IF SOMEONE AT this party pulled me aside right now and asked me how my first week at Astor had gone, and whether or not it was everything I’d expected, I wouldn’t have a damn clue how to answer them. Not when my first week of university had somehow led me to the top of one of the most luxurious buildings in the city, where I was currently kissing a guy I’d met five days ago.
Not that there was anything wrong with two guys kissing, even after only meeting one day ago—or hell, at this very party—but I’d never imagined it would be me in that equation.
I didn’t kiss guys.
Or, at least, I didn’t until a couple of minutes ago. I stared at West, trying to think of a response to the question he’d just asked. My answer should be a no-brainer. A quick denial and excuse should come flying off my tongue. Instead, all I could think about was his tongue, and the way it had lightly teased my lip a second ago.
“JT?” West’s voice was as smooth as the bourbon and almost as intoxicating. It filtered through all the thoughts bombarding me and settled somewhere below my waist—and my cock jerked.
Oh my God…
A gentle breeze swept through the buildings and across my flushed face, and the cool air felt amazing on my heated skin. I was feeling good and buzzed. Tipsy but not drunk. And that made me hesitate. I knew that whatever I did next I’d remember tomorrow, and while this feeling was a good one, would I still feel that way in the morning?
I lowered my gaze to West’s mouth, the same one that had just been coaxing mine to come out and play, and my dick began to throb all over again. I might not know how I was going to feel in the morning, but I knew how I felt right now—I was turned on.
“It was just a kiss, JT. That’s all that happened. We can go back inside if you—”
“Do it again.” The words were out of my mouth before I realized I was even going to say them. When nothing but silence met my ears, I raised my eyes to see West’s lips curve into a wicked smirk that I wanted to feel against my mouth.
“Remember, I’m all about a good time. You’re supposed to be the voice of reason. So, are you sure?”
I wasn’t sure of anything right now except for the way he was making my cock pound in time with my heart. But still, I didn’t move away.
West cradled my face and closed the distance between us, then he whispered across my lips, “That’s good enough for me.”
My eyes fluttered shut as his mouth once again found mine, and the second we met, it was like a jolt of electricity shocked my system. It sparked and sizzled through my veins, and heat flooded my body as West swept his tongue across my lower lip, seeking entrance.
I could feel the beat of West’s heart beneath the palm I had resting on his chest, and when he slipped his tongue inside, I flexed my fingers and dug them into the hard muscle beneath his shirt.
The pulse between my legs intensified as West rubbed his tongue up against mine and groaned. My stomach flipped.
That sound was intense. It was also sexy as hell. To know that someone like West—who could have anyone he wanted at the party—was up here with me was…exhilarating.
Yeah, okay, that was the alcohol talking.
Exhilarating? It was insane, was what it was. I had no idea what I was doing, but when West took our glasses and put them down on the ledge beside us, I was done caring.
West took my waist and pulled me in close, his mouth back on mine before I could think too hard. He nipped at my lower lip, and I braced both hands on his chest as he chuckled against my mouth.
“Probably a smart idea…”
My chest heaved as his warm breath ghosted over my lips. “What is?”
“That you brace yourself for what’s about to happen next.”
Then his mouth crashed down on mine, and this time there was nothing gentle or cautious about what we were doing. I’d given him full permission to go for it, and with the way his tongue stroked mine I couldn’t find it in me to regret it.
At least, not yet.
My head spun as he kissed me senseless. I gripped tight to the thin fabric of his shirt, like holding on to him was the only thing keeping me upright.
“Fuck,” West murmured against my lips. “You taste better than I imagined.”
“You imagined this?” My voice was a breathless whisper that I should’ve been embarrassed about, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care.
Not when one of West’s hands found its way into my hair, massaging my scalp with the pads of his fingers in a way that had a shiver racing down my spine.
His sinful chuckle vibrated against my lips. “JT. You have no fucking idea.”
I felt his words all the way down to my toes, baffled how I hadn’t caught on to the attraction. But why would I? I’d made it clear we were friends, and so had he…
But friends didn’t kiss this way.
West shifted, moving us so that my back was against the concrete. He pushed one of his legs between mine as he angled my head to capture my mouth again, drawing me in closer, and with every rock of his hips, I could feel the way he grew hard against me—
Damn. West was hard. For me.
The thought lodged its way into my brain as the interest my dick had shown earlier increased tenfold. I didn’t have time to think how the hell that was possible, not when he obliterated any thought that wasn’t about how good this was.
Feeling bold, I sucked his bottom lip, and his answering groan told me exactly how much he liked it.
