Read Heartsville 03 - Another Shot (J.H. Knight) for Free Online Page B

said as he stood up and reached out to Aaron.
    Okay, he wasn’t willing to risk a few kisses in public, but Aaron happily took Brad’s hand and let him lead the way.
    The line wasn’t long, thankfully. But it was one of those ancient two-seater Ferris wheels with—Aaron could swear—visible rust around the bolts. He didn’t back out, but it was a close call.
    As they squeezed into their seat, Brad said, “It’s probably a lot sturdier than it looks.”
    Apparently Brad could read him fairly well.
    “It’s not that it doesn’t look sturdy. I mean, I’ve never heard of a Ferris wheel death at the fairgrounds, but, uh….”
    “You can’t help hearing the words ‘first time for everything’ over and over in your head?” Brad said the words with an obvious tease in his voice, but he slid his arm around Aaron’s shoulder as the ride jerked into motion, rocking their seat on its way around.
    “Basically, yes.” No point in denying it. Brad could probably feel the little tremors running through him.
    “Are you afraid of heights?”
    Aaron leaned over and looked down. “I don’t think so. I’m just not a fan of things that look like they’ll fall apart under me.”
    “If the bolts don’t hold, I’ll do my best to break your fall before we hit the ground.”
    “You’re not very helpful.”
    After the fourth pass and no major catastrophes, Aaron relaxed against Brad and enjoyed the ride. He stayed close—not that he had any choice given the size of the seat—and watched the twinkling lights of the fair blur past him.
    Before he knew it, they were stopped at the top, letting someone off down below.
    “We didn’t go crashing to our doom,” Brad said softly, the words incongruous with the tone, sounding almost seductive.
    Aaron looked at him for a beat and whispered, “Good thing.” He leaned in, and then Brad closed the small space between them. He threaded his fingers into Aaron’s hair, tilted his head slightly, and took Aaron’s mouth in a long, deep kiss. It should’ve been sweet, almost innocent, but it set off a cascade of desire in Aaron, fueled a fire that had been sparking since the first time he’d set eyes on Brad. He ran his hand down Brad’s chest and moaned softly when Brad slid his tongue over Aaron’s lips.
    When the ride started to move again, Aaron had to remind himself they were still in public. His growing erection didn’t seem to care. He couldn’t help but laugh as they pulled back from one another.
     
    ****
     
    The drive back to Aaron’s apartment seemed to take hours, despite being less than twenty-five minutes long. Brad would glance at him with a wicked smile, and at stoplights he’d lean over and kiss Aaron again.
    They parked on the street only a few feet from Aaron’s apartment. He laced his fingers with Brad’s and tugged him hurriedly through the crisp night air, pausing to kiss him again when they reached Aaron’s stoop.
    “If we don’t want to put on a show for the neighbors, you should get your door unlocked,” Brad whispered, grinning into another kiss.
    Aaron laughed breathlessly and dug his key out of his pocket. “My neighbors would probably be fine with that.”
    Brad pressed closer as Aaron worked his key into the lock, running his strong, warm hand over Aaron’s side. “Maybe next time,” he whispered against the back of Aaron’s neck before biting down gently.
    A rumble of heat ran through Aaron then, distracting and nearly immobilizing. And how stupid was it that he was excited over the idea of next time ? They hadn’t even finished this time .
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Once inside the apartment, Aaron turned and wrapped his arms around Brad’s shoulders, kissing him again before kicking the door shut. As they made their way down the hall that led to his bedroom, Aaron tripped and they both stumbled. Brad tightened his hold on him even as he laughed against Aaron’s mouth.
    “Ignore the boxes. I’m not actually a hoarder.”