by Susan Laine
“Vikings is a great show too,” Merry muttered, his mouth full of food. “They’re totally badass, blood-thirsty barbarians. But I like that. That guy playing Ragnar—”
“Travis Fimmel,” Boone provided automatically. He thought the guy couldn’t act for shit, having zero emotional register, but everyone he knew liked the show and the character.
“Yeah, him. He’s amazing.” Merry cocked his head, staring at the screen unblinking. “I doubt I could have made it in those times, though. Pretty grueling. Not quite as full of meaningless, pure-shock-value violence and gore as Game of Thrones, though. And that’s good. I’m tired of that show. Can’t wait to see the final episode and be done with it.”
Boone frowned in confusion. He was having problems following Merry’s train of thought, which seemed to have no clear beginning or end. He was just… babbling.
Then it hit Boone. Merry was nervous too. He was prattling on about nothing to avoid actually talking about something that mattered. Like their friendship—and the kissing lesson. Yeah, all that kissing neither of them seemed able to forget.
Boone decided to take the bull by the horns before he mentally exploded from denial. “We need to talk about the kissing lesson.” At the exact same time, apparently on the same wavelength, Merry blurted out, “I think I need another kissing lesson.”
They stopped at the same moment, mouths hanging open, and stared at each other in deafening silence.
Chapter 6
“WHAT?” THEY both said at once. Then they both started to laugh.
“Wow.” Boone wiped tears off the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand. “Guess it’s true. Great minds think alike.”
“Yeah.” Merry’s eyes twinkled with mirth.
When Boone got a grip on himself, he noted, “Geesh, Merry. That inane chatter?”
Merry’s cheeks shone red as he blushed. “Sorry. Just tried to keep things, I don’t know, normal?”
“I get it.” Boone calmed but smiled because that was what he always seemed to do with Merry. “So… now you wanna kiss again? I mean, you wanna have a kissing lesson? What changed your mind?”
Merry frowned a little, appearing bemused. “What do you mean ‘changed my mind’?”
“Well, over the past week it’s like you’ve pretended nothing happened.”
“So have you.”
“I thought that was what you wanted.”
“Same here.”
Boone chuckled. “Okay. Guess we both had a change of heart at the same time. What finally made you ask, anyway?”
Merry snorted, rolling his eyes. “Spouting ridiculous nonsense in a faint effort to try to act normal. I couldn’t stop myself. Dumb words just spilled out endlessly.”
“It’s small talk. It exists for a reason.”
“Yeah, sure. But that’s not what we’re about, right?” Merry asked, and Boone agreed to the assessment with a nod. “Anyway, I suppose I…. Oh, let’s just say I want to get another kissing lesson with you to… to confirm or refute a theory of mine.”
“Oh?” Boone’s eyebrows rose to his hairline at the mysterious comment. That sounded ominous and cryptic, and he was dying to know what Merry meant by it.
Merry ducked his head to hide his face. “I’ll tell you. After. I promise.”
Boone said nothing because he had a hunch he already knew, or at least suspected, what Merry wanted to confirm or deny: if he’d been turned on by kissing Boone because he was… gay.
“You, uh, you should kiss a couple of girls to know for sure,” Boone suggested, doing his best to appear nonchalant, as though he made such comments to his best friend all the time.
Merry looked up, his eyes narrowing dangerously. For a while he remained silent and simply stared, as if peering into Boone’s soul. Boone had to clench his teeth and fist his hands to avoid squirming under the intense scrutiny.
“Have you ever?” Merry asked suddenly, his voice low and serious, his smile gone. Boone swallowed, anticipating with dread what Merry meant with that question. “Have you ever… kissed a guy before?”
Well, the jig was up. Boone had never expected to have this conversation with his best friend. He’d held on to the belief that this was one secret he’d never have to tell Merry. But perhaps it was confession time. If Boone could alleviate some of Merry’s confusion and discomfort, Boone would naturally do so. How could he not? Friends didn’t act like jerks.
“Yeah, I have. Twice.”
Merry gasped, his eyes widening with shock. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words or sounds came out. Boone knew he had to elaborate or things would blow up in his face.
