On a Roll Beth Bolden (best book club books for discussion .TXT) 📖

you,” Sean said, “but first . . .” He leaned in, and Gabe could get behind more kissing. The more kissing they did, the less this felt like one of those hookup situations and more like . . . something bigger and brighter and sweeter.

Something that Gabe was craving and he couldn’t even put a name to.

The kiss spun out, all tongue and hot, insistent mouths, and Gabriel thought for a second, this is what going insane must feel like. But then Sean was kissing up his neck and mouthing insistently at his earlobe. “Bedroom,” he said, and started tugging Gabriel—he assumed in that particular direction. A few stumbles later, Sean was pushing him down on a soft, fluffy surface. The bed, he realized.

But then that was hardly something to be embarrassed about, considering how little blood was still left in his brain.

“I wanna give you something,” Sean said softly, intimately, and then he was on his knees, and he was pulling Gabe’s shirt off, and his fingers were on his belt, tugging down his jeans and then his boxers, until it was just Sean and his dick, face to face for the first time.

He'd had so many fantasies about this. Every time Sean had opened his mouth to be difficult or rude or snarky, Gabe had thought about shoving his dick into it.

But the reality was so much sweeter. Sean was certainly eager enough for it, and he hadn’t been in any of those faraway fantasies. Then Sean’s tongue flicked out, curling around the tip and Gabriel swore. He’d worried about Sean not being able to last, but his own needs had risen precariously close to the breaking point.

“Wait,” Gabriel said, digging his fingers into the bedding on either side of him. But Sean wasn’t waiting for anything—his mouth slid right down his dick like it was born to take it, and Gabe shook as the pleasure rose through him.

But if he let himself be overwhelmed by it, he’d never be able to fuck Sean like he’d asked him to. Of course, the chance of being able to do that now, anyway, after he was this close to the goddamn edge was laughable. He should just let the wave take him. Enjoy Sean’s mouth the way Sean seemed to be enjoying his cock.

He kept making these hungry little noises around it, as his tongue dipped lower and lower, tracing the most irresistible pattern until Gabe didn’t think he could even think any longer. All that was keeping him anchored to the earth were his hands clinging to the blankets, and Sean’s hot palm on his bare thigh.

“Wait,” Gabe gasped out, but Sean just pushed him harder and higher until maybe he wasn’t on solid ground anymore—instead he was flying, shuddering through his release.

He only realized when he heard Sean cough into his hand that he probably hadn’t prepared him well enough, and god, he was a fucking idiot. How long had it been since Sean had given a blowjob? And he’d just blasted right through good blowjob etiquette by not warning him first.

“Shit,” Gabriel said, leaning down and cupping Sean’s face. He didn’t look too rough, a little dribble of come on his cheek, but honestly, the only thing that Gabriel noticed was that he’d never seen his eyes so peaceful and relaxed, like a calm blue ocean.

“It’s alright, seriously,” Sean said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I guess it’s not quite like riding a bike, after all.”

“I’m so sorry, I should have been more . . .”

But before Gabriel could finish his apology, Sean was rising up, interrupting him. “No,” he said firmly. “You were incredible. So worried about me and my pleasure and my control.” He looked dreamy, almost, as he thought about what they’d just done together. “It was all amazing. I’m so glad; I was a little bit worried, but I shouldn’t have been.”

Gabe didn’t know whether to be relieved or offended. “Oh?”

“I guess it was probably inevitable,” Sean admitted, flopping down next to him on the bed. Still, half-clothed. Gabe reached over and tugged that white tank over his head, so he was just as naked as Gabriel was. “But I didn’t want you to know it.”

“I knew it,” Gabriel said.

“Oh,” Sean said, chuckling under his breath, “I guess I didn’t hide it very well.”

He had, actually. Gabriel had just gotten very good at reading him. Plus, how could he not be nervous? It’d been a long time since he’d had sex. And it had been even longer since he’d had sex with someone that he wasn’t married to. Once Gabe had guessed, it had been easy enough to watch Sean carefully and see the hesitancy and the nerves in his eyes.

“You’re good now, though?” Gabriel asked. Held his breath. Sean didn’t seem disappointed, but what if, deep down, he wished that he hadn’t picked Gabriel to end his celibacy with? What if it hadn’t been worth it?

“I’m good,” Sean said, and his smile was like the brightest sunrise after a late-night storm. He straight-up giggled. “I’m so good.”

“That,” Gabriel said, “means you obviously waited too long.”

“Too long?” Sean laughed again. “I was trying, but you kept putting me off.”

“For a week!” Gabriel heard his voice go high and squeaky. He’d have been embarrassed but Sean looked so amused, so charmed, that he let it go, putting his arm around Sean’s shoulders, and tugging him closer. “I meant . . . maybe you should have thought about it before last week.”

Gabriel wasn’t stupid. He wanted Sean to say something like, oh, big awesome man who gives great orgasms, I’ve been waiting for you. But he knew that Sean hadn’t been; it was all about the timing.

“I just wasn’t ready,” Sean said simply. “And then I was.”

“Well, I’m glad I was hanging around and happened to be standing there the moment you decided you were ready,” Gabriel said flippantly.

“Me too,” Sean said with an earnest smile. So earnest, it made Gabe’s