be when Drake was so close, the mix of sweat and leather coming from him was intoxicating. He lit me up like kerosene to my system, and I was one match away from an inferno.
The second we hit the sand, I plopped down and yanked my boots off. No way was I doing the drive back with shoes full of sand.
“Shit, that’s a good idea.” Drake thumped down beside me and began to unlace his big-ass steel-toed boots. I burrowed my feet in the sand, now cooled from the descent of night. Still felt amazing though.
“Did you ever eat sand as a kid?” I asked, staring at it.
Drake burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the quiet between us. “Like on purpose? Fuck no. What the fuck sort of question is that?”
I lifted a handful of it up and watched the grains fall through my fingers. “The texture felt so good I thought it would be equally good in my mouth.”
Drake flung himself back on the ground, full-out cackling. A smile rose to my own lips, because I’d done a lot of weird shit as a kid, and that hadn’t abated much as I’d grown. He slapped a palm to his chest, which was heaving from laughter.
“Oh god,” he gasped. “I haven’t laughed that hard in ages.”
I mimicked a seated curtsy. “Happy to be of service.”
“You’re fascinating, you know that?” he said, giving me the side eye.
“Like in a bug under a microscope way?” I asked, running my not-sandy-hand through my hair. I’d learned some lessons at least.
“Nah, like in a strikes my curiosity way,” he responded, his voice growing deeper, huskier. The way he looked sprawled out on the sand was sinful. The moonlight highlighted the sharp arch of his nose, his defined chin, those thick brows. I let out a breath I hadn’t even realized was trapped.
Damn, I just wanted to climb on top of him and ride. My cock woke the hell up at the thought, and I shifted in my seat, hoping he didn’t notice the semi pressing against my jeans. “Well, good. I need a concert buddy anyway.”
“If you’re serious, I’ll take you up on that,” he said. “I need to get out to shows more.”
“I’m very serious,” I said, even though my nose wrinkled. Chances were, I’d get overeager, and he’d get sick of me. Wouldn’t be the first time. In the distance, the silhouette of the pier beckoned, dark waves crashing around it. A burst of energy filtered through my veins, pushing me to move, move, move. “Want to walk down there?”
“The pier?” he said. “Yeah, let’s go.”
I pushed up from my spot on the sand and snagged my boots. The feel of the cool sand between my toes was immaculate, a hit of dopamine I craved. The moon cast delicate lavender beams, the pale sand contrasting with the glittering blackened expanse of the ocean crashing to the shore beside us. Drake kept up with ease as we walked along the beach toward the pier.
The swing of his boots in his hand drew my attention, same with the fluid motion of his arms and legs, as he strolled with me. My gaze snagged on the tight fit of his jeans and the bulge there. Ngh. Damn, he probably had a delicious cock. The adrenaline from the show hadn’t crashed yet, and the jittery anticipation filtered through me, floodingmy body from head to toe. Not like it would go anywhere. Better to get the energy out with this walk.
My foot snagged, and I vaulted forward. Hands wrapped around my waist, but my arms had shot out, and I was already flailing. My arm knocked into Drake, and our weight shifted.
Down we went.
My back thudded against the sand, which broke most of my fall, and Drake landed with a thump on top of me. The breath knocked out of my chest, and not just from the weight. With his hard, muscular body pressed against me, and his face mere inches from mine, I couldn’t pop the lid on the attraction that had been bubbling under the surface from the moment we met.
His dark eyes burned with heat, muscular arms bracketed me on either side, his hands pressed into the sand, but he didn’t budge. My thigh nudged against his groin, and I shifted slightly. Oh fuck, he was hard. A thrill shot through me, and I swallowed hard. Drake stared at me, not looking away.
“You’re trouble, August,” he murmured, his voice hoarse and raspy.
“Is that a bad thing?” I asked, my breath coming in a little faster. God, I wanted to close the distance between us, to taste those lips. His were carved and perfect, and his hot breath puffed against my face. Fuck. I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to leave this space where he was pressed against me, his intoxicating scent of sweat and musk captivating.
I tilted upward on automatic, as if those inches between us could magically disappear.
His gaze zeroed in on my mouth, and my breath hitched.
A universe spanned between us, impossible to cross, yet we were close enough that our breaths mingled. The tension increased to thepoint I could’ve sworn it buzzed in the air, and I licked my lips, which had grown dry with anticipation.