“Neither of them goes to our school. You don’t know them. I didn’t know them well at all either. Both times happened at summer camp when you were staying with relatives. It was just… experimenting. We, uh… we kissed a little. Made out a bit. That was it. We went our separate ways. I don’t even know where they are now or anything.”
Merry gulped, but his shock was clearly waning. Boone saw as much in Merry’s eyes as they began to glow like lightning bursts. Merry was obviously mad.
“You… you made a really big deal about not wanting to kiss me ’cause I’m a guy, same as you. When in fact you’ve already—”
“It’s not the same, and it’s not that simple,” Boone cut in, denying Merry’s accusation. “They were two random guys. You are my best friend. It wasn’t just about you being a dude.”
Merry breathed heavily for a moment, either trying to calm himself down or gathering up fury like a lightning rod. Boone was scared to find out which. He didn’t want Merry to hate him. Boone could hang out with other guys and girls from the school. But they weren’t close friends, not the way Merry was.
“Okay, fine,” Merry said, speaking slowly and enunciating clearly. That had to be a bad sign, Boone figured. “Why haven’t you told me before?”
Boone sighed. “Honestly? I never planned to tell you at all. I… I was afraid of what you would think of me. That you’d think less of me.”
Merry’s frown deepened, and the corners of his mouth turned downward. He was angry for sure now, if he hadn’t been before. “You think so little of me?”
“Of course not,” Boone denied in haste. “I was just… scared. Little reason went into it.”
Merry blinked, but he didn’t appear placated. “Why tell me now?”
“’Cause you asked?” Boone added a little chuckle to the end to lighten the mood, but the ambience remained icy judging by the cold flash in Merry’s eyes and how his lips turned into a tight, white line. Boone decided to come clean. “Okay, truth. I… I told you ’cause I thought you… that you might be wrestling with those same issues.”
Merry cocked his head. His angry frown turned into a confused expression. “What?”
“Isn’t that the theory you wanted to confirm or refute?” Boone asked. “Whether you’re, you know… straight or gay, or whatever?”
Merry’s brow cleared as he drew in a sharp breath, and he blinked hard. Was that shock or something else? Boone couldn’t tell.
“I mean, you liked the kissing lesson,” Boone added, refusing to take his eyes off Merry even for a second for fear he would shut down entirely and maybe even end their friendship. “I figured you wanted to try again to see if… if you’d react the same way.”
Merry’s gaze left Boone’s, wandering about the room as he seemed to be pondering an issue larger than himself. The pensive look suggested to Boone that Merry might have gotten past his irritation. At least that was what Boone hoped.
“You got hard too,” Merry said out of the blue, his tone blunt and accusatory.
Boone nodded immediately. There was no point in denying that. “Yeah, I did. Surprised me too.”
Merry worried his bottom lip. “How did it make you feel, making out with me, I mean?” Boone didn’t understand. Hadn’t he just answered that? Merry gave a small shrug and said, “You’ve been with a bunch of girls and—”
&n
bsp; “A few,” Boone interjected with a frown.
“—and apparently with two guys as well,” Merry went on, as if the interruption never happened. “So, girls versus guys, which felt… more, or the same, or less? Are you, like… gay or bi or something?”
Boone felt overwhelmed by the incessant questions. He’d known to expect a couple, but this was too much. Wasn’t it? He grimaced, not having a clue as to how to reply. “I don’t know. I never had to think about any of this before.”
“Not even during or after you made out with guys?” Merry asked in clear disbelief.
Boone scratched his head, his brain addled. “Honestly? No. It was just… stress relief or experimentation or some such.”
“Did you sleep with them?”
“No. I told you that.”
Merry looked hesitant. Then he asked, “D-did you want to?”
That actually stopped Boone and forced him to look back on the experiences and view them with a neutral eye. “No. Yes. No. Sort of? I mean… it’s easy to feel… lust and want. It’s easy to get excited. Doesn’t mean sex always happens as a result. I guess I… I got a boner. But no, I’m pretty sure it didn’t occur to me to go all the way. Jacking off together? Maybe. Hell, you and I’ve done that.”
