In Strange Woods - Claire Cray Page 0,39

all over you.”

“Wouldn’t go that far,” Hunter said with some amusement, but his voice was lower now. He broke eye contact, looking down to adjust the rolled-up sleeve of his flannel shirt. “You did seem wasted, though.”

“Yeah. I was.” James studied him nervously, trying to read into his reaction. “I shouldn’t have…grabbed you like that.”

Hunter’s brown eyes fell on him again, and there was an intensity in them that hadn’t been there before. “Why not?”

There was a moment of silence as James stared at him, slowly grasping the apparent fact that Hunter was not upset about last night. That maybe he hadn’t been wrong to think he wanted it, too. “Because,” he answered slowly, his blood heating up at the thought of what might be about to happen, and his eyes measuring the distance between them on the couch. “Because I’d do it better sober.”

Amusement flashed in Hunter’s eyes, but it was overshadowed by something much more intent. “Is that right?”

“Yeah. Besides,” James added, his voice dropping to a hushed murmur. “I need to know you actually want it.”

“Yeah.” Hunter nodded, his fingertips grazing over the back of James’s hand and then gliding up his arm, making him draw a sharp breath. Hunter smiled a little, tracing the edge of his jaw, gazing at his mouth. “I need to know you want it, too.”

Chapter 17: Come Together

James stared at Hunter for a long moment, rendered speechless by the possibility now looming between them and by the way those gentle fingertips were making his skin tingle. His eyelids drooped as Hunter’s thumb grazed his lower lip, and a current of desire coursed through him like a switch had been flipped. “Hunter.”

Hunter leaned closer, tracing the outline of his mouth with a feather-light touch. “James.”

James closed his eyes at the sound of his own name in that quiet voice, his desire spiraling toward desperation when he felt Hunter’s soft breath on his lips. “I’ve been wanting you so fucking bad…”

“Well,” Hunter said quietly, his hand slipping around James’s neck to cradle the back of his head. “I’m right here.”

James sighed as Hunter’s soft mouth molded to his own, sinking into a slow, chaste kiss that thrummed with desire. It was gentle at first, unhurried, lips slowly parting and slotting together.

Hunter threaded his fingers through James’s hair, tilting his head for a better angle and a deeper kiss, and James moaned under his breath at the first silky sweep of his tongue. Those warm hands moved up his back, feeling the shape of him, and James arched to get closer as they tasted and explored, the pressure intensifying until they were devouring each other.

Hunter made a low, hungry sound when James sucked on his tongue, and James drank it up. God, he’d never felt so high from a kiss before—never been so desperate for a man to hold him close, surround him, take him away. It was like he’d been craving this for weeks. Years. Like he’d been starving for it. It was electrifying, unbearable, and it felt amazing. It was the first time he’d felt so alive since…

He pushed Hunter against the back of the sofa and straddled his lap, attacking the buttons of his flannel shirt. He was already hard, tenting the sweatpants Hunter had loaned him, and he could feel the thick ridge of Hunter’s cock in his jeans. Hunter’s hands slid under his shirt and over his naked skin, spreading over his abs and chest, fingertips teasing his nipples, and James reclaimed his lips for another furious kiss.

When the last button was done he broke off with a gasp, leaning back to spread the shirt open. A low, lusty groan fell from his lips as Hunter’s broad, muscular chest and chiseled abs came into view. His tawny skin looked like it tasted like honey. A light dusting of soft golden hair accentuated the hard planes of his pecs and beckoned below his navel, where his hard cock strained against his faded jeans.

James wanted to make a statue of him. Cast him in bronze. Dip him in butter and fucking eat him. “God, look at you.”

“I’m lookin’ at you.” Hunter peeled James’s shirt off and pulled him back in, tracking a line of hot kisses across his chest and dragging his tongue over one nipple.

James rocked down on his lap with a moan, relishing the way Hunter’s breath hitched at the pressure. That hungry mouth made its way up his throat, sucking a path along his jaw until James claimed