He tightened his grip on my hair, tipping my head back. His breath was hot on my neck seconds before his mouth was on me, leaving sexy kisses that trailed down to my collarbone, where my shirt remained buttoned.
But it wasn’t my chest that had West’s attention. He slid his hand down the side of my waist, over my hips, and then to the rip in my jeans at the top of my thigh. It was dangerously close to my straining erection, and as his fingers brushed over my skin, my hips involuntarily thrust forward. The touch was as effective as a stroke to my dick, but his fingers didn’t manage to get that far before the rooftop door opened suddenly and my eyes flew open.
The sight of one of West’s inner circle—Gavin, maybe?— with a guy I didn’t recognize had reality crashing down, and I found myself shoving West away harder than I intended.
He stumbled back a step, his brow furrowed, but when he followed my gaze to the rooftop crashers, his expression smoothed.
“Hey, Gav,” he said, moving slightly to step in front of me. With the new arrivals blocked from view, I adjusted my jeans, but when that didn’t do shit to hide my arousal, I grabbed my drink, letting it dangle in front of me.
What a shit distraction. There was no way Gavin wouldn’t be able to tell exactly what we were up to, because even if I’d managed to hide my erection, West hadn’t hidden his.
“Oh, sorry, West, I didn’t know you were out here,” Gavin said, before his eyes shifted past his friend to me. They widened slightly, but whereas one of the others, namely East, would’ve probably started giving him shit, Gavin didn’t say a word.
“No problem,” West said, smoothly, like all he’d been doing was showing me the view.
Yeah. Of his tonsils.
“We’ll get out of your way,” Gavin said, inclining his head to the opposite side of the roof, where he was walking backward and tugging his date along. “Carry on.”
I didn’t move an inch as I watched them disappear behind a trellis, and it wasn’t until West turned back to face me that I blew out a long breath.
“All clear.” That crooked smile told me he was ready to pick up where we’d left off.
My cock seemed to be on board with that as well, but the fog had cleared from my brain, and I held my hand up.
He stopped moving and arched a brow.
“I, uh…” The rush of what I’d just done hit me all at once, and I shook my head. “I just need a minute.”
“Of course.” West took a step closer, and I tensed, but he gestured toward the ledge. “Just grabbing my drink.”
Right. His drink.
Shit, I didn’t know why I felt so jumpy all of a sudden, not when my body had been more than agreeable to West’s only a couple minutes ago.
He rested an arm on top of the ledge as he faced me, giving me some breathing room even as fire simmered in his eyes.
I lifted my fingers to my mouth, running them across my swollen lips. It was going to be glaringly obvious if I went back down to the party that I’d kissed someone. And if Caleb saw me, he’d put two and two together.
“JT—”
“Nope.” I shook my head.
“Fun’s over?”
I blinked at him. “What?”
He slipped his free hand into his pocket, and when I caught sight of his erection standing straight up in line with the damn pinstripes on his pants, I pushed away from the wall.
“I, uh…” I gestured toward the door. “I think I should get back and find Caleb.”
West’s eyebrows hit his hairline, and I turned on my heel and made a beeline for the door before he said something that might change my mind.
The fact that I knew that he could change my mind had me hurrying inside. Luckily for me, going down the elevator didn’t seem to require any magic, because the second I stepped in front of it, the doors automatically opened.
I moved to the back of the car, half of me hoping the doors would hurry up and shut and the other half hoping West would catch them just before they did.
So much for being his voice of reason. I’d done nothing out there to steer him away from potential trouble. Instead, I’d raised my hand and volunteered to show him the way.
Ha, what a laugh—that everyone had been busy warning me to stay away from him. Yet here I was, leading the poor guy on. I felt like a shit. Had I somehow given him the wrong impression? That I was into him that way? I ran a hand through my hair and gripped the back of my neck as the doors slid shut and I found myself alone.
The elevator began its descent, and for a moment I panicked, thinking it was going to deposit me back at West’s floor. But seconds later I found the doors opening to the lobby and blew out a sigh of relief.
A taxi automatically pulled into the drop-off area where the door was pulled open, and I all but threw myself in the back seat and rattled off the address for my dorm. As the car pulled out into the busy street, I leaned back, closed my eyes, and felt my head start to spin.
What the hell had I just done?
I reached up and touched my lips again, and couldn’t help but wonder if I’d just run off the only real friend I’d made since starting at Astor. But there’d been no way I could stay, not after that. Not when my body was writing checks it couldn’t cash.
I liked girls.
Had only ever liked girls.
But as the taxi turned off Park Avenue, all I could seem to think about was the prince I’d just kissed on top of his damn castle.