Merry blushed and ducked his head for a moment. “Yeah, but that wasn’t—”
“Neither was my time with the two guys,” Boone cut in to make his point. Merry finally nodded, seeming to come to terms with Boone’s explanation, so Boone went on. “At the time, there were no girls around at the campsite. You know how it is. One guy gets a stiffy, then another, and soon everyone’s doing a circle jerk. Doesn’t mean a thing.”
Merry frowned again. “Well… maybe it should.” Boone opened his mouth to speak, but Merry beat him to it. “Would you have let them suck you off?”
Annoyance didn’t even begin to cover how Boone felt at the moment, being put on the spot like this. “I don’t fucking know, okay? Maybe? It didn’t come up. No pun intended.”
“I’m only asking because when we made out, you pushed me on the floor and started to feel me up. It wouldn’t have taken long for either of us to….” Merry’s voice faded, as if on purpose.
Boone sighed, his patience waning fast. “Well, in my defense, it always feels awesome to get a boner, and sex is always nice.”
Merry’s eyes flashed intently; it was unclear whether the look was anger, frustration, or arousal. “Nice?”
“Yeah.” Boone was getting mightily irritated, and his tone reflected that animosity.
But he couldn’t confess that no one, boy or girl, had ever rocked his world—until Merry and that damn kissing lesson. He’d never felt so out of control, as though his body dominated his whole being and his rationality was a tiny voice in the back of his head his body ignored.
Merry looked away, radiating ruefulness. “I wouldn’t know.”
Boone had had enough. “Wanna find out?”
Chapter 7
“WHAT?” MERRY’S shock was evident.
“You heard me.” Boone kept their gazes locked so Merry could see he was serious. He was sure this was the way things were headed for them. Yes, they could deny the attraction between them, but what would that achieve? Their friendship had already transformed.
“Y-yeah, I did hear you, but… what did you mean by it?” Merry gulped, his throat working convulsively. He’d gone pale, but his eyes shone dark.
Boone grinned wickedly. “Who said kisses could only happen on the lips? You know from experience there’s a lot more ground to cover. A lot more.” Boone let his gaze sweep Merry from head to toe, leaving little room for misunderstanding. Besides, they’d already done the cheek and neck kisses, so neither of them could exactly claim ignorance.
Unless Merry went into denial mode.
At first Merry bowed his head enough to hide his expression. Then he cast a small, swift glance at Boone before concealing his animated face again. He didn’t speak a word for the longest time. Boone began to feel nervousness crawl across his skin and trickle down his spine.
“Okay. Go ahead.” Though Boone couldn’t see Merry’s face or judge his true intentions, Merry’s tone was at once vulnerably raw and excitedly daring.
Boone didn’t wait for Merry to change his mind.
He grasped Merry’s hand, his grip not harsh but strong enough to keep Merry from snatching it back. Then he placed a soft kiss on Merry’s knuckles, letting his lips linger. Finally he turned the hand over and kissed Merry’s palm. Merry released a tiny whimper, and his fingers tried to close.
Boone pulled back and challenged Merry with a look. “The hand kiss. Your turn.”
Merry appeared uncertain, his brow scrunched, his front teeth gnawing at his lower lip, and the look in his eyes a little lost. Then he took Boone’s hand. Merry’s hand was trembling, and his skin was hot and sweaty. His lips were dry, and they quivered as he placed a featherlight peck on the back of Boone’s hand first and then on his palm.
As he rose again, Merry appeared shaken and hesitant, but his mouth was set in a firm line, and his eyes glowed darkly. “Next.”
Boone had to give it to Merry; his tone didn’t even crack. He moved closer, as if his target were Merry’s lips. But at the last second, he diverted to kiss Merry’s jawline, just under the bone’s curve, opening his mouth to lick and suck on the sweet-tasting skin. He inched his way to the other side and repeated the process.
As if by magic or time distortion, Merry ended up sitting astride Boone’s lap again, and Boone certainly didn’t mind. They mirrored their poses from last week, and it was as if no time had passed. They basically picked up right where they’d left off.
And judging from Merry’s hips shimmying and his jeans tenting, they were both on the same horny wavelength again too.
Then Boone peppered Merry’s neck with soft closemouthed kisses as he made his way to the side and placed a tender sucking kiss on Merry’s shoulder. This was what Boone wanted. Skin. Specifically Merry’s skin, the taste savored on his tongue and imprinted on his senses like a drug coursing through his veins.
“Ahh…,” Merry gasped, and his body jerked closer to Boone.
“The jawline and the shoulder kiss. How’d you like them?”
“Mmm-hmm,” Merry replied absentmindedly, his head thrown back, his eyes closed.
Boone grinned at his success. Merry was fast losing control, and that was how Boone wanted him. “Luckily I came prepared.” He leaned sideways and opened the bottom drawer of his bedside table.
Merry blinked to get his eyes back to focus and glanced inside the drawer curiously. Then he frowned in clear bafflement. “What are those?”
Boone laughed. “Not sex toys, I swear. As such.”
Merry stared at him, eyes wide with wonder. “D-did you… know I’d be asking for…?”
“For another kissing lesson? I’d hoped.” Boone nodded toward the contents of the drawer. “That’s where these come in.”
He pulled out a plastic bowl with a lid on it and opened it with care, which wasn’t easy considering he had his arms full of Merry. Inside were fresh strawberries.
Merry’s stunned look was priceless, making Boone laugh harder.
“Here. Let me show you how these work.”
With unhurried relish, Boone picked up a piece of fruit and popped it in his mouth but kept it caught between his teeth. He waggled his eyebrows and lifted his chin in blatant invitation.
Merry inhaled sharply, his gaze riveted on the strawberry hanging precariously between Boone’s lips. Then he licked his own lips, parted them, leaned gently forward, and nibbled on the fruit. Boone felt Merry’s mouth touch the edges of his own, a quick, sensuous brush that left him wanting more.
The strawberry burst apart as Merry bit into it. Sweet, slightly crisp fruit juices spread over Boone’s tongue, with smaller pieces of fruit following. He did his best to chew at the same time as he attempted to capture Merry’s tongue and suck on it. Merry started to
giggle, and the whole half kiss, half snack turned messy.
Merry withdrew, wiping red strawberry smears off the sides of his mouth, and laughed. “What on earth was that?”
Boone swallowed his nibbles and grinned. “That was the juicy or fruity kiss. Not easy to master, mind you, without getting messy.” He made a titillating show of licking his lips clean, all the while enjoying watching Merry stare and blush like mad. “Was it sweet for you?”
Merry giggled, then raised his chin defiantly. “You’re sweeter.”
Boone went still from shock. He’d never have envisioned Merry flirting with him, and so skillfully too, the timing and words perfect. He was surprised how much he enjoyed the feeling of being the object of someone’s desire. Or more specifically… Merry’s desire.
Because that was what this was, Boone thought nervously. Attraction and desire. They were kissing, flirting, making out, doing all the sorts of things boyfriends and lovers did.
Was that the direction they were headed?
Merry’s smile slowly faded as he took in Boone’s undoubtedly deer-in-the-headlights expression, and he fidgeted anxiously. Boone brought them quickly back on track.
“Here’s the next surprise. Close your eyes.”
Merry relaxed and flashed a short smile. Then he closed his eyes, exhibiting a trusting faith in his best friend. Boone felt honored and privileged to be Merry’s closest and dearest companion in life. He fully planned on that continuing for the rest of their lives.
If they survived tonight, of course.
In Boone’s eyes, Merry had never looked more enchanting. And the fact that he was even using those terms to begin with did a number on Boone’s heart. When had he started to see Merry as mesmerizing, sexy-cute, delectable? How come Boone hadn’t paid attention to that profound change in himself? Was it possible he truly was bi or gay, as Merry had suggested, or… or falling for Merry…?
To get the night’s focus back on the sensuous instead of the dumbfounding, Boone popped a piece of candy in his mouth. “Guess what flavor,” he said.